Rover Report

Rover Report on the move...

2007-01-12T11:06:00.000-03:30

So, where are we? A Rover mid-season evaluation

2006-12-20T22:41:00.000-03:30

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

Nearing the end of our extended league hiatus, it's time to get back into RHL-mode again. Well, some of us haven't left, although some PR departments (this one included) had taken a break alongside the games. But with 29 games played and the mid-point of the year impending, it's a good time to look at where this team has been and where it is headed.

First the raw numbers. At 18-6-5, the Rovers sit third overall in the league with 41 points, two behind the conference-leading Funboys and three behind the league-leading Reapers. That can't be considered bad. In fact, given the nature of the Malone and the intense competition therein, it is a great success. Going inside the numbers is where the source of the Rovers discontent lies. Frankly, the team just isn't scoring. While Mason and Gerber have been stellar in leading the team to the best goals against in the league (the only team averaging less than two goals against per game), the offense sits a pedestrian 14th out of 26 teams scoring just 2.72 goals per game. That's a half goal less than the Sockeyes, three quarters of a goal less than the Funboys, and a goal and a half less than the explosive Reapers.

Looking for the big play element, the Rovers acquired Joe Thornton from South Calgary. While the move has been lauded by pundits across the league for its immediate impact, some have asked the question who will Joe be setting up to score? Sources say that the Rovers continue to talk to teams about adding a premier sniper to finish for their new #1 centre, but management will not want to dig too much deeper into the prospect cupboard to add more parts. Thornton has been with the team for all of three games; a pair of 3-2 decisions split with the Sockeyes and a 1-1 draw with the Funboys. After the teams next game against Saskatoon, their hellish run through the cream of the league will be finished for the time being (their last five games have only been against either REA, FUN, or SOC). Perhaps then the team will see where the new offense stands against the rest of the league.

And maybe the team simply should not be so hard on themselves. The results in the recent stretch (2-1-2 against the other three teams in the top four) shows that the team can play Martin Gerber and win (or at least have a chance to win every night) in their defensive posture (the other reason most cited as why the Rovers aren't scoring with the big boys). But mostly, the team is antsy to get the second half underway.. there's a title out there to grab, and Baffin is ready to step up again.

Joe Malone, Meet Joe Thornton

2006-11-25T17:49:00.000-03:30

"Excited? I nearly pissed myself with glee when they told me!" -Thornton reacts to being dealt from South Calgary to the league-leading Rovers.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

The first salvo in the RHL16 arms race has officially been sent across the bow of the rest of the league. In a bold move, the Rovers, already the best defensive team in the league, added perhaps the pre-eminent playmaker in the league to their offensive attack by acquiring center Joe Thornton from the cellar-dwelling South Calgary (nee St. Albert) Spartans. The price was not insignificant, as going to the Spartans are a trio of highly-touted prospects in goaltender Kari Lehtonen, forward Mike Richards, and defenseman Ryan Parent, along with depth defenseman Steve Montador. South Calgary also sent cash considerations to the Rovers. "We've been looking at ways to boost the offense for a few weeks now, and at the top of our wish list has been Joe Thornton", GM Stringer said of his prized catch. "He's going to make everyone better. He's going to get the puck to our wingers where they need it to be successful. Plus he's getting better.. he's under contract for next season so this isn't a one-and-done scenario. Joe will be a Rover for a while". The Rovers are banking on the move giving them an edge as they battle for the Malone crown with the Funboys and Sockeyes in the toughest division in the league.

The Spartans certainly didn't come out light in the trade, picking up three youngsters who should play a large role for them in the coming years. The centerpiece is franchise goalie prospect Kari Lehtonen, the first overall pick in RHL11, and the first-ever draft pick by the Rovers. He was due to make his debut in RHL17, but will now do so in South Calgary. Center Mike Richards is expected to be ready to contribute next season and defenseman Ryan Parent is having another stellar season in junior and is expected to anchor Canada's blueline at the upcoming World Junior Championships. "We knew we'd have to give up quality to get quality, and these three young men are all going to very good RHLers", Stringer said of the departed prospects. "We're especially going to miss Kari, as he was the first ever Rover draft pick. However, we're blessed to have a depth of talent at each position, so we feel that with Emery in net, Malkin and Zajac at center, and Phaneuf, Michalek, and Vlasic on defense, we felt comfortable that we could afford to make this move without stripping the cupboard".

Thornton is en route to Iqaluit, hoping to land in time for tonights game against the Sockeyes. He is expected to center Cory Stillman and Glen Murray on the top line, sliding captain Olli Jokinen to the second line centering Frolov and Demitra. Murray and Thornton have quite a history together, having played in a number of championships and tournaments together. "I'm really excited to get back together with Muzz (Murray)", Thornton was quoted as saying before boarding a plane to Iqaluit. "I'm looking forward to getting back with him and clicking on the ice once more. But just coming up here is going to be a thrill; you want to play for a championship and the Rovers have stepped up and shown that they want me and they want to win now. It's very exciting".

Jumbo Joe a Rover???

2006-11-25T14:56:00.000-03:30

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

On the eve of a critical home-and-home series with the Sockeyes, Rover Report has learned that Joe Thornton has been acquired by the Rovers and is trying to get to Iqaluit this afternoon for tonight's game. The story is yet unconfirmed by the team, but we will work on breaking the exact details of the trade as soon as possible.

A Trade? GASP

2006-11-06T16:50:00.000-03:30

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

The Baffin Island Rovers dared to make a ripple in the perfectly still pond that has been the RHL trade market this season today, though it was only a ripple. With Bergeron and Laaksonen out another day and Stillman going down last night, the Rovers reached out for a body and came back with Marcus Nilson from the Roadkill. Nilson along with a third round pick were acquired in exchange for prospects Kris Chucko and Michal Barinka. "We've been thinking about Nilson for a while, mainly because he's cheap and versatile", Stringer said. "I do believe that both the guys we gave up will be RHLers, but thankfully our prospect depth is such that we won't be negatively affected".

Gerber blanks back-to-back, Rovers sit atop standings

2006-10-27T14:24:00.000-02:30

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

Martin Gerber finished off back-to-back 2-0 shutout efforts last night by following up his blanking of the Freeze by stonewalling the Eagles with an identical score. The Rovers now sit at 11-2-1 on the season, atop the Howe Conference and overall league standings. The two shutout efforts dropped the team's GAA to a league-best 1.64. "We're very pleased with our discipline and our defensive zone coverage so far", Stringer said. "Our offense is scoring enough goals and we're keeping them out at the other end. We just need to realize that the level of effort required to maintain this pace will only increase as the season progresses, so we'll need to work harder this quarter than the last to hold off the Sockeyes and Funboys".

Notes: Rookie Patrice Bergeron suffered a leg injury against the Eagles and will be lost for the next six games.

Rovers win again, off to best start ever

2006-10-04T14:57:00.000-02:30

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

The Rovers improved their early record to 5-0-1 after knocking off the Kansas City Monarchs 4-3 last night in front of the home crowd. The six games unbeaten to begin a season extends their franchise record best start (their previous best was winning their first two games in RHL13). Glen Murray and Adam Hall scored first period PP goals, while Eric Brewer and Patrice Bergeron scored in the third to deliver the victory. Chris Mason left the game in the first period with a sore groin, yielding to Martin Gerber who carried home the victory. Mason will not be available for the next game against Indianapolis. "A quick start in this division is imperative", Stringer said. I mean look, we've taken 11 of a possible 12 points so far, and were only one point up on the Sockeyes and the Funboys are right there as well. It's going to be like this the whole season. We've just got to keep it up".

Rovers Sting Grand Prairie in Third

2006-09-27T15:06:00.000-02:30

Grand-Prairie, AB (CP)

After falling behind in the third, the Baffin Island Rovers exploded for four late goals to down the Stingers 6-3 and improve to 2-0 for the young season. Baffin skated out to a 2-1 first period lead on goals by Pavol Demitra and Eric Brewer. They held that lead into the third when the Stingers struck for two to take a 3-2 lead. But a minute after Jan Bulis gave GP the lead with his short-handed goal, the Rovers reeled off four straight by Olli Jokinen, Kris Draper, Jokinen again, and Demitra's second of the game. "It was good to see the offense come to life there in the third, especially on the road", Stringer said of the outburst. "The PP was clicking, so that's something to build on... we just hope Nate isn't out too long".

The injury spoken of was to sophomore Nathan Horton, who took a nasty slash to his left forearm and left the game without returning. He'll return to Iqaluit for further tests, but doesn't expect to miss significant time. He will not be in the lineup for tomorrow night's game at home against Albany.

Rovers Open Season with Win over Penetrators

2006-09-25T09:35:00.000-02:30

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

RHL16 is finally underway, and the Baffin Island Rovers got off to a quick start, downing the Yellowknife Dangerous Penetrators 3-1 in their home opener in front of a sold-out Igloo crowd. The Rovers took advantage of some undisciplined Penetrator play in the first, tallying two power-play goals by Stillman and Johnsson to take a 2-0 lead into the intermission. Alex Tanguay brought the Pens to within one early in the second , but the two goal cushion was restored just 37 seconds later as David Legwand provided the insurance. The Pens came on in the third, outshooting the Rovers 14-8 in the frame. Martin Gerber posted the victory stopping 28 of 29 shots, while Robert Esche was hung with the loss despite also making 28 saves. "It's great to start the year with a win.. the Penetrators are a great team", Stringer said of his opponents. "We've got our work cut out for us in a tough division, so this is a nice way to kick it off".

Where's the Beef?

2006-09-21T09:42:00.000-02:30

Iqaluit, NU (IFPW)

RHL16 is upon us and from where this reporter sits, the Rovers aren't exactly ready to rumble. This is a team that came up short in the conference finals against once-again division rival South Edmonton, yet added no pieces to the team but instead sat idly by as free agency stripped away key parts in Recchi, Hill, and Halpern. And then, after only retaining Stillman in free agency, went and traded their best player in Chris Pronger to the StrapHangers for Keith Carney and some stuff that may or may not help them down the road. Now don't get me wrong; I like Carney, but he's no Pronger!

So now they're back in the Malone division and battling the Sockeyes - defending champs - and Funboys - significantly better on D and in net and deeper up front. Is there any way the Rovers don't finish third behind those two? I can't see a way ahead. And there's that word.. depth. Where is it? Pressing sophomore Nathan Horton into second-line duty may be hazardous to his health if he can't stand up to a full season. And then if someone does go down up front they have to call on.. Steve Montador? A #8 defenseman that can play a bit of wing in a pinch? Wake me when it's over! Are they gonna have to put out a call to the farm for help? Wow, this team certainly has had good fortune the past three seasons with a lack of injuries, but if that goes south this season, they're up the creek.

Management has been touting this season as a "transition" year between the free-spending RHL13-15 Rovers and the homegrown RHL17 brand. Well, to this writer "transition" is a euphimism for "crap".. and too many fans have paid good money to watch the RHL16 Rovers and they deserve a good product too. After competing at the highest level for the past three seasons, the Rovers should try to do no less again this year. However instead they appear content to drift through this season and take it as it comes. We'll see how quickly this lackidaisical attitude comes back to bit them in the butt.

I.C. Stair, IFPW

Richardson Rounds Roster, Rovers Ready to Roll

2006-08-29T11:34:00.000-02:30

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

The Rovers completed their free agent shopping last night, inking reserve defenseman Luke Richardson to a 1 yr contract worth $540,000. Richardson will fill the role of #7 Dman, one considered important by the club. "We have Steve [Montador], but we wanted a vet that can play minutes and doesn't have lingering injury concerns", Stringer said of the signing. "Luke's been around the league forever and knows how to play the role we have for him. He'll be a great guy in the room as well".

Barring any callups from the minors, the signing also completes the roster for RHL16 and brings the Rovers to the 23-man minimum limit. With a payroll of just under $28M, the Rovers will be spending far less than they have in the past three seasons, but will have the flexibility to add to the team should their performance warrant it around the trade deadline. A tentative opening night lineup may look like this.

Stillman - Jokinen - Murray
Frolov - Demitra - Horton
Laaksonen - Draper - Bergeron
Lundmark - Legwand - Hall

Johnsson - Carney
Regehr - Brewer
Liles - D.Markov

Gerber/Mason

Scratches: Richardson, Montador, Thibault

Ozo Out

2006-08-23T12:29:00.000-02:30

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

After being acquired in the Chris Pronger trade and unhappy with the prospect of playing a limited role in Baffin, Sandis Ozolinsh has been dealt to the Waterloo Thundercats for $1. "Hey, we're not miracle workers here... there was a very limited market for Ozolinsh and we knew that when we got him", Stringer said of the trade when a beat writer wondered why more wasn't coming in return. "We simply wanted to clear the salary from the books... the Thundercats needed a dman but, like everyone else in the league, weren't willing to part with anything to get him. Clearing the entire salary without having to part with cash to do so was the only goal here; getting anything in return would have been a bonus".

In other Rover news, the club has inked utility forward Jamie Lundmark to a 1 yr contract. Lundmark is expected to fill a fourth-line role with the club, having the ability to play all three forward positions. "We needed someone with versatility, and Jamie gives us that at the right price", Stringer commented.

Pronger headed to Albany

2006-08-18T13:29:00.000-02:30

Pronger couldn't escape the cameras of the Rover Report as he left Iqaluit Friday morning

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

Nine days after stunning the Rovers and the rest of the RHL world with his trade request, Chris Pronger has had his wish granted. The all-star defenseman has been traded to the Albany Straphangers in exchange for defensemen Keith Carney, Sandis Ozolinsh, forward prospect Christopher Higgins, and a first round draft pick. The teams also exchange third round picks in the deal. "It's not easy to trade away the best defenseman in the league", GM Stringer said of the transaction. "We had a number of teams that were seriously interested, but the StrapHangers were very keen on retooling their blueline and the deal went from there".

In Carney, the Rovers receive one of the best defensive defensemen in the game. He played 59 games last season for the StrapHangers, recording seven assists. Ozolinsh split last season between the Thundercats and the 'Hangers, posting 11 goals and 32 pts for the year. Higgins scored 23 goals last season for his club team and is expected to make a push to join the Rovers in RHL17. "Overall we accomplished what we needed to in the deal", Stringer reflected. "Carney gives us someone to plug into the top pairing and Ozo gives us some depth, while Higgins and the first set us up for the future. Nobody wants to lose a Pronger from their team, but I think we've covered the interests of the Rovers this year and down the road".

Report: Pronger dealt!

2006-08-18T13:13:00.000-02:30

Rover Report has learned this hour that Chris Pronger has been traded... awaiting confirmation.

The Last of the Mohicans

2006-08-17T12:44:00.000-02:30

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

All good things must come to an end, and that is what happened earlier this week with the signing of former Rover Sean Hill in Lethbridge. The signing rubber-stamped what had seemed inevitable since the trading deadline when Hill issued his contract demand; that he would hit free agency and receive an offer that the Rovers could not match. Facing a strapped budget, that happened when the Rovers could not equal the $1.2M offer made by the Selects. "We really wanted to bring him back and thought there was a chance we could keep him under a million", GM Stringer said of the negotiations. "But when they [Selects] got involved, we couldn't stay in it".

While on the ice, the signing meant the loss of the Rovers #6 Dman from RHL15, off the ice it meant the departure of the last original Rover from the club's RHL11 expansion draft. The 10th player selected in the expansion draft that year, Hill quickly became the leader of the baby Rovers as they set forth into their rookie season. "He really took the bull by the horns in the lockerroom that season", Stringer recalled. "Obviously we were a group that was just thrown together, but we knew that there were a few guys that had a chance to stick around through the growing pains, and Sean was one of them. He was a great first captain".

Hill leaves the Rovers ranking as the club's all-time PIM leader, and second in career minutes played behind Kim Johnsson and games played behind David Legwand. He also ranks third in defenseman scoring in goals, assists, and points behind Johnsson and Rob Blake. The title of longest-tenured Rover now falls to David Legwand, who was acquired during the RHL11 preseason after the expansion draft and with Hill were the only two players on the roster to have played in the club's first RHL game.

Rovers Announce Affliation Agreement with Tampa Bay Manatees

2006-08-16T11:03:00.000-02:30

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

With the new Realistic Minor Hockey League (RMHL) scheduled to launch this season, the Baffin Island Rovers have unveiled plans to share an affliation with the expansion Cleveland Falcons in Tampa Bay. The Manatees will be stocked primarily with players from the Rovers, with the Falcons placing their key prospects there for development purposes. The team will be run by Rovers management, as they will be providing the bulk of the players. "We're really excited about this", Rovers GM Steve Stringer said, who will initially add Manatees GM to his already busy job description. "We're looking forward to getting our prospects a place to play and develop. And we hope that the working relationship with the Falcons is beneficial to both franchises".

The depth of the Rovers prospect ranks is such that they could almost field their own team outright, however the Falcons have a few outstanding prospects that will be key players. Tops on that list is the #1 overall pick in the RHL16 Entry Draft, Sidney Crosby. Crosby is expected to play just one season in the RMHL, but the interest he has generated has already electrified the Tampa area. "Our phones have been ringing off the hook since it was announced that Cleveland and Crosby would be part of the Manatees", said one ticket agent with the Manatees. "Season ticket sales have already surpassed five thousand and we've only been selling for three days. It's phenomenal". Also sure to make an impact from Cleveland is Ryan Getzlaf, the fourth pick in the dispersal draft. Kenddal McArdle and Konstantin Glazachev will also look to bolster the squad.

The Rovers, as stated, will provide the bulk of the players. Some of the key prospects are Evgeny Malkin, who will provide an unmatched 1-2 punch at center ice. Other forwards include Igor Grigorenko, Mike Richards, Bryan Boyle, Travis Zajac, and Kris Chucko. Dion Phaneuf will anchor and impressive blueline with Zybnek Michalek, Ryan Parent, Christoph Schubert, Michal Barinka, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The team is set in goal with top prospect Kari Lehtonen and Ray Emery manning the nets with Yann Danis and Pekka Rinne battling for icetime. Veteran free-agents will augment the core of youth. "Primarily this is a developmental team, so our young players will get their ice-time", Stringer said, "but some solid veteran RHLers will provide a leadership example on and off the ice that can only help our youngsters".

The irony of an agreement with Tampa Bay is not lost on Baffin Island management. Just five seasons ago in RHL11, the Rovers and the Tampa Bay Celtic Rays entered the RHL as expansion cousins. The Celtic Rays took a win-now approach, drafting the likes of a $9M Mario Lemieux in their expansion draft, while the Rovers played things much slower. Two seasons later, the Celtic Rays were out of the league and the Rovers were about to win their first championship. "It's funny how things go, I guess", Stringer said. "I'm obviously happy with how things have gone for us so far in the RHL, and I'm glad now that the fans in the Tampa Bay area can enjoy professional hockey again".

Richards - Crosby - Grigorenko
Getzlaf - Malkin - Zajac
McArdle - Chucko - Boyle
Glazachev - Ryder - Meyer

Phaneuf - Michalek
Parent - Schubert
Barinka - Vlasic

Lehtonen
Emery

Not-so-Free agency sees Stillman as only Rover returnee

2006-08-11T08:56:00.000-02:30

Stillman re-upped with the Rovers.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

Free agency hasn't been kind to Baffin Island this year. Entering the auction, the Rovers had hoped to retain some key pieces of their run over the past three seasons, as well as some of their trade deadline acquisitions. However, more lucrative offers to Mark Recchi (Seattle), Jeff Halpern (Victoria), and Sean Hill (Lethbridge) left the Rovers on the outside looking in. The only player they were able to retain was Cory Stillman, who accepted a $2.2M contract offer from the club.. virtually the same salary he played for last season. "We really needed another top six winger, and one who could play the left side", GM Stringer said after the signing was confirmed. "Cory was the top available LW and was high on our priority list. We're very glad to have him back".

"I really was impressed with the organization from the minute I got here", Stillman said when reached at his home via phone. "I knew I wanted to re-sign, but I knew that the team would have some tough decisions to make. I'm looking forward to getting back at it with the guys".

After being acquired at mid-season from the Freeze, Stillman played in 34 regular season games, scoring 10 goals and adding 12 assists for 22 points while registering a +4 rating. He then posted a goal and 6 assists in 13 playoff games against Calgary and South Edmonton.

The Rovers also announced the signing of goaltender Jocelyn Thibault to a 1 yr contract at the league minimum. Thibault, a 15-yr veteran, has appeared in 585 RHL games with a career GAA of 2.88 and svpct of .902. "After losing Hedberg, we wanted another veteran to back up the duo of Gerber and Mason", Stringer explained. "Jocelyn is a veteran that's been around for a long time and knows the league and is willing to play the role we have for him here supporting our two starters".

Pronger Wants Out

2006-08-09T21:03:00.000-02:30

Pronger has requested a trade for personal reasons.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

GM Steve Stringer has confirmed that star defenseman Chris Pronger has officially requested a trade, and has agreed to attempt to accomodate the request. "Chris came to us and said he wanted to relocate due to personal reasons, and those reasons will remain personal for him to disclose should he choose to do so", Stringer said to a hastily-gathered scrum. "We will attempt to grant his request and have already begun fielding offers, but it must suit the best interest of the Baffin Island Rovers as well, and Chris knows that. But, as best as we can, we will attempt to do this in an expedious manner for sake of all parties involved".

Pronger was signed as a free agent prior to RHL15 to fill the void left by the trading of Rob Blake to Guelph. In one season with the Rovers, Pronger played in 63 regular season games and scored 12 goals and 27 assists for 39 points while posting a +19 rating. He has one year remaining on his contract.

