Things have been quiet this week in the Battlefords. The club made an early offseason splash with the signings of Szucki, Speiss, Lane and Tatchell and now things are just... quiet.
Maybe a little too quiet.
Ken Pearson told me that he's done for the moment, and that fans shouldn't expect anything major within the next few weeks. With the Additions of Lane, Szucki and Tatchell, the Stars have 13 forwards plus several listed players that are going to challenge for spots. The only forwards not eligable to return are Josh Clare and Chris Jung because of age.
Can we logically assume that Pearson is 100% satisfied with the players he's got, and that the Stars are done?
Maybe.
But I think you and I both know that there's going to be more changes. Ryan Anderson, Dane Meunch and Brett Miller all have a tremendous shot to play in the DUB next season if they choose too.
Defensively it wouldn't be that suprising to see a guy like Klaussen start the season with the Saskatoon Blades.
The addition of Speiss to the blueline gives the Stars 7 defenceman that are all capable of cracking an SJHL roster. The only defenceman not coming back for sure would be Nick Martin (age).
It's no secret that the Stars need more scoring, and with almost "too many" sure things coming back, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if we saw some type of blockbuster deal for a skilled forward.
Any trade ideas?
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Tonight on the Co-Op Leisure Time Sports Fix, I spoke to Nipawin Hawks Coach and GM Colin O'Hara. Colin is one of my favourite people to deal with in the league. He's candid, honest and always accomodating.
It's the first time I've spoken with him since the Stars/Hawks survivor series, and it was clear from the get-go of the interview that O'Hara was still very dissapointed with the result.
He confessed that his team wasn't tough enough during that series and that the Hawks weren't able to implement their game-plan on the Stars.
The Hawks have added two forwards to their club so far this season: Matt Spafford and Zachary Baba.
If memory serves correctly, Spafford was once listed with the Battlefords North Stars. I believe he was acquired in November 07 as part of the Flin-Flon trade that sent Barrett Penner to the Bombers. I'm not sure what happened with Spafford and the North Stars, but O'Hara is extremely optomistic that he can step in and be a top-six forward with Nipawin. O'Hara projected to have Spafford play on a line with Mike Rey.
Zach Baba is a tough kid. 37 games in a BC Junior B league, and he had over 300 minutes in penalty minutes. Tony Oak and Jordan Lane may have a tougher time being physical next season with a guy like Baba on the ice. I think the Hawks are really onto something with these two players.
O'Hara also talked in great detail about defenceman Taylor Thiessen. O'Hara announced early in the offseason that Thiessen would serve as the Hawk's captain for his final SJ season, and this was the only real choice that he had.
Taylor was the best Nipawin Hawk during the Survivor Series last year, and in my opinion is an early favourite to be the best defenceman in the SJHL next season.
Overall I was very pleased with my interview with O'Hara, and I wish him and the Hawks all the best.
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The La Ronge Ice Wolves hope they've made a pair of transactions that will accelerate their rebuilding process.
The Ice Wolves acquired 1990 F Taylor Piller (Saskatoon SK) from the Humboldt Broncos to complete the January 10th trade that saw Joel Belair go to the Broncos. Piller had 13-goals and 11-assists in 38-games with Humboldt this past season. He added another goal and five helpers in 13-playoff contests and has been a member of two SJHL championship teams.
La Ronge head coach Bob Beatty is very happy to secure Piller, who has two more years of junior eligibility. “He's a solid two-way player and we feel he has even more offensive upside. He is going to see a lot of ice time for us and he is a proven winner. We are excited to have his positive attitude and proven experience come into our dressing room.”
The Ice Wolves also took care of some loose ends on a trade that saw Notre Dame pick up Kyle Ireland in the 2007-08 season by getting 1989 D Kirk Moore (Saskatoon SK). Moore had 4-goals and 18-assists in 44-games with the Hounds last year. “He's a veteran defenseman that can move the puck really well and he's responsible in all three zones. He has an excellent work ethic and Kirk is a real good team player,” said Beatty.
Also included from the Hounds were the CJHL list rights to 1989 G Garrett Zemlak (Saskatoon SK), who has been in the Western Hockey League for the last three years with Saskatoon and, more recently, Prince Albert.
The rebuilding process in La Ronge will not be an easy one but they are definitely on the right track after these two acquisitions. Battlefords North Star fans are certainly familiar with Kirk Moore. He spent most of the 07/08 season in the Battlefords and was pretty consistent. He's tough, dependable and should definitely see some powerplay time. He's a good guy too, and he's definitely a player who could probably wear an 'A' on his jersey.
The major perk regarding Pillar is his experience. The guy has been a part of two SJHL championship teams, and arguably was never utilized to his full potential in Humboldt. Pillar is a talented hockey player that should definitely be a major factor in La Ronge's offence.
