Fairness Delayed, But Finally Fairness

Welcome to 2009, Hockey Hall of Fame.

The prestigious institution may have been a little late to the party, or in this case, rather slow in understanding the explosive growth of women's hockey in North America and Europe.

But the important thing is that they have managed to get there, and by next year women will finally find themselves honored members in the HHOF.

The hall announced changes today that starting in 2010, a maximum of four men and two women will be eligible for annual induction. Until now, women had to compete directly against men, and given the fact many members of the selection committee either had no knowledge of women's hockey or were sworn against allowing women to be recognized in this way, the secretive organization had managed to keep the doors shut tight to women.

It was embarrassing to women and females who had been pioneers in the game.

But it was, as was argued here many times, far more embarrassing to the hall, an old boy's club if there ever was one.

But they've seen the light - finally - and that's fantastic. There will be those who will quibble with the process, suggesting there are women who are every bit as qualified as men and shouldn't need a separate category.

But at this point, that's quibbling indeed.

In fact, the hall has even made sure the numbers of men and women to be inducted every year will be reviewed every five years. Who knows, maybe down the road they'll be allowing the same number of men and women every year.

But for now this is fair. All those who argued it would never, ever happen and should never, ever happen have been proven wrong.

Hockey, it seems, can evolve. Congratulations to the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Unproductive Status Quo

My problem is with the upper portions of the NHL standings, and the lower portions.

This is a league, you can say, that has upper and lower body injuries that become most evident when we get down to the final two weeks of the regular season.

Only about one-third of the league's teams, maybe fewer, are actually playing for something at the moment, with the "excitement" of the "playoff races" really a vast exaggeration.

I'm mean, it's great that Florida is trying to squeak in past Montreal in the east, and that Nashville, St. Louis, Edmonton and Anaheim are clawing for the opportunity to get knocked out in the first round by San Jose or Detroit.

But once more, we see a system in which the top 10 teams in the league are basically just spinning their wheels, biding time until post-season play commences with little to be gained by finishing much higher in the standings.

So what if San Jose finishes ahead of Detroit? The Sharks get nothing for it. Does it really matter a whole bunch if Philly finishes fourth or Carolina does?

Until the league starts rewarding teams more for winning their divisions and accumulating more points than is the case now, you're going to get this sense of inertia in cities when the good teams are just waiting for the season to be over.

At the other end of the spectrum are the teams that won't be making the playoffs, a group of nine teams or maybe 10 if you believe the Wild are done.

Some of these teams are playing pretty hard, or at least they look that way because so many of their opponents are either home and cooled out or in the same non-playoff mode as they are.

What bugs me is that while there is still little reward for teams that finish high in the standings, there's ample reward awaiting clubs that finish as far down the NHL standings as possible.

That, of course, is a high draft pick, or even a shot at No. 1.

Now I'm no great fan of the NHL draft. For a long time now I've believed we don't even really need one for the NHL, that the current bidding process for U.S. college free agents is evidence that the best teams wouldn't necessarily collect all the best young talent if it was just a giant free agent extravaganza of 18-year-old hockey players every spring rather than the entry draft process.

But if there must be a draft, every team that misses the playoffs should have their names thrown into a drum, and then a draw will be held to determine draft order. Not a weighted draw, one in which all 14 non-playoff teams have an equal chance. It'd be like holding the Sidney Crosby draft every year, giving the NHL a wonderful made-for-TV event.

If the Islanders still get No. 1 and the right to draft John Tavares, good for them. If they get the eighth pick or the 14th selection, they still get a good young player, but more important, understand that playing to be lousy doesn't pay.

This isn't my idea. Just one I've heard that makes a lot of sense.

Troubles in Net, Troubles on the 'Net

Note: The above video may not work in older browsers.

Brian Burke doesn't seem like a "twitter" type. And he's not.

Now, I don't particularly pretend to totally understand the twitter fad, although this blog is linked to it for reasons that, again, I don't totally get but am willing to go along with.

Burke, however, has been fighting a battle with twitter for some time now because someone out there has been, well, impersonating him at twitter.com/brianburke. There are actually some funny "tweets" on the site, which apparently orginated with a prolific local blogger who goes by the handle of Down Goes Brown and occasionally comments on this blog. The latest addition read, "In honor of Earth Hour, the Leafs and Bruins will be turning off our defence and goaltending for 60 minutes tonight," a reference to Saturday night's shootout at the ACC.

