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Oilers: The Importance Of Todd McLellan

Following what was yet another disastrous campaign in 2014-15, the hammer finally fell on the Edmonton Oilers so-called “Old Boys Club”. While the organization did not completely cut ties with the trio of Kevin Lowe, Craig MacTavish, and Scott Howson, none of the three wield the sort of power they have in years past.

While the internal promotion of Bob Nicholson and addition of Peter Chiarelli to the management team was viewed upon as a major win for the organization, one can make the argument that bringing Todd McLellan on board could prove to be the move that ultimately pays the biggest dividends. As much as the Oilers front office needed a “house cleaning”, this club had little choice but to add an established NHL head coach.

After years of watching an inferior product on the ice and a revolving door behind the bench, they need for some sort stability was painfully obvious. While certain players have shown signs of improvements over the last couple of seasons, the vast majority have shown to be unable and/or unwilling to make the necessary adjustments to help this team win more games and move up the Western Conference standings.

The Dallas Eakins Effect

There is no question that having a better collection of players would have gone a long way in helping the group accomplish said goal but having a different voice leading the way would not have hurt. It is no secret the Dallas Eakins experiment did not go over well with many inside the dressing room and in some cases it actually led to certain players regressing.

(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

Eakins apparent unwillingness to accept his shortcomings as a rookie coach and adjust his approach played a large part in Edmonton’s past two seasons being the debacle they were. On a roster with a bunch of inexperienced kids and a lack of any real impactful veteran players, having a guy behind the bench who gave off the vibe of always being right, was not a good mix.

In his defence, he was put behind the eight-ball from the outset with the lineup that was severely flawed and in desperate need of direction and some tough love. While Eakins had little trouble executing the latter with certain players on his roster, it was nowhere near consistent enough. Add to that his inability to get his message through to his players and the Oilers 36-63-14 mark during his tenure should have surprised no one.

Time For An Experienced Voice

With McLellan and assistants Jim Johnson and Jay Woodcroft now in place, that will no longer be an issue. All three have been behind an NHL bench for years and have spent the past three as a collective unit in San Jose. While the Sharks may have missed the playoffs last season, we are talking about a franchise who had not missed a post-season since 2002-03 and made six straight appearances since the Melville, Saskatchewan native took over the reins in 2008-09.

Have they struggled to get over the hump in the playoffs? Most certainly but this Oilers team is a ways away from having to worry about success in May and June. Let’s not forget Edmonton has fished more pucks out of their own net than any other team in each of the last two seasons and that has to change in order for this group to improve. Yes, the blueline and goaltending hasn’t been anywhere near good enough and the same will likely hold true in 2015-16 but it is an issue with the entire roster.

 

[Related Article: McDavid, McLellan Buys Oilers Another Year]

 

The forwards need to be much better and buy into what this coaching staff is selling. While Eakins tried to instill a system with some sort of structure during his brief stay in the Alberta capital, it was a system that did not fit his personnel and one few seem interested in playing. That won’t happen under McLellan. If players want to do their own thing and not what is best for the team, they will be stapled to his bench. End of discussion.

Sending An Early Message

We saw it during Edmonton’s exhibition schedule when he benched Taylor Hall after he took a selfish slashing penalty early in the third period against the Winnipeg Jets and the 2010 first overall pick did not see the ice again. To his credit, McLellan went out of his way to praise Hall in his post-game comments but made it clear that sort of thing won’t be tolerated. Message delivered and that was the end of it. No need for lecturing or throwing of players under the bus in the media. Turn the page and move on. Tomorrow is a new day.

Make no mistake, 48-year old knew exactly what he was in for when he decided to take the job. God knows the Sharks laid the boots to the Oilers on more than few occasions during his stint in San Jose. There is a ton of work to be done but there is also an absurd amount of talent in this organization and with Connor McDavid now in the mix, it has become almost laughable.

Having said that, it is a very young group which still needs cuddling but also shown how to play the so-called “right way”. The accountability piece has been missing around these parts for some time now…both on the ice and within the management team.  Bob Nicholson and Peter Chiarelli appear ready to hold up their end of the bargain and you can bet Todd McLellan will ensure he does his part and gets his players to realize the commitment they need to make in order to start winning hockey games on a regular basis.

