Saturday Night Hockey: AHL Realignment; Players Retire

AHL Realignment

With the continuation of minor league realignment, the AHL has sent out a press release detailing the plans for a Pacific Division. From the release:

The Board has approved the following:

• The Anaheim Ducks will purchase the Norfolk Admirals AHL franchise and will relocate it from Norfolk, Va., to San Diego, Calif.

• The AHL franchise owned by the Calgary Flames will relocate from Glens Falls, N.Y., to Stockton, Calif. 

• The AHL franchise owned by the Edmonton Oilers will relocate from Oklahoma City, Okla., to Bakersfield, Calif. 

• The AHL franchise owned by the Los Angeles Kings will relocate from Manchester, N.H., to Ontario, Calif.

• The AHL franchise owned by the San Jose Sharks will relocate from Worcester, Mass., to San Jose, Calif.

Full division alignments and schedule formats for the 2015-16 season will be determined by the Board of Governors at a later date. 

From a geographical standpoint this makes sense. NHL teams want to have their AHL affiliate close by so call-ups are easier and (likely) less expensive. It also gives the AHL a strong west coast presence, which is something they've really lacked at having.

One, and probably the only, issue with this would be the fact that all franchises are located in California. Nothing against California, as the success of the Kings, Ducks, and Sharks have immensely helped hockey grow in the state. It's more out of curiosity if the NHL and AHL explored going to Oregon, Washington, or somewhere in western Canada.

Overall this will be a good move for the NHL and AHL. The AHL gets a proper west coast division and the NHL gets affiliates closer to their parent teams.

Martin Brodeur Retires

The last goalie from the golden age of goaltenders is done. Martin Brodeur announced his retirement Tuesday. The 20th overall pick in the 1990 draft finishes his career having played 1266 regular season games and winning a record 691 of them.

In his 22-year NHL career, Brodeur has racked up a laundry list of accomplishments. Along with being the all-time leader in regular season games played and wins, Brodeur also holds the record for shutouts (125) and saves (28,928). He backstopped the Devils to three Stanley Cups (1995, 2000, 2003). He's also a four time Vezina winner (2003, 2004, 2007, 2008), five time Jennings winner (1997, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2010), and won the Calder trophy for rookies of the year (1994). He's also been named to the end-of-season First (2003, 2004, 2007) and Second (1997, 1998, 2006, 2008) All-Star Teams and the All-Rookie Team (1994).

Brodeur also has success at the international level. He has been named to Canada's Olympic team four times (1998, 2002, 2006, 2010), winning the gold medal on two of those occasions (2002, 2010). He also played for Canada at the World Cup twice (1996, 2004), winning once (2004). He only fell short at the World Championship, as both times he represented Canada at that tournament (1996, 2005) he came away as a Silver medalist.

On-ice, Brodeur was a bit of an oddity. While every goalie was switching styles and playing more in the butterfly, Brodeur continued to play a more traditional stand-up style (which probably contributed to his longevity). Brodeur was also one of the best puck-handling goalies, at times acting as a third defenseman. His puck-handling skills has helped him score one* of his three career goals. It can be argued that his skills with the puck lead to the NHL installing the trapezoid to limit a goaltender's ability to play the puck.

While he's done playing for them, Brodeur intends to stay on with the Blues in a front office role. It's weird that he doesn't go straight to the Devils (a move that is expected to happen in the offseason), but it is understandable why he stays with the Blues for the rest of the year. St. Louis was willing to give him a contract to continue his career, and he may have felt spurn by the Devils since they wanted to go in a different direction.

Even though his play has declined for years, he desire to continue on his career is admirable. Enjoy retirement Marty.

*Update: I originally had that he scored twice shooting the puck. That was incorrect. I have fixed it to reflect that he only had one goal by shooting the puck. My bad.

