The National Strat-O-Matic Hockey League Newsletter League Established May 1, 1997 Volume #9, Issue #24 - November 19, 2005 ************************************************************************** Current League Officers: Commissioner: Doug Norris Vice-Commissioner: Eric Goodman Email the whole league: mailto:nshl@yahoogroups.com NSHL Chat List: mailto:nshlchat@yahoogroups.com Web Page Administrator: Brian Leahy League Web Site: http://www.geocities.com/nshlweb Files Adminstrator: Brian Leahy / Tom Vinacci League Files Site: http://www.highrantdistrict.com/SOM/NSHL ************************************************************************** JUST OVER TEN MONTHS... Until the NSHL celebrates its tenth season of hockey! I really wish we could do the 2006 draft today - I think the last time I was this excited about a draft, I had the second-overall pick and knew I'd end up with either Kovalchuk or Heatley. Top prospects will be available well into the fourth round this time around. Special thanks to Doug North and Brian Leahy for their well-written prose in this issue. That Central Division is going to be a beast next year! Also, a thank you to Jeff Boutet for setting this up: http://www.frappr.com/nshl Add yourself to the map if you're so inclined! ************************************************************************** EARLIER TRADING OF DRAFT PICKS? Since we skipped constitional amendments this summer, I'd like to propose something that would really help me out. Currently, we do not allow trading of draft selections more than one year in advance - for instance, 2007 draft selections can not be traded until the day of the 2006 draft. The reasons for this rule are good, because they serve to prevent owners from loading up their franchise, winning while mortgaging the future, then leaving the league so that someone else can clean up the mess. In practice, two things results: the first is that teams will announce a lot of trades right at the start of the draft, which slows things down on my end. The second is that teams will tell me "secretly" months in advance of the draft that they're going to make a trade on draft day, ostensibly to help me with the first issue. What I'd like to set up is a relaxation of this rule as follows: teams may trade draft choices one month prior to the previous year's draft. This would coincide with the cut-down date that precedes each annual draft. As part of this, teams making "secret" deals can actually keep them secret from me. Thoughts? ************************************************************************** I'VE HEARD... From eight owners, including myself, about their thoughts on the 2006-07 NSHL season. Please let me know what you're thinking! So far, we're running at about 80% enthusiastic, which is about what I was realistically hoping for. Especially if you're wavering, please talk to me! ************************************************************************** WELCOME TO ANDREW SMITH Andrew Smith rejoins us as our newest associate. Many of you know Andrew as the owner of the Indianapolis Chiefs franchise during our third campaign. His work chronicling the history of hockey in Indianapolis is remarkable, his book (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/073853336X/thegoaltendhomep/) is excellent, and he'll be an exciting addition to our league. Welcome, Andrew! ************************************************************************** BUILDING THE TARANTULAS by Doug North, Topeka owner Trading.......boy do I miss trading!!!!! During the lockout, I got bored one day and started looking at the old newsletters. It got me thinking about how my team was built and all the trades I have made over the years as the Vultures of Fresno became the Topeka Tarantulas. Needless to say there were a bunch of trades to go through!!!!! When