Hockey Hearsay compiles stories from around the hockey world and runs weekdays, 12 months a year.
EDMONTON’S NEW ARENA IMPACT QUESTIONED
A local sports economist suggests to The Edmonton Sun that the city’s proposed downtown arena may not be as lucrative for the city as the nearly $1 billion direct and indirect impact officials are suggesting.
“The document claims to assess the direct impact on the local economy, but the $601 million ‘in direct impact’ is actually an estimate of the cost of the project,” said University of Alberta professor and sports economist Brad Humphreys, adding confusing costs and benefits is a very common tactic for those with an agenda.
“In my experience, the indirect economic impact the new arena will have on Edmonton is zero for jobs, zero for GDP dollars, and zero for impact on wages and earnings.”
He argues that the arena won’t create new jobs — it will simply see construction and entertainment workers shuffled. “The document implicitly treats all these impacts as new economic activity — it’s not — we’re just moving jobs around,” said Huphreys, who stresses he’s not anti-arena.
Though Coun. Bryan Anderson agrees any ‘guesstimate’ for a total economic impact is just that, he says it’s ridiculous to say the net benefit of the economic impact would be “zero”.
“The benefits say first of all we get an arena — and an LRT station and construction productivity and jobs created,” he said. “Will the impact be the same as these estimates? Only time will tell.”
TROUBA FITTING IN WITH JETS
The Winnipeg Sun supposes as for when Jets fans might get to see 2012 first-round draft pick Jacob Trouba play is anyone’s guess. He had his first official practice with the Jets on Monday, and he didn’t look out of place at all. Trying to get a straight answer out of head coach Claude Noel on Monday about when Trouba might play was next to impossible.
“He’s fitting in fine. This would be his first practice with our group, so it’s hard to make an assessment on him,” Noel said.
“Where we go with Jacob will be determined by a lot of different factors. The bottom line is we’re trying to get ourselves in position to win games, and that’s what we’re focused on right now. If that involves him, then that involves him based on whatever we determine that to be.”
Trouba sounded like a seasoned vet when asked about getting into the lineup.
“There’s a bigger picture, and it’s not about me or getting to play, it’s about this team making the playoffs, and I’m just trying to do what I can do to help make that happen,” he said.
OATES LEANS ON OVECHKIN
The Washington Times points toward the fact that Alex Ovechkin is playing his best hockey in three years is at least in part a testament to Adam Oates‘ trust. Putting the 27-year-old offensive superstar into all-around situations is what the Caps’ coach called “part of evolving his game.”
Oates won’t treat Ovechkin like a liability in one-goal games like Dale Hunter did.
“I told him that: ‘You are the man, we know that, and I want to give you every opportunity to succeed and be the man for us,’” Oates said.
Ovechkin isn’t a $9 million role player with Oates in charge.
“Every guy you put out there, you’re adding responsibility to their game,” Oates said. “And you want to make players grow. In a sense, to me a player should want to be there. That’s the ultimate compliment is when a coach puts you out there late in the game.”
DEVILS PLAYING WITH FREE AGENT FIRE
The Star-Ledger recalls how Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello rolled the dice last year by choosing not to talk to Zach Parise during the season about a contract extension and allowing the former captain to reach unrestricted free agency.
Lamoriello has an unwritten policy of not talking contract extension with players or their agents during the course of a season, but he has made exceptions, most notably goalie Martin Brodeur. But there have been no such discussions with Patrik Elias or David Clarkson.
“Who wouldn’t want to talk about it during the season?” Elias asked. “Then you would see they have interest. And, if you like the offer, why wouldn’t you sign? But that never came up here.
“If it had happened it would’ve been great, but it didn’t happen. It’s getting kind of late now.”
While Elias would prefer to finish his career with the Devils, he hints he will test the market in July.
“It comes pretty quickly right after the season,” Elias said about the start of free agency.
Clarkson might be wise to see what he can get from other teams, such as his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. But he wouldn’t go so far as to say he intends to get to unrestricted free agency.
“I’m not thinking about July,” Clarkson insisted. “I’m here to hope we can do something like we did last year.”
SAKIC BACKS LANDESKOG’S CAPTAINCY
The Denver Post points out Avs coach Joe Sacco and legendary Colorado center and current executive advisor Joe Sakic — who withstood a 16-50-14 season in his first season as co-captain of the Quebec Nordiques in 1990-01 — both said Gabriel Landeskog has done nothing wrong and will continue to serve as captain next season and beyond. In fact, they both say they admire how Landeskog has handled so much adversity.
“We don’t want him to change at all, because he’s captain because he’s captain material,” Sakic said Sunday. “He’s just a tremendous leader. We know he’s got the utmost respect from everybody in that dressing room, the coaching staff and everybody in the organization. He’s just a kid who possesses all the qualities of leadership.”
Sakic said Landeskog’s on-ice production can’t be fairly judged because of the concussion that forced him to miss 11 games and not participate in any physical activity for two weeks.
“It’s easy to be a front-runner and everything, but it’s how you come through the tough times that really builds character. … He’ll come through it and he’ll be fine.
MASON HITTING RESET BUTTON IN PHILADELPHIA
The Courier-Post describes how when he got a call from Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen notifying him he had been traded to Philadelphia, goalie Steve Mason saw it as a chance to press the reset button on his entire career.
He inked a one-year extension with the Flyers on Monday worth $1.5 million.
“Coming to Philadelphia now, I can leave all that baggage that was there and start over again,” Mason said. “This is a great opportunity and something I’m really looking forward to getting underway.”
How does he plan to approach things with his new team?
“My goal is to be the best goaltender that I can be and in my opinion that’s a No. 1 goaltender,” Mason said. “I know that’s gonna take a lot of work. It’s something I’m prepared to do. It started a couple days ago when the trade went down. It’s something that I’m really looking forward to and I’m really excited to get it going.”
CHICAGO A FAMILIAR SPOT FOR HANDZUS
The Chicago Tribune observes that familiarity is important veteran center Michal Handzus, who landed himself back with the Chicago Blackhawks. He played for them during the 2006-07 season.
“I always do that,” Handzus said. “I like to go somewhere they know me.”
When the Sharks approached him before last week’s trade deadline, Handzus used the power of a no-movement clause in his contract to dictate where he would land. The Hawks were his choice. He knew the city, the trainers, the coaching staff and several players. And it didn’t hurt that the Hawks hold the best record in the NHL.
“There were some other teams, but this was my first option for sure,” said Handzus, who was acquired from the Sharks on April 1 for a fourth-round draft pick. “It’s a great team, first and foremost, but then I know a lot of people in the organization too. When you’re getting traded at the deadline you have like 10 or 12 games before the end of the season and playoffs, so you need to fit in right away.”
THEODORE SEEKS RETURN TO PANTHERS
The Miami Herald points out the Florida Panthers, if they bring back Jose Theodore, would have three goalies under contract next season as the 23-year-old Jacob Markstrom is a restricted free agent and Scott Clemmensen is signed for one more season.
If Theodore is brought back, Clemmensen would likely be the odd man out in the Florida rotation.
“Time will tell what happens,” general manager Dale Tallon said Sunday during Clemmensen’s masterful 40 save performance in a 2-1 win over Ottawa. “I was very happy with him. He works hard, is a pro and I like him. It’s just a matter of getting Markstrom signed, we have Clem signed. We’ll see what happens. We really have no commitment to anything right now.”
Theodore, 36, said Monday that he is working himself back for next season – with the hope that it’s with the Panthers.