GWMHL

Archive for the ‘Special Features’ Category

So, Turns Out We’re in Love with Stay-at-Home Defensemen

In BOS, SAL, SCA, SFS, Special Features, VAN on December 4, 2011 at 10:54 am

Gaaah!

You wouldn’t think we’d love our solid-yet-unspectacular defensemen, but the numbers don’t lie.

We’re head over heels. We’d marry those guys and their good positioning and their low point totals if we could.

They’re our unsung heroes, our stay-at-home defensemen. And they have to do all the laundry, darn it.

Take a spin through the franchise games played leaders throughout the league and you’ll see: in many franchises, real longevity comes not from being a high-end sniper or silky setup man but a stay-at-home blueliner toiling away in the muck.

5. Mattias Norstrom

Norstrom never managed more than 17 points in a single season during his GWMHL career. In his day, he was one of the league’s best defensive defensemen, and after 12 seasons he’s the South Carolina Fire Ants franchise leader in GP with 832. (But not for long: Milan Hejduk and Marian Hossa are both poised to surpass him early this season.)

4. Darryl Sydor

Calling Sydor a “stay-at-home” defenseman is a bit misleading, considering he holds the league’s all-time worst career plus-minus. He put in several solid offensive seasons early in his career, but as time wore on his role became – allegedly – more defensive. The fact that he racked up nearly 1000 games (944, to be exact) with the San Francisco franchise is a testament to… something. We’re not sure what, actually.

3. Scott Hannan

Hannan’s the only player left from expansion Vancouver‘s inaugural year. He was drafted in 1999 and has been a steady – and mostly invisible – fixture on the blueline ever since. Hannan has a commanding lead as the Night Train’s all-time GP leader (694 to second place Filip Kuba’s 629). He’s also the only active Gump player on this list.

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6 Most Surprising Pre-Season Cuts of 2011

In BAL, BOS, PWH, SAL, SFS, Special Features on November 22, 2011 at 2:29 pm

If you’re a GWMHL general manager bent on taking your team anyplace other than the golf course, you’ve got to make some hard choices as you try to shoehorn yourself in the league’s strict 28-man roster limit. Drop that draft choice before he’s ever sniffed the pro game? Let go of the fading vet?

This year, GMs have been particularly ruthless, jettisoning some good (well, mostly once-good) players in favor of the latest toys.

6. LW Kristian Huselius, cut by Salem – The Wannabees are deep up front and Huselius is battling serious injuries, so this is no huge shocker, but he’s still a one-time 50-goal scorer and a big contributor to Salem’s run to the finals in 2011. He was also a top-3 draft pick once upon a time – and not a very good one.

Year   Name                       GP    G    A  PTS  +/-  PIM
02-03  Vancouver Sea Otters       79   21   14   35  -10   28
03-04  Vancouver Sea Otters       78   28   21   49    7   20
04-06  Vancouver Sea Otters       44    1    2    3   -4   18
04-06  Montreal Smashers           9    1    1    2   -3    0
06-07  Salem Wannbees             78   22   20   42  -12   26
07-08  Salem Wannabees            81   50   51  101   63   24
08-09  Salem Wannabees            80   20   17   37    0   14
09-10  Salem Wannabees            37    8   12   20    7   18
10-11  Salem Wannabees            68   17   33   50   14   38
                  Totals         554  168  171  339   62  186

5. D Cody Franson, cut by San Francisco – Franson might not be a bluechipper anymore, but he’s in his early 20s and managed a whopping 42 points in 52 games last season, his rookie year. The writing was on the wall when the Seals drafted Cam Fowler and Alec Martinez.

Year   Name                       GP    G    A  PTS  +/-  PIM
10-11  Oregon Rugrats             52   12   30   42   12   16
                  Totals          52   12   30   42   12   16

4. LW Jason Blake, cut by Boston – Blake’s bounced around, but he’s got a pedigree that includes a 48-goal year in ’07-’08. He only managed 9 goals last season for the Banshees, who are fairly deep on the wings.

