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Posts Tagged Columbus Blue Jackets

Six Teams To Open 2010-11 in Europe

Feb 9

Posted by Eddie in News | No Comments

Today, the NHL announced the teams that will begin the 2010-11 season in Europe. The same two cities that participated in the Compuware NHL Premiere last season will return (Stockholm and Helsinki) as well as the return of Prague, Czech Republic.

The O2 Arena in Prague, Czech Republic will host the Boston Bruins and Phoenix Coyotes in October, 2010.

The O2 Arena in Prague, Czech Republic will host the Boston Bruins and Phoenix Coyotes in October, 2010.

The games will take place between October 7 and October 10. There will be one game on Oct. 7 and 10, with two games occurring on Oct. 8 and 9. Each team will play two games against each other, with one team playing host for each game. Two matchups will have an Eastern Conference team playing a team from the Western Conference, while one series will have two from the West.

Traveling to Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland Oct. 7-8 will have Carolina taking on Minnesota. Each team currently has three Finnish players on its roster with Jussi Jokinen, Tuomo Ruutu, and Joni Pikanen playing for the Hurricanes and captain Mikko Koivu, Niklas Backstrom, and Antti Miettinen.

Playing Oct. 8-9 at Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden will have Columbus playing against San Jose. The Blue Jackets have four Swedish players in Fredrik Modin,  Sammy Pahlsson, Anton Stralman, and Kristian Huselius. The Sharks are making their second overseas appearance, after they played Calgary in Tokyo, Japan in 1998. The Sharks have two Swedes, Douglas Murray and recent addition Niclas Wallin.

The Boston Bruins and Phoenix Coyotes will travel to Prague, Czech Republic for a Oct. 9-10 series. The Bruins will play in Europe for the first time in 50 years, while the Coyotes played in Finland in 1994 when they were the Winnipeg Jets. 

The Bruins’ current roster includes Czech players David Krejci, and Vladimir Sobotka.  In addition, team captain Zdeno Chara hails from Slovakia. The Coyotes’ current roster has Zbynek Michalek, Petr Prucha. Martin Hanzal, Robert Lang, and Radim Vrbata.

“The Premiere Games are a highly anticipated part of our season launch, and we are extremely pleased that six teams – more than ever – will open their season in Europe,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. “With these games, nearly half of our Clubs will have participated in Premiere – a testament to how excited our teams are to be playing before our outstanding fans in Europe.”

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Hitchcock Fired

Feb 3

Posted by EB in News | No Comments

Ken Hitchcock has been fired today by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Ken Hitchcock has been fired today by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Today the Columbus Blue Jackets have relieved Head Coach Ken Hitchcock and appointed Assistant Coach Claude Noel as interim head coach.

The move comes as no surprise as the Blue Jackets have been struggling and currently sit in 14th place within the Western Conference. The team who made their playoff debut last year is now no where near contention to make the playoffs again. In the last 10 games the team went 4-6-0, and like their overall season, they fall under .500 for wins.

Unfortunately, the team really has no players that they could move before the trade deadline, but perhaps that goes to show the lack of stars on the team. It would be nice if they could get Ilya Kovalchuk who is expected to be moved within a few days, but that seems as possible as the club to turn this season around and make the playoffs.

Perhaps now young star Nikita Filatov will be happy as he may receive more ice time. Nonetheless, the Blue Jackets should recognize this season is over. Work hard on improving for next year and try work the draft in their favor for next season.

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Filatov Unhappy in Columbus

Jan 9

Posted by EB in News, Soap Box | 1 Comment

Nikita Filatov is unhappy with Head coach Ken Hitchcock.

Nikita Filatov is unhappy with Head Coach Ken Hitchcock.

Columbus Blue Jackes 2008 NHL Entry Draft prospect Nikita Filatov expressed is unhappiness with the organization. The 19 year old signed a three year deal with the organization, has specifically pointed out head coach Ken Hitchcock. Either changes need to be made, or he plans on not coming back.

Hmm…

The team will most likely not make the playoffs. Also, head coach Ken Hitchcock will likely be removed before the season is out. But who does this 19 year old kid think he is?

The Western Conference is by the far the dominant league. Take the teams 45 points, 13th division standing and 8 points put of the playoffs. In the Eastern Conference, they would be in 11th place and only 3 points out of the playoffs. Also, last season was the teams first ever playoff appearance. So can you really blame Coach Hitchcock?

Filatov is a 19 year old who if he has such a problem, can go play in the KHL on his home soil. He would make more money, no doubt about it. But there is a reason players want to play in the NHL. Let the boy learn the hard way, let him understand he is not the voice of the team and he needs to learn the ropes before demanding such things.