Oilers: Griffin Reinhart Could Be In For A Rough Ride

 

With the Edmonton Oilers mere days away from starting their 2015-16 schedule, the organization finally pulled the plug on the Nikita Nikitin experiment. While you can bet management was hoping the veteran blueliner would rebound from what was a disastrous first season in Oilers silks, Peter Chiarelli and company wasted little time in recognizing the situation for what it was.

From the moment, the former Boston Bruins general manager made the decision to part ways with the No. 16 and No. 33 picks of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft in exchange for defenceman Griffin Reinhart, the Ottawa native set clear expectations when it came to the fourth overall pick of the 2012 draft. With the Oilers depth chart on the backend being what it is, having the 21-year old make the club out of training camp was essentially a foregone conclusion.    

 

Saturday’s decision to place Nikitin on waivers cemented that fact and with it, Reinhart will be handed the opportunity to start the season in the Alberta capital.   While he likely has nothing but fond memories of playing in Rexall Place during his days with the Edmonton Oil Kings, his first kick at the can with the Oilers could prove to be quite the challenge.

 

 

Oilers Are Improved But Blueline Remains A Concern

Make no mistake, the additions of Connor McDavid, Andrej Sekera, and Cam Talbot should allow this team to be better than they have in recent seasons, Edmonton is still a ways away from dressing an NHL-calibre defence on a nightly basis. They certainly have some useful pieces in place with the likes of Mark Fayne, Oscar Klefbom, and Sekera but are still trying to figure out what they have in Justin Schultz. With that said, the aforementioned quartet is what Todd McLellan will have at his disposal when putting together his top two pairings along the blueline. Again, while all four should be capable of bringing something to an NHL roster, as a collective unit they do not appear to be much of an upgrade over what Oilers fans have been forced to watch over the last number seasons.  

 

Translation…Reinhart will surely be asked to carry far more of a workload than he might in almost any other NHL city. In theory, a player who is being used in a third pairing role is generally given “sheltered” minutes. Unfortunately, that only tends to work on teams that have a Top Four that can hold their own and Edmonton currently has nothing of the sort.

Add to that the fact the former New York Islander prospect will probably find himself lining up alongside either Andrew Ference or Eric Gryba on a nightly basis and one can’t help but feel the 2014 WHL Playoff MVP could be in for a bit of a rough ride during what he hopes will be his first full season in the NHL. Does that mean Griffin Reinhart will be bust? Far from it but it is something fans of the Edmonton Oilers would be wise to keep in mind when it comes to evaluating his rookie campaign.

 

NHL 16 Be A Pro Details

EA Sports has released a new developer diary for fans that details what players can expect from the single-player Be A Pro mode in NHL 16 for Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

Be A Pro allows users to create their own customer player, and forge a career of their own from prospect to NHL Hall of Famer. Players will start by choosing whether to start as a CHL prospect working to get drafted, or as an already drafted NHL player working to earn his spot in the league.

The game allows you to be the type of player you best play as. If you’re a bruising power forward, then focusing on things like body checks and standing up for teammates. Want to become a pure scorer like Alexander Ovechkin? Find ways to get into the open areas to bury pucks past opposing goaltenders.

It’s all about your player progressing based on how you play. To also help with progression, coach feedback has returned to the mode, helping players improve on certain aspects of their game. The new visual trainer also makes its debut in the mode to allow more fine tuning of skills.

NHL 16 launches in North America on September 15; Europe gets the game on September 17.

First Impressions of EASHL and NHL 16

Hockey and video game fans alike have been given a special treat from EA Sports, the creators of NHL 16. The company released a limited beta for the game’s popular EA Sports Hockey League (EASHL) game mode for its Xbox One and PlayStation 4 players who had purchased NHL 15 the previous year. A code given to players of both consoles via email, players have the opportunity to play the beta from July 30 up until August 7.

Gamers who had the One and PS4 were extremely upset last season when NHL 15 came out without the EASHL game mode on the new systems but was placed on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Although EASHL in NHL 15 wasn’t much different from what was on the previous year’s game, gamers weren’t thrilled to be without one of the most popular game modes in the NHL games.

