Clearing the Air

It has been brought to my attention that my opinion on the NHL and Pittsburg Penguins’ decision to hold a press conference on Sidney Crosby’s health status could be construed as downplaying the seriousness of his health condition.

 If it was, I apologize.

 My intent was to bring focus on the plane crash that took the lives of several people in Russia.  I felt it was a more important news story, not just a hockey story that deserved more attention by the media in general.  I felt it would have showed more class to wait on the Crosby press conference.  Today would have been a better time to have it so it could have gotten the full focus of the hockey and non-sports world.

Recent history between the Penguins and Islanders aside, I realize the significance of Sidney Crosby to the NHL.  He is without a doubt, one of the best players in the world.  I would hate to see such a talented player have a career cut short by such a serious injury.  I do not think a head injury is something to take lightly, as evidenced by the articles I published over the past few months.  I felt that in addition to bad timing, the Crosby press conference really gave us nothing we didn’t know already. 

I am glad to see there is hope for his return and when it happens, it will be good for our sport.

Islanders Statement on Lokomotiv Crash

New York Islanders General Manager Garth Snow's statement regarding the Lokomotiv plane crash:

“The entire New York Islanders organization is saddened by the confirmed reports of the devastating plane crash involving the Kontinental Hockey League club, Lokomotiv.  Our hearts and prayers go out to all the families that lost loved ones on that flight.  Three members of the Islanders family were passengers, including former assistant coach Brad McCrimmon, defenseman Alexander Karpovtsev and forward Josef Vasicek.  We send our deepest sympathies to everyone who has been affected by this tragic event"

A Summer to Forget

While the NHL and Pittsburg Penguins were broadcasting a press conference on the current health status of Sidney Crosby, the rest of the world was focused on the tragic plane crash in St. Petersburg, Russia that took the lives of almost all of the passengers aboard the charter flight of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl Hockey club.  The team was flying to Belarus to face a Minsk club in the 2011 KHL season opener.

According to reports, “The plane apparently struggled to gain altitude and then hit a signal tower before breaking apart along the Volga River near Yaroslavl, 150 miles (240 kilometers) northeast of Moscow.”  The crash left 43 people dead.

 It has been reported that all but 2 of the passengers have been killed.  An unidentified crewman and player, Alexander Galimov, said to be in critical condition, suffering burns to over 80% of his body.  (Update:  Has since passed away from injuries sustained in crash)

International Ice Hockey Federation president Rene Fasel called the crash "a terrible tragedy for the global ice hockey community with so many nationalities involved."

Head Coach, Brad McCrimmon, an ex-Islanders assistant coach and Ex-Islanders’ players, Josef Vasicek and Alex Karpovtsev, who was an assistant coach for the team were among those killed in the crash.

Russia's Sov Sport website stated that the entire main roster of the team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl was on the plane, along with four players from the youth program. 

Eric Hornick posted an article from Deadspin.com, that revealed the Plane involved in the crash, tail designation RA-42433 was banned in Europe due to safety concerns in 2009. It states the chartered plane was cited for failing to meet the international standards for safety.  The investigation concluded, “These aircraft were not equipped to perform international flights as per ICAO standards (not equipped with TAWS/E-GPWS) and their certificate of airworthiness had expired and had not been renewed.”  The Russian Federation had agreed to bring the aircraft in compliance with international standards.

“All planes owned by charter company YAK Service have been prohibited from flying to countries within the European community, which does not include Belarus, today's destination.”  The article also stated, “Currently Russia and the former Soviet States have the world's worst air safety record, with 13 times more incidents than the international average.”