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No More Blue Jackets? It Could Be Possible

Nov 5

Posted by Eddie in News, Rumors | 2 Comments

No pun intended, but everyone around the “hockey world” knows about the financial situation the Phoenix Coyotes are in. We even reported its sale to the NHL last week. The Associated Press reported today that the Columbus Blue Jackets are in a major financial bind, and that central Ohio might lose its NHL franchise.

Could Rick Nash skate in a different city? Stay tuned.

Could Rick Nash skate in a different city? Stay tuned.

A member of the 2000 expansion, the Blue Jackets came to an area that wasn’t new to hockey. Ohio has had franchise in NHL before, when the Cleveland Barons failed in the 1970’s. Ohio has also had franchises in the minor leagues in recent years including the Cleveland Lumberjacks, Cincinnati Mighty Ducks, and currently the Lake Erie Monsters play in the AHL.

Just like everyone in these economic times, people and teams are cutting back. The Jackets are 26th out of the 30-team NHL in payroll, with a cap hit of $49.7 Million according to nhlnumbers.com. The AP story mentions how the club has been losing $12 Million per season since joining the league.

The club is at a disadvantage behind the scenes compared to other teams. Their home rink, Nationwide Arena, is privately-owned. The voters in Columbus wanted it that way as they rejected voter proposals for a public-funded arena in 1986 and 1997.  The team pays $5 Million to use the facility, and doesn’t have access to parking revenues or money that comes from arena naming rights.

The benefits the team has provided is the arena is an anchor for the downtown Columbus area. Downtown Columbus has enjoyed an increase in property values, shops, bars and restaurants, and has been able to employ thousands of people.

The attempts in this situation by the team include unsuccessfully asking for a tax increase in alcohol and cigarettes in Franklin County. The major opponent of the measure was Anheuser- Busch, which has a brewery in the city. The increase would of raised $65 million to underwrite a county takeover of the arena. Other options include trying to find a second major tenant, such as a basketball team and exploring a public-private ownership deal for the arena.

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Columbus Blue Jackets

Sep 27

Posted by Eddie in Season Previews | No Comments

Both Rick Nash (L) and Steve Mason will need to continue the career seasons each had in 2009 to keep Columbus a playoff contender.

Both Rick Nash (L) and Steve Mason need to continue career seasons each had in 2009 to keep Columbus a playoff contender.

Making progress is what the Blue Jackets did last season, and will be looking forward to do this season. It took them their 10th season in the NHL to make the playoffs. Their playoff run was short-lived as they took on the Detroit Red Wings and got swept in four games.

Columbus also made progress as it re-signed captain and superstar Rick Nash to an eight-year, 62.4 Million contract extension that will keep him in Ohio until 2017-18. It’s considered a major accomplishment as Nash had his pick in where he wanted to go.

Expectations are high from not only the fan base in central Ohio, but within the organization as well. They can only make more progress this season by not only making the playoffs, but winning a couple games and even winning a series.

The Blue Jackets do have the pieces to contend in the difficult Western Conference. The Blue Jackets also enter the season with their top-six forwards set in place. In addition to Nash, they have Kristian Huselius and Derick Brassard on the top line. It’s going to be interesting to see a healthy Brassard as he missed the last 50 games due to injury. The second line will feature R.J. Umberger, Antoine Vermette, and Jakub Voracek. A rookie last season, Voracek had a quiet but respectable season as he recorded 38 points. Look for top prospect Nikita Filatov and new addition Sami Pahlsson to make significant contributions to the third and fourth lines.

On defense, there may not be any big names you have heard before other than Mike Commodore, but management stayed the course during the trade deadline and the off-season. The unit is mostly a stay-at-home unit who isn’t overly aggressive on offense. They are missing a player who is multi-dimensional and with $7 Million of cap space left going into the season, they have the ability to make a move if they are in contention for the playoffs around the deadline. Having someone who can quarterback a power play is crucial for them as they were last in the NHL on the power play at 12.7 percent.

Columbus did find a gem in goal with Steve Mason. A player who didn’t play a full season because of injury, Mason was the reason the team made the playoffs. Winning the Calder Trophy as top rookie, Mason led the league in shutouts with 10 in only 61 games. It will be interesting to see how this season will be for him. Can he continue the hot streak or suffer the sophomore slump? To aid Mason, the team signed veteran Mathieu Garon as backup.

The outlook for Columbus is pretty good. The re-signing of Nash did create a buzz around the city and did sell a few more season tickets, but they need to continue to make progress to have Columbus become a free-agent destination. In the division, they will be more competitive. It won’t be the match ups against Detroit and Chicago that will determine its fate, but it will be how they play against Nashville and St. Louis as both teams got better in the off season while Columbus stayed the course. Will it pay off with a playoff appearance? Only time will tell.

