Kukla's Korner

TSN: Mike Babcock speaks out about reducing stigmas surrounding mental illness

Blog: The Malik Report By George Malik

01/27/15 at 07:19 PM ET | Comments (1)

I'm pretty floored by this:

Quoting TSN's summary of a non-geoblocked video:

Bell Let's Talk: Babcock joins the fight

It's not often an NHL coach will open the doors of his family home to a member of the media, but after watching an episode of Off the Record, Mike Babcock picked up the phone and called TSN. He wanted to do more and invited Michael Landsberg to his home during the NHL all-star break and opened up. Mark Masters was also there and has more in this report.

The coach ain't kidding, and he talks about suicide, the stigma of mental illness...It's...As somebody who deals with severe depression and anxiety, I'm impressed, I'm really impressed.

Edit/update: And if you were wondering about the timing or are unfamiliar with the "Bell Let's Talk" campaign:

Update #2: And from TSN 1200 in OTtawa...

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Mike Richards Demotion

Blog: The Puck Stops Here By PuckStopsHere

01/27/15 at 07:19 PM ET | Comments (1)

Mike Richards of the Los Angeles Kings has just been sent to the AHL.  He will play with the Manchester Monarchs.  He cleared waivers in the process.  Thus every team had a chance to claim him and nobody did.  Why is this?

Richards is a former Canadian Olympian.  He was part of the gold medal winning Canadian team in 2010.  He has been a contender for the Selke Trophy as best defensive forward in several seasons.  He has 481 points in 704 career games.  His career best total is 80 points in 2009.  At 29 years of age it is hard to believe that he no longer has NHL value. 

His problem is his contract.  He is in the midst of a 12 year contract with an annual $5.75 million salary cap hit that he signed in 2008.  He makes $7 million this season.  The contract runs until 2019.  There are significant salary recapture penalties should he retire and not play the last couple years where his salary drops to $4.5 million and $3 million respectively.  No team wants to be stuck with that.

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Refreshed

Blog: Abel to Yzerman By Kate from Pa.-made in Detroit

01/27/15 at 07:00 PM ET | Comments (50)

The mid season break is over, and, here's hoping that the Wings come out flying. The second half of the season should prove interesting with many Teams in the East nipping at our heels.

The Wings are going through growing pains, but, the Team seems to be gelling more often than not. Climbing outta holes dug in the first period, or, blowing leads is still causing angst among the 19, and although the Wings have emerged victorious in a few games, it is a bad habit that has to be broken.

Yes, some of these come from behind wins are going to build character, but, so will a good "start to finish" type of game.

I'm looking forward to a refreshed, ready to go for sixty minutes every night,  Detroit Red Wings Hockey Team.

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Watching The All-Star Weekend In Canada

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

01/27/15 at 06:21 PM ET | Comments (0)

from Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star,

Canada’s TV numbers are in for the NHL all-star game and the numbers are down.

Sunday’s game that featured an absurd 29 goals drew 1.479 million viewers to CBC, nearly one million viewers less than the last all-star game in 2012 when 2.454 million people watched and 2011 when 2.363 million tuned in.

“Frankly it’s a little mystifying,” said Scott Moore, president of Sportsnet and NHL Properties for Rogers. “Somebody else asked me if I have an explanation and I don’t really.

“I just think they (the numbers) seem wrong.”

The ratings for the rest of the weekend were also down significantly compared to previous years.

Saturday’s super skills drew 1.7 million viewers to CBC, down from 2.5 million in 2012 and 2.4 million in 2011.

And Friday’s fantasy draft on Sportsnet drew a hair over half-a-million viewers, compared to 1.33 million in 2012 on TSN and 1.5 million in 2011.

continued

If you missed it earlier, some numbers for US viewers...

Filed in: NHL Talk, NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting, | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

Mad dash: On Weiss, Cleary, Kindl, Chelios’s thoughts and Griffins/prospect news

Blog: The Malik Report By George Malik

01/27/15 at 05:58 PM ET | Comments (2)

Several items of Red Wings-related note popped up while I ferried the mom to the family doc, and as they don't necessarily fit in the game-day entry, I'm dedicating a second entry to said articles/videos.