EA promised to not only return EASHL to NHL 16, but to improve it immensely, much like they promised the rest of the game. From game play to actual functions inside of EASHL itself, the beta has given fans a chance to experience NHL 16 firsthand before it hits stores, and also allows players to provide feedback while EA works out the rest of the bugs before the release date in mid-September. After playing the beta over the past few days, here is what I have found to be some of the best improvements to the game, and what could still use work. Thanks to fellow writer and gamer  Michael Straw for their input.

Customization

One of the coolest parts of EASHL over the years has been the ability to edit your skater or goaltender to make him or her look as much like you as humanly possible. EA has done a nice job of doing this, but they took it a step further this year. With complaints from game players about a lack of ability to edit current players in the game that looked nothing like the player in real life, the creators at EA made a concerted effort to open up editing for every player in the game. This has led to your capabilities in EASHL editing to be even more in-depth in NHL 16.

NHL 16From stick tape patterns to different color shades of tape, making your player unique has never been this much fun. If you aren’t careful, you can spend hours on the beta simply messing around with your character and making it to your likeness. Details as precise as beard length and the addition of things like leg tape and skate guards are added into the beta to enhance customization even further than in the past.

Even the team you create in NHL 16 is given more uniqueness with the new system. Now Mike “Doc” Emrick and Eddie Olczyk have the ability to say the name of your team that is given by you when you create your EASHL team. From standard team names to ridiculous ones you and your friends can get extremely creative when you create you team and team name, while at the same time getting the name recognition on-screen from one of the best announcers in the National Hockey League.

Even Playing Field

One thing you won’t see on your player customization screen in NHL 16 is the attributes field. That’s due to the EASHL’s creation of player classes. EA has claimed that the addition of these 12 classes will put more of an emphasis on player skill and your abilities to play together as a team, creating a better competitive experience on the ice. In my limited playing time, I’ve only seen three or four of the classes be utilized, but I can already say that the player class system is a vast improvement to the game. If you’re a college student, like myself, you don’t necessarily have as much time to play EASHL and rank up your skater or goaltender, which put you at a severe disadvantage when you go online and play. Now with the class system, there is no need to worry about that anymore. On top of that, a sniper or playmaker does not have the same checking ability as a grinder or enforcer, making it much more realistic than in NHL 15 when a 5’9 winger was able to drop a 240 pound defenseman if he simply came at him with a great deal of speed.

Every team, no matter how much or how little you play, has the same 12 classes with the same statistics for each class. The emphasis is now placed on your abilities in-game and how well you work with your teammates as opposed to how many hours you log. Granted, playing more will make you and your friends better, but you won’t find yourself over matched due to experience points or having a less skilled skater than opposing players. In the four games I played on the first day of the beta, I went 2-1-1, with my only loss being 1-0 and my best win being 5-1. If you are a more skilled game player than your opponent you will most likely come up with the victory, which has not been the case over the past few years, and I think the casual gamer will appreciate that.

AI Intelligence

I think it was fair to say that the non-player controlled skaters in EASHL could used some work. Well early on it appears that the makers at EA have done a great job with that, improve the overall skill of the computer players. I first noticed a change when my team went onto their first penalty kill. One of my computer defenseman picked up the puck in the defensive zone and cleared it down the ice without hesitation. My computer generated winger then proceeded down the ice on the forecheck to pin the opposing team in their own defensive zone. Both of these things rarely happened with the AI computers, if at all, in previous games.

Along with more realistic game play and evening the playing field among players, it appears that EA also put a heavy emphasis on making the computer-controlled players on each team more competent. The computers appear to fill in the lanes on the rush better and are much smarter on the rush on whether or not to shoot the puck or pass it off (without having to call for it). Players classes and more intelligent computerized players in this beta alone have greatly improve the EASHL experience.

What Needs Work

This game is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. I admittedly haven’t tried playing in goal, which supposedly has vast improvements this year, or played as a defenseman, but from what I have done as a forward there are a few things that EA can work on before September.