Another reads, "For the last time, Darcy Regier, I don't care if you kep the receipt for Dominic Moore. No refunds."

Not bad.

Burke, incensed by fake and insulting comments directed in his name towards former Leaf GM John Ferguson, had his lawyer try to put a stop to it about a month ago, which left Burke somewhat surprised yesterday to hear it was still up and operating, albeit with a disclaimer attached now that reads, "Yes, it's a parody."

"I guess I don't have a problem with that," he grumbled. "It's the age we live in, I guess.

"But there has to be a degree of responsibility on the Internet. If someone's going to try and impersonate Brian Burke, I'm going to sue his ass."

There are numerous other fake twitter accounts, including one with Gary Bettman's name attached to it that doesn't have the parody disclaimer attached.

Maybe it's all fun. Maybe it's just web pollution. You decide.

SCHOOL'S OUT

AP PHOTO

Tyler Bozak has been on the radar of several NHL teams.

This should be the week the market for U.S. college hockey free agents heats up, and the Maple Leafs are hoping to make a big splash.

When Notre Dame was upset in the NCAA playoffs on Saturday, that meant Fighting Irish centre Christian Hanson is now available to sign with an NHL club. The Leafs are one of many teams chasing the 6-foot-4 centre, the son of Dave Hanson of "Slapshot" fame, and are considered one of the favourites to land him.

Until now, under NCAA rules, players can only have "family advisors," not accredited NHL agents, but that also changes now. Hanson is likely to be represented by Bobby Orr.

Another top free agent, Tyler Bozak of Denver University, also saw his team eliminated last week and could, according to his agent, Don Meehan, sign with an NHL club as early as tomorrow. Bozak flew from Denver to Toronto yesterday and will meet with Meehan today.

During the season, upwards of 20 teams met with Bozak, so a great deal of groundwork has already been done.

"There's so much interest in him we just need to sit down and go through all his thoughts and ideas," said Meehan yesterday. "We want to get to a short list. That's the game plan."

Bozak missed three months with a knee injury this season, but returned to play for last week's playoffs. The Leafs are hot on his trail as well and would love to make a splash by inking one or two of these free agents over the next two weeks.

Meanwhile, the player who may be most coveted, Boston University defenceman Matt Gilroy, advanced with the Terriers to the Frozen Four in Washington, D.C. April 9-11, the final eight NCAA teams, and so won't be available to be signed for at least another two weeks.

CHERRY BOMB

Got blasted by Don Cherry on Coach's Corner on Saturday night for having an "agenda" to get fighting out of hockey.

Guilty. If they put that on my tombstone, I'll be okay with that.

Don't get me wrong. Grapes may not like me, but I like him fine. Have suggested several times he belongs in the broadcaster's wing of the Hockey Hall of Fame, so I think I'm on the record as having respect for his accomplishments as a broadcaster. As a junior coach, not so much.

All I can say is I haven't made a dime off pushing the notion that fighting has no place in hockey.

Wonder how much he's made off the Rock 'Em, Sock "Em hockey video collection? And given that most hockey fans apparently want fighting in the game still, doesn't that make him by definition a purveyor of political correctness?

YOU DON'T HAVE TO YELLE

Even as a non-fighting fan, I at least sort of understand the logic of stepping in for a teammate that's been wronged or even the victim of a destructive body check.

But when Steve Montador feels its his role on the Boston Bruins to step in for Stephane Yelle after Yelle is bodychecked by Toronto's Luke Schenn - you know, protecting the skill guys - we're officially en route to hell in a handbasket.

FOR THE RECORDS

Neither Olaf Kolzig nor Jamie Heward may ever play a game for the Leafs, but if you're keeping score at home, both have officially been assigned numbers.

Kolzig is No. 37, Heward is No. 28.

 

Thursday Mail Bag

It’s not exactly do or die time for Justin Pogge.

But its time for the kid to make a statement.

TONY BOCK/TORONTO STAR

It's Pogge's time to make a statement that he's an NHLer.

We’ve seen him come up to the NHL on multiple occasions, do okay at times, but generally not do a whole lot to convince anyone he’s the answer in the near future for the Maple Leafs in goal.

