Despite loss, Kane impresses coach

The Atlanta Thrashers lost Thursday night, but it was still a memorable night for Evander Kane.
The Vancouver native played his first NHL game in his hometown before numerous friends and family members as Atlanta lost 4-2 to the Canucks.
“It was a great experience and something I’ll never forget,” said Kane, 18.
In the second period, the former Vancouver Giants star was denied a goal on a second-period video review. Had it counted, the Thrashers would have had a much better chance of coming back in a middle frame in which they were badly outplayed.
I just wanted to take the puck to the net and it seemed like (Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo) rolled over right away into the net,” said Kane. “So I thought it was kind of in. The referees thought the whistle went before . . . I think the whole bench thought it was (a goal).”
In the scoreless third, Kane had a chance to bring the Thrashers within a goal, but he missed an open net.
Late in the game, he also managed to anger Vancouver's Ryan Kesler for what the Canucks centre perceived as a deliberate knee-on-knee check. Kane, who helped the Giants win a Memorial Cup, recorded three shots. Only three other Atlanta players matched that total.
"I thought (Kane) was one of our best players tonight," said Anderson. "He took the puck wide and chipped in, and he took some hits . . . I thought he did a great job, and I'm sure his family's very proud of him."
The coach showed his confidence in Kane by using him in all situations. He received some brief power play time while also toiling in his usual penalty killing and feven-strength roles.
"Nobody else is scoring (on the power play) for us," said Anderson. "He's got eight goals, and we wanted to give him a stab at it."
Anderson, whose team has lost four of its past five games, said he will see how things go and, possibly, give Kane, the fourth overall pick in last summer's NHL draft, more time in man-advantage situations.
For guidance on that decision, he'll defer to more people than just Atlanta general manager Don Waddell.
"My wife goes, 'I love that Evander Kane,' " said Anderson. "He's such a great player, and he's a good kid.' So if my wife likes him, he's gotta be a good player."
The former Toronto Maple Leaf said Kane, who helped Canada win a world junior title around this time last year, reminds him of one of his former teammates.
"He seems like a Ron Ellis, pretty straight up and down, not too much in the middle," said Anderson.

Lions evoke memories of 2001 Stamps

The B.C. Lions got what they deserved Sunday.
A solid 34-27 overtime CFL Eastern semi-final victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
The Lions played with the desperation that they have lacked at other times this season. Their starting quarterback managed to play a full game, and their defence held up in overtime, despite the usual meltdown in the final minute of the fourth quarter.
As a result, B.C. handed Hamilton a heart-breaking loss in its first home playoff game since 2001 and first playoff appearance in five seasons. Now, the Lions are evoking memories of an 8-10 Calgary team that Buono coached to the 2001 Grey Cup title after it also had injuries to its key quarterbacks.
Buono and his then Calgary coaching staff, many of whom are now with the Lions, managed to inject enough confidence in journeyman QB Marcus Crandell that he played like the second coming of Johnny Unitas. Casey Printers does not lack confidence, and he has much more ability than Crandell, who never showed the same magic again. Which suggests the Lions will give the Montreal Alouettes a run for their money in next weekend's Eastern Final.
Talent-wise, says Buono, this Lions club is much better than his 2001 Stamps. And, now, a B.C. club that began the season 1-4 and suffered three straight losses before Sunday is one win away from the Grey Cup.
A championship game berth would be a fitting finish for the underdog Lions. They have used five quarterbacks, including four starters, while also battling major injuries to running back Martell Mallett, kicker Paul McCallum and centre Angus Reid, among others.
How much whackier can their season get? We're about to find out.

Many Lions facing last game together

The B.C. Lions caught a break Sunday. For a change, it wasn't a fractured limb.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats did the Lions a favour by beating Winnipeg 39-17, eliminating the Blue Bombers and putting the hard-luck Lions in the CFL playoffs.
Just how the Lions will fare against the Ticats is anybody's guess, but it was good to see the Leos get a reprieve after their embarrassing 45-13 loss to the Edmonton Eskimos on Friday. The one-sided setback was a gift to the Eskimos as both starting quarterback Casey Printers and nominal backup Buck Pierce went down with injuries.
"I tried to do everything in my power to go back out there on the field and put some drives together but, physically, I just couldn’t do it,” said Pierce, who re-entered the game briefly in the second half. “You can kind of feel how we feel right now. It’s hard to process right now what we just went through. A lot of guys in this locker room have never experienced something like this – so many times this year."
Often through no fault of their own as bizarre injuries took their toll.
Pierce showed his character as he put his shoulder pads back on after taking a couple of injections and undergoing treatment to loosen up his arm.
“It’s been a tough year,” said Pierce. “This shoulder thing, it’s worn me out emotionally and physically.”
His season is, almost certainly, over. Buono will likely go with Printers, who was showing signs of early recovery from a jammed thumb, rookie Travis Lulay, almost fully recovered from a shoulder injury, and Zac Champion, the only other available quarterback.
“It’s unbelievable,” said dejected receiver Geroy Simon. “We can’t keep a quarterback healthy to save our lives. This is amazing. It’s like we’ve never even played football before.
“How many quarterbacks do we need to go through in a season?”
As it turns out, five.
“This (Edmonton) game is the story of our season,” said Simon. “It’s the biggest game of the year and we don’t show up to play."
You can bet the Lions will show up next Sunday as they get an opportunity to avenge two earlier losses to Hamilton. It's a question of whether the quarterbacking carousel starts to pay off now or later.
Eventually, the use of five quarterbacks will benefit B.C., presuming some can stay healthy. The pivots' experience makes them marketable assets in a leage that has trouble recruiting pivots with extensive pro playing time. Buono, who spent this season rebuilding the offence, can deal some QBs as part of his inevitable defensive remake in the coming off-season.
Say what you will about the quarterback troubles, the defence is largely to blame for this whacky 8-10 Lions season. If the defenders could have held the Calgary Stampeders for a minute and 35 seconds, the Lions would be hosting a playoff game, not playing as the crossover team in the East.
Despite a dominant front four, the defence continued a trend, started last season, of allowing big gains at critical times. For all his bravado, mid-season middle linebacker pick-up JoJuan Armour has had little effect, especially against the run. Meanwhile, the veteran secondary, which includes Barron Miles, Dante Marsh and Korey Banks, has lost its former magic. Its extreme makeover is imminent.
Whatever happens against the Ticats, the Lions should enjoy the semi-final. For many of them, it could be their last game in a Lions uniform.

