Last week, defenseman Joe Charlebois signed a one-year contract to return with the Rockford IceHogs. His first taste of professional hockey came last year after he left the University of New Hampshire for the AHL. For the 2009-10 hockey season Charlebois projects to stay with the IceHogs all year.
Archive for August, 2009
Canadian Orientation Camp Breaks
August 28th, 2009 by Leigh Michael Dengis
No smile, Mr. Toews?
Yesterday, the last day of training camp for the Canadian Olympic team in Calgary, Alberta, ended in a scrimmage – Team Red vs. Team White. Patrick Sharp and Brent Seabrook (Red) faced-off against Duncan Keith and Jonathan Toews (White) at the Pentgrowth Saddledome. The exhibition game played out like a glorified all-star game in front of a sellout crowd.
Over the course of the four-day Olympic orientation camp each player showcased their skills hoping to make the national team. It’ll be tough for any player to crack the roster since the list of invitees to the Canadian camp is so deep.
There are a few locks to make Team Canada, and none of them are Blackhawks. The best case scenario would be if three of the four ‘Hawks at the camp made the Olympic roster – Sharp being the odd-man out. There are just too many talented forwards that would keep the goal-scoring, defensive savvy forward from skating in Vancouver come February.
The 2006 Winter Games in Italy were an embarrassment for Canada placing seventh overall. Steve Yzerman and Mike Babcock will do anything in order to avoid a similar fate in front of the home crowd in Vancouver. Youth and speed hopefully will be served this time around in order to keep up with the European squads. A clunker like Chris Pronger, whose game really doesn’t translate well to the international style of play, could be passed over by the Canadian brain-trust – a decision could benefit the younger Seabrook if that is the case.
Keith may be the Blackhawk with the best chance to represent Chicago. He posses speed and a sound defensive game that would be an asset to Team Canada. Keith has improved steadily each season since his rookie campaign, and is quietly one of the better all-around defensemen in the league. There are few of his Canadian counterparts that would trump Keith’s value on and off the ice to the national team.
Toews would also benefit from a youth movement. There are arguably about five men at center ahead of him on the depth chart, but it would benefit Team Canada if they make a spot of Toews on their roster. Just as he is considered the future of Chicago hockey, he is also the future of Canadian hockey. Toews already has some experience at the international level playing in the 2007 and 2008 World Championships. A roster spot should be made for him, even if it means moving someone over to the wing.
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Patrick Kane Pleads Guilty
August 27th, 2009 by Leigh Michael Dengis
Patrick Kane pleaded guilty today to a non-criminal charge of disorderly conduct for the altercation that took place between he, his cousin and a Buffalo, N.Y. taxi driver, Jan Radecki. The Kane cousins are being ordered to write a letter of apology to the cabby.
Kane and his cousin, James, will avoid any legal penalties if they are able stay out of trouble for the next year.
In a prepared statement, Kane said he is ready to move on – so are we.
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Four Blackhawks At Canadian Olympic Camp
August 24th, 2009 by Leigh Michael Dengis
Canadian 2010 Olympic Jersey
Last week when the U.S. Men’s Olympic orientation hockey camp met Patrick Kane and his legal situation loomed over the Woodridge, IL ice-rink. Today, Team Canada’s orientation camp started in Calgary, AB – first practice was held tonight. The story that will overshadow the Canadian training camp will be Dany Heatley’s trade demand, but I won’t bore you with that crap.
The Blackhawks have four players that will partake in this week’s orientation camp – Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. They have been split up evenly between the Red and White team. Team Red will have Sharp and Seabrook, and Team White will play Toews and Keith. The rest of the Canadian camp invitees can be found here.
There are a total of forty-six players at the camp, and the roster will need to be reduced to twenty-three in December.
What better time than now to announce that Red Rising will cover Team Canada leading up to and during the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games. Every post regarding the Canadian Olympic team, however, will be Blackhawks centric.
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Top Ten Blackhawk Prospects: Summer 2009
August 20th, 2009 by Leigh Michael Dengis
Red Rising decided to rank who we believe to be the top ten prospects in the Blackhawks’ organization. Skaters with more than forty games played in the NHL and goalies with more than twenty appearances are exempt – age doesn’t factor into the rankings.
1. Kyle Beach (LW) – Beach’s on-ice attitude is well known to those familiar with the prospect. Two years ago he racked up 222 penalty-minutes, but Beach is more than just a brute. He is a skilled power forward where over his four-year WHL career tallying 187 points (82 goals, 105 assists) in 183 games played. He has a way to go when it comes to brains, but his talent level will make it hard to keep him off the NHL roster for long.
2. Niklas Hjalmarsson (D) – Hjalmarsson proved to be a solid defenseman for the Blackhawks at the end of the season when he replaced the great James Wisniewski (sarcasm intended). He found himself paired with Brian Campbell – a combination that worked. He may never be a point producer at the NHL level, but his physical game and two-way play is where his is of value. A roster spot is being held for the Swede.
3. Akim Aliu (C/RW) – Like Beach, Aliu is a power forward with raw talent and little self control, yet he has a longer rap sheet. In forty-one games played last year Aliu scored 18 goals, 26 assists (44 points) and racked up 91 penalty minutes. His eligibility to play in the OHL is over, and should start the season in Rockford with the IceHogs.
4. Shawn Lalonde (D) – Lalonde’s development has progressed nicely in his three seasons with the Belleville Bulls. The Blackhawks were happy to have Lalonde fall to them in the third round of the 2008 entry draft. Last year he posted 54 points (19 goals, 35 assists) in 66 games played last year – that is up from the 31 points (9 goals, 22 assists) he tallied the previous year over the same amount of games. Lalonde should get first pairing minutes this year with Belleville.
5. Dylan Olsen (D) – A lot of people that are high on this year’s first round pick of the entry draft, but I would like to see how Olsen fares outside of junior hockey ranks before I put much stock into the kid. The scouting report on him is that he moves the puck well, plays a physical game, has a strong shot form the point and skates well for his size. Olsen will play for the University of Minnesota-Duluth in 2009-10.
6. Jack Skille (RW) – Skille made the NHL roster coming out of training camp last season, but was sent down to Rockford only a handful of games later once it became apparent he wasn’t ready to compete at the level. His stock as a prospect has fallen since being taken in the first round (7th overall) in the 2005 entry draft. Last season for the IceHogs, Skille tallied 45 points (20 goals, 25 assists) in 58 games. He should be first in line to benefit from the Marian Hossa injury, and could make the roster once again when training camp breaks.
7. Antti Niemi (G) – Last year was the first year Niemi played the North American game after spending several seasons playing in his native Finland. He posted a 2.43 goals-against average and a 0.913 save percentage while in Rockford. Niemi had a cup of coffee at the NHL level were he refrained from embarrassing himself. He will battle with Corey Crawford to backup Cristobal Huet in training camp.
8. Billy Sweatt (LW) – Sweatt saw his point total in his third season at Colorado College drop to the lowest in his collegiate career – 23 points (12 goals, 11 assists) in 37 games. The Illinois native is fast. His speed allows him to be affective on both ends of the ice. Sweatt should return to school to finish out his fourth season with the Tigers.
9. Igor Makarov (RW) – Makarov made an impression in training camp last year by being one of the last cut. He was unable to carry that momentum while playing in the KHL, and didn’t come to the prospect camp this summer. Makarov scored 9 goals and 8 assists to tally a career high in points (17) last season. It could be a few more years before we see Makarov play in North America – if ever.
10. Corey Crawford (G) – In the inevitable battle for backup against Antti Niemi this fall, Crawford just might have the upper hand. He has been within the organization ever since he was drafted in 2003, and has seen a substantial number of starts in net at the AHL level. Last year in Rockford Crawford posted a 2.59 goals-against average and a 0.917 save percentage. Crawford is destined to be a career backup goalie.
Thoughts?
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Grand Jury Indicts Patrick Kane
August 19th, 2009 by Leigh Michael Dengis
The grand jury that heard Patrick Kane’s case for allegedly assaulting and robbing Jan Radecki, the Buffalo, N.Y. taxi driver, came to a decision today. They chose to indict the right-winger and his cousin, but will no longer face felony charges. The grand jury opted to reduced the charges against Kane and his cousin to misdemeanor assault and theft. They are also being indicted for harassment, a violation. Kane is expected to be in court tomorrow.
Kane said about the news:
If the felony was dropped, that’s obviously a positive step. The sooner it gets over, I think everyone will be happy about it.”
It was reported yesterday that Radecki’s lawyer said that his client doesn’t want to see the Kanes end up in jail, and that a direct public apology would suffice. A plea deal could be in the works.
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Kane Breaks Silence
August 17th, 2009 by Leigh Michael Dengis
Patrick Kane broke his self-imposed silence this morning in Woodridge, IL at the U.S. Men’s Olympic Hockey camp since the alleged beating and robbery of Buffalo, N.Y. taxi driver, Jan Radecki. With Stan Bowman at his side, Kane apologized:
Because I put myself in being in the wrong position at in the wrong time, that caused a lot of pain for my family, my hometown of Buffalo, the city of Chicago, the Chicago Blackhawks and obviously the great fans we have here in the Chicago, and for that part I sincerely apologize.”
The grand jury that heard Kane’s case last Thursday will decide on the proceedings later this week. Meanwhile, while waiting to hear about his legal future, Kane will spend the next three days at the hockey camp.
I’ve stated a couple times that I don’t think that Kane will get anything more than a slap on the wrist for his involvement in the altercation. In no way am I attempting to justify his actions or am stating that hockey players are different than other athletes, but in the realm of athletes gone bad Kane’s alleged actions could be considered rather tame for a first time offender.
We may never know to what extent the incident in the taxi reached while the doors were locked from the inside, but other athletes have survived more sever PR problems.
Dany Heatley for example, killed a close friend and teammate, Dan Snyder, in a car accident while playing for the Atlanta Trashers. As bad as it got for Heatley, it was soon forgotten when he was putting up more than 100 points in back-to-back seasons in Ottawa while being part of the team that made it to the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals.
The notion that winning cures has some semblance of truth. Heatley is an example of that, and Kane can be as well. Once the Blackhawks are in the thick of the playoff race this season, the only stories being written about Kane will be about his on-ice production – unless you’re Barry Rozner.
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Single Game Tickets On Sale Monday
August 14th, 2009 by Leigh Michael Dengis
In order to break up the tedium of posts regarding Patrick Kane’s legal woes, single game tickets for the 2009-10 season go on sale this Monday at 10 a.m. – if you don’t know already.
For more information refer to this official Chicago Blackhawks press release.
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Grand Jury To Hear Kane’s Case Today
August 13th, 2009 by Leigh Michael Dengis
Today, the case between Buffalo, N.Y. taxi driver, Jan Radecki, and Patrick Kane and his cousin will be heard in front of a grand jury. The fate of the incident that took place early Sunday morning between the two parties rest on the panel judgement – charges can be brought or dropped depending on their ruling.
It was reported this morning that the hearing will be moved from Monday the 17th to next Thursday to accommodate Kane’s participation in the three-day U.S. Olympic Men’s Hockey camp. It would be surprising to actually see the case go to trial. The issue will likely be settled out of court with the Buffalo taxi driver walking away with a fatter wallet.
UPDATE: The AP is reporting that the grand jury that heard Kane’s case today will decide sometime next week if criminal charges will be brought.
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Details Surfacing In Kane Incident
August 11th, 2009 by Leigh Michael Dengis
Yesterday, when it was reported that the attorney representing the Buffalo taxi driver accusing Patrick Kane and his cousin of assault and robbery said that the incident was being blown out of proportion, things were starting to look better for Kane. Today, more details surfaced that appear to make Kane look less like the prick that many are portraying the twenty year-old forward to be.
It is now being reported that Jan Radecki, the Buffalo taxi driver in question, was driving without a valid license, and having been convicted of two DUIs. Granted this doesn’t have anything to do with his case against the Kane cousins, but paring this with the cabby’s lawyer backing off his client’s initial allegations should garner some suspicion into the man’s character – something that will be looked at extensively by the media and Kane’s attorney, Paul J. Cambria.
Cambria stated that Patrick Kane will be exonerated when all the details come out. Late last night Tim Sassone mentioned in a post on his blog that there was a TV report stating that a witness of the alleged altercation said that the Kane cousins were the victims not the taxi driver. If there is any truth to what this supposed witness claims, the story might go in another direction.
It’s nauseating to read those in the media use this opportunity to bash Kane, or to even suggest that the Blackhawks’ decision has been made easier in regards to his restricted free agent status at the end of next season. From the details that are being leaked, it appears as though Kane will get a slap on the wrist and serve a possible ‘x number’ of game(s) suspension from the league. It won’t take long for anyone to forget this happened.
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