It is unknown whether Pronger is unhappy with the direction the club has taken in free agency, or whether there is an outside reason why the trade demand was made. Some are speculating that his family may be a motivating factor in the decision. Pronger himself was unavailable to the media, but has issued a statement through his agent: "Please respect that the reasons for this request are personal and I will not be discussing them publicly. I would like to thank the Rovers organization and their fans for a great season last year".

Report: Pronger requests trade

2006-08-09T20:55:00.000-02:30

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

Unconfirmed reports at this hour suggest that Shore finalist and #1 defenseman Chris Pronger has requested a trade to leave the Rovers. GM Steve Stringer would neither confirm nor deny the report when contacted fifteen minutes ago, but did say that "we always listen to any offer for any player". The Rover Report will do their best to confirm this story and get the details out ASAP.

Rinne, Genoway Round out Rover Draft

2006-08-04T09:47:00.000-02:30

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

The Rovers ended their RHL16 draft by adding a goaltender and a winger to their prospect roster. With two picks at the end of the round, they first selected goaltender Pekka Rinne from the Milwaukee Admirals and then tabbed winger Colby Genoway of the Hartford Wolf Pack with their final pick. Rinne won 30 games for the Ads in his first season in North America, posting a 2.82 GAA and a .904 svpct. Genoway, playing his first pro season after leaving the University of North Dakota, notched 26 goals and 61 points in 77 games as an AHL rookie. "Yesterday we took two junior-aged players that we feel have tremendous upside", Stringer said of his draft strategy. "Today we identified two slightly older prospects that are a little further along, but still possess the ability to become future Rovers.. and perhaps a bit quicker than our earlier picks. Overall we're very pleased with our draft, and will now turn our attention towards free agency".

Vlasic, Ryder newest Rovers

2006-08-03T13:04:00.000-02:30

Vlasic (left) and Ryder (right) join the Rovers prospect group

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

With two selections in the second round, the Rovers one defenseman and one forward to their prospect stable. First they tabbed Quebec Remparts defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who was an assistant captain on the Memorial Cup Champions, and then selected center Daniel Ryder of the OHL Champion Peterborough Petes. The championship pedigree was not lost of Rovers scouts. "We're really excited about both guys", GM Stringer said. "I think our scouts did a great job getting them at the end of the secound round. Both guys were key contributors to championship junior teams and we look forward to them being contributors to the Rovers in the future".

Vlasic was fourth among QMJHL defensemen in scoring with 73 points in 66 regular season games and led all defensemen (and was fifth overall) with 29 playoff points. Ryder finished the regular season with 38 goals and 82 points in 65 games, but added 31 points in 19 playoff games to win the Wayne Gretzky "99" award as OHL playoff MVP.

Ryder's Newfoundland roots were also not lost on the team owner, himself a native Newfoundlander. "Clarenville and Bonavista were always wicked rivals in high school hockey, so even though he's from the dark side [Bonavista], I won't hold it against him", Stringer said with a wink.

Grigorenko Returns to Rovers

2006-08-03T08:44:00.000-02:30

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

A day after dealing one prospect from the Rovers inaugural RHL11 draft, they re-acquired one of their original draftees in a deal with Guelph. The Rovers sent two third round draft choices in today's draft to the Reapers in exchange for Igor Grigorenko, a second-round selection of the club in RHL11. Grigorenko originally left the Rovers last season in the deal that saw Mark Recchi and Antti Laaksonen come over from San Diego. "This one is a gamble, we acknowledge", Stringer said of the move, "but after picking up what we did for Dennis [Seidenberg] yesterday, we felt comfortable with it. The new prospect rules make it cheaper to keep Igor, and we can keep him for longer than we originally could when we first dealt him. We hope he can be much closer to contributing with the extended timeframe". Grigorenko has confirmed that he will be staying in Russia this season, but anticipates coming over to North America to try and make the Rovers the following season.

Seidenberg Shipped to Aviators

2006-08-02T15:00:00.000-02:30

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

A day after drafting a defenseman in the first round, the Baffin Island Rovers have traded another defenseman away. The Rovers have sent prospect Dennis Seidenberg to the Aviators in exchange for a second round pick and a third round pick, both in next year's entry draft. Seidenberg, a third round pick of the Rovers in their inaugural RHL11 entry draft, was ready to challenge for a roster spot in RHL17, but organizational depth at the position allowed management to make the move for extra draft picks. "We've really liked Dennis for a long time", Stringer said, "but with all the young guys in the system, there wouldn't have been much playing time for him. Phaneuf, Liles, and Michalek will all be looking for a regular shift as rookies and of course there are still our veterans around. It's probably better for Dennis and his career to get playing time in another organization. We wish him nothing but the best with the Aviators".

The Rovers are reportedly still looking for another second round pick in this entry draft. Whether or not they are successful remains to be seen.

Rover Tab Parent in First Round

2006-08-02T09:57:00.000-02:30

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

The Rovers got defensive and added to their already impressive stable of blueline prospects by selecting Ryan Parent of the Guelph Storm with their first round pick, 23rd overall. "We feel very good about Ryan and his ability to contribute to the Rovers in the near future", GM Stringer said of the pick. "With Phaneuf, Liles, and Michalek, Ryan continues to increase our depth at a key position". The Rovers currently have two selections in the second round and four in the third round.

Latest Expansion Results into Round 15

2006-07-25T10:50:00.000-02:30

With the scoops that nobody else has, the Rover Report brings you the latest news live from the expansion draft. First, for Rover fans, Manny Malhotra and Mark Recchi were both selected (Malhotra by the Falcons, and Recchi by the Crystals) in the ninth round. Up to two more Rovers may be selected (Stillman, Hill, and Hedberg are still exposed) before the draft is complete.

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Round 1
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Ward Chris Osgood (500)
Daniel Karlis Skrastins (FUN)
Doug Rick DiPietro (CAP)
Jean Curtis Joseph (SPA)

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Round 2
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Jean Oleg Kvasha (EAG)
Doug Chris Chelios (DEF)
Daniel Cale Hulse (ROA)
Ward Vladimir Malakhov (SOC)

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Round 3
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Ward Chris Gratton (DEF)
Daniel Radek Dvorak (GPS)
Doug Paul Kariya (ROA)
Jean Saku Koivu (SOC)

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Round 4
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Jean Jason Smith (VAM)
Doug Rob Niedermayer (MOU)
Daniel Boris Mironov (TME)
Ward Jason Cullimore (EAG)

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Round 5
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Ward Scott Thornton (FUN)
Daniel Mark Eaton (GPS)
Doug Darryl Sydor (SOC)
Jean Trevor Letowski (YDP)

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Round 6
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Jean Alexander Khavanov (500)
Doug Ronald Petrovicky (SPE)
Daniel Ethan Moreau (YDP)
Ward Jamie Langenbrunner (DEF)

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Round 7
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Ward Sergei Zholtok (YDP)
Daniel Vladimir Orszagh (YDP)
Doug David Tanabe (SPE)
Jean Marek Malik (REA)

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Round 8
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Jean Nolan Pratt (STR)
Doug Matt Cooke (SOC)
Daniel Ossi Vaananen (SPA)
Ward Dallas Drake (FUN)

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Round 9
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Ward Ron Francis (STR)
Daniel Mike Rathje (AVI)
Doug Manny Malhotra (ROV)
Jean Mark Recchi (ROV)

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Round 10
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Jean Eric Boguniecki (VAM)
Doug J-S Aubin (FUN)
Daniel Branko Radivojevic (GAR)
Ward Andrew Cassels (AVI)

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Round 11
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Ward Dan Hinote (CAP)
Daniel Scott Nichol (GPS)
Doug Kurt Sauer (GAR)
Jean Ruslan Salei (AVI)

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Round 12
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Jean Stephane Veilleux (GPS)
Doug Mike Grier (SPE)
Daniel Niklas Hagman (MOU)
Ward Aki Berg (FRE)

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Round 13
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Ward Magnus Arvedson (REA)
Daniel Greg Johnson (TME)
Doug Mattias Weinhandl (TME)
Jean Steve Begin (THU)

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Round 14
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Jean Tom Kostopolous (TME)
Doug Daymond Langkow (VAM)
Daniel Martin Gelinas (THU)
Ward Teppo Numminen (SEL)

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Round 15
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Ward Jamie McLennan (SPE)
Daniel Jason Doig (THU)
Doug Jarkko Ruutu (THU)
Jean

Malhotra Ripe for Picking

2006-07-20T21:16:00.000-02:30

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

With the expansion draft on the horizon, people around the Rovers knew that there was very little chance that those facing unrestricted free agency would be protected by the club. Veterans Mark Recchi, Cory Stillman, and Sean Hill all knew that they would be facing the possibility of being selected by a new club. However, late word from the commissioner's office regarding the status of two young players forced the club into a difficult decision, one which will likely see Manny Malhotra in an expansion uniform very soon.

The ruling was on the status of forwards Alexander Frolov and Adam Hall, whom the club had thought were exempt from the expansion draft under the 10 RHL game rule (each having played less than 10 regular season games in RHL14). However, upon further clarification that the rule included playoff games in a given year, both required protection and forced the decision on Malhotra. "Basically we were caught a bit off guard", Stringer said of the ruling, "but I guess that was something that I should have sought clarification on two seasons ago. I didn't. So then it came down to (Jeff) Halpern or Malhotra. We want to give ourselves every chance to retain Jeff through the auction process".

Halpern did not have his salary demand met by the team, so he will be testing free agency with the Rovers having the right to match. In making this move, the club risks losing Malhotra and then not being able to retain Halpern, however they feel that trying to keep Halpern is that important. Malhotra joins the aforementioned Recchi, Stillman, Hill, and goaltender Johan Hedberg as Rovers eligible for selection in the expansion draft. Forwards Demitra, Draper, Jokinen, Legwand, Halpern, Frolov, Laaksonen, Murray, and Hall, defenseman Pronger, Markov, Johnsson, Regehr, and Brewer, and goaltender Marty Gerber have all been protected, while forwards Bergeron and Horton, defensemen Liles, and Montador, and goaltender Chris Mason are exempt from selection.

Rovers tab two in dispersal draft

2006-07-18T09:53:00.000-02:30

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

After a playoff run that came up short in the seventh game of the semi-final, the Rovers are now in full off-season mode. First up is the dispersal draft, where the Rovers picked 24th of 26 in each round. Not expecting to see much at that slot, the team was pleasantly surprised to land young defenseman Michal Barinka in the first round and agitating forward Ryan Hollweg in the second round. Barinka, a third round pick of the Wicked Ale in RHL13, and Hollweg, a fourth rounder in RHL12, are both likely to spend the next season in the minor leagues and compete for a roster spot in RHL17. "We really like Barinka's potential", Stringer said of his first selection. "He's a big guy with skill that really complements our stable of young Dmen with Phaneuf, Michalek, Seidenberg, and Schubert. And Hollweg is the type of guy that you want on your energy line to mix it up. He'll work well with your group of forwards".

Next up are decisions regarding the expansion draft. The Rovers expect to be exposing a number of quality players, though the exact names have yet to be released. Keep it on the Rover Report to get the word first.

Frolov Finishes Vampyres

2006-06-12T10:27:00.000-02:30

Alexander Frolov reflects in the tunnel after the game before being introduced as first star.

Calgary, AB (CP)

Alexander Frolov is making up for lost time. After a regular season in which he scored just 7 goals in 65 games, he has responded to the challenge of the playoffs and has now scored 4 goals in 6 games against Calgary, with the last one being the eliminator for the Vampyres as the Rovers advance on the strength of a 4-3 OT win in game 6. "It's just been a relief to get on track here in the playoffs", Frolov said afterwards. "The coach gave me the opportunity from game 1, and I've tried to take advantage of it. Rex and Pavs deserve much of the credit; they are great players".

Frolov opened the scoring under three minutes in, completing a pretty passing play from Recchi and Demitra. The 1-0 lead held up into the second, when Marek Zidlicky equalized on the power-play. With shots even at 22 and the score even at one, the third saw an eruption of goals. First Val Bure gave the Vamps the lead only see Murray tie it, then Konowalchuk put the Vamps up again until Jokinen equalized with five minutes remaining. This set the stage for Frolov who, taking a breakout pass from Eric Brewer, danced in alone on Toskala and made a brilliant forehand deke on a clear breakaway from center to send the Rovers to the third round.

"This is the kind of output that we've known Alex to be capable of all season", Stringer said. "It's just been a matter of bringing it every night. We're thrilled that he has stepped up in such a big way".

The Rovers now await their next opponent, though they know that they will be the home team. This was assured in Lethbridge when the Selects completed their upset over the second-seeded Capones. Lethbridge now goes to Kitchener to play the Mounties, while the Rovers wait on the winner of game 7 between South Edmonton and Saskatoon. When asked if he had a favourite opponent of the two, Stringer offered a wry smile. "Do you honestly think I'd tell you if I did? They're both great, and neither will be a cakewalk. It's going to be hard-fought, that's all I know".

Rovers Ink Markov, Gerber, Hall to extensions

2006-06-10T20:45:00.000-02:30

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

With the deadline for RHL contract extensions looming at midnight tonight, June 10th, the Baffin Island Rovers submitted their list of decisions to the league office for official approval. The Rovers announced that they are re-signing trade deadline acquisition Danny Markov to a new contract. Terms were not disclosed, however he is the second would-have-been-UFA rearguard retained by the club, who earlier in the week announced a long-term contract extension for fellow blueliner Robyn Regehr. Markov, acquired from the Waterloo Roadkill in exchange for Cale Hulse and Jeff Tambellini, played 30 games for Baffin, registering 2 goals and 4 assists for 6 points while posting a +10 rating.

Also signing new contracts tonight were goaltender Martin Gerber and forward Adam Hall. Gerber, acquired during the preseason for Mike Knuble and Anton Babchuk, had a tremendous first season with the Rovers, posting a 26-12-7 record in 46 games, with a 1.94 GAA, .919 sv pct and 3 shutouts. Hall, a second round draft pick of the club from RHL11, played his first full season with the club this year. Appearing in 62 games, he scored 6 goals and 8 assists for 14 points with a +7 rating.

Not being resigned by the team are forwards Mark Recchi, Cory Stillman and Jeff Halpern, along with defensemen Sean Hill and Steve Montador. Recchi and Stillman were not unexpected as both were hired guns near the trade deadline. Sean Hill, the club's first captain and only Rover remaining from the team's RHL11 expansion draft, simply made too large a contract demand. Halpern's case is the more controversial one, and the club is expected to make every effort to retain the forward by going through the free agency process. "It's going to be an off-season of change for everyone", Stringer said of the decisions. "With expansion on the horizon, every team are going to lose some good players. We expect a few of these players to be selected in the expansion process, but any that aren't will be receiving offers from us in free agency".

Rovers Offense Rises, Takes Game 5

2006-06-10T20:35:00.000-02:30

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

After being held relatively in check through four games, the explosiveness came back to the Baffin Island Rovers attack in game five as they overwhelmed Vesa Toskala for six goals on 34 shots, winning the match 6-1. The Rovers now take a 3-2 lead in the series.

After a scoreless first period which saw the Rovers outshoot the Vamps 11-7, Mark Recchi struck for two goals within 14 seconds to put the Rovers up 2-0. Those goals were quickly followed up by Kim Johnsson's first of the playoffs and Olli Jokinen's second of the post-season to give the Rovers a 4-0 lead going into the third. It was a lead they would not relinquish, as after Marek Zidlicky got the Vampyres on the board at the nine minute mark of the frame, Alex Frolov replied a minute later and Nathan Horton, in his first game of the playoffs, capped the scoring with seven minutes to play. Chris Mason made his third straight start, stopping 21 of 22 shots for the victory. "It was great to see all lines going", Stringer said of the win. "Fro, Rex, and Demitra were great, and Olli and Muzz were going. It was also good for Horts to get on the scoreboard after the time off. It's definitely a confidence boost heading back to Calgary".

Calgary is indeed where they are headed, as game 6 will go tomorrow. Expect no lineup changes for the Rovers, who will look to advance to the third round with a win.

Frolov Sighting in Calgary!

2006-06-08T13:59:00.000-02:30

Alexander Frolov studies the game clock after igniting the Rovers attack

Calgary, AB (CP)

After dropping a 3-2 decision on home ice in game 2, the Rovers needed to win once in Calgary to regain home-ice advantage in the series. Mission accomplished after only one attempt, as Chris Mason came off the bench to start and made 14 saves to lead the Rovers to a 2-1 road victory. Two players who were called out by the local media for poor regular seasons responded with both goals as Alex Frolov notched the opening marker and Eric Brewer added the eventual winner. Both players registered a goal and an assist in the contest. Gary Roberts broke Mason's shutout bid in the final minute of the game, but the Vampyres could not draw even.

"That's the kind of effort we need out of Alex every night", Stringer said of his young winger. "He played a heck of a game out there, and has the ability to take over whenever he wants to. He just needs to trust himself more and let it happen".

Game 4 goes tonight in Calgary. Mason is expected to again get the start in goal. Nathan Horton will be a game time decision. Vampyres winger Jere Lehtinen left game 3 early with an upper body injury. His status is questionable for the remainder of the series.

Legwand, Hall Step Fourth

2006-06-06T12:46:00.000-02:30

David Legwand prepares himself during the anthem

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

More than two weeks removed from their last game action, the Baffin Island Rovers showed no signs of rust as they pounced on the Calgary Vampyres from the opening whistle of game 1 of the second round and did not let up for sixty minutes. The Rovers held the edge in shots, faceoffs, hits, corner battles, puck possession, passing, but most importantly goals as they took the opening game 4-2.

The Rovers owned the opening frame, taking a 2-0 lead on goals from Olli Jokinen and Sean Hill while outshooting the Vamps 15-5. They increased the pressure in the second, but the lack of shots got to Martin Gerber as the Vamps snuck two by him on two shots in the opening six minutes. With the game tied at two, the fourth line stepped it up as David Legwand took an Adam Hall pass and snapped a high glove shot to break the deadlock, and then Hall scored in the third from Legwand for the insurance marker. The Vampyres managed almost as many shots in the third (8) as they did in the first two periods combined (9), but could not put another puck past Gerber. "Leggy and Hall were great for us", Stringer said of his fourth unit. "We were throwing everything we had at Toskala, but that line gave him a different look and finally they broke through".

The two teams are back at it again tonight at the Igloo for game 2. Expect no lineup changes from the Rovers. Nathan Horton has been ruled out for game 2 and will begin skating with the team later in the week. He is questionable for the games in Calgary.

It Had To Be You

2006-06-02T09:12:00.000-02:30

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

Short, but intense. Such has been the playoff rivalry between the Rovers and Vampyres. Once Malone division foes and now Champions adversaries, the short playoff history of Baffin Island has always travelled through Calgary. First in RHL13 when the upstart Rovers downed the favoured Vampyres in the second round on their way to their first championship, and then last season when they clashed in a 7 game final, taken by the Vampyres. And now again they meet, though this time with the Rovers holding home-ice advantage for the first time. After finishing third in the Champions and a hair out of first place, the Rovers look to some to have the edge in the series, but don't tell that to the players or coaches.

"You have to be kidding me", Stringer said of a reporter who suggested that the Rovers should have an easy time with Calgary. "What in any of the history we've had, past or recent, would suggest to you that this will be easy? The answer is nothing. It's not going to be easy. We're going to play our game and if we work harder I think we can accomplish our goal, but it will be anything but easy".

In fact, even this season the Rovers have not had fared well against the Vampyres. Vesa Toskala, coming off three shutouts in the opening round against Albany, has stymied the Rovers time and time again this season. They will have to throw everything they have at Toskala to beat him, and then hope that the tandem of Gerber and Mason hold up their end of the bargain. The starter for game 1 tonight still has yet to be announced. "Both guys will play in the playoffs, so that's not going to change", Stringer said of the manner in which he intends to use his netminders. "We have two quality guys back there, so we'll use them both".

The Rovers enter the series relatively healthy, with only rookie Nathan Horton out of the lineup. He is confirmed out for the two games in Baffin, but will be day to day beyond that. Manny Malhotra will replace him in the lineup, while Alexander Frolov will return to the top-6 forwards in Horton's absence. "This is Alex's time to step up", Stringer said of his enigmatic winger. "He didn't have the year he was capable of, but he can erase all that with a big playoff run".

Regehr forgoes FAcy, signs four-year extension

2006-05-30T10:22:00.000-02:30

Robyn Regehr hopes to hoist more even more hardware for the Baffin Island Rovers over the next four seasons.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

On the eve of beginning their RHL15 playoff run, Robyn Regehr wanted to ensure that future playoff runs would also be made as a Rover. With unrestricted free agency weeks away, Regehr and the Rovers agreed to a four year contract extension reportedly valued at more than five million dollars, though exact figures were not disclosed.

"I'm just happy to put this behind me", Regehr said at the press conference. "It had been looming, and while I wasn't looking to go anywhere else, it can play on your mind if you are always asked about it. I'm glad the team wanted me as much as I wanted to stay".

The feeling was definitely mutual. "Robyn really stepped up and has developed into one of the leaders of the club", coach and GM Stringer said of his rearguard. "He's going to be one of the guys that will be helping our younger dmen (Phaneuf, Liles, Michalek) down the road. We're ecstatic to get this done".

Regehr has just completed his fourth season with Baffin, being acquired prior to RHL12 in a deal with the Snow Dogs. He played in all 66 games with the team this year and registered his best offensive season with the club scoring 3 goals and 14 points. He sits 6th all-time and 2nd among defensemen in franchise history with 218 games played in the teal and black. Regehr has one RHL ring to his credit, although he was a black ace during the Rovers' RHL13 championship run. He was a regular last season when the Rovers fell one win short of repeating against the Vampyres and is looking forward to this playoff and others in the future. "Winning a championship is awesome, but knowing that you really contributed to it is even better. But then getting a chance to finally play and coming so close last year, that's a taste we all want to get out of our mouths. I think we've got a team that can do it this season".