Radek Dvorak Retires

Just hours after Brodeur, Radek Dvorak announced his retirement. The 10th overall pick in the 1995 draft had a lengthy career, playing 1260 regular season games for eight NHL teams (Florida Panthers, New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, St. Louis Blues, Atlanta Thrashers, Dallas Stars, Anaheim Ducks, and Carolina Hurricanes). He registered 227 goals and 363 assists for 590 points in his NHL career. While he has played for the Stanley Cup twice (Florida in 1996, Edmonton in 2006), he has left empty handed both times. He did have better success on the international stage, winning World Championship gold three times with the Czech Republic (1999, 2001, and 2005). He also represents the Czech Republic in the Olympics (2002) and World Cup (2004).

Have a happy retirement Radek.

Lineup Notables

Washington Capitals vs. Montreal Canadiens

Washington: Aaron Volpatti (neck), John Erskine (neck), and Dmitry Orlov (wrist) are out. Braden Holby starts this afternoon.
Montreal: Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau (upper body) is out. Carey Price is in net.

Arizona Coyotes vs. Ottawa Senators

Arizona: Mikkel Boedker (spleen) and Joe Vitale (upper body) are out. Mike Smith gets the start.
Ottawa: Zack Smith (upper body), Alex Chiasson, and Craig Anderson (hand) are out. Robin Lehner will be in net.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Philadelphia Flyers

Toronto: Dion Phaneuf (hand) is probable. Number One James Reimer gets the start.
Philadelphia: Chris Pronger (concussion), Scott Laughton (concussion), Kimmo Timonen (blood clot), and Braydon Coburn is out while Michael Raffl (illness) and Nicklas Grossman (upper body) are questionable. Steve Mason might be in net.

Dallas Stars vs. Winnipeg Jets

Dallas: Valeri Nichushkin (groin), Erik Cole (upper body), Rich Peverly (heart-related issues), and Patrik Nemeth (arm) are out. Kari Lehtonen might be in net.
Winnipeg: Matt Halischuk and Grant Clitsome (upper body) are out. Michael Hutchinson will start.

Edmonton Oilers vs. Calgary Flames

Edmonton: Taylor Hall (leg), Nikita Nikitin (shoulder), and Tyler Pitlick (spleen) are out. Ben Scrivens might start.
Calgary: Curtis Glencross, Sam Bennett (shoulder), and Ladislav Smid are out. Jonas Hiller is in net tonight.

Showing Some International Love: 2015 World Junior Championship - Division III Review

China just steamrolled the competition on their way to winning the tournament, host nation New Zealand had a chance to win but could not come through, Mexico did enough to earn the bronze, and South Africa and Turkey essentially tied for last.

Note: most information from the IIHF website.

Standings

Team	Wins	OTW/SOW	OTL/SOL	Losses	Points	Goal Diff.
China	4	0	0	0	12	+26
New Zealand	2	0	1	1	7	+2
Mexico	1	1	0	2	5	-2
South Africa	1	0	0	3	3	-18
Turkey	1	0	0	3	3	-8

Results

January 20
Mexico 1 - China 6
South Africa 1 - New Zealand 5

January 21
Turkey 1 - South Africa 3

January 22
China 6 - Turkey 1
New Zealand 2 - Mexico 3 (SO)

January 23
South Africa 0 - China 13

January 24
Mexico 3 - South Africa 0
New Zealand 5 - Turkey 3

January 25
Turkey 2 - Mexico 1
China - New Zealand

Team Recaps

China: As mentioned above, China just dominated this group. Against Mexico, China would fail to score in the first period (the only game they failed to do so). The second period was a much different story, as China put four past Mexico on 20 shots. They would surrender a powerplay goal in the third, but would add two more of their own to win their opening game 6-1. China kept rolling against Turkey. They would open the scoring midway through the third, but ended the period tied after giving up a powerplay goal. China scored the only goal in the second. Their offense exploded in the third, as they scored four times en route to another 6-1 win. China had a pad-the-stats game against South Africa. In the game, China scored 13 times while registering 53 shots on goal. Both Hang Li and Qing Liu scored hat tricks in the drubbing. In the promotion game against New Zealand, China would strike just over three minutes in to take the lead. Despite continuing to control play throughout, it wasn't until 17 seconds into the second period when China extended their lead to two. New Zealand did get one back later on during a powerplay, but it didn't take long for China to answer back. China scored early in the third period, and hung on to win the game 4-1. There are two interesting notes about China: 1) all three goals they allowed happened when they were shorthanded, and; 2) they had misconduct penalties in every game (including game misconducts in their last three games). China had no problem finishing first, and will be back in Division II for next year.