Passenger list:

1.Vitaly Anikeyenko
2.Yury Bakhvalov
3.Aleksandr Belyayev
4.Mikhail Balandin
5.Aleksandr Vasyunov
6.Josef Vasicek
7.Aleksandr Vyukhin
8.Aleksandr Galimov – in critical condition
9.Robert Dietrich
10.Pavol Demitra
11.Andrei Zimin
12.Marat Kalimulin
13.Aleksandr Karpovtsev
14.Aleksandr Kalyanin
15.Andrei Kiryukhin
16.Nikita Klyukin
17.Igor Korolyov
18.Nikolai Krivonosov
19.Yevgeny Kunnov
20.Vyacheslav Kuznetsov
21.Stefan Liv
22.Jan Marek
23.Brad McCrimmon
24.Sergey Ostapchuk
25.Vladimir Piskunov
26.Karel Rachunek
27.Evgeny Sidorov
28.Karlis Skrastins
29.Ruslan Saley
30.Pavel Snurnitsyn
31.Daniil Sobchenko
32.Ivan Tkachenko
33.Pavel Trakhanov
34.Igor Urychev
35.Gennady Churilov
36.Maksim Shuvalov
37.Artyom Yarchuk

Although its been a summer to forget, we should remember those worth remembering.

We will keep you in our thoughts. 

Rest in Peace.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emqug0_8AFU&feature=youtu.be

Isles Invite Pandolfo

Jay Pandolfo has accepted an invitation to the New York Islanders,  2011 Training Camp.  He is attending on a try out basis and at 36 years old, the 6’1, 200 pound left wing could bring another veteran presence to a young Islander team poised to take the next step.

Selected by New Jersey Devils in the second round, #32 overall in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, Pandolfo spent 14 years of his professional career with the New Jersey Devils, winning two Stanley Cups. Pandolfo has tallied 99 and 124 assists for 223 points in his career thus far. With the New Jersey Devils, he has played in 131 career Stanley Cup Playoff games scoring 11 and 22 for 33 points.

Bonded By Blood

Former NHL player Wade Belak was found dead on August 31^st, in a Toronto hotel.  Belak, 35, had retired earlier this year after his 15th season in the NHL playing for the Nashville Predators.  At 6’5, and 220-pounds, Belak was something of an enforcer, best known for his toughness and grit.  He was set to begin a career in broadcasting.

Rick Rypien, 27, was found dead in his home on August 15th. Rypien was known to be battling depression and had taken a leave of absence due to personal reasons.  It was reported to be his third such leave in three years with the Vancouver Canucks.

Derek Boogaard, 28, died on May 13th in his Minnesota apartment after an accidental overdose of prescription drugs.  Boogard came off a tough season with the New York Rangers that ended prematurely after suffering a concussion on December 9^th vs. Ottawa.

Three enforcers, all between the ages of 27 and 35 years old taken from their families and fans too soon.  Three NHL players, who lost their lives since May of this year.  All three were strong and in good health, playing for the best hockey league in the world.  What could have been the root of their problems that led to their deaths?

After the great Bob Probert passed away from heart failure in July, his family donated his brain for scientific study of sport’s concussions and the effects of brain trauma, at Boston University.  They found that Probert suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease that often leads to memory loss, drug abuse, depression and anger issues related to impulse control.  C.T.E., as it is known in medical circles, is said to be prevalent in the research conducted on retired players of the National Football League. (Source: Alan Schwarz-The New York Times)

Is fighting responsible?  I don’t think you could truly say that it is.  Playing contact sports all my life, I’ve seen brutal hits and injuries in lacrosse, football and hockey.  The very nature of the contact sport puts the entirety of the body through a battery of beatings regularly.  Injuries are common and can occur to even well-conditioned athletes.  The same can be said about head injuries within the contact sport itself.  Not keeping your head up or being vulnerable for just a second can lead to a concussion.  Multiple concussions over a career can definitely affect the cognitive health of an athlete and could possibly lead to problems later on in life.

The NHL has taken the plague of head injuries seriously.  They have looked into player equipment, ice-surface safety and the rules of conduct within the game to address the problem.  Hits to the head have been forbidden and punishments for the offenders have been given to make each offender an example.  These are good changes and if followed and applied justly, will definitely make the game safer.  Reminders to all players in the game to be more aware and to avoid precarious positions will also help.  Unfortunately, I think that head injuries can’t be avoided in a contact sport like hockey.