The Rovers have more free agents to deal with, including forwards Mark Recchi, Cory Stillman, and Jeff Halpern as well as defensemen Danny Markov and Sean Hill. But right now nobody is talking about that. "We've inked Robyn today, but that doesn't mean there's anything to ready into about anyone else. We'll try to keep everybody, but that's not what we're focussed on right now. Today we are getting ready to play our first playoff game next week, and that's what 23 guys in the room are all about".

Regular Season Wrap-up

2006-05-26T09:02:00.000-02:30

After an entire month off the staff here at Rover Report have found it difficult to get back into the swing of production, but given that our paycheques have ceased to flow we have suddenly re-discovered our zeal for writing. And besides, it's the most wonderful time of the year: the playoffs are upon us!

The Rovers concluded RHL15 with a strong showing, posting the second-best point total in franchise history with 39 wins and 89 points, second to their 91 point performance in their championship RHL13 campaign. However they can't help but feel they dropped the ball down the stretch and can point to a late season loss to the Mounties and a final-day tie against the Capones which took them out of what could have been a first-place finish. Instead, the Rovers end up in 3rd place in the Champs, a point behind Chicago and two back of Kitchener. While this still means a first-round bye and home-ice in the second round, it will also mean a tougher second-round opponent and ultimately a tougher road to the title should they win that opening series.

However, this piece is not to look ahead, but to look back. The Rovers of RHL15 did not have the firepower that they have had the previous two seasons, but instead focussed on defense and as a result posted the best team GAA in franchise history. They allowed 132 goals for an even two goals per game, which was a full 32 goals fewer than they allowed in RHL13. The tandem of Martin Gerber and rookie Chris Mason performed better than any could have expected and the Rovers rode their defense to low-scoring victories all season long. The offense, while not as potent as years past, still managed 191 goals, which was two behind the Mounties and third in the conference behind the Capones. With stalwarts Pavol Demitra and Glen Murray having down years, the offense was spread around more evenly. In fact for the first time in franchise history a defenseman led the team in scoring, with Kim Johnsson proving to be the catalyst for the Rovers offense for the balance of the year. Let's look now at regular season grades for each Rover skater and goaltender.

Forwards

B+ Glen Murray: No Rover forward really deserves an A this season, but Murray did pot a team-leading 21 goals with 7 on the PP and 4 GWG. He was also a force in the corners all season.

B Olli Jokinen: Jokinen languished in a third line role for the first half of the season, but responded well once promoted to the top line in the second half.

B Mark Recchi: Meshed well with Demitra on the second line, but most of his numbers were still scored with the Aviators.

B- Pavol Demitra: An off-year for the franchise's leading scorer, failing to crack 40 pts and only managing 12 goals.

B- Cory Stillman: Clicked only sporadically with Jokinen and Murray, but can erase ho-hum season with big playoff performance.

B- Nathan Horton: 14 goals for the rookie and time on the second line down the stretch. Hopes to get back in the lineup soon after suffering last-day injury against Capones.

C+ Kris Draper: Big contributor to Rovers best-ever PK season, but didn't chip in as much offensively as expected.

C+ Patrice Bergeron: Saw very limited action, but showed club enough to believe that he can be counted on in the future.

C Jeff Halpern: Big player on PK, limited contribution at 5-5.

C Antti Laaksonen: See Halpern, Jeff

C Adam Hall: See Halpern and Laaksonen

C- Alexander Frolov: Much more was expected in what could have been break-out season. Still talent is there and organization is still very supportive.

D David Legwand: Buried on fourth line, franchise leader in games played was unable to contribute all season.

D Manny Malhotra: Didn't play much, didn't do much when he did.

Defensemen

A+ Kim Johnsson: Led the team in points, assists, PPG, and minutes, Johnsson was Mr. Everything for the team. A top Shore contender.

A Chris Pronger: The team's big UFA signing did not disappoint, filling the shoes of Rob Blake by leading the team in min/g, blocked shots, and contributed offensively.

B+ Robyn Regehr: Not known for offense, Regehr had his best season as a Rover. Provided blocked shots and solid defense, along with excellent PK work.

B Danny Markov: The final addition to the team near the deadline, Markov performed very well and stepped up when injuries hit the blueline corps.

B- Sean Hill: Limited ice-time as #6, but found ways to contribute offensively while blocking shots and making crisp passes.

C- Eric Brewer: Played top-4 minutes with PP time, but never hit his stride all season. Deft passer, but almost no assists to show for it.

D John-Michael Liles: Rookie only saw injury-replacement time, playing just four games.

INC Steve Montador: Did not see action all season.

Goaltenders

A Martin Gerber: Acquired from the Sockeyes at the start of the year, Gerber played most of the first half before splitting time in the second half. Set career highs in GP, W, and GAA.

A Chris Mason: The rookie didn't get off the bench much early in the season, but when called upon in the second half was more than ready. Marks of 1.88 GAA and 91.96% stand as franchise bests, if only through 24 games.

Days 111-113: Slaying the Giant

2006-04-25T12:09:00.000-02:30

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

Finally, for the first time all season, there was a decision in a Rovers - Mounties game, and it went Baffin's way. After four straight ties in the season series, the Rovers behind Chris Mason pulled a 1-0 shutout win from Kiprusoff's Mounties. Cory Stillman sniped the only goal of the game in the final minute of the second period to provide the margin of victory. Mason stopped all 26 Mountie shots, while Kipper allowed the single goal over 20 shots in defeat. "Mase was absolutely huge for us", Stringer said after the win. "We've always knew that he could do the job if called upon, and tonight was his night to shine". The win will do nothing to quell the burgeoning goalie controversy on Baffin Island as Mason has now started four straight games. "Marty will be back in, don't you worry", Stringer answered when asked if Gerber would ever see the ice again.

Lethbridge, AB (CP)

Heading to Alberta to face the Selects, Martin Gerber was back in net and displayed no rust at all. After four games off, Gerber stepped back in to stop 23 of 24 Selects shots in a 3-1 Rovers win. Chris Pronger, Danny Markov, and Glen Murray tallied for Baffin, who posted their fourth straight win. "It's good to see us picking up the pace after that dry spell", Stringer admitted. "If we keep this up, we will have a chance to be where we want to be in the end".

Where they want to be is first place, and they currently sit two points back of Kitchener with a game in hand. They now return home to host the 500s.

Days 106-109: N/Arry a worry

2006-04-21T10:33:00.000-02:30

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

After losing to the StrapHangers on the weekend, the Rovers were feeling pretty down on themselves as they headed to Kitchener to battle the Mounties. Trying to stem their worst slide of the season, the Rovers started Chris Mason and he provided the spark they needed, stopping 24 of 26 shots to earn a 2-2 tie. Alexander Frolov and Glen Murray scored late third period goals to dig out from a 2-0 deficit to gain the single point. The tie came at a cost, though, as both Pavol Demitra and Eric Brewer went down with injuries.

The next day saw the Rovers back on the ice at home facing the Capones, the team that started their current funk. Sticking with Mason in goal, the coaching staff decided to take the unorthodox approach of not replacing Demitra and Brewer in the lineup and instead playing with only 11 forwards and 5 D. The move paid off as the Rovers got a hat-trick from Cory Stillman and Mason stopped 29 of 32 shots for a 6-3 Rovers win. "We've got a lot of guys that could play more minutes if we asked them, so we figured we'd let them all pick up the slack with double-shifting, etc. Everyone really responded to the extra ice". When questioned as to whether this was a calculated move or whether the coaching staff was simply lax in setting new line combinations, Stringer bristled. "Come on, how stupid do I look?"

Two days later the Rovers were in Waterloo to face the Roadkill. Opting to ice the shorthanded lineup again and starting Mason for the third straight contest, the Rovers won 5-3 as five different scorers contributed, including Murray's team-leading 18th. "I wonder if we should bother ever replacing anyone who's out of the lineup if these results continue to hold", Stringer mused after the win.

The Rovers now have a day off before hosting Kitchener in a critical matchup. They currently sit four points back of the Mounties and two points ahead of the Capones with each having twelve remaining games. Neither Brewer nor Demitra is expected to be ready for the Kitchener game, so the coaching staff will again have to decide how to handle their lineup. We'll wait and see how they respond as game day approaches.

Day 102: Strappies Send Rovers Reeling

2006-04-17T17:41:00.000-02:30

Iqaluit, NU (IFPW)

A third straight loss has this writer lost for words. Where has this team gone? Ok, so you can drop two decisions to the Capones, but this isn't cool. The StrapHangers? I've talked to their coach Adam Ardis, and he's a nice enough guy, but his team sucks and the Rovers should not be losing to them on home ice. And don't give me that "Belfour always shows up against Baffin Island" nonsense. That's a bunch of tripe that the Rovers have been feeding the public as they scramble to hide the fact that they aren't beating inferior competition.

And in the midst of the worst slide since the first week of the season, you can bet that the team won't do anything at the trade deadline either. "We spent our money already!", they'll say. "Don't you like Cory Stillman?!?1", they'll say. Listen, I'm here to tell you that the Rovers can make plenty of moves, but are too wrapped up in their shiny prospects to budge. How's that for a 'thank-you' to the fans that are showing up this season? Not much of one in my book.

So what are they going to do? If you suckers are waiting for any magic beans to come along, they aren't. Maybe they'll shuffle the lines; yeah, that should do the trick! There is more than enough talent on the team to be in first place, but if the coaching staff can't do more with them than they are, then there needs to be a change. There's something rotten in Denmark, and a short playoff run may well be the spoiled fruit of this burgeoning malaise that has suddenly engulfed the organization.

Let's see what team comes to play in Kitchener tonight. Prove me wrong, fellas.

For Iqlauit Frozen Puck Weekly, I'm I.C. Stair.

Day 100: Deja Vu All Over Again

2006-04-13T10:25:00.000-02:30

Different location, same result for the Rovers.

Chicago, IL (AP)

The Rovers aren't married to the mob, but they sure have done a good job playing the bitch recently. The home-and-home series with the Capones is over, and the results weren't pretty for Rover fans. Two games and two shutout wins later, the Rovers suddenly find themselves more worried about keeping second place from Chicago than trying to get first place from the red-hot Mounties.

The Capones 3-0 whitewash on home ice was accentuated by a dominant faceoff performance and a superior display of passing. The Rovers held off the potent Chicago attack through most of two periods, but in the last minute of the second Adam Foote struck for a late powerplay goal that seemed to deflate the Baffin hopes. "That first goal was a real back-breaker", Stringer said. "We almost played two perfect road periods and then to give up one late, they rode the momentum in the third to the win".

Third period goals were added by Trent Hunter and Simon Gagne, allowing Dwayne Roloson's 31 save effort to stand up as his second consecutive shutout. Martin Gerber stopped 24 of 27 shots to take the loss. "I don't know what to say; they simply beat us up", a perplexed Stringer said of the two losses. "We've got to find a way, some combinations that can work against this lineup should we meet them again. We've left ourselves with a lot of work down the stretch to shore things up".

Not only do the two defeats represent the first time the team has lost consecutive games since the opening week of the season, but it drops them a full four points behind Kitchener for first, while the Capones have closed to within three for second place. All teams have 16 games remaining. The Rovers return home to host the StrapHangers, and are suddenly under the gun to answer a lot of questions in a short period of time.

Day 99: Rovers Gunned Down by Chicago

2006-04-11T08:50:00.000-02:30

The Capones firepower was too much for the Rovers to overcome.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

The Chicago Capones rolled into Baffin Island looking to take a bite out of the Rovers' lead for second and put on a dominating performance, outshooting the Rovers on home ice and owning them in the faceoff circle on their way to a 4-0 road victory. The Capones' top line of Kovalchuk, Weight, and Hunter scored three of the four goals and combined for seven points in the win. Martin Havlat added the other Capones marker, whose offensive weaponry was too much for the Rovers to combat. "They've got so many guns on that team, it's scary", Stringer said of the opposition. "I mean, Fedorov wasn't really going and there's Gagne as well, not to mention their Dmen. And Roloson was on his game tonight. We just got beat up tonight, and will have to find some answers. We have to work harder; bottom line".

The loss combined with a Mounties tie against the 500s increases Kitchener's lead atop the conference to two points, while the Capones closed the gap for second place to just five. They can further eat into that cushion as the teams travel to Chicago tonight to complete the home-and-home set.

- Kris Draper took the pre-game skate but was unable to dress due to his lower-body injury. Manny Malhotra took his place in the lineup. Draper will make the trip to Chicago and is expected to be ready to go.

Day 96: Rovers Race to Victory

2006-04-10T10:19:00.000-02:30

The Rovers led wire to wire and took the checkered flag in Indy.

Indianapolis, IN (AP)

Finally done with the Vampyres for the time being, the Rovers were anxious to face some new opposition in the 500s. The trip to Indy proved to be a successful one, as they skated away with a 3-1 road win. Adam Hall's shorthanded goal opened the scoring in the first, and Cory Stillman added a second early in the middle period. Ramzi Abid answered as the third got underway, but Glen Murray stemmed any possible comeback with another shorthanded effort, this his 16th of the season. Martin Gerber stopped 23 of 24 shots for the win, while Jussi Markkanen made 29 saves in defeat.

The win maintained the status quo atop the division as the Mounties also won to keep their one point cushion over Baffin. The race stands at 69 pts to 68, each with 18 games remaining. The Rovers now face the third-place Capones in a pivotal home-and-home, with the first leg getting underway tonight in Iqaluit.

Notes: - Kris Draper left the game in the third period with a lower-body injury. It is not considered serious, but he will be a game-time decision for tonight's contest against the Capones.

Day 94: Captain Clutch

2006-04-07T10:25:00.000-02:30

Rovers captain Olli Jokinen celebrates the first and only goal of the game with five minutes remaining in regulation.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

Needing a big effort to down the Vampyres on the heels of a 3-0 loss, all hands came out firing in Iqaluit, peppering Vesa Toskala with 38 shots. But it wasn't until late in the third when the captain, Olli Jokinen, one-timed a quick wrister past Toskala that the ice was broken. The goal stood up to be the game-winner as the Rovers earned a hard-fought 1-0 win.

The Rovers had the intensity cranked up from the get-go, and outshot the Vampyres 10-8 in a scoreless first period. The second saw more of the same as Baffin contined to pressure Calgary at every turn. Shots favoured the Rovers 16-5 in the frame, one which saw Vamps winger Gary Roberts leave with a shoulder injury. He did not return. The third period was more of the same, with the Rovers firing everything (including the kitchen sink) at Toskala while the Vamps hung on for dear life. Finally Jokinen broke through, one-timing a snap-pass from Glen Murray past the Vamps keeper with just over five minutes to go. Calgary were unable to come back, mustering only 3 shots in the period. Martin Gerber posted his third shutout of the season, making just 16 saves. "I tell you what, whoever gets Calgary in the playoffs will have their hands full because that guy [Toskala] can steal a series from anyone", Stringer said of the opposing tender. "I'm glad we've got a guy like Marty that can hang with him and battle him save for save, but they'll be tough in the playoffs, no doubt".

The Rovers continue to trail the Mounties at the top of the division by a single point. With 19 games remaining each, Kitchener has 67 points and Baffin 66. The Rovers now travel to Indy to tangle with the 500s. The season series sits at 2-1 Baffin, but this is a very different 500s team since they last met with the departures of Sundin, Tanguay, Kovalev, and Schneider to name a few. That said, the Rovers still expect a battle. "Is the guy behind the bench still there [referring to GM Benvenga]?", Stringer asked of a reporter who suggested that the 500s would be easy pickings. "He is? Well then, we won't get anything for free. Mark's a battler and I don't expect him to start giving me gifts anytime soon".

Day 93: Friggin' Vampyres...

2006-04-05T10:08:00.000-02:30

Will the Rovers ever find the stake necessary to kill Calgary?

Calgary, AB (CP)

Returning to Calgary after downing the Vampyres on home ice 4-2 over the weekend, the Rovers faced a rejuvenated host that clearly benefitted from spending some extra time in their coffins before the game. The 3-0 score was the same as the Vampyres last home win over the Rovers two weeks ago, but this was a different team, one that came out and took the play to Baffin, outshooting them and putting on a display of precision passing that the Rovers could not match. John Madden opened the scoring inside of two minutes by stripping Kim Johnsson of the puck on the forecheck and surprising Martin Gerber with a quick backhand deke. The Vamps maintained the one goal edge into the third where Gary Roberts added the insurance in the first minute and Marek Zidlicky iced it with a late power-play tally. Gerber stopped 30 of 33 shots, but Vesa Toskala's 30 saves gave him his fifth shutout of the season.

The loss drops the Rovers a point behind the Mounties for first place. The Rovers are back at it again on Wednesday night when they host, you guessed it, the Vampyres for their third straight meeting.

Over the Hill?

2006-04-04T10:56:00.000-02:30

"Talk to my agent, I don't bring that stuff in the lockerroom", was assistant captain Sean Hill's only comment on his reported contract demands.

Iqaluit, NU (IFPW)

It's stretch time, and the playoffs are near. So what are we at Iqaluit Frozen Puck Weekly going to talk about? Money. That's where it is folks, and more specifically how much of it will the Rovers spend on retaining some key free agents. There are close to a dozen players who will be looking for new contracts in the offseason, but a few stand out to this writer, and most of those are on defense.

Sean Hill, assistant captain and the only original Rover remaining from the RHL11 expansion draft, has reportedly asked for major dollars to avoid free-agency. While we're not sure of the actual amount, we've been told that he's using Rob Blake and Adam Foote as comparables, so you do the math. Now we like Sean Hill and think he provides value to the club beyond his on-ice role, both as assistant captain and being a link to the first Rover club, but it sounds like he's trying to write a one-way ticket out of town. Maybe he just wants to test the waters and will re-sign with the club during free agency. That's a possibility, but when the floodgates are opened and the offers come in, it can get out of hand pretty quickly.

Two others that are of particular importance are Robyn Regehr and Danny Markov. If Hill is all but gone, resigning one or both of these guys will be very important. Stringer has shown a willingness to take care of his RFA defensemen in the past, signing Kim Johnsson and Eric Brewer to long-term deals, so it remains to be seen what will happen with these two. But you have to think that if the price is reasonable, they'll get a call.

Up front Jeff Halpern is a guy that the Rovers should look at keeping. He kills penalties, wins faceoffs, and can even score a goal or two when called upon. We were told that when Recchi and Stillman were acquired that they were rentals, but if they want to return to the club at a discount, then perhaps that might happen.

The three remaining guys have fewer options being young guys in the league. Look for Gerber and Hall to return while Montador, who has yet to see the ice as a Rover, may or may not be in the plans. Overall you have to wonder how much money the Rovers will actually have to spend if they plan to retain any of these guys. Signing bonuses cost money, and they've been spending like drunken sailors this season, amassing the payroll that is second only to the Thundercats. But payroll be damned; it's about winning, and if this team wins this year then they'll be proven right. If not, there will be a lot of questions to be asked.

I.C. Stair for Iqaluit Frozen Puck Weekly

Days 90-91: Rovers Take Two

2006-04-03T10:39:00.000-02:30

Cory Stillman scored in both weekend games, leading the Rovers to two wins.

Lethbridge, AB (CP)

Finishing up a home-and-home series, the Rovers rolled into Lethbridge after a 3-1 home win over the Selects and followed it up with a 4-1 road triumph. Cory Stillman and Glen Murray each had a goal and an assist, while Kim Johnsson and Robyn Regehr added goals from the blueline. Dan McGillis snuck the only puck past Martin Gerber, who won both ends of the home-and-home, stopping 19 of 20 shots in the victory. Marc Denis made 29 saves in defeat.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

Returning home on short rest after winning in Lethbridge, the Rovers hosted the Vampyres for the first of three consecutive meetings. Baffin proved to be too much for Calgary on this night, downing the Vamps 4-2. Cory Stillman, Mark Recchi, and Kris Draper gave the Rovers a 3-0 lead by the midway mark of the game, and goals by Gary Roberts and Shayne Corson were not enough to overcome the deficit. Chris Pronger hit the empty net to ice the win. Martin Gerber was not busy in net, facing only 13 shots.

The wins push the Rovers into sole possession of first place, as the Mounties were only able to muster a 2-2 draw with the Spectres. The Rovers now sit with 64 points, one better than Kitchener. Both teams have 21 games remaining. Baffin Island has a day off before heading to Calgary and then returning home to host Calgary again.

Day 87: Horton Hears The Horn

2006-03-31T11:10:00.000-03:30

While this Horton (left) hears the Who, Nathan Horton heard the goalhorn when he scored the winner against the Selects.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

Rebounding from a shutout loss in Calgary the night before, the Rovers righted the ship on at home against Lethbridge, dealing the Selects a 3-1 defeat. After a sluggish scoreless first which saw only 13 total shots, Pavol Demitra and Nathan Horton found the back of the net to put the Rovers on top by two heading to the third. Emerging from the break, the Rovers seemed energized while the Selects forgot to show up. Baffin dominated the frame, scoring again on a Kris Draper deflection and outshooting Lethbridge 18-2 in the period with Trevor Linden's marker off a late scramble 12 seconds from fulltime the only blemish on Martin Gerber's evening. Gerber finished with 18 saves on 19 shots while Marc Denis faced 37 shots, stopping 34.

The Rovers now have two days off before travelling to Lethbridge and then playing the Vampyres three consecutive times, twice at home. The win kept pace with the Mounties atop the division at 60 pts each with 23 games to play.

Day 86: None Shall Pass

2006-03-29T10:37:00.000-03:30

Unfortunately, Baffin had no sword to smite Vesa Toskala, who stonewalled the Rovers 3-0.

