Colts make a draft swap!

This today from the Barrie Colts;

The Barrie Colts have announced today that they have completed two trades in preparation for Saturday’s Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.

Barrie acquired two third round draft picks from Belleville in exchange for the Colts third round selection in Saturday’s draft. Barrie will now select 55th and 61st in the third round, while Belleville gets the 43rd overall pick.

In a separate transaction the Colts traded two picks in this year’s draft to the London Knights, for a ninth rounder in 2011 from London and a third round pick in 2012 that originally belonged to the Windsor Spitfires.

Barrie sends London their fourth round pick, 81st overall and their 6th round pick, 121st overall in this year’s draft.

The OHL Priority Selection takes place this Saturday, May 1st at 9:00 a.m. Barrie will pick 21st overall.

The Colts - Game 2

After a third period break down in Game 1, the Barrie Colts look to rebound in Game 2 tonight.

The Colts didn't play well in Game 1, especially in the defensive end. This HAS to change tonight.

Game time is 7:30, at the BMC. No big changes expected.


And now for the an embarrassing Barrie Colts moment...

Here are Luke Pither, Bryan Cameron, Matt Kennedy & Mavric Parks making complete fools of themselves. ENJOY!

Another Goalie???

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed ANOTHER goalie.

College free agent Ben Scrivens (Cornell) has signed a one year, entry-level contract.

The Alberta native finished the season with a 21-9-4 record and a .931 save percentage!

He was also a top 10 Hobey Baker Finalist (player of the year).

This does give us lots of depth at goaltender, with Jiggy, the Monster, the newly signed Rynnas, and James Reimer in the AHL. It looks like one of these goalies has to go. The move may be to send Reimer to the ECHL, with Rynnas and Scrivens fighting for the job with the Marlies.

But here is the REAL reason Mr. Burke wanted this guy!!!

Didn't our dear old GM say something about needing more bottom six players?!?!?!?

Let's just hope he plays as well as another Cornell Grad...

OHL Final - Future Leafs

As the OHL finals get underway tonight, there are two Toronto Maple Leaf Draft picks to watch out for.

Kenny Ryan











The 50th overall pick in 2009, this is Ryan's first year in the OHL (he did spend some time in the Boston College, and the U.S. development program prior to this year).


In 15 playoff games, Ryan has 3 goals, 2 assists, and 10 penalty minutes.

Could be a third liner for the Leafs in a few years time.



Dale Mitchell











The 74th overall pick in 2007, Dale Mitchell is a small but feisty forward.

In 15 playoff games, he tallied 6 goals, 8 assists, and 12 penalty minutes.

To me, this kid looks like a new Darcy Tucker :)

GO COLTS GO!

Barrie Colts into the Finals!

The Colts are into the Finals!!!

Here is the sched;

• Game 1 – Tuesday April 27 at 7:35 pm – Windsor at Barrie
• Game 2 – Thursday April 29 at 7:35 pm – Windsor at Barrie
• Game 3 – Sunday May 2 at 4:05 pm – Barrie at Windsor
• Game 4 – Tuesday May 4 at 7:05 pm – Barrie at Windsor
• Game 5 – Thursday May 6 at 7:35 pm – Windsor at Barrie
• Game 6 – Saturday May 8 at 7:05 pm – Barrie at Windsor
• Game 7 – Monday May 10 at 7:35 pm – Windsor at Barrie

Windsor will be a tough team to face, but remember... the Colts have lost a grand total of ONE game in the playoffs so far. ONE!

And in the regular season, they registered just 10 losses!

The two teams have faced twice in the regular season, with Barrie winning both games (winning 4-2 in game 1, followed by 8-5 in game 2).

UPDATES:

Zac Rinaldo will be back from suspension in game 3 of this series.

GO COLTS GO!

Doughty for Norris?!?!?!?!

Drew Doughty (Olympian), Mike Green (has anyone seen him since the regular season ended?), and Duncan Keith (witty comment here) have been named as nominees for the Norris Trophy (top d-man).

The 20-year-old Doughty would be the second youngest winner in NHL history.

DOES ANYONE KNOW WAS THE YOUNGEST???

I will give you a hint... it sounds like Robby Bore....

Those are some big shoes to fill Mr. Doughty. Some big shoes indeed!

Lady Byng And Calder

The nominees for the Lady Byng Trophy (NHL's most gentlemanly player) and the Calder (rookie of the year) have been announced.

Martin St. Louis, Pavel Datsyuk, and Brad Richards are in the running for Lady Byng. Matt Duchene, Jimmy Howard and Tyler Myers are in for the Calder (voted on by the Pro Hockey Writers Association).

Datsyuk has won the Lady Byng four straight times, edging St. Louis the past three seasons.

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To see the nominees for the other NHL awards, click here...

Jussi Rynnas - What a stache!

The Toronto Maple Leafs are set to sign a new goalie, out of Finland. Jussi Rynnas is considered this year's Jonas Gustavsson. A big goalie, making big saves.

