Thank you for not only being an amazing hockey player, but being an amazing person too. (Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr)

We all know hockey players are the best players out there. The tweets below show they can not only make us laugh with their wit and sarcasm, but that they have amazing hearts too.

First we have the Senators Erik Karlsson who apparently isn’t good at cards:

» Continue reading “They Said What?!? – Hockey Players Being Amazing Edition”

I’m sure this man is thrilled to be playing the Penguins in the next round. (Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr)

It’s the playoffs which means not a lot of guys are tweeting. That doesn’t mean we didn’t find some great ones over the past couple of days.

First off we have everyone’s favorite Roberto Luongo, aka Strombone, with this one last night after watching James Reimer almost shut out the Boston Bruins:

» Continue reading “They Said What?!? – Injury Questions + Mcflurry Injustice”

During the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Aerys NHL writers have been revealing their picks for the NHL award categories. You can find the previous prognostics over on the side bar.

The James Norris Memorial Trophy is awarded each year to the NHL’s top “defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position.” The award was first given in 1954 and since then, it has been awarded 58 times to 24 players. It is named for James E. Norris, owner Detroit Red Wings from 1932 to 1952.

Last season Aerys projected Erik Karlsson to win this award and he did! You can read more about that here.

Other notable past winners include Bobby Orr, Ray Bourque, Nicklas Lidstrom and Chris Pronger.

This year, perhaps because of the shortened season, the pool of quality candidates is large and hard to separate from one another but the following are my own nominations for this year’s Norris Trophy.

PK Subban – Montreal Canadiens

Subban’s season began a little later than everyone else’s as he was a restricted free agent without a contract. But soon he and the Montreal Canadiens reached an agreement and he was well on his way to leading all NHL defensemen in points with 38 (11 goals, 27 assists) in just 42 games played. In addition, seven of those points came on the powerplay and he was a combined +12 for the year. His success was instrumental in helping Habs go from the bottom to the top of the Northeast division.

Ryan Suter – Minnesota Wild

When Suter hit free agency this past summer, we all knew that a sweepstakes of sorts would take place. The Minnesota Wild were the winners then and continued to be winners as Suter proved himself to be an invaluable asset to their organization. Offensively, he contributed four goals and 28 assists, which when combined adds up to 32 points, the third best in the league among defensemen. In addition to offense, Suter also provided leadership as he wore an “A” on his sweater and mentored his rookie partner, Jonas Brodin into becoming a potential Calder Trophy winner. Suter played in all 48 of the Wild’s games and he averaged 27:13 minutes of ice time per game. However, in nine instances he played over 30 minutes, even three times playing more than 32. Even with playing those kind of minutes, Suter was a +2 for the season.

Kris Letang – Pittsburgh Penguins

Letang brings an interesting argument for his candidacy to the table. Despite playing in only 35 games this season, he collected 38 points (five goals, 33 assists). He was an overall +16 for the year and only amassed eight total penalty minutes. Many have dismissed Letang’s worthiness of this recognition due to argument that his impressive stats are more as a result of his fortune to play on a star-studded team than his actual play. Regardless, it would be silly to not include him as a Norris Trophy finalist.

My winner of this year’s James Norris Memorial Trophy is Ryan Suter. Not only does he fit the description of being proficient in all aspects of his position, he has done much of the heavy lifting in helping the Minnesota Wild to the playoffs for the first time in five years. Throughout the season he played a huge amount of minutes against the Western conference’s best players and was able to contribute offensively while still anchoring the team’s defense–everything that you want in your number one defenseman.

…oh. Sorry. That smile is just a thing of beauty. This week’s honors go to a young man who plays for the St. Louis Blues.  Alex Pietrangelo may only have played two full NHL seasons but he’s more than making his mark on his team.

Let’s get started.

» Continue reading “The Hawt Trophy: Alex Pietrangelo”

Ottawa has been fairly busy this off season with resigning a few key players into the fold.

2012 Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson
(Photo: fasntasyhockeyscouts.com)

The first and most trivial signing came in the form of high scoring defenceman Erik Karlsson who is set to lock himself into the Sens camp for the next 7 years.  Drafted 15^th overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the Sens,  the 22 year old Swede lead all NHL defencemen in scoring last year with 78 points (19 goals, 59 assists) guaranteeing him the Norris Torphy.  Among setting franchise records, Karlsson is already ranked third on the all-time Senators defencemen scoring list.