Doug asked for articles for the newsletter, I thought it would be cool to take a look back and analyze some of the trade history of the Topeka franchise. There were good trades and stinkers.........looking back there were a few of both!!!!! ENJOY!!!!!! NO LONGER A VIRGIN!!!!! VOF sends Mikhail Shtalenkov to CCC for CCC #3 and Mark Lawrence: My very first trade in the NSHL......nothing earthshattering but Brian and I THE BLOCKBUSTER: Man, me and Eric got on a roll and put together this 17 player deal. I sent him Brylin, O'Neill, Langenbrunner, Galley, Dackell, Zubov, Cujo, Zyuzin, Ranheim and draft picks (one of which was Simon Gagne). I received P. Bure, Kamensky, Ronning, Schneider, Richter, Gonchar, Aucoin, and Lacroix and draft picks (one of which was Tanabe). My love of the NY Rangers would bite me more than once when making deals and this was one of them!!! I just HAD to get Mike Richter!!!!! This deal helped Houston to a Farley Cup but getting Aucoin and Gonchar helped set up my defense for years to come. "WHAT THE HECK WAS I THINKING" DEALS??? 1. TPK sends Schneider and #4 to CCC for Reirden and Oliwa: Umm, Brian, you are welcome!!!!! 2. TPK picks Lefebvre off of the bone pile: Yeah I had picked Sean Hill but I HAD to change my mind and pick up a Ranger!!!!!!! Hill goes on a be a very solid two way dman while Lefebvre.......well he turns into a Ranger!!! 3. TPK sends Samsonov and #1 (Noronen) to FGF for J. Hull and Lindros: Looked good at the time but we all know about Lindros!!! Samsonov is off to a great start with the new rules. If Noronen can ever get out of Buffalo this will look even worse. 4. TPK sends #1 to SEA for Trevor Linden: The pick ended up being Nick Schultz. After the Faceoff playoffs, the front office panics and needs "defense" to try and get to the next level. Linden was past his prime and was lost to expansion not long after. Many trades have helped shape the Topeka franchise. These are a few that really stood out. 1. TPK sends Storr, #2 and #3 to SEA for #5 and Brian Leetch: YEAH!!!!!! Finally a RANGER who pans out!!!!! Leetch, along with Sakic, has been the face of the franchsie over the years. He joined the likes of Stevens, Aucoin, Bourque, Gonchar and Chelios on the Spider blueline and (along with Chelios) will eventually be in the TPK Hall of Fame. 2. TPK sends "future considerations (Lindros and Bure) to BUF for Sakic and Salo: The injuries to Lindros and Bure are well documented. Super Joe has been the franchise player since joining the team and Tommy Salo was the backstop to those high scoring Topeka teams until last year when Evgeni Nabokov was brought into town. 3. TPK sends Cassels to DVD for Alfredsson: YIKES!!!!!! Got lucky on that one!!!! Alfie had a tough time staying healthy at the time of his career. That sound you heard was me knocking my fist on the wood table!!!!! 4. TPK sends Aucoin and Francis to CCC for #1, Phillips and G. Marshall: This was a good deal for both teams. TPK actually DRAFTED in the first round that year getting goalie of the future Ryan Miller. Only problem was that Miller was traded during that season in a deal to get Brad Richards!!!! There have been many other trades that have brought aging stars (Oates, Yzerman, Francis) and solid players (Jokinen, Nedved, Rucinsky, Czerkawski, Dvorak) to the heartland of America. Although we haven't won a Farley Cup, we've been lucky to enjoy alot of success here in Topeka. It was fun researching the past and I hope you enjoyed this walk through memory lane!!!!! ************************************************************************** COUGARS LOOK TO 2006 by Brian Leahy, Capital City owner (AP) LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.....While the NSHL has shut down for the season and the Cougar Coliseum lay quiet, its rink empty, boards torn down and