CONFERENCE FINAL PREDICTIONS

Must admit that I have been following the OHL playoffs intermittently since the IceDogs were eliminated.  It's not like I have completely lost interest but as this is my second job, the break from broadcasting the OHL gives me time to focus back on family and the main career job.   Plus, I am producing and hosting a sports show that I created called *cue cheap plug* The Broadcast Booth, which you can catch starting Friday April 26th at 4:00pm and 10:00pm on Cable 14 if you are in the Hamilton area. *end cheap plug*

I went 4/4 in the second round in terms of my predictions, but was way off when it came to number of games.  I had Barrie and Oshawa going the limit, and was surprised to see the Generals get dusted in a sweep.  Lack of scoring was the Gens downfall.  I had Belleville over Sudbury in 5, so I was pretty bang on there.   Overall it was very surprising to see both series end in a sweep as all season long we had been talking about parity in the East on our OHL broadcasts.  In the West, I had London in 6 and they won in 5, and I picked Plymouth over Owen Sound in 6 correctly. 

On with the predictions: 

PLYMOUTH OVER LONDON IN 6

Might be going out on a limb a bit here, but I had touted Plymouth from the start of the playoffs and see no reason to deviate from that.  London is playing very, very well but Plymouth has been matching them so far.  Mike Vellucci had an interesting quote that you take many different ways.  Velluccci compared the Knights to the New York Yankees, a quote that is fairly accurate.  London gets their lions share of the great prospects in the OHL and like it or not, there is a buzz when the Knights come to town.  Plus the Hunters, while outstanding hockey men, don't exactly give everyone the warm and fuzzies.  This will be a great series, but I'm sticking with Plymouth. 

BARRIE OVER BELLEVILLE IN 6

To me, looking from the outside, Belleville is just starting to hit their stride in the playoffs and Malcolm Subban is playing lights out, having captured a number of individual honours during the post season.  Barrie is  playing even better.  They dismantled a very, very good Oshawa team in 4 in a series that turned in Game 1 when Barrie came back from 3-1 down and won 4-3 in OT.  They are unbeaten in the playoffs and at some point during the series Ryan O'Connor, the Nelson Mandela of the OHL will be liberated from OHL incarceration.    Belleville is built for the playoffs with big aggressive forwards and outstanding goaltending.  Barrie is built for a championship appearance and I give them the slight edge in talent and depth. 

'Till the Finals!

Steve Clark

ROUND TWO PREDICTIONS...OHL

Just some quick thoughts, including Round 2 predictions.  I went 6/8 in my actual predictions, missing out on Guelph/Kitchener (Had Guelph in 7) and Sudbury/Brampton (had Brampton in 6).  Others I missed on the number of games it took to vanquish the opposition, but I did nail Owen Sound in six over Sault Ste Marie and Barrie to sweep Kingston.  

As I am somewhat IceDog-centric, I will a post more comprehensive season in review at a later date, perhaps waiting until Saturday's draft to see how the IceDogs fill out their roster.  Marty Williamson has already made a smart move, grabbing a couple of 3rd round picks for the upcoming draft in return for some futures down the road.  Having four picks in the first 53 will add some depth that should come to fruition just in time for the new arena. 

2ND ROUND WESTERN CONFERENCE

LONDON IN KITCHENER IN 6

Make no mistake about it, Kitchener was very impressive in round one in dispatching a very good Guelph team in five games, as John Gibson played very, very well in net.  He could steal a game, or perhaps even a series. London looked equally good in their four game sweep over Saginaw.  They survived a real scare in Game 2 when they won in double overtime and took care of business in Games 3, and 4.   While the edge may go to the Rangers in net, I like London's depth and experience over all. 

PLYMOUTH OVER OWEN SOUND IN 6

Gotta stick with my pick to win it all in what should be a raucous affair.   Plymouth had little trouble with Sarnia, romping 11-2 in game one and essentially coasting from there while Owen Sound had a real battle on their hands with a talented Soo team.   Owen Sound has that mix of talent and aggression, while Plymouth has great team defense and a wealth of offensive talent.   This will be a great series and it would surprise to see it go 7.  I still like Plymouth though.