Fan favourite Chris Neil
(Photo: nhlsnipers.com)

Next resigning came to rough and tough Chris Neil. Neil scored a three year contract extension through to the 2015-16 NHL season.  Another long time member of the Senator squad, the 33 year old Neil scored his 200^th NHL point in a 5-1 victory over the New York Islanders. Neil also holds the Senators record for most penalty minutes both in the regular season and off season.

Ottawa has also resigned Jim O’Brien to two years, Kaspars Daugavins to one year and Stephane Da Costa to a one year, two way deal.

At last, we arrive at the coda of the 2011-12 NHL season, the NHL Awards. The National Hockey League will spend the next few hours cringing at terrible jokes, raising an eyebrow just what Steven Stamkos is wearing, and hoping a Real Housewife doesn’t butcher another poor hockey player’s name. (Seriously, “Mar-TEN Saint Louissss” still rings in my ears to this day.)

The NHL Awards will air on NBC Sports Network starting at 7pm ET/6pm CT, and I’ll be here, live blogging the entire thing.

So grab your drink and pull up a seat. It’s going to be another long night.

All times in the liveblog are listed in CT. Newest posts will be on top.

» Continue reading “Kat Live Blogs The NHL Awards 2012!”

Zenon Konopka Photo by Bridget Samuels/ Flickr

If you take one look at Zenon Konopka on the ice, it’s easy to tell that he has dropped his gloves more than once. His nose is flattened and crooked, scars etched into his skin. The dying breed that is the NHL enforcer personified. This isn’t the kind of player known for making a big impact in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but that’s just what he and fellow bruiser Matt Carkner are doing for the Ottawa Senators in their series against New York.

“This is really a dogfight of a series where it’s not really pretty hockey out there, it’s just workmanlike and those two guys, it suits their game and so they’ve both come in and made a big impact,” center Jason Spezza said of the duo. (Quote Source: TheStar.com)

Bother Carkner and Konopka were healthy scratches at the start of the series, which isn’t terribly surprising. They both saw spotty amounts of play down the stretch of the regular season. It’s insanely impressive how these guys have taken the opportunity to play in the post season and more than made the most of it.

» Continue reading “Ottawa’s Tough Players Are Becoming Some Of Their Best”

Erik Karlsson Photo by Bridget Samuels/ Flickr

He’s gotta be strong and he’s gotta be fast and he’s gotta be fresh from the fight. Bonnie Tyler may have been singing about Kevin Bacon in “Footloose”, but the same sentiment rings true for the Ottawa Senators as they head into Game 4 of their series against the New York Rangers. They need a hero to help lead them to victory.

The Sens have really stepped up their game after dropping Game 1 in New York, but something is missing. Most teams have a guy who really starts to shine in the playoffs .

Across the ice, Brian Boyle has assumed that mantle for the Rangers. Ottawa seems to be struggling in finding an MVP on their bench.

That’s not to say that the Senators haven’t had guys step up. Chris Neil was the guy in the Game 2 victory. Kyle Turris is playing very well. What they need is the one or two people who will create those extra scoring chances and get more opportunities to strike on the scoreboard.

With their captain Daniel Alfredsson remaining out due to a concussion, the onus falls on the team’s other big names to step up.It’s a well work hockey cliche to say that your best players have to be your best players, but that’s exactly what needs to happen.

Jason Spezza, Milan Michalek, Sergei Gonchar, and Erik Karlsson have to be the the ones to get things going. The rest of the team will follow. So far they have seemed a bit off, whether it’s the Rangers taking away their time and space or being a bit intimidated by the playoffs. Sometimes all it takes is a lucky bounce or a momentary lapse in concentration by Henrik Lundqvist and Ottawa can be back in this.

They just need a hero to help show the way.

Ottawa Sens Represent! Photo by Linda Hamilton

It seemed like a good idea when I volunteered to cover the Ottawa Senators during their playoff journey. I follow and write about an Eastern Conference team, the Sens are in the East too. How hard could it be?  Until I started making a list of the things I actually knew about the Senators and it was extremely short.