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6 Biggest Free Agent Steals Since 2006

In BAL, EDH, GLP, IHS, Special Features, STE on October 26, 2011 at 8:53 am

The Free Agent Draft. Used by most teams to fill out bottom-end depth and injury insurance, it’s also a chance for the occasional Hail Mary – take a wild swing (sorry, “intelligently allocate your scouting resources”) and you never know, you might get something good. Even the worst free agent class, especially at the notoriously shallow mid-season signing period, can yield a diamond in the rough.

Almost every Free Agent Draft has a few consensus top picks – players that every team vies for. Stephen Weiss and Martin Hanzal in 2009. Ryan Malone in 2008. Niklas Backstrom in 2007.

But let’s look past those gimmes, the obvious choices, the first rounders, and peer into the darkest depths of recent Free Agent Drafts in search of some of the biggest heists.

6. D Jan Hejda, Ice Harbor (2nd round mid-season in 2007-2008)

Hejda’s not flashy, but he’s a blueline rock on a rebuilding Ice Harbor team – a guy who’s not bad with the puck and excels defensively. And when your D is as young the Storm’s, you need players like Hejda.

Year   Name                       GP    G    A  PTS  +/-  PIM
07-08  Ice Harbor Storm           39    0   12   12   -8   14
08-09  Ice Harbor Storm           59    1    6    7   -5   50
09-10  Ice Harbor Storm           82    4    9   13   -9   30
10-11  Ice Harbor Storm           62    2    8   10  -10   34
                  Totals         242    7   35   42  -32  128

5. D Dennis Seidenberg, El Dorado (5th round pre-season in 2006-2007)

El Dorado has an impressive up-and-coming defense corps and Seidenberg, a late-late-late-round steal in 2006, is a big part of it. He was taken one pick before Kris freaking Beech, but now he’s one of the Lynx’s leaders in ice time and will be for at least a few more seasons.

Year   Name                       GP    G    A  PTS  +/-  PIM
03-04  Chesapeake Icebreakers     52    5    8   13  -20   12
04-06  Did Not Play
06-07  El Dorado Lynx             64    3   41   44   11   34
07-08  El Dorado Lynx             25    2    3    5    0   12
08-09  El Dorado Lynx             33    0   10   10    0   18
09-10  El Dorado Lynx             41    1   28   29    2    8
10-11  El Dorado Lynx             57    4   24   28   14   37
                  Totals         272   15  114  129    7  121

4. D Mark Streit, Colorado (2nd round pre-season in 2006-2007)

Another defenseman, it’s true, and for good reason – this 2nd round free agent draftee by Colorado (now Baltimore) is his team’s best defenseman by a wide margin, leading all Crab players in ice time and hovering around the 50-point mark for three straight seasons.

Year   Name                       GP    G    A  PTS  +/-  PIM
06-07  Colorado Wildfire          39    4   13   17  -16   36
07-08  Kenora Thistles            76   13   19   32   -2   28
08-09  Kenora Thistles            79   10   38   48   -1   26
09-10  Baltimore Crab             73   16   40   56  -26   72
10-11  Baltimore Crab             82    8   41   49  -31   34
                  Totals         349   51  151  202  -76  196

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Draft Day: The Big Winners

In BAL, GLP, PIT, SCA, Special Features on October 23, 2011 at 3:08 pm

It’ll take a few years until there’s really a “win” or a “loss” from today’s GWMHL Rookie Draft (when we promise to mercilessly mock the losers) and really, every team made some smart choices and picked up intriguing young talent. But some teams stand out for us as having made the most of their picks – or lack thereof. Here’s our top four.

4) South Carolina Fire Ants

The Ants dealt away their final two picks, but they shored up an injury-prone defense. Travis Hamonic (15th overall) could well blossom into a key on this injury-prone defense, someone who could play with Zdeno Chara while Sami Salo is on IR. The acquisition of veteran blueline Filip Kuba also helps in the short run.

3) Baltimore Crab

They traded away one of the game’s best in Evgeni Malkin, but they got what they wanted: picks, picks, picks. Never shy about making a splash, the Crab came away with a lot of long-term talent, including potential impact forward Nino Niederreiter (10th overall) and goalie Jacob Markstrom (30th). Ryan McDonagh (8th) and Michael Sauer (48th) give them an instant defense pairing – and they need one.

