For What Their Worth...

Darrelle Revis

Sadly, with the way society is headed, there seems to be a serious lack of moral and traditional values in which society used to be defined. This change in society has even managed to breach the lives of professional athletes who now feel that they are larger than life. There used to be a time when an athelete was proud to wear the jersey of a city that he was lucky enough to call home. He felt proud to be a part of a team were they would work together in order to be the best in the game. Professional athletes are role models and live in the hearts of every sports fan. When they lose sight of that and shift their attention to the digits after a dollar sign, they lose more than just their reputation.

When a player is at a point were they are willing to sit out for the season unless they become the highest payed player in their position, than a line has been crossed. New York Jets Cornerback Darrelle Revis managed to cross that line this past off season when he did not take part in team pre-season training. After frequent negotiations the Jets managed to reach an agreement with the star Cornerback, with him seeing a cool 48 million dollars over the next four years. Considering the Jets have a good chance at the Super Bowl this year, one would think he would just want to be a part of that team and get recognition for his play.

The NFL is one thing but when you get to leagues with salary caps it becomes on entirely different issue altogether. A league such as the NHL has teams with salary limits that help balance the league so that team wealth does not factor into the success rate. The New Jersey Devils ran into problems when they tried to sign left winger Ilya Kovalchuk. The plan was to sign Kovalchuk for seventeen years, which would put him at forty-four and see him earning 102 million dollars. After the NHL rejected the contract on the grounds that it circumvented the salary cap. Instead they let him sign for 100 million dollars over fifteen years, which seems to be very similar to the original.

A respectable player is New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur, the term respectable is used purely in a hockey sense. Brodeur opted for a smaller contract at the beginning of the 05/06 season in order to leave cap space for other talented players to help improve the roster. The fact that he is the winningest goaltender of all time only helps to boost his reputation, along with a good sense of hockey morals. Brodeur really is the ultimate franchise player in today's game, he is not caught up in making commercials or viral videos but rather focuses on the game and how to help the team. He brings back a real sense of old time hockey that is oddly refreshing from the way athletes conduct themselves today.

The point is that athletes are changing for the worse which is going to go all the way through to the youth of the world. The future for teams does not look bright if players continuously put themselves before the team, in a sense they cannot see the forest for the trees. Kids grow up dreaming of playing professional sports for a team that they love in a game that they love. What type of values are there going to be for these kids if money becomes the biggest issue in an athlete's life? A game really needs heart in order to be played to the highest degree, heart is something tha cannot be bought or sold but rather it lives inside of every true athlete who has the hunger to win and to excel in their chosen sport. Athletes need to turn back to traditional values in order to earn the respect of fans, money simply takes away from the game.

Rising Stars

The National Hockey League is a recycling system for players that sees a new wave of players with each new season, while at the same time creating a range of seasoned veterans. The problem with veterans is that after a period of time they become predictable, whether they be successful or not soon becomes evident. A rookie brings a whole new anticipation to the game that draws the fan in, predictions are made and a new generation is born. Rookies are the only players that remain unpredictable throughout the season as it is often the most unexpected player that rises to the top.

The best rookies in the NHL today are hard to distinguish at this point, with all of the tough competition   that has been emerging. There are five that have managed to separate from the rest of the pack at this point in the season.

The first being Tyler Ennis of the Buffalo Sabres, he has really lived up to the expectations that Sabres fans have had for him. The Alberta native has managed to put up four goals and six assists in seventeen games this season. The Sabres have been struggling this season as they sit fourth from last in the Eastern Conference with only five wins. Ennis is a small forward whose speed and size allows him to maneuver his way to the right areas to score. Standing at only 5'9" and weighing in at 157 lbs, Ennis has made the list by becoming a force to be reckoned with in the NHL.

With a beat up blue line in last years Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Montreal Canadiens called up P.K. Subban from the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League. Subban became a crucial part of Montreal's defense to the point that he was able to crack the lineup for the 2010/11 season. Subban has one goal and 6 assists so far this season. What makes him a top rookie does not show up on the game sheet but has the potential to make the difference in the end. Subban has an excellent defensive awareness of what to look for and who to pickup in front of the net. Subban is not afraid to block shots and will lay it on the line for the team. He has established himself as a two-way defenseman with the ability to generate offense without sacrificing his defensive game.

On a youthful team, Jordan Eberle has managed to pull through and continue to be the next face of Canadian hockey. Playing for the struggling Edmonton Oilers, Eberle has managed to contribute nine points in fourteen games despite the lack of a seasoned veteran. Canadians remember him as a clutch player for his late game heroics at the World Junior tournaments in 2008 and 2009. Eberle has managed to exceed expectations so far this season and has earned his spot amongst the top rookies.

With Stanley Cup finalist Michael Leighton on the shelf due to back surgery, the Philadelphia Flyers needed a goalie to begin the new season. Their answer came out of Novokuznetsk, Russia with twenty-two year old Sergei Bobrovsky. With ten wins in just thirteen starts this season there are no questions as to why Bobrovsky is included in the top rookies. Bobrovsky is also backing up his wins with solid numbers that suggests he is pulling his weight on the Flyers. His .932 save percentage speaks for itself as well as a 2.08 GAA. He could very well be on his way down a path to a great career that may see several Stanley Cups and Vezina Trophies.

