Seen Stamkos Campaign Part II

“Seen Stamkos?” was the famous advertising campaign introduced during the 2008 NHL Entry draft in Tampa Bay, Florida to promote young superstar Steven Stamkos we he was drafted to the NHL. Two years, five months, and 10 days since the campaigns ended. Stamkos has become the most dominant goal scorer in the NHL. In only 185 games Stamkos has tallied 95 goals and 180 points. A year after tying Sidney Crosby ofr the league lead with 51 goals, Stamkos leads the NHL again in this season. He has a three goal lead over Sidney Crosby and Alexander Semin who tied at second with 18. 21 goals in 25 games has been unheard of in the National Hockey League lately; not a single player in the modern era has scored that many goals that fast.

Steven Stamkos has brought his game to a whole new level, which is why he will be the next player to score 50 goals in 50 games. The young-gun has the skill, work ethic, surrounding talent, and determination to break the long 18 year drought. The last player to score 50 goals in 50 games was Brett Hull who did it in the 1991-1992 season.

In the past three years only two players have scored more than Stamkos’ 95 - Ovechkin with 116 goals and Crosby with 102. Fact is, Crosby and Ovechkin have played three more seasons than Stamkos. They are more experienced, have had more time to develop, more time to create chemistry, and learn the NHL game. Every year both Crosby and Ovechkin saw their goal totals increase - expect the same from the young Lightning sniper.

Steven Stamkos has never scored this many goals this early in the season and neither Crosby nor Ovechkin. Just last year it took him 36 games to score 21 goals, the year before 77 games. Stamkos is becoming more efficient and a faster scorer than anyone else in the league. No player in the “Post Lock-Out” era has scored this fast.

Both skill and determination is needed to accomplish a feat like this. Stamkos brings both. In the past offseason, the sophomore spent his days training with the Gary Roberts, a former player who is known for his legendary training regiments. Stamkos added 10 pounds of muscle to his 6’1” frame to bulk up. Strength is one thing, but for someone to score 50 goals in 50 games that player must be on a mission.

Wayne Gretzky, scored 50 goals in 50 games three times in his career, including 50 in 39 games during his rookie season when he was 18. Gretzky even mentioned that Stamkos “has that drive. He’s never satisfied. Some have it and some don’t. To me, it’s evident he has the inner drive”. The NHL’s all-time top scorer believes that this young gun has the offensive talent to become one of the best goal scores seen in several years. Gretzky feels that Stamkos has the drive that no other goal scorer in the league has.

Stamkos also has the surrounding talent to pull of the feat. With veteran Martin St.Louis one side and gritty forward Steve Downie on other, Stamkos has the proper help to play his game. Even if one of those two wingers fall to injury Tampa has enough depth to find someone that can play with Stamkos. He even plays the point on the power-play and has free rain in the offensive zone.

Stamkos has all the tools to accomplish the rare feat with his; Determination, surrounding talent, work ethic and skill its just a matter of time before he scores 50 in 50.

A Rebuild is not the same as a Repair

The Toronto Maple Leafs lost again last night seeing their record fall to 8-11-4. The fans were obviously not happy with coach Ron Wilson, expressing their feelings in a “Fire Wilson” chant during the game. Is it really Wilson’s fault, he has to work with what is given to him. It’s not like a coach can be given a AHL team and make them win against NHL Allstars. The talent on Toronto is mediocre at best and it’s not Wilson whom fans should be turning on it’s General Manager Brian Burke.

Burke constantly preached patience and his philosophy of bringing in truculence, belligerence, and testosterone, but it hasn’t worked. It’s just past the two year mark of Burke’s tenure in Toronto and he hasn’t rebuilt the team, just repaired it. It’s true almost all of the players on the team are players he brought in, however for a team that is in a “unofficial” rebuilding stage the future is not looking too promising. Two first round draft picks have been traded away to bring in Phil Kessel, a struggling scorer that isn’t a backbone of any franchise let alone Toronto. Constant rumored Tomas Kaberle trades have fell through because Burke stated he didn’t want draft picks in return. If you’re a struggling team it’s constantly shown that the best move is to build through the draft. Collect draft picks and experience growing pains. Prime examples over the past 10 years; Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Anaheim, Carolina, Tampa Bay (all teams who won the Stanley cup recently too). Many other teams like Vancouver, St.Louis, and Edmonton are on their way as well.

It’s time for Burke to stop kidding himself and trade for some draft picks. Fully commit to the rebuild and not another repair. GM’s have tried to repair Toronto for 50 years. Swallow your pride Burke, admit your mistakes and start from scratch.

It's that time of year again.....

December 1st marks the official countdown (well according to me) to the most exciting sporting event in Canada besides the Winter Olympics, The IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship. The tournament is incomparable to any other sporting event watched in Canada. Every year it beats out the Stanley Cup Final and Grey Cup in Canada as the most watched program, why? the tradition, excitement, and rivalry can’t be beat.

The Tradition; every year we see new young prospects come up and become super stars, receiving their 10 seconds of fame until the NHL draft. We see young 17, 18, and 19 year kids become heroes to the World.

Tradition can also be mixed into Rivalry. Year after year, Canada vs Russia rivalry creates such unity in Canada and has become essential part of the tournament. Even if that isn’t enough Canada vs. USA is also present. Rivalry has become such a important part of the tournament - it has become built around it; everyone waits for the new years eve game against the US and the finals are usually against Russia. The tournament is just so powerful with such strong hockey power-horses.

Excitement; not much to say - except remember these everlasting moments.