2ND ROUND EASTERN CONFERENCE

BARRIE OVER OSHAWA IN 7

Almost wrote Oshawa down as talent wise they do match up well with Barrie.  Oshawa had their hands full with a young IceDog team and it was no coincidence that the one game they lost was the one game they came unglued in terms of team discipline.   They got a dominant performance from Scott Laughton in round one, and Boone Jenner came alive in Game 5 versus the IceDogs.  The only real disappointment was Tyler Biggs who was held goalless versus the IceDogs.  Barrie easily took out Kingston in four straight and are at the top of their offensive game, though they will miss Ryan O'Connor, their captain who received a 10 game suspension in a decision that left many scratching their head.   Give it to Barrie over a long and grueling series. 

BELLEVILLE OVER SUDBURY IN 5

The Bulls got a legitimate scare from Mississauga in their series, prevailing in 6 games. After a dominant 8-1 thrashing in Game 1, the Bulls might have taken the foot off the pedal before righting the ship in Games 5 and 6.  Sudbury looked very good in beating Brampton and sending the moving vans off to North Bay, but they were aided by some divine PP help in Game 2 that led to Stan Butler getting tossed and suspended.  In a year in which the Wolves traded away more established talent than they got back, they are doing awfully well for themselves.  Belleville is a team built for this year and in the second round they will show it. 

Oshawa v Niagara Series Thoughts

Visually Game 3 of the IceDogs/Generals series made for spectacular TV with a number of game stories entering the game, and even more after the game.   Artistically, this was not exactly Rembrandt on ice.   Bottom line is that there is some real animosity between these two teams, and the IceDogs showed the necessary push back to get back into the series.  Here are a few random thoughts...

STEVEN SHIPLEY: 

Scores 2 goals, and gets 20 stitches and still only gets 2nd star. Go figure!.     That, to me, is a definitive statement on the leadership of the IceDogs as no one would have begrudged Shipley had he not returned.  Warrior is an understatement. 

THE JACK: 

Boosted by noise makers, the drum corps and a whole whack of loyal fans, the old building rocked on its foundations at time and was the loudest that I can remember it.  Even though Oshawa is a veteran team, you could see that some were rattled at the atmosphere and the IceDogs fed off of it.   Kudos to the IceDog fans. 

LUCAS LESSIO:

Already a game story as IceDog fans revel in making Lucas Lessio public enemy number one, Lessio took centre stage for his over the top taunting celebration of a goal, that wrongly as it turned out, was waved off for a phantom contacting of the puck with a high stick.  Lessio then took a slew of penalties and had his night end early as he picked up a questionable interference call and then a 10 minute misconduct.   Lessio was on the short end of a few calls, but no IceDog fan will extend any sympathy to him.  He was still visibly upset at the disallowed goal call after the game. 

SCOTT LAUGHTON:

A pro's pro.  Laughton has been the best player on either team in the playoffs.  Easy to see why he is a first round pick and a future NHL'er.  Even when he scored to make the game 4-2, there was no discernible reaction as he knew there was work to be done.

YOUTH IS SERVED

Maletta, DiFruscia, Perlini and Verhaeghe have been equally as effective as the big three of Strome, Shipley and Ritchie, and that is a good thing.  Add in Aaron Haydon's return to the lineup from a broken jaw and they are a large reason that this a series very much in doubt. 

GOALIES: 

In Game 3 Festarini outplayed Altshuller, and the IceDog net minder looked very composed, remarkable considering the wave of players that the Gens sent to the net.  Altshuller has played well in spurts, but has not looked completely comfortable in the net so far for Oshawa. 

FINALLY...

Interesting choice by Coach DJ Smith to send McGuire, Dundas and Hunter Smith out for the last face-off.  Gamesmanship has been an issue with both teams this series.   The spillover to Game 4 will be interesting to say the least. 

See you at the rink!

Steve Clark

FEARLESS PREDICTIONS: OHL Round 1

With visions of three NCAA brackets and the OHL playoffs dancing in my head, the prognostication cap is on.  Keep in mind my track record for predictions of any sort have been lamentable to say the least. 

I was the guy who stocked up on supplies least Y2J destroyed all that we held valuable and was the one who bought into the Mayan prediction of the end of the world.   Caveat aside, lets have a gander at the OHL playoffs..

WESTERN CONFERENCE ROUND 1: 

London vs Saginaw:  Saginaw played well down the stretch to overtake Windsor and claim the last spot, and they did it while trading Vincent Trocheck, their best player.  This is where they will miss him the most.  Too much depth for London for the Spirit to handle.  Max Domi, Bo Horvat, Seth Griffith, Olli Maata head a long list of players who anchored the Memorial Cup run last year.  