Calgary, AB (CP)

When the Rovers hit Calgary, it's always a battle. Dating back to RHL13, the Vampyres have been the chief nemesis of Baffin Island and have always played them extremely tough, regardless of who has been wearing the Vampyres vestement. This season has been no different. As the rotating door in Calgary still operates at full spin, the players who happen to comprise the team on a given night always give their best effort against the Rovers. On this night, the clear star was goalie Vesa Toskala, who stopped all 32 Rover shots on his way to a 3-0 win.

The Vamps struck right out of the gate as Marek Zidlicky snuck a knuckleballer from the point past Martin Gerber in the first minute of the game. John Madden increased the lead to two midway through the period on a breakaway pass from Dan Boyle. Despite being outshot 12-5 in the first and 21-9 through two periods, the Vampyres maintained the 2-0 lead going into the third. The insurance was delivered early by Eric Boguniecki, who converted another pass from Boyle. The Vampyres managed only 15 shots in the game, catching Gerber on an uncharacteristic bad night. "Marty has been better, there's no question", Stringer said of his starter. "But we know he'll bounce back. He'll start against Lethbridge tomorrow night. Mark it down".

There were some questions after the game regarding icetime. The coaching staff were apparently content to roll four lines despite being down through most of the game. In fact, no Rover forward played less than 11 minutes and none more than 17. "Is this all you've got?", an agitated Stringer asked of an inquisitive reporter. "Our fourth line can play, you know. It's not like we weren't getting shots or chances. The goalie just played better. Ok, you go tell Legwand and Hall that it's their fault that we lost because they were getting minutes. You go do that, genius". The presser abruptly ended with Stringer indignantly leaving the podium.

The loss drops the Rovers back into a first-place tie with the Mounties, each with 58 points and 24 games remaining. The Rovers hold the tiebreaker with one extra win. The team flew out directly after the game to prepare to host the Selects at home tomorrow night. As indicated from post-game comments, Martin Gerber is expected to start for the second straight night.

Coaches Corner

2006-03-28T13:46:00.000-03:30

Heading into our next stretch of games against Calgary and Lethbridge, we'll likely continue with the current lines that have served us well recently.
Stillman Jokinen Gl.Murray Frolov Demitra Recchi Halpern Draper Horton Laaksonen Legwand Hall
Jokinen has really turned it on since joining the top line, and Draper has continued to score on the third unit. Hopefully Demitra can get that second unit going... what we as a staff would give to actually get all lines firing at the same time...

Oh yeah, and Gerber will be in goal tonight. Mason may play one of the games against the Vampyres, but it likely won't be this week.

Who's Number 1?

2006-03-23T14:40:00.000-03:30

Martin Gerber (left) and Chris Mason (right) have both played well for the Rovers this season.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

As the excitement of the All-Star break fades to the background, the stretch drive begins tonight. With the Rovers having three full days off before travelling to Calgary to face the Vampyres (the first of four meetings between the clubs over the next two weeks) and little else to talk about in the interim, one has to wonder if there is not a goalie controversy brewing on Baffin.

At the midpoint of the season one certainly would have said no, as Martin Gerber had carried the load except for a few games missed due to injury, and carried it well. Backup Chris Mason played well also, but very sparingly. But heading into the break, the coaching staff decided to give Mason three consecutive starts against Albany and St. Pete's while a healthy Gerber sat and watched. Are we seeing a shift in the starting position, or is there something else on the horizon?

"Not much to write about today, is there", Stringer chuckled when posed the question. While he may be light-hearted about the issue, it can't be denied that a goalie rotation could upset the positive dynamic that been around the Rovers through the first half of the season. "We really just wanted to give Mase some action. He's a good goalie. We rode Marty pretty hard in the first half, and there were a few times when he had to leave games because he tweaked something. We just want to keep both guys fresh for the playoffs, because we'll need everyone to be sharp when the time comes".

Gerber seemed to take the impromptu vacation in stride. "I'm satisfied with what I've done in the first half. If the coaches want to play Mase for a game, that's fine. I think I've proved that I can play, so I'm not too worried". Mason was equally as relaxed, but didn't shy away from his desire to play. "Any goalie that would tell you that they'd rather sit than start is not right in the head", Dr. Mason diagnosed. "Of course I'd rather play more, but I'll play when I'm called on and when I'm not I'll stay ready for the next call. Marty's a great goalie and I think I can play as well. That's not a bad thing".

Stringer has not named a starter for the game in Calgary, though it is expected that Gerber will be back in the nets. Whether it is Gerber or Mason, the coaching staff knows that if one guy starts to falter they have a solid alternative waiting in the wings thanks to the strong play of both guys.

Standing Pat?

2006-03-22T11:02:00.000-03:30

As the selling happens fast and furious in the Champs conference, why are the Rovers on the sidelines?

Iqaluit, NU (IFPW)

This past week has been a very busy one in the Champions Conference. Two franchises, the 500s and the Selects, have announced that they are each overhauling their star-studded rosters with an eye to the future. Names like Sundin, Tanguay, Schneider, Hejduk, and Souray have landed with new teams, some of whom are in direct competition with the Rovers at the top of the standings. Why then has GM Steve Stringer not gotten in on the action? Doesn't he feel that he owes it to the fans to get involved and bolster the team? We cut to the chase with the man himself.

IFPW: So what's the deal, how come these big names are going to division rivals?
SS: Come on, do you think I can stop teams from trading guys to certain teams just because I'm in a race with those teams? At least be realistic with your questions.

IFPW: Ok then, let's talk specifically. How come Alex Tanguay isn't a Rover?
SS: The reason is money. Our payroll is such that we just can't add anyone at this time. Yeah, we did talk to the 500s about some guys and there was a fair exchange of ideas, but in the end if we can't pay them, there's no use in acquiring them. We could have agreed on a return, but the finances didn't make sense.

IFPW: That's crap. When Mats Sundin goes to the Mounties, you've got to respond.
SS: Maybe you should look back. We've been one of the more active teams this season. We acquired Mark Recchi, Cory Stillman, and Danny Markov during times when we weren't fighting a feeding frenzy caused by a mass sell-off. Of course we'd love to add more players, but at some point you've got to be realistic.

IFPW: What is your take on the Rover prospect list? Could any of them be moved for further help this year?
SS: You never say never, but there are some guys who I believe will play for a lot of years in Iqaluit. Phaneuf is one, Malkin another, and Lehtonen another. Frankly I don't think our youth pool is that deep that we can just trade away promising youngsters willy-nilly. A lot of deliberation went into the trading of Grigorenko and Tambellini. We feel that both guys will be quality RHLers in the near future. But we look at things over the long haul; we know our revenue situation and our bank balance will dictate that in the coming seasons we'll have to spend less than we have been over the past three seasons. That will mean that our youth will have to play an even more prominent role in keeping our team successful both on the ice and on the ledger.

IFPW: You're in the middle of a run for first overall and you're talking about the ledger?! That's not what the fans want to hear!
SS: I'll tell you what the fans don't want to hear: 'Sorry, we're broke because we traded the farm for rental guys, and now we have no money for free agents and limited prospects for the future. See you in three seasons when we can be competitive again'. That's something I'm not going to let happen. Of course the focus is on this year's team. We've been doing very well, and anticipate a long run in the playoffs. But anyone who doesn't also look ahead isn't doing the fans a favour either.

IFPW: All I can say is you'll have a lot of angry fans if this team crashes and burns in the second round because you didn't add that final piece.
SS: I'll be more disappointed than anyone, and I'll ultimately be accountable to the fans. But don't try to paint this as we haven't been trying. We've stepped up and spent the money to bring in the guys we felt we needed. Now it's their time to step up, and we feel that they will.

I. C. Stair for Iqaluit Frozen Puck Weekly

Champs, Premier Split RHL15 All-Star Classic

2006-03-22T10:45:00.000-03:30

Yellowknife, NWT (CP)

This year's All-Star Classic ended with each conference winning one game. The Champs, backstopped by Miikka Kiprusoff, drew first blood with an 8-4 rout over Martin Brodeur's Premier squad, but the Premier rebounded behind Roberto Luongo to edge the Dwayne Roloson-led Champs 3-2 in the back-end. Marian Hossa led all scorers with one goal and four assists over the two game set and was named All-Star MVP, while Luongo stopped 32 of 34 shots to earn top goaltender honours. "We really had a great time here, and I think the fans enjoyed it most importantly", Champs coach Steve Stringer said after the second game. "A big thank you goes out to the organizing staff here in Yellowknife; they did a fabulous job".

GAME SUMMARY RHL15 All-Star Game #1 SCORING 1 2 3 4 T PPA PPG FOW FOL SHOTS ON GOAL 1 2 3 4 T ------- -- -- -- -- -- --- --- --- --- ----- -- ---- -- -- -- -- --- Champions 4 2 2 0 8 2 1 30 14 Champions 15 9 12 0 36 Premier 1 2 1 0 4 4 1 14 30 Premier 12 11 6 0 29 Corner Battles Time of Possession by Zone Passing Other Stats Hits Won % Won Offensive Neutral Defensive Total Comp %Comp ----------- ---- --- ----- --------- ------- --------- ----- ---- ----- Champions 17 20 52.6 09:54 07:59 11:20 29:13 114 85.7 Premier 19 18 47.4 10:04 09:34 11:09 30:47 107 73.8 GOALS ALLOWED 1 2 3 4 T SHOTS FACED 1 2 3 4 T ------------- -- -- -- -- --- ----------- -- -- -- -- --- Kiprusoff 1 2 1 0 4 Kiprusoff 12 11 6 0 29 Brodeur 4 2 2 0 8 Brodeur 15 9 12 0 36 GOALS ----- # TEAM PER TIME PLAYER GOAL# ASSIST #1 ASSIST #2 TYPE ------ --- ----- ------------ ----- ------------ ------------ -------- 1 CHA 1 03:54 Kovalchuk 1 Sundin Pronger EST 2 PRE 1 08:15 Smyth 1 Forsberg Satan PPG 3 CHA 1 12:08 Datsyuk 1 Tkachuk Mrn.Hossa EST 4 CHA 1 16:55 Rucchin 1 EST 5 CHA 1 17:28 Guerin 1 EST 6 PRE 2 07:31 S.Walker 1 Timonen McEachern EST 7 CHA 2 10:56 Kovalchuk 2 Mrn.Hossa S.Niedermaye EST 8 PRE 2 17:47 Timonen 1 S.Walker Holik EST 9 CHA 2 19:09 Mrn.Hossa 1 Kovalchuk Datsyuk PPG 10 CHA 3 00:16 Datsyuk 2 S.Niedermaye Mrn.Hossa EST 11 PRE 3 03:47 Kubina 1 Sakic Timonen EST 12 CHA 3 05:32 Chara 1 Elias Palffy EST PENALTIES --------- PER TIME TEAM PLAYER PIM MINORS MAJORS MISC. MATCH GMISC GRMIS --- ----- ---- ------------- --- ------ ------ ------ ----- ------ ------- 1 04:37 CHA Johnsson 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 07:14 CHA Elias 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 19:16 CHA Tkachuk 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 02:50 CHA Chara 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 08:36 CHA Mrn.Hossa 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 08:36 PRE Kubina 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 11:12 PRE Jagr 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 18:55 PRE S.Walker 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 GAME DETAIL RHL15 All-Star Game #1 All-Star Champions ----------------------------- -- GOALS -- FO FO Fight PLAYER MIN GL AS PT SOG PP SH GW GT +/- PIM W L BS HT W L D CW CL PC PI ------------ --- -- -- -- --- -- -- -- -- --- --- -- -- -- -- - - - -- -- -- -- Fedorov 15 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 Rucchin 12 1 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 5 2 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 1 Datsyuk 20 2 1 3 4 0 0 0 0 2 0 11 6 0 1 0 0 0 2 2 5 1 Sundin 13 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 Kovalchuk 18 2 1 3 3 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 9 1 Tkachuk 21 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 9 1 Elias 11 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 8 0 Konowalchuk 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 Guerin 12 1 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 7 0 Palffy 12 0 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 0 Mrn.Hossa 20 1 3 4 6 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 Lehtinen 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 1 Norstrom 17 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 1 1 12 0 Lidstrom 21 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 6 0 Chara 15 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 3 7 1 Pronger 23 0 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 3 2 9 1 S.Niedermaye 23 0 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 8 2 Johnsson 21 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 1 15 4 Roloson 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Kiprusoff 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 TOTALS 60 8 12 20 36 1 0 1 0 20 10 30 14 2 17 0 0 0 20 18 114 19 -- GOALTENDING -- PLAYER SV GA W L T EN SO ------ -- -- - - - -- -- Roloson 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Kiprusoff 25 4 1 0 0 0 0 TOTALS 25 4 1 0 0 0 0 All-Stars Premier ----------------------------- -- GOALS -- FO FO Fight PLAYER MIN GL AS PT SOG PP SH GW GT +/- PIM W L BS HT W L D CW CL PC PI ------------ --- -- -- -- --- -- -- -- -- --- --- -- -- -- -- - - - -- -- -- -- Sakic 17 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 -3 0 7 6 0 2 0 0 0 3 1 8 4 Forsberg 17 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 -2 0 0 3 0 4 0 0 0 1 1 6 2 Holik 14 0 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 5 0 2 0 0 0 1 1 2 1 Lang 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -1 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 4 R.Nash 23 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 2 2 Smyth 15 1 0 1 4 1 0 0 0 -2 0 1 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 2 Damphousse 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -1 0 3 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 0 McEachern 12 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 6 0 Satan 22 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 -3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 4 2 S.Walker 15 1 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 1 3 4 3 Alfredsson 12 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 -2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 Jagr 9 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 -1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Timonen 27 1 2 3 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 2 14 1 Niinimaa 22 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 10 7 Leopold 21 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 -5 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 4 2 4 3 R.Blake 17 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 8 2 Kubina 18 1 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 8 0 Visnovsky 16 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 6 2 Brodeur 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 Luongo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 TOTALS 60 4 8 12 29 1 0 0 0 -20 6 14 30 2 19 0 0 0 18 20 107 38 -- GOALTENDING -- PLAYER SV GA W L T EN SO ------ -- -- - - - -- -- Brodeur 28 8 0 1 0 0 0 Luongo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 TOTALS 28 8 0 1 0 0 0 GAME SUMMARY RHL15 All-Star Game #2 SCORING 1 2 3 4 T PPA PPG FOW FOL SHOTS ON GOAL 1 2 3 4 T ------- -- -- -- -- -- --- --- --- --- ----- -- ---- -- -- -- -- --- Champions 1 1 0 0 2 3 1 28 16 Champions 17 11 8 0 36 Premier 2 0 1 0 3 4 0 16 28 Premier 11 6 9 0 26 Corner Battles Time of Possession by Zone Passing Other Stats Hits Won % Won Offensive Neutral Defensive Total Comp %Comp ----------- ---- --- ----- --------- ------- --------- ----- ---- ----- Champions 28 28 51.9 10:18 07:46 11:42 29:46 97 85.8 Premier 33 26 48.1 09:41 08:21 12:12 30:14 92 74.8 GOALS ALLOWED 1 2 3 4 T SHOTS FACED 1 2 3 4 T ------------- -- -- -- -- --- ----------- -- -- -- -- --- Roloson 2 0 1 0 3 Roloson 11 6 9 0 26 Luongo 1 1 0 0 2 Luongo 17 11 8 0 36 GOALS ----- # TEAM PER TIME PLAYER GOAL# ASSIST #1 ASSIST #2 TYPE ------ --- ----- ------------ ----- ------------ ------------ -------- 1 CHA 1 04:43 Pronger 1 Sundin Palffy PPG 2 PRE 1 07:21 Niinimaa 1 Lang EST 3 PRE 1 12:17 McEachern 1 Holik Niinimaa EST 4 CHA 2 17:35 Tkachuk 1 Datsyuk Mrn.Hossa EST 5 PRE 3 08:53 Smyth 1 Niinimaa Sakic EST PENALTIES --------- PER TIME TEAM PLAYER PIM MINORS MAJORS MISC. MATCH GMISC GRMIS --- ----- ---- ------------- --- ------ ------ ------ ----- ------ ------- 1 01:10 PRE Forsberg 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 02:16 CHA Chara 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 04:40 PRE Smyth 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 08:59 CHA Kovalchuk 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 14:46 PRE Timonen 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 13:14 CHA Norstrom 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 09:28 CHA Datsyuk 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 18:41 CHA Elias 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 18:41 PRE Kubina 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 GAME DETAIL RHL15 All-Star Game #2 All-Star Champions ----------------------------- -- GOALS -- FO FO Fight PLAYER MIN GL AS PT SOG PP SH GW GT +/- PIM W L BS HT W L D CW CL PC PI ------------ --- -- -- -- --- -- -- -- -- --- --- -- -- -- -- - - - -- -- -- -- Fedorov 21 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 4 0 2 0 0 0 4 2 3 0 Rucchin 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 4 0 Datsyuk 12 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 -2 2 5 6 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 4 2 Sundin 14 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 4 0 2 0 0 0 1 1 5 1 Kovalchuk 16 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 Tkachuk 14 1 0 1 5 0 0 0 0 -2 0 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 3 1 Elias 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 8 0 Konowalchuk 12 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Guerin 13 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 Palffy 15 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 Mrn.Hossa 14 0 1 1 5 0 0 0 0 -2 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 Lehtinen 15 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3 4 0 Norstrom 19 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 6 5 4 1 Lidstrom 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 4 5 11 1 Chara 19 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 3 2 9 1 Pronger 19 1 0 1 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 9 1 S.Niedermaye 26 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 -2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 5 5 14 2 Johnsson 17 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 1 Roloson 59 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Kiprusoff 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 TOTALS 60 2 4 6 36 1 0 0 0 -10 10 28 16 2 28 0 0 0 28 26 97 16 -- GOALTENDING -- PLAYER SV GA W L T EN SO ------ -- -- - - - -- -- Roloson 23 3 0 1 0 0 0 Kiprusoff 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 TOTALS 23 3 0 1 0 0 0 All-Stars Premier ----------------------------- -- GOALS -- FO FO Fight PLAYER MIN GL AS PT SOG PP SH GW GT +/- PIM W L BS HT W L D CW CL PC PI ------------ --- -- -- -- --- -- -- -- -- --- --- -- -- -- -- - - - -- -- -- -- Sakic 14 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 5 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 4 2 Forsberg 14 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 4 0 5 0 0 0 1 1 4 0 Holik 13 0 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 5 4 0 2 0 0 0 1 2 9 2 Lang 17 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 4 0 1 0 0 0 2 3 7 3 R.Nash 16 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 3 2 3 0 Smyth 15 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 2 2 5 0 4 0 0 0 3 1 5 2 Damphousse 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 McEachern 13 1 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 4 1 Satan 16 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 2 7 5 S.Walker 13 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 2 Alfredsson 12 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 2 Jagr 18 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 0 0 3 4 3 0 Timonen 21 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 3 8 3 Niinimaa 16 1 2 3 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 6 1 Leopold 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 1 3 3 R.Blake 24 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 1 1 5 1 Kubina 19 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 2 2 7 1 Visnovsky 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 8 2 Brodeur 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Luongo 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 TOTALS 60 3 5 8 26 0 0 1 0 10 8 16 28 3 33 0 0 0 26 28 92 31 -- GOALTENDING -- PLAYER SV GA W L T EN SO ------ -- -- - - - -- -- Brodeur 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Luongo 34 2 1 0 0 0 0 TOTALS 34 2 1 0 0 0 0

Days 81-82: Weekend Sweep

2006-03-21T09:17:00.000-03:30

St. Pete's, FL (AP)

The Rovers flew south to St. Pete's a day early to hit the beach, then the next day they hit the Wicked Ale for a 4-2 road victory. For the second straight game captain Olli Jokinen tallied the winning goal, this one late in the third period in a 2-2 game that was close only for the efforts of Patrick Lalime in the Ale nets. Lalime was ambushed to the tune of 47 shots against, but held the Ale in the game for 57 minutes. Glen Murray and Pavol Demitra gave the Rovers a 2-1 lead after Martin Straka opened the scoring early in the first. Eric Brewer iced the game 33 seconds after Jokinen's go-ahead marker. Chris Mason won his second straight start, stopping 19 of 21 shots for his seventh win of the season.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

A quick flight home saw a short turnaround to the next Baffin game at home against Albany for the second time in four days. Unlike Thursday, however, this game was not close as the Rovers overwhelmed Ed Belfour for four goals on 17 shots in the first period to take a 4-0 lead into the lockerroom. Kris Draper scored twice in the frame, as did Mark Recchi and Jeff Halpern. It was a lead they would not relinquish as they maintained the pressure in the second, again outshooting the StrapHangers by a 16-5 margin. Mark Recchi notched his second of the game early in the third and Nathan Horton pushed the lead to 6-0 minutes later to conclude the Rover scoring. Sergei Samsonov's goal 13 seconds after Horton's was the only blemish on Chris Mason's evening as he stopped 22 of 23 for his third consecutive win.

The three wins moved Baffin Island four points ahead of the Mounties for first place, with Kitchener holding one game in hand. The Rovers now have three days off before entering a curious stretch of nine days during which they play the Selects twice and the Vampyres four times.

Day 79: Olli-Olli Oxen Free!

2006-03-21T09:12:00.000-03:30

"Awesome", Rovers captain Olli Jokinen on how it felt to skate on the top line and score the winning goal against the StrapHangers on Thursday.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

When Rover Report visited with Olli Jokinen last week, he felt he was still contributing to the team even though he was not seeing the icetime he has been accustomed to in recent years. Now, a day after the coaching staff tabbed him to center the #1 line in a line shuffle, he feels even better. Jokinen scored twice, including the game-winner in the third period, in the Rovers 3-1 win over the StrapHangers. "Everyone wants to play lots and score big goals, but opportunity isn't something you directly control", Jokinen said after the win. "But when you get your chance, you have to take advantage. Tonight was awesome".