Now, with Martin Gerber having acted like a complete idiot over a goal that, in my opinion, was correctly counted as legal, Pogge gets another shot.

So Gerber’s suspended, Vesa Toskala is out for the year and Curtis Joseph apparently is only trusted to play once in a blue moon.

How much opportunity does Pogge need? Here’s a chance to grab the bull by the horns and make the Leafs believe he can be something significant next year and beyond.

Right now, it’s doubtful he’ll even be the NHL backup to Toskala right now. But he can change that over the next week.

It’s up to him now, and time to stop holding his hand and start demanding results.

Now on to this week’s mail bag:

Q: Hi Damien, this question may have come up before so I apologize for the duplication. Don Cherry really seems to have it in for Ron Wilson. Do you know why or how this little feud originated? Did they butt heads some time in the past?

Michael Manno, Toronto

A: I don’t know what created this mini-feud, although I do think

Wilson has done well to pretty much ignore all the barbs thrown his way by Cherry this season. They certainly aren’t of the same mind when it comes to the way the game should be played or coached, with Wilson one of the more innovative, cutting edge coaches around. Cherry doesn’t seem to like Wilson’s attitude or manner, and I can tell you this – he’s not the only one in hockey that feels that way. The Leaf coach tends to rub people the wrong way.

Q: If an NHL team is worried about a falling cap number and committing dollars to a free agrent which squeezes room for other players, why not sign contracts where the salary is a percentage of the cap number and not a flat amount. It probably makes sense to assign all players a percentage of the cap and you don't have to worry about being squeezed. (Provided the GM isn't Max Bialystock and his assistant isn't Leo Bloom.)

James Piper, Kitchener

A: Yes, if it were only so that we knew those who have run the Leafs for the past 40 years were simply channeling The Producers. It would all make so much more sense.

Basically, what you’re suggesting is an interesting idea, but not legal under the current collective bargaining agreement. Each player must have defined salary and number for cap purposes. The only way in which a percentage of the cap can be used is to generate the maximum salary allowable, which can be no more than 20 per cent of the maximum cap figure for any individual.

Q: Damien, very much enjoy the questions and your answers in your blog. My question refers to the loss of Dominic Moore who I thought was the best Leaf player most nights this season. Is there any reason why a new contract could not have been structured to pay him, for example, 2.5 million next year, 1.5 million the year after, and 1 million the third year? MLSE has lots of money and cap space for next year. The last two years address the possible lower cap and salary additions during the following two seasons while allowing the Leafs to keep a very talented player and still give him close to what he was asking. He gets much of his money up front don't see a problem that way.

Would this type of contract violate any NHL rules or be an issue for the players association or do you see any other reasons why it would not have been a solution to the stalemate? Is there a maximum decrease per year that might come into play?

It is hard for me to believe that a proven effective younger NHL player is not much more valuable than a second round draft choice who probably isn't a Leaf for three or four years if ever.

Thanks,

Don Jones, Vineland

A: There is certainly nothing illegal under current CBA rules about the type of contract you suggested.

Moore, however, was looking for more than the approximately $1.7 million average salary that your figures would have produced. He was somewhere around $2.3 million average, which was more than the Leafs were willing to pay.

Interestingly, Moore has one goal and two assists in eight games with the Sabres while averaging around 13-16 minutes of ice time and without getting the power play opportunities he was getting before. The Leafs believed his offensive numbers were artificially inflated by the fact he was playing much higher in the lineup than he would have on a better team.

As far as the draft pick, if you’re going to see a second round pick as basically worthless, then this kind of deal wouldn’t appeal to you. In my mind, having a good collection of draft picks every year just increases your chances of finding better players. If you constantly have few picks, the draft isn’t going to pay dividends. At the end of the day, I think there’s a chance the Leafs could end up with the pick AND Moore. They have an interest in signing him as a free agent this summer.

Good Things About Losing

Personally, I've always liked the fact that when Canada gets its butt whipped at hockey, there's an outcry.

Seems like that's been a productive dynamic over the decades. It made us look at our game after '72. After losing at the World Cup in 1996, the Olympics in '98 and suffering an embarrassing defeat to Kazahkstan at the 1998 world junior championships, Canadian hockey authorities held the Open Ice Summit that did a useful and thorough examination of the game in Canada.