EA has preached gameplay balance and more realistic skating in their videos leading up to the beta, but it doesn’t appear that it is fully operational just yet. Skating is certainly slower than it was in NHL 15, allowing for the more precise movements feature above, but the precision aspect itself still looks like it needs some work.

There also seems to be a bit of a delay between taking shots or making passes and them actually registering in the game. Sometimes shots were attempted on the controller but didn’t register on the screen. The same went for passes, and by the time they were made, if done at all, the play originally set up had already fallen apart. Also the board play in-game, which had seen significant improvements over the past two games, has seemed to have taken a step back in this beta.

But this isn’t a shock to the makers of the game. EA has come out and said that there are a few bugs that still need to be worked out and for gamers to be patient as they make these improvements in time for September. They are even leaving a feedback link on the beta for players to put in their suggestions on how to improve the game.

Aside from giving fans of the NHL franchise a chance to try out their newest game, the release of the beta is also a way for fans to interact personally with the creators in order to voice their displeasure with the game before it comes out so they have a chance to fix it. This makes your input crucial to the success of NHL 16. Play the beta, see what you like and don’t like and submit that feedback to EA so they can have a chance to alter it before September.

Since this is just a beta that is being put out a month and a half before the game’s release, I will give EA the benefit of the doubt in that the skating will improve come the September and some of the other minor bugs noted above will be taken care of as well. Overall, though, I think that NHL 16, particularly EASHL, will be an enjoyable video game from the play-every-day gamer to the casual game player.

Barclays Center in NHL 16

The NHL 16 hype train continues as the team at EA Sports has released a brand new video touting the atmosphere improves in this year’s installment of the franchise.

With the New York Islanders set to begin play in their new home in Brooklyn, the Barclays Center, the developers felt it was only right to show off a bit of the new arena for fans to get their first taste at hockey in Brooklyn. Including the authentic goal horn, the Barclays Center will feel like home for Islanders fans when they take the ice with their favorite team in NHL 16.

But if you thought the new arena was the only thing to look forward to as an Islanders fan in NHL 16, you are sadly mistaken.

The game will also feature the popular “YES!” chant that Islanders fans have taken on as a new tradition. Even the players partake in throwing their hands in the air in the way WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan, the originator of the movement, does.

NHL 16 features arena atmospheres unlike anything that has been featured in the series before. Every team’s authentic goal horns will be included as well as the goal song for over 20 of the league’s members. NHL 16 launches on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on September 15.

Will The Blues Keep Their STL Line Intact?

The St. Louis Blues discovered chemistry in training camp last year that led to breakout seasons for a trio of rising young forwards. Jaden Schwartz, Jori Lehtera, and Vladimir Tarasenko comprised one of the best lines in all of the NHL this past season and came to be known as the “STL” line, a convenient moniker given their last names and the city in which they play. Off-season moves to the forward corps could see the line broken up when the 2015-16 season begins.

Tarasenko flashed brilliance in a more limited role during his two previous (abbreviated) seasons in St. Louis but his 37 goals during the 2014-15 season, many of them of the spectacular sort, put him directly in the NHL spotlight. His ability to take control of the puck and the manner in which he scored gave the Blues their first true game-changer in years.

His performance netted him a lucrative, 8-year, $60M contract, ensuring his talents will stay in St. Louis for the considerable future. Fans at the Scottrade Center will get to see more highlight-reel plays like the one above for the foreseeable future.

S is for Schwartz

That Tarasenko is a budding superstar is no doubt, but the guys around him were no slouches either. Schwartz had a career high in goals (28) and assists (35) and the 2010 1st Round draft pick should see a raise himself after his current, 2-year deal expires at the end of the upcoming season. Schwartz has the kind of speed and tenacity to make up for his smaller size, and his hand-eye coordination make him a threat to score from anywhere on the ice, as the Phoenix Coyotes learned last October when Schwartz notched the first of his two hat-tricks on the season.

Jori Lehtera, St. Louis Blues
Jori Lehtera will don the St. Louis logo for another four years. (Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports)

Lehtera clicked with Tarasenko, in particular, right from the start of training camp, his first in the NHL, and had the pleasure of centering the STL line for much of the season. His contributions as a rookie (14 goals and 30 assists) saw the Blues extend his contract for another three years this Summer, ensuring that all three members of the line would be back on the ice for St. Louis, but whether they’ll skate together remains to be seen.

