Return for player listed beside, current league or team in brackets.
Nik Antropov-Nothing (KHL)
Alex Burmistrov-Nothing (KHL, could return)
Eric Fehr-Nothing (Washington Capitals)
Brett Festerling-Nothing (DEL)
Mark Flood-Nothing (AHL)
Aaron Gagnon-Nothing (SM-Liiga)
Tanner Glass-Nothing (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Ron Hainsey-Nothing (Carolina Hurricanes)
Randy Jones-Nothing (AHL)
Arturs Kulda-Nothing (KHL, could return)
Spencer Machacek-Tomas Kulabik (AHL)
Chris Mason-Nothing (Italy-A)
Ben Maxwell-Nothing (SM-Liiga)
Brett MacLean-Nothing (Retired due to heart condition, had been waived)
Kenndal McArdle-Nothing (Sweden-1)
Derek Meech-Nothing (AHL)
Antti Miettinen-Nothing (Swiss-A)
Johnny Oduya-Second and third round picks (Chicago Blackhawks)
Tim Stapleton-Nothing (KHL)
Alexei Ponikarovsky-Seventh and fourth round picks (KHL)
Mike Santorelli-Nothing (Vancouver Canucks)
Red players were still NHL quality possession wise as late as last year. Kulda is listed in purple because no one really knows what he could be, just that he could be a player for the Jets. The Jets have only received returns on TWO pending free agents in three years, none from this season. Something, something asset management.
All roster information from www.hockey-reference.com
Trade information from www.nhltradetracker.com
Wednesday, 9 April 2014
Tuesday, 8 April 2014
On Kane and Clarity
This morning, after a lot of thought and reflection, I published a piece on the divisive nature of Evander Kane and proposed an explanation as to why he is this way. You can read it here. The responses were varied but mostly positive. I will reiterate what I say in the initial piece. Part of the discomfort with Kane is a social construction of a black person. He is into things like hip hop and boxing. But there are somethings I want to clear up that pertain to what I said about Winnipeg.
First of all, Winnipeg is my hometown and the only place I have ever lived. If it wasn't for better job opportunities being rural, then it may be the only place I ever live. But Winnipeg is not perfect. Though I hope not many people face racism, it happens though and it has to be acknowledged. There is a perception around Kane, media driven mainly, that he is a loose cannon. Kane is perceived as a "bad boy" when allegations against him have been proven untrue.
This is not to say that Kane is not without blemish. He is not perfect. He sometimes puts his own frustrations above the team and fights without any discernible inciting incident. Kane is immature, but he has not done anything to deserve the type of attention he gets.
That is not to say Winnipeg is not without fault. Winnipeg is a city witch can sarcastically be called "one great city". I love it here, but there are many faults that I touched on where the context got lost. Winnipeg is a blue collar town. I talked about the Human Rights Museum; every time Winnipeg tries to do something progressive or new, there is a major pushback because of money. Even when LRT was looked into, the city backed out because of money. The Human Rights Museum has a hall dedicated to FNMI Rights issues as well as halls that will have ever evolving exhibits.
But it isn't just about the money, it is about the complaining about how flashy the building is. The building is meant to be a landmark, a place that draws people to it. It is flashy and it was funded by public funds. It is a national museum and that is pretty huge.
I am a history student and I try to look at things with an eye on the past while living in the present. Canada has a less then stellar history with blacks (I recommend checking out Black History Canada) and hockey has a less then stellar record as well. I am not saying at all of Winnipeg is racist. I am saying that there are some people here who are and others who are bothered by his antics partially because of his race. If you disagree or would like to further the discussion, civil discourse is alway best.
First of all, Winnipeg is my hometown and the only place I have ever lived. If it wasn't for better job opportunities being rural, then it may be the only place I ever live. But Winnipeg is not perfect. Though I hope not many people face racism, it happens though and it has to be acknowledged. There is a perception around Kane, media driven mainly, that he is a loose cannon. Kane is perceived as a "bad boy" when allegations against him have been proven untrue.
This is not to say that Kane is not without blemish. He is not perfect. He sometimes puts his own frustrations above the team and fights without any discernible inciting incident. Kane is immature, but he has not done anything to deserve the type of attention he gets.