There will always be those who say nothing was wrong in the first place, but they're wrong. Skill and speed in the game is embraced far more today than it was a decade ago in this country, and we're producing far more highly talented offensive players than grinders and goons.

So when we lose, we care. That's a good thing.

Contrast that with the absolute lack of any widespread outcry in the United States over the defeat of their national baseball squad at the World Baseball Classic to Japan on Sunday night, which was followed by the thrilling Japanese victory over South Korea last night in the championship game.

Right now, the main response I'm hearing from the U.S. media is "Who Cares?," truly an indictment of the way in which that country feels these days about its national pastime.

"Did you shrug your shoulders? Did you shake your head? Did you even bother to do any of that before flipping over to see the college basketball scores? " wrote Mike Vaccaro in the New York Post.

"And that's the problem. The World Baseball Classic is doomed to remain a glorified exhibition for as long as that indifference lingers and lasts in the mindset of the United States. Sorry if that sounds parochial.

"Apologies if that seems like the ugly ramblings of an ugly American. Sometimes, the truth ain't pretty."

Others, like William Rhoden of the New York Times, read more into the U.S. defeat.

"It was as if the United States was being reintroduced to a game it invented. The American game, for better or for worse, has moved to lavish new stadiums and supports lucrative player contracts. It is built on power and entertainment — a deadly combination, we’ve discovered, in an era of performance-enhancing drugs," wrote Rhoden.

"Meanwhile, nations like Japan and South Korea have learned our game, digested it and improved upon it by going back to the basics.

"'The world has caught up with us,' Bob Watson, a Major League Baseball vice president, said after Sunday’s loss."

Echoes of Canadian hockey after '72, huh?

The question is whether watching Japan capture the first two WBC events will alter the way in which the U.S. plays the game, and it doesn't sound like it. There was more talk about whether the U.S. had access to the right players for this event rather than whether they play the game in a way that will be successful internationally.

"Perhaps the result would have been no different had the U.S. had a better roster. But it would have been nice to see the two best American pitchers, Roy Halladay and Tim Lincecum," wrote Bill Shaikin in the Los Angeles Times.

"It would have been nice to see Ryan Howard or Mark Teixeira playing first base, instead of a second baseman named Mark DeRosa. It would have been nice if Adam Dunn had been used at designated hitter instead of in right field, where he did not even try to throw out two runners on sacrifice flies that were not terribly deep."

Somehow I don't see an Open Field Summit coming for U.S. baseball.

 

 

Messier (And Not The Player) in Montreal

Could it get any worse these days for the Montreal Canadiens in the middle of what is supposed to be a celebration of their centennial season?

Apparently, yes it could.

With the Habs in freefall on the ice with five straight defeats, a report today in La Presse suggests that owner George Gillett is looking at selling the team as he searches for ways to deal with financial challenges to his diversified interests.

"We're not hiding it," team president Pierre Boivin told La Presse. "We're going through a very difficult economic period."

This report comes four months after the same newspaper reported that Gillett was considering selling the team to Jim Balsillie of Blackberry fame. That report was immediately denied by both Gillett and Basillie, and Balsillie went so far as to offer and apology to the Canadiens' owner.

Gillett bought the Canadiens for $275 million in 2000 at a time when no other investor, either local or Canada-based, was willing to purchase the famous hockey club. Since then, the Habs have consistently sold-out the Bell Centre and led the league in attendance, and this year hosted the NHL all-star game and are hosting the NHL entry draft in Montreal.

Gillett has many different interests, including co-ownership in Liverpool of the English Premier League, as well as stakes in NASCAR, ski resorts, marine transportation, golf courses and an auto dealership chain.

He has become a popular figure in Montreal, often seen walking the streets after Canadiens home games, or dropping in a local establishment to talk hockey with fans.

If the club is put up for sale, the question would again arise as to whether any Montrealer or Quebecer would want to buy it.

It would then become the second NHL club to officially go up for sale since the global economic crisis struck. The Phoenix Coyotes have been for sale for several months, although there has been talk recently that a group has stepped forward with interest in buying the franchise. There has also been great speculation about the future of the money-losing Tampa Bay Lightning, sold last year to Hollywood producer Oren Koules and former NHLer Len Barrie.

