PHL on Hiatus

This probably won't be a surprising announcement given the lack of updates this summer, I've decided to take an indefinite break from the PHL project and focus on career and family. I would still love to finish the project someday, life has just gotten so much busier and I've found I've had to spend a lot of my free time on it when I should be giving that time to my kids as well as some other projects.

Thanks to everone who has followed this series, it's been fun!

2008 World Hockey Challenge

In the midst of a tumultuous summer, the PHL took a break from CBA negotiations for the 2008 World Hockey Challenge in Ottawa. Ottawa was the first North American city without a PHL team to host the tournament in the new 18,000-seat Canadian Airlines Place. The host Canadians entered the tournament as favorites with a solid young squad led by Brad McNair and Joe Murdock, and featuring young stars Nathan Sibley and Erik Camden, with Travis Sweet in net. Team USA, led by PHL superstars Darren Reid and Ryan Shelton, figured to be Canada’s stiffest competition.

As the tournament began, it was the Americans who came flying out of the gate, routing Slovakia 8-0, then Germany 7-1. After defeating Finland, The Americans faced their biggest test against the Russians, who were also undefeated. Russia was led by Ilya Rusakivich, who led the tournament in scoring with 7 points in only three games. Rusakivich scored just 13 seconds in to open the scoring against Team USA, then assisted on a goal from Sergei Gulinov early in the second. The Russians entered the third period with a 2-0 lead, when Reid scored on a breakaway to bring it within one. With 43 seconds left, Jake Wilson beat Alexei Rolonov to tie the game and send it to overtime. Wilson would be the hero again near the end of overtime, giving the US a 3-2 win to clinch first place in Pool B.

Pool A was headlined by the defending champion Swedes, as well as a young Canadian team determined to claim their first title since 1988. Sweden was led by veterans Thomas Sandberg and Henrik Akerman as well as young stars Filip Linden and Andreas Ekbom, while leading the charge for Canada was Brad McNair, Joe Murdock, Brendan Marlo, and budding superstars Nathan Sibley and Erik Camden.

While Canada stormed through their first three games, Sweden lost a shocker to Czech Republic in the opener. At the conclusion of the Round Robin, Canada and Sweden clashed to decide first place in the group. Sweden would hold the tie-breaker advantage if they won. The Canadians dominated the first period but Mats Ossler held strong in the Swedish net. Finally, with just three minutes left, Sean MacDonald hit Brad McNair with a long pass, giving McNair a breakaway. McNair beat Ossler to give Canada the lead. A late push from the Swedes came up short and Canada clinched the top spot in Pool A.

The playoff round was predictable for the most part. Russia defeated the Czechs, USA routed Switzerland 7-0, and Canada survived a scare from Slovakia to squeeze out a 2-1 win thanks to two goals from McNair. The Swedes were heavily favoured to defeat their arch-rivals, the Fins, but a big third period goal from Teemu Niskanen gave Finland the upset.

The Fins went on to face Canada in the semis and came out strong, taking a 2-1 lead into the third period before McNair hit Camden with a long pass to send him on a breakaway. Camden buried it to tie the game. Four minutes later, Camden scored again as Canada took the lead. Garret Lowendawsky’s empty-netter sealed it and Canada advanced to the final. Meanwhile, Team USA faced Russia and jumped to an early 4-0 lead. But the Russians stormed back to within a goal in the second period thanks to a three-point effort from Ilya Rusakivich. The Russians almost tied it in the third when a Sergei Gulinov shot was stopped by Mark Davis’ glove. Jake Wilson sealed the nail bitter in the final moments to set up an all-North American final.

The final game was one of the most hyped-up games in WHC history. Canadian Airlines Place was packed to standing room only while 3,000 more gathered outside to watch on a big screen. Fans across the country tuned in for the game, which would be the most watched TV program ever in Canada. South of the border, American hockey fans hoped to see their first world title since 1992. The game remained scoreless into the third period, with both teams exchanging chances and Travis Sweet and Mark Davis both standing on their heads. Finally, three minutes into the third period, Joe Murdock bead Davis to give Canada a 1-0 lead. The Americans pressed as fans across Canada held their breath. Finally, Derek Ewin beat Davis on a breakaway to make it 2-0. The clock ticked down as fans belted out “Oh Canada”. The Canadians were world champions for the first time since 1988. Brad McNair was named tournament MVP, but it was 18-year-old Erik Camden who had stolen all the headlines. Camden had 11 points in seven games and had dominated the tournament in all aspects at only 18 years old. “He’s going to be something else, look out PHL” said Canadian head coach Rex Hull.

