McGrattan concerned over new jerseys
September 22, 2007
I never considered what impact the new jerseys would have on fighting…and apparently the NHL
One of the spins put on the new sweaters NHL players are wearing is the jerseys would enhance player safety.
But Senators policeman Brian McGrattan wonders about that.
The jerseys are tighter and made of a slicker material.
One line of thinking is with the tight sleeves and slick material, players in a fight won’t be able to tie up an opponent, perhaps opening the door for some big punches.
McGrattan’s concern is with what happens when a player gets “jerseyed,” having his sweater pulled over a player’s head. “I saw (New Jersey’s) Cam Janssen in that situation the other night and he got fed pretty good. He couldn’t get out of it,” said McGrattan.
Luttinen playing in Peoria
September 21, 2007
I read earlier in training camp that Luttinen no longer wanted to be in this organization at Murray was more than willing to oblige. Then I came across this tidbit from the Peoria Rivermen…
They were St. Louis Blues on Wednesday. Today, they are Peoria Rivermen, the first wave of players cut from the parent club’s NHL training camp.
…
The others are veteran ex-NHL center Jarrod Skalde, who is scheduled to be player-assistant coach for UHL-IHL Bloomington this season, plus Peoria native Bo Cheesman, ECHL Alaska signees Lucas Burnett (6-3, 225) and enforcer Eric Neilson, and Finnish free agent left wing Arttu Luttinen.
Maybe Murray just cut him loose? Here’s was Sharp posted last week:
While left wing Arttu Luttinen remains under contract with Ottawa, his days with the organization appear numbered. Luttinen, a rookie with the B-Sens last season, was not listed on Ottawa’s training camp roster and was not present Saturday for the first day of camp.
“He’s still under contract with us. We’re trying to move him,” said Ottawa’s assistant general manager Tim Murray. “If we don’t move him, then we’ve got to make a decision what we’re going to do with him.”
Murray added: “He was willing to come to the NHL camp, but we have been talking to another team. His agent actually has been trying to find him another job. We’ve told him that that’s fine. If he wants to do that, then to just get the teams that he’s talking to to call us and let us know what’s what, and we’ll go from there.”
Murray said Luttinen wants to play in North America, but not to rule out another season overseas either. A native of Helsinki, Luttinen played four seasons in Finland before putting up 12 goals and 17 assists with Binghamton last season. He was a third-round pick by Ottawa in 2002.
Binghamton Senators promotions schedule
September 21, 2007
Old news that I missed…B-Sens have released their promotion schedule for the season.
Ottawa makes first training camp cuts
September 20, 2007
No surprises here, although there had been rumors that Daugavins might come to Bingo.
Making the four-hour drive to Binghamton, N.Y., with head coach Cory Clouston and assistant Mike Busniuk are defencemen Greg Amadio, Tomas Kudelka, Derek Smith, Geoff Waugh, and forwards Tyler Donati, Chaz Johnson, Greg Mauldin, Jim McKenzie, Shawn Weller and Jeremy Yablonski.
…
Returning to their Canadian Hockey League clubs are goaltender Ryan Daniels, left-winger Kaspars Daugavins and centre Jim O’Brien. Goaltender Ryan Daniels returns to Saginaw of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for his fourth season. Left-winger Kaspars Daugavins enters his second season with Mississauga-St. Michael’s (OHL), and centre Jim O’Brien joins the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League for his rookie year.
The paper today also reported on who has been invited to Bingo’s camp for tryouts. Bobby Robins was the only familiar name in the group. Anyone thinking Robins is being given another chance shouldn’t get their hopes up. The training camp invites are usually just there to give the early Ottawa cuts someone to practice with. However, these guys are usually the first ones called up from the ECHL or UHL when there is a Binghamton injury.
Right wing Bobby Robins, who earned team Man of the Year honors last season with Binghamton, is expected to be among the 10-plus players competing on tryout contracts when the B-Sens open training camp Sunday morning at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.
Among the others tentatively set to compete on tryout contracts are: Goalies Ryan Nie, Kris Mayotte and Joel Martin; defensemen Brian Yandle and Geoff Waugh; and forwards Chase Watson, Kevin Ulanski, Kevin Saurette, Chaz Johnson, Ryan Garlock and Martin Sagat.
Carkner out 4-6 weeks
September 20, 2007
Carkner broke his hand in a fight during yesterdays exhibition game vs Philly and is out 4-6 weeks. Better now than during the season.
Matt Carkner was more worried about his head, which he had hit hard after taking down Riley Cote in a first-period fight Tuesday night.
But when he went to push up off the ice, he realized something else was seriously wrong.
Expected to be a big part of Binghamton’s defense and Ottawa’s depth this season, Carkner suffered an early setback in Tuesday night’s exhibition game against the Philadelphia Flyers, breaking a bone in his left hand during the fight with Cote. Carkner has been told he will miss four to six weeks.
“If I would have traded a broken nose for a broken hand, for sure I wish he would have hit me,” said Carkner, a native of nearby Winchester, Ontario. “But that’s the way it worked, and it’s just tough to deal with right now.”