London in 5

Plymouth vs Sarnia:  Plymouth was just ridiculous down the stretch, winning something like 20 out of their last 24 and looking like a juggernaut doing it.  Adding the aforementioned Trocheck may have been the final piece of a strong lineup already boasting the likes of Tom Wilson, and a core defense, that while unspectacular, is experienced having played upwards of 200 games together.  Sarnia has a lot of flash and dash on offense led by Charlie Sarault and 60 goal sniper Reid Boucher.   JP Anderson provides good goaltending but the defense will find it difficult to handle Plymouth's forwards

Plymouth in 5

Owen Sound vs Sault Ste Marie: Owen Sound is like that big mean dog that you want to avoid when you walk home.  They are deep, skilled and aggressive and when I saw them play vs Sarnia on Friday I moved back several rows when Daniel Zweep came on the ice!  The key is whether or not they can stay out of the penalty box.  If they do, they should win relatively easily.  If they do not the Soo could stretch this series.  

Owen Sound in 6

Guelph v Kitchener: The first pick 'em of the playoffs.  Guelph had a fine year and has a very capable Garrett Sparks to duel John Gibson in net.   That said, I don't think we have seen the best of Kitchener this year as they were ravaged by injuries and also had a lot of players go to the World Jr's.  Both teams are very evenly matched and I can see this one going seven games.  In fact, that is what my prediction is. 

Someone in 7.....ok, ok, I will go with Guelph

EASTERN CONFERENCE ROUND 1: 

Belleville vs Mississauga:  Mississauga backed into the playoffs with so much force, you could literally hear the beep, beep of the big  truck (Thanks to The League for providing the original joke).   The Steelheads lost 9 of their last 10 and needed a win over Ottawa and help to get in.   They have some nice individual talent in Riley Brace and Dylan Smoskowitz, but the Bulls have Subban's a plenty as well as some nice depth at forward fortified by the likes of Tyler Graovac.  

Belleville in 4

Barrie vs Kingston:  Another team that needed a lot of help to get into the playoffs was Kingston.  They too needed to pick at the Ottawa 67's carcass to qualify for the playoffs.  Bigger things were expected of this team, but they floundered badly down the stretch.  Barrie has too much depth on offense with Scheifle, Camara, and Hall.  Plus the defense led by Ekblad, Ryan O'Connor and Alex Lepkowski should help dispatch of the Fronts early. 

Barrie in 4

Oshawa v Niagara:  This match up adds a level of intrigue as Niagara knocked out Oshawa the last two years in the playoffs. Last years first round was a rollicking affair in which the Gens completely completely capitulated the first two games before responding with two straight victories and a healthy scare for the supposedly dominant IceDogs.   Lots of players from that Oshawa were part of the last two losses, and I do not think they want to see a hat-trick of eliminations at the hands of the IceDogs.   Niagara had a great start and then got depleted by the World Jr's and NHL camps.  They still have Strome, Ritchie and Shipley, but they are banged up and going against the likes of Jenner, Lessio, Laughton, Petgrave, and Biggs.   How close the series will be determined by the discipline, or lack thereof, by Oshawa. 

Sorry IceDog Fans...Gens in 6.....but Lucas Lessio will get booed lustily 

Brampton v Sudbury: Aaah yes, the series that blew my bracket last year.  Who could have predicted that the Battalion would sweep the Wolves?  Not this guy!  The Wolves were sellers at the deadline, and then played better.  The Battallion were fairly consistent over the course of the year with one ugly stat as they lost 9 games in OT or the Shootout.  That's ok though because Sudbury lost 12 in that manner.   The systems coaching of Stan Butler and the goaltending of Matej Machovsky will ensure that the Brampton name will live on for another round at least. 

Brampton in 6

For the record, I am picking Plymouth to win the whole thing as they were the best team I saw all year, granted that the sample size was small. 

See you at the rink

Steve Clark

TIME TO FRESHEN UP THE ICE DOG LOGO?

I am not exactly the most creative marketing guru that fell off, well, whatever truck marketing guru's fall off of.  If you take a look at any of the ways that I brand myself, its pretty standard fare.   I usually rotate one of two photos of myself in the wonderful, dynamic and creative pose of trying to look thoughtful and intelligent with a microphone in front of me. 