That is not to say Winnipeg is not without fault. Winnipeg is a city witch can sarcastically be called "one great city". I love it here, but there are many faults that I touched on where the context got lost. Winnipeg is a blue collar town. I talked about the Human Rights Museum; every time Winnipeg tries to do something progressive or new, there is a major pushback because of money. Even when LRT was looked into, the city backed out because of money. The Human Rights Museum has a hall dedicated to FNMI Rights issues as well as halls that will have ever evolving exhibits.
But it isn't just about the money, it is about the complaining about how flashy the building is. The building is meant to be a landmark, a place that draws people to it. It is flashy and it was funded by public funds. It is a national museum and that is pretty huge.
I am a history student and I try to look at things with an eye on the past while living in the present. Canada has a less then stellar history with blacks (I recommend checking out Black History Canada) and hockey has a less then stellar record as well. I am not saying at all of Winnipeg is racist. I am saying that there are some people here who are and others who are bothered by his antics partially because of his race. If you disagree or would like to further the discussion, civil discourse is alway best.
Monday, 31 March 2014
What is Good?
In grade twelve my English teacher asked us a seemingly simple question; what is good? Though the question seems simple, there is no right answer. I may think that tea is the greatest thing ever, and someone else may think coffee is. Neither is wrong, but we do not have to like the same things.
Though this concept is simple there are many people who laugh at others for not liking "good" television or "good" music. But because good is a very subjective word, I cannot say that something you like is not "good", I can only say that I do not share your opinion. There is a big difference. Some people feel like they are wrong for liking things that not everyone else does. I know I did.
So what is good? Good is whatever you want to be good. Your good is different than someone else's good and that is okay. There will be people who have the same idea as what good is as you in regards to some things and those are the people that you do those things with.
We should not mock people for what they like unless it is objectively racist, sexist, homophobic etc. Let's unite in hating those things and let everyone else decide what is good.
Though this concept is simple there are many people who laugh at others for not liking "good" television or "good" music. But because good is a very subjective word, I cannot say that something you like is not "good", I can only say that I do not share your opinion. There is a big difference. Some people feel like they are wrong for liking things that not everyone else does. I know I did.
So what is good? Good is whatever you want to be good. Your good is different than someone else's good and that is okay. There will be people who have the same idea as what good is as you in regards to some things and those are the people that you do those things with.
We should not mock people for what they like unless it is objectively racist, sexist, homophobic etc. Let's unite in hating those things and let everyone else decide what is good.
Sunday, 2 February 2014
A Major Disconnect
I was perusing twitter when a story from the Winnipeg Free Press popped up about how Manitoba has plenty of research on all day kindergarten but refuses to fund it. I agree with them due to some conversations I have had with people in the education area and the thought is that kindergarten may be too late to help kids.
Imagine you are five. You have never been in daycare before, you only know your own home. How would you feel if all of a sudden you are forced to go to school for a full day. That would be hard on kids and there are some kids who at that age still need a break. There was also an article in MacLeans magazine about how the results don't stick for ever, by the times the kids in full day kindergarten reach grade 2 or 3 there is no advantage.
What should be done instead? More money into early childhood education and helping families before they reach kindergarten age. Some kids go to school having never been read to, never been taught how to hold a pencil, and never have been socialized. This is a major problem. If there are families with illiterate parents (and there are) more needs to be done to help kids before they reach school age, not once they do. Schools can run programs to engage in families before their children start school in effort to engage the family in learning before the child goes to school. It is not what they learn when they get to school but what they learn at home before and after they start school that will lift kids up and help them learn better.
Imagine you are five. You have never been in daycare before, you only know your own home. How would you feel if all of a sudden you are forced to go to school for a full day. That would be hard on kids and there are some kids who at that age still need a break. There was also an article in MacLeans magazine about how the results don't stick for ever, by the times the kids in full day kindergarten reach grade 2 or 3 there is no advantage.
What should be done instead? More money into early childhood education and helping families before they reach kindergarten age. Some kids go to school having never been read to, never been taught how to hold a pencil, and never have been socialized. This is a major problem. If there are families with illiterate parents (and there are) more needs to be done to help kids before they reach school age, not once they do. Schools can run programs to engage in families before their children start school in effort to engage the family in learning before the child goes to school. It is not what they learn when they get to school but what they learn at home before and after they start school that will lift kids up and help them learn better.