Nikulin Blog: September 19th
September 20, 2007
I love reading these blog entries. Really hope he comes to Bingo so we can see him play. Translated by ThirtyFive over at hfboards.
A day’s schedule, as I wrote before, is very democratic here. The ice at 10, then the gym, and from then on you’re free. What am I doing? Well, nothing in particular. After lunch a mandatory nap. Then I either just stay in the hotel room, or we go out. Once in a while we have sushi with Ilja Zubov, there’s a restaurant close by the arena.
I watch television, talk to my girlfriend on the phone, and browse the Internet. I’m following how the guys from CSKA are doing. I see they lost the last two games. But that’s all right, I’m sure it will be fine as they play on. It’s very tough to keep in touch with friends. I send text messages to Sergei Shirokov but they either don’t get there or get there too late. And my girlfriend complains about it. It’s like there are no messages for a long time and then a lot of them come. Tried phoning Denis Kulyash. No result.
I’m watching the sports channels on TV, obviously. Especially the one where they broadcast football, baseball, and hockey. I like football the most. I even understand the rules now. There is action, collisions, battles. Not rooting for any team yet, haven’t really sorted out what teams there are.
But baseball looks a lot more interesting in short segments. If you’re watching the whole game it becomes boring. Nobody’s running anywhere, everything is slow. I almost fell asleep once trying to follow a game.
I don’t go to the movies. What would I do there with my bad English? When it’ll get a bit better, then I’ll go, if there’s going to be a good movie out. I’ve already located a theater nearby.
I’ve been to Ottawa itself, but can’t get out there very often, because it’s thirty minutes by car from where we are based. What can I say, it’s a quiet city. Lots of small buildings. As far as Russian cities, it probably looks like Yaroslavl. Lifestyle is calm. Nothing like Moscow, especially as far as prices. After the Russian capital everything everywhere appears underpriced. But I won’t be getting a car yet. I don’t even need one here. We get picked up from the hotel on a minibus.
I haven’t met anyone from the organization. There hasn’t been any need and there are no unsolved problems. The only thing I have to do is apply for a credit card. But my agent is helping with that. I didn’t get a paycheck from Ottawa yet. The first one’s expected in October.
Another detail that’s different in Ottawa from Russian teams is that there are no team meals. You have to figure out yourself where to have lunch or dinner. Looks like it’s different on the road. But in the locker room during practices we have everything: coffee, tea, cocktails, fruit.
And we don’t worry about the equipment here also. We have two locker rooms. One adjacent to the ice, another adjacent to the gym. After practice you don’t think about your things. The next day they’re washed and in your locker. Maybe someday they’ll figure that out in Russia, too.
Reporters haven’t approached me yet, and I wouldn’t have anything to say to them. But obviously there are reporters present during practices. They come into the locker room after we’re done and interview Spezza, Heatley. I was told it’s the norm to be interviewed prior to a game in the NHL during morning practice. I haven’t had to do it yet, but I’m not used to talking to reporters before games. I mean, everyone prepares for a game differently. I like to concentrate beforehand.
Even though I was told they pull pranks on rookies here, that hasn’t happened to me yet. Most likely it will happen when the main roster for the season is settled. But Ilja Zubov has been a victim of a prank already. They put shaving cream into his towel and he got it all over himself. A typical American joke. Moderately funny and absolutely harmless.
And also I was scared into believing that in Ottawa they have a bad attitude towards Russians. I haven’t felt that yet. If you work hard and give it your all, then probably nobody cares about your nationality.
Carkner out with broken hand
September 19, 2007
The season hasn’t started, but Binghamton already has their first bit of bad news. Defenseman Matt Carkner is out with a broken hand after Ottawa’s first preseason game.
Judging by the lines during Wednesday’s practice. Ottawa will ice nearly a full lineup for tomorrow’s game vs Washington. Here are the lines:
Heatley - Spezza - Eaves, Vermette - Nikulin - Alfredsson, Donovan - Kelly - Foligno, Bass - Hennessy - McGrattanThe pairings on D are projected to be: Redden - Nycolat, Phillips - Volchenkov, and Schubert - Lee
Martin Gerber will get the start in goal. Coach John Paddock isn’t sure if he will play the entire game or give Brian Elliott some playing time - TSN
Mike Fisher who hasn’t skated with the team this preseason (groin injury) says he might try and skate in the moring skate on Thursday
Ray Emery was on the ice Wednesday morning taking shots for the first time since camp began. He says he will now practice regularly with the team.
Defenceman Matt Carkner is out indefinitely with a broken left hand. - TSNAfter giving Mike Fisher a 5-year extention, GM Bryan Murray is hoping to have the same success with either Wade Redden or Dany Heatley before the start of the season. - Ottawa Citizen
Nikulin’s Blog - September 18th
September 18, 2007
Alex Nikulin, a Russian prospect now in Ottawa’s training camp, has been posting blog entries about his experiences. Great reads. Here’s the translation (by ThirtyFive of hfboards) of the latest entry:
Hey all, I love these. He seems to have realized he won’t be on the big club, he sounds a bit lonely. I hope he sticks it out. I’m rooting for you Alex!
September 18: “Shoot more,” Heatley told me in Russian.
The most important period in my life has begun, the training camp with the big club. After the prospects tournament, which we finished with a 5-1 loss to Pittsburgh, they announced that eight people have been cut and the rest are moving on. There was no discussion of the previous game, I guess the result didn’t much interest anyone.
Prior to the start of training camp everyone was called in for an individual interview with Bryan Murray’s assistant. I went with my buddy Kaspars Daugavins so he could translate. But it was short. I was told that I will remain with Ottawa and train with the big club. Keep doing what you did in the prospects tournament, and so on.
Right now we have about 40-45 guys skating. We’re split into two teams. I’m the only Russian on mine, since Anton Volchenkov, Ilja Zubov, and Kaspar are all on the other one. But this split is obviously arbitrary. If only because Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza are on my team.
We do have the first exhibition game at Philadelphia. I won’t be playing, and won’t be making the trip. But Ilja’s going. I’m not worried about this. Nothing wrong that I didn’t make that team. The head coach has to see everybody.
Pre-season training in Ottawa is very different from what I’ve experienced in Russia. The schedule is compact. At 10 AM we hit the ice, then it’s the gym, 45 minutes at max, and that’s it. Then you’re as free as a bird, do what you want.
On-ice activities also differ. Everything’s on a fast pace, there’s virtually no time to rest between exercises. We practice two-on-one and one-on-none breakaways, but not like in Russia. The speeds are really fast. Much faster than during the prospects tournament, but I already wrote how surprised I was by how quickly the guys race up and down. The easy part is that there’s just one practice a day. But still we skate an awful lot. You can tell that the best have been selected here. Each can make passes and receive them, and all at high speeds. No one’s an odd one out, which is also surprising. It’s a whole different level.
We haven’t had any cross-country. We haven’t been on the ground at all yet, actually. I think since the exhibition games have started, then we won’t be running anyway. Another curious moment is working out at the gym. In Russia we use the weights to set records. Lift some kinds of kilograms. In the NHL there are totally different exercises. I’ve discovered so many new things! How to perform balance exercises and work on your mid-section. I never did that. It wasn’t easy at first, but I’m used to it now.
I’m on a line with these two guys. One of them is Jim McKenzie, who was also at the prospects camp with me. The other one I don’t know. Haven’t really gotten to know my partners yet, and there are problems with English. It’s obvious that neither is a tough guy and both are playmakers. By the way, a guy came to camp for the “policeman” role. He used to be in cage fighting. Square kind of guy, huge. During the intra-squad game he fought a local colleague. Had a good battle. A few punches were landed.
During the intra-squad game I couldn’t really distinguish myself, although our team won. I took a penalty shot unsuccessfully, the goalie got it. Couldn’t say who he was, but definitely not Emery. He doesn’t skate with us at all. During the game I tried to take some plays upon myself, but it’s rather tough so far. I’m not as fast as most, but I’m working on that. I’ve got to keep trying. Especially since Ottawa has too many centers as it is, six or seven, I think. And roster spots on the main lineup are limited.
During the first practice I met Heatley and Spezza. Turns out Dany speaks a bit of Russian. He knows three phrases: “How are you?”, “Good evening,” and, what’s remarkable, he hinted, “Shoot more.” Probably learned from Ilya Kovalchuk.
Spezza skated up to me and began talking about my stick blade. He really likes it, and plays with the same kind, only right-handed. Jason started explaining something, but I said I don’t understand English. He said “Okay” and skated away.Too bad I don’t chat with anyone in the locker room. I can ask how it’s going, and reply that everything’s fine. But I also understand more and more now. Speaking is really hard. That will come with time.
All in all, things are relatively good. I decided not to think about my chances of making the big team. Must concentrate on the training - then come what may.
STHA September Schedule Posted
September 14, 2007
Woohoo! STHA hockey begins THIS weekend. Check their site for the September schedule. Make note of where the practices are because there is a new rink in town, Southern Tier Ice Center on Old Vestal Road.
I also learned that they added a 6th mini-mite team. Sounds like there are over 80 mini-mites this year.
Official: Grady out, Shelanski (back) in
September 12, 2007
The B-Sens announced today that Marc Shelanski will be the new director of broadcasting, replacing Grady Whittenburg who is leaving to announce for the Elmira Jackals.
Shelanski served as the broadcaster for both the Binghamton Whalers (1987-90, three seasons) and the Binghamton Rangers (1990-91, one season).
“I am honored and excited to come back to Binghamton as the “voice of the Senators,” said Shelanski. “I am humbled that Tom Mitchell and the entire ownership group have the confidence in me to replace Grady, who was both very talented and very popular. During the four years I spent in the community, I met a lot of great people. I know the fans are very passionate about hockey.”
In addition to his time in Binghamton, Shelanski has called American Hockey League games for the Springfield Falcons (2000-05, five seasons) and the New Haven Nighthawks (1992 Calder Cup Playoffs).