Post-concussion syndrome used to be called getting your bell rung.  Anyone who suffers from it can tell you, it’s completely debilitating and greatly affects your quality of life as you grow older.  In addition, do not downplay the seriousness of depression or dependance issues.  All are real symptoms found in those who suffer these types of head injuries.  All of these elements contribute to the deconstruction of an athlete's life.  You could assert that as an enforcer, one would be more susceptible to concussions and thereby, have an increased risk of conditions like C.T.E.  Some evolve after retirement while others force retirement of promising careers.  While all players are subject to the risks that play the game, is there a pattern evident?

Enforcers are necessary to protect the star players in the game or to re-establish team focus.  They provide an intimidation factor to opponents that all hostile attacks will be answered in kind.  They are a champion, of sorts, to the crest on the jersey and beloved by thousands of screaming fans as much as any sniper or masked protector of the net.  They put themselves at risk every time they engage in combat on the ice.  Is it fair of the casual fan to not be concerned at the rise in depression or heath issue risk associated with the brain injuries so common to these men? 

A Neutral Reckoning of Reality

I need to repost a repost of a fantastic article brought to my attention by @NHLArenaNYIsles  on Twitter.  It’s an article by JJ from Kansas from a Redwing blogging crew called @wingingitmotown .  Also give credit to the great Greg Wyshynski of Puck Daddy for an earlier refrenced article.

It goes into the Pitt/Isles game controversy from a neutral perspective and details what the writer learned from re-watching the game after an Isles fan challenged him to do so.  I found it to be an interesting take of the whole situation and loved the way it maps out the story of the game by the actions involved.

Here is the article:

http://www.wingingitinmotown.com/2011/8/22/2375857/weekly-hate-me-and-conclusion-leaping

Bravo Sir.  Thank you for your article.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/In-defense-of-Islanders-8217-viewing-party-of-?urn=nhl-wp10568

Greg Wyshynski’s earlier article

We are all Islanders.

Back on August 1^st, a third jersey concept for the Islanders 2011-2012 season was leaked and picked up on the Internet. 

http://knightofcups-bondi.blogspot.com/2011/08/third-jersey-you-say.html

The Islanders PR machine quickly responded that it was only one of the concepts being considered at this time.  Today, Icethetics.info claimed to have confirmation that was indeed the third jersey to be worn by the Isles for a handful of games this season.  CB gives them credibility on such rumors.

Since it was leaked, a majority of the loyal fans and the Isles hate machine rejected the design and called for a re-do.  A short time after that, people became obsessed with hating on the new design.  They became agitated on all of the Isles Blogs and on twitter, and spoke of how it was another black eye on the season before it has even started.  I am not thrilled with the jersey, but its not terrible, its just not uniquely Isles.  The orange third jersey used from 02-03 until 06-07 was even a better fit in my opinion.

But seriously, I think everyone should relax and not get distracted.  I get how we all have free agent envy, and the vote failed and most fans feel like the Islanders can’t even get a jersey concept correct.  I think posting 5 concepts and letting the fans vote was the way to go.  I gave that suggestion on twitter right after I saw the new design, but who am I?  Well, I am a die-hard fan.  Perhaps a redundant title because anyone who is still a fan must be called diehard at this point.  I understand new jerseys mean new revenue to the team from a loyal fan base.  Some fans will buy what ever the team puts out and they know this.  I am almost this bad, but I at least waited for the classic logo to return to the wave jersey before I even considered grabbing one.

I think we should not over react.  Lets keep the faith and hope for some trades, waiver pick-ups and some good luck to come our way.  We have a lot to be excited about with this team.  Islander country is wrought with well-written articles on top prospects, young talent and a solid base that has the potential to return us to a competitive playoff team in the near future.  All I am saying is stay true and keep letting this stuff roll off your back.  We can take it.  Lets not allow those hipsters who have made Islander-bashing one of today’s hottest trends feel satisfied.  We should refuse to allow the media to get us riled up about this or anything else we have to deal with.  I know we have had a few embarrassing moments, but we will get through it.

I would just like to see everyone chill out and come together and be more positive about the team, especially in public.  We need to give the haters less ammunition when it comes to our passion.  As a die-hard Islander fan, I am calling out to my battle brothers and sisters.  Relax and keep focus on the prize.  Don’t sweat the small stuff.

We are all Islanders.