Bob Beatty recently signed a contract extension with the Wolves, and I commend the organization for doing so. Beatty has been a guest on the Sports Fix on multiple occsasions, and if there's anybody who can bring this La Ronge team back to respectability FAST, it's him.
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From TSN earlier this evening.
The Coyotes are Staying Put (For Now)
The Phoenix Coyotes are staying put for now, Hamilton is still on the outside looking in, and the NHL has managed to turn away Jim Balsillie once again.
Arizona bankruptcy Judge Redfield T. Baum rejected the Canadian billionaire's bold bid for the insolvent team Monday, saying in a 21-page ruling that there wasn't enough time to deal with all the unresolved issues raised by the unprecedented case.
Balsillie had sought to buy the Coyotes out of Chapter 11 protection with a US$212.5 million offer that was conditional on being able to move the team to Hamilton. He had set a June 29 closing date for the sale in an attempt to speed through the process and have the club in place for the 2009-10 season.
But Baum wouldn't have it.
There were a myriad of legal issues to deal with, including how much the NHL would get as a relocation fee, and not much time to sort them out. There was also a tentative auction set for June 22 looming.
"Simply put, the court does not think there is sufficient time (14 days) for all of these issues to be fairly presented to the court given that deadline," Baum wrote.
The ruling is a victory for the NHL, which had argued that the bid was designed to skirt league rules on the transfer of ownership and relocation and should be rejected for that reason.
The league also believes the Coyotes are still viable in Phoenix, even though the team has lost over $300 million since moving to the desert in 1996, according to court documents.
"We're pleased the Court recognized the validity of league rules and our ability to apply them in a reasonable fashion," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in a statement. "We will turn our attention now toward helping to facilitate an orderly sales process that will produce a local buyer who is committed to making the Coyotes' franchise viable and successful in the Phoenix/Glendale area.
"We are confident that we will be able to find such a buyer for the Coyotes and that the claims of legitimate creditors will be addressed."
Hamilton, which had lined up behind Balsillie and was ready to welcome him with open arms, ends up a jilted bridesmaid once more, its hopes of becoming home to the seventh Canadian NHL team falling short just like several other previous attempts.
And Balsillie must settle for a public relations victory with his intelligent and successful Make It Seven marketing campaign after failing to close the deal just like in his previous attempts to buy the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators.
Not that he was ready to give up just yet.
"Jim Balsillie's bid to bring a seventh NHL team to Canada continues," spokesman Bill Walker said in a statement.
"The court still controls the sale process. As a result, we look forward to hearing from the NHL soon on its view of our relocation application and an appropriate relocation fee, so as to allow the court to determine if that fee is reasonable.
"We still think there is enough time for the NHL to approve Mr. Balsillie's application and move the team to Hamilton by September. The court invited mediation on these issues and Mr. Balsillie is willing to participate in such mediation if the NHL is also willing to do so."
The decision puts an end to more than a month of intense legal wrangling over the team's future, put into motion when Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes surprised the NHL and filed for Chapter 11 protection on May 5.
A ruling was expected last week after a nearly seven-hour hearing June 9 ended with Baum telling the parties he wanted to sleep on the matter before deciding how they should proceed.
Baum offered hints of where his thinking was at during the hearing when he said he believed the NHL was entitled to a relocation fee if the Coyotes are moved to Hamilton, and put the league on notice that it may be ordered to work quickly to determine exactly how much that would be.
There were suggestions the sides go to mediation for the matter, but Thursday the court issued a notice saying Baum "will not be setting a separate hearing on the relocation and fee issue. It will be dealt with in the court's ruling from the (June 9) hearing."
That raised speculation a decision was imminent.
The relocation fee became critical since it would eat away from the money available to creditors, making Balsillie's bid virtually worthless to them should he decide not to pay it.
One of the lawyers for the co-CEO of BlackBerry maker Research in Motion let slip during the hearing that they believe the NHL would charge $100 million for the move -- a figure redacted from court documents and not confirmed by the league.
There may also have been some sort of indemnity fees demanded by or due to the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres as compensation for the incursion into their territory, and it's unclear whether Balsillie would have been willing to ante up.
Richard Rodier, his representative, noted outside the courthouse last Tuesday that the deal allows Balsillie to walk away if there's a relocation fee, but the billionaire said in a statement Wednesday that he was one step closer to his goal of a seventh NHL team in Canada.
The NHL had steadfastly stuck to its view that there can be no relocation fee discussion until both an owner and the move have been approved by its governors.
The NHL had said it has received four expressions of interest from potential buyers interested in operating the Coyotes in Phoenix -- including Toronto Argonauts owners Howard Sokolowski and David Cynamon, and Chicago White Sox and Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf.
But lacking a firm offer prompted Baum to dismiss them as little more than hearsay.
The true test of their interest comes now.
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