- They play in Ottawa, the capital city of Canada.

- Daniel Alfredsson used to have fantastic 80s metal hair.

- Jason Spezza has a donkey laugh.

- Former Lightning players Zenon Konopka and Matt Gilroy pull on their sweater these days.

Finding out how little I actually know about the team I’m going to be following for possibly the next two months sent me into deep research mode.

For example, I knew that this incarnation of the Senators came into the league during expansion in the early 1990s, their first season back was 1992-1993. The original Sens were founded in 1883 won 11 Stanley Cups and played in the NHL from 1917 until 1934.

Their captain Daniel Alfredsson is the longest tenured European captain in the NHL. He holds the franchise record goals, assists, and points with 1100 games played. Chris Phillips and Jason Spezza are the alternate captains.

Erik Karlsson is their wunderkind defenseman, already being mentioned as a contender for this year’s Norris Trophy. He is currently leading the league in scoring by a defenseman with 78 on the season.

The Sens bring a huge amount of speed along with their impressive offensive firepower. No one predicted their success this year so that sends them into the post season as huge underdogs which would really work to their advantage.

With a few more days before their first game against the New York Rangers, there’s plenty of time to learn more. And hope that Spezza doesn’t laugh in any of his interviews.

Who's name will be engraved this year?

For the last week of the regular hockey season, the Aerys NHL writers have been revealing their picks for the NHL award categories. You can find the previous prognostics over on the side bar.

When we were asked which award we wanted to cover, my immediate thought went to the Selke Award, considering it was the only award that I really knew about, but as I looked into what the other awards stood for, I related the most to the Norris Trophy.  The James Norris Memorial Trophy is awarded to the NHL’s best “defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-around ability in the position.”

The Trophy itself is named after James E. Norris, a former Detroit Red Wings owner-president(1932-1952). The trophy was first awarded after the 1953-1954 season to former Detroit Red Wing, Red Kelly, by four of the late James Norris’ children.

The Professional Hockey Writers’ Association members have a poll at the end of the regular season where they decide who is worthy of this honor. They determine the defenseman that best exemplifies and excels in their position.

Boston Bruins’ great Bobby Orr, holds the record for winning the Norris trophy for eight consecutive years. (Can I get a whomp whomp Bruins fans?!) Ray Bourque, another Boston great also won the award five times.

Last year’s projected winner by Aerys: Nicklas Lidstrom(read more)

2010-2011 Winner: Nicklas Lidstrom, making him a seven-time Norris Trophy winner.

This year however, Lidstrom is not among the candidates of possible winners of the trophy. In fact, this year, the top three runners are:

Ottawa Senators: Erik Karlsson

Currently Karlsson leads all defenseman in the NHL with 77 points in 79 games played with 19 goals and 58 assists. This year he has been a key component to the Ottawa Senators and a big part of why they are in the playoff run. His ability to handle the puck and set plays up rather than dish it into the neutral or offensive zone is one of his strongest assets.

Boston Bruins: Zdeno Chara

The 6′ 9″, record-breaking slap shot, hard, heavy hitting giant is second in the NHL with 52 points, with a +33 rating. Chara’s ability to use his height and extremely hard slap shot are definitely two of his strongest attributes. As well as the fact that he leads by example on and of the ice, playing to win every game not for himself, but his teammates as well. In Chara’s last five games alone he has managed to post 7 assists for his team.

Florida Panthers: Brian Campbell

Brian Campbell isn’t a name that you hear very often, at least if you are from the North(in my defense). However, that doesn’t erase the fact that he has 52 points in 80 games played, registering only four goals, but 48 assists. While he may be a -10, he plays strong defensively which is what his position is all about, rather than how strong a defensive player can be offensively.

Now here comes the fun part, who does this particular Boston sports fan think will take home the trophy? Well, as much as I would love to say hands down, the 6’9″ giant will hoist it just like he did the Cup on June 15, 2011, I honestly can’t say I believe that. Erik Karlsson has had a VERY impressive year this year, his numbers speaking for him. Putting all numbers aside however, and watching this young man play, he is definitely deserving of this honor. As previously stated, the way he is able to slow a puck down and create plays is remarkable. I am going to have to swallow my pride with this one and say that Erik Karlsson has this one locked up this year.