Flames never gave Anderson a chance

Count Craig Anderson as another goaltender that got away from the Calgary Flames.
Since grooming Mike Vernon into a Stanley Cup winner two decades ago, the Flames have had a terrible time when it comes to drafting and developing backstoppers within their system.
Anderson, a Flames castoff now in his first season with the Colorado Avalanche, is the hottest goaltender in the NHL right now. He tied a record for victories in October with 10 and played a record 15 to start the season, although he has had better nights than he did in a 3-0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday.
The 28-year-old Park Ridge, Ill., ranks among the league-leading goaltenders in wins and save percentage, but he never got a shot with Calgary after the Flames chose him in the third round, 77th overall in 1999.
“They had a management changeover,” said Anderson, recalling the firing of then general manager Al Coates and the hiring of Craig Button. “They drafted a (goaltender) first round, Brent Krahn, and no terms were ever negotiated . . . I don’t even remember a contract being offered.”
Calgary chose not to sign him and he went back into the draft two years later in the same round, albeit four places earlier, by Chicago. Watching him Sunday night, you could only wonder what might have been.
The Flames got lucky when general manager Darryl Sutter plucked Mkikka Kiprusoff from the San Jose Sharks, where he was the third-stringer, for a second-rounder in the fall of 2003. Sutter, freshly fired from San Jose and hired by Calgary as coach and GM, was familiar with Kiprusoff, and disgruntled with the likes of Roman Turek, Dany Sabourin and Jamie McLennan.
Kipper merely backstopped the Flames to an unexpected Stanley Cup final berth as they made the playoffs for the first time in seven years.
While he has obviously showed that he is a world-class goaltender, the Flames have struggled to find an adequate backup and an injury to him is akin to an injury to Vancouver's Roberto Luongo.
Krahn, a great junior goaltender with the Calgary Hitmen, was a bust with the Flames, and Kiprusoff's other understudies have been equally forgettable. Anderson's case illustrates the need for NHL clubs to show more patience when it comes to developing a goaltender, which in case you haven't heard by now, is the most important position in hockey.
“I had a great two training camps (with the Flames),” said Anderson. “I got to meet Grant Fuhr, my idol (who lest we forget closed out his career with Calgary in 1999-2000). It was just a great experience. Nothing really came out of it. They were rebuilding their goaltending. They went through a bunch of guys before they got Kiprusoff.”
Now, Anderson has a chance to suit up for the U.S. in the Olympics, although probably as a backup to Buffalo's Ryan Miller, after bouncing from the Blackhawks to the Florida Panthers and their farm clubs to Colorado, with whom he signed as a free agent in the summer.
“This team was the one where I knew I could come in and battle for the No. 1 job,” said Anderson. “There was no clear-cut No. 1 guy.”
Peter Budaj, back in the lineup now after battling illness, was the No. 1 netminder at the end of last season. But he likely will have difficulty regaining his place if Anderson stays as hot as he has been. Thanks to him, the underdog Avalanche, who missed the playoffs last season, continue to lead the Northwest Division and sit second overall in the NHL despite Sunday's loss.
Suffice to say he has come a long way from the days when the Flames dumped him.
“I knew if I just stayed the course and showed up every night when I was called upon, there’s 30 teams you’re auditioning for,” said Anderson. “You’re not just auditioning for one team. There’s gonna be change. Guys are gonna retire. A guy’s going to go down with injuries.”
It's an important lesson for the Flames to heed as Miikka Kiprusoff approaches his retirement, although that's not likely to happen anytime soon.
Anderson is not the only goaltender who came back from the scrap heap to star. For details, see Tim Thomas in Boston, Dwayne Roloson during his glory years with Edmonton (although he is another goaltender who rebuilt his career after being dumped by the Flames) and Anaheim's J.S. Giguere. Oops, he's another former Flames draft pick.
The Flames are by no means the only team guilty of failing to develop goaltenders properly. (In fairness, Roloson was never drafted. Calgary gave him his chance in the NHL, but quickly discarded him after his first two seasons.) Vancouver also has a dismal record of developing its drafted goaltenders. Cory Schneider, destined to be dealt now that Luongo has signed a 12-year contract extension, will eventually join a long list of others who got away after little training time. Except for notable cases like Marty Turco of Dallas and retired star Patrick Roy with Montreal, few stars are groomed from within the organizations that drafted them.
As Craig Anderson's case proves, it's time there were more.

Kane shows he's able to play in the NHL

Evander Kane is as good as gone from the Vancouver Giants.
The 18-year-old winger, drafted fourth overall by Atlanta in last summer's NHL draft, has three points in his first five games with the Thrashers. If the Vancouver native plays 10 games in the NHL, the first year of his entry-level NHL contract will kick in, making it unlikely that he will return to major junior hockey.
If he only plays nine games, he can go back to junior without having salary cap implications. Because of his age, he is ineligible to play in the minors.
But Kane ranks among Atlanta's leaders in scoring, shots and ice time, so it appears that his days in the WHL are over.
Centre James Wright, 19, who played with Kane on Vancouver's top line last season, has also stuck with Tampa, at least for the time being. He has been much less productive with the Lightning, but the Saskatoon native's chances of returning to the WHL also appear unlikely.
"I consider those guys NHL players now," Giants general manager Scott Bonner told the Vancouver Province. "I am moving forward as if they have moved on.
"It's never easy, but you learn to deal with it. Early graduation, as well as injuries, are two of the uncontrollable parts to managing in the WHL."
The next question: Will Atlanta will free up Kane to play for Canada again at the world junior championships?

Leaf story gets a lot of play

Here's a link to a story that I wrote for The Canadian Press on former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf, who's now living and working in Vancouver.
The piece has been getting a lot of play on the blogosphere in the past couple of days. Just do a Google search on Ryan Leaf and Vancouver. You'll see what I mean.

http://tinyurl.com/yg55uhu

Benn scores first NHL goal before friends and family

Jamie Benn picked a good time to score his first NHL goal.
Benn, a Victoria native playing an NHL game in his home province, scored before a lot of family and friends as his Dallas Stars fell 4-3 to the Vancouver Canucks in a shootout at General Motors Place.
“It means a lot,” said Benn of his first NHL tally. “I had a lot of friends and family here so it was a good time to get the goal, too . . . It took me four games to get it but hopefully I’ll start rolling from here.”
Benn tied the game 3-3 with only 1:33 left in regulation time as he converted a goal-mouth pass from Stephane Robidas. The rookie picked up where he left off in Vancouver last season, when he helped his Kelowna Rocket oust the junior Giants en route to a WHL title and berth in the Memorial Cup final.
The goal helped the Stars roll back from a late 3-2 deficitadline to force overtime and a shootout before Ryan Kesler netted the shootout winner for the Canucks.
“(It was) a big goal for sure," said Dallas coach Marc Crawford. "He’s got so much poise and presence and patience with the puck and he’s a big strong kid that hangs on to it and does good things with it."
Benn extended his points streak to three games. He recorded an assist in each of the two previous games at Calgary and Edmonton.
“People are going to quickly realize how good he is," said Crawford. “He’s playing on a good line with (Mike) Ribiero and (Brendan) Morrow . . . They’re talented players and I think they’re probably easy for him to play with.”
Benn, 20, managed to crack a fairly deep Dallas roster on his first attempt even though he was only a fifth-round draft choice in 2007. The six-foot-two, 203-pound winger expected to go the U.S. college while beginning his junior tenure with his hometown Victoria Grizzlies of the B.C. Hockey League, but he jumped to the WHL and excelled offensively there with 147 points over two seasons.
What's the biggest difference between junior and the NHL?
“Just that the guys are bigger, stronger, faster," he said. “You’ve got to get used to it, but I’m getting more used to it every day.”