New Zealand: It looked like an up-and-down tournament for the host. Kicking their tournament off against South Afica, the junior Ice Blacks looked good. They scored twice in the first while outshooting their opponent 10-4. New Zealand gave up a powerplay goal in the second, but managed to re-gain their 2-goal lead before the period ended. New Zealand added two more goals in the third, as they won their opening game 5-1. The host had a tougher time against Mexico. They would fall behind in the second period twice, but both times they managed to strike back to tie the game. The game remained tied until the shootout. New Zealand only scored once in the shootout while Mexico scored twice. The host lost their first game 3-2. Looking to get back on track against Turkey, New Zealand scored twice on the powerplay while give up one of their own in the first. Things took a bad turn for the host, as Turkey scored twice in the second. Needing to rally in the third, New Zealnd did just that. Three goals in six minutes help propel New Zealand to a 5-3 win. In the promotion game against China, New Zealand was in tough. They gave up the opening goal just over three minutes into the game. Goalie Liam Henare looked to be on his game in the first, as he kept the score close for the junior All Blacks. The second period didn't start off well, as then went down 2-0 just 17 into the period. Some penalty trouble by China helped New Zealand a bit. While they squandered a 2-man advantage, New Zealand did score in the dying seconds of their 1-man advantage to pull within one. That score didn't last long though, as China scored minutes later to retain their two goal lead. A penalty in the third essentially sunk New Zealand's chances, as China scored on their ensuring powerplay to go up three. New Zealand kept trying (they were the only team to, against China, both put up double digits in shots in a period and outshoot them in a period), but it was all for naught. The game ended with New Zealand's Keegan Maisey and China's Jaisiteng Wu fighting. The 4-1 loss resulted in a second place finish for New Zealand. They did get the silver medal, but will have to stay in Division III for another year.

Mexico: The Mexicans kicked off the tournament facing China. They were outshot 12-1 in the first, but thanks to Braden Holtby Richard Albrecht, Mexico kept the period scoreless. That didn't last in the second, as Mexico gave up the opening goal 26 seconds into the period. Mexico would give up three more goals in the second period (two of them while Mexico was shorthanded). Mexico did break China's shutout in the third thanks to a powerplay goal. That was it for Mexico's offense, as they eventually lost the game 6-1. Facing another tough opponent in New Zealand, Mexico would have a better game. The first period did lack scoring, but both teams made up for that by taking penalties. Mexico ended the 0-0 score line minutes into the second. Their lead did not last long, as penalty trouble lead to Mexico give up the tying goal while down two men. Mexico's Gustavo Martinez scored four minutes later to break the tie. New Zealand would tie it up again before the second period ended. The third period and overtime solved nothing, resulting in a shootout to break the tie. Mexico outscored New Zealand 2-1 in the shootout, which gave Mexico a 3-2 win. Mexico faced South Africa next. While they got into a bit of penalty trouble in the first, Mexico did manage to score on a powerplay of their own to go up 1-0. The game stayed that way until late in the third, as Mexico added an empty net goal and a goal with a second left in the game to win 3-0. In their final game against Turkey, Mexico would pay for taking penalties. The Mexicans gave up a powerplay goal in the first and second period. Mexico did pull within one in the third thanks to a powerplay goal of their own, but that was it. Mexico lost their last game of the tournament 2-1. Mexico finished the tournament in third place, earning the bronze in the process.

South Africa: South Africa had a tough opening draw, as they faced the host New Zealand. South Africa fell behind 2-0 after the first period. They did get one back in the second, thanks to a Dylan Compton powerplay goal. That was all South Africa could muster though, as they gave up one in the second and two more in the third en route to losing their opening game 5-1. South Africa had a better game against Turkey. They started off scoring a powerplay goal under two minutes into the first, but ended the period tied. The game stayed 1-1 until late in the second, when Brandon Husselman scored with six seconds left in the period to give South Africa the lead. Keegan Thornton added his second of the game in the final frame, as South Africa won 3-1. South Africa had a less-than-ideal finish to their tournament. They failed to score in their last two game, getting blown out by China (13-0) and losing a bit tighter game against Mexico (3-0). South Africa finished the tournament in fourth place.