A question of health

The Blues gave then Free Agent Paul Stastny a 4-year, $28M deal to sign with St. Louis, his hometown, in July of 2014 after the center spent his previous 8 seasons with the Colorado Avelanche. While making top-line money, Stastny found himself relegated to third-line duty for much of the 2014-15 season after missing 8 games in the first month, mired in a slow start that didn’t see him coalesce into the star-caliber play-maker the Blues hoped (paid) for until later in the season. He finished with a respectable, while expensive, 14 goals and 30 assists, impressive considering he had Patrik Berglund on his wing for much of the year.

(Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports)
(Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports)

Stastny looks to play a more prominent role in the St. Louis offense for the upcoming season, and I think it should start by putting him on the team’s top scoring line with the team’s top scorer: Vladi Tarasenko. As Blues beat-writer Jeremy Rutherford mentioned in a Post-Dispatch article today, the potential emergence in camp of young wingers will play a part in determining line combinations, but I think Coach Hitchcock needs to put Tom Stillman’s money where the goals are and break up the STL line in camp to see if he can more evenly spread out the offense.

Projecting the lines

Changes made to the roster this off-season leave me suggesting the following forward lines. Let me know in the comments below what you think of my combos.

The top scoring line should be Alexander Steen, Stastny, and Tarasenko. These guys can light the lamp on a record pace and all three would enjoy career years on the score sheet.

The line of Schwartz, Lehtera, and David Backes, while filling a second scoring line role, would probably be the top penalty killing line and might possibly match up against opposing teams’ best scoring lines.

Probably the line most effected by the performance of youngsters in camp will be the the third scoring line. Berglund, newly accquired Troy Brouwer, and Dmitrij Jaskin give the Blues a huge line to bang around in the offensive zone and drive rival goaltenders crazy, though lack of speed could be a problem there.

Finally, Steve Ott, Kyle Brodzniak, and Ryan Reaves are probably a lock for the fourth line. The depth St. Louis offers on the wing should keep Ott out of the top nine this season, though with Hitchcock in charge anything’s possible.

Goaltending Improvements in NHL 16

EA Sports has released a brand new developer diary that explains the improvements coming to the goaltending mechanics in NHL 16.

With help from Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Eddie Lack, the developers at EA Sports Vancouver have worked to deliver the most advanced goaltending control system in the history of the franchise. And with the new precision skating system in NHL 16, the control will be as responsive as ever.

“We try to get feedback from as many people as we can, NHL players included,” lead producer Sean Ramjagsingh said. “We try to use the players as best as we can. We had freddy Andersen from Ducks was around the office. Eddie Lack helped with new goalie controls/motion.

“As much as we can, we try to leverage the players to help with the on-ice part of the game. They all have opinions.”

With the new goaltending controls, users will have the ability to push across the crease, have better control of rebounds and even have a better opportunity to play the puck when it’s either behind or in front of the net.

“Precision Skating in NHL 16 captures the authentic look and feel of a goaltender’s momentum and precise movement as you control them in the crease,” Ben Ross, associate producer, said in a press release. “When the shots start flying, decide whether to make controlled positional saves or commit to high-risk athletic saves that may leave you vulnerable to secondary chances.”

NHL 16 launches on September 15 in North America for Xbox One and PlayStation 4; it launches in Europe on September 17.

EASHL Beta Coming for NHL 16

When NHL 15 was announced, fans were angry when they found out the popular EA Sports Hockey League (EASHL) wasn’t part of the game. But never fear, EASHL is coming to NHL 15, sort of.

EA Sports has announced that owners of the game will have the ability to play NHL 16’s EASHL before anyone else in the form of an open beta. The beta will start on July 30 and run until August 6, and requires initial access via NHL 15. Anyone who has NHL 15 on Xbox One or PlayStation 4 will automatically have access to the beta. Those who don’t have the game, but have the console can apply for a code if they had the game on Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3.

Jump into NHL 15 starting July 30 and you’ll see a new panel in the main menu hub to download the NHL 16 EASHL Beta. NHL 15 is required to access the beta initially, but is not required after you have successfully downloaded as the beta will be accessibly directly from your console hard drive.

