Friday news: Jason Allison invited to Leafs camp
August 28, 2009 by RobDM
Filed under Daily Round-Up
Tim Wharnsby of The Globe And Mail reports that 34-year-old Jason Allison has been granted a tryout by Toronto. Allison, who last played in the NHL 2005-06 as a member of the Leafs, will report to training camp without a contract.
“I’m physically and mentally as healthy as I’ve been in five years,” Allison said. “I’m excited and ready to go.
In other NHL news, there is more internal fighting among the NHLPA as Paul Kelly’s status as the union’s leader may be in doubt.
At the Team Canada Olympic team orientation camp in Calgary, a sellout crowd was treated to a Red vs. White scrimmage among the 46 hopefuls aiming for a spot on the squad. Ryan Smyth, Corey Perry, Patrick Marleau and Jeff Carter had the goals in 2-2 tie.
Here are the hockey headlines in the news this morning:
Leafs News
- Maple Leafs give Allison a shot The Globe And Mail
- Reluctant taskmaster Toronto Sun
- Fletcher To Remain With Leafs FAN 590
- Pronger A Fan Of Burke’s Tinkering FAN 590
NHL News
- Tension surrounds NHLPA again The Globe And Mail
- Hopefuls hesistant to comment on union news Sun Media
- New lease, or else? AP
- Dissecting bids complicates court’s job Toronto Star
- Kane pleads guilty Toronto Sun
- NHL prospect possesses Hall of Fame pedigree Toronto Star
- Ex-Habs coach joins senate National Post
Team Canada
- Star puck-stoppers steal show Sun Media
- Anti-Marty rants get old Sun Media
- Bouwmeester adjusting to intense spotlight Sun Media
- Fast starts key to selection Toronto Star
- Team Red takes battle of Canada in shootout Calgary Herald
- Olympic hopefuls lay it all on the line Calgary Herald
- Canada rolls with the anti-Quinn National Post
- Canada’s Olympic veterans pushed by next generation for 2010 CP
- Electric atmosphere for Olympic scrimmage CTVOlympics.ca
- Does ‘C’ stand for Crosby The Globe And Mail
Leafs announce rookie tournament roster
August 26, 2009 by RobDM
Filed under Leafs News
On Wednesday the Leafs announced their 24 player roster that will participate in a Rookie Tournament hosted at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.
Nazem Kadri,Toronto’s first choice (selected seventh overall) at the NHL Entry Draft this past June will participate, as well as goaltender Jonas Gustavsson.
Christian Hanson, Tyler Bozak, Dale Mitchell, Robert Slaney, Viktor Stalberg and James Reimer will also be part of the Leafs’ squad.
The players will compete in four games beginning Sunday, September 6 versus prospect teams from the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins.
Full roster: MapleLeafs.com
Tuesday news: Beauchemin critical to Leafs improvement – Berger
August 25, 2009 by RobDM
Filed under Daily Round-Up
FAN 590 reporter Howard Berger assesses the role that newly acquired defenceman Francois Beauchemin will play in the Leafs lineup this year. Beauchemin will be expected to shoulder the load as the team’s biggest scoring threat from the blueline, writes Berger.
Beauchemin is the only Leaf at Team Canada’s Olympic orientation camp, which began yesterday in Calgary. 46 players have been invited to the initial camp as Canada aims to win gold on home ice in Vancouver, next February.
Here are the hockey headlines in the news this morning:
Leafs News
- Beauchemin Critical To Any Leafs Improvement FAN 590
- Olympic hockey camp opens with visions of gold Toronto Star
- Komisarek Olympic-bound Toronto Sun
Team Canada
- Can The Kid be The Man? Toronto Star
- Doughty tries to prove he belongs Toronto Star
- Goalies share pipe dreams Sun Media
- Morrow’s tomorrow finally arrives after injury Sun Media
- Sid set to lead the gold rush Sun Media
- Olympic hopefuls take to the ice National Post
- Disappointing playoff exit motivation for Luongo National Post
- Ward knows he’s in tough to make Canadian roster Edmonton Journal
- Day 1: Opportunity for all CTVOlympics.ca
- Who’s on the bubble? CTVOlympics.ca
- Expect The Unexpected In February FAN 590
NHL News
- Sharks snipers won’t lose sleep over having letters stripped Toronto Sun
- Spezza speaks up on Heatley’s demands Toronto Sun
- Canucks zeroing in on Schneider: report Faceoff.com
- No game at Olympic Stadium for Canadiens National Post
- Balsillie sets deadline, with out clause The Globe And Mail
Marlies name Gord Dineen and Derek King as assistant coaches
August 21, 2009 by RobDM
Filed under Marlies News
Leafs president and GM Brian Burke announced Friday that Gord Dineen and Derek King have been named assistant coaches of the Maple Leafs’ AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies.