Turkey: Turkey was the last team to start the tournament due to the odd number of teams. Starting off against South Africa, Turkey would fall behind early, giving up a powerplay goal. Turkey did finish the first period with a shorthanded goal to tie the game. That was all for Turkey unfortunately, as they gave up a goal both the second and third in the 3-1 loss. Turkey looked to have a similar game against China. They let in the first goal of the game, but their special teams came through late in the first to tie it up. Turkey could not keep the game as close though, as China scored once in the second then exploded for a 4-goal third period. Turkey lost their second game 6-1. Powerplays were the story of the first period between Turkey and New Zealand. Turkey gave up the first two powerplay goals before scoring one of their own. Turkey continued in the second, adding another powerplay goal and scoring one while at even strength. The lead didn't last long for Turkey, as a 3-goal third period by New Zealand sunk Turkey's chances at winning the game. In the end, Turkey lost 5-3, extending their losing streak. Finishing their tournament against Mexico, Turkey looked to go out on a high note. Fatih Faner scored on the powerplay in the first to give Turkey the lead. Faner would strike again in the second, notching his second powerplay goal of the game. Turkey did well in keeping the lead. They would give up a powerplay goal to Mexico in the third, but that was it. Turkey won their last game of the tournament 2-1. Turkey ended the tournament in fifth place.

Showing Some International Love: 2015 World Junior Championship - Division III Preview

Yes, there is one more World Junior (U20) tournament going on, and it's all the way in New Zealand. The junior Ice Blacks play host to Turkey, South Africa, Mexico, and China. Bulgaria had to withdraw from this tournament, leaving it down to five teams fighting for a promotion to Division II.

Note: most information from the IIHF website.

Rosters

China

Goalies:

Name	Team
Zehao Sun	Chengde
Han Wang	Qiqihar

Defense:

Name	Team
Wenbin Liang	Qiqihar
Qing Liu	Qiqihar
Jinglin Qian	Chengde
Jiasiteng Wu	Chengde
Xinhao Yue	Chengde
Jiaqi Zhang	Chengde
Pengfei Zhang	Chengde
Zhen Zhang	Chengde

Forwards:

Name	Team
Peng Huang	Chengde
Hang Li	Qiqihar
Yongshen Liu	Qiqihar
Hengnan Lu	Chengde
Hao Wu	Chengde
Xudong Xiang	Harbin
Mingrunze Yu	Chengde
Zesen Zhang	Chengde
Ziyang Zhu	Harbin
Tainyou Zuo	Chengde

Mexico

Goalies:

Name	Team
Richard Albrecht	Falcons Lomas Verdes
Jaime Perez	Osos San Jeronimo

Defense:

Name	Team
Moises Cherem	Pumas Distrito Federal
Joaquin Cosio	Osos San Jeronimo
Jorge Duenas	Sharks Lerma
Nicholas Dunn	Mapaches Queretaro
Santiago Grajeda	Osos San Jeronimo
Gustavo Martinez	Tigres Metepec

Forwards:

Name	Team
Brandon Aguirre	Osos San Jeronimo
Fabian Alva	Osos San Jeronimo
Bruno Arjona	Tigres Nuevo Leon
David Barron	Tigres Metepec
Augusto Bolanos	Tigres Metepec
Arturo Garcia	Agaves Jalisco
Antonio Najera	Sharks Lerma
Miguel Navarro	Agaves Jalisco
Jorge Perez	Osos San Jeronimo
Samuel Sheinberg	Osos San Jeronimo

New Zealand

Goalies:

Name	Team
Liam Henare	Gore
Hunter Waugh	Dunedin Thunder

Defense:

Name	Team
Blake Fraser	Botany Swarm
Benjamin Harford	Southern Stampede
Thomas Heather	Botany Swarm
Mason Kennedy	Canterbury Red Devils
Keegan Maisey	West Auckland Admirals
Blake McCombe	Botany Swarm
Daniel Monk	Melbourne Mustangs
Benedict Roth	Dunedin Thunder