Printers approaching expiry date

Let's hope Casey Printers gets it this time.
"It" is the understanding that pro sports careers are fleeting at the best of times. "It" is the understanding that the opportunity to compete or just hang out with the team is priceless and time-limited.
If you talk to any athlete, he or she will tell you that the opportunity to compete at the highest level and go after a Stanley Cup, Grey Cup or even a Mann Cup makes up for any fame, or fortune, or risk. Theoren Fleury gets it. That's why he tried to resurrect his hockey career after six years away from the NHL because of substance abuse issues.
Dave Scatchard gets it. That's why he was trying out with the Vancouver Canucks after more than a season away from the NHL because of concussion problems, and was still saying all the right things as the club cut him without giving him another chance after he suffered a groin injury or whatever it was. (He wasn't saying exactly.)
Dave Dickenson got it. That's why he signed with the Calgary Stampeders after B.C. Lions general manager and coach Wally Buono chose to release him out of concern that he would suffer another concussion. That's also why Dickenson returned to the Canadian Football League when he probably could have carried a clipboard in the NFL for another season or two and made more money.
Alas, Buono's fears were realized and Dickenson's career did end prematurely, but it much longer than many other CFL quarterback hopefuls.
Printers didn't get it in his first go-round with the Lions, so he chose to bolt to the NFL, after he was offered a deal that likely would have landed him the No. 1 quarterback spot ahead of Dickenson. And, that's why he signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats after initially agreeing to terms with the Montreal Alouettes.
But maybe he gets it now, after Hamilton cut him and no other team wanted him until Buono three him a life line after Buck Pierce and Jarious Jackson came down with injury problems. Tonight, Printers will dress as the third-string quarterback as the Lions visit the Edmonton Eskimos.
Reports suggest that he has been a model teammate while biding his time on the practice roster and showing a good grasp of the playbook. He has told reporters that "it" is all about the team now. Well, Casey, cliche or no cliche, most sports always have been about the team.
Let's hope he finally realizes that athletes have short shelf lives. Sometimes that shelf life can last 20 seasons. Sometimes the expiry date comes after 20 days.
Why do you think Brett Favre signed with the Minnesota Vikings?
For those who play the games at the highest level, careers never last long enough. If Edmonton Oilers coach Pat Quinn had his way, he would still be playing, even after almost three decades behind the bench.
The same likely goes for Buono.
I have seen "it" a lot over the past month or so while covering the Mann Cup lacrosse championship series, NHL preseason and the CFL. I saw it when Chris Gill of the New Westminster Salmonbellies saw his chance at a home-floor slip title away, after he had waited and hoped for 16 years, and he knew that the series would likely be his last at the senior A level.
The series showed what athletes are willing to do just to have a chance to compete and excel.
Brampton Excelsiors goaltender Anthony Cosmo flew across the country three times in the span of a week to help his team and preserve his teaching job back home in Ontario. Dan Dawson also went back and forth while trying to meet the requirements of being a rookie firefighter.
I saw "it" with Fleury in a pre-season game against the Vancouver Canucks, and I saw it with a desperate Scatchard in another exhibition tilt against Quinn's Oilers. Scatchard was one of the best players on the ice that night.
And, I saw it with Tanner Glass, a longshot to make the team, who actually beat out highly-touted rookie Cody Hodgson. And, I saw "it" when disgruntled veteran Lions kicker Paul McCallum watched on the sidelines in street clothes as rookie Sean Whyte booted the winning field goal in a victory over Saskatchewan.
Whyte got his chance to play regularly this season only after McCallum was injured while making a tackle on a return. (His desire to compete was evident there, too. As a rule, kickers do not tackle.)
Buono, somewhat surprisingly is giving McCallum another chance tonight as he replaces Whyte. McCallum, 39, will play like it is the final game of his career because, no matter what happens, he knows that the time to hang up his kicking shoe will soon come.
In theory, Printers, about a decade younger and a former CFL Most Outstanding Player award winner, should have much more time left. But he has clearly worn out his welcome.
Buono is only giving him a chance because the club lacks quarterbacking depth. Travis Lulay, tonight's backup, and Zac Champion, relegated to the practice roster, show great promise but lack pro experience. Printers should view tonight's game as one of his last.
If he does, he'll finally get "it".

Expect Fleury to surprise again

Even after all these years, you should still expect the unexpected from Theoren Fleury.
For proof, just talk to Calgary Flames longtime radio play-by-play caller Peter Maher, who called all of Fleury's games in his first go-round with the Flames, which began in 1989.
“He got a penalty the other night and he went straight to the penalty box,” said Maher before the Flames fell 5-4 to the Vancouver Canucks in a shootout at GM Place. “That’s the first time I’ve ever seen Theo take a penalty and not argue with the referees on the way to the penalty box. He’s really different in that way.”
But Maher said Fleury, who was not called upon in the shootout Monday, has not lost his desire to be the go-to guy when a game is on the line. That desire and his willingness to share the story about his woes, are the two main effects that he’s having on Calgary’s players as he attempts to resurrect his NHL career after a six-year absence.
“I don’t know how much he appreciated, when he was a star player on the team, being able to play in the NHL,” said Maher. “But now, he really appreciates the opportunity that he’s been given – and he’s really grasping it.”
Fleury, attempting a comeback after alcohol and substance abuse problems led to a recently-rescinded indefinite suspension, said he's trying to be on his best behaviour.
“It’s important that, this time around, you just go out and play – and have fun,” he said.
Fleury recorded an assist Monday to stretch his preseason points streak to three games, the same number of contests that he has played. The Russell, Man., product showed his discipline, as well as his old feistiness, in the final minute of the first period as he rekindled his love-hate relationship with Vancouver fans. The crowd jeered Fleury as he wrestled with Shane O'Brien and Alex Burrows behind the Canucks net after a whistle.
Burrows received a roughing penalty for his part in the skirmish, but Fleury went unpenalized.
"He's more under control," said Maher. "He clearly is in control."
Talking to him afterward, it was clear that Fleury is relishing his second chance with the Flames.
"I wanted to come to Calgary," he said when asked if he was recruited by other clubs. "That was the only place I was looking to come at that point. So I'm really happy to be here, and I'm just happy for the opportunity."
Maher has no doubt that Fleury, never known to spin in front of a microphone, means what he says.
"There was a time when he was under suspension by the NHL that he never wanted to anything to do with anybody in hockey, and talked that way in interviews that he did," said Maher. "But now, he's got everything sorted out with his mind and life, and he's looking very well."
But Maher said Fleury still faces a battle on the ice.
"He's a step slower, but his hands are there," said Maher. "That's the incredible thing. He's got those great hands and he reads the game pretty well.
"But he's not what you would call a checking forward, either. He's a skill player on a team that's got a lot of skill. A spot's more open for a third or fourth-line gy. So it's going to be interesting how it all turns out."
Which means?
Expect more of the unexpected from Fleury.

Canucks rookie Oberg continues to shine

Vancouver Canucks rookie Evan Oberg continued to look at home at the NHL level Saturday night.
Oberg, a 21-year-old defenceman, assisted on Alex Edler's opening goal as the Canucks beat the Edmonton Oilers 3-1 to remain undefeated after four NHL preseason games.
In addition to providing a strong offensive effort, Oberg was steady defensively, helping Vancouver keep the previously unbeaten Oilers (3-1) in check before an announced sellout crowd of 18,630 at GM Place.
"It's a big change, for sure," said Oberg. "Everybody's a lot bigger and stronger out there."
The Forestburg, Alta., native signed with the Canucks last spring after two seasons of U.S. college hockey at the University of Minnesota. Some rookies find the speed of the NHL is their most difficult adjustment, but not Oberg.
"College is probably one of the fastest games," he said. "But everybody is just going 100 miles an hour and not really in control. Here, everybody's controlled, and they know what they're doing. It's not as scrambly as other leagues."
Oberg now has two points in three preseason appearances. He is a longshot to make the Canucks opening-night roster, since they have 10 rearguards signed to one-way NHL contracts.
But the Canucks also face some salary-cap issues, and Oberg’s two-way contract, which includes a minor-league salary and NHL pay, offers coach Alain Vigneault and general manager Mike Gillis some options – if he can pass the test. So far, Vigneault gives him good grades.
“He’s been really good since rookie camp,” said Vigneault. “He really caught everyone’s attention by his poise and the way he could skate with the puck. We were anxious to see how he would do once he came to our camp, and he’s maintained the pace.”
Vigneault and Gillis have indicated they will not hesitate to send a player on a one-way NHL contract to the minors. The coach suggested Oberg has a shot at making the big club.
“Everybody’s battling right now,” said Vigneault. “There’s five more (exhibition) games and we’ve said we’re going to keep the best players that make this team. He’s no different than anybody else.”
Oberg, who saw regular power play duty, set up Edler, playing his first preseason game, during a man-advantage situation midway through the first period.
Edler’s goal came only nine seconds after Oiler defenceman Johan Motrin was penalized for boarding Darcy Hordichuk face-first into the corner. Hordichuck held his composure, and wound up having the last laugh as he netted the winner on a two-on-one with Jannik Hansen with just over nine minutes left in the game.
Highly-touted Canucks rookie Cody Hodgson, playing his first preseason game after recovering from a back injury, rounded out the Vancouver scoring with an empty-netter in the game’s final minute.
Sheldon Souray was the lone Edmonton scorer.
Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo and Edmonton’s Jeff DesLauriers went the distance in goal for their respective clubs as the Canucks outshot the Oilers 33-23.
Each club had four power play chances. Edler's tally was the only man-advantage marker.
Note: The Canucks have suffered their first injury blow of the preseason. Russian rookie Sergei Shirokov, who shares the club’s preseason scoring lead with four points in two games, is expected to miss about a week after suffering a first-degree knee sprain Friday in San Jose.

