Thanks to Matt from 2 Minutes For Blogging for these gems.
Toss in a few snippets on the Ducks in the playoffs and, folks, you are looking at one guy that has become a major Anaheim fan over the past season. And, no, I’m not switching teams. I have been a Caps’ fan since birth. And I always stick with my home teams through thick and thin… and it has been a whole lot of thin lately.
Now for some new material on the Ducks. Did anyone catch the Tom Powers article from the Twin Cities?
It looks as though Jacques Lemaire took note of the Ducks toughness this year. And not only that, but Lemaire believes that teams will copy the Ducks next year.
Now I don’t know about you, but this has got me excited. According to Lemaire:
“Looking at where the league is going, it’s going to be a little more aggressive,” he said. “We went the other way for a while. The hitting was there. Now, it’s a little more than that. You see the scrums after the play. They’re pushing, fighting more.
“Every team will try that. Especially now that they see Anaheim doing so well. Everyone is talking about them. Everyone will take that road.”
Lemaire is right. That is one reason, as he said, every team runs a version of the trap. Teams go with the latest and greatest.
And the latest and greatest right now is the Anaheim Ducks. And as I have been saying for quite some time, love it or hate it, the league needs more aggressiveness in it’s game. The league needs more rivalries (the last true rivalry was some 10 years ago in the Avs/Wings). And, yes, absolutely, the league needs more fighting. Not gratuitous fighting. But fighting that occurs naturally in the game, either as a result of frustration from a tight, hard hitting game; or as a result of a player protecting their teammate.
The Ducks brought that this year. Simply put, you didn’t run J.S. Giguerre without answering to Shawn Thornton, George Parros, Sean O’Donnell, or Travis Moen. The Ducks demanded respect from other teams. They created their own space on the ice for guys like Selanne and McDonald.
The Ducks played hockey in a pure and raw form this year. And they made no bones about it. Teams knew what they were getting when the laced up their skates against the Ducks. The game was going to be hard hitting; it was going to be intense; and teams knew that they would be accountable for their actions.
If we see that from more teams next year, the NHL will be better for it. We might actually see some of the disappearing blue-collared fans return to the arenas. We might actually see Neilson ratings that register, and even, my God, beat out lacrosse games (yes, some NHL games do lose to lacrosse in ratings).
So, please, keep up the good work Anaheim Ducks. Win the Cup TONIGHT in Anaheim!
And to the other NHL teams, especially teams like the Wild, Wings, Bruins, and Panthers (to name a few), take note. You won’t be sniffing the Cup any time soon… at least not until you can match the intensity and toughness of these Anaheim Ducks. Their young, talented, nasty, and here to stay.
Here is my first annual Hockey Fight Awards.
Team of the Year:
Is there any doubt? The Anaheim Ducks. With 71 fighting majors this year, there was no messing with the Ducks. The next closest team was Phoenix with a mere 47. The Ducks were packed this year starting with George “Porn Stache” Parros (18 fights), Sean O’Donnell (12 fights), Shawn Thornton (12 fights), and Travis Moen (9 fights). Overall, the Ducks had 15 of their players accumulate at least one fighting major this year. And while the Ducks were tough on the ice, their GM was even tougher in the media. Let’s get straight to it… Brian Burke SHOULD be the next NHL Commissioner. The guy is a straight shooter, both with his team and with fighting in the NHL. And while NHL lamoes hide behind their desks as a few fight nim wits ruffle some feathers, Burke hit the media with classic line after classic line. Take a peak:
“It’s always the same pattern,” Burke said. “You have a fight where someone gets knocked out. . . . Now, the media outlets that pay no attention to us lead with that story. We were on CNN. CNN, who doesn’t give us any coverage. It’s a flash point for non-hockey fans and non-traditional media venues. Now everyone weighs in on it. People who haven’t been to a game in 10 years, don’t support the game, aren’t involved in the game, but they can go on [television] and say it’s time to get rid of fighting.”
“Within the game, there is no debate. The vast majority of the people in hockey, the vast majority of the players, the vast majority of the managers and coaches, want to keep fighting in.”
Which leads to the Quote of the Year:
Brian Burke: “That’s the way our team is built. If you’re going to come into our barn you better be ready for a square dance.”
I hope everyone enjoyed these two articles about the Ducks and congrats again Duck fans on your first Stanley Cup.