Users in the beta will have full access to all 12 of the modes player classes that replace the typical attribute system from year’s past. They will also have the ability to fully customize their player’s appearance and equipment however they see fit.

In addition to customization, there will also be the return of EASHL seasons. Unlike previous seasons, these are more outlined in the same way Hockey Ultimate Team is set up in terms of progressing to higher divisions. Seasons progress based on the division a team is in after reaching either the game or points threshold to advance or be demoted.

In regards to playoffs, they will open up in almost the same way the HUT playoffs did in NHL 15, with certain cups available to teams based on division ranking.

The one feature of EASHL in NHL 16 that fans, unfortunately, won’t be able to utilize is the ability to create custom jerseys for your team. Instead, fans will have to select one of the hundreds of already in-game uniforms available to them. It’s a feature that will be added back in the future, but it’s unclear whether it will be in the form of a post-launch update a la the addition of the NHL Draft to NHL 15’s GM Mode or in NHL 17.

Teams and stats created in the NHL 16 EASHL beta will not carry over to the main game come its release in September. EA Sports is looking for player feedback on the mode in the form of a gameplay survey that fans can fill out after the beta is officially launched.

This will likely be the only opportunity to test out the new EASHL in NHL 16 before the game’s launch. So, if you really want to know if the changes to mode are worth it, make sure to get in on the action starting July 30.

New NHL 16 Gameplay Video

EA Sports continued their promotional push for the upcoming release of NHL 16 for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One with the release of a brand new trailer as well as a first look at overhead gameplay.

The new trailer, which can be seen above, focuses to tweaks made to the game’s skating engine.

In NHL 15, trying to go side-to-side on the ice was nearly impossible, and it put defensive players at a massive disadvantage. With the new precision skating, EA Sports claims that playing defense is more fair than ever before.

“We put a lot of effort into the precision the skating,” NHL 16 lead producer Sean Ramjagsingh told The Hockey Writers. “We said we can do fast really well, but for you to move two feet to the left or right is extremely difficult. That’s one of the tools that we wanted to give you.

“On offense, if you’re a Steven Stamkos-like sniper and you want to create a new passing lane for yourself for that one-timer, or you’re on defense and you want to take away that passing lane, that was really important for us to improve.”

In addition to the new trailer, EA Sports released a new gameplay video that showcases some of the skating changes coming to the game. In the video below, you can see how the new defensive precision helps take players off the puck and intercept passes, a far change from the gameplay a year ago.

With these changes, EA Sports hopes to make mistakes that lead to goals more due to user-error than gameplay mechanics.

“When something goes wrong in the game, it’s more a user mistake as opposed to the game making the mistake for me,” Ramjagsingh, said. “We wanted it more responsive as well. We really, really focused on the skating, making it fun to play every position as well as making sure that you had the right amount of control that you want so that it felt, as a whole, refined.”

NHL 16 releases in North America on September 15 for Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The game launches in Europe on September 17.

John Oliver Addresses Arizona Coyotes Arena Issue

For hockey fans, the situation regarding the Arizona Coyotes and the organization’s current dilemma with the city of Glendale has been well documented. After the city voted to terminate the team’s lease earlier this year, the speculation regarding the future of the team in Arizona became front-and-center news once again.

And now, it’s not just diehard hockey fans that are talking about the situation going on in Glendale.

John Oliver, the host of the popular show “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” on HBO, took his political satire and focused it on stadiums that are often funded using public funds when there is really no need for it.

He starts off talking about the Detroit Red Wings getting approval for a new arena just days after the city filed for bankruptcy before touching on some other sports franchises. He then comes back to the NHL with his talk of the situation in Arizona (that begins around the 14:00 mark of the above video).

Oliver mentions the city of Glendale wanting to get out of the deal he dubbed as “awful” that was costing the city $8 million per year. After showing the clip of Ronda Pearson, the fan who not only chastised the Mayor of Glendale during the public hearing, but also got a chance to use a taser on the mayor, Oliver used her own words against her.