Fleury could provide emotional tonic for Flames

Cue the Rocky theme song.
Theoren Fleury did not take long to delight his fans Thursday night as he scored the decisive shootout goal in the Calgary Flames' victory over the New York Islanders. Fleury needs the Flames as he attempts to resurrect his dormant NHL career, but the Flames also need him.
It's important to put the game in perspective. It was just an exhibition, and Fleury, in his post-game scrum, could not hide the fact that other games among the 1,000 or so that he has played have held much more importance.
But, if he can regain at least some of his immense skill, he could provide a bit of tonic to a Flames club that has struggled to live up to expectations since bowing out in seven games to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2004 Stanley Cup finals.
The elixir may come more in the form of emotion and unity than goals and assists. The Flames are on their fourth coach (including Darryl Sutter, who stepped up to general manager) since their cup run, and they have had more players come and go than a Starbucks has customers during the morning rush.
Last season, the Flames appeared to have most, if not all, of the ingredients. A strong offence. A dominant defence. World-class goaltending. But they did not have the right mix late in the regular season or in the playoffs.
They did not have a Rocky-like underdog story last year. Mike Keenan trying to resurrect his coaching career does go over as well as a former hero returning to the team that he sparked to a Stanley Cup two decades ago. Todd Bertuzzi? Nah.
Now, in addition to Keenan, much of Calgary's offensive talent is gone, and the Flames will have a tougher time scoring goals. With all the newcomers, they will also have a tough time jibing as a team.
Fleury's classic comeback story will grab much of the media attention and help provide a rallying cry for players who are still getting to know each other on and off the ice. He might have to go to the minors for a while to get in game shape, but the demotion can likely be classified as a rehab assignment as he continues his recovery from substance abuse issues that kept him out of the NHL for six years.
That way, a sly GM won't be able to pluck him off the waiver wire upon re-entry just to make sure Calgary remains less competitve. Of course, there is no guarantee that Fleury will shine when, or if, he does skate on to the ice for his first regular season game with the Flames again.
And, coach Brent Sutter still has to figure out the best way to deploy him.
But the music will be an easy choice.

Printers not the answer to Lions' QB woes

The B.C. Lions need another quarterback.
They don't need Casey Printers to come back.
Jarious Jackson's torn rotator cuff put Lions general manager and head coach Wally Buono in a bind. With Jackson out for three to five weeks and Buck Pierce susceptible to more concussions, the Lions need another veteran quarterback. Pierce will start Saturday against the Toronto Argonauts at BC Place Stadium, but whether he will finish the game is anybody's guess.
Rookie Travis Lulay, who will serve as the backup, and sophomore Zac Champion, who moves off the taxi squad to become the third stringer, are clearly not ready for prime. The Lions (4-6) need a veteran QB who can help them have a strong finish to a troubled season -- not just a game -- as they battle for a playoff spot.
But Printers is not the answer. He has not played enough since attempting to return to the CFL from the NFL, and his poutiness makes him poison in the dressing room.
Another option could be former Winnipeg pivot Ryan Dinwiddie, who is now an assistant coach with an Idaho high school team after vowing that his playing days were done. Dinwiddie, 28, is no superstar, but he fared reasonably well as a Grey Cup fill-in starter a couple of years ago.
He would be insurance in case Pierce goes down, and there is a good chance that he will.
The trouble is, proven veteran backups, who can step in as starters, are hard to come by in the CFL. Edmonton's Jason Maas has cornered the market on the reliever role, but struggles as a starter.
It's time for player personnel director Roy Shivers to work his magic again and find a diamond in the rough -- who can start right away, if necessary.

Doyle's overtime goal gives Brampton second straight Mann Cup

Here's a slightly tweaked version of a story I wrote for the Canadian Press on Saturday's seventh and deciding game of the Mann Cup . . .


Colin Doyle crashed Chris Gill's going-away party Saturday night.
Doyle's shorthanded goal 55 seconds into a 10-minute overtime session stood up as the winner as the Brampton Excelsiors claimed their second straight Mann Cup title Saturday night with a 9-7 comeback victory over Gill's New Westminster Salmonbellies. Brampton won the 100th edition of the Canadian lacrosse championship series 4-3 before a disappointed crowd of 3,370 at Queen's Park Arena.
Doyle and Gill were once teammates with the Toronto Rock of the National Lacrosse League.
“I feel bad for (Gill), but I’m so elated at how our guys did,” said Doyle. “It’s tough for him, but that’s the way the ball goes.”
Earlier in the season, Gill had indicated he was likely playing the last of 16 seasons at the senior level. Until the final minute of regulation time, it looked like Gill's goal midway through the third, which put the Salmonbellies ahead 7-4, would stand up as the winner. But the Excelsiors fought their way back to tie with 15.7 seconds left in regulation time.
“I’m in disbelief right now – I don’t know what just happened,” said Gill, 37. “We kind of got caught up in the moment in overtime and didn’t do what we wanted to do.”
New Westminster had led 2-1 after the first period, 5-3 after the second, and 6-3 early in the third.
Doyle's winning tally came after he was injured at the end of the opening game a week ago in an incident that spurred a brawl and led to $1,000 fines for each club – and caused considerable embarrassment for the sport as the melee was aired on a widely-viewed YouTube video that lasted more than five minutes.
“After the first game, I just knew that I had to keep my emotions in check and just play lacrosse,” said Doyle. “I have a sore jaw . . . but it ain’t as sore when you win.”
It was the second year in a row the Excelsiors denied the Salmonbellies a record 25th Canadian lacrosse title. But this series was much closer than Brampton's home-floor sweep of New Westminster last year.
Doyle was the subject of considerable attention throughout the series, and was often hacked and whacked and checked into the arena’s wooden floor. You could say that he had the last laugh, but he took the high road instead.
“I’m too tired to laugh,” said Doyle. “Hats off to them. They played a fabulous series – and that’s no cliché. They’re a very good team.”
The Excelsiors triumphed after New Westminster came within 15.7 seconds of claiming the title.
The Salmonbellies were forced to kill a holding penalty to Ian Hawksbee in the final two minutes after he took down Dan Dawson in the slot. For the next minute and a half, the hosts held off a determined Brampton squad as it pressed for the equalizer.
It looked like the game was decided when Brampton's Sandy Chapman was called for holding with 30.1 seconds left, but Mike Carnegie's shorthanded breakaway goal with only 15.7 seconds remaining in the third tied the game 7-7 and sent the game into non-sudden-death overtime.
With the Excelsiors still shorthanded, Doyle put Brampton ahead 8-7 in the first minute of the extra session. It was Doyle's third shorthanded goal of the series and Brampton's fifth overall while penalized.
Brodie Merrill's second goal of the game, into an empty net with 48.5 seconds remaining in the game, clinched the title for Brampton.
Blaine Manning and Dan Dawson also had two goals apiece for Brampton, while Shawn Williams, chosen the series most valuable player, had the other.
Kevin Crowley and Ilija Gajic each scored twice for New Westminster, while Peter Morgan and Jordan were the other New Westminster scorers.
Carnegie’s tying goal and Doyle’s winner spoiled a potential storybook finish for Gill, a former teammate of Doyle’s with the Toronto Rock of the National Lacrosse League.
Gill buried a pass from Tyler Crompton at 10:41 of the third period to give the Salmonbellies what appeared to be an insurmountable 7-4 advantage. For most of the rest of the period, it looked like the marker would give the Salmonbellies the title on home floor that Gill had waited 16 seasons for. However, Merrill and Dawson, with his second of the game, scored just 19 seconds apart to reduce New Westminster's lead to 7-6.
“I still believed, but I started believing less and less,” said Doyle. “We got our nose to the (grindstone) and Brodie Merrill took the game over. He was just a horse for us.”
Doyle said his tired and hurt club felt it was too important to win on the road, so they refused to give up. Brampton coach Troy Cordingley said his team didn’t panic despite trailing by two goals after 40 minutes.
“We were in the dressing room and a couple of guys stood up and spoke out,” said Cordingley. “I didn’t even have to make any speech.”
New Westminster’s Kyle Ross said the toughest part about the loss was their inspirational leader Gill’s missed opportunity, because most of the Salmonbellies will return next season.
“We had it right there – and we let it slip through our fingers,” said Ross.
Notes: Brampton’s Williams led the series with nine goals and 20 assists for 29 points while Doyle was second with 12 goals and 12 assists for 24 . . . All four of the Excelsiors’ victories came in overtime . . . Williams was named the series most valuable player. ... Gill said he will weigh his National Lacrosse League options this winter before retiring from the game for good. He played for Colorado last season. ... Beer sellers stocked up on cups after running out during Friday's game. ... It was the fifth Mann Cup series between Brampton and New Westminster since 1980. ... The Mann Cup is named after Sir Donald Mann, builder of the Canadian Northern Railway. ... The Canadian Lacrosse Association, which governs the sport in this country, was formed in 1925. ... Excelsiors coach Troy Cordingley is also a grade one teacher.