Not exactly the most innovative picture.  Nobody is calling me a Steve Jobs visionary or a 2013 Renaissance Man.  However, I will opine that it is time for the IceDogs to tweak their current logo, and maybe change up the dynamic a little bit.  They may choose to do it next year, but certainly when the new arena opens in 2014 a fresh look and new uniform goes without saying. 

Now, as I say this, I say this with the caveat that I actually like the current IceDogs logo and colour scheme. The red and black is bold and the "IceDog" markets itself quite effectively to children, and does it without being cartoon-like.  It certainly was an improvement over the Mississauga IceDogs logo: 

In fact, I own many, many pieces of IceDogs  merchandise, be it t-shirts, golf-shirts, or hats.  My wife has IceDogs  merchandise, and so does my 21 month old toddler.  However, six years is a a substantial amount of time to have one logo in an era of third uniforms and creative changes to a sports brand on a yearly basis.    The IceDogs have had a couple of different styles to their uniform, in particular when they have done their Pink in the Rink game, and it has worked.    It does not have to a grand overhaul, just some changes.  As OHL teams come through the Gatorade Garden City Complex, I am stuck by some of the effective subtleties to uniforms, whether it is added piping, taking away piping, cream coloured uniforms, changes from the standard black to something more reflective of team colours.  There is a lot that can be done without doing something radical like the Mississauga Steelheads did when they changed from the Majors, and the Steelheads took a calculated risk which paid off as their uniforms look quite sharp.  

I would add a red third uniform into the mix, and change the front logo to something like a little more old school, maybe encircled or something like that.  The IceDogs have sold t-shirts with that sort of branding last year for the playoffs, and it was a tremendous success.   

Here it is:  

This is likely not breaking news to the IceDog staff.  No one is going to rush into an emergency staff meeting because the TV guy thinks he's Ralph Lauren.   I would guess that something might be in the works in the not so distant future, if not next year, then the year after.  

Sports branding almost demands a different look.  It's what makes the cash registers ring, or I guess the modern analogy is the debit machines swipe.  

Just don't do this...don't ever do anything remotely close to this eyesore. Not even Ryan Strome, Jesse Graham or Mitchell Theoret could look good in this disaster :-)

Steve Clark

Self-Proclaimed Fashion Guru

IceDogs TV Play by Play

RANKING THE TOP 10 OHL PROSPECTS FOR THE UPCOMING DRAFT

I took a stab at ranking the Top 10 OHL prospects for the upcoming NHL Draft as I was contacted by Brock Otten, who runs a comprehensive site looking at draft prospects.  I have written for Brock before because he is well respected and likes to take opinions from a wide variety of respected sources. 

His full list can be found here:  

http://ohlprospects.blogspot.ca/2013/02/midseason-mediascout-top-10-for-2013.html

My opinions are found here: 

1. Sean Monahan- Ottawa:  Sometimes you really need to see the character of a player when he faces adversity.   His team is last in the OHL and he was cut from Team Canada, but Monahan continues to produce with 67 points in 48 games.  He is strong in all facets of his game, and he might not realize it, but the substandard year for the 67's likely has made him a better all around player. 

2. Darnell Nurse- Sault Ste Marie:  I do not know what I like more- the imposing 6'5 frame the 34 points from the back end or the fact that he has 104 PIM this year.  He's the complete defenseman who just needs to add some subtleties to his offensive game.  Great athletic bloodlines with Dad being a former CFL receiver, and many, many members of the Nurse family excelling at NCAA schools. 

3. Max Domi- London : Love his game.  He's got speed to burn, quick hands and a quick release.  He plays with a bit of an edge, but nothing like his father Tie.  He could hit 40 goals this year on a deep London squad.  Plus he knows the feeling of being a winner, having gone to the Memorial Cup final last year with London.   

4. Kerby Rychel-  Windsor:  Coming from a small sample size personally, but there is no denying the excellent stats of Rychel.  He was a 40 goal marksman last year on a mediocre Windsor squad and has 33 in 57 games this year.   Father Warren was known for being a scrapper, but Kerby has a lot of offensive finesse. 

5. Bo Horvat- London:  Solid, solid player.  He was all over the ice when I saw him live versus Niagara.   Like Domi, he is an important part of a very, very good team.   I rank him slightly below Rychel only because Rychel has better statistics. 

6. Nikita Zadorov- London:  London could have three 1st round NHL draft picks this year, and it would not surprise me to see Zadorov  drafted ahead of both Horvat and Domi.  He's 6'5 228, but his skating stride is smooth, and he is very composed in his own end, as evidenced by his +31 plus/minus ranking.  Offensive stats are modest, but at this point that's not his game.  Could be a shutdown type defender.

7. Justin Bailey- Kitchener:   Stands 6'3 194 and with room to grow.  When I saw him earlier in the year his stats were modest, but there is nothing wrong with 17 goals on a team that does not light the lamp with regularity.  At that size has the potential to develop into a true power forward.

8.  Jason Dickinson-Guelph:   The time I saw him live this year, was on the wrong end of a thrashing by Niagara, so I did not get to see his true potential.  Stats are modest, but sometimes it is the intangibles that elevate the draft status.   

9. Spencer Martin- Mississauga-  When you draft a goalie in the first round of the OHL draft, like the Steelheads did with Martin, there are high hopes.  Martin has met all of them.  He has been a workhorse with 40 games and at 6'2 190 pounds has good mobility.  One thing when I saw him play is that he sometimes reacts unfavorably when goals go in. That's going to happen, and might need to calm the emotions down a bit. 

10. Chris Bigras -Owen Sound.  I really liked what I saw of Bigras. While one element of his game does not stand out, he does everything well and he logs a fair amount of minutes on a team expected to make a deep playoff run.  Very poised, and has a good shot. 

A Couple of Deep Sleepers

Stephen Harper- Erie- He was ranked very highly in earlier draft boards, but has had a very inconsistent year with the Otters and has really dropped off the map.   He should not be overlooked as he is 6'2 200lbs and is very adept at driving the net.  His goals have slipped from 24 to 15, but there is a lot of potential.  Could benefit from a change of scenery. 

Thomas Welsh- Mississauga- Pretty sure he has two years of draft eligibility.  If you look at his stats, they are very, very modest but he did not join Mississauga until the midway point of the year after decomitting from Penn State.  You could make a highlight video of some of the thunderous body checks he has thrown this year and with Stuart Percy and Dylan DeMelo expected to move up, he could be a top 2 D Man next year. 

Anthony DiFruscia-Niagara- Another guy earmarked for the NCAA and then turned to the OHL.   Offensive stats have been spotty and he has had his druthers, but he does a goal scorer's touch and is a very, very solid body checker.  The offense will come, but scouts should not overlook his gritty all around game.  

THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF SPORTS BROADCASTING

THE EVER CHANGING NATURE OF SPORTS BROADCASTING

Sportscasting is constantly undergoing a metamorphosis of some sort, and the product on today bears little resemblance to days of yore.  Today much interaction, like the Tim and Sid Show on Fan590, is done through Twitter or e-mail, or texting.   Some eschew that sort of interaction in favour of the normal call in method.   One other trend that is really becoming apparent is the influx of print journalists to both television and the radio.  Newspaper writers come with a name familiarity and also a dedicated following. If a reporter is articulate, they are a natural fit for radio and TV.

David Naylor, formerly of the Globe and Mail now hosts TSN1050's important drive show.  Naylor, who cut his teeth as the football "Insider" started hosting a show on Saturday afternoon, and then got the important slot when TSN parted ways with James Cybulski.  Naylor is bright, articulate and has a lot of connections.  His on-air personality is not really defined, but that does not matter as he already has a built in audience.

There are many other writers with high profile gigs on TV and Radio.  Damien Cox and Stephen Brunt share time on Prime Time Sports, billed as the nations most listened to talk show.  Add in the fact that Cox is a regular panelist for hockey and Stephen Brunt does a number of wonderful TV essays, those two have effortlessly crossed mediums.

Others who have fit that bill are the well-regarded Bruce Arthur and antagonistic Steve Simmons who both are on TSN's The Reporters and are regulars on the radio.  All of the aforementioned still write for their home newspaper, with the exception of Brunt who rarely appears in The Globe and Mail.  Jeff Blair and Michael Grange are two other Globe and Mail Reporters who cross platforms.  It used to be that you had to have a good voice and an engaging personality.  Not some much anymore.  Never have their been so many "ink stained wretches" in important television and radio positions.  You need to learn how to write and to build a consistent and loyal audience.  

With that in mind, here is a video of a black Labrador doing funny things.  It is hoped that this video goes viral and I can build an nurture a large fanbase. 

Steve Clark
www.twitter.com/SteveClarkMedia