The Canadiens, of course, are an entirely differently proposition. Last year they were valued by Forbes magazine as the league's third most valuable franchise. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has repeatedly insisted that league revenues are up and business is surprisingly good, but if Gillett puts the Habs up for sale it would be a significant dent in the NHL's "business as usual" stance.

Gillett borrowed $240 million of the $275 million to buy the Habs in the first place, and heavily leveraged transactions are among those most under duress these days because credit has become so tight. That said, this could also be about luring investors out of the weeds, or even forcing a renegotiation of some kind. like on the city's property tax charges on the Bell Centre.

Just last October, Gillett said in an interview with the Star that he believed in the NHL despite the world-wide economic woes.

"I don't know if I'd use the word 'concerned' yet,'' said Gillett. "The general state of the NHL is quite healthy. The six Canadian teams are fundamentally sold out. As far as ticket sales in the U.S., season tickets I'm told are up 4 per cent and game day sales are up 12 per cent.

"That's quite positive. That's an indication of the growing popularity of the sport.''

No Kaberle Again

MONTREAL--The Maple Leafs were hoping they'd have Tomas Kaberle tonight against their ancient rivals, the Montreal Canadiens.

Instead, with Kaberle again out of the lineup, they're not just hoping another week of rest for his battered right hand might have him back in a week against another Original Six club, the Boston Bruins.

Meanwhile, it now appears that the Canadiens will dress both defenceman Mike Komisarek and forward Andrei Kostitsyn for tonight's game after GM/head coach Bob Gainey hinted both would be scratched. The Canadiens chose not to precede the Leafs on to the Bell Centre ice surface for the morning skate today, instead using their practice facility in nearby Brassard, possibly to escape greater media scrutiny.

At practice on Friday, both Komisarek and Kostitsyn had skated as spares, leading to speculation they wouldn't play tonight. Gainey seemed to indicate that would be the case, but apparently had a chance of heart this morning.

Montreal will, however, scratch veteran blueliner Patrice Brisebois and will likely dress Ryan O'Byrne. Mathieu Schneider will apparently be a game time decision for family reasons.

Kaberle, meanwhile, was ruled out of tonight's game after x-rays of his injured hand suggested it hasn't healed enough to warrant a return to regular action.

"He won't be playing tonight, and he'll probably miss another week," said head coach Ron Wilson this morning. "It's not cautionary. He's just not ready to play."

Kaberle orginally broke his hand Jan. 29 in Denver and missed 13 games. He returned Feb. 28 for two games, but will miss his ninth consecutive game tonight despite having practiced full out with the club for several days.

His absence has opened the doors to other Leafs, including Brampton's own Phil Oreskovic. Wilson hinted this morning that he might even put Oreskovic in the starting lineup tonight against the Habs as a reward for his steady play since being recalled from the AHL Marlies.

A Telling Choice

MONTREAL—It’s a move that will have reverberations beyond one game.

The apparent decision of the Montreal Canadiens to sit out defenceman Mike Komisarek for tonight’s key tussle with the Maple Leafs at the Bell Centre could well have an impact on this summer’s free agent market.

Komisarek, 27, is unrestricted. Being a healthy scratch tonight suggests the 6-foot-4 stay-at-home blueliner has fallen far out of favour with Montreal GM/coach Bob Gainey less than two months after he was a starter in the NHL all-star game in this city.

At $1.9 million this season, Komisarek is due for a big pay hike. But after injuring his shoulder in a pointless fight with Boston’s Milan Lucic this season, Komisarek has been a shadow of the player that established himself as a team leader in the past two seasons.

The Habs already have some big decisions to make this summer with 10 unrestricted free agents, including captain Saku Koivu and veteran winger Alex Kovalev. On defence, the Canadiens are committed to Andrei Markov for two more years at $5.75 million, and two more years at $5.5 million for Roman Hamrlik.

How much is left for Komisarek was always an intriguing question, doubly so now that he’s in Gainey’s doghouse.

If he does get to free agency, he’ll be an intriguing unrestricted defenceman, not as hotly pursued as Florida’s Jay Bouwmeester, but intriguing to a variety of clubs, including the Leafs.

Right now, the Leafs are focusing on college free agents like Boston defenceman Kevin Gilroy, University of Denver forward Tyler Bozak and Notre Dame’s Christian Hanson.

