Kukla's Korner Hockey

Category: Calgary-Flames

Morning Line

by Paul on 06/17/13 at 11:27 AM ET
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"... honestly, what has Shanahan done to be considered for such a pivotal role? He’s never scouted, never run a hockey team, never made a trade and never juggled a roster or a salary cap. He has worked on player safety for the NHL, issued suspensions and fines and he has initiated talks and ways to improve the game. Kudos to him for that, but converting that into a director of hockey ops gig is a major leap, one the Flames are in no position to make.

This is a franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs in four years, an organization now in a rebuilding mode with three picks in the first round of this month’s NHL entry draft. This isn’t the time to hand the keys over to a novice and say, “Go take it for a test drive. See what you think.”

-Allan Maki of the Globe and Mail.  More from Maki on this topic and other NHL notes...

Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames, | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: brendan+shanahan

Another Job For Shanahan?

by Paul on 06/15/13 at 06:36 PM ET
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added 8:41pm,

from Allan Maki of the Globe and Mail,

What was outlined was as follows: Ken King would step in as team president and CEO to lead the Flames’ pursuit of a new arena; Shanahan would come aboard as director of hockey operations and would be allowed to hire his own people.

That, essentially, would position Shanahan as Jay Feaster’s boss. The Flames’ general manager is on the hot seat after failing to make the playoffs for four consecutive seasons. Feaster will also be overseeing arguably most important NHL entry draft in franchise history, what with Calgary having three first-round selections. How the team proceeds, through the draft, trades or free-agent signings, will ultimately determine Feaster’s fate.

read on

Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames, | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: brendan+shanahan

Feaster Plans To Build The Flames The Right Way

by Paul on 06/14/13 at 08:12 PM ET
Comments (2)

from the CP at Sportsnet,

Calgary’s current needs are size and talent at centre, more size on their third defensive pairing, plus a shooting right-winger to replace Iginla, Feaster said.

"We have to get bigger and we have to get harder to play against," the GM said.

Feaster fought the term "rebuild" as he traded away the team’s captain and top defenceman during the season. He joked Friday that via "therapy" he’s accepted that rebuilding is what Flames are doing.

His intention, however, is to make that process as short and as painless as possible.

"I don’t think there is a quick fix," Feaster said. "We have to do a better job as an organization in drafting. We think that over the last three drafts or so, we’ve done a better job, but (there’s) not enough players that are pushing through right now. We have to a better job developing players. Once we draft them, we do the right things to develop them.

"We have to continue to add assets. We can’t keep trading away high draft picks and trying for that solution that gets us through and gets us to the playoffs at the expense of the foundation."

Feaster hinted he’s willing to package current Flames into draft-day transactions.

more

Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames, | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

Joey MacDonald Will Be In Calgary For Another Year

by Paul on 04/20/13 at 10:42 AM ET
Comments (2)

 

added 11:12am, Read the release below from the Flames...

Continue Reading »

Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames, | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: joey+macdonald

Has Kiprusoff Played His Last NHL Game?

by Paul on 04/20/13 at 09:24 AM ET
Comments (1)

from George Johnson of the Calgary Herald,

“Yeah, it was a little bit (emotional),’’ admitted Kiprusoff, expected to announce his retirement at season’s close with one year left on his current contract. “After First Star, I had to come quickly out. It was an unbelieveable feeling.

“You look at some other Canadian cities and it can be a tough time for goalies. The crowd can be tough for them. But I’ve been lucky. I’ve a feeling they’re always behind me and that’s huge for a goalie.’’

At game’s end, before the rest of his teammates gathered near centre to salute the crowd, they waited for Kiprusoff to bask in the applause, acknowledge the adulation, alone.

Apropos, for such a singular talent.

more

 

Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames, | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: mikka+kiprusoff

Videos- It Was A Night Of Strange And Weird Goals

by Paul on 04/18/13 at 08:23 AM ET
Comments (2)

Dave Steckel  with a pop-up goal...

 

 

Steve Begin with two strange goals and Johan Franzen scores on a backhand from center ice, all wrapped up in one video below...

Continue Reading »

Filed in: NHL Teams, Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, Detroit Red Wings, | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: dave+steckel, johan+franzen, steve+begin

The Last Of Kiprusoff?

by Paul on 04/17/13 at 07:21 AM ET
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from Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun,

And so this is how it ends for Miikka Kiprusoff.

Ten years of exemplary service with the Calgary Flames organization all comes down to one more token start at home Wednesday night. Maybe two if his play merits one last hurrah in Friday's last Dome date of the 2012-13 NHL season.

One or two more chances for the 36-year-old to finish up the most horrid season of his career, and then he'll disappear.

By virtue of his position, a pretty good argument can be made the Finnish netminder has made an even bigger impact on the team's fortunes the last decade than Jarome Iginla.

continued

Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames, | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: mikka+kiprusoff

Video- Alex Tanguay’s Lower-Body Injury

by Paul on 04/13/13 at 08:32 AM ET
Comments (3)

Gelinas was right, it is ugly...

video via CBC,

 

Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames, | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: alex+tanguay

What Rebuild?

by Paul on 04/04/13 at 10:09 AM ET
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from Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun,

Asked at Wednesday's post-deadline press conference how long it might be until the organization sees the fruits of its recent purge, Feaster made a troubling declaration: "Murray Edwards told me last evening that he expects to be in the playoffs next year," said Feaster.

"So, there's my marching order."

The room went silent, which was in stark contrast to the citywide gasps from horrified fans and the laughter from the rest of the hockey world.

Just when it appeared the Flames were finally ready to move wholeheartedly in the right direction, Edwards issued the type of directive that got this franchise into this mess in the first place.

Instead of building slowly towards something the city can eventually be proud of again, comments like that suggest the organization is destined to, once again, ignore the virtues of patience and better judgment by aiming for something that is not only completely unattainable but counterproductive.

more

Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames, | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

Kiprusoff Update

by Paul on 04/03/13 at 11:24 AM ET
Comments (1)

Darren Dreger reporting Kiprusoff wants to stay in Calgary for this season then retire.

So attention may now turn to Luongo.

Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames, | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: mikka+kiprusoff

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