Dineen and King will work under Dallas Eakins, who was named Marlies head coach on August 4.
Dineen coached the Iowa Chops last season, guiding the team to a 33-33-14 record. King, who played 161 games in a Leafs uniform between 1997-2000, had a 14-year playing career, and previously served as a player-assistant coach for the Grand Rapids Griffins between 2002 and 2004.
Leafs announce 2009-10 broadcast schedule
August 19, 2009 by RobDM
Filed under Leafs News
The Maple Leafs announced their TV broadcast schedule for the 2009-10 season on Wednesday. All 82 regular season games will hit the airwaves on one of four carriers: CBC, TSN, SportsNet and Leafs TV.
The breakdown by carrier is as follows:
- 28 games – SportsNet
- 24 games – CBC
- 17 games – TSN
- 13 games – Leafs TV
Every game, including each of the nine pre-season games, will be aired on radio on AM 640.
TSN2 will air a single pre-season game, Wed. Sept. 16 when the Leafs open the exhibition season against Boston.
The regular season opens on October 1 when the Leafs host the Habs on CBC Hockey Night In Canada.
Link: 2009-10 Leafs broadcast schedule (PDF)
Blue and White Beat: Burke’s blueprint involves protecting, not trading, Kaberle
August 16, 2009 by RobDM
Filed under Blogs, Blue and White Beat
Burke’s blueprint involves protecting, not trading, Kaberle
Despite numerous trade rumors to the contrary, defenseman Tomas Kaberle will be suiting up for his eleventh NHL season in a Leafs uniform when training camp opens this fall.
The 31-year-old veteran blueliner was touted as arguably the most attractive commodity on the trade market, with puck-moving defensemen at a premium, and with Kaberle’s contract valued at a more than reasonable sum of $4.25 million annually.
Nevertheless, Leafs president general manager Brian Burke repeatedly stated this past summer that he would have to be “blown away” by any trade offer for Kaberle, and balked at a proposed swap involving Phil Kessel when the Leafs and Bruins could not agree as to which team should also a receive a draft pick in the exchange.
The phone line between Burke and Kaberle’s home in Kladno, Czech Republic remained silent between draft day on June 26 and August 15 – the brief window during which the no-trade clause in Kaberle’s contract was not in effect.
It appears that Burke’s blueprint for overhauling the team that finished with the fourth-worst record in the Eastern Conference involved protecting his power-play specialist on the blueline, rather than trading him.
Surrounding Kaberle with the likes of Mike Komisarek, Garnet Exelby, Francois Beauchemin and Colton Orr provides a much deeper layer of insurance than what existed as recently as two seasons ago. Leafs fans still recall, with indignation, the liberty that Cam Janssen bestowed upon Kaberle in a game between the Leafs and the New Jersey Devils. Janssen viciously slammed the Toronto defenseman into the boards, leaving him with a concussion.
Inexplicably, no player in a blue and white sweater came to Kaberle’s defense.
Rest assured that Burke’s newest additions will prevent a repeat of the incident at the Meadowlands.
***
Earlier last week, former Team Canada World Junior hero Justin Pogge was dealt to the Anaheim Ducks for a conditional draft pick, ending an often-tumultuous tenure in Toronto.
Pogge spent three average seasons as goaltender for the AHL Toronto Marlies, and received the call to play between the pipes for the Leafs on seven occasions last season, posting a forgettable 1-4-1 record. The epitaph on the tombstone of Pogge’s Toronto career was written the day of the Marlies’ series-clinching loss to Manitoba in the opening round of this year’s playoffs, when he was assigned to the bench in a backup role after starting the first five games of the series.
With the off-season signing of backstop Jonas “The Monster” Gustavsson, Pogge was afforded the opportunity of a fresh start outside of The Big Smoke, where the lofty expectations of being the Leafs “goalie of the future” appeared to be more than he could handle.
“It’s a new situation. You kind of get into routines when you’re in the same place,” Pogge – an Alberta native – told the Calgary Herald. “I think just changing everything up is definitely a healthy move.”
Rob Del Mundo is the author of Blue And White Beat, and will be blogging at TMLfans.ca throughout the NHL off-season.