Saturday, 4 January 2014
How to Coach Kids
I was watching Canada lose to Finland in the World Juniors and I kept on thinking to myself "call a timeout Sutter." Why? The team was coming unwound and Sutter let them. Sometimes you need a timeout to set up a play at the end, but sometimes it is better to use up your time out to calm your team down and remind them it is alright. They are kids that you are asking to be men. They are not ready for that and Sutter needs to realize that sometimes a timeout should not be saved for a hypothetical scenario that may not even occur.
There is more wrong with Canadian sports system though and it will take a lot to change the mentality. We have a pay to play system which can freeze out kids. Why don't NHL teams sponsor teams to make hockey more accessible, same with companies. I'm not talking about TimBits and AtoMC hockey, I'm talking making hockey cost $100 a year, equipment included. This will make the game more accessible for all.
Goalies have been the downfall of Canada in the past but Fucale looked really good this year. The problem with goaltending is it is so expensive. Someone (Sean Burke) needs to travel around Canada and train dedicated people on how to coach goalies. My dad was able to teach me how to coach water polo goalies and the first one I worked with made a national team. If Burke is in charge of Canadian goaltending he should be working in Canada 100% of the time with goalies of all ages. His NHL coaching should stop.
Finally we should look at how we train kids. Coaching water polo we encouraged many kids to play other sports. Volleyball, basketball, soccer, and track and field were all favourites. This allowed them to have more fun and improve other aspects of themselves. Most of our top players were good athletes not just water polo players. The expectation was that you email if you will be missing or be late for practice and you try not to miss games. This worked out really well for us. At younger ages (until about 15) kids should play other sports, make friends, and develop in more sports than just one.
We should also move kids to "small-sided" games. You split the the rink into two halves and let kids play in a format that makes them touch the puck more. Create balanced teams where stronger kids can help their weaker teammates. Kids love this stuff. If a game is getting out of hand, let the game be a mutual forfeit and balance the teams out. Play in tournaments where fair play is encouraged and scores are not as important. Emphasize skill above all else. Some of the best player I ever coached were smaller, skinny kids who could think the game. Emphasize tactics and kids of all sizes will flourish.
As they get older make nutritionists available through provincial sport organizations who emphasize healthy eating, not supplements. Did you know chocolate milk is an excellent recovery drink? Kids love it and it is cheaper than any sports you can buy. Kids and teenagers don't need fancy supplements, they need healthy food and positive, strong coaching. Once they get older, you can teach them about proper training, how not to overtrain and how to be fit for life. Some kids will be excelled down this path because they are excellent athletes. McDavid would most likely be a year or two ahead of his peer group and that is okay because he belongs there.
Kids are dropping out of sport because it becomes too much. All we should expect from them is for them to have fun. After that is accomplished, focus on all the positives and let kids make mistakes. We need to get back to playing and away from winning until kids are old enough to handle the pressure that comes with winning, probably around 12. Even then, the process should be the bigger picture.
There is more wrong with Canadian sports system though and it will take a lot to change the mentality. We have a pay to play system which can freeze out kids. Why don't NHL teams sponsor teams to make hockey more accessible, same with companies. I'm not talking about TimBits and AtoMC hockey, I'm talking making hockey cost $100 a year, equipment included. This will make the game more accessible for all.
Goalies have been the downfall of Canada in the past but Fucale looked really good this year. The problem with goaltending is it is so expensive. Someone (Sean Burke) needs to travel around Canada and train dedicated people on how to coach goalies. My dad was able to teach me how to coach water polo goalies and the first one I worked with made a national team. If Burke is in charge of Canadian goaltending he should be working in Canada 100% of the time with goalies of all ages. His NHL coaching should stop.
Finally we should look at how we train kids. Coaching water polo we encouraged many kids to play other sports. Volleyball, basketball, soccer, and track and field were all favourites. This allowed them to have more fun and improve other aspects of themselves. Most of our top players were good athletes not just water polo players. The expectation was that you email if you will be missing or be late for practice and you try not to miss games. This worked out really well for us. At younger ages (until about 15) kids should play other sports, make friends, and develop in more sports than just one.
We should also move kids to "small-sided" games. You split the the rink into two halves and let kids play in a format that makes them touch the puck more. Create balanced teams where stronger kids can help their weaker teammates. Kids love this stuff. If a game is getting out of hand, let the game be a mutual forfeit and balance the teams out. Play in tournaments where fair play is encouraged and scores are not as important. Emphasize skill above all else. Some of the best player I ever coached were smaller, skinny kids who could think the game. Emphasize tactics and kids of all sizes will flourish.