Jokinen made his mark early, deflecting home an Eric Brewer point shot on power-play just over three minutes into the game. Kevyn Adams tied the game with his third of the season just past the midpoint of the frame. The Rovers outshot the Hangers 12-6 in the period and increased the pressure in the second, only to be repeated stymied by ex-Rover Ed Belfour. Outshot 18-6 in the second, Belfour stood on his head. Time and again he robbed Rover shooters of what seemed to be sure goals, his best effort coming on a sliding pad-stack save off an Alexander Frolov attempt while on a long 2-on-1 with Pavol Demitra. "Eddie always plays us tough... has ever since he's been in Albany", Stringer said of his former netminder. "It seems like it's always a battle against him, so we were lucky to squeeze enough by him to get the win".

With the StrapHangers retreating into a tight defensive shell to start the third, it was open season on Belfour. However it wasn't until the 13 minute mark of the period when Jokinen broke the deadlock, taking a breakaway pass from Danny Markov and going in alone to beat Belfour with a quick snapshot low to the glove side. Nathan Horton added an insurance goal later in the frame, tapping home a gorgeous cross-crease pass from Jeff Halpern on a play that caught the StrapHangers defense napping. Chris Mason, getting the start for Martin Gerber, stopped 13 of 14 shots for the win, while Belfour was stellar, making 40 saves in defeat.

The win moved the Rovers two points clear of the Mounties for tops in the Champions Conference. Both teams have played 39 games. Baffin now has a day off before travelling to St. Pete's to meet the Wicked Ale and then returning to again host the StrapHangers.

Notes: Sports talk radio in Iqaluit was buzzing with speculation that the Rovers were about to make a major trade with the 500s. Stringer addressed the situation after the game.. sort of. "Yeah, Indy seems to be active in the trade market right now. If we become active, you'll all hear about it. But right now, we aren't".

Champs Conference All-Stars: Inside the Selections

2006-03-20T19:19:00.000-03:30

Yellowknife, NWT (CP)

Talk leading up to the All-Star game was relatively quiet regarding player selection as tight battles at the top of each conference continued to rage and league standing had enraptured the media. However, as the spotlight began to shift north to the I&S Mine Shaft, site of the RHL15 All-Star games, speculation as to the All-Star lineups began to grow. That said, Champion Conference head coach Steve Stringer took to the podium this afternoon in front of a packed room to announce the All-Stars for his conference. The complete lineup is as follows:

C - Sergei Fedorov - CAP (s), Pavel Datsyuk - FUN, Mats Sundin - MOU, Steve Rucchin - SPE
LW - Ilya Kovalchuk - CAP (s), Keith Tkachuk - ROA, Patrik Elias - SOC, Steve Konowalchuk - VAM
RW - Bill Guerin - FUN (s), Marian Hossa - SEL, Zigmund Palffy - STR, Jere Lehtinen - 500
D - Nicklas Lidstrom - SOC (s), Scott Niedermayer - FUN (s), Chris Pronger - ROV, Kim Johnsson - ROV, Zdeno Chara - MOU, Mattias Norstrom - WIC
G - Miikka Kiprusoff - MOU (s), Dwayne Roloson - CAP

"With any All-Star team, there are way too many guys that deserve to make it but can't because of the numbers game", Stringer said about the challenge of assembling such a team. "It always comes down to having to choose one or two guys out of a group of eight or ten and you know that every guy there could do the job and do it well".

One eyebrow-raiser among the omissions was Fredrik Modin, the conference's second leading scorer. "Modin was a real tough choice. It came down not only to numbers, but to team representation. Many slots were spoken for before we had to make real choices". The Rovers are represented by their top defensive tandem of Pronger and Johnsson, though no Rover forwards made the cut, and neither did starting goalie Martin Gerber. "Kim and Chris obviously deserved to make the team, so I made sure they were there", Stringer said of his Dmen. "But then when we got to the forwards, we had to fit in so many teams that there weren't many spots remaining. Demitra got serious consideration, but Sundin deserved it more. Marty [Gerber] is certainly deserving, but Roloson simply had better numbers across the board and deserved it just that much more. Like I said, wasn't easy".

The inclusion of defensive forwards Konowalchuk, Rucchin, and Lehtinen also drew questions. "Like I said, team representation was a key factor. With Mark [Benvenga] dismantling his team so quickly, it put a big challenge to us. Suddenly instead of Sundin, Tanguay, and Schneider, there weren't many guys left. Jere was his leading scorer, but is best known as a defensive guy. Then, looking around we saw Rooch and Kono were also leading their teams in scoring, so it was the natural thing to do to select them all, filling the representation and gaining a shutdown line and all our PK guys in the one shot. Draper was another guy that was considered, but it came down to those three being the best reps for their respective clubs. That defensive line became the first unit chosen just because of the circumstances of those three teams, then we filled the remaining two offensive lines last".

Other players that just missed the cut include Martin St. Louis, Dany Heatley, Markus Naslund, Wade Redden, and Sergei Gonchar, as well as numerous others. More than 40 players were debated for the 20 slots. Team breakdown saw the top five teams in the conference land multiple players, with the Mounties, Capones, and Funboys sending three apiece while the Rovers and Sockeyes each send two. The remaining seven teams have one representative. The All-Star games are slated to be played tonight.

Shuffling the Deck

2006-03-16T10:27:00.000-03:30

The Rovers prepare to host the StrapHangers with new line combinations.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

As the Rovers head into a stretch of games against two struggling teams in the StrapHangers and Wicked Ale, the coaching staff are going to experiment with a new look down the middle. Olli Jokinen, with four goals and two assists in the three games prior to the Funboys loss, finds himself skating on the top line alongside wingers Cory Stillman and Glen Murray. Pavol Demitra, Murray's long-time linemate, drops to the second line with Alexander Frolov and Mark Recchi, while Kris Draper will shift to third line centre between Jeff Halpern and Nathan Horton. The fourth line remains intact with David Legwand centering Antti Laaksonen and Adam Hall.

The move is an attempt to improve the overall production of the group as Jokinen is the team's top rated passer among forwards at 82.3%, while Draper was completing less than 70% of his pass attempts. "Kris has played very well for us as his eleven goals indicate", Stringer said during the scrum after practice, "but we want to see if Jokinen's playmaking can jolt the top lines. We've felt all season that this group has more to give, so we'll continue to tinker until we get them playing to their potential".

After the game, Stringer had a roster selection meeting via conference call with fellow All-Star coaches Brad Schott and Paul Myers. Stringer will guide the Champion Conference All-Star squad this season, and the lobbying among his players to get on the team has been intense. "I won't lie, we've all been in his ear", Chris Pronger laughed when asked about the situation. "I think even Moose [3rd string goalie Johan Hedberg] has been chirping about getting on the team. Personally I think my mom would make a better choice in net than him, but don't tell him I said that".

Day 76: No Fun in Saskatoon

2006-03-14T11:07:00.000-03:30

"What can I say? We kicked their asses" - Funboys forward Eric Lindros

Saskatoon, SK (CP)

So long, farewell. The Rovers won't be shedding any tears leaving Saskatoon for the final time this regular season. After splitting the two previous hard-fought contests at Saskatchewan Place, the Rovers were handed their biggest defeat of the season, a 5-2 drubbing that snapped their nine-game unbeaten streak. It was only the second time all season that the Rovers allowed five goals (a 5-5 tie with Waterloo early in the season being the only other), and it was the first loss of the season by more than two goals. "No doubt about it.. they thumped us", Stringer said of the loss. "They got us running around and taking penalties, then they killed us on their PP. We've just got to forget this and move on".

The Funboys carried the play from the opening whistle, taking a quick 2-0 lead less than five minutes into the game on goals by Sullivan and Lindros and outshooting the Rovers 13-4 in the stanza. The Rovers fought back in the second, scoring early on a Kris Draper wrister and late on a Kim Johnsson slapshot to tie, but All-Star starter Scott Niedermayer put the Funboys back on top for good a mere 22 seconds after Johnsson's equalizer. Saskatoon iced the game with two more power-play tallies in the third from fellow All-Star starter Bill Guerin and Lindros, his second of the night. Martin Gerber dropped the decision allowing five goals on 33 shots, while Michael Leighton kicked out 20 of 22 for the victory.

The loss drops the Rovers percentage points behind the Mounties, who now have a game in hand with which to overcome their one point deficit to Baffin Island. The Funboys pull to within four points of the Capones for fourth place, though the Vampyres still separate the two having games in hand on Saskatoon. The Rovers now have two days off before a stretch of three games in four nights against the StrapHangers and Wicked Ale. "We're looking forward to a few days off and re-charging before taking on Albany. They've been struggling, so we can't afford to let up. We'll be ready for them".

Notes: - Sean Hill did not accompany the team to Saskatoon, but had responded well to treatment over the past 24 hours for his injury. He is expected to be ready for the Albany home game later this week.

Day 75: Stillman Stirs PP

2006-03-12T17:34:00.000-03:30

Cory Stillman dekes Roadkill netminder Roman Turek for the first of three Rovers power-play goals on the evening.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

Cory Stillman notched a goal and two assists on the power-play, while Olli Jokinen scored two goals at even strength to push the Rovers past the Waterloo Roadkill 5-1 Saturday evening in Iqaluit. The win extends the team's unbeaten streak to nine games, giving them 12 victories in their past 14 games.

Jokinen opened the scoring just over a minute into the game, snapping home a slap-pass from Chris Pronger for his fifth of the season. He struck again midway through the period for his second of the game, finishing off a lovely three-way passing play with linemates Nathan Horton and Jeff Halpern. Two minutes later with Roadkill defenseman Pavel Trnka in the box for interference, Stillman took a stretch pass from Mark Recchi and deked Roman Turek with a slick backhand-to-forehand manoeuver. The Rovers took the 3-0 lead into the intermission despite being outshot 8-7.

The second period saw the Roadkill press the issue as they carried the play, outshooting the Rovers 10-5 in the frame. However Martin Gerber withstood the barrage to keep the 3-0 lead intact heading into the third period. Then, 27 seconds into the 3rd, the Rovers struck again on the PP as Glen Murray converted a goal-mouth feed from Jokinen for his team-leading 13th of the season. Doug Weight and Recchi exchanged late goals to cap the scoring. Gerber stopped 27 of 28 shots for his 16th win of the season. "Our special teams played real well, and Marty [Gerber] was great again for us", Stringer said after the game. "We could still be a bit more involved at even strength, but Olli's line was really going so we have to be pleased with the effort".

The win kept the Rovers one point ahead of the Mounties for first place in the division as the Mounties had defeated the Capones 4-3 in an afternoon matchup. The Rovers now travel to Saskatoon to meet the Funboys for their third consecutive road meeting. The Rovers took a 4-3 decision in their last game two weeks ago and lead the season-series two games to one thus far.

Notes:
- Defenseman Sean Hill didn't come out for the third period, suffering what team officials are calling an upper-body injury. He will not make the trip to Saskatoon, but expects to be ready for the upcoming pair of games after the Funboys matchup. Rookie John-Michael Liles will replace Hill in the lineup tomorrow night, making his second appearance of the season.
- Defenseman Danny Markov made his Rovers debut, skating 17 minutes primarily alongside Chris Pronger. He was a +1 and completed 9 of 10 passes, and also killed penalties with Robyn Regehr.

The Joker: Still Smiling

2006-03-10T14:58:00.000-03:30

Olli being Olli.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

It's hard to find Rover center Olli Jokinen in poor spirits. He's always smiling and cracking jokes (usually at the expense of unsuspecting teammates) and is general upbeat about things. This season, however, has been a mixed bag for Jokinen. The long-time Rover finds himself on a team that is in first place, but he is not contributing to it as much as he is accustomed. After averaging a hair under a point per game over the past two seasons, Jokinen has been mostly skating on the third line, and has only registered a dozen points through the first half of the season. But one thing is for sure; you won't hear him complain about it.

"The thing is, we've got a good team", Olli said of his current situation. "Drapes [Kris Draper] has really stepped up his game, and we've got a lot of great wingers in Fro [Alex Frolov], Rex [Mark Recchi], and Stills [Cory Stillman]. Sometimes I've spelled Drapes on the second line, but Nate [Nathan Horton] and I have played well together, so we just have depth. That ain't bad".

The current Rovers ironman (he has 254 straight games since being acquired in RHL11), Jokinen can see the goal of the team, and knows his future in it is secure. "You ask me would I like to play more.. well, who wouldn't? Sure I would, but I'm not. But I know what we're trying to do and am willing to play when I can. We're all focussed on the playoffs here, and that's it".

When asked about his new teammates, Jokinen's playful character shone through. "Cory and Mark are great guys, always good for a laugh, but Laaks [Antti Laaksonen] is the best. That guy cracks me up. I'm surprised San Diego let him go. All I know is that he's having a riot with us, so something must be right".

Four Rovers contend for All-Star starter

2006-03-09T09:52:00.000-03:30

The league's annual All-Star ballot was released yesterday, with the format of Champions vs Premier conference returning from last season. Four Rovers are listed among the nominees. Newcomer Mark Recchi is on the ticket for Right Wing and is the only Rover forward on the ballot. Standout defensemen Chris Pronger and Kim Johnsson are vying for the same starting job at Right Defense, while Martin Gerber is a starting candidate in goal. Starters will be announced on March 12th, with coaches selections rounding out the roster after that. Rovers coach Stringer is suspected to be part of the Champions coaching staff. Best of luck to all Rovers.

Notes: - Danny Markov's first practice with the Rovers saw him practice alongside Chris Pronger during defensive drills. "Chris is an amazing player, and you don't fully appreciate him until you line up with him. I can't wait to play here", Markov said after the spirited practice. Markov is also expected to see time on the penalty-killing units. The Rovers entertain Markov's former team, the Roadkill, tonight.

Markov Marked for Rovers

2006-03-08T09:18:00.000-03:30

Defenseman Danny Markov (file photo) doing what he does best, crushing an opposing forward into the glass.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

As first broken two days ago on Rover Report, Danny Markov is joining the Baffin Island Rovers for their playoff run. Acquired from the Waterloo Roadkill along with a draft pick, the Rovers send veteran Cale Hulse, prospect Jeff Tambellini, and cash considerations to Waterloo in exchange. "We're really pleased to get Danny", Stringer said at the news conference. "We've actually been after Danny going back to last season. Waterloo was in a fight for promotion at that time and wouldn't part with him. They succeeded in gaining promotion, and we continued to talk about him, but with their strong start they still resisted. But when they recently announced publicly that they'd listen to offers for some players, we jumped again and it came together quickly".

Markov led the Roadkill in ice-time this season, playing over 25 minutes a game while playing in all 36 Waterloo games. Not particularly known for his offense, he has notched four goals and seven assists for eleven points, second amongst Roadkill defensemen to PP specialist Bryan Berard. But what Markov excels at is the physical aspect of the game. His open-ice hits and board play are excellent, which is what the Rovers were looking for. His 46 PIM lead the Roadkill as did his 21 blocked shots, and he was second on the club with 90 hits (which now ranks second on the Rovers behind only Chris Pronger). "I like to hit people", a sheepish Markov said when asked what part of the game he likes best. "I'm no Paul Coffey or someone like that.. I just play defense".

"Cale was tremendous for us; his +/- was among the team leaders, but when Markov became available we felt it was a big upgrade at a reasonable cost for the future. We think Jeff will be an excellent RHLer in the future, but fortunately our scouting staff has stocked our farm with enough quality prospects that we could afford to make the deal. Markov will be able to kill penalties for us and gives us another guy that can play top four minutes should an injury occur now or in the playoffs".

The Rovers have another day off today so Markov will get his first Rovers practice in and allow the coaching staff to assemble new lines for tomorrow's game against, of all teams, the Waterloo Roadkill. "Yes, it will be strange to play those guys so soon after being traded", Markov said of the timing. "I just hope they're ready, and they keep their heads up".

At it Again?

2006-03-06T15:51:00.000-03:30

Rover Report has learned that the Rovers are about to add a defenseman from another team in the Champs conference. More as we get it.

A Brief History of Time

2006-03-06T10:10:00.000-03:30

The Rovers recent 2-2 tie with the Kitchener Mounties was the 300th game in the still short history of the team. Since their inception, the club has posted a regular-season record of 136-130-34, as well as a 26-15 mark in the playoffs where the team has won six of seven playoff series and one Kings Cup championship in RHL13.

Assistant captain Sean Hill remains as the only player still with the team from their expansion draft (the team signed expansion draftee Cale Hulse as a free agent this year after two seasons away from the team), while David Legwand, acquired in the RHL11 preseason, has played 297 of the team's 300 regular season games. Legwand, Hill, and assistant Olli Jokinen are the only three players still with the team that suited up in all five Rover campaigns.

Pavol Demitra, acquired in the RHL12 preseason, recently scored his 100th goal as a Rover and leads the team in goals (100), assists (134), and points (234). Demitra, Murray, and Jokinen figure most prominently among the franchise scoring leaders with one of the three leading almost all regular season (Demitra) and playoff (Murray, Jokinen) scoring categories. Kim Johnsson has established himself as the leading scorer among defenseman in his three seasons with the club, being the only blueliner to crack 100 points with the franchise thus far.

The club has used goaltender by committee in their formative years, with Ed Belfour being their first marquee netminder (RHL12-13), then Roman Cechmanek coming in to lead during the two finals appearances (RHL13-14), and now Martin Gerber taking over this season. Cechmanek still leads in games played, wins, and shutouts, but Gerber's half-season numbers place him first in franchise GAA and sv. pct. The goaltending may be in for another shakeup in the future as the club expects their first ever draft pick, RHL11 first overall Kari Lehtonen, to debut in RHL17 and challenge for the #1 job.

So what does the man in charge think of the first 300 games? "Really, if anyone had told me that by season five we'd have a championship, another finals appearance, and would be in first place right now, well, I'd have had them committed", GM Stringer said in exclusive sit-down with Rover Report. "Obviously things have gone way better than anyone could have expected, but all winning a championship early in our history does is make our fans expect us to win again.. and that's exactly what we want. We want our fans to believe that we can win every year; that's what makes it exciting. They keep us on our toes and doing the best job possible every year. The only way to follow up winning is to keep winning, so that's what we want to do here.. this year, and every year. Now it might not always happen, but as long as the fans can see an exciting product and a clear vision for the future, then we'll be doing the right thing".

Day 72: Fit to be Tied

2006-03-04T23:35:00.000-03:30

Mounties goalie Miikka Kiprusoff (file photo) pauses to catch his breath, something he had little chance to do on Friday night.

Kitchener, ON (CP)

For the third time this season, the score was to be settled between the two top teams in the Champs conference, but for the third time the Rovers and the Mounties skated away from each other tied after 65 minutes. The latest battleground was Kitchener, where the Rovers had previously earned a 2-2 draw in the first month of the season. Last night's result was no different, a 2-2 tie which left the Rovers both encourgaed and discouraged at the same time. The story of the game was the Rovers relentless barrage of shots versus arguably the story of the season, Mounties netminder Miikka Kiprusoff, who turned aside 53 of 55 shots in earning the draw.

The Rovers knew that they had to jump on the Mounties early and try to get them to come out of their patented neutral-zone trap, so they threw everything they had at Kiprusoff in the first period. After facing and stopping 20 shots in the period, Sergei Gonchar snuck a rocket by the blocker side of Martin Gerber to give the Mounties a 1-0 lead going into the intermission despite being outshot 20-3. The second period would finally see the Rovers be rewarded for their efforts, as their 17-7 margin of shots produced two goals two minutes apart by Alexander Frolov and Olli Jokinen.

Trailing going into the third, the Mounties were forced to open up slightly and produced the equalizer under two minutes into the frame on a Daymond Langkow marker. The former Rover converted a mad scramble in front of Gerber to square the affair at 2-2. From that point the Mounties were content to sit back and play for the tie, which is what they did. The Rovers continued to gain quality scoring chance after scoring chance, but Kiprusoff stood tall. 15-8 were the shots in the third and 3-1 in OT for a final margin of 55-19 for the Rovers, who had the puck in their offensive zone a full six minutes more than Kitchener did. "He [Kiprusoff] really was the story tonight", Glen Murray said after the game. "He stood on his head. He stole the tie for them, no doubt".

The tie allowed the Rovers to maintain their three point lead on the Mounties for first place, though the Mounties still have one game in hand. The Rovers now have two days off before hosting the Roadkill and then travelling to Saskatoon to face the Funboys. Nathan Horton, who took the warm-up but didn't dress against Kitchener, should be ready to go vs. the Roadkill.

Day 71: Eight is Enough

2006-03-03T09:58:00.000-03:30

Tomas Vokoun stares at the ice wondering when the nightmare will end.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

The Rovers kicked off their second half at home on Thurday night by laying an 8-2 beating on the Guelph Spectres. The win represented their biggest margin and highest output of the season, and was their seventh in a row. Mark Recchi and Cory Stillman each had their best game as a Rover, tallying one goal and two assists each.

In the first period it appeared as though Tomas Vokoun was going to frustrate the Rovers all night, as he turned aside 11 of 12 shots, yielding only a point shot from Kim Johnsson that was deflected by his own defenseman. Taking the 1-0 lead into the second, the Rovers hit their stride with Olli Jokinen setting the tone by scoring only six seconds into the period. Goals by Stillman, Recchi, rookie Patrice Bergeron and Jeff Halpern highlighted a five goal period that saw the Rovers take a 6-1 lead. Kris Draper and Glen Murray scored 21 seconds apart in the third to cap the blowout win. Martin Gerber stopped 23 of 25 shots for the win, while Vokoun allowed eight goals on 32 shots. The Rovers dominated, taking the edge in faceoffs, hits, corner battles, possession, and passing. "It was a good win. You need to play your game against all teams, even those down in the standings. Letting up can only lead to bad habits", Stringer said in a quick press conference after the game.