2) Pittsburgh Hornets

It seems impossible that a team with no picks in a draft could walk away a winner. But the Hornets made a bold move in sacrificing all their selections and came out of it with their deepest roster in years. Malkin is still young, if injury-prone, and may well end up on Brad Richards’ wing, while both Bryan McCabe and Cal O’Reilly should be able to contribute this season.

1) Great Lakes Pilots

The Pilots were the big winners at the draft lottery, moving up from 6th to 2nd, so it’s no big leap to say that they won the draft, too. Defenseman Nick Leddy will help shore up the back end, but the addition of Taylor Hall finally gives them a left-winger to play with Martin St. Louis. The team still has some big holes to fill up front, but the future’s looking a lot brighter than it was yesterday.

Fast Facts: Draft Day Bridesmaids

In Special Features on October 20, 2011 at 2:34 pm

It’s just the way it is: the top guy gets all the glamour. In the immortal words of the greatest hockey player of all time, Alexandre Daigle, “No one remembers number two.”

What? Do we detect the teensiest crack in the otherwise unassailable opinion of a teenaged, pre-sexy-nurse Daigle? Say it ain’t so! But take a glance at the list of GWMHL second overall draft picks, and you can see where a lot of the real substance is. While the field of first overalls has its share sure-fire hits along with busts and also-rans, the #2 spot boasts some of the biggest impact players in today’s game.

  • The all-time goal and points leader among second overalls is Portland’s Ilya Kovalchuk, with 442 and 832; simply amazing considering he was drafted in 2002
  • 2006 #2 Sidney Crosby won his first scoring crown just this past season
  • The biggest bust at #2 is a toss-up – is it Jeff Friesen? Well, he has three 30-goal seasons to his name; our vote is for Ryan Malone, a good player who nevertheless managed to get himself cut by Oregon in 2008 and hasn’t managed to drag Nashville out of the cellar
  • Two #2s have been dealt mere moments after being drafted – Brad Stuart in 2000 (for Mike Johnson, Brian “Mr. October” Savage, and a second rounder – ouch) and, a decade later, Matt Duchene (with Kyle Quincey for Evgeni Malkin and Jamie Langenbrunner)
  • In fact, teams aren’t shy about trading their #2s – Patrick Marleau (1998) has seen action for five teams in his career and Alexei Yashin bounced around before landing outside the league entirely

Fast Facts: First Overall Picks

In Special Features on October 1, 2011 at 10:36 am

The 2011 Rookie Draft is fast approaching and it should come as no surprise that the first overall pick is a two-horse race between forwards Taylor Hall and Jeff Skinner. But it’s never quite that simple, is it? The Nashville Knights own the top pick, and if they go off the board… well, they wouldn’t be the first.

But they also wouldn’t be the first to play it safe, as we’ll see when we look back at #1s through the ages.

  • The first ever GWMHL #1 was Teemu Selanne, who’s been racking up the milestones ever since
  • The first North American #1 came the following year, in 1994, with Jason Arnott
  • In fact, Europeans are popular firsts: there have been three Russians, two Finns, a Czech, and a Swede draft in the top spot
  • The first defenseman taken at #1 was Bryan Berard in 1997; the most recent was Tyler Myers just last year
  • Just one goaltender – Roberto Luongo – has ever been taken first overall
  • #1s have made immediate impacts, and three have topped 100 points in their first seasons – Alexander Ovechin (127 points), Selanne (112), and Patrick Kane (101)
  • Vincent Lecavalier holds the dubious record of fewest points in a rookie season, with just 6
  • 2004 #1 Tuomo Ruutu, meanwhile, started well but has the lowest points per game among forwards, at just 0.40
  • Only three #1s are no longer active GWMHLers – Berard, Petr Sykora, and Peter Forsberg

The 4 Most Hilarious Top-5 Picks of All Time

In SAL, SCA, Special Features, VAN on August 22, 2011 at 2:43 pm

Hindsight is nature’s best talent scout.