As they get older make nutritionists available through provincial sport organizations who emphasize healthy eating, not supplements. Did you know chocolate milk is an excellent recovery drink? Kids love it and it is cheaper than any sports you can buy. Kids and teenagers don't need fancy supplements, they need healthy food and positive, strong coaching. Once they get older, you can teach them about proper training, how not to overtrain and how to be fit for life. Some kids will be excelled down this path because they are excellent athletes. McDavid would most likely be a year or two ahead of his peer group and that is okay because he belongs there.
Kids are dropping out of sport because it becomes too much. All we should expect from them is for them to have fun. After that is accomplished, focus on all the positives and let kids make mistakes. We need to get back to playing and away from winning until kids are old enough to handle the pressure that comes with winning, probably around 12. Even then, the process should be the bigger picture.
Monday, 23 December 2013
More
When I look back on my life I realize how lucky I am, but I wish there was more I could do. I grew up in a middle class family where I always had more than enough. I still live at home. My parents are paying for my schooling. I have never not had enough. But I wish I could do more.
I am in education and I took a course called the History of Inner City Education. It was a course that you learned through discussion. I took almost no notes and left it wondering if I was doing the right thing. How could I help all the people that needed it? Was teaching them really going to help? I came out of that class with my eyes wide open but also with a growing sense of frustration because the resources you had access to was dictated by your geography. There is different levels of support for kids in the Inner City than there is for kids that live in poorer areas outside of the Inner City. I want to help, but I don't know how.
I take the bus everywhere. I have access to a car (sometimes) and I am a busy student. So I do what I can. I donate food to Winnipeg Harvest and the Christmas Cheer Board. I try to retweet anything that will help organizations that help people in need but I feel like I should do more. But I don't know what more is. So I do a little and hopes it helps a lot.
I am in education and I took a course called the History of Inner City Education. It was a course that you learned through discussion. I took almost no notes and left it wondering if I was doing the right thing. How could I help all the people that needed it? Was teaching them really going to help? I came out of that class with my eyes wide open but also with a growing sense of frustration because the resources you had access to was dictated by your geography. There is different levels of support for kids in the Inner City than there is for kids that live in poorer areas outside of the Inner City. I want to help, but I don't know how.
I take the bus everywhere. I have access to a car (sometimes) and I am a busy student. So I do what I can. I donate food to Winnipeg Harvest and the Christmas Cheer Board. I try to retweet anything that will help organizations that help people in need but I feel like I should do more. But I don't know what more is. So I do a little and hopes it helps a lot.
Friday, 13 December 2013
Baking for Newbies
Last night on Twitter there was a discussion over a bad experience someone had making cookies in their oven. The week before someone was bemoaning the fact that Christmas shopping sucks without a list (I have one with stored mapped out on it already). I suggested baking for everyone for Christmas (cheap and everybody like it), and if you are a non-baker to stick to easy stove-top stuff. Being a nice person, here are two easy and delicious stove-top recipes.
1. Chocolate Frogs (makes about 36)
1. Chocolate Frogs (makes about 36)
Ingrediants
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flaked coconut
3 cups quick rising oats
Steps
1. Line 2 cookie sheets with wax paper
2. In a large pot stir together cocoa, sugar, milk, and butter
3. Boil for 5 minutes, then remove from heat
4. Stir in vanilla extract, coconut, and oats. Combine well.
5. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets. Refrigerate for one hour or until set. Keep in the fridge until needed.
These also freeze well.
Rice Krispie Cake (http://www.ricekrispies.com/recipes/the-original-treats)
INGREDIENTS
- 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
- 1 package (10 oz., about 40) regular marshmallows
- — OR —
- 4 cups miniature marshmallows
- 6 cups Kellogg's® Rice Krispies® cereal
DIRECTIONS
1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
2. Add KELLOGG'S RICE KRISPIES cereal. Stir until well coated.
3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool. Cut into 2-inch squares. Best if served the same day.
2. Add KELLOGG'S RICE KRISPIES cereal. Stir until well coated.
3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool. Cut into 2-inch squares. Best if served the same day.
If you want to make them fancy, put some sprinkles on top :)
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