“While I can see her passion is real,” he said. “You don’t get to call someone childish when you are the one arguing for spending millions of public dollars you don’t have to keep a giant slab of ice in Arizona.”

He added: “No one should want a stadium so badly they’re willing to electrocute an old man for it.”

It’s definitely a video worth watching in it’s entirety as Oliver hits on quite a few solid points regarding stadiums and public funds. And don’t forget to leave your thoughts on the matter in the comment section below.

THW Video: Jack Eichel Speaks With The Media

It’s no secret that Jack Eichel has been the center of attention at this year’s Buffalo Sabres Prospect Development Camp at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo. After all, he was the number two overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, and is expected to be a major player for the Sabres going forward.

Other than his stint with Team USA at the World Championships earlier this year, the development camp has been the first taste of professional hockey for the 18-year old from Boston; his first taste of what his coaches expect from him going forward.

Thursday proved to be the toughest on-ice session of the week due it being more conditioning and testing than any individual skill drills. Still, it was important for players to show what they can do in these types of situations, including speed, acceleration and cutting.

[RELATED: Anthony Florentino Growing With The Years]

Eichel spoke with the media after the session, giving his thoughts on conditioning, what he’s learned during his first week with the Sabres, his teammates and the anticipated record crowd for the team’s Blue and Gold Scrimmage on Friday Night.

For more on the Buffalo Sabres and their prospect camp, keep it locked to The Hockey Writers.

In Loving Memory: Athletes and Death Adjustment

Patrick Kane Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane. (Warren Wimmer/Icon SMI)

 

Since the start of 2014, two NHL players have endured significant losses in their personal lives. In just the past four weeks, Detroit forward Tomas Tatar lost his father, and Chicago forward Patrick Kane lost his grandfather.

 

Tomas Tatar, a 23 year old left winger for the Detroit Red Wings, lost his father, Jan Tatar, on Friday January 10th. Despite the heartbreaking loss that Tatar endured, he remained in the game. The Red Wings were in action the next night against the Los Angeles Kings, where Tatar would help boost his team to a 3-1 win by contributing a goal and an assist to honor his late father.

 

On Monday, February 3rd, Patrick Kane, the 25 year-old right winger for the Chicago Blackhawks, lost his grandfather, Donald Kane, just hours before Monday night’s game against the Los Angeles Kings. Similar to Tatar, Kane managed to notch two goals and an assist to lead his team in a 5-3 victory in honor of his late grandfather.

 

 

What I found remarkable about these two instances was the players’ resilience to defeat. Not only did Kane and Tatar contribute to their teams, but they were key difference makers. It is inspiring to see players succeed in times when one could easily succumb to defeat.

So how do they do it?

(Hint: It’s not because both teams played the LA Kings)

Detroit forward Tomas Tatar (Image via Kat)
Detroit forward Tomas Tatar (Image via Kat)

I decided to look into research on motivation and loss. Although there is a dearth of research on the topic, I did manage to find that there have been correlations between self-esteem and death adjustment. According to Routledge et al. (2010), individuals who are found to have a high self-esteem are more likely to “remain unscathed and unflappable (p. 913)” in the face of death. For most individuals, the thought of death can produce enormous amounts of distress, thus causing maladaptive psychological functioning. Unlike most individuals, athletes, for some obvious reasons, tend to possess high levels of self-esteem (you made it to the NHL, you’re pretty great). Thus, for athletes, self-esteem acts as a protective factor in response to life stressors and threats.

What does this mean?

Essentially, the correlation between self-esteem and psychological adjustment allows us to reasonably presume that athletes are more likely to adapt in stressful situations. Hockey fans can rest assured that their favorite players will most likely find motivation in dark times and show resilience. Players will allow the legacy of their loved ones to shine vicariously through their own being.

I expect that Tomas Tatar and Patrick Kane will continue to contribute to their respective teams, particularly to Team Slovakia and Team USA in the upcoming 2014 Sochi Olympics.

 

References:
Routledge, C., Ostafin, B., Juhl, J., Sedikides, C., Cathey, C., & Liao, J. (2010). Adjusting to death: The effects of mortality salience and self-esteem on psychological well-being, growth motivation, and maladaptive behaviors. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 99(6), 897-916.