Sure, some consensus picks fail to live up to expectations. Others have careers derailed by injuries. But not everyone can turn to those excuses when they look back at their wacky, off-the-board picks. Today we look at four spectacular examples of teams who took a flyer on a player in a coveted top-five slot… and lost in a way that leaves you shaking your head.

4. Kristian Huselius, drafted 3rd overall by Vancouver, 2002

Kristian Huselius is still playing and still contributing offense. As a matter of fact, he broke the 100-point barrier in ’07-’08 – though not for the team who drafted him – and is enjoyed a strong 2011 postseason with Salem, with 20 points in 16 games.

But Huselius stands out as a hilarious draft pick because of the company he kept in his draft class. In 2002, the Vancouver Sea Otters had the third overall pick. Drafted immediately before their turn at the podium? Dany Heatley and Ilya Kovalchuk. At 4th? Pavel Datsyuk. The city of Vancouver would like that one back.

Year   Name                       GP    G    A  PTS  +/-  PIM
02-03  Vancouver Sea Otters       79   21   14   35  -10   28
03-04  Vancouver Sea Otters       78   28   21   49    7   20
04-06  Vancouver Sea Otters       44    1    2    3   -4   18
04-06  Montreal Smashers           9    1    1    2   -3    0
06-07  Salem Wannbees             78   22   20   42  -12   26
07-08  Salem Wannabees            81   50   51  101   63   24
08-09  Salem Wannabees            80   20   17   37    0   14
09-10  Salem Wannabees            37    8   12   20    7   18
10-11  Salem Wannabees            68   17   33   50   14   38
                  Totals         554  168  171  339   62  186

3. Vladimir Malakhov, drafted 4th overall by New York Islanders, 1993

Like Huselius, Vladimir Malakhov had a few years as a solid player, but he never came close to the career-high 64 points he racked up in his rookie season. His career numbers are pretty good… for a second rounder.

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Time Machine: A Look Back at the GWMHL’s Early Days

In Special Features on July 9, 2011 at 8:43 am

We’ve got a real treat today – the very first issue of the official league newsletter, Between the Pipes. This was originally created by commissioner Mike Haley prior to the league’s inaugural season in 1993 and was physically mailed to league members.

Take a look inside and you’ll find:

  • Talk about league rules as they were being written!
  • Controversy in cyberspace! Concern over the GEnie service!
  • Franchise draft results!
  • A call for members to bug our very own Jim Connell about game features!

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The 4 Shortest Careers in League History

In CHA, PIT, Special Features, STE, STL on July 5, 2011 at 7:21 am

Blah-blah-blah-thousands. Blah-blah-blah-generational talent. We like to celebrate amazing careers and statistical milestones here. But what about the other end of the spectrum?

Here’s our look at the four shortest careers in Gump Worsley Memorial Hockey League history – careers that came and went in the time it takes for you to brush your teeth. Look at it as a celebration of incredible efficiency! Maybe these guys were all just really, really fast.

Zoom.

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Gump Cup Hero: Alexander Semin

In Special Features, WVR on July 1, 2011 at 9:56 am

West Virginia‘s Alexander Semin is the kind of sniper you appreciate for their goal-scoring prowess while wondering about their commitment to the game.

Semin was drafted by the River Rats – then based in Bristol – 13th overall in 2004, between John-Michael Liles and Marek Svatos.

But he wasn’t Bristol’s marquee draft pick. This is the year management had decided to blow the whole thing up, dealing away most of its top players for draft picks. By draft day, they’d accumulated a staggering number of them – they had six picks in the first round and 10 in the top 30.

That year, they snagged the likes of Eric Staal, Joni Pitkanen, Dan Hamhuis, Antoine Vermette, Fedor Tyutin, Brent Burns, and Anton Babchuk… and Alex Semin.

Semin played one season for Bristol and failed to light it up, then bolted for Russia. In the meantime, Bristol became the West Virginia River Rats and Semin had matured into a big-time scorer. He potted 56 in his first year back, then 28, 40, and finally set a career high with 60 goals in ’10-’11.

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