The win now sets up a huge battle at the top of the Champs Conference as the Rovers travel to Kitchener to tangle with the second-place Mounties. Having tied both meetings thus far, no team has established an edge and both are looking to hold or re-take the #1 seed. "Kitchener is a great team and a brutal place to play. We need an effort like this to win there. It'll be anything but easy", Jokinen said of tomorrow's game.

- Nathan Horton will make the trip to Kitchener but is unsure if he will be available to play against the Mounties. He continues to receive treatment for his sore shoulder and will be a game-time decision.

Predictador's First Half Thoughts

2006-02-28T10:53:00.000-03:30

Predictador First-half Standings Rk Team Pyth% Rk Team Win% 1 ROV .624 1 ROV .691 2 FUN .611 2 MOU .676 3 MOU .567 3 CAP .636 4 500 .523 4 SOC .603 5 SOC .523 5 VAM .530 6 SEL .522 6 FUN .515 7 CAP .499 7 SEL .500 8 ROA .491 8 500 .500 9 VAM .459 9 ROA .441 10 SPE .446 10 SPE .409 11 STR .370 11 STR .324 12 WIC .301 12 WIC .176

Summary: Of course Predictador wasn't advertised as being able to accurately predict the standings, but for a few teams it was pretty close. It overrated the Funboys (though I think the Funboys will be close to Predictador's mark by season's end) and underrated the Capones (which I thought was a dangerous thing to do), but was close on most others, especially at the bottom. Just a bit of fun to look back on.

Rovers, Champions Conference Receive Mid-season Grades

2006-02-27T10:51:00.000-03:30

Who's at the head of the class and who's struggling at the halfway point of RHL15?

As we hit the midway mark of RHL15, it's time to look back at the first half and evaluate who accomplished what in the Champions Conference, as well as look ahead to second half and what we might expect to see.

Kitchener Mounties A+

Strength: Cynics may say that it starts and ends with Kiprusoff in net, but in reality it goes much further with a balanced offensive attack and some strong defenders. The additions of Naslund and Chara should keep the team at the top.

Weakness: Maybe they might want to score a few more goals in the second half, but Naslund's effect will be seen from here on.

Forecast: With payroll space to make a few more moves if they want to, any perceived weakness can be corrected by the trade deadline. A playoff powerhouse.

Best Bang for the Buck: Kiprusoff 31 1.58 18 5 8 6 94.56 $926k
What Were they Thinking? Langkow 15.5 24 5 11 16 13 $3.42M

Baffin Island Rovers A

Strength: Leading the Champs in goals scored and second in goals against, balanced offense and strong goaltending from Martin Gerber and Chris Mason make the Rovers a strong if not unspectacular team in all areas. Recchi and Stillman will look to help diversify the attack.

Weakness: Perhaps their strength is their weakness in that they don't seem to have any true go-to guys. Will Gerber's goaltending stand up in the playoffs where he has had only very modest success thus far in his career?

Forecast: Looking for three straight finals appearances, a long playoff run is expected.

Best Bang for the Buck: Johnsson 27.3 34 6 25 31 11 $1.26M
What Were they Thinking? Draper 18.1 34 9 9 18 11 $3.04M

Chicago Capones A

Strength: Dynamic offensive stars up front in Kovalchuk, Havlat, and Fedorov complement a back-end which includes Zubov and Foote and a star goaltender in Roloson. Plenty of strengths on this team, and the results show it.

Weakness: If there is any weakness in Chicago, it's the believe among its fans that the team is cursed and can never succeed in the playoffs. If this team believes in itself, it can be holding the Kings Cup this summer.

Forecast: If they team chooses to load up, the available bankroll is unmatched among contenders. Potential biggest player at deadline and major threat in playoffs.

Best Bang for the Buck: Kovalchuk 23.5 33 22 19 41 17 $891k
What Were they Thinking? Warrener 18.4 29 0 3 3 -1 $1.74M

South Edmonton Sockeyes A-

Strength: The early acquisition of St. Louis completed a very balanced top-six with Morrison, Koivu, Cheechoo, Elias, and Morrow. Throw in Lidstrom, Kenny Jonsson (acquired from St. Albert) and Nabokov and the Sockeyes are a hard team to shut down.

Weakness: Perhaps they could use an extra finisher, though Cheechoo is developing in that role. Really a balanced team with no discernable weakness, somewhat similar to the Rovers.

Forecast: Is this the year? GM Myers is really making a push to deliver his first championship, and he may just do it.

Best Bang for the Buck: Cheechoo 18.3 34 9 15 24 4 $276k
What Were they Thinking? Sydor 14.2 35 0 4 4 4 $1.5M

Calgary Vampyres B

Strength: Um, the team movers? No team can turn over a roster like the Vampyres, and this season had been no exception. Despite the upheaval in another season of "rebuilding"™, the Vamps are scoring well and are just outside of a bye position.

Weakness: They are allowing a few more goals than they are used to, and GM Zhivov is set to jettison his highest paid stars for younger talent. Still, once the playoffs start, no team wants to see Calgary lining up against them.

Forecast: Magic 8-Ball says "too soon to tell".

Best Bang for the Buck: Bure 15.8 33 12 8 20 -1 $759k
What Were they Thinking? Smith 16.5 26 1 3 4 6 $2.72M

Saskatoon Funboys B

Strength: In stark contrast to the Vampyres, the strength of the Funboys has always been in their stability. Guerin, Niedermayer, Sullivan, and Redden continue to lead the way, while youngsters Datsyuk and Ryder have been developed in-house and now are contributing in a big way.

Weakness: The biggest weakness in Saskatoon appears to be in net, where Mike Leighton seems unsuited to the task of #1 netminder. RHL legend Dominik Hasek is in the mix, but is unable to play a larger role this season.

Forecast: A history of playoff success says not to bet against the Funboys. Will be a tough matchup for any opponent.

Best Bang for the Buck: Datsyuk 18.5 33 9 23 32 4 $630k
What Were they Thinking? Hedican 17.9 33 2 4 6 3 $1.5M

Lethbridge Selects B-

Strength: The strength of the Selects has always been in their offense. Hossa, Modin, Zednik, and Hejduk are all world-class snipers that Lethbridge leans on heavily.

Weakness: The trade of Sakic and the inexplicable struggles of Hejduk have left the Selects struggling to stay in the middle of the pack. The team will live and die by its top-guns, and thus far it has been a struggle.

Forecast: First-round win possible, but an uphill battle after that.

Best Bang for the Buck: Van Ryn 19.4 33 3 11 14 3 $362k
What Were they Thinking? Hejduk 18.3 33 6 3 9 -10 $2.32M

Indianapolis 500s B-

Strength: The 500s are a perennial favourite, and have been led again this season by Sundin and Tanguay. They along with Kovalev, and strong goaltending from Jussi Markkanen, have kept the 500s within striking distance of the leaders.

Weakness: After dealing Naslund and St. Louis early in the year, it's fair to say that the overall talent level took a hit, though Schneider, Kovalev, and Hartnell have given some better balance to the team. The weakness of losing those stars may turn into a strength down the road.

Forecast: Playing good hockey with their new players, the 500s are a prime candidate to pull of a major upset or two in the playoffs.

Best Bang for the Buck: Markkanen 17 2.30 7 5 3 2 92.19 $810k
What Were they Thinking? M.York 11.8 22 4 2 6 -2 $2.03M

Waterloo Roadkill C

Strength: Keith Tkachuk and Doug Weight lead the way on a team that can score with the best of them. Jason Blake and Tyler Arnason have contributed scoring depth, as have veterans Hull and Kariya.

Weakness: Defense is a forgotten art in Waterloo, with precious few of their players on the plus side of the ledger. Aebischer must be better in the second half to make any noise in the playoffs.

Forecast: Unless the defense gets its act together, it could be one and out for Waterloo.

Best Bang for the Buck: J.Blake 19.0 34 11 15 26 -5 $1.0M
What Were they Thinking? Turek/Cechmanek 13 GP, 6 W, $3.06M combined

Guelph Spectres C-

Strength: The Spectres have struggled to stay in games, but are playing sound team defense. McLennan and Vokoun have provided adequate goaltending while the team plays without top goaltender, holdout Manny Fernandez.

Weakness: Offense. The team simply isn't scoring enough goals, and sit second-last in that category. Steve Rucchin leads the team with 8 and defenseman Nathan Dempsey leads the team in scoring with only 22 points in 33 games.

Forecast: Not looking good for the playoffs, likely one and done.

Best Bang for the Buck: Dempsey 26.3 33 6 16 22 2 $355k
What Were they Thinking? Matvichuk 16.3 18 0 1 1 -3 $2.32M

Albany StrapHangers D

Strength: In a season they'd otherwise want to forget, some unheralded players have led the way in Albany. Friesen, Vyborny, Fata, and Stefan have played well despite the team's struggles, and are pieces to build upon next season.

Weakness: Too many goals against, not enough goals for. Belfour hasn't been stellar, but he also hasn't had much help.

Forecast: The StrapHangers have seen better days, so little is expected in the post-season this year.

Best Bang for the Buck: Vyborny 21.8 34 9 10 19 -8 $548k
What Were they Thinking? Carney 14.5 28 0 3 3 1 $2.31M

Tampa Bay Wicked Ale F

Strength: Strength? Nothing has gone right here all season, but we'll pick Dany Heatley, whose 7 goals in only 13 games might have translated into a great season if not for injuries.

Weakness: Everybody else.

Forecast: Ick. Four ugly losses in the first round.

Best Bang for the Buck: Snow 16 2.81 4 11 1 0 90.59 $350k
What Were they Thinking? Barnes 14.6 34 3 2 5 -19 $3.21M

Day 68: Gerber Wrests Win from Funboys

2006-02-24T10:36:00.000-03:30

Rovers netminder Martin Gerber makes a spectacular glove save, one of 39 on the night.

Saskatoon, SK (CP)

Needing a big effort after in a tough building, Martin Gerber returned from injury and stepped up to make 39 saves, allowing the Rovers to hang on until Kim Johnsson won the game on the first shift of OT, 4-3 over the host Funboys. Gerber, who took the pre-game skate and declared himself good to go, stood on his head, especially in the first and third periods, to take first-star honours in the game. "It was a big win for us, and a big game for me coming off an injury", Gerber said afterwards. "You always want to be in there, I was glad to help the team win".

The Funboys dominated the early going, outshooting the Rovers 19-9 in the first period. It was the Rovers, however, who emerged with a 2-0 lead on unassisted goals by Laaksonen, his first as a Rover, and Adam Hall. Pavol Demitra increased the lead to 3-0 early in the second, but then the Funboys got going with goals from Scott Thornton and Pavel Datsyuk late in the frame to enter the intermission down a goal.

The Funboys emerged from the break with the same jump they had in the first and tied the game early on a Mike Sillinger marker. Despite outshooting the Rovers 15-6 in the period, Gerber held the tie throughout regulation. A late-period interference penalty to Bill Guerin, which infuriated the Funboys bench, carried over into overtime. "That penalty was **********", an irate Guerin blasted after the game. "I mean I ******* came across the ******* blueline, crossed in front of the ******* Dman and the ******** ******* **** ref *************************** [remainder of quote too foul to print]

Taking the man-advantage into the extra session, the top PP unit went straight to work. Off the draw won by Demitra, Cory Stillman grabbed the puck and skated down the left side and fired a hard wrist-shot on goal. It was kicked out by Mike Leighton into the high slot, where Kim Johnsson snuck in and buried the long rebound to give the Rovers the victory.

The Funboys outshot the Rovers 42-25 on the night, dominated in puck-possession and completed far more passes than did their opponents, but still came up short. Outside of Gerber's outstanding play, the Rovers did win 43 of 68 faceoffs, which probably kept the score from getting out of hand. "If we didn't win as many draws as we did, they'd have had the puck all night", Stringer said of the effort. "We really owe Marty a big one after the way he bailed us out tonight".

The win moved the Rovers into sole possession of first place in the Champions Conference by virtue of the Mounties tying the 500s 2-2. The team now has two days off before hosting the Spectres and then travelling to Kitchener to square off with the Mounties next week.

Day 67: Laaksonen Laughs Last

2006-02-23T09:08:00.000-03:30

New acquisition Antti Laaksonen (file photo) upstaged the other higher-profile newcomers by setting up the winning goal against the Sockeyes.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

In a day of fresh beginnings for a troika of new Rovers, the most unheralded of the trio stepped up to make his presence known at the best possible time. After missing the introductory press conference in the morning during which Mark Recchi and Cory Stillman were given a splashy welcome to the team, Antti Laaksonen arrived in Iqaluit by himself shortly after noon, came to the rink, and proceeded to find a pinching Chris Pronger in the final minutes to lift his new team to a 2-1 win over the Sockeyes. At least one Rover was not surprised with his play. "I'm telling you, you guys are going to love Laaks", former Aviators teammate Mark Recchi gushed. "He was huge for us in San Diego, and I know he'll keep it up here. When I heard that he was also coming here in the trade, I was really happy. He's the ultimate teammate".

The game started off with a slow pace as the two teams each looked tight, not wanting to make the first big mistake. After a first period in which there were only eleven total shots with seven by the Rovers, the second period opened up slightly with the first break coming on a Sockeyes power-play. With David Legwand and Robyn Regehr in the box, the Sockeyes enjoyed a minute of two-man advantage early in the frame. They controlled the play beautifully, and just after the first penalty had expired Saku Koivu spotted Brenden Morrow at the side of the net for an easy tap-in goal to open the scoring, beating Rovers goalie Chris Mason. "There was nothing to do on that goal", Mason said after the game. "Sometimes you just get beat. It was a great pass by Koivu".

The Sockeyes held the 1-0 lead through the end of the second and past the midway mark of the third before Eric Brewer's blast from the left point eluded Evgeni Nabokov to tie the game at 1-1. Then, with just over two minutes remaining, Laaksonen took a neutral zone pass from David Legwand and flew down the left side. He took All-Star Nik Lidstrom to the outside and as Lidstrom finished him into the boards, Laaksonen saw a trailing Chris Pronger slip into the slot and he flicked the puck to him. Pronger made no mistake and popped a quick wrister over the glove of Nabokov for the go-ahead goal that stood up to be the winner.

Mason, subbing for the injured Martin Gerber, made 17 saves for the victory, while Nabokov stopped 25 shots in defeat. The win keeps the Rovers in step with the Mounties atop the table, who downed the Roadkill by the same 2-1 margin. Besides Laaksonen, the other newest Rovers seemed to fit in well despite not showing up on the scoreboard. Cory Stillman skated on the top line with Demitra and Murray and played 21 minutes, registered three shots on goal and completed ten of eleven pass attempts. Mark Recchi played the right side with Alex Frolov and Kris Draper. He played 18 minutes, had two shots, took three minor penalties, one four of five faceoffs and completed seven of nine passes. "This was just their first game, so they've only had one practice so far to see where things fit best", Stringer said after the game. "We'll continue to try different things to get the best fit for each of them".

The Rovers now hit the road to Saskatoon to play the Funboys. The teams have split two games this season, which each winning in their home rink. The last game was two weeks ago when the Funboys took a 4-3 win in Saskatoon. Gerber will be a game-time decision the contest, though he said after the game that he felt he could have played against the Sockeyes if he was needed. If he feels as good tomorrow, he'll likely get the start.

Recchi, Stillman Introduced in Iqaluit

2006-02-22T10:18:00.000-03:30

Two of the newest Rovers, Mark Recchi (left) and Cory Stillman (centre) are introduced by a Rovers PR staffer at Wednesday's news conference.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

As the Baffin Island Rovers returned home from their mid-season retreat to Banff, Alberta, the phone lines coming into Rover HQ were burning off the hook. Not content to rest on the laurels of a very successful first half, talk was the the team was looking to deal for a top-flight winger. However, when the dust settled no one expected there to be two new acquisitions. But there they were, bringing nearly 500 RHL goals and almost 1200 points between them to a team that already led the RHL in scoring at the midpoint. First, in a deal with the San Diego Aviators, the Rovers acquired Mark Recchi, uber-PKer Antii Laaksonen, and a 3rd round draft pick in exchange for Alexander Korolyuk, rookie Ryan Malone, and Russian prospect Igor Grigorenko. Then, Cory Stillman, prospect Brian Boyle, and a second round draft choice were plucked from the Winnipeg Freeze for Nils Ekman and defenseman Aaron Ward.

"The Recchi deal had been in the works for a few weeks now, and was delayed slightly due to the front office changes in San Diego", Stringer said during the press conference. "Fortunately that transition didn't derail the deal, and Andy [Bartalone] and I were able to complete the trade. I had inquired about Stillman early in the season, but he was unavailable at that time. I tried again last week and found that he could be had. That deal actually happened very quickly, but I'm pleased with the outcome.. with both outcomes. Nils and Sasha [Alex Korolyuk] were two guys can signed here and played well for us. However, we were looking ahead to the playoffs and wanted some more veteran forwards. Recchi and Stillman both bring plenty of offense and lots of experience. We were also keen to get Laaksonen in the trade; he's a very good penalty killer and an underrated player overall. He's the type of third-line guy that every team wants in the playoffs. He was an important part of the deal, no doubt".

Recchi talks to reporters after the press conference.

Experience is what the Rovers were after in these deals. Recchi comes to the Rovers tied for seventh in all-time games played with 933 and 29th in career points with 738. He scored his 300th RHL goal two weeks ago against the Stingers, and led the Aviators in points with 29. He came to San Diego early in the season as the key return in the Jaromir Jagr trade to Waterloo. He has a Kings Cup ring from the RHL2 Westlock Wildcats and has 95 career points in the playoffs. Stillman brings Kings Cup winning experience from two squads, the RHL3 and RHL7 Calgary Vampyres. He has scored 197 goals and 247 assists for 444 points in 692 career games with nine different teams. This season he has 5 goals and 11 assists for 16 points on a Freeze squad struggling to score.

Expectations in Baffin Island certainly aren't low, but both guys sound up for the challenge. "Given my contract status and age, I was expecting to be traded sometime", Recchi admitted to the media afterwards. "But when Mr. Farley told me I was going to the Rovers, I was thrilled. You always want to play for a winner, and those guys know how to win. They've been in the finals for two straight seasons, and are strong again this year. If you win when you're young, as I was fortunate enough to do, you think it will happen every year. But now it's 13 years later and I haven't tasted it since. I want to get there again, and this is the team that can do it".

"It's a great day for me and my family", Stillman said. "The Rovers are saying to their team and to their fans that they believe in the guys in the room and they are going out and making the team stronger for the playoffs. That's all you can ask for from ownership. I'm very proud to be here and am ready to help this team go all the way".

Laaksonen, the third player acquired in the trading, had to attend to a family matter in San Diego before joining the team and could not attend the press conference. In his eighth RHL season, he has scored 151 points in 401 games, though he value goes beyond the scoresheet as he has been a key penalty killer for the Aviators this season. All three players are expected to be in uniform tonight as the Rovers host the fourth place Sockeyes. The Rovers hold a slim four point lead over South Edmonton, who are a single point behind the Capones for third place and hold an equal 8-2 record over their past ten games as the Rovers.

Stillman?

2006-02-21T21:07:00.000-03:30

Rover Report has learned from sources in Winnipeg that Cory Stillman has been traded to Baffin Island. Details are sketchy at this point, though it appears as though Stillman is actually en route to Iqaluit and may even arrive in time for tonight's game against the Sockeyes. Rover GM Steve Stringer is still unavailable for comment. Rover Report will be at the arena for tonight's game and will post as soon as any official announcement breaks.

Recchi a Rover?

2006-02-21T18:53:00.000-03:30

Unconfirmed reports have the Baffin Island Rovers on the verge of acquiring winger Mark Recchi from the San Diego Aviators. Rover Report will continue to work the phone lines to provide confirmation of this rumour and to determine the other principles in the deal. Messages have been left for GM Stringer, who could not be reached for comment at this hour.

Rovers Retreat, Reflect on First Half

2006-02-21T11:04:00.000-03:30

The Rovers empty locker room in Iqaluit.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

The Rovers took the opportunity during the recent break for the Winter Olympics to conduct a mid-season retreat for team building and to recharge their batteries for the second half of the year. The entire organization packed up and headed to Banff, AB for a three day getaway of skiing, hiking, and relaxation. During this break, the Rover Report looks back on the first half performance of the team and what they might do in the second half.

If one was to evaluate the first half performance of the team, few holes are apparent. The Rovers currently sit in a first-place tie with the Mounties, and lead the conference in goals for and are second in goals against. That said, there is always the feeling with this squad that they are capable of more. Perhaps the team lacks a big goalscorer, though winger Glen Murray is certainly capable of providing that as he has in the past. Wingers Nils Ekman and Alex Korolyuk have both added goals to the team, but more playmakers might help players that are currently underachieving such as Alexander Frolov. Rookie Nathan Horton has chipped in with eight goals, and is an example of the balance on the offensive side of the puck, with up to eight players have the potential to hit the 20 goal plateau. The defense core has been very good one through six, with Johnsson and Pronger providing lots of offense along with eating huge minutes, and Sean Hill and Cale Hulse each holding their own in limited minutes. Martin Gerber has been nothing short of excellent for the club, who can have no complaints with their goaltending.