We start with DetroitRedWings.com's Ken Kal's Game-Day preview setting up tonight's game between the Wings and Panthers (7:30 PM on FSD Plus/FS Florida/97.1 FM):

Also regarding tonight's game:

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Radek Dvorak Announces His Retirement

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

01/27/15 at 05:33 PM ET | Comments (0)

TORONTO (January 27, 2015) – Radek Dvorak has announced his retirement from the National Hockey League (NHL) after 18 seasons.

Dvorak played in a total of 1,260 career NHL games with nine teams: the Florida Panthers, New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, St. Louis Blues, Atlanta Thrashers, Dallas Stars, Anaheim Ducks and the Carolina Hurricanes. He played in nine seasons with the Panthers, over two stints, for his longest combined tenure with one team. Dvorak scored 227 goals and 363 assists for 590 points in his NHL career. Internationally, while playing for the Czech Republic, he was a part of three gold medal-winning World Championship teams (1999, 2001 and 2005).

“It was an honor for me to play in the best league in the world for 18 seasons,” said Radek Dvorak. “I would like to thank to all the organizations, coaches and teammates I played for or with. Also, thank you to my parents, wife and kids who have always supported me and helped me throughout my whole career. At last I would like to thank to my fans who believed in and followed me all these years.”

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Filed in: NHL Teams, | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: radek+dvorak

Gordie Howe likely to undergo second stem cell treatment

Blog: The Malik Report By George Malik

01/27/15 at 05:30 PM ET | Comments (0)

The Canadian Press has filed an early "sans-quotes" story about Gordie Howe, and it mostly treads upon information that we already know about, but the first line is important:

Gordie Howe is doing so well after stem cell treatment that his son would like the hockey legend to undergo the treatment again.

Gordie Howe suffered a pair of strokes late last year.

Marty Howe says his father did not have long to live when the family decided to take him to Mexico last month for stem cell treatment.

He adds that his father can now walk again and his speech is improving.

The CP will post a with-quotes story within the next 2 hours, and I'll update this entry accordingly.

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Los Angeles Kings Assign Mike Richards To Manchester Monarchs

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

01/27/15 at 05:01 PM ET | Comments (0)

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Kings have assigned forward Mike Richards to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi announced today.

The 5-11, 199-pound native of Kenora, Ontario, appeared in 46 games this season with the Kings, registering 15 points (5-10=15) and 39 penalty minutes. He played in his 700th NHL game, Jan. 12 vs. TOR and recorded his 300th career assist, Dec. 12 at MTL. He had played 224 consecutive games dating back to Dec. 22, 2011, the longest active streak on the Kings.

Filed in: NHL Teams, Los Angeles Kings, | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: mike+richards

Game 7 Of The Stanley Cup Final

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

01/27/15 at 03:34 PM ET | Comments (9)

Martin Brodeur, Dominik Hasek or Patrick Roy, who starts for you in game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final?

Or maybe someone else?

Filed in: NHL Teams, | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: dominik+hasek, martin+brodeur, patrick+roy

Dealing With Alexander Semin

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

01/27/15 at 03:07 PM ET | Comments (4)

from Chip Alexander of the News & Observer,

It appears Bill Peters’ patience is being tested by Alexander Semin.

Peters, the Carolina Hurricanes' first-year coach, on Tuesday made some pointed remarks about Semin, the $7-million-a-year winger who again will be a healthy scratch Tuesday when the Canes host the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Semin, who has sat out nine of the past 13 games, has one goal and seven assists in 26 games this season. Peters has said a number of times that Semin needed to be in better physical condition and able to play at an NHL pace, and Semin has gotten in extra skating sessions after practices and morning skates....

Asked Tuesday how frustrating it has been to get so little out of Semin this season, Peters said, "Well, it's not frustrating for me. We just play the guys who dig in and work and play with speed in both directions and play hard. It's not hard."

Peters said he has had several discussions with Semin but said, "Obviously something's not right. Talk is cheap, though, right?...

"I talk about competitive people being in a competitive environment and we want to win. We are playing our best 20 players in order to win hockey players. That's the lineup. It's not hard."

read on

Filed in: NHL Teams, Carolina Hurricanes, | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: alexander+semin, bill+peters

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