configured for concerts and other events - not all operations are dormant. Many of the leagues players have signed on with teams in other leagues, trying to keep themselves in playing shape, and for those non-star players, food on the table. Players are playing in Europe, as well as in the minor leagues in the US and Canada. The most active part of Cougars management these days are the scouts - keeping a watchful eye on their players, but also keeping tabs on some prospective free agents and possible future draft choices. Going through the Cougars roster from the end of the 2004-05 NSHL season, here's what they're currently doing: FORWARDS Barnaby, Matthew - Not currently playing. Working out on his own back home. Bartovic, Milan - Playing with Rochester (AHL) Blake, Jason - Playing with HC Lugano (Switzerland) Cassels, Andrew - Not currently playing. Francis, Ron - Announced his retirement on September 14, 2005. Gaborik, Marian - Playing with HC Dukla Trencin (Slovakia) Johnson, Ryan - Playing with Missouri (UHL) Kozlov, Vyacheslav - Playing with Khimik Voskresensk (Russia) Lundmark, Jamie - Playing with Hartford (AHL) Lupul, Joffrey - Playing with Cincinnati (AHL) May, Brad - Not currently playing. Mellanby, Scott - Not currently playing. Niedermayer, Rob - Playing with Ferencvaros TC (Hungary) Perrott, Nathan - Playing with St. John's (AHL) Rasmussen, Erik - Not currently playing. Robitaille, Luc - Not currently playing. Shelley, Jody - Playing with JYP Jyvaskyla (Finland) White, Todd - Playing with Sodertalje SK (Sweden) Wiemer, Jason - Not currently playing. Yashin, Alexei - Playing with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (Russia) DEFENSEMEN Aucoin, Adrian - Playing with MoDo (Sweden) Corvo, Joe - Playing with Chicago (AHL) Focht, Dan - Playing with Hamilton (AHL) Johansson, Calle - Not currently playing. Martin, Paul - Playing with HC Fribourg-Gotteron (Sweden) Martinek, Radek - Playing with HC Ceske Budejovice (Czech Republic) Montador, Steve - Playing with HC Mulhouse (France) Redden, Wade - Not currently playing. Schneider, Mathieu - Not currently playing. Strudwick, Jason - Playing with Ferencvaros TC (Hungary) Therien, Chris - Not currently playing. Weinrich, Eric - Playing with EC Villacher SV (Austria) GOALTENDERS Belfour, Ed - Not currently playing. Chiodo,Andy - Playing with Wheeling (ECHL) Legace, Manny - Playing with Khimik Voskresensk (Russia) Potvin, Felix - Not currently playing. NEWS & NOTES With the NSHL season shutdown, Capital City ownership is taking advantage by doing some upgrades to the Cougar COliseum. Upgrades include remodeling the luxury suites, adding an improved lighting system, installing new seats and a new jumbotron at center ice. On the outside, improvements are being made to parking, including a bigger parking garage adjacent to the arena, as well as a skywalk from the Ramada Inn across the street. A spokesman for the team stated that these projects were slated to be completed by late Spring, 2006. ************************************************************************** CHANGE IS THE WORD IN BROOKLYN The Fourteenth continue to revamp their roster, being one of the few clubs willing to trade during this time of uncertainly. The most prominent Brooklyn player to leave the club is forward, and team leader, Steve Konowalchuk. Konowalchuk had been with the club for more than five seasons, but now heads to Stone Harbor as part of Brooklyn's quest for top draft selections. ************************************************************************** 2004-05 REGULAR SEASON LEAGUE STANDINGS: NORTHEAST DIVISION GP W L T OL Pts Pct GF GA Home Road Long Island Berserkers 82 49 25 6 2 106 0.646 281 220 25-11- 4- 1 24-14- 2- 1 Corner Creek Green Cal 82 42 32 6 2 92 0.561 234 256 27- 9- 3- 2 15-23- 3- 0 Lyndonville Blades 82 41 31 10 