The club currently sits among the top teams in terms of salary, and may find trading difficult before the deadline should they wish to add personnel. That said, the front office has never been shy on pulling the trigger when they feel they can improve their roster. It would be a surprise to us at the Rover Report if there wasn't a significant addition, but we'll have to wait and see. Regardless of personnel decisions, the team appears to be in the hunt for a first-round bye in the playoffs. Securing a bye will definitely be a goal, as well as finishing as high up the table as possible. The Rovers know the importance of home-ice advantage as much as anyone; they won game 7 of the Kings Cup Final at home against the Capones in RHL13, but lost game 7 of the Final on the road against the Vampyres last season. Could a third consecutive Final appearance be in the cards this year? There's still a lot of hockey to be played to find out.

Day 64: Rovers Strap 'Hangers, Grab Share of First

2006-02-16T08:46:00.000-03:30

Rovers forward Jeff Halpern (left) celebrates with teammates after scoring the go-ahead goal while shorthanded late in the third period.

Albany, NY (AP)

Jeff Halpern broke a 1-1 tie with a shorthanded goal with two and a half minutes to go in the third period and Kim Johnsson iced it with 26 seconds remaining as the Baffin Island Rovers went into Albany and came out with a 3-1 road win over the StrapHangers. Rico Fata opened the scoring in the first period off a scramble in front of Rovers keeper Martin Gerber. Despite being outshot 20-4 in the first, the 'Hangers took that lead to the lockerroom. Applying the same pressure in the second, Nils Ekman scored his 11th goal to square the affair midway through the stanza. Gerber was lifted from the game early in the third after twinging his back on a cross-crease pad stack save on Ziggy Palffy. Chris Mason played the final 14 minutes but faced only four shots. With Cale Hulse in the box for elbowing, Jeff Halpern popped the winner after taking a breakout pass from Sean Hill and going in alone to beat Ed Belfour between the legs. Kim Johnsson scored his fifth goal, and fourth in two games, to insure the victory in the final minute. In addition to losing Gerber, forward Nathan Horton also left the game after taking a hit along the boards from Darius Kasparaitis in the first period. Horton will have an MRI on his left shoulder tomorrow, but is expected to miss a week of action.

The win pulled the Rovers even with the Kitchener Mounties, who had tied the Roadkill 5-5 earlier in the evening, atop the Champs conference standings with 43 points apiece. The Mounties hold a game in hand, which they will play tomorrow night in Calgary against the Vampyres. The Rovers improve to 8-2 in their past ten games, the best record in the RHL over that span. "We're playing some good hockey, but I think we still have areas that can be better", Stringer cautioned after the game. "It doesn't matter if you're first halfway through the season; what matters is being first at the end of the playoffs. That's always been our goal".

The Rovers now have two days off before hosting the fourth-place Sockeyes. Gerber will be a game-time decision for that important matchup, with Mason ready to start if the need arises. Horton has been ruled out for the upcoming pair of games against South Edmonton and Saskatoon pending the results of the MRI, and will be re-evaluated next week. Fellow rookie Patrice Bergeron will likely fill his spot on the third line.

Day 63: Johnsson Leaves Ale Punch Drunk

2006-02-14T10:12:00.000-03:30

Defenseman Kim Johnsson pumps home one of his three power-play goals on the evening with a booming point shot as the Rovers dump the Wicked Ale 5-1.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

Kim Johnsson struck for three power-play goals and an assist while Pavol Demitra racked up four helpers as the Rovers kicked back and enjoyed some Wicked Ale to the tune of the 5-1 victory. Alexander Frolov extended his goal-scoring streak to four games as he opened the scoring by one-timing a Glen Murray pass over the glove of Ale netminder Jocelyn Thibault. The Rovers took the 1-0 lead into the second period where the Johnsson show began. With Geoff Sanderson in the box for retaliating to an earlier Olli Jokinen spear on Garnet Exelby (Jokinen was assessed a major penalty on the play), Johnsson took a feed from Demitra in the slot and snapped home his second of the season. Then early in the third period Martin Straka was assessed an interference penalty, and Johnsson one-timed a point shot from the right side past Thibault for his second of the game. After Shaone Morrisonn scored for the Ale, Pierre Turgeon was whistled for tripping and Johnsson completed the hat-trick by taking another Demitra pass and crushing a slapper from the right faceoff dot past a shell-shocked Thibault. Sean Hill capped the scoring on another Demitra setup, his fifth of the season.

The four points have propelled Johnsson to fifth place in Champions conference scoring, a lofty perch for a defenseman. His 28 points in 31 games rank only behind perennial snipers Ilya Kovalchuk, Bill Guerin, Alex Tanguay, and Sergei Fedorov. He leads Funboys star rearguard Scott Niedermayer by four points in defenseman scoring. "Obviously to be mentioned in the same breath as those tremendously skilled forwards is an honour... almost a bit of a joke", Johnsson said when told of his standing. "I really don't pay attention to those things. If we are winning, that's all that matters. Points take care of themselves when you are playing well, and we're playing well".

The Rovers had their way with the last-place Ale all night, outshooting them 44-16 and dominating them in the circles, on the boards, in the corners, and in the possession battle. Baffin were crisp with their passes all night, as highlighted by Chris Pronger's amazing 27 completed passes to only one missed attempt. Martin Gerber got his 13th win with only 15 saves, while a battered Thibault was saddled with the loss. The coaching staff were satisfied with the win. "Kim obviously had a big game for us, and we knew he had the goals in him", Stringer said of his stud defenseman. "Alex scoring again is big for us; we're really pleased by how he has responded to the lineup changes. Now we need to take this effort into Albany to avoid what happened there last time".

The Rovers pack up and head to Albany for their second meeting of the season with the StrapHangers. The first game was stolen by former Rover Ed Belfour, who shutout his old mates 1-0. The Rovers will do their best to reverse that outcome this time around.

Day 60: Muzz Silences Spectres

2006-02-10T11:58:00.000-03:30

Rover winger Glen Murray signs an autograph while parking before the game against the Spectres, then scored the winning goal to down the home team.

Guelph, ON (CP)

After a week-long hiatus, the Rovers got back into action Thursday night in Guelph and came out with a 4-2 decision over the Spectres. Kris Draper, playing again on the first line with Pavol Demitra and Glen Murray, opened the scoring a minute into the game with his ninth goal of the season. The Spectres quickly answered with two goals just seventy-three seconds apart, first Marty Reasoner and then Steve Rucchin giving Guelph a 2-1 lead. It lasted approximately 10 minutes before Ryan Malone scored his fourth late in the first to tie the game. From that point, the Rovers handled the Spectres rather easily, as Guelph managed the same 13 shots that they had in the first period over the final two periods combined. The Rovers, by contrast, kept up the pressure and were rewarded. Murray struck for his eleventh of the year early in the second on a quick snapper over the glove of Jamie McLennan, and Alex Frolov scored in his third consecutive game to add the insurance midway through the third. "We got contributions from all lines tonight", Stringer said of the win. "The goals by Alex and Ryan are big, as it appears as those new lines are gelling well".

Martin Gerber stopped 24 of 26 shots for the victory, while McLennan was tagged with the loss, allowing four goals on 37 shots. The Rovers now have two days off before hosting the cellar-dwelling Wicked Ale back in Iqaluit.

Results Released, Rovers React

2006-02-06T10:13:00.000-03:30

"There's a lot to be positive about today", Rovers GM Steve Stringer on the findings.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

RHL Commissioner Paul Myers released the detailed results of the much-anticipated RHL Owners Survey on Thursday. Contrary to the feelings of some that the RHL was headed down a road which would lead to its possible demise, the feeling among the large majority of franchise owners appears to be optimistic about the future of the league. Iqaluit Frozen Puck Weekly's own Nikki Siqiniq had a chance to sit down with Rovers owner and GM Steve Stringer on Sunday before he hosted Baffin Bowl, a Super Bowl party that was free to Rovers season ticket holders at the Igloo.

IFPW: Before we start, are you expecting a good turnout for Baffin Bowl?
SS: Yeah, we did this last year for the first time and had a blast, so we plan on it being an annual event. This year will be even better than the first.

IFPW: So the results of the owners survey came out on Thursday. What was your general reaction to the document?
SS: Frankly, I was both relieved and excited. First relieved because we've had a few guys floating the idea that there was significant unrest with the league, to the point that there could be a mass exodus among senior, influential owners. This was especially troubling a season after losing five long-time owners. However, I think the results are saying that most guys are pleased with the league overall, but are just looking for minor changes rather than a complete overhaul, or worst, a way out.

IFPW: One of the recommendations appears to be a return to a divisional format. You consider this to be a minor change?
SS: Well, really yes. I consider that to be less drastic than altering the way we fundamentally do business with respect to signing free agents or drafting young players. I was a proponent of the two-tiered league, as I believed that the concept of fighting to get to the top league and avoid relegation would be something that would keep all owners interested and on their toes. While I think it did have merit, and that some - perhaps many? - owners did like the idea and were buying in, I feel that it failed in its original intent, which was to increase overall league interest. I don't think it was successful in that; the guys that paid attention in the old format were generally those that seemed to buy into the new format, and those that were hanging on the old way didn't seem to perk up after the change. So, if it was an exercise in boosting interest, it's probably best to revert to the old style. But I still enjoyed the experiment, and do think that perhaps after three or four seasons it might have caught on in a more meaningful fashion.

IFPW: Do you have any feelings on what kind of re-alignment you'd like to see?
SS: Well, I believe we came into the league in the toughest division, the old Malone division. With the Vampyres, Funboys, Sockeyes, Bees, and Aviators, we had our hands full as a young team each and every night. I mean, in our first season five of the top seven teams in the conference were from our division. But we quickly developed rivalries, especially with the Vampyres and Bees. As an aside, I'm very pleased to see Victoria returning to the league. I'd like to maintain some of those rivalries, even if it would make for more difficult competition.

IFPW: Aside from re-alignment, what else caught your eye in the report?
SS: I'm a big proponent of the drafting process, so I think we have a chance to come up with some significant reforms to the draft and the prospect list to make them work better for all clubs. I believe that cheaper base salaries, longer J contracts, and cheaper minor-pro contracts would eventually take some of the upward pressure off the free-agent auction. If more teams can draft players and develop them into useful RHLers, not the marginal player that costs twice the league minimum, then more teams will be able to fill high-end talent slots from within and demand for free agents may weaken slightly. Now of course teams will always want to sign the best available talent, so the top guys will still get their money, but the pressure to sign the second and third line players for big money might relax a bit.

IFPW: Anything else?
SS: Well, I think the rules committee will have a few things on its plate in the coming weeks besides the draft and prospects. I'd like to see tweaks in the demand formula and also I think we could simplify the definition of RHL service years, but I think we're headed on the right track and can make the league even better with just a few small modifications rather than wholesale changes. There's a lot to be positive about today, and I'm very excited about the future of the league. I can't wait to lead the Rovers in the RHL15 playoffs, and then to RHL16 and beyond.

Day 59: Rovers Run Down Roadkill

2006-02-05T09:43:00.000-03:30

"Coach had a good gameplan for tonight, and we executed. We played a full sixty minute... wait *tap, tap* is this thing on?" - a technologically-challenged Chris Pronger attempts to answer questions after the game.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

Rolling out new forward combinations, the Baffin Island Rovers came out with purpose from the opening faceoff and skated away with a 5-2 home-ice victory. Pavol Demitra sniped his first of the game and seventh of the season from the left faceoff dot just 75 seconds into the contest to get the ball rolling. Keith Tkachuk equalized two minutes later, but the Rovers regained the lead on a Ryan Malone power-play goal before the end of the first period. Alexander Frolov scored in his second-straight game, on a feed from new linemate Nathan Horton, mid-way through the second and Chris Pronger pinched at the blueline to intercept a breakout pass and blasted home his fifth of the year with a howitzer from the point late in the period. Rory Fitzpatrick pulled the Roadkill to within two goals early in the third period with a goal off a mad scramble in front of the net, but Demitra iced the game with his second marker at the seven minute mark. Shots were even in the game at thirty apiece, with Martin Gerber turning aside 28 of 30 for the victory. David Aebischer was tagged with loss. "It was a good effort overall", Stringer said of the win. "I liked the energy we played with. Frolov looked good with Legwand and Horton, so we'll see if the other lines can start to click against the Spectres".

The Rovers now head to Guelph to tangle with the Spectres, who have played the Rovers tough, earning ties in two of the three games. Martin Gerber is expected to get the start again in net.

Rovers Look to Shake Things Up

2006-02-01T12:23:00.000-03:30

Members of the Rovers coaching staff put the players through a spirited workout.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

Not content with their third-place standing in the Champs conference, the Rovers plan to experiment with some new line combinations to be implemented for their upcoming home and road games against Waterloo and Guelph. "We've been a bit listless offensively", coach Stringer said of their recent performances. "We're not firing like I think we should be, so we're going to take these two games to try a different look". No combination has been kept as each line has been altered with hopes of sparking more consistent scoring.

Kris Draper moves from the second-line center to being the first-line left-winger, replacing Alexander Frolov, who has only scored twice this season. Draper has experience at all three forward positions, so the coaches are looking for him to step in with Demitra and Murray and spark the trio. His eight goals on the year are behing only Murray and his former wingers Ekman and Korolyuk. "I'm a veteran guy, so I know why sometimes things have to be shaken up", Draper said after practice. "Hopefully I can give the team what they are looking for".

Olli Jokinen replaces Draper as the center between Ekman and Korolyuk. Jokinen is considered to be a better passer than Draper, which should mesh well with the two wingers who are both off to good starts to the season. "Drapes was a very good center for me and Korky [Korolyuk], but Olli is also a very good player. I think we'll play well together", said an upbeat Ekman.

The third line is almost entirely new, with David Legwand being promoted to center Frolov and rookie Nathan Horton, whose eight goals tie him with Draper for fourth on the club. For Legwand, the franchise leader in games played but buried on the fourth line all season, this chance is not something he plans to let slip away. "We've been fortunate to have so much depth this season, but unfortunately for me, that depth has cut into my ice-time. I was willing to do what the team needed me to do then, and now that they want more, I'm definitely ready for that".

Rookie Ryan Malone drops back down to the fourth line to skate with Jeff Halpern, who returns to his natural center-ice position, and Adam Hall. The trio is expected to be an energy line, with Halpern and Hall also contributing on the penalty-kill.

The Rovers have been criticized by many in the media for not scoring as much as many expected them to score. When asked how long the new lines would stay together, Stringer was non-committal. "These next two games for sure. If we see some positive results in these games, then we may stick with it longer. If they don't work out, we'll look to do something else". When asked if a trade was a possibility, Stringer was also vague. "You always look to improve your team. Sometimes the improvement can come from within. Sometimes it doesn't".

Demitra Looks To Future, Not Past

2006-01-31T13:39:00.000-03:30

"...I like what we've become and what we've accomplished, but I'm most excited about what we have in store in the future. In this business you can only look ahead; it is the only thing you can alter". - Rover forward Pavol Demitra on his club's outlook for the rest of the RHL15 season.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

If you ever spend any time with Pavol Demitra, prepare to have your ear talked off. Demitra is an avid conversationalist, willing to discuss anything from the weather (he enjoys the cold winters in Iqaluit) to his native Slovakia (he fancies his team's chances in the Olympic hockey tournament with their improved goaltending). One thing, however, he spends little time dwelling on is the past. Demitra is one of the key figures in the brief history of the Rovers, but you wouldn't know it by speaking with him. His singular focus is the task at hand, which is staying in touch with the conference-leading Kitchener Mounties and then winning in the playoffs. "I like our team", Demitra stated after practice. "We've got a good group, one that can challenge for the King's Cup".

Demitra knows personally what it takes to get there and what it takes to win it. He came to Baffin Island in a trade with the SnowDogs just prior to the start of RHL12 as a player who already had King's Cup experience, having won a Championship with the Chicago Gargoyles in RHL9. He responded to the challenge of playing with the second year club by leading them in scoring. A year later in RHL13, the Rovers were hoisting the King's Cup themselves, with Demitra leading the team in goals and playing a pivotal role. After coming within one win of repeating as champs in RHL14, Demitra, now the franchise leader in goals, assists, and points, again sees the opportunity to make a run at another King's Cup. That is something he'd much rather talk about that his past accomplishments. "Don't get me wrong; I've very proud of my time as a Rover", Demitra said of his reticence towards discussing past achievement. "I like what we've become and what we've accomplished, but I'm most excited about what we have in store in the future. In this business you can only look ahead; it is the only thing you can alter".

What the Rovers can accomplish this season is yet to be determined. Chasing the front-running Mounties all season and in a dog-fight with the Capones and Sockeyes for seeding, the Rovers have been playing well, but not to their full capacity. Demitra sits second among Rover forwards with an underwhelming six goals and twelve assists in twenty-eight games; significantly below his point-per-game clip since joining the team. He knows that as well as the team is playing now, they will need to step it up in order to achieve the final goal. "We've been winning games, that is the most important thing. But to win in the playoffs, we'll need more. I believe we each have more to give. Our line [Murray and Frolov] has more to give. The other forwards have more to give. If we each give everything, we won't be ashamed of our ultimate result".

Demitra sees the arms race unfolding in the Champs conference and is unfazed as the Sockeyes and the Vampyres have made major additions to their clubs. "We added our players during free-agency", Demitra points out. "Ekman and Korolyuk have been go-to guys all season. And Chris [Pronger] has been excellent for us on defense. If we need something else during the course of the season, I have faith that the club will go out and get it".

Right now all Pavol Demitra needs is to see the effort put in each and every game. If he continues to see the work, he is confident that the outcome will be favourable more often than not.

Day 55-56: Weekend Trip Gains Split

2006-01-30T09:27:00.000-03:30

Former Sockeye Martin Gerber practices before downing his old club 2-1.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

A pair of weekend games saw the Rovers earn a 2-1 home victory over a hard-charging Sockeyes team, while dropping a 4-3 decision in Saskatoon to the ever-dangerous Funboys.

The Sockeyes rolled into Iqaluit riding a four game winning streak, a run which started after a 3-3 draw with the Rovers during their last meeting. After a scoreless first period in which the Rovers outshot the Sockeyes 16-7, Saku Koivu broke through late in the second with the first goal of the game. South Edmonton held that lead through two periods until midway through the third when Jeff Halpern was sprung on a shorthanded breakaway by Sean Hill. Halpern roofed his shot glove-side on Evgeni Nabokov to tie the game at 1-1. The Rovers ended regulation having outshot the Sockeyes 35-25.

In OT, Martin Gerber was whistled for a questionable slash on Sockeyes forward Brendan Morrow. Morrow was pushed heavily into Gerber, who retaliated with chop to Morrow's calf. The Rovers, however, would pick up their netminder as Nils Ekman took a pass from Jeff Halpern in the neutral zone and skated in to beat Nabokov with a wrister from the high slot, giving Baffin Isle the 2-1 OT victory. "I'm just glad that the guys overcame my mistake", Gerber said after the game. "I was very surprised and disappointed to get penalized on that play. I took a hard hit and let my frustration get the better of me. I didn't want to let the guys down".

"You knew this game meant a lot to Marty, it being his former team", Ekman said. "I'm just glad I could get him the win. He was awesome again for us". The win was a big one for Baffin, as they kept pace with the Capones, who earlier in the day had downed the Roadkill 4-2, and pulled four points clear of the Sockeyes. "It was a four-point game, no doubt about it", Stringer said after the win. "You have to win those when they come up on your schedule. They're playing very well right now, so we have to hold them off as best we can. Hopefully we take this strong play into Saskatoon tomorrow".

Andrew Ference talks to reporters after scoring the winning goal. "We needed that one.. big time".

Saskatoon, SK (CP)

That night the Rovers flew to Saskatoon to tangle with the Funboys. Martin Baldwin's group has been up and down all season, but just when an over-anxious critic is ready to write them off, they rise again. A win over the third-place Rovers was something they were looking for to keep within hailing distance of the fourth-place Sockeyes.

The Funboys drew first blood at the halfway point of the first as former Rover Eric Desjardins's point shot found its way through a maze of legs to beat Martin Gerber for a 1-0 lead. Then, three minutes later, an Alexander Frolov sighting was reported. Frolov took a lead pass from Chris Pronger and with a burst of speed around the outside of all-star defender Scott Niedermayer, swooped in from the left on Funboys 'tender Michael Leighton and beat him with a nasty stop deke back around Leighton's right pad. The goal was just Frolov's second of the season, and he emphatically slammed the glass in celebration after tying the affair at 1-1. "That was a highlight reel marker, and one we see from Alex everyday in practice", Stringer said of the Frolov tally. "I just hope he can build on it in the coming games".

Kris Draper and Peter Schaefer exchanged quick goals at the midpoint of the second period, and Jeff Halpern scored in his second straight game in the opening minute of the third period to give the Rovers a 3-2 lead. However, it was not meant to be as Pavel Datsyuk scored in the eighth minute and then Andrew Ference beat Gerber from the slot as the trailer on a long 3 on 2 rush. "That was a defensive breakdown right there. There was no support coming back from our forwards and Ference was able to drift into the slot and take the pass with nobody on him. That can't happen against good teams", Stringer said of the winning goal.

The win drew the Funboys to within four points of South Edmonton for fourth place, while the Rovers failed to break their second-place tie with the Capones, who now have two games in hand on the Rovers. Baffin now has two days off before their next pair of games, a home date with the Roadkill and a road contest against the Spectres.