Brampton avoids elimination

The New Westminster Salmonbellies know who they want to win for in tonight's seventh game of the Mann Cup series.
Chris Gill will play one of the last games of his career as the Bellies host the Brampton Excelsiors a do-or-die matchup for the Canadian lacrosse championship. The former Toronto Rock might try to return to the pro National Lacrosse League in the winter, but this is likely his last go-round at the senior level.
“Sixteen years is a long road,” said Gill. “It’s time for some young blood.”
The Excelsiors staved off elimination Friday, denying the Salmonbellies a record 25th Mann Cup title, as Dan Dawson scored with just 1.5 seconds left in a 10-minute overtime session to give Brampton a 9-8 win at Queen's Park Arena.
You can read my game stories for the Canadian Press on the Mann Cup a Google News search for Mann Cup.

Years later, Fleury again a longshot

The first reaction?
Don't do it.
Theoren Fleury has not played in the NHL since the 2002-03 season, when he was suspended for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Since then, he has been, essentially, retired.
Now, he is up for reinstatement, skating in the usual summer sessions organized by players in a bid to get in shape and hoping that some team will bite as he tests the waters on a possible comeback at age 41.
His reinstatement bid will likely be expedited, because he has been sober for about four years and complied with the league's after-care program following his days in detox.
Obtaining NHL approval is the easy part of his quest. The hard part is convincing an NHL club that he can still compete at a high level and demonstrate the scoring prowess and tenacity that made him a special player in spite of his five-foot-six frame.
Fortysomething players with personl problems, who have not played in the NHL in six years, are not exactly in high demand in this salary-cap era that emphasizes the need for young, cheap talent. It's hard enough coming back after being off for half a season. Just ask Mats Sundin.
Claude Lemieux also made little impact with the San Jose Sharks last season after being retired for a few years, and Fleury's former Calgary teammate Jim Peplinski had a forgettable comeback a couple of seasons or so after he retired prematurely at the age of 30, although the Flames were mediocre then.
The first instinct is to tell Fleury not to embarrass himself. But, on second thought, who has the right to judge his attempt? If some team is willing to give him a shot, let him take it.
Does he deserve another opportunity?
Based on his previous play, yes.
Based on his on-ice and off-ice antic, maybe.
The notorious yapper and agitator's main on-ice miscue in the NHL occurred when he flapped his arms imitating a chicken while with the New York Rangers. He was never an angel, but he was never a Marty McSorley or Donald Brashear, either.
Quietly, you kind of hope he makes it back, just so that he can prove people wrong – again. I happened to be covering the Calgary Flames when Fleury, an eighth-round draft choice in 1987, made his debut midway through the 1988-89 season, when his callup from Salt Lake of the now-defunct International League sparked the Flames to their only Stanley Cup title.
Ironically, Fleury was only 19 at the time, and he has yet to win another one. He was the classic underdog because of his size, his smalltown Russell, Man., roots, and the fact former Flames general manager said he only drafted him to help increase attendance in Salt Lake.
But he captured fans' attention the way few players ever have.
(Who's more compelling? Fleury of Sidney Crosby? Discuss.)
Irongically, all these years later, he is a longshot again.

Calgary place to be on Labour Day

I miss Vern.
Last I knew, he was working in TV and film production. But, the first Monday in September, he always took on special duties at McMahon Stadium in Calgary.
Vern was the ringleader of devout fans who came out en masse for the Labour Day Classic between the Calgary Stampeders and the Edmonton Eskimos. He would guide the group through the gates at McMahon like a marching band leader taking his troops on to the field.
He also composed unique songs that only Stampeders fans would love. For example:


What do you do with a losing Eskimo?

What do you with a losing Eskimo?

What do you do with a losing Eskimo?

Early in the morning . . .

Put him on a bus to Winipeeeeeg!

Put him on a bus to Winipeeeeeg!

Put him on a bus to Winipeeeeeg!

Early in the morning . . .


Vern, built like a defensive end and as friendly as a car salesman, was just one of the many characters who shine away from the play as the Stamps and Esks battle in a game that often changes their respective seasons. Take a pre-game tour through McMahon Stadium's east parking lot, where tailgate parties are in full force, and you'll see sizzling burgers, flapjack flippers, a barbershop quartet, a wide range of unholy singers, face painters, painted faces, a sea of red Stamps jerseys and green and yellow-clad Eskimos fans who love to drag their flag on enemy turf.
It's hard to find the same atmosphere anywhere else in Canada on Labour Day. The Hamilton-Toronto matchup probably has a long way to go before it can live up to that level.
Vancouver, where the B.C. Lions meet the Montreal Alouettes on the Labour Day weekend, only because they are the only CFL clubs without regional rivals, does not come anywhere close. The buzz in BC Place was impressive Friday as the Lions beat the Als 19-17, especially as the crowd roared while the Als were forced to run the same third-and-one play three times because of some officiating snafu. And, the marriage proposal in the stands, near the press box, was not something you see every day.
He bowed down on one knee and gave her the ring while some other fans looked on. By the way, she said yes, wrapped her arms around him, and gave him a kiss to remember forever.The best part? It was not shown on the jumbo screen.
But the memorable moment, and a decent game, still did not compare to Calgary on Labour Day.