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Malhotra to Sharks

Sep 24

Posted by EB in News | No Comments

Manny MalhotraManny Malhotra has been signed by the San Jose Sharks. Recently playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Malhotra signed as an unrestricted free agent for one year with the Sharks.

Last season Malhotra netted 35 points in 77 games played. 11 goals and 24 assists make up those 35 points, with 6 of his assists being on the power play.

Manny Malhotra’s greatest asset for the San Jose Sharks will be his face off win percentage. Last year Malhotra was ranked 4th overall, winning 58% of his faceoffs. Combine that with his hard back checking, Manny Malhotra will add more depth to the San Jose Sharks already strong roster.

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NHL.com recap of 2009 Traverse City Prospect Tournament

Sep 14

Posted by Chris in Prospects | 1 Comment

Photo courtesy of TapetoTape.com

Photo courtesy of TapetoTape.com

This past Friday, NHL.com posted a great article recapping the 2009 Prospect Tournament, which was held September 6-10 in Traverse City, Mich. Now in it’s 12th year, the Prospect Tournament has become a great way for coaches and general managers to evaluate their future talent in comparison to their peers.

“For one week, you’ve got your staff and prospects together,” Detroit General Manager Ken Holland told NHL.com. “Let’s face it — once the NHL players show up, most of the energy is directed toward the real players and team at training camp. This is important because we can really focus on our kids and watch them perform.You always want to make your young players as comfortable as possible because they’ll play their best when they’re comfortable in their surroundings.”

Eight team were invited to this years tournament. The Carolina Hurricanes took first place in their first ever trip to the event with a 3-1-0 record. The Minnesota Wild came in 2nd with a 2-1-1 record, but Minnesota sported some of the quickest  games of the tournament as the team, and their AHL affiliate, try to transition to a quicker-paced, more aggressive and up-tempo hockey system.

Other team invited to this year’s tournament were the  New York Rangers, Columbus Blue Jackets, St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings, Atlanta Thrashers, and Dallas Stars.

Big name stars like Dany Heatley, Pavel Datsyuk, Ilya Kovalchuk and Henrik Zetterberg have all played in the Prospect Tournament in years past. Last season’s tournament featured players like Zach Bogosian, Jakub Voracek and T.J. Oshie, players who all had varying degrees of success with their respective NHL clubs last season.

Check out the article on NHL.com for a full recap of the tournament as well as standaings for each team and notes about prospects who shined at the tournament.

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2009 Prospects Tournament

Sep 5

Posted by EB in News | 2 Comments

Hockey World Blog is happy to inform the readers that EB will be attending the 2009 Prospects Tournament in Traverse City Michigan.

The tournament will showcase first rounders and top prospects from Carolina Hurricanes, St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers, Dallas Stars, Atlanta Thrashers, Minnesota Wild and the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The schedule of games to be played across September 6th through 10th can be found here.

Also, for real time scoring, statistics and standings, go to Pointstreak.

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Mother Russia Claims Another

Aug 11

Posted by EB in News | 1 Comment

TSN is reporting that forward Nikolai Zherdev has signed with a team in the Russian KHL league.

Could Zherdev's career be tied into the folkloric belief of the unlucky #13?

Could Zherdev's career be tied into the folkloric belief of the unlucky #13?

The 24 year old started with the Columbus Blue Jackets, traded to the New York Rangers, and eventually ended up on the short end of the stick as the New York Rangers exercised their walk-away option from an arbitration award. The forward was awarded a 1 year $3.9m contract.

Zherdev posted 23 goals and 35 assists for 58 points in 82 games last year with the Rangers.

With the salary cap what is is today, and most teams already made their off season acquisitions, it was only a matter of time before the young forward was to sign in another league.

Zherdev has had previous stints in the Russian league to later play with an NHL team in the same season. One can only hope that he returns sometime within this upcoming season as his talent for the game could help any team become better.

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New York walks from Zherdev award

Aug 4

Posted by Chris in News | 1 Comment

The New York Rangers have reportedly walked away from the contract awarded to Nikolai Zherdev by a salary arbitrator on Tuesday, making nikolai_zherdev1the right-wing a free agent.

The 24-year-old Zherdev was reportedly seeking a contract worth $4.75 million while the Rangers were offering closer to $3 million. Zherdev was awarded a one-year contract worth $3.9 million by the arbitrator.

”With the additions we’ve been able to make this summer, we feel we’ve been able to add scoring and offense from the wing position,” Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather stated. ”Following the arbitration process and subsequent award given, we feel it is in our best interest to walk away and continue to explore all available options to improve our roster.”

Originally drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets, Zherdev experienced his best season in terms of production when he scored 26 goals and registered 61 points with the Blue Jackets during the 2007-08 season. Zherdev signed as a free agent with New York last season where he accumulated 58 points in 82 games, including 23 goals.

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