2005-2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcbXL4cCDwc

2009 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piXP-wZmzc4

2009 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ8iHM30rSE

2010 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSDYg7HUTCM

World Juniors are just in a league of their own.

What to do with 'roids?

The issue of steroids in baseball has always been a hot topic. Usually a decision about the use of steroids is made over a period of time and serious investigations are completed to determine a appropriate punishment, some would say that’s sufficient but what if a player tests positive a day or even hours before Game 7 of the World Series. What happens then? There’s no time to investigate, no time to research, a decision must be made immediately....so what do you do? suspend him or let him play?

If you immediately suspend the player, you are potentially taking away his dream, a potential World Series ring. On the other hand, letting him play means you’re allowing cheaters play the game. So, how can you suspend or punish a player without taking his living (like his life’s dream); You can’t.

It doesn’t matter how you twist the situation one party is lack for a better word, screwed. The player could miss out on the only thing he’s ever wanted more than anything in the world; Something he’s spent his whole life working towards. How would you feel if your life’s dream was in your grasp, then at the last second it’s taken away?

When siding with the player, you are showing the world that Major League Baseball doesn’t care about rules and regulations. The MLB want’s to eliminate steroids in baseball and clean up the sport. Letting player play would not be showing that.

It’s a very messy situation however one angle hasn’t be explored yet. To many players past and present have come forward saying they’ve used performance enhancing drugs and those players were never punished for it. A slap on the wrist and they were on way. Why should things change now?

If a situation like this occurred chaos would ignite. The MLB has the opportunity to shock the world and completely reset the punishment of steroid use in baseball. In total there have only been 26 confirmed players tested positive while playing in the Majors. Up until 2006 a punishment was a ten game suspension, after 2006 the punishment increased to at least 50 games (in some cases 80). However these results only started to add up in 2004 when mandatory randomized began to occur. It’s been known that many among many players have used steroids before the testing, over 89 more players in the past few years have been accused of using steroids, but not punished.

For someone like me a situation like this not complicated. If a player tests positive for steroid use before the World Series you let them play. I feel that if the MLB really wanted to clean up the sport they would have done it already. The MLB should have begun suspensions and steroid testing before 2004. Okay, even if they didn’t have the technology to discover steroid use before 2004 that shouldn’t have stopped the MLB from setting a stronger standard when they were able too. If you wanted to punish players, come out bold right away, 100 game suspension or even a season, a big statement like that would scare off future users. A 10-50 game suspension just makes players become more careful about using steroids, not stop.

I also feel in terms of past users. For players that have come clean and admitted to steroid use even thought they never tested positive, should be punished. The athlete admits to cheating you have to punish him. In cases were it’s obvious performance enhancing drugs were used but there is no evidence you cant do anything about it which is why in a hypothetical situation like this would have to let the player play. You have already let steroid users play, I my opinion it’s too late to look back. Sadly a sport like Baseball is a place where your guilty until proven innocent, so because of the all the errors in the past everyone has become guilty and it’s to late to change it, therefore everyone must be innocent now. Let steroid users play.

Call-Up the Big K?

With the Toronto Maple Leafs loosing the last 5 of 6 games and being shutout in the past 2 games the downward spiral is begining to show the lack of offense in the Leafs organization. Many fans are screaming for some offence and where can this offence come from? The most common name to be thrown around is Mr. Nazem Kadri. "Kadri should get called up" Toronto fans are saying or something like "Leafs need scoring - call Kadri up" are just some of the phrases being murmured in Leaf land these days.

Okay, I will be honest with you, the Leafs do need to work on the goal scoring but is now the time? The Leafs are only 10 games in remember, a 5-4-1 record is pretty respectable considering what the expectations have been for the club. It's a tad bit too early to be worrying about scoring when a .500 club don't you think?

Not only is it too early for the club to worrying its to early for Kadri himself. With Kadri just starting to find his groove in the AHL 8 points in 8 games why call him up? Let him really develop and become a dominant player in the AHL first. If I recall correctly there was a reason why Kadri was put in the AHL...Oh yeah I remember his defensive game is nowhere to be seen and he is easily rubbed off the puck. From a hockey standpoint it takes a lot more than 8 games to learn how to play defence and I doubt that he has gotten significantly stronger since we last saw him with the big Club.

Hey, Just another thought... for scenario purposes let's say Kadri does get called up. Scenario #1 he does well in a 9 game stint. He get somewhere around 9 points and a few goals, he's the clubs new hero and saviour of the franchise....I can hear it now "Kadri will take us to the promise land" etc. and so forth... Isn't that a bit much for a kid who just got called up plus he will cool down eventually and what happens then? Then same thing that would happen if Scenario #2 occurred.

Scenario #2 Kadri gets called up. 9 game stint, no points, minus whatever, and is turning the puck over left right and centre. What happens now? Leaf Land will burst out in anger and boo the kid out of town.

Also were do you put him? Coach Dallas Eakins of the Toronto Marlies moved Kadri to wing just a few games a go due to the fact he was struggling playing the middle in the AHL. So with him a winger now where can you put him? Kadri has been chosen as a Top 6 forward by General Manger Brian Burke who also said he would not be called up to play on the bottom 6 role. So with Phil Kessel and Clarke MacArthur guaranteed top 6 wingers because of their goal scoring. Nikolai Kulemin and Kris Versteeg are likely top 6 wingers as well who do you kick out for the youngster?

Well in retrospect the best way to put it, it's too early to be thinking about this. Too many questions need to be answered first. Is Kadri improving where he is or should he be pushed harder? What roles does he take ? Winger or Centre? and will he help the team?

Sorry Leaf fans just watch the games and hope for the best, things take time.