Finally, the top rookie in the NHL today would have to be Jeff Skinner of the Carolina Hurricanes. Skinner who was very successful in two season with the OHL's Kitchener Rangers has exploded into the NHL with fifteen points in seventeen games. With a great combination of hands and speed, Skinner really is the ultimate package coming out of the draft.  Surprisingly enough, Skinner went seventh overall  to the struggling Hurricanes who missed last years playoffs. Although early in his career, Skinner is showing signs of becoming a top ten scoring leader at some point in his career.

Professional hockey is a constantly evolving game that brings a lot of surprises as well as a lot of disappointments. These players have proven that they deserve to be in the NHL and hopefully they continue to excel in their positions.

  

 

A Game of Aspects

A game is said to contain various aspects that range in degree of importance and effect that they play on the game. Hockey is very much the same in the sense that the quality of the game depends on the execution of said aspects that ultimately affect the result of the game. In the game of hockey, forwards can be broken down into five distinct categories that are different in definition but similar in the sense that each plays a role on the team.

First of all there are the guys with great hands that are able to make something from nothing by making moves to beat defenders in order to generate an offensive chance, this player is called a dangler. A player like Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk would fall under this category due to the fact that he is small and quick with the puck. Next there are snipers, who have a primary objective to score goals with terrific shots that use a combination of speed and accuracy. San Jose was lucky enough to acquire a sniper in Dany Heatley back in 2009. Then their are the playmakers who are responsible for generating offensive chances by setting up the snipers and danglers for goals, Colorado's Paul Stastny would be considered a playmaker. A smaller role in the NHL would be fighting, a fighter can be found on every team, they are simply payed to change the momentum of the game. Someone like the Rangers Derek Boogaard who stands at 6'7"and weighs in at 265 fits the definition perfectly. Finally there are the guys that are employed to play a physical game that punishes the opponent every time they get the puck, they do produce on the ice but lack the finesse of the snipers and danglers. As made clear in the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Pittsburgh's Maxime Talbot is one of the best checkers in the league.

Fortunately for hockey fans the game is by no means this black and white at any given time, their are hybrid players that seem to have the ability to do it all. A player like Pens forward Sidney Crosby is mainly a playmaker meaning he is working to generate offense. Yet some how he ended the 09/10 campaign with 51 goals! He has managed to combine the soft hands of a dangler with the mind and precision of a playmaker. Recently he displayed an aggressive side that has only been seen a mere five times throughout his professional career, Crosby fought Stars defenseman Matt Niskanen in a game last Wednesday night.  Crosby is great offensive presence on the pens and a rather weak fighter, he should stick to producing. Another hybrid player that often gets compared to Crosby is Washington Capitals forward Alexander Ovechkin. Although he is widely known for his spectacular moves and rocket shot, he has made a name for himself as a highly physical player. Many see his physical play as a negative aspect in his game that puts him at risk, what is not seen is his drive to win at all costs. These great players should leave the physical play to those who get payed for it, they get paid for point production which is done more efficiently when it has 100% of the focus.

But what happens when players defer away from their roles and take it upon themselves to accomplish the roles of another? The result depends upon the player,  rarely does a fighter become a goal scorer but if this did occur they would receive great recognition. On the opposite side of things, when a point getter becomes a hitter than there is a problem because their is a huge uproar and the player needs to be set straight. Sadly these players often learn their lesson through a suspension that is issued by the NHL which may or may not contain a small fine by Professional pay grade standards. The most recent player to fall prey to disciplinary action was Sharks forward Joe Thornton for his hit on Blues forward David Perron in a game last Thursday night. Thornton seemed to feel that it was a clean hit and was not worthy of a suspension, when asked about it he was surprised that the hit would even receive a two minute penalty.

Buffalo's Jason Pominville being taken off on a stretcher after 

suffering a hit to the head.

The issue of head shots is really starting to become a huge issue in the NHL today as more players are being placed on the injured reserve due to concussions. How does the NHL go about eliminating dangerous hits to the head without removing physicality entirely from the game? Hitting is said to be a very important aspect in the game of hockey, but would the game suffer if hitting was removed? The 2010 Olympics proved that skill makes for a more exciting game than one with hitting. When skill is displayed, the game hits new levels of competitiveness that hitting simply is unable to produce. With more skill in the NHL smaller guys would be able to crack into pro lineups which makes for a more exciting game. Anyone is able to lay a hit but skills are something that are constantly practiced and developed, their would be no need for big players that lack skill. Their would be a larger fan base for the NHL if it put a greater emphasis on talent as opposed to physicality.

"You can't have a hit like that, it's dangerous... I hope the league wakes up and set a precedent for the year" said Buffalo goaltender Ryan Miller after he watched teammate Jason Pominville get taken off on a stretcher. If the NHL wants to remove head shots, then they need to eliminate hitting altogether. By eliminating the job market for hitting more skilled players will breakthrough into the NHL making the sport more enjoyable for fans.