Toronto hasn’t made a big splash in this market since signing Mike Johnson out of Bowling Green in March, 1997, but it’s a hotly competitive area rife with pitfalls with players who are usually older – Gilroy is 25 – standing out in competitive with much younger college opponents.

Meanwhile, Martin Gerber appears to be favourably impressing Leaf brass at least to the point he might have a chance to catch on as backup to Vesa Toskala next season if he’s willing to play for a bargain basement price, something in the neighborhood of the $700,000 Curtis Joseph is making this season. Joseph, by the way, will not be back with the Leafs next season despite playing some decent games of late.

Don’t be surprised, finally, if the Leafs take a run at re-signing Dominic Moore on July 1 after trading him to the Buffalo Sabres March 4 for a second round pick. If Moore is willing to consider playing at or around the $1.7 million salary the Leafs were offering before dealing him away, he could return for next season.

Messy in Montreal

One gets the feeling it could be a wild Saturday night in Montreal tomorrow with the Maple Leafs in town.

It always seems that way. I remember back in 1995 when Serge Savard and Jacques Demers were fired five games into the season. The press conference was held in the Forum during the day, with the Leafs taking on the Canadiens that night.

THE CANADIAN PRESS

The seat behind the Habs' bench is rather hot these days.

Nobody is getting fired today. But the Canadiens’ centennial season has gone terribly awry, including a 5-4 loss to Ottawa Thursday night in which goalie Carey Price was yanked after allowing four goals on 15 shots and was nearly in tears afterward while talking to reporters.

The Habs have lost four straight and are now 1-2-0-2 since Bob Gainey fired Guy Carbonneau and stepped behind the bench himself. The Canadiens would have been booed off the ice after losing to New Jersey last Saturday, but cheering erupted in tribute to hometown boy Martin Brodeur for his 551st win and the Habs were spared.

It’s Carbonneau’s firing that may be the most explosive issue brewing here, and not only because fans were chanting “Carbo! Carbo! Carbo!” at the last Montreal home game.

In La Belle Province, any Canadiens news is big news, and any big Canadiens story often takes on political and cultural elements.

In the case of Carbonneau, this is more than just about a hockey coach being fired. According to Don MacPherson in the Montreal Gazette, people outside Quebec have difficulty understanding the sensitivity of the story, particularly with the club doing poorly under Gainey.

“Consider how the situation might have looked to a French-speaking Quebecer,” wrote MacPherson. “Carbonneau was fired and temporarily replaced by an English-speaking general manager (though Bob Gainey is bilingual) who reports to an absentee American owner. Carbonneau had been let down by his players, most of whom, including all the leading ones, don't speak French.

“And Gainey appeared to be positioning Don Lever as Carbonneau's eventual permanent replacement. He would be the team's first unilingual anglophone coach in a quarter-century.”

Maybe tomorrow night the Habs will get back on a winning track against a Leaf team that is hustling to stay competitive in the final weeks of this season.

But there will be lots of Leaf fans there, helping once again create what is the most colorful hockey atmosphere in North America these days.

If it all goes bad for the Habs, it could get ugly.

. . . and speaking of getting ugly, so to may the ongoing verbal jousting between Washington Capitals sniper Alex Ovechkin and the ubiquitous Donald S. Cherry of Hockey Night in Canada fame.

Two weeks ago, Cherry slammed Ovechkin for his exuberant post-goal celebrations. Last week, Cherry showed video of Ovechkin being more restrained, indicating that the Caps star had in effect taken Cherry's advice and criticism to heart.

Well, maybe not.

On Thursday, Ovechkin potted his 50th goal of the season and put on a rather ridiculous pantomine celebration of laying his stick on the ice and then pretending it was too hot to pick up.

Goofy, really. All that was missing was Terrell Owens and a Sharpie.

It ticked off Tampa coach Rick Tocchet, and Ovechkin's own coach, Bruce Boudreau, was less than thrilled, as well.

But Ovechkin seemed thrilled to hear that he might be in store of some more pointed criticism from Cherry.

"Oh yeah, he's going to be [ticked] off for sure," said Ovechkin. "I love it. I can't wait till he says something about me. Old coaches, old system, you know?"

Something tells me Cherry won't find it nearly as humorous.

Thursday Mail Bag

Before we get to this week’s mail bag. . .

Martin Brodeur has his eye on the next record he wants to smash into a million pieces.

And it might not be the one you think.