2008 Off-Season

Retirements:

Lamar Jackson, NYC, NO, DAL, CHI, 1988-2008

When Lamar Jackson joined his hometown Civics in 1988, the Civics were coming off six consecutive last-place finishes in the Atlantic Division. By the ‘90s, the Civics had become one of the top teams in the league and Jackson was a big reason why. In 1997, Lamar Jackson, along with Aaron Duplacy, and Jeremy Kitchen, finally won the Lewis Cup. In 2001, with the departure of Duplacy, Jackson was named the Civics’ captain. Jackson served two years as captain before signing with the New Orleans Sound in the midst of one of the most tumultuous off-seasons ever for any franchise, as Sound owner Sam Bendt irrationally fired the team’s GM before checking into rehab. Jackson handled the entire situation with class and proved to be one of the few bright spots for the Sound in their final days in Louisiana. Ultimately, Jackson was dealt to the Dallas Desperados. After just over a season in Dallas, Jackson signed with Chicago, where he finished his 20-year career with a Lewis Cup victory in 2008.

Martin Vannier, CHI, 1988-2008

One of the most underrated players of his generation, Martin Vannier was a steady presence as Chicago’s second-line center for 20 years. Playing behind Vladimir Gaganov first, then Jonathan Wheatley, Vannier rarely got the attention he deserved around the league but was one of the most popular Shamrocks of all time in Chicago. In 1994, Vannier’s popularity reach new heights when the Shamrocks won the Lewis Cup and Vannier scored the winning goal. The following year, Vannier was the hero again, sending Chicago back to the finals, where they would ultimately lose to the Montreal Royale. Vannier would remain loyal to the Shamrocks into the 2000s, and his loyalty was rewarded in his last season, when the Shamrocks won the Lewis Cup for the first time since 1994.

Igor Kharitonov, DET, TOR, HOU, 1991-2008

The collapse of the Soviet Union led to a flood of Russian players heading to the PHL during the 1991-92 season. One of those players was Igor Kharitonov, who joined the Detroit Mustangs. Kharitonov was the lone bright spot during a tough decade for the Mustangs, leading the team in scoring every year from 1992-93 to 2004-05. In 2005, Kharitonov left for Toronto, where in his first season as a Racer, he helped the team to a Lewis Cup title. Kharitonov played just one more season in Toronto before being dealt to Houston, where he would finish his career.

Jeremy Sutton, MIA, BOS, 1989-2008

Jeremy Sutton was drafted in 1989 to be the franchise player for the expansion Miami Stingrays. In his early years, Sutton was mentored by veteran Craig Tucker and at the start of the 1994-95 season, he was finally named the Stingrays’ captain. That season, the Stingrays made the playoffs for the first time. In 2002, Miami unexpectedly reached the Lewis Cup Finals, where they lost to the Seattle Grey Wolves. Unfortunately, that would be the closest Sutton would ever get. In 2008, Sutton was dealt to the Boston Bulldogs at the trade deadline with the hopes of winning a championship, but the Bulldogs would lose in the second round.

2008 Entry Draft

The 2008 entry draft marked a new era for the New York Civics, as the Civics finally selected phenom Erik Camden with the 1^st overall pick. Camden took the stage and was presented with a jersey already prepared with his number 89 on it. “I can’t wait for training camp” said Camden. “Hopefully I can make an impact right away.” With the second selection, the Montreal Royale selected speedy swedish defenseman Filip Linden, while Kansas City took Eric Bennett with the third pick.  Bennett had been passed over in the 2007 draft but enjoyed a huge year in 2007-08 and his draft stock shot up.