But Jussi has one thing Jonas does not...

A sweet moustache.

Based on my extensive research (youtube) I have found a video that accurately describes the new goalie.

P.S. This video may or may not contain a foreign language with no subtitles.

The video basically says;

"I am Jussi. I have a very nice moustache. I am a goalie. The moustache is the source of my power. I can't wait to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs. MOUSTACHE!!!"

The Leafs sign new Goalie.. "The Finnish Monster"

Just got word... the Leafs have signed goalie Jussi Rynnas. I will launch up an update later this afternoon...

NHL AWARDS

As the playoffs continue, other big hockey news is also announced.

Yesterday, the finalists were announced for the Vezina Trophy (awarded to the best NHL goalie, voted on by the league's GM's).

It included;

Martin Brodeur, 45 wins, 9 shutouts, 2.24 GAA, .916 save %.

Ilya Bryzgalov, 42 wins, 8 shutouts, 2.29 GAA, .920 save %.

Ryan Miller, 41 wins, 5 shutouts, 2.22 GAA, .929 save %.

By the way, Martin Brodeur has been nominated for the Vezina 9 times, and has won of them!!!

SELKE NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED TODAY... (Top Defensive Forward)

Voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association.

Pavel Datsyuk, 80gp, 27g, 43a, plus 17, 132 take aways, 55% faceoffs.

Ryan Kesler, 82gp, 25g, 50a, plus 1, 1 short handed goal, 83 take aways, 55% faceoffs.

Jordan Staal, 82gp, 21g, 28a, plus 19, 2 short handed goals, 41 take aways, 48.3% faceoffs.

Game 4 tonight!

The Colts back in action tonight, as they head to Mississauga up 2-games-to-1.

The Colts came out flying on Saturday, with a dominate 58-shot performance!

Luke Pither led the way with a pair - including the game-winner. Mavric Parks continues to be stellar, with 34 saves on the night. Alex Pietrangelo also continues to play very well, notching his 11th assist of the playoffs.

Tonight is a HUGE game, as the Majors can tie the series with a win!

GO COLTS GO!

A Monster Signing by the Leafs!

TSN is reporting that Leafs Goalie Jonas Gustavsson has signed on for two more years, in the range of $1.3-$1.5 million per season. UPDATE - IT LOOKS LIKE THE CONTRACT WILL AVERAGE $1.35-PER-SEASON..

What a deal! I was expecting the Leafs to pay more for a promising young goaltender who finished the season with a .902 save percentage, and a 2.87 goals against average...

Comparable Goalie Stats 2010;

Here are some comparable goalies in the league, and their cap hits for this year and next. Who would you rather have???

• Gusstavsson (Tor) - 42 gp - .902% - 2.87 GAA - $1.35 million
• Smith (TB) - 42 gp - .900% - 3.09 GAA - $2.2 million
• Huet (Chi) - 48 gp - .895% - 2.50 GAA - $5.625 million
• Pavelec (Atl) - 42 gp - .906% - 3.29 GAA - $1.43 million
• Giguere (Tor) - 35 gp - .907% - 2.85 GAA - $6 million
• Roloson (NYI) - 50 gp - .907% - 3.00 GAA - $2.5 million
• Theodore (Wsh) - 47gp - .911% - 2.81 GAA - $4.5 million

Draft Lottery tonight - Time to wear the paper bag

The NHL draft lottery is tonight, to determine who will get the top pick at the draft this summer.

The 14 teams not in the playoffs are entered into the lottery, but only 5 teams have a chance of getting the first overall pick.

Edmonton, who finished last, have a 48.2 percent chance of keeping the 1st overall pick, the Leafs are next, with an 18.8 percent chance of getting first, Florida with a 14.2 percent chance, Columbus at 10.7 percent, and New York Islanders at 8.1 percent.

BUT WAIT!!!

The Leafs don't actually have their first round pick this year, or their second. Remember... both were traded to Boston for Mr. Phil Kessel...

MY SUGGESTION, turn off the TV, and go for a nice long walk ;)

Colts face Mississauga

The Barrie Colts will face the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors in round 2 of the playoffs.

Mississauga beat Ottawa 5-3 last night in game 7 of the series.

In six regular-season meetings, the Colts won three times, lost two in regulation and lost another in a shootout.

Schedule;

Game 1 – Wednesday April 14 at 7:30 pm – Mississauga at Barrie
Game 2 – Friday April 16 at 7:30 pm – Barrie at Mississauga
Game 3 – Saturday April 17 at 7:30 pm – Mississauga at Barrie
Game 4 – Monday April 19 at 7:00 pm – Barrie at Mississauga
Game 5 – Wednesday April 21 at 7:30 pm – Mississauga at Barrie*
Game 6 – Friday April 23 at 7:30 pm – Barrie at Mississauga*
Game 7 – Saturday April 24 at 7:30 pm – Mississauga at Barrie*

Another Award for a Barrie Colt!

Barrie Colt forward Bryan Cameron has been announced as the Overage Player of the Year, winning the Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy!