Day 52: SEL@ROV review

2006-01-23T12:01:00.000-03:30

A Lethbridge defenseman sweeps more Rover goals out of the net from behind Selects goalie Marc Denis.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

The Rovers scored two power-play goals to cruise to their third straight win, a 4-2 decision over the Selects. Kris Draper opened the game on the power-play in the first period, only to see Fredrik Modin equalize less than a minute later. Goals by Glen Murray, his tenth of the season later in the first, and Adam Hall, his second in the second, put the Rovers up 3-1. Marian Hossa answered later in the second, but Nils Ekman scored another power-play goal in the third for the insurance marker. Chris Mason won his second straight game, stopping 15 of 17 shots.

The Rovers now enter a stretch of two days off, two days on for the next two weeks. After an off-day today, the Rovers will have two rest days breaking up three back-to-backs against the Sockeyes and Funboys, the Roadkill and Spectres, and the Wicked Ale and StrapHangers. Starter Martin Gerber is expected to be in the nets at home against South Edmonton.

Day 50: ROV@WIC review

2006-01-18T10:51:00.000-03:30

Rovers forward Kris Draper relaxed before the game by playing a little soccer, then scored two goals to sink the Wicked Ale.

St. Pete's, FL (AP)

Kris Draper scored both goals for the Rovers and Chris Mason stopped 19 of 20 shots in a 2-1 win over the host Wicked Ale last night. Pulling into St. Pete's the day after a long flight down from a home win against the Funboys, it would have been very easy to simply go through the motions against the last-placed Wicked Ale. With a single win in their previous ten games, St. Pete's can be easy to overlook. However, their results belie the offensive talent on their side, and the coaching staff knew that they'd have to get a full effort to get two points. The coaches wanted a quick start from the team, but based on the first period of play, you'd have to think that most of the Rovers were still on the plane. The Ale jumped out to an early lead on a goal from Todd Marchant and put the pedal down, outshooting the Rovers 10-3 in the frame. "We came out real flat in the first", Stringer said. "I had cautioned the guys that we needed to start fast, but nobody had legs early. They really took it to us".

After a verbal beating in the lockerroom at the intermission, the Rovers came out with more purpose in the second. Kris Draper scored on a breakaway, intercepting an attempted D to D pass from Vladimir Malakhov at the Rovers blueline and going in alone to finish with a quick snapper high glove-side on Ale netminder Jocelyn Thibault, at the seven minute mark and again early in the third on a nifty deflection of a Nils Ekman shot from the half-boards. From that point, backup Chris Mason and the rest of the defense shut the door, allowing just ten shots in the second and third periods combined after yielding ten in the first period alone.

The Ale began to show some frustration late in the game with the Rovers defensive shell. With three minutes remaining, Pierre Turgeon drove Eric Brewer head-first into the boards with a vicious check from behind. Turgeon was assessed only a minor for boarding. Then a minute into the Rover power-play, Mathieu Dandenault blatantly cross-checked Glen Murray in the face while the two were battling for position in the front of the net. Dandeneault was given a five-minute major for cutting Murray, who required stitches on the bench to close the gash in his lip. "They really took liberties tonight late in the game", Stringer said after. "I was impressed with Robyn jumping in and defending our guys [Regehr was given a roughing minor at the end of the Dandenault exchange], but we'll play them again in the future. This will be remembered by our guys".

With the win, the Rovers pulled to within one point of the Capones, who dropped a 2-1 decision to the Sockeyes, for second place. The Capones still have a game in hand. The Rovers now have an off-day before hosting the Selects. Martin Gerber is expected to be a game-time decision in that contest, but if he is unable to go, Mason will look for consecutive wins for the first time this season.

Day 49: FUN@ROV review

2006-01-17T10:37:00.000-03:30

"There's one for the highlight reel right there", said Sean Hill after the game of his breakaway goal into an empty net.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

The Rovers returned to some home-cooking following a winless two-game mini-trip through Edmonton and Albany with a 4-1 win over the visiting Saskatoon Funboys. Scoring once in each period with goals by Halpern, Korolyuk, and Demitra, and then a final empty-netter by Hill, the Rovers were matched in effort all night by the Funboys, who just couldn't beat Martin Gerber when they needed it the most. Gerber did leave the game mid-way through the third with a bad back, but Chris Mason held the fort for the victory. "We've got a few games coming up, so Mason will definitely start in St. Pete's tomorrow night and we'll see what happens when we host Lethbridge".

The Rovers flew out to St. Pete's immediately after the game to prepare to tangle with the Wicked Ale.

Day 47: ROV@STR review

2006-01-13T15:26:00.000-03:30

Former Rover Ed Belfour was in a fighting mood against his former team.

Albany, NY (AP)

The Rovers concluded their two game mini-road trip in Albany last night, and despite outshooting and playing very hard in the corners, it was an ex-Rover that stole the spotlight. Ed Belfour stopped all 36 shots he faced, giving the StrapHangers a 1-0 win over Baffin. Sergei Samsonov tallied the lone goal of the game during the game's opening shift, the only one of 22 shots that would allude Martin Gerber on this night. "Eddie was huge for them tonight", Stringer said after the game. "Our boys really brought it, but he was fantastic. You just have to tip your hat and move on".

The Rovers now return home and rest up before kicking off a stretch of three games in four nights, starting by hosting the Funboys, travelling to St. Pete's, then returning home to host the Selects.

The Amazing Disappearing Frolov

2006-01-12T09:44:00.000-03:30

There hasn't been much celebrating for Alexander Frolov this RHL season.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

Coming into this, his second full RHL season, much was expected of Alexander Frolov. He played admirably as a rookie in RHL13, but was used sparingly in RHL14. While sitting, he practiced and trained so that he could take advantage of the opportunity that he knew would eventually come his way. And that opportunity did arrive, when in RHL15 he was promoted to first-line duty alongside team scoring leaders Pavol Demitra and Glen Murray. "I was very excited to play with Pavol and Muzz", Frolov said of the pre-season. "They were leading the team to the Kings Cup when I was a rookie, and they are the franchise leaders in so many areas. It was an honour to skate with them". The Rovers won all four of their pre-season games, though Frolov managed only one assist over that span. Little was thought of it at the time, as nobody on the team really stepped up offensively either.

When the season started, it was expected that the top unit would shoulder the load while the second trio of Kris Draper flanked by newcomers Nils Ekman and Alex Korolyuk would try to take off some of the pressure by contributing when they could. As the season progressed, however, it was the second line that carried the club, as Ekman and Korolyuk developed instant chemistry while Draper did the dirty work on the line and covered defensively, not to mention chipping in a few points himself along the way. Journalists around the league were taking notice of the offensive woes on Baffin Isle, as Frolov was consistently being cited as an underachiever in other markets. "Maybe he started reading those press clippings and was squeezing the stick a bit too much", coach Stringer said of his young winger. "It's real easy to get down on yourself when things don't go right".

As Demitra and Murray worked their way out of scoring slumps, Frolov continued to struggle. While the Rovers went on an impressive 14 game unbeaten streak to shoot to second place in the Champs conference, Frolov shot blanks. To his credit, he has continued to shoot the puck as urged by the coaching staff. He sits third on the team with 62 shots on goal, behind Murray and Demitra respectively, though his single goal leaves him with an astonishing shooting percentage of 1.6%.

As the 1/3 mark of the season passes, the coaches are trying their best to help Alex break out, including shuffling the lines. In South Edmonton, Frolov skated with Draper and Ekman while Korolyuk joined Murray and Demitra. Frolov only saw eight minutes of ice time in that game, but the experiment will last at least through the StrapHangers game tonight. The coaches say that he will return to the top line eventually, although they admit that they need to find a way to get in on the ice more. Through 21 games on the top unit, he has been averaging a mere 14.5 minutes of ice a night, as compared to 23.1 for Murray and 17.8 for Demitra.

As for the future, Stringer was adamant that while Frolov hasn't been playing well lately, he is definitely in the long-term plans for the club. "You don't give up on a player like Alex Frolov after twenty games", Stringer said of the notion that he'd deal away his young talent. "Every time I approach a team around the league in trade talks they start out asking for the same guys, and Frolov is always the first or second name out of their mouths. You don't dump a player that is so heavily sought after. Every team knows the talent is there, and it's just up to us to help Alex kick this dry spell. He's going to be an all-star for us for years to come".

"I will continue to work and must not get down", Frolov said for his part. "If the work is there, the results will come".

Day 46: ROV@SOC review

2006-01-12T09:15:00.000-03:30

Alex Korolyuk pausing before the game to enjoy a delicious apple, which no doubt helped him to score a power-play goal against the Sockeyes later that evening.

Edmonton, AB (CP)

Playing the first of back-to-back road games, the Baffin Island Rovers knew that they had to bring their best effort to get past the much-improved South Edmonton Sockeyes. A 3-3 tie in front of a hostile crowd still leaves many questions unanswered, but it does tell the Rovers that they can still compete at the top while the teams around them accelerate their arms race.

The Sockeyes were debutting two new defensemen in Phillipe Boucher and Darryl Sydor, and were looking to make a statement about their new roster to the rest of the Champions Conference. To that end they came out of the gate with both guns blazing, outshooting the Rover 10-2 in the first period and scoring the only goal on Patrik Elias's seventh marker of the season. The Rovers weathered the storm and emerged in the second period to score early, on a Glen Murray tally, and late, with a Jokinen deflection, to take a 2-1 lead into the third. They increased their lead to 3-1 on the PP early in the period as Alex Korolyuk made a nifty dangle in front of the net. From that point, however, penalties were their downfall. The Rovers gave the Sockeyes four third period PP opportunities (10 overall in the game) and they capitalized twice on goals by Morrison and St. Louis. Martin Gerber played well throughout the game in his return from injury, stopping 28 of 31 shots, while Evgeni Nabokov turned aside 18 of 21 for South Edmonton.

The Rovers left the arena immediately after the game to fly to Albany to visit the StrapHangers tonight. Chris Mason should be ready for the contest, though he will likely dress only as the backup.

Day 43: 500@ROV review

2006-01-06T11:02:00.000-03:30

Kovalev also tried to take out Hedberg later in the game.

Clearly ornery from their recent travails, the 500s came to Baffin Island looking for blood. The Rovers just weren't expecting it literally. The 3-1 500s win was not without controversy. With backup Chris Mason between the pipes, Indy wanted to get an early jump on their rival. They got that, when recently-acquired Alexei Kovalev pulverized Mason with a vicious check as he and defenseman Cale Hulse were driving to the net. Kovalev was apparently mad over being hacked by Mason minutes earlier, an act that got Mason a two-minute minor penalty. "He didn't let up at all. Hulse let him go at the last minute, but he [Kovalev] didn't turn. He just creamed Mason. How could it have been viewed as not intentional?", questioned Stringer after the game.

Already without starter Martin Gerber, third-string 'tender Johan Hedberg entered the game, getting his first action of the year. He played admirably, allowing three goals on 27 shots against, but was outdueled by Chris Osgood, who stopped 25 of 26 shots, allowing only a late marker by Nathan Horton. "We've got two days off now, and that should be enough time for Marty [Gerber] to get back for the Sockeyes game. Chris may be ready then as well, or maybe not..."

Day 41: ROV@ROA review

2006-01-04T14:12:00.000-03:30

Gerber (center) helps guide a group of Rovers fans to the correct gate at the Davey Allison Memorial Auditorium.

Back from the holiday break and fresh off their 3-3 tie against Guelph, the Rovers posted a 2-0 road shutout over the Roadkill last night. Waterloo came out strong and did not relent, outshooting the Rovers 40-31 and controlling the play all evening, but strong net play by Baffin combined with two early goals in the first period saw the Rovers keep pace with the Capones in a second-place tie. Former Rover Roman Cechmanek was keen to defeat his former club, but goals by Regehr and Halpern were enough to get the win. Martin Gerber stopped 29 shots before leaving the contest midway through the third period with back spasms. Chris Mason entered and made 11 more saves to preserve the shutout. "Marty tweaked his back coming across the crease", Stringer said after the game. "We'll give Mase the start against the 500s tomorrow night and by then Marty should be good to go against the Sockeyes".

Notes: - assistant captain and original Rover Sean Hill made his contract demands known to the club over the weekend, demanding a $4M salary to re-sign with the club before free agency opens. The Rovers have not responded publicly to the demand, but are unlikely to acquiesce.

Holiday shopping

2005-12-23T10:11:00.000-03:30

Some big deals have gone down in the RHL just before the holidays, with a few teams getting a jump on their Christmas shopping. Let's recap the action:

1) St. Louis to SOC for Hartnell, Prucha, Abid

Mark was definitely frustrated with the play of his team of late, and decided that a facelift would make coaching more fun, if not more successful. St. Louis is a restricted free-agent expected to make large contract demands on his new team, but there is no denying what he appears to bring to the table. He instantly shoots the Sockeyes up the charts in the Champs conference. Hartnell is the key to the deal for the 500s. Looking like he's turning the corner in his offensive game, he can be a cog for Mark for the next five or six seasons. If Prucha can continue his hot NHL start, he may also be a player for the 500s in the coming seasons. As in most cases, the team that got the best player won the trade, but Mark did get a good player and a pretty good prospect for his effort.

2) Naslund, Zyuzin to VAM for Kovalev, Schneider, Sim

All high-priced talent seem to eventually find their way to Vlad's roster, and most more than once. This is the case with Naslund, who is entering his fifth separate stint with the Vampyres. Once has to wonder if he should bother to unpack before New Year's. Going to the 500s are two players that are meant to contribute in the now, in Kovalev and Schneider. Schneider is a free agent after the season, but Kovalev has three years remaining after this one, so Mark may have long-term plans for Alexei. Again, for the 500s this was a case of changing a talented yet unproductive part, this time for two proven RHL veterans who he hopes will fit better with his team. One has to wonder if this is the beginning of another famous "reload" for Vlad, although he doesn't have the cash resources at his disposal that he has had in previous years.

3) Jonsson to SOC for Dupuis, Tootoo, Babchuk

It's unclear how long Jonsson was on the market, though unidentified sources maintain that he was offered to other teams before being sent to South Edmonton. Again, Paul consolidates a few prospects with varying levels of upside for a proven defensemen with a very clear goal; a run at his first Kings Cup Trophy. The return for Jun, beyond cash savings, is unclear at this point. Dupuis appears to be an RHL regular, albeit an unspectacular one. Tootoo and Babchuk are trying to prove that they belong in the RHL, and it remains to be seen whether or not that will pan out. Early returns look good, which is obviously what Jun is banking on. As mentioned in SpartaScripts, Jonsson leaves the only team he has ever played for. These one-team RHLers really are a throwback to an older generation, and their long careers with their respective teams are something of which their owners should be proud. This writer only hopes that in fifteen years, he can write the same about career-Rovers named Frolov, Horton, Lehtonen, and Phaneuf.

Day 37: ROV@CAP review

2005-12-21T10:41:00.000-03:30

You knew it couldn't last forever. The Rovers had their franchise-record fourteen game unbeaten streak snapped last night in Chicago at the hands of the Capones, 4-3. The Capones played an energized game, finishing with slight leads in shots, passing, and possession, categories the Rovers have dominated during their run. Simon Gagne scored twice while Martin Havlat scored the winner and assisted on the other three markers. Kim Johnsson scored his first goal of the season and added two assists on goals by Ekman and Korolyuk. Both netminders made 30 saves, with Roloson getting the one-goal decision over Gerber. "I'm proud of how we played", Stringer said after the game. "Chicago is a very good team and it's tough to beat them in their building. I don't think we did anything wrong, they just were better tonight. Credit them fully for the win. We've just got to get back on our feet and start a new winning streak now".

Thankfully the Rovers won't have much time to dwell on the loss; they flew out after the game to prepare to host the Spectres tomorrow.

Day 34: SPE@ROV review

2005-12-16T12:22:00.000-03:30

The Rovers returned home from Indy with a short time to prepare for their game the next night against the Guelph. They obviously used their time efficiently. The Rovers ran their winning streak to five games and their unbeaten streak to 14 with a convincing 5-0 shutout of the Spectres. After watching the third line get all the press over the past week, the top line broke out of its funk with Glen Murray notching a natural hat-trick with a short-handed, even strength, and power-play goal. Pavol Demitra registered three assists while Chris Pronger and Nils Ekman also tallied in the win. The Rovers outshot the Spectres 44-13, with Chris Mason stopping all 13 for his first RHL shutout. Rookie John-Michael Liles made his RHL debut, filling in for Eric Brewer, whose knee was still too sore to go.

The Rovers now have two days off before heading to Chicago to tangle with the Capones.

Notes: - Nathan Horton took the pre-game skate but opted not to try his shoulder. The coaching staff is confident that he will be ready for Chicago. Brewer, too, feels that he'll make the trip and play against the Capones.

Day 33: Coaches Corner

2005-12-14T10:16:00.000-03:30

Well, we're officially loving our third line. I hope that they keep it rolling with Horton rejoins the unit, but we at least know that we aren't up the creek should a top winger go out and we need to promote from the lower lines. Bergeron can step in and do the job if Horton or Malone are called on to fill in higher up (or perhaps Bergeron himself would get the call).

But today isn't about the forwards, it's about the defense. We need to do a bit of juggling to deal with the first injury to a Dman this season. Thankfully it's a minor one. Brewer got banged up in the second period against the 500s. Handzus was finishing a check and caught Eric funny so that his knee knocked against the boards. He's got a bit of a bruise and it's kind of sore, so he's not likely to go tomorrow night. So with Bergeron's debut going so well, we'll be looking for the same kind of solid play out of another rookie, John-Michael Liles, in his RHL debut. JM is a versatile guy who prefers the left side but can play either, so as a rookie in his first game we'll try to make him comfortable and play him on the left. He's ok defensively, but he brings a pretty polished offensive game for a rookie, so we'll give him a shot on the PP as well since Brewer was part of the second unit.

Regehr Pronger Johnsson Hill Liles Pronger Johnsson Hulse Regehr HillPreviously Brewer paired with Johnsson in one grouping and Regehr in another. We don't want to overplay Liles, so Hill will get a chance to see increased minutes, taking Brewer's two assignments. With Hulse being a veteran and a more physical player, we'll slide him to the right side (his natural side anyway) to pair with Johnsson and let Liles play the left side with Pronger. That balances both pairs with a physical presence (Pronger/Hulse) and a puckmover (Johnsson/Liles, though obviously Pronger fits both bills).

Korolyuk Draper Ekman Johnsson Pronger Frolov Demitra Gl.Murray Liles ProngerWe'll also slide Liles onto the PP and see how he handles it. We don't want him to overthink things out there; we've made it clear that this is a one game injury situation so we aren't going to make any negative judgements based on mistakes in one game. We just want him to get comfortable with the RHL game as we know he'll be a big part of the team down the line (and also if we sustain more serious injuries on the blueline).

A final note on the game is that Chris Mason will get the start against Guelph. Mason last saw action in a 4-3 win over the Capones two and a half weeks ago, so wiht this being a back-to-back situation, we'll give him the home start. He hasn't played much since the start of the season when we were still trying to figure things out as a team, so hopefully we support him well and play the type of game we've been playing the past two weeks.

Day 33: ROV@500 review

2005-12-14T10:03:00.000-03:30

The Rovers rolled into Indy looking to extend their unbeaten streak against one of their traditional rivals and did just that, coming up with a 4-1 road victory. The win was Baffin's fourth in a row, and marks their 13th game without a loss, a franchise record. The Rovers were once again paced by their new third line of Malone, Jokinen, and Patrice Bergeron. Jokinen tallied a goal and two assists, while Malone scored for the second straight game and Bergeron added an assist for two points in two RHL games. Pavol Demitra and Jeff Halpern also scored for the Rovers, who outshot the 500s 32-19. Martin Gerber got the win, stopping 18 of 19, while Chris Osgood took the loss.

The Rovers left immediately after the game, returning home to prepare to host the Spectres tomorrow night. Defenseman Eric Brewer left he game early in the second period with a mild knee sprain. He is listed as doubtful for the game against the Spectres, but with two days off after that may not miss further time. Nathan Horton will take the pre-game skate to test his injured right shoulder, and will also be a game-time decision.

Day 32: Coaches Corner

2005-12-13T15:44:00.000-03:30

Well, we've got the 500s on tap tonight. They're down, but clearly not out. With Nathan Horton scheduled to miss two more games, I like how our lower lines clicked during his first game out.

Frolov - Demitra - Murray
Korolyuk - Draper - Ekman
Malone - Jokinen - Bergeron
Halpern - Legwand - Hall

In the preseason we had Ryan Malone pencilled into the #2 LW slot alongside either Demitra or Draper (or Jokinen). We still think he can play on a scoring line, but depth pushed him down to very low minutes. Putting him on the third line offered him more minutes last game and he took advantage, setting up both goals. Bergeron played very well for his first ever game and didn't look out of place. Suddenly this looks like a more offensive unit with Halpern out and Malone in. Horton returning will send Bergeron back to the bench, but we now think we can count on him more if a top 3 winger goes out.

Frolov is the only guy in the top six that has struggled. We're hesitant to break up the second line, but if he continues to underachieve we may have to try him somewhere else. We still believe in him; we just have to find a way to get the best out of him. Maybe Malone can audition on the first line if Frolov doesn't snap out of it.

We've shipped out some depth in Wiemer and Nylander in recent days, but Bergeron and Malhotra are both two-position guys, and Montador can dress as the 15th forward in a pinch. Cleaning out the pressbox gives us enough wiggle room financially to address any needs, be they offensively or defensively, later in the season.

Wiemer: it's what's for dinner.

2005-12-12T13:34:00.000-03:30

When word leaked out that Jason Wiemer was about to hit the waiver wire, two offers instantly came into Rovers headquarters inquiring about his services. The Defiance were first on tap, offering a sandwich. Steve Stringer, not having had his lunch yet, was hungry and interested. The second team, when informed of the offer of the sandwich, was willing to dish up the bread, but wanted to haggle over the filler. They were intent on trying to steal him for mayonnaