Hockey Hall Makes Call

Hall of Famer. To be considered one, a group of individuals in a particular category (as a sport) who have been, or are selected as particularly illustrious. Up until now, there have been 388 people so highly honored at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, Canada. That elite group grew by four members on Monday. Eric Lindros, Sergei Makarov, Rogie Vachon and Pat Quinn are heading to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Four guys who are very deserving of getting the recognition for what they did for the sport and the game of hockey.

Lets start with Lindros, a member of the Legion of Doom line with John LeClair and Mikael Renberg in Philadelphia. vLindros, who played 13 NHL seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Dallas Stars, but his best days where with the Flyers before concussions derailed his fantastic career. He made a splash when he was taken first overall by the Quebec Nordiques, but wasn't happy with the situation, so he forced a monster trade to the Flyers. During his time in the city of brotherly love, he totaled 659 points (290 goals, 369 assists) in 486 regular-season games from 1992-93 through 1999-2000. He had 56 points in 50 Stanley Cup Playoff games and helped the Flyers reach the Final in 1997. He was named to the League's All-Rookie Team in 1992-93 and won the Hart Trophy in the lockout-shortened 1994-1995 season, when he had 70 points in 46 games. The following season he had an NHL career-high 115 points in 73 games.

That's when it all went downhill has, towards the end of his time in Philly, he had seven concussions, the last one coming in the 2001 playoffs. His last good year in the league, Lindros scored 73 points with the Rangers in 2002. After the concussion problems, he just wasn't the same guy. But what made him so good was that he was a premire power forward in the 90s. He could skate, score, hit, fight, basically he could sort of do it all on the ice. Now throw all that together with the fact that he did it all standing at 6'4 and weighted 240 pounds. That's pretty impressive.

Then there's Sergei Makarov, a star in his native Russia, he was able to make a transition over to the North American game. Makarov spent the first 11 seasons of his hockey career in Russia, winning eight World Championship gold medals, two Olympic gold medals and two World Junior Championship gold medals as part of the Red Army team. During that time, he was huge star, winning the Soviet Player of the Year award (also known as Soviet MVP) three times, getting named to the Soviet League All-Star Team ten times, and leading the league in points nine times and goals three times. Together with Igor Larionov and Vladimir Krutov, they formed the KLM line, one of the most talented and feared lines ever to play hockey. He was awarded Order of the Red Banner of Labour (1984). That basically means he was the best on the planet at what he does at that time. Then the NHL came calling, as he was chosen by the Calgary Flames in the 12th round (No. 231) of the 1983 NHL Draft. He then made his NHL debut for Calgary in 1989, and won the Calder Trophy as the League's top rookie after scoring 24 goals and 86 points in 80 games. He had 384 points in 424 NHL games between 1989-97 as a member of the Flames, San Jose Sharks and Stars.

There was a couple of things about Makarov that changed the game. First was the Calder Trophy win. When he won the award, while having a very productive year for the Flames, he was 31 years old and already had 11 years of professional hockey experience. He wasn't a true rookie, whereas Mike Modano was (who finished 2nd in Calder voting that year), and many felt that Modano should have won the award. What he did in the NHL isn't what got him induction into the Hall, it what he did on the ice on the international level that brought him into the hallowed halls. He was one of the most gifted players to ever step foot on the ice at any level. He deserves induction into the hall.

Rogie Vachon gets a call that he has long waited for. He played in the NHL from 1962 to 1982, winning 355 games, Stanley Cup Championships in 1968, 1969, 1971 (with Montreal), a Vezina Trophy Win in 1968 (with Montreal), and he played in the 1973, 1975, 1978 NHL All-Star Games. The bulk of his career was played with the Los Angeles Kings where he holds several records. Some of those Kings records include most career games played by a goaltender (389), most minutes played (22,922), most career wins (171). (Surpassed by Jonathan Quick on March 22, 2014), most career losses (148), most career ties (66) (shared with Kelly Hrudey), most career shutouts (32) (Surpassed by Jonathan Quick on October 23, 2014), season lowest GAA (2.24 in 1975) (Surpassed by Jonathan Quick with 1.95 GAA in 2011-2012 season), most shutouts in a season (8 in 1977) (Surpassed by Jonathan Quick with 10 shutouts in 2011-2012 season).

Part of what made Rogie so great was how he played the game. Known for his great reflexes and quick glove hand, Vachon was considered one of the premier one-on-one goaltenders of his era. He never allowed a goal on a penalty shot in his entire career. He had the reflexes that made him one of the top goalies of his era. He may not have put up like Tony-O kinda numbers, but still was a very solid goalie in his own right.

Last but not least we have Pat Quinn, one of the greatest coaches to every step foot behind an NHL bench. Quinn, inducted in the Builders category, was a longtime NHL coach of the Flyers, Kings, Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers. After nine seasons as a player, Quinn joined the Flyers as an assistant coach in 1977. Over the next 40 years he held coaching, managing and president positions in the League and with Team Canada. At the time of his death on Nov. 23, 2014, he was Chair of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

The Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on November 14th in Toronto!

Coaching Fraternity Lost Two Legands

Coaches. Men and women that are involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople. A coach may also be a teacher. Today, the sporting world lost two legends in the coaching world. One at the college level and one at the professional level. There were so few in the coaching world who have set the course of history like these two did. Pat Summitt, head coach of the Tennessee Women's Basketball program, passed away at the age of 64. Buddy Ryan, former defensive coordinator and NFL head coach passed away at the age of 82.

There was nobody any better in the coaching world in college basketball, men or women, than Pat Summitt. Summitt stepped down as the head coach of the University of Tennessee women's basketball program in 2012 after announcing she was battling dementia, Alzheimer's type. What she did in the sport of basketball was outstanding, and this is some amazing numbers. She won 2 Medals at the Olympics (1976 Silver as a player and 1984 Gold as a coach). She took over the head coach position at Tennessee in 1974 and held that job until 2012, spanning 38 years. All the while setting the bar ever so high that I don't think its ever going to be touched.

Pat was named NCAA Coach of the Year seven times, she won eight National championships, appeared in the NCAA tournament 31 times, twelve of which resulted in final four appearances. She won 112 games in the NCAA tournament. She held an .841 winning percentage in the tournament, and during the regular season, Summitt won 1,098 games, the most victories for a head coach in division one history, that's including men's and women's basketball. Twelve of her players went on to become Olympians, 21 of her players became All-Americans. That right there speaks to how great a coach she was.

Summitt was widely reckoned as one of the toughest coaches in college basketball. She was best known for giving her players an icy stare in response to poor play. You knew, as a player, that you messed up bigtime if you got the stare. That stare that Pat had could burn a hole right through you. She was very intimidating when she needed to be. Sure she mellowed a little as her career went on, but she still carried that presence about her that drew so much respect that she could just look at you and you knew what it meant and that you had messed up. What she did over her career, she helped put not only Tennessee basketball, but women's basketball as a whole, on the map and really made it make major headlines. She really changed the landscape of basketball at the college level forever and there will never be another like her.

What Pat Summitt did at the college level, Buddy Ryan did for the defensive game in the NFL, he was that impactful. Ryan coached in the NFL for 26 seasons. He is best-remembered for building the famed 46 defense that led the Chicago Bears to a 46-10 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX. Ryan also served as a head coach for the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals. He compiled a 55-55-1 record as a head coach.

Ryan started his career in 1961 as a defensive line coach with the University of Buffalo, and 33 years later he finally decided to hang them up. During that 33 year span, he changed the way people played defense Ryan built his reputation as a defensive specialist and was largely credited with implementing and perfecting the 46 defense. His career as a head coach was good, but he was more notable for what he did for the defensive side of the game and how he helped change the view of how to run a defense. He did for defense in the NFL what Summitt did for the overall game in college basketball.

Both are gone, but their impacts will be felt forever in the sports world!

Team USA Basketball Announced

Ah yes, the Olympics are right around the corner. There's still a lot of pride to take into pulling on a sweater for your country and play the greatest games in the world against the greatest athletes in the world. All of this going on with national pride on the line on the worlds grandest stage. To represent your country at these games has got to be one of the greatest thrills that any athlete can have in their athletic careers. Even if you don't come away with a medal (which is the goal of every country from the outset of the games), still being able to play for your home country has to come with a lot of pride. You can add twelve names to that list, as Team USA has announced their twelve man roster for the Olympics.

Here is the full twelve man roster for Team USA at the summer games:
Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks/Syracuse)
Harrison Barnes (Golden State Warriors/North Carolina)
Jimmy Butler (Chicago Bulls/Marquette)
DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings/Kentucky)
DeMar DeRozan (Toronto Raptors/USC)
Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder/Texas)
Paul George (Indiana Pacers/Fresno State)
Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors/Michigan State)
Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers/Duke)
DeAndre Jordan (Los Angeles Clippers/Texas A&M)
Kyle Lowry (Toronto Raptors/Villanova)
Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors/Washington State).

There were a few notable names that were left off this list.Cleveland’s LeBron James, Golden State’s Steph Curry, Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook, Houston’s James Harden and San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard all decided to skip out on the Olympics this year. Nothing wrong with that. Throwing the Olympics into the mix this year, it makes the offseason even less for certain NBA Stars. Still, even without the guys listed here, the U.S. will again be favorites to win a third consecutive Olympic gold medal.

The roster that has been assembled for the Olympic games is still a very formidable force to deal with in Rio this summer. Think about it, Team USA has won three straight gold medals at the summer games, with a shot at a 4th this year. Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski does have a loaded roster to work with. There are nine players on this team that played in the NBA All Star game this past January. Those nine guys are Carmelo Anthony, Jimmy Butler, DeMarcus Cousins,  DeMar DeRozan, Kevin Durant, Paul George, Draymond Green, Kyle Lowry and Klay Thompson. Oh yeah and Kyrie Irving, who was named MVP of the 2014 World Cup after helping lead the Americans to gold, recently helped Cleveland capture the 2016 NBA championship. Plus throw in the fact that Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant won gold in 2012 with USA, and five players who have been members of USA World Cup gold medalist teams; Cousins (2014), DeRozan (2014), Durant (2010), Irving (2014) and Thompson (2014).

Coming into the Olympics, Team USA have some big shoes to fill. In every Olympics that USA basketball has participated in, which is up to 17 Olympics they have competed in, they have medaled in ever one of them. Those medals included 14 gold medals, one silver and two bronze. Team USA is a very impressive 130-5 (.963 winning percentage) all-time in Olympic action, and since NBA players began representing the United States in 1992, the USA is 45-3 in six Olympics, capturing five gold medals and one bronze medal.

The Olympic games will be taking place in Rio this summer, with the games going from August 5th  through August 21st!

NBA Draft Winners And Losers

We're about a week away from the start of free agency in the NBA, which means one thing. That's right, its time for the Draft. Sixty guys waited around at the Barclays Center to see if their name was going to get called and see their dream come true of playing in the greatest basketball league in the world. Going into the draft, and even during the draft, some major trades were made that helped shape franchises as to how they were going to draft players and what moves they were going to make during free agency. The fact that Derrick Rose got traded to the Knicks helped them out with not having a pick in this years draft. Serge Ibaka was the biggest name moved during the draft, with the Thunder trading him to the Orlando Magic, with the Thunder getting Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova and the rights to big man Domantas Sabonis. This move benifits the Magic, getting a three time defensive player of the year, while the Thunder get good players in his place. This deal could be big in determining whether or not Kevin Durant stays in OKC, but we can discuss that next week when free agency kicks off. Lets get back to the draft in Brooklyn last night. I know its early to be able to tell now but we will give it a shot now. Here's some of the winners and losers from last nights NBA Draft!

Winner:
Oklahoma City Thunder
Talk about a team on the move. Kevin Durant is going to be a free agent in a week, something that the team is hoping to change and bring him back into the fold. While that is being taken care of on the side, management did a great job of trying to add pieces to the mix. Remember this is a team who less than a month ago blew a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference Finals to the Warriors, so you know good and well they are going to want to get revenge and make a statement next season. They've already started to do that. Thunder general manager Sam Presti made a stunning trade that also sent a message to the rest of the league that Oklahoma City is serious about not letting go of its best player. They did get rid of three time defensive player of the year in Serge Ibaka, trading him to the Magic. But in return they got younger and more talented. They added a solid prospect in Domantas Sabonis from Gonzaga (he was taken 11th by the Magic). They think that adding size to their team will help against the likes of the Warriors (it did for the Cavs in the finals). Oh yeah, they did also manage to add the ultra-athletic Victor Oladipo (acquired from Orlando) on the wing and the Thunder enter next season as the favorites out West (along with taking Daniel Hamilton from Connecticut in the 2nd round).

Loser:
Orlando Magic
There may be a little bit of a debate here as to whether or not this team is going to be a winner from the draft, based on the trade. They did pick up a player with the 11th overall pick, taking Domantas Sabonis from Gonzaga. Then flipped him for Ibaka, who is a good defender. But they gave up a lot to get him. Orlando finished last in their division this past season. I know they want to try and move up in the East, which is still entirely possible. But by giving up on Oladipo and Sabonis in favor of a big man it may cost them.

Winner:
New York Knicks
I know the Knicks didn't have a draft pick so I'm not really claiming them winners for the actual draft. I'm putting them in the winners bracket for the Derrick Rose pickup and getting a draft pick for next year. There are still some critics of the Knicks for picking up Rose, because the team has a tendency to get players like this in the past. But there is still a positive upside to picking up Rose if he can manage to stay healthy. So I'd still say that the Knicks are winners for being able to manage to get a move like this pulled off. As far as the actual draft goes, then yes they shouldn't be on this list for not making a pick. But still on the whole you could put the Knicks in the winners circle for what they have managed to do.

Loser:
Sacramento Kings
The Kings missing the playoffs had them in a good spot in the draft, as they had the 8th overall pick but vice president Vlade Divac elected to trade down with Phoenix so that he could acquire Bogdan Bogdanovic and two more big men, Georgios Papagiannis from Greece and Kentucky's Skal Labissiere, with picks Nos. 13 and 28, respectively. They had a chance to keep a stud in Marquiss Criss, but the team dropped the ball for a big guy who they may or may not need in the tough Western Conference.

Winner:
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns had their pick of two of the most intriguing players in the draft at No. 4, it was either going to be Dragan Bender or Marquese Chriss, so they had to make a choice. They took Bender with the 4th pick, but before the night was over, they ended up with both of them. First, they took Bender, and 25 minutes later, they put themselves in a position to grab Chriss, which they did in the trade with the Kings. Bender and Chriss both project as versatile power forwards, but they could not be more different players. Bender has great instincts in just about every aspect of the game, and he should at the very least be a playmaking 4 who can switch onto smaller players in the NBA. Chriss is an athletic marvel who has as much upside as anyone in the draft, but did not pass much or show much discipline on defense in college. These two will make Phoenix fun to watch, even if it takes them a few years to figure it out.

Loser:
Boston Celtics
Yes this draft class did seam a little bit weak, but the Celtics had a chance to really build on something. They did make the playoffs last year and had a chance to really build upon that setting. Management hasn't really managed to pull off a huge move at or around the draft since getting the big three of Garnett Pierce and Allen a few years ago. The fans of the Celtics are still waiting. Boston had eight picks during the draft, but didn't really make much nosie with those picks. Boston selected California swingman Jaylen Brown third overall, French power forward Guerschon Yabusele and Croatian center Ante Zizic, those are fine selections, but not the type of players who will have the kind of immediate impact Boston needs to move up in the Eastern Conference. Coach Brad Stevens has proven that he can put a highly competitive team on the court, regardless of the names on the back of those storied uniforms, but the Celtics need stars to be anything more than a first-round flirtation.

NHL Awards Announced

That time of year has come again. Once the season ends for the National Hockey League, they honor the best of the best from the year that was in the NHL. Every year the top players gather in Las Vegas to see who walks away with the highest individual honors in this great team sport. So here's how the Awards were dished out and if they got the winners right or not.

NHL Foundation Player Award (Awarded to the player who applies the core values of hockey to enrich the lives of people in his community) Winner: Mark Giordano, Calgary Flames

King Clancy Memorial Trophy (Awarded to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community) Winner: Henrik Sedin, Vancouver Canucks

Mark Messier Leadership Award (Awarded to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice, during the regular season, awarded by Mark Messier, himself). Nominees: Alex Ovechkin, Shea Weber, John Tavares WINNER: SHEA WEBER

Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy (Awarded to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey) Nominees: Jaromir Jagr, Mats Zuccarello, Pascal Dupuis WINNER: JAROMIR JAGR

-Have to give big props to Jagr here. He cracked 60 points on the year (finished with 66 points, good enough to lead the Panthers in scoring for the year). Oh and he's also 44 years old. He's moved up the milestone list on the NHL all time list, and he's at the age where most NHLers have already hung up the skates. How the guy keeps doing it I have no idea, but he is amazing.

Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (Awarded to the player who exhibited outstanding sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability) Nominees: Anze Kopitar, Aleksander Barkov, Loui Eriksson WINNER: ANZE KOPITAR

-During most of his playing career in Los Angeles, Kopitar has put up high scoring numbers. He's never produced less than 60 points during an NHL season. This year, he scored 74 points, which lead the Kings in scoring. Oh and he was able to play at that high of a level while only spending a total of 16 minutes in the penalty box, one of the lowest totals among top scorers in the NHL. Barkov and Eriksson both had good offensive numbers and low penalty numbers, but they weren't as productive as Kopitar was.

Frank J. Selke Trophy ( Awarded to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game) Nominees: Anze Kopitar, Patrice Bergeron, Ryan Kesler WINNER: ANZE KOPITAR

-Kopitar becomes the first Kings forward to win the Selke. The Los Angeles captain has been a top-five vote-getter in the category in four consecutive years. Much like winning the Byng for sportsmanship, the Selke award winners need to have quality to their play and a guy like Kopitar delivers that for Los Angeles. He's a top scorer, who plays a clean game and can shut down the oppositions best forwards. Kopitar can do that better than most players in the league, which is why he walked away with the award this year.

Ted Lindsay Award (Awarded to the NHL's outstanding player as selected by the members of the NHL Players Association, once called the Lester B. Pearson Award from 1971 to 2009) Nominees: Patrick Kane, Jamie Benn, Braden Holtby WINNER: PATRICK KANE

-Kane is the first Blackhawks player and first American-born player to receive this award. getting this award means your are the best player in the league as decided by other players. The fact that the players select Patrick Kane of the Hawks speaks volumes as to how good of a hockey player Kane was this past season.

NHL General Manager of the Year Award(Awarded to the top National Hockey League General Manager) Nominees: Jim Rutherford, Brian MacLellan, Jim Nill WINNER: JIM RUTHERFORD

-OK lets be fair here. MacLellan built a good team in Washington, they did win the Presidents Trophy after all. Jim Nill was able to assemble a group in Dallas that had the best record in the West and was the highest scoring team in the NHL. Both did a fantastic job with their teams. Jim Rutherford was just better. Rutherford's key additions of Phil Kessel, Nick Bonino, Matt Cullen, Eric Fehr, Carl Hagelin, Trevor Daley and head coach Mike Sullivan helped the Penguins to a Stanley Cup championship. He made better moves and made them at the right time compared to what the other two did. See Washington and Dallas had been sitting in playoff spots all year long. Pittsburgh was out of the playoffs by Christmas, but Rutherford made the moves needed to help turn the team around and they did in a big way.

Jack Adams Award (Awarded to the NHL coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success) Nominees: Lindy Ruff, Barry Trotz, Gerard Gallant WINNER: BARRY TROTZ

-Gallant I think deserved a little more consideration for this award then he got (I know he finished in 2nd place but it should have been closer). He did help turn the Panthers around and into division winners. Same argument can be made, to a degree, for Lindy Ruff. He did turn the Stars into a top flight team in a top loaded Western Conference. But Trotz deserves this award, leading the Capitals to the Presidents Trophy for the best record in the league. This is Trotz's first Jack Adams award. He led the Capitals to a Presidents' Trophy and became the 10th coach in NHL history to hit the 1,300-game milestone.

Calder Memorial Trophy (Awarded to the league's most outstanding rookie player) Nominees: Shayne Gostisbehere, Artemi Panarin, Connor McDavid WINNER: ARTEMI PANARIN

-No surprise that it went to Panarin. He managed to lead all NHL rookies in scoring this season. His play was just that much better than everybody else. I know Gostisbehere had the scoring streak for rookie defensemen. But he missed time at the start of the year (due to being in the minors) so I think had he played a full year, his numbers and chances might have been better And yes Conor McDavid really made a name for himself in the league this year, but missing all that time with the shoulder injury limited his playing time. Panarin was the leading scorer among rookies in the league this year, totaling 77 points, which was the 9th best point total in the league. Panarin becomes the first member of the Blackhawks to win the Calder since his Chicago teammate Patrick Kane won it in 2008.

James Norris Memorial Trophy (Awarded to the defenseman who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position) Nominees: Drew Doughty, Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns WINNER: DREW DOUGHTY

-Erik Karlsson put up awesome offensive numbers this year, leading the league in assists with 66 and had 82 points. He was by far the best offensive defenseman in the year and was the winner of this award last year. But Ottawa was one of the weaker defensive teams in the league this year. Brent Burns was a good all around defender this year, but wasn't as good as Doughty. Drew Doughty, despite having the lowest defensive numbers he's personally had in his career, still had a better year on defense than the other two guys. Los Angeles had one of the best defensive teams in the entire league, and Doughty was a major reason for that. Doughty the second player in Kings franchise history to win the Norris Trophy. Rob Blake is the other. He did it in 1998.

Vezina Trophy (Awarded to the league's top goaltender) Nominees: Braden Holtby, Ben Bishop, Jonathan Quick WINNER: BRADEN HOLTBY

-Yes I know that Quick had the best goals against and save percentage in the league and was a big reason why the Kings finished as high as they did in the Western Conference. Ben Bishop too had a fantastic year with the Lightning, keeping them afloat in the Eastern Conference when the Bolts struggled during the year. Holtby, though, had the best year of the three. Why? Because he tied the single season record (along with Martin Brodeur) by winning 48 games during the year. On some nights, Braden pulled the rabbit out of the hats for the Capitals. Washington doesn't win the Presidents Trophy if this guy wasn't in net. He was in the zone most of the year, a very deserving winner of the award this year. This was a runaway win for the Capitals' netminder. Holtby got 26 first-place votes from the 30 total votes cast by NHL GMs.

Hart Memorial Trophy (Awarded to the league's most valuable player) Nominees: Patrick Kane, Jamie Benn, Sidney Crosby WINNER: PATRICK KANE

-How Crosby was a finalist for this award leaves me scratching my head. He had a good year don't get me wrong, but not good enough of a year to finish second in voting for the Hart this year. He was good, I'm not denying that fact, but he wasn't at that high a level as he had been in years past. Jamie Benn also had a very good year, making an impact on the Stars and helping them become a power in the Western Conference. But to me, it was almost a no brainer that it should have gone to Kane. He lead the NHL in scoring with 106 points. Nobody else in the NHL topped 90 points on the year (finishing 2nd and 3rd in the league in scoring were Benn, who had 89 points, and Crosby who had 85 points). Kane recorded a 26-game point streak between October and December, during which he tallied 16 goals and 24 assists. This was the longest streak by any US-born skater, and the longest point-streak in Blackhawks history. Kane reaching 100 points became the first Blackhawks player to do that in a season since Jeremy Roenick in 1993–94, and the first American NHL player to reach 100 points since Doug Weight in 1995–96. There was nobody who was better in the NHL this year, to his team or to the league, than Patrick Kane. Kane becomes the first American to lead the NHL in scoring and the first Hart Trophy winner on the Blackhawks since Stan Mikita did it back in 1968.

So there you have it, the NHL Award winners for the 2016-17 season!

NHL Schedules Announced

We know, we know, it wasn't all that long ago that the NHL season came to an end. As you know, things change quickly in the world of sports. Yesterday, the National Hockey League announced the schedules for the 2016-17 season. There's going to be way too many fantastic hockey games to take a look at here. Before we get into the local teams, here's a couple of dates that, as a hockey fan, you might need to know.

Opening night is October 12th and the last day of the regular season falls on April the 9th. All-Star weekend goes from Friday, Jan. 27 - Monday, Jan. 30 from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, while the league hosts four outdoor games this season, the NHL Heritage Classic on October 23rd between the Oilers and Jets at Investors Group Field in Winnipeg, the NHL Centennial Classic between the Leafs and Red Wings in Toronto January 1st, the NHL Winter Classic between the Blues and Blackhawks at Bush Stadium in St. Louis on January 2nd and finally the Stadium Series between the Penguins and Flyers at Heinz Field on February 25th.

So, we will make things a little easier. We are going to list the entire schedule for the New York area hockey teams, so you can start planning your fall and winter schedule now. So here we go.

Here's the schedule for the New York Rangers:
THU OCT 13, 2016 ISLANDERS 7:00 PM
SAT OCT 15, 2016 @ BLUES 8:00 PM
MON OCT 17, 2016 SHARKS 7:00 PM
WED OCT 19, 2016 RED WINGS 8:00 PM
SAT OCT 22, 2016 @ CAPITALS 7:00 PM
SUN OCT 23, 2016 COYOTES 7:00 PM
WED OCT 26, 2016 BRUINS 8:00 PM
FRI OCT 28, 2016 @ HURRICANES 7:30 PM
SUN OCT 30, 2016 LIGHTNING 7:00 PM

TUE NOV 1, 2016 BLUES 7:00 PM
THU NOV 3, 2016 OILERS 7:00 PM
SAT NOV 5, 2016 @ BRUINS 7:00 PM
SUN NOV 6, 2016 JETS 7:00 PM
TUE NOV 8, 2016 CANUCKS 7:00 PM
SAT NOV 12, 2016 @ FLAMES 10:00 PM
SUN NOV 13, 2016 @ OILERS 9:30 PM
TUE NOV 15, 2016 @ CANUCKS 10:00 PM
FRI NOV 18, 2016 @ BLUE JACKETS 7:00 PM
SUN NOV 20, 2016 PANTHERS 5:00 PM
MON NOV 21, 2016 @ PENGUINS 7:00 PM
WED NOV 23, 2016 PENGUINS 7:00 PM
FRI NOV 25, 2016 @ FLYERS 1:00 PM
SUN NOV 27, 2016 SENATORS 7:00 PM
TUE NOV 29, 2016 HURRICANES 7:00 PM

THU DEC 1, 2016 @ SABRES 7:00 PM
SAT DEC 3, 2016 HURRICANES 1:00 PM
TUE DEC 6, 2016 @ ISLANDERS 7:00 PM
THU DEC 8, 2016 @ JETS 8:00 PM
FRI DEC 9, 2016 @ BLACKHAWKS 8:30 PM
SUN DEC 11, 2016 DEVILS 7:00 PM
TUE DEC 13, 2016 BLACKHAWKS 7:00 PM
THU DEC 15, 2016 @ STARS 8:30 PM
SAT DEC 17, 2016 @ PREDATORS 8:00 PM
SUN DEC 18, 2016 DEVILS 7:30 PM
TUE DEC 20, 2016 @ PENGUINS 7:00 PM
FRI DEC 23, 2016 WILD 7:00 PM
TUE DEC 27, 2016 SENATORS 7:00 PM
THU DEC 29, 2016 @ COYOTES 9:00 PM
SAT DEC 31, 2016 @ AVALANCHE 8:00 PM

TUE JAN 3, 2017 SABRES 7:00 PM
WED JAN 4, 2017 @ FLYERS 8:00 PM
SAT JAN 7, 2017 @ BLUE JACKETS 7:00 PM
FRI JAN 13, 2017 MAPLE LEAFS 7:00 PM
SAT JAN 14, 2017 @ CANADIENS 7:00 PM
TUE JAN 17, 2017 STARS 7:00 PM
THU JAN 19, 2017 @ MAPLE LEAFS 7:30 PM
SUN JAN 22, 2017 @ RED WINGS 3:00 PM
MON JAN 23, 2017 KINGS 7:00 PM
WED JAN 25, 2017 FLYERS 8:00 PM
TUE JAN 31, 2017 BLUE JACKETS 7:00 PM

THU FEB 2, 2017 @ SABRES 7:00 PM
SUN FEB 5, 2017 FLAMES 2:00 PM
TUE FEB 7, 2017 DUCKS 7:00 PM
THU FEB 9, 2017 PREDATORS 7:00 PM
SAT FEB 11, 2017 AVALANCHE 7:00 PM
MON FEB 13, 2017 @ BLUE JACKETS 7:00 PM
THU FEB 16, 2017 @ ISLANDERS 7:00 PM
SUN FEB 19, 2017 CAPITALS 12:30 PM
TUE FEB 21, 2017 CANADIENS 7:00 PM
THU FEB 23, 2017 @ MAPLE LEAFS 7:30 PM
SAT FEB 25, 2017 @ DEVILS 5:00 PM
SUN FEB 26, 2017 BLUE JACKETS 5:00 PM
TUE FEB 28, 2017 RANGERS 7:00 PM

THU MAR 2, 2017 @ BRUINS 7:00 PM
SAT MAR 4, 2017 CANADIENS 7:00 PM
MON MAR 6, 2017 @ LIGHTNING 7:30 PM
TUE MAR 7, 2017 @ PANTHERS 7:30 PM
THU MAR 9, 2017 @ HURRICANES 7:00 PM
SUN MAR 12, 2017 @ RED WINGS 12:30 PM
MON MAR 13, 2017 LIGHTNING 7:00 PM
FRI MAR 17, 2017 PANTHERS 7:00 PM
SAT MAR 18, 2017 @ WILD 7:00 PM
TUE MAR 21, 2017 @ DEVILS 7:00 PM
WED MAR 22, 2017 ISLANDERS 8:00 PM
SAT MAR 25, 2017 @ KINGS 10:30 PM
SUN MAR 26, 2017 @ DUCKS 9:00 PM
TUE MAR 28, 2017 @ SHARKS 10:30 PM
FRI MAR 31, 2017 PENGUINS 7:00 PM

SUN APR 2, 2017 FLYERS 7:30 PM
WED APR 5, 2017 @ CAPITALS 8:00 PM
SAT APR 8, 2017 @ SENATORS 12:30 PM
SUN APR 9, 2017 PENGUINS 7:00 PM

Here's the Schedule for the New York Islanders:
THU OCT 13, 2016 @ RANGERS 7:00 PM
SAT OCT 15, 2016 @ CAPITALS 7:00 PM
SUN OCT 16, 2016 DUCKS 6:00 PM
TUE OCT 18, 2016 SHARKS 7:00 PM
FRI OCT 21, 2016 COYOTES 7:00 PM
SUN OCT 23, 2016 WILD 6:00 PM
WED OCT 26, 2016 CANADIENS 7:00 PM
THU OCT 27, 2016 @ PENGUINS 7:00 PM
SUN OCT 30, 2016 MAPLE LEAFS 6:00 PM

TUE NOV 1, 2016 LIGHTNING 7:00 PM
THU NOV 3, 2016 FLYERS 7:00 PM
SAT NOV 5, 2016 OILERS 7:00 PM
MON NOV 7, 2016 CANUCKS 7:00 PM
THU NOV 10, 2016 @ LIGHTNING 7:30 PM
SAT NOV 12, 2016 @ PANTHERS 7:00 PM
MON NOV 14, 2016 LIGHTNING 7:00 PM
FRI NOV 18, 2016 PENGUINS 7:00 PM
TUE NOV 22, 2016 @ DUCKS 10:00 PM
WED NOV 23, 2016 @ KINGS 10:30 PM
FRI NOV 25, 2016 @ SHARKS 4:00 PM
MON NOV 28, 2016 FLAMES 7:00 PM
WED NOV 30, 2016 PENGUINS 8:00 PM

THU DEC 1, 2016 @ CAPITALS 7:00 PM
SUN DEC 4, 2016 RED WINGS 6:00 PM
TUE DEC 6, 2016 RANGERS 7:00 PM
THU DEC 8, 2016 BLUES 7:00 PM
SAT DEC 10, 2016 @ BLUE JACKETS 7:00 PM
TUE DEC 13, 2016 CAPITALS 7:00 PM
THU DEC 15, 2016 BLACKHAWKS 7:00 PM
FRI DEC 16, 2016 @ SABRES 7:00 PM
SUN DEC 18, 2016 SENATORS 7:00 PM
TUE DEC 20, 2016 @ BRUINS 7:00 PM
FRI DEC 23, 2016 SABRES 7:00 PM
TUE DEC 27, 2016 CAPITALS 7:00 PM
THU DEC 29, 2016 @ WILD 8:00 PM
SAT DEC 31, 2016 @ JETS 7:00 PM

FRI JAN 6, 2017 @ AVALANCHE 9:00 PM
SAT JAN 7, 2017 @ COYOTES 8:00 PM
WED JAN 11, 2017 PANTHERS 7:00 PM
FRI JAN 13, 2017 @ PANTHERS 7:30 PM
SAT JAN 14, 2017 @ HURRICANES 8:00 PM
MON JAN 16, 2017 @ BRUINS 1:00 PM
THU JAN 19, 2017 STARS 7:00 PM
SAT JAN 21, 2017 KINGS 7:00 PM
SUN JAN 22, 2017 FLYERS 6:00 PM
TUE JAN 24, 2017 BLUE JACKETS 7:00 PM
THU JAN 26, 2017 CANADIENS 7:00 PM
TUE JAN 31, 2017 CAPITALS 7:00 PM

FRI FEB 3, 2017 @ RED WINGS 7:30 PM
SAT FEB 4, 2017 HURRICANES 7:00 PM
MON FEB 6, 2017 MAPLE LEAFS 7:00 PM
THU FEB 9, 2017 @ FLYERS 7:00 PM
SAT FEB 11, 2017 @ SENATORS 1:00 PM
SUN FEB 12, 2017 AVALANCHE 6:00 PM
TUE FEB 14, 2017 @ MAPLE LEAFS 7:30 PM
THU FEB 16, 2017 RANGERS 7:00 PM
SAT FEB 18, 2017 @ DEVILS 7:00 PM
SUN FEB 19, 2017 DEVILS 6:00 PM
TUE FEB 21, 2017 @ RED WINGS 7:30 PM
THU FEB 23, 2017 @ CANADIENS 7:30 PM
SAT FEB 25, 2017 @ BLUE JACKETS 5:00 PM

THU MAR 2, 2017 @ STARS 8:30 PM
FRI MAR 3, 2017 @ BLACKHAWKS 8:30 PM
SUN MAR 5, 2017 @ FLAMES 4:00 PM
TUE MAR 7, 2017 @ OILERS 9:00 PM
THU MAR 9, 2017 @ CANUCKS 10:00 PM
SAT MAR 11, 2017 @ BLUES 8:00 PM
MON MAR 13, 2017 HURRICANES 7:00 PM
TUE MAR 14, 2017 @ HURRICANES 7:00 PM
THU MAR 16, 2017 JETS 7:00 PM
SAT MAR 18, 2017 BLUE JACKETS 1:00 PM
WED MAR 22, 2017 @ RANGERS 8:00 PM
FRI MAR 24, 2017 @ PENGUINS 7:00 PM
SAT MAR 25, 2017 BRUINS 7:00 PM
MON MAR 27, 2017 PREDATORS 7:00 PM
THU MAR 30, 2017 @ FLYERS 7:00 PM
FRI MAR 31, 2017 DEVILS 7:30 PM

SUN APR 2, 2017 @ SABRES 3:00 PM
TUE APR 4, 2017 @ PREDATORS 8:00 PM
THU APR 6, 2017 @ HURRICANES 7:00 PM
SAT APR 8, 2017 @ DEVILS 6:00 PM
SUN APR 9, 2017 SENATORS 5:00 PM

So there you have it, the local hockey schedule for the 2016-17 season!

Cavs Rule Basketball World

The time has finally come. After 52 long years of waiting, the city of Cleveland finally has a championship in town. For the first time in the history of the franchise, the Cavaliers won the NBA Championship, beating the Golden State Warriors in game seven, by a 93-89 final score. This series had been decided in by ten points or more in the first six games, but game seven was a total nailbitter coming down to the wire. Golden State, a team who had won more games than any other team in history, at least during the regular season, also held a 3-1 lead in the finals, only to see it evaporate. It marks the first time ever in finals history that a team has erased a 3-1 deficit to claim the NBA Crown.

LeBron and company had really gotten into the heads of the Warriors during games five and six of this series, with that trend continuing into game seven. Lebron and the boys kept the Splash Brothers quite in this basketball game, as Stephen Curry, who is also the two time reigning and defending league MVP, was held to just 17 points, while Klay Thompson had 14 points. Golden State's best player in this game was Draymond Green, who just so happen to drop 32 points to lead all scorers in this basketball game, on either team. The only quarter in which Golden State controlled the play was in the 2nd, where they outscored the Cavaliers 27-19, and if you combine that with their first quarter totals, Golden State had a 49-42 lead going into halftime. This is a complete changeup from game five, which saw a 61-61 score at halftime. It goes to show just how tight a basketball game this seventh game was.

Golden State managed to be able to stay around in this basketball game, thanks in large part, as mentioned before, to the hot shooting of Draymond Green. He played like a man possessed for the Warriors. He helped keep Golden State in the game, because the Splash Brothers really didn't show up. Sure, both guys produced, but not at the level that Green did and nowhere near the same impact that Green did. Golden State couldn't contain the Cavs at the start of the 2nd half. As a matter of fact, the Warriors shooting went ice cold at the end of the basketball game. Golden State went scoreless over the final 4:39 of the basketball game. Which is what lead to two of the most lasting images of the entire season.

First comes courtesy of LeBron. Golden State was threatening to put the game away, when out of nowhere, this happened:

LeBron comes flying back to make the block on Iguodala. IF that block doesn't happen, the Warriors may be celebrating a title right now to cap off the season that was in California. This play goes to show just how locked in LeBron was to bring the title back to his home state. That block by LeBron would go on and set the stage. Just moments after he makes that huge play, this happens:


Kyrie Irving has never, and may never again, hit a shot any bigger than this one. He finished the night the 2nd leading scorer on the Cavs, behind LeBron, with 26 points. None of them are going to be any bigger than those three points right there. LeBron's block would be the dramatic setup to Kyrie's even more dramatic shot to win the title for the Cavs.

The biggest story to take from this series, from a Cleveland perspective, was how well LeBron played. He dropped a triple double in game seven, with 27 points 11 assists and 11 rebounds, becoming only the 3rd player ever to drop a triple double in a game seven in the finals. The other two guys to do that in the finals are Jerry West in 1969 and James Worthy in 1988. Lets also take another look at the numbers that LeBron put up in the finals. Just in the finals, LeBron had 208 points, 79 rebounds, 62 assists, 18 steals and 16 blocks. All of those numbers lead both teams in the finals, and its the first time ever in the NBA playoffs, in any round, to lead outright or tie for the lead among all players from both teams in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks for an entire series. Oh and that performance LeBron had in the entire series, he was voted a unanimous Finals MVP (he also won the award in 2012 and 2013). By winning his third finals MVP, LeBron joins some pretty elite company. He joins Michael Jordan (1997-98, 1996-97, 1995-96, 1992-93, 1991-92, 1990-91), Tim Duncan (2004-05, 2002-03, 1998-99), Magic Johnson (1986-87, 1981-82, 1979-80) and Shaquille O'Neal (2001-02, 2000-01, 1999-00). That's some pretty good company to keep. It wasn't all LeBron though, Kyrie Irving had a big series as well, which is something that the Cavs didn't have last year.

Now lets look at this from a Golden State point a view. Their time had just run out on them. They got lucky to pull off the comeback against Oklahoma City in the West Finals, and had momentum on their side at the start of the NBA finals. But somewhere along the way, I think it was in game five, they lost their mojo. Cleveland really took over the series in game five and Golden State never found their groove again. I said this after game six that the Cavs had gotten into the Warriors heads, and started to beat them up physically. The Splash Brothers  were held in check by some great Cavaliers defense over the last three games of the series. Steph Curry showing his emotion in game six is a perfect example of just how much the Cavaliers had gotten into the Warriors heads and threw them off their games. Golden State will go down in the books as the best regular season team ever, winning 73 games. But that all means nothing when you can't get that elusive ring on the finger. Golden State had a fantastic year no doubt about it, but it wasn't their time come the finals.

Congratulations to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the 2016 NBA Champions!