Watching NHL hockey

There are many angles to approach when you are watching a hockey game or just following the scores on the morning sports broadcast.

Of course we all want to know how our favorite teams or players performed in the previous night’s action, but something I look for is how the guys that I watched play hockey in my home town are doing.

I grew up in Owen Sound, Ontario (as I sure readers of this blog have gathered over time). I was a goalie and I idolized Owen Sound’s number one hockey hero the great Hall of Fame netminder Harry Lumley. But in recent years I moved back to Owen Sound for a while and I got to know a lot of the junior players skating for the Owen Sound Platers (now they are the Owen Sound Attack). So when I watch a hockey game or tune in to the sports broadcast I like to find out how this generation of Owen Sound hockey players are doing in the NHL.

Last night was no exception, as I tuned in to the game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Anaheim Ducks. Bobby Ryan, who I watched play his entire junior career in Owen Sound, and who will always be the answer to the hockey trivia question “Who was drafted first behind Sidney Crosby?” was facing one of the best Owen Sound juniors of all time Adam Mair.



Ryan has turned into a superlative hockey player, leading the NHL in goals (21) for rookies, and is a pleasure to watch. The gritty Adam Mair is always at his best when he is throwing hard bodychecks and digging the puck out of the corners. (Adam had a lot of people predicting that he would one day be a premier checking forward in the NHL, but then he was drafted by the Maple Leafs and it took years for him to recover from the way he was treated there, but that is blog for another day.)

It was a lot of fun to see two guys, who I saw grow up as junior players play against each other last night.

But Adam and Bobby were not the only former Owen Sound juniors playing in the NHL last night. Former OHL scoring wizard Andrew Brunette’s Minnesota Wild played the Los Angeles Kings and Brad Richardson. Brunette has had a great NHL career as a goal scorer and has been a gritty player willing to play through injuries In fact, his iron man mark of playing in 509 consecutive games recently ended on Feb 21 when he missed a game against another former Owen Sound star, Kirk Maltby and the Detroit Red Wings.



Another former Owen Sound junior also skated last night in the NHL, and his story is truly amazing.

Joel Ward scored his ninth goal of the season for the Predators as they downed the Black Hawks 5-3.

Ward has enjoyed a good season in Nashville playing regularly, as well as spending time on the power play and of course killing penalties. When Joel played in Owen Sound, he and Jan Sulc formed one of the most effective penalty killing duos in the OHL.

Joel’s path to the NHL was anything but routine.

He turned down an offer to play in the ECHL but instead turned his attention achieving an education. He enrolled at the University of Prince Edward Island where he starred in Canadian University hockey (earning a couple of MVP awards). After graduation Joel joined the Minnesota Wild’s organization and this past season signed with the Predators. If this season is any indication, Joel is going to have a long and successful career in the NHL.

Following hometown players as they play in the NHL is just another way to enjoy the great of game of hockey.

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Toskala Stellar in Leafs Victory over Habs

Vesa Toskala looked like regained some of his old confidence as he led the Toronto Maple Leafs to victory over a beleaguered Carey Price and the Montreal Canadiens last night.

Toskala has been the subject of much controversy in Toronto, the self-proclaimed “hub of the hockey world”. Not only were the fickle Toronto fans loudly questioning Toskala’s netminding skills, Coach Ron Wilson and GM Brian Burke also called out their goalie earlier in the week. But last night Toskala was the best Leaf on the ice. He stymied the Habs on a couple of “five on three power plays” proving once again that a hot goalie is the best penalty killer a team can have.

Three other Leafs played prominent roles behind Toskala’s brilliant performance. Jason Blake notched a couple of key goals and Dominic Moore won some key face-offs as well as providing some great checking and passing to get the puck to Blake on several occasions.

But a major surprise for me was the play of Matt Stajan who played a feisty game adding some much needed sandpaper to an otherwise soft Leaf line-up.

On the other side of the ledger, Montreal’s Carey Price looked bewildered at times in the Montreal nets. In the third period I thought he was getting back into a groove with a couple of key saves and then just when I thought he was back to normal he allowed a couple of soft “glove side” goals to sink any thoughts of a Habs comeback.

The Montreal Canadiens now head out on a tough six-game road trip. Perhaps a few games away from the boo-birds in Montreal will allow Price he opportunity to re-gain his confidence as the team heads down the home stretch and on into the play-offs.

Luke Schenn, Toronto highly-hyped rookie defenseman, opened the scoring with his first NHL goal.




Ice Chips: Bobby Ryan (the NHL Rookie of the Month in January) scored a nice goal in the Ducks victory over the Flames. Another ex-Owen Sound Attack player Dan Lacosta recorded his first NHL victory as he led the Columbus Blue Jackets past the high-flying Sharks 3-2 in overtime. Meanwhile in Ottawa, former Owen Sound junior star Adam Mair settled an old score with Jarkko Ruutu and then scored a nice goal for the Sabres.

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