0 92 0.561 230 179 16-18- 7- 0 25-13- 3- 0 Brooklyn Fourteenth 82 36 36 9 1 82 0.500 186 217 24-13- 3- 1 12-23- 6- 0 Buffalo Bulldogs 82 28 47 5 2 63 0.384 210 271 13-25- 3- 0 15-22- 2- 2 New York Lancers 82 17 52 9 4 47 0.287 174 272 10-25- 4- 2 7-27- 5- 2 ATLANTIC DIVISION GP W L T OL Pts Pct GF GA Home Road St. Michael's Privatee 82 46 18 14 4 110 0.671 272 202 26- 7- 7- 1 20-11- 7- 3 Quebec City Patriotes 82 48 21 9 4 109 0.665 324 217 27-11- 2- 1 21-10- 7- 3 Montreal Wanderers 82 41 25 10 6 98 0.598 231 198 22-12- 5- 2 19-13- 5- 4 Manayunk Bullies 82 30 37 12 3 75 0.457 222 239 18-18- 3- 2 12-19- 9- 1 Florida Hellcats 82 26 40 13 3 68 0.415 203 242 14-17- 8- 2 12-23- 5- 1 Stone Harbor Sound 82 18 52 11 1 48 0.293 159 276 10-23- 7- 1 8-29- 4- 0 NORTHWEST DIVISION GP W L T OL Pts Pct GF GA Home Road Fort Garry Fiddler Cra 82 48 22 11 1 108 0.659 254 180 27- 9- 5- 0 21-13- 6- 1 Seattle Rainiers 82 47 22 12 1 107 0.652 271 216 27-10- 4- 0 20-12- 8- 1 North Calgary Hawks 82 44 22 11 5 104 0.634 249 199 21-10- 6- 4 23-12- 5- 1 San Francisco Hedgehog 82 35 32 13 2 85 0.518 235 238 17-17- 5- 2 18-15- 8- 0 Seattle Sasquatch 82 35 37 7 3 80 0.488 230 236 19-17- 2- 3 16-20- 5- 0 Vancouver Whitecaps 82 19 56 5 2 45 0.274 194 321 8-29- 2- 2 11-27- 3- 0 CENTRAL DIVISION GP W L T OL Pts Pct GF GA Home Road Houston Outlaws 82 58 17 6 1 123 0.750 350 181 31- 7- 3- 0 27-10- 3- 1 Topeka Tarantulas 82 49 19 12 2 112 0.683 288 204 24- 8- 8- 1 25-11- 4- 1 Capital City Cougars 82 41 29 10 2 94 0.573 258 225 23-10- 6- 2 18-19- 4- 0 Pittsburgh Sound Chase 82 42 34 3 3 90 0.549 264 253 20-19- 1- 1 22-15- 2- 2 Hampton Roads Hounds 82 24 44 9 5 62 0.378 234 310 10-24- 6- 1 14-20- 3- 4 Minneapolis Massasauga 82 10 64 7 1 28 0.171 92 293 2-32- 6- 1 8-32- 1- 0 ************************************************************************** INCENTIVE POINTS: BRK: -1 IP, newsletter article TPK: -1 IP, newsletter article CGC: overusage penalty (pending) NYL: overusage penalty (pending) PIT: overusage penalty (pending) Incentive points are not discretionary, and are assigned strictly per formula, without respect to extenuating circumstances. Incentive points may be appealed through the Review Board. CUMULATIVE INCENTIVE POINTS: BRK: -3 IP BUF: 4 IP CCC: -5 IP CGC: 2 IP FLO: -1 IP HOU: exempt LIB: 1 IP MAN: 2 IP NYL: -1 IP PIT: -1 IP SFH: 2 IP SES: -10 IP SHS: 5 IP TPK: -2 IP VAW: -1 IP ************************************************************************** ASSOCIATE LIST: SINCE GP Dan Irvine July 20, 2004 46 Larry Spencer April 27, 2004 0 Ryan Barckert May 17, 2003 0 Steve Kramer December 13, 2004 0 Greg Ralls December 14, 2004 0 Andrew Smith November 19, 2005 0 If you're still an active associate at and aren't on this list at please get in contact with me. Thanks! Doug ************************************************************************** TRANSACTIONS: BRK - TRADE Janne Niinimaa to SEA for Jamie Storr. - TRADE Steve Konowalchuk and Barret Jackman to SHS for SHS#1 and Andreas Lilja. - TRADE Pavel Brendl and Michael Leighton to SES for Johan Hedberg. SEA - TRADE Jamie Storr to BRK for Janne Niinimaa. SES - TRADE Johan Hedberg to BRK for Pavel Brendl and Michael Leighton. SHS - TRADE SHS#1 and Andreas Lilja to BRK for Steve Konowalchuk and Barret Jackman. ************************************************************************** League Governing Boards Responsibilities of the following governing boards are outlined in the Constitution. Review Board Tom Vinacci, Buffalo Bulldogs Patrick Shea, Long Island Berserkers Mark McNeil, Lyndonville Blades Constitutional Council Head: Patrick Shea (patrickjshea@verizon.net) Doug Norris, Commissioner Eric Goodman, Vice-Commissioner Andy Bartalone, St. Michael's owner Lance Milligan, associate **************************************************************************