STEVE RUSSELL/TORONTO STAR

Martin Brodeur has his eye on the 1,000 games played club.

Most would suppose that Brodeur, destined to own every record that matters in the NHL goaltending universe after breaking Patrick Roy’s record for most wins on Tuesday night, is anxiously eying Terry Sawchuk’s all-time career mark for shutouts by a goaltender in the regular season of 103.

“That’s going to happen,” said Brodeur, who has 100 shutouts, on Wednesday. “It could happen four games from now, or it could happen 100 games from now. I hope to get it soon, but it’s just going to happen one day and we’ll think, wow, we did it.”

But he might hit another milestone first, and it’s one he cherishes even more. He needs 13 more game appearances to join Roy as only the second goaltender to ever appear in 1,000 NHL games, and 43 to snap Roy ’s all-time mark of 1,029 games.

“I talked to Patrick about it on Saturday,” said Brodeur. “You think of all the goalies who have played in the NHL, and only one has played 1,000 games. Even Sawchuk didn’t play 1,000 games. That would be a special one.”

Brodeur enjoyed a rare day off in Raleigh yesterday after securing his 552nd career victory Tuesday against Chicago. Afterwards, he cut down the twine on the net in which he played the final period, an idea he said was not his.

“I didn’t plan anything. I didn’t want to jinx it,” he said. “(Kevin) Weekes skated out to me after the final whistle and handed me a Devils hat, and the scissors were in it. I guess Patrick did it when he broke the record. I started to do it, but it was taking me a lot of time so the boys helped me. I did all three posts, and they did the rest. It made it a fun night for everybody.”

Brodeur wore three different jerseys and used a different goalie stick for each period, and some of that memorabilia will make its way to the Hockey Hall of Fame.

And the net?

“I don’t even know where that is,” said Brodeur. “The trainers have all that stuff.”

Brodeur is now 14-3-2 on the season with four shutouts, a sparkling .923 save percentage and a goals-against average of 2.06. Since returning from a biceps injury Feb. 26, he is 8-1 and has allowed only 17 goals, and said there are few lingering effects of the injury he suffered Nov. 1st in a game against Atlanta.

“I get little tweaks here and there, but it goes away,” he said. “I don’t lose any flexibility or strength. Sometimes it just aches.

“The toughest thing when I came back was playing the puck. It wasn’t that it hurt, it just seemed my decision-making was slow. Well, in the last couple of games I’ve felt really confident making plays again. Maybe because the games were more intense I felt ready. But that was the one area that took the longest to get back, and now it’s back.”

Brodeur has three more years left on his contract and knows he’s closer to the end of his career than the beginning.

“When my contract’s up I’ll be 40 in the playoffs that year, and I think by then I’ll have a pretty good idea what I want to do,” he said. “Even with this year’s injury, I’m not really worried about my body breaking down at all. It’ll be more about when I don’t enjoy going to the rink anymore. I’ve got the Olympics next year and I want my kids to be part of it, and I don’t really know about how long I’ll keep going.

“Patrick said he just reached the point where he couldn’t get up for it anymore. All my life I’ve be able to do something I love and right now I’m just going to try and keep doing it.”

Now, with lots of questions on fighting waiting, on to the mail bag:

Q: Regarding fighting in the NHL. From my perspective and limited time as an NHL referee; Commissioner of the IHL (9 years); OHL (6 weeks); EHL (2 years); CCHA (13 years); and owner of the IHL Toledo "Goaldiggers" (3 years); I think I have a pretty good slant on "Fighting" in professional hockey.

I will predict that the NHL, through the introduction of European hockey players and NCAA Division 1 College Hockey players will, eventually, adopt the NCAA playing rules. The NHL has already adopted the elimination of the Red Line (for purposes of the off-side pass) and many other NCAA rules since "Red" Berenson and Bill "Red" Hay became the first NCAA College hockey players to play in the NHL.

The NHL will culturally grow up, some day and, albeit reluctantly, come to their senses and decide that the NHLPA, though the evolution of European and NCAA Division 1 Hockey, will even persuade players coming from the CMJHL'S that "fighting," in hockey, is as foreign in the 21st century, as two-wheeled 90 gallon drums used to flood the ice surface was, in the early 50's at Maple Leaf Gardens. I can wait!

Bill Beagan, Hilton Head Island, S.C.