Forwards:

Name	Team
Callum Burns	Southern Stampede
Thomas Carson-Pratt	Dunedin Thunder
Liam Dallimore	Canterbury Red Devils
Frazer Ellis	West Auckland Admirals
Lachlan Frear	Southern Stampede
Jacob Hurring	Dunedin Thunder
Tayler Kennedy	Canterbury Red Devils
Harrison Macharg	Southern Stampede
Maxwell Macharg	Canterbury Red Devils
Joseph Orr	Dunedin Thunder

South Africa

Goalies:

Name	Team
Aslam Khan	Cape Town Penguins
Marcello Strydom	Kempton Park Sabres

Defense:

Name	Team
Nicholas Baard	Pretoria Capitals
Stephen Dekker	Cape Town Penguins
Daniel Fisher	Johannesburg Vipers
Ryan Fourie	Cape Town Penguins
Brandon Husselman	Pretoria Capitals
Reelan Malgas	Pretoria Ice Hawks
Dylan Martins	Kempton Park Sabres
Denzil Verwey	Pretoria Capitals

Forwards:

Name	Team
Kai Austin	Johannesburg Wildcats
Gareth Bremner	Kempton Park Sabres
Dylan Compton	Kempton Park Sabres
Reegan du Buisson	Pretoria Capitals
Spencer du Preez	Pretoria Capitals
Wesley Krotz	Cape Town Penguins
Alex Obery	Cape Town Storm
Janus Saaiman	Pretoria Capitals
Keegan Thornton	Kempton Park Sabres
Darion Whitford	Pretoria Ice Hawks

Turkey

Goalies:

Name	Team
Berk Akin	BB Ankara
Muhammed Karagul	Erzurum GSK

Defense:

Name	Team
Batuhan Akay	Izmir BB
Alihan Demirer	Izmir BB
Fatih Faner	Izmir BB
Yusuf Kars	Erzurum GSK
Kaan Salt	Bogazici Paten SK
Emrah Savas	Erzurum GSK
Huseyin Secer	Erzurum GSK

Forwards:

Name	Team
Ferhat Bakal	Izmir BB
Dogu Bingol	BB Ankara
Sait Bingol	Erzurum GSK
Ahmet Hars	Erzurum GSK
Omer Kars	Erzurum GSK
Sefa Kavaz	Erzurum GSK
Can Kaya	BB Ankara
Sefa Takar	Erzurum GSK
Fatih Taygar	Erzurum GSK
Berk Ustun	Zeytinburnu Istanbul
Ogun Uzunali	Izmir BB

Schedule

January 20
Mexico - China
South Africa - New Zealand

January 21
Turkey - South Africa

January 22
China - Turkey
New Zealand - Mexico

January 23
South Africa - China

January 24
Mexico - South Africa
New Zealand - Turkey

January 25
Turkey - Mexico
China - New Zealand

Notes

• Usually a tournament far down the chain like this means teams are taking players from within their country to the tournament. Only New Zealand's Daniel Monk is playing outside his native country (he's playing in Australia).
• Just like the players are all in-house, the staffs are as well. Only exceptions are Oleg Gorbenko (Russian, he played on the Amur Khabarovsk team that played a few games in the WCHL in 1996-97) and Keith Adams (American, he was head coach for the ECHL Carolina Thunderbirds in 1988-89 for one game)
• Oldest team: China, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa (average age is 18)
• Youngest team: Turkey (average age is 17)
• Lightest team: Turkey (148lbs)
• Heaviest team: New Zealand (170lbs)
• Shortest team: Turkey (5'8")
• Tallest team: China, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa (5'10") 
• I don't think I have another pun in me...(Jamie) Orr do I?

Predictions

1 (promotion) - New Zealand
2 - China
3 - Turkey
4 - Mexico
5 - South Africa

New Zealand looks to be steadily improving, and this year they might be able to take the top spot. China was relegated last year, and will be challenging for the promotion. Turkey and Mexico are more likely to be battling for the bronze. South Africa isn't expected to be much of a challenge in this tournament.