Bennett’s mother was a respected executive in the league and had served on the expansion committee. To round out the top five, Calgary selected playmaking center Evan Moss, then Washington selected Garret Lloyd at number five. In a surprising move, the Wranglers acquired the seventh overall pick from Pittsburgh in exchange for star defenseman Kyle Logan. Calgary used the pick to take big winger Devan Hemsky.

Transactions

The Logan deal was the first major one of the summer, as the cash-strapped Wranglers took the opportunity to unload Logan’s $10 Million/year contract and take another promising young player. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, felt the need to accelerate their rebuild. “We feel that Kyle can put us over the top” said GM Jacques Corbet. “Our goal will be to make the playoffs this season.” Oakland made several moves shortly after the draft to navigate their salary cap issues. Teppo Sarri was sent to Pittsburgh after 17 seasons in the Bay area in exchange for the Stingers’ second and third round picks in 2009. But the big move came when the Nuggets sent star winger Kyle Clark to Houston in exchange for prospect Jayden O'Connor and goaltending prospect Cameron Burgess.

In one of the biggest re-signings of the summer, goaltender Mark Davis signed a ten-year deal with the Bulldogs worth $10 Million/year. With the deal, the Bulldogs were unable to re-sign defenseman Igor Novavich, so Novavich signed with the hated rival Philadelphia Redshirts for $9 Million/year for 8 years. Big contracts for goalies seemed to be a theme in 2008, as Denver locked up Martin Barker for ten years at $10 Million/year. The deal was criticized as Barker was still somewhat unproven, and now the Bulls were committed until 2018.

With the selection of Erik Camden, the Civics kicked their rebuild into high gear. When free agency opened on July 1, the Civics immediately landed one of the biggest names on the open market, signing longtime Monreal star Zdeno Kadlec to a six-year deal worth $9 Million/year. The Civics also added 6’4”, 234 lb Todd Beck to protect their new star. Meanwhile, Chicago was also busy, adding signing star defenseman Jyrki Rainimak to a 3-year deal worth $8 Million/year. Rainimak chose to leave Portland for an opportunity to win a title in Chicago. One of the biggest moves came two weeks into July, when Dallas Desperados captain AJ Vernon, frustrated with yet another playoff failure, decided to leave for Philadelphia. Vernon took a $3 Million pay cut to sign with the Redshirts with the hope that he could help Philly win a championship.

Also leaving Dallas was Randy Fernandez, who decided to play a 24^th season. With Dallas looking to get younger, Fernandez signed a one-year deal with Denver worth $1 Million. At 41, Fernandez was still in better shape than many players half his age and the Bulls felt he could be a valuable veteran presence on a young team. “I’ll keep playing as long as my body will allow it” said Fernandez.

News

The hockey world was on edge in the summer of 2008. The collective bargaining agreement was set to expire in September and, especially amidst the Great Recession, the outlook wasn’t great. The only possitive was that commissioner Greg Nolan was determined to salvage the game’s image and knew a lengthy work stoppage could be devastating. Meanwhile, PHPA president Brian Hunt was nearing his 60^th birthday and planned to retire once the deal was signed. Hunt’s wife, Wendy was dying of cancer and some wondered if the former Denver Bulls captain was up to leading negotiations. Hunt was training Vancouver winger Eric Moon to take over as Union president.

Negotiations heated up through the months of June and July. Nolan and the league wanted to put a limit on contract lengths, citing the 13-year deal signed by Kris Nazarenko in 2005 as the precident. Hunt said the players could accept term limits but only with major concessions from the league. The league put negotiations on hold in August for the World Hockey Challenge but Nolan sounded cautiously optimistic. “We have a long way to go but there has been some progress” said Nolan.

The immiment CBA expiration was not the only challenge facing the league in 2008. The Calgary Wranglers faced the possibility of relocation, while an investment group known as the “Cowtown Three” featuring former Wranglers Don Taylor and Shannon Michaels and Rodeo legend Ricky Adams was attempting to purchase the team and fund a new arena. In August, they caught a break. A Toronto-based sofware company, Prism, announced they were willing to help the the group pay for half of the arena if the city of Calgary would pay for the rest. The city finally agreed to pay for 49 percent, but the franchise would still need to be purchased. Greg Nolan would not approve a local sale unless the arena deal was finalized and so the investors took a huge gamble and moved forward with the arena deal. A new 16,000 building in Downtown Calgary would be built and hopefully completed by the fall of 2010. It would be a significant reduction in capacity from the 20,000 seat Exhibition but many saw this as a good thing. The team had struggled to fill the huge arena for years and it was critical to keep costs low. The team would need to remain at the Beltline Arena for two seasons. The Wranglers would live to play at least another season.

While things were starting to look up in Alberta, the Cleveland Cosmos ran into problems of their own. In July, the team’s owner, real estate tycoon David Farber, was forced to declare bankrupcy. Farber was hit hard when the housing market crashed and now the team would go up for sale. “We believe in Cleveland as a market, and we will do anything we can to keep PHL hockey in Cleveland” said Greg Nolan.

New Uniforms Unveiled

The PHL and Duke Sports continued to roll out new uniforms just days after the 2008 finals ended. First, the league unveiled new uniforms for the all-star game. As usual, the all-star uniforms are less traditional with asymmetrically coloured sleeves in red, white, and blue.

The same day the all-star uniforms were unveiled, the Denver Bulls and Edmonton Northern Lights both unveiled the retro uniforms they will wear for the 2008 Holiday Classic game in Denver. The visiting Northern Lights will wear their white jerseys originally worn from the 1980s and '90s, while the host Bulls will wear red jerseys based on those worn by the team in Buffalo during the 1940s and '50s.

Finally, four teams unveiled new alternate jerseys for the 2008-09 season. Houston unveiled a navy jerseys with an oil worker's helmet on the front, LA will bring back their popular look from the 1970s dynasty years, Pittsburgh's new jersey is an updated version of their original gold jerseys, while Winnipeg will wear a new red jersey with the secondary "covered wagon" logo on the front. Each team will wear their new uniform ten times during the season.

2008 Lewis Cup Finals

The 2008 Lewis Cup Finals began on June 2 at the Metbank Center. The whole Island was “cup crazy” as the Concordes were appearing in their first final since 1990. Meanwhile, the Chicago Shamrocks had appeared in the final in 2003, but had not won since 1994. Game one started slow as the teams appeared to be feeling each other out. A goal from Scott Drayton gave Long Island a 1-0 lead in the second period, which held until late in the third, when Ryan Shelton took a penalty, leading to a powerplay goal for Martin Vannier. With just 1:50 left, Ilya Rusakivich scored what would be the winner as the Concordes took a 1-0 series lead. When game two went to overtime where the Shamrocks were desperate to avoid going into a 2-0 hole. Just 22 seconds into the extra frame, Jonathan Wheatley beat Luke Morrison to tie the series heading to Chicago. “That’s a huge win” said Wheatley. “It’s important for us to go home with the split.”

Game three was all Chicago early on, as Wheatley and Jay Lydon each scored in the first period, then Dan McBride and Lamar Jackson in the second. Down 4-0, the Concordes weren’t discouraged, scoring just seconds into the third. But Kari Nurminen stood tall, only allowing one more in a 4-2 win. The Concordes made a change for game four, going with 21-year-old Josh Gurmett in net with Morrison struggling. Gurmett responded with a shutout as Shelton, Tory Partridge, and Randy McAllen each scored in a 3-0 win to tie the series. “We have a battle on our hands now I’ll tell ya!” proclaimed CBC play-by-play man Graham Helm.

Game five certainly was a battle. Wheatley and McAllen each scored in regulation as the game went into overtime. Gurmett and Nurminen each made save after save as one overtime became two. In the second OT, Scott Drayton’s point shot hit the post, then Nurminen swatted a Ryan Shelton shot away from a wide open net. At the other end, Gurmett seemed unbeatable as the game went into a sixth period. The third overtime would last just over seven minutes, when Lamar Jackson, the 39-year-old playing in his final season, ripped a shot from the top of the circle to beat Gurmett and give the Shamrocks a chance to win the Lewis Cup at home. Long Island opened the scoring on game six on a goal from Chris Dempsey, but it was all Chicago after that. Wheatley scored twice, putting an exclamation point on his playoff MVP honours, and the Shamrocks went on to win the game 4-1 to claim their first Lewis Cup in 14 years. In an interesting piece of trivia, the Shamrocks were the first team in the 16-team playoff era to lose game one of each series and win the cup. Captain Corey Clark received the cup from Greg Nolan and immediately passed it to Martin Vannier, the 20-year veteran who had never won the cup. With his health failing, Fred Garfield Jr joined the team on the ice for a celebration reminiscent of the 1983 celebration. “These kids really played their hearts out” said Garfield. “My father would be very proud.”

2008 Playoffs - Conference Finals

Chicago vs Los Angeles

Matt Stover’s solid play in the LA net continued in game one against Chicago with a shutout performance as the Wizards took a 1-0 series lead. In game two, The Wizards came back to tie the game after going down 2-0. Early in the first overtime, Jonathan Wheatley beat Stover to tie the series. After winning two games in LA, the Shamrocks found themselves one win away from the Finals. Game five back in Chicago was a close one. Isaac Hart and Luca Schrober each scored for LA while Dan McBride and Corey Clark each scored for Chicago as the teams went into OT once again. Chicago peppered Stover with shots throughout a lopsided first overtime, but the 27-year-old made some huge saves to send the game to a second extra frame. Five minutes into the second overtime, Wheatley was the hero again, beating Stover to clinch the series and send Chicago to the Lewis Cup Finals.

Long Island vs Philadelphia

The Philadelphia Redshirts’ fourth appearance of the decade in the Eastern Conference Finals did not begin as planned. Almost everyone on the Concordes’ Roster registered a point in a decisive 7-1 game one victory. After being chased in game one, Luke Bowers put any concerns about his confidence to rest with a big 46-save performance in game two as Philly won 3-2 to tie the series. The Redshirts were happy to head home with the split, but the games at the PhillyDome both went the Concordes’ way in a bizzare case of déjà vu, as Scott Drayton score the Overtime winner from exactly the same spot on the ice with nearly identical point shots in a pair of 2-1 wins. The Shamrocks clinched their series the night before game five and it appeared the Finals matchup would be settled, but Philly pulled out a gutsy 4-2 effort on the road to survive. Back at the Dome for game six, another Drayton point shot in OT was stopped by Bowers, giving the Redshirts even more confidence, and just moments later, Sean Nowakowski proved to be the hero, sending the series to a game seven on the Island. Game seven began the way the series started, with a Long Island route. The Concordes jumped to a 4-0 lead by the end of the second period, forcing Philadelphia to pull Bowers in favour of veteran Pierre Noel. Noel was solid in the third, giving the Redshirts a shot at a comeback. Nowakowski, Baxter, and Sergei Dyatlov each scored to bring Philly to one goal with only 50 seconds remaining, when Long Island center Tory Partridge was called for a cross-check. The Redshirts pushed hard but veteran goaltender stood tall. The clock ran out and the Concordes headed to the Lewis Cup Finals for the first time since 1990. When asked about killing the penalty in the last minute, Long Island captain Ryan Shelton replied “its game seven, you have to find a way to kill those penalties.”

2008 Playoffs - Round Two

Milwaukee vs Los Angeles

The biggest upset of the 2007 playoffs was when the LA Wizards defeated the Choppers in the second round. A year later, the teams squared off for the rematch. Despite the Wizards’ 9-point improvement in 2008, the Coppers were still considered heavy favorites in the series, that is until Los Angeles won game one 4-2 thanks to an Oleg Gusarov goal in the third period that would prove to be the winner. Milwaukee recovered with a 4-1 win in game two, but Matt Stover made several big saves as the Wizards took game three at home to lead the series. Isaac Hart was suspended for game four after a knee-on-knee hit on Henrik Akerman and without the LA agitator on his back, Brad McNair exploded for two goals and two assists in a 4-1 Choppers win. The Chops would take the series lead with a 2-0 win at home in game five but Hart tormented McNair throughout game six, then scored what would be the winner in a 6-1 LA victory, sending the series to a game seven. Game seven would go into double overtime, where LA’s Hendrik Soderstrum beat Matt Darwin with a slapshot to upset the Choppers and send the Wizards to the Western Conference Finals for the second year in a row.

Long Island vs Toronto

After a shutout performance in game one, Concordes goaltender Luke Morrison struggled in games two and three as the Racers took a 2-1 series lead. The veteran goaltender found his game again in game four, however, earning another shutout in a 2-0 win. Game five would be one of the longest in league history, reaching four overtimes before Ilya Rusakivich finally ended it, giving Long Island a chance to win the series. Game six was all Long Island early on, as Rusakivich, Tory Partridge, and Scott Drayton each scored to give the Concordes a 3-0 lead. A late goal from Joe Murdock would be too little too late as Long Island would advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Chicago vs Oakland

Travis Sweet was supposed to be the big story for Oakland after another big season and two straight shutouts against Dallas in the first round, but the young goaltender had to have an emergency appendectomy just hours before game one against Chicago, putting him out for the series and forcing Oakland to go with veteran Kevin Washer, starting his first playoff game since he played in Boston. Washer played very well in the first four games, earning a shutout in game four. In game five, Jonathan Wheatley scored in the third period of a very tight game to give the Shamrocks the lead and eventually the win. Facing a must-win at home in game six, the Nuggets once again fell behind early. Washer was pulled in favor of rookie Ian Thorne in what many figured could be his final PHL game. Chicago won 5-1 to advance to the Western Conference Finals.

Philadelphia vs Boston

Just three weeks after the ugly Chris Woods incident, the Redshirts and Bulldogs clashed in what seemed like an inevitable playoff meeting. Sean Nowakowski was back in the Philly lineup, wearing a full cage to protect his jaw, while Woods watched from home while finishing his season in Canadian Senior Hockey, his PHL career likely over. A surprisingly tame game one went to the Redshirts, but after game two, the fun began. The Redshirts hung on for a 2-1 win but Joey Hamilton flipped the puck down into the empty Boston net anyway, after the horn had sounded. Immediately, several Bulldogs gathered around Hamilton, while the Redshirts rushed to his defense, the two teams throwing jabs at each other. The officials broke it up but afterwards Boston’s Brayden McPherson told reporters that Hamilton was a “little piece of (expletive)” and that someone would need to “teach him respect”. Brendan Marlo and Mikael Larsson came up big in game three, a 3-0 Boston win, but the game was a rough one, with scrums after every whistle. Jeffery Simpkins scored on the empty net to seal the win and celebrated like his team had won the Lewis Cup, enraging the Redshirts. Philadelphia enforcer Ryan Schwimmer grabbed Simpkins, but McPherson intervened and the two heavyweights went toe-to-toe as fans who were leaving the arena hurried back to their seats. The series everyone had anticipated was on. Game three was complete chaos, with Boston up 3-0 in the second period, Simpkins took an extra poke at Redshirts goalie Luke Bowers after he had made a save. Defenseman Corey Powell grabbed Simpkins and started throwing haymakers immediately. Then Jeremy Sutton started trading punches with Joey Hamilton. Eventually, Bowers and Mark Davis met at center ice, with Davis getting the upper hand. Philly attempted a comeback in the third but Boston held on for a 3-2 win. Police were eventually called in when several big fights broke out in the stands, then in the parking lot. Players were kept inside the arena for nearly three hours after the game as a street brawl outside turned deadly.

The league issued a stern warning to both teams ahead of game five. Any player to fight after a whistle or a horn would be suspended one game, and any player who fought while another fight was in progress would also be suspended one game. Police in full riot gear lined the parking lot and the corridors of the PhillyDome for game five. Right off the opening faceoff, Enforcers McPherson and Schwimmer squared off for the second time in the series with McPherson getting the win. The fight seemed to calm everyone down a bit. The Redshirts, realizing they would not win an alley fight with the Bulldogs, relied on their speed and quick passing and won the game 4-2. Back in Boston for game six, Philly went up 3-0 in the first ten minutes, chasing Davis from the net. Boston would score early in the third but it was too late. As the final seconds ticked down on another rough game, two linebrawls delayed the final buzzer. When the buzzer finally sounded on a wild series, the referees would not allow the teams to participate in the traditional handshake line, instead ordering the Bulldogs off the ice immediately, ending another chapter in one of sports’ greatest rivalries.