CHEK's revival good news for Island athletes

CHEK TV's rise from the grave spells good news for Vancouver Island athletes.
The television station barely avoided death last week after CHEK employees and an unidentified group of local investors bought the station from financially-troubled media giant Canwest for a nominal $2 purchase price and obligations to cover costs while Ottawa approves the transaction.
CHEK's planned closure would have spelled numerous job losses, another hit to Canadian culture, and lost advertising opportunities for many businesses during a recession.
Another less obvious, but no less important, impact would have been a reduction in exposure for Island athletes, most of whom are amateurs who compete for a rare chance at Olympic glory and the pure love of sport. CHEK's demise would have meant the local market would not have heard about the next Simon Whitfield or Silken Laumann, while up and coming junior A hockey players and other competitors in sports ranging from rowing to soccer would have been neglected.
Now, these athletes will have a chance to flash their sponsors' products -- a key issue when it comes to getting funding -- during TV interviews that would not have occurred otherwise. They will also get to raise their profiles, which is also vital to sponsorsphip, while the sports themselves with get attention, motivating Island kids to take them up and become active.
While many will not become Olympians, they will better their lives and society in general while also adopting healthy lifestyles.
Meanwhile, CHEK's revival offers a chance for a dinosaur -- the local late-night sports show -- to come back to life. Think a Victoria version of the old Sports Page show that used to grace CKVU and Global stations, or the old Sports at 11 or Sports at 11:30 show in Calgary, which once featured a young Mike Toth.
The nightly sports shows on TSN and Sportsnet merely regurgitate the same highlights hour after hour while offering the occasional feature here and there. Island athletes rarely crack the TSN or Sportsnet lineups.
CHEK now has a chance to run in-depth profiles on a regular basis, and a local sports show can be done on the cheap, helping to curb costs. Synicated American sitcoms would definitely put a dent in the balance sheet. The show could be expanded to include Vancouver and other Lower Mainland athletes and teams, since recent CHEK news reports suggest the station, whose reach stretches to B.C.'s largest city, is expanding its coverage.
I'm not holding my breath waiting for such a show to air. But I also had doubts that CHEK would continue to broadcast.

Garcia would give Lions QB insurance

The door is open for Jeff Garcia's possible return to the Canadian Football League.
In a surprise move, the Oakland Raiders included the 39-year-old veteran quarterback among their final cuts Saturday. The former Calgary Stampeder was expected to serve as a backup and mentor Oakland's inconsistent third-year pivot Jamarcus Russell.
Garcia's release offers him an opportunity for a reunion with his former coach Wally Buono, now with the B.C. Lions, who is one victory away from a CFL-record 232nd win. Buono recruited Garcia when NFL teams showed virtually no interest in the Gilroy, Calif., and developed him to the point where he replaced start quarterback Steve Young with the San Francisco 49ers.
Garcia capped off his CFL tenure with a memorable march in the final minute of 1998 Guy Cup at Winnipeg, which led to Mark McLoughlin's winning field goal against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Garcia is likely to receive consideration from some other NFL clubs, after showing well with Philadelphia and Tampa Bay in recent seasons; but if no team signs him, he could draw interest from north of the border. The Lions have a need for some quarterbacking insurance, given Buck Pierce's concussion troubles, Jarious Jackson's inconsistency, and the inexperience of rookie Travis Lulay and sophomore Zac Champion.
Buono has avoided "airlifts" out of concerns about disrupting his club's chemistry. But Garcia, clearly in the final days of his unexpectedly long pro career, would probably not pose a major disruption, given his NFL success and even-keeled temperament.
Garcia's long-term future likely involves coaching, and he would have a good chance to watch and learn under Buono, while also helping the Leos on the field when needed.
But another CFL club might have Garcia on its negotiation list, which would preclude the Lions from getting him. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Saskatchewan Roughriders are also in need of quarterbacking help, while his former Calgary club, with Henry Burris at the helm, is not likely to show much interest.
Garcia would also want to go to another club that has a reasonable shot at a Grey Cup.
The Lions, despite their struggles, are his best bet.

Buono's record-tying win evokes memories

Wait for it.
Here it comes.
The statement that defines B.C. Lions general manager and coach Wally Buono as he prepares to put his stamp, er, mark on the Canadian Football League’s coaching record . . .
Wally Buono is the anti-Kuharich.
That kernel of keen insight came to me Friday night while watching Buono’s B.C. Lions beat the Montreal Alouettes 19-12. Buono tied Don Matthews’ all-time record of 231 career wins as a head coach.
Lary Kuharich, his predecessor and former boss with the Calgary Stampeders when he was an assistant, used to chew out reporters and almost everybody else on a regular basis. Kuharich was not particularly fond of his own team’s PR guy, either, once grabbing him by the throat and pinning him to a wall.
On the other hand, Buono once refused to let anyone else sit in a former Calgary Herald football writer’s chair in the coach’s office when he was sick. (Buono also supported the scribe emotionally during the Calgary Herald strike circa 1999-2000, but I digress).
When things got tough for Kuharich in Calgary some 19 years ago, he emptied his office in the dark of night and fled to Vancouver in the dark of night to become coach of the Lions. Buono, on the other hand, was all but booted out by former Stamps owner Michael Feterik following the 2003 season.
Feterik bought the team in a bid to help his son Kevin become a starting quarterback, and his right-hand man, Fred Fateri, wanted to be the boss, despite the fact that both had virtually no football experience. Buono had no intention of making Kevin Feteri a starter, although he did make an earnest effort to help him develop his skills.
Fateri, who used to march from one end of the Calgary sideline to the other and berate officials, said they would have no problem if Buono wanted to seek employment with other teams. No compensation to the Stamps would be necessary.
As late Lions president Bob Ackles revealed in his book The Water Boy, Fateri later backtracked, after Stampeders fans and media voiced their displeasure. Ackles finally got Buono for nothing after not-so-subtly suggesting that he would reveal info gleaned on Fateri from a U.S. law-enforcement type.
“I’m a fairly black-and-white guy,” said Buono said after Friday’s win, recalling his final days with the Stampeders. “I had a contract. I honoured my contract. I wanted my contract to be honoured and respected, and they chose not to do that. It gave me an opportunity to come to a place where I was going to be respected and I was going to be supported. At the end of the day, that’s all you want in this business. It’s tough enough beating the other team. It’s a lot tougher when you’ve gotta fight among yourselves.”
With Lions owner David Braley standing and waiting to congratulate him, Buono said what you might have expected him to say about having great ownership in B.C., but you also suspect he would have said the same if Braley were in his hometown of Hamilton instead of standing next to him.
“Calgary was a different time,” said Buono. “Sometimes you need to move on. I came to an organization that had tremendous ownership and had tremendous leadership. It made my job easier. My job has been easy since I’ve come here. I’ve been supported 100 per cent. I’ve always been given (anything) I’ve ever asked for.
“Finances have never been an issue, ownership has never been an issue, support’s never been an issue,” said Buono. “I can’t always say that about my years in Calgary. We went through a lot of different struggles. We had a lot of great years, but here it’s been easier for me as far as just focussing on football and trying to get this organization to be as good as it can be.”
In addition to Michael Feterik and Fateri, Buono had to deal with previous owner Larry Ryckman and some of his financial dilemmas, which included difficulties paying star quarterback Doug Flutie. But the Lions franchise also had struggles of its own – on and off the field before Buono arrived.
“It was in disarray,” said Reid, adding Ackles and Buono turned the organization around.
And now?
“I’d challenge anyone that says we’re not the best organization in the league.”
True to form, Buono said little about the record in the week leading up to Friday’s game as he tried to right the Lions’ listing ship. Reid, basking in a victory over the club with the best record in the CFL, said it was inevitable that Buono would tie the record.
“It was going to happen one of these days,” said Reid. “It just proves once again that greatness happens over time.”
“It’s amazing,” said receiver Geroy Simon, who could have easily left the Lions long ago as a free agent but chose to remain after Buono was hired. “I’m just happy I could be a part of it. To be a part of history, that’s awesome. Wally’s a great coach. That’s why I chose to stay here and play for him. I’m just proud that I was just able to play the game when he tied the record.”
Buono is looking forward to an opportunity to break the record next weekend in his hometown of Montreal, where he won as a player with the Als in 1977 and with an unheralded 2001 Calgary squad. But, he admitted that the record does not mean much to him, and in the long run, he probably won’t be remembered for it or the Grey Cups he has won with the Lions and Stamps.
Instead, he’ll be remembered for the lasting influence he has had on the league, developing outstanding quarterbacks like Dickenson and Jeff Garcia. serving as a role model for coaches like Edmonton’s Richie Hall and countless others, supporting non-profit organizations like the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
“He’s the one I think anyone coming into this league would want to emulate for how to run things properly,” said Reid. “You can never be a champion every year, but you can run a good football organization every year, and that’s what he’s done everywhere he’s been. I believe he’s the poster boy for how to run a good, class act, first-quality CFL organization.”
The Stampeders have recovered from Buono’s departure, but it took them years, and only after a Buono protégé, John Hufnagel, took over as general manager and coach. But you could not have helped but wondered what would have become of the Stamps if he had stayed – and the Lions if he had never arrived.
These were just some of the random thoughts that came to mind Friday.
The others?