He is the first Barrie Colt to ever win the award.

Cameron led the league with 53 goals in 62 games played, and chipped in with 25 assists for 78 points and finished third in team scoring.

Past winners include;

2005–06 Ryan Callahan, Guelph Storm
2002–03 Chad LaRose, Plymouth Whalers

Colts Win!

After last night's 5-2 win over Brampton, the Barrie Colts are moving on to the Eastern Conference Finals!

Stefan Della Rovere led the way for the Colts in game 4, with 2 goals, 1 assist, and plus 1 on the night.

The Colts will play the winner of Mississauaga and Ottawa (their series is tied at 2-2). The next series will start late next week, giving the Colts a week of rest.

THREE STARS!

1. BAR - Stefan Della Rovere

2. BAR - Darren Archibald

3. BRA - Cody Hodgson

Colts down a Goalie, and key offensive player!

The Colts look for a sweep of Round 2 tonight in Brampton, but a few players will be on the shelf with injuries.

The Goalie Situation

The Barrie Colts will be down a goalie for at least the next few days.

Peter Di Salvo damaged cartilage in his knee on Sunday in Game 2 of the second-round series.

Minor surgery may be needed, but the team wants to wait and see if the knee will heal through rehab.

Luckily, the Colts acquired a goalie in Mavric Parks who has been GREAT! Mavric has 25 regular season wins this year... and has won both playoff starts.

Dalton McGrath (who started the year with the Colts) will move in as the backup.

The Key Offensive Player

Alex Hutchings (47goals 34assists this year) will sit out tonight with a groin pull. He should be ready to go for the next game.

An Award for a Maple Leaf???

Every year, one player from every NHL team is nominated for the Bill Masterton Trophy.

But what is the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy you ask???




"The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey.... It is often awarded to a player who has come back from career- or even life-threatening illness or injury. A player can receive this trophy only once in his career."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Masterton_Memorial_Trophy


Several players that have donned the blue and white have won this award in the past, however only 1 player has won it while being a standing member of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

That player was Jason Blake.

• 1982–83 Lanny McDonald (Calgary Flames) Presented for his dedication; he was traded around the league numerous times, and when he was traded to the Flames, he scored 66 goals and 32 assists for 98 points.
• 1995–96 Gary Roberts (Calgary Flames) Successfully recovered from possibly career-ending surgery to correct bone spurs and nerve damage
• 2003–04 Bryan Berard (Chicago Blackhawks) Overcame an eye injury that rendered the eye legally blind.
• 2006–07 Phil Kessel (Boston Bruins) Missed 12 games because of testicular cancer mid season.
• 2007–08 Jason Blake (Toronto Maple Leafs) Was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia but still played a full 82-game season.
• 2008–09 Steve Sullivan (Nashville Predators) Played 41 games this season after missing almost two years due to a fragmented disc in his back, and a strained groin.

TORONTO'S LATEST NOMINEE - THE MONSTER

Jonas Gustavsson is this year's nominee. The Monster overcame the death of his mother and two heart operations in 2009.

Gustavsson lost his mother to chronic lung disease just before signing with the Leafs. His father died four years earlier.

Starting the season with the Leafs, Jonas was found to have a heart condition. He underwent 2 surgical procedures to correct the issue.

With the heart problem fixed, Jonas had another setback with a groin strain

Despite the issues, the young Goaltender improved his play on the ice, leading to seven straight wins with the Leafs, along with a spot on the Swedish Olympic Team.

The Colts on to Game 3

I hope everyone had a great Easter!

The Barrie Colts are on to game # 3 versus Brampton tonight.

The Colts dominated Game 1 last Thursday, 5-3, and clinched game number 2 yesterday afternoon 3-2 in OT.

Yesterday's game saw Barrie out-shoot Brampton 42-25...

LEADING SCORERS;

Alexander Burmistrov leads the Colts with six goals and six assists in the post-season... that is good enough for 6th place in the OHL playoff point race.



1 Nazem Kadri London Knights 7 6 12 18
2 Taylor Hall Windsor Spitfires 6 9 5 14
3 Phil McRae Plymouth Whalers 7 6 8 14
4 Daniel Erlich London Knights 7 8 5 13
5 Ryan Hayes Plymouth Whalers 7 6 7 13
6 Alexander Burmistrov Barrie Colts 6 6 6 12
7 Ryan Ellis Windsor Spitfires 6 1 11 12
8 Bryan Cameron Barrie Colts 6 7 4 11

Tonight's Game;

Barrie Hosts Brampton at the BMC. Game time is 7:30.

UPDATE!!! - First ever kyleblogskyle contest!!!

Thanks for playing everyone!

It's April 1st... there is no Green Maple Leaf Player. There is an Ipod, but no one gets it.

Ok, there is no Ipod either.

I am sorry for lying to all of you April fools.

Somewhere on this blog, you will find a Toronto Maple Leaf player, whose name has been written in Green!

The first to find this name, will win and I-pod touch.

GO!