A: Bill, thanks for your perspective, and I think you’re right. The pro-fighting crowd, however, will fight this evolution tooth-and-nail for their own reasons, and when fighting disappears will of course blame its disappearance for the ruination of the sport. Personally, I think it will be just like the red line – when fighting’s gone, everyone will wonder what the fuss was all about. Sort of like the way we now look back on the days of bench-clearing brawls.

Q: Damien:

Used to enjoy your opinions long ago when you were on with Bob McCown. My question to you is:

Who in the media will take a stand against 'Fighting in the NHL' the way Bruce Dowbiggin did against Alan Eagleson and the NHLPA ?

Who is prepared to throw the NHL into disarray, possibly jeopardizing his position, for calling fighting what it is - A Criminal Act!

Surely there is someone.

Signed,

Wilfrid Blais, Nanaimo, B.C. - ex-sports fan who has been alive for 17 of Montreal's 24 Cup Victories

A: I’m not exactly sure what you’re looking for. I think there are many in the media who have taken a strong stand against fighting, but I’m not sure I can agree that there is criminal activity here going undetected. There have been occasions on which I’ve welcomed the intrusion of the judicial system into acts of hockey violence – the Bertuzzi assault, the McSorley-Brashear incident – but for the most part hockey fights seem to involve two players agreeing to drop the gloves rather than one player attacking another. I don’t think the game needs such nonsense, but I don’t see it as criminal. Moreover, there’s no secret or conspiratorial behaviour here – everyone can see what’s going on.

Q: I don't understand the big focus on getting rid or at least cracking down of 'staged' fighting exclusively. It seems to me that staged fights between two bigs (who usually seem to have a bizarre respect for one another, and know the 'code' of fighting) that is meant to spark their team is less dangerous than a fight that springs up out of the heat of the moment when two players are just pissed at each other. To me that seems more dangerous as the intent is to actually hurt the other player more so than it is with staged fighting. I could be way off on this but that's my two cents.

Matt H., Toronto

A: Not sure about that, Matt. I think whenever Derek Boogaard drops ‘em, his objective is to knock the other guy out. As well, I’ve seen some enforcers absorb some terrible injuries in these so-called staged fights. I’m not really one for saying one type of fight is more useful or less dangerous. I saw Nick Kypreos basically get his career ended at Madison Square Garden when he was knocked out by Ryan Vandenbussche, and they were both heavyweight types. To me, they all deserve game misconducts and add nothing to an otherwise great sport.

Q: Damien,

You wrote about Brian Burke's failure to convince fellow GMs to explore the possibility of team being permitted to absorb salary as part of trades. Do you think the GMs would have any taste for adopting a "Larry Bird" type rule, where teams can go above the cap to sign their own free agents?

I ask because it seems like teams who stockpile picks and build from the ground up have a very small window to contend now, before all their young assets hit free agency, and the team can't fit them all in under the cap. Teams like Tampa and Ottawa (and I believe Anaheim, Pittsburgh and the Rangers could join them soon) have shown us what happens when too much cap space is tied up in too few players. It seems a team on the rise like Washington or Chicago has maybe two or three years to win a Cup before they have to move people for cap issues. And that defeats the whole purpose of the cap, in my opinion. If you draft well and manage your cap, you should be rewarded rather than punished.

Clark Aitken, Scarborough

A: I think you make a terrific point. Right now, the Bettman administration isn’t interested in any change that loosens the hard cap or allows wealthier teams to do things poorer teams can’t. I agree, however, that the nature of the current system seems to provide a very small window for teams to succeed, or at least forces them to make very hard choices very early. For example, it seems inescapable that the Penguins will have to eventually move one of Evgeny Malkin, Sidney Crosby and Jordan Staal. In fact, they’ve already moved Ryan Whitney, once a core player. It’s all about cap management, but I think part of the answer lies in not elevating players to the NHL at 18 or 19, which extends their wait until unrestricted free agency.

Detroit does that very well, and the Wings have the luxury of not having to use players until they are definitely ready for the NHL. One of the biggest problems with the Leafs keeping Luke Schenn this season is that it started the clock ticking on free agency. Right now, he’ll be unrestricted at age 25. All of these issues, however, will be dealt with in the next round of collective bargaining, which will be a tricky set of negotiations indeed.