His conversion of journeyman quarterback Marcus Crandell into the second coming of Sam (the Rifleman) Etcheverry in 2001 as the Stamps won the Grey Cup in Montreal after an 8-10 regular season . . .

A goal that Buono scored, probably the first and only one ever, on yours truly in a charity hockey game against a media squad during a charity game in Calgary . . .

Buono’s graciousness in answering questions for my article in Business Edge on Ackles . . .

His decision to cut Dave Dickenson from the Lions when it became clear that his health was in jeopardy because of too many concussions . . .


Buono’s explanation to reporters on why he defers to the B.C. medical staff when it comes to deciding whether injured players can suit up . . .

His willingness to answer questions after tough losses this season . . .

His refusal to bring in “recycled” NFL rejects just for the sake of change that would have no long-term meaning . . .

And, last but not least, his published comments that he would rather be remembered for the way he treats people rather than records.
Although times are much better now, Calgary fans wished other members of Stampeders’ management took the same attitude around 2004.
Don't get me wrong, he can be a miserable cuss at times, mainly after a loss. But, unlike countless other coaches and athletes in numerous sports, he understands that you have to take the good with the bad -- a simple premise but difficult for many primadonnas -- and be accountable when things go wrong.
That's why he gets a lot of things right.

Luongo signing does not solve Canucks' scoring woes

Roberto Luongo's signing has not yet answered an important question.
Will the Vancouver Canucks score more goals this season?
True, the Canucks have erased much doubt about their goaltending for upwards of a decade. As long as Luongo remains healthy, the Canucks should have one of the best goaltenders in the league for about eight years, or until his annual salary nosedives in accordance with his new 12-year, $64-million contract.
The defence, with newcomers Christian Erhoff and Mathieu Schneider and a core of returning veterans, will be solid, too.
But Luongo can't score goals, even into empty nets, considering his limited puckhandling skills. Most of the rearguards won't score many either.
So Canuck fans, and the club's devoted bloggers and apologists, should not get too excited about the upcoming NHL season until the red light comes on more often behind the net 200 feet away from Luongo.
Terminally underrated Daniel and Henrik Sedin can be counted on to score consistently, but the jury is still out on the rest of the forwards. Ryan Kesler, Alex Burrows, Kyle Wellwood (presuming he is deployed in an offensive role), a slimmer Steve Bernier and free agent signing Mikael Samuelsson will generate some goals, but they will probably struggle to produce 20 apiece.
Pavol Demitra? Don't bet on him. Farmhand Michael Grabner, one of the best offensive prospects, may not make it out of the minors. Hot-shot rookie Cody Hodgson is almost guaranteed to make the team, but will face a significant adjustment in his first pro season.
So count on Vancouver's goaltending, but not its goal-scoring.

Bombers better off without Jones

It's often said in sports that the best moves are the ones you don't make.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers general manager and coach Mike Kelly will soon be able to relate to that saying. The Bombers should be thankful that they have not signed Adam (Pacman) Jones, because he was a public relations disaster waiting to happen again.
Winnipeg had nothing, on or off the field, to gain from signing Jones. The former NFL cornerback was arrested six times and involved in 12 police incidents after Tennessee drafted him in 2005. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suspended him for the entire 2007 season, and the Dallas Cowboys dumped him in February after he was involved in an off-field scuffle with a member of the team's security detail, also known as a bodyguard, who was assigned to keep him out of trouble.
His willingness to play in Winnipeg, in winter no less, showed how desperate Jones is to return to the NFL. As a league, the CFL also had nothing to gain.
Would Jones have boosted Bombers' attendance significantly? No. Could he have reduced attendance? Yes. Despite all the beer drinking at games, the CFL is a family-friendly league that appeals to different generations (kids, parents and grandparents).
Jones has been involved in several violent incidents, some involving guns. Ultimately, coach and general manager Mike Kelly does not care so much about violence and criminal records as he does about winning. Which brings us to our next question: Would Jones, playing on a wider and longer field after missing more than a year of action altogether, have helped the Bombers improve significantly?
No.
Which explains why they should never pursued him, or let him pursue them, in the first place.
CFL teams are better off signing unheralded future stars like Cam Wake and Stefan Logan than they are signing washed up 26-year-old former first-round NFL draft choices.
Too many lessons from signing troubled ex-NFLers have already been learned. But the Bombers refuse to heed them as they pursue another troubled former NFL first-rounder, Charles Rogers.
Be careful what you wish for, Mike Kelly.

Leafs don't have to worry about losing veto

The Toronto Maple Leafs say they can veto another team's move into Southern Ontario.
The National Hockey League says they can't.
Big deal.
For all intents and purposes, the Leafs will still have the power to veto the re-location of the Phoenix Coyotes to Hamilton. The NHL's refusal to admit that the Leafs have a veto based on territorial rights is simply a public relations move to avoid legal complications related to Canadian competition rules and U.S. antitrust laws.
When push comes to shove, or Arizona bankruptcy court judge Redfield T. Baum says Jim Balsillie can write a cheque, the Leafs will still effectively have a veto. NHL brass will most assuredly defer to the Leafs' wishes, and a clear majority of other owners will vote against anyone who dares to move a club between Toronto and Buffalo.
Then, the NHL will wage a lengthy legal battle with anyone who says it granted a veto. By letting the courts decide, the NHL does not look like it sided against the Leafs, and a decision would take years. For examples, see the Oakland Raiders' efforts to move to Los Angeles and back.
A more interesting question is: How did the NHL decide so quickly to make a bid for the Coyotes? These kind of decisions usually require approval of the board of governors.
However, no regularly-scheduled board meetings were held recently, and there were no reports of any emergency sessions.
Just wondering.

Jackson poses challenge for Buono

It's time for Jarious Jackson to shine at BC Place.
Jackson will start at quarterback when the B.C. Lions host the Montreal Alouettes on Friday, only because Buck Pierce remaines sidelined with post-concussion syndrome. If Lions general manager and coach Wally Buono had a viable alternative, Jackson would probably sit, too, after struggling at times in a humiliating 37-10 home loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Aug. 21.
However, rookie Travis Lulay, who will serve as Jackson's backup, and sophomore Zac Champion, who will dress as the third pivot, are not yet ready for starting duty. So Jackson, a fifth-year Lion from Tupelo, Miss., by way of Notre Dame, the Denver Broncos and NFL Europe, gets a chance to make up for an untimely interception and miscues against the Bombers.
However, Jackson has rarely appeared at home under the dome this season while the Lions (3-5) have struggled to demonstrate their previous dominance. Two of the Leos' victories came on the road, in Edmonton and Toronto, and Jackson excelled in both.
In each case, his performance was the difference between victory and defeat. However, he has done little at BC Place, while often getting stopped on third-and-one plunges.
Despite his strong arm and legs, he has not made timely plays at home while completing 57 of 95 pass attempts and throwing nine interceptions, compared to eight touchdowns, on the season. He and the rest of the Lions face their most difficult test yet in the Alouettes. The 2008 Eastern Division champions, led by future hall of famer Anthony Calvillo, have lost only once in eight outings.
If Jackson again struggles, Buono, a devout Christian, will face a different kind of temptation as the Lions move into the more gruelling portion of their schedule with more games against Western Division rivals. With Pierce's status murky, Buono might bring in another veteran quarterback at a time when his club's chemistry and psyche are vulnerable. He is unlikely to bring back Casey Printers, given the disruption he caused in the past, but more talented quarterbacks will soon become available as NFL teams make their final cuts.
Buono's talent for finding and developing quarterbacks is legendary, but he prefers home-grown prospects groomed over a few seasons. Jackson and Pierce, who served as understudies for Dave Dickenson and Printers, are proof of that philosophy, as is the retired Dickenson, who trained under Doug Flutie and Jeff Garcia in Calgary.
Throughout his career, Buono has rarely brought in a new QB in mid-season. Some exceptions are Mike McCoy, who quickly moved into coaching after a short stint in Calgary many years ago, and Gino Guidugli last season. Guidugli was brought in as injury insurance and cut after Lulay and Champion outperformed him in the pre-season.
As the struggling Lions reach the midway point of the 2009 campaign, Buono could be tempted to bring in an NFL cut. A trade is unlikely due to the dearth of talented CFL backups. Either way, the Lions boss would be reluctant to make a move.
But if Jackson continues to struggle, he might not have a choice.

Gretzky gets the shaft from NHL and Balsillie

Wayne Gretzky must feel like he is back in the World Hockey Association.
About 30 years ago, when the WHA was on its last legs before he became the key to a merger with the National Hockey League, he used to wonder whether he would get paid. Today, he is again wondering.
The NHL, wannabe owner of the terminally-ill Phoenix Coyotes franchise, has confirmed that it will not honour Gretzky's $8 million coaching and personal services contract.
"But we are going to do everything we can to make sure Wayne Gretzky gets paid," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told The Toronto Star.
The how and the who will have to come later.
Never mind that Gretzky propped up the money-bleeding Coyotes for many years with his presence alone. Simply put, the Coyotes would be in much rougher shape financially if Gretzky had not lent his name to the re-located Winnipeg Jets franchise now destined for destruction in the desert.
Save the legal arguments about whether Gretzky is entitled to the money. Ditto the rants that he already has enough cash.
He signed a contract in good faith, and he has fulfilled his duties. More than adequately? Maybe not, as some of the hockey decisions go with the Coyotes. But definitely when it comes to serving as an ambassador for the NHL in the southwestern U.S.
For details, see numerous California-raised prospects, including Jon Blum, who helped the Vancouver Giants win a Memorial Cup, and Kyle Bigos, who scored the winning goal for the Vernon Vipers in the 2009 RBC Cup final against the Humboldt Broncos. Gretzky's trade from Edmonton to the Los Angeles Kings in the late 1980s, around the time Blum et al were entering the world, fostered a minor-hockey movement that is now paying big dividends.
If not for Gretzky, there would not be three NHL teams, all relatively strong financially, in California. Nor would there have been any incentive for placing a club in Phoenix, which also had an ill-fated WHA franchise.
Meanwhile, Jim Balsillie has decided to give Gretzky the shaft, too. The Research in Motion co-founder, who wants to buy the Coyotes out of bankruptcy and move them to Hamilton, is also refusing to honour Gretzky's contract. Even though Gretzky said Balsillie, persona non grata in the NHL owners' private box, would be good for the league, and the NHL's all-time scoring leader is a good fit for a potential Hamilton franchise based near his Brampton, Ont., hometown.
However, Balsillie is not as culpable as the NHL, because he was out of the loop while Gretzky was enhancing expansion opportunities for commissioner Gary Bettman and his buddies over the past two decades.
As Daly suggests, the NHL will probably find a way to pay Gretzky. (Bet on an endorsement contract or marketing deal of some kind.)
But he still deserved much better treatment after he gave the NHL much more than $8 million worth of goodwill, while having little or no say in Phoenix ownership's terrible financial moves.
It's just too bad that Kyle Turris, entering his second NHL season, is not quite up to Sidney Crosby's level. Mario Lemieux had planned to sell his ownership stake in the Pittsburgh Penguins but instead, wisely, hung on after the Pens, through random draft-lottery luck, were able to pick Crosby first overall.
Had Turris developed a bit more quickly, Gretzky probably could have found new financing for the Coyotes. Even with the lousy lease deal at Jobing.com Arena.
Turris may eventually become a superstar, but not in Phoenix. If he does, he can thank Gretzky for his mentorship.
Unfortunately, NHL brass said thanks for nothing after all that Gretzky has done for the league since his move from the WHA.

Lucic's invitation to Team Canada camp makes sense

Chalk up another one for the Killarney Kid.
Milan Lucic, who grew up in the Killarney area in Vancouver, is continuing his quick rise up the pro hockey ranks as he attends the Canadian Olympic team training camp in Calgary this week. While his invitation caught some by surprise, it makes a lot of sense.
So don't be surprised if the 21-year-old Boston Bruins winger cracks the Team Canada roster – for a few reasons. The obvious: Lucic provides the toughness that was lacking at times in Turin in 2006. He also provides the youthful exuberance that every Olympic – and championship – team needs. He has also led his teams to Memorial Cup, Western Hockey League and Canada-Russia junior summit series titles. (The international experience is an important prerequisite for any Canadian Olympic involvement. The former Vancouver Giant missed out on participating in the world junior championships because he made the Bruins' roster instead). His ability to overcome adversity, including a spinal condition, modest immigrant-family upbringing and so-so skating skills, should also help his cause. The fact that he has an opportunity to play for Canada in his hometown will also improve his chances, because, traditionally, Canada's hockey brass has embraced positive stories that foster team-building, which is a key element in a short tournament like the Olympics.
Most importantly: Lucic is one of the few players who can play well beyond his abilities at critical times. The Olympics are all about exceeding your potential, and that's why Lucic is a good bet to suit up for Canada – again– in February.

NOTES: It's not a well known fact, but Tom Tagami, a retired Killarney high school basketball coach, tried to recruit Lucic for his hoop squad. But Lucic declined because he was too busy with hockey. Lucic took the Memorial Cup to Tagami's retirement party.

Introducing Monte Stewart's blog

Welcome to my new blog. I'll be posting random thoughts and stories on the world of sports here on a regular basis. Check back soon for more details.

(Monte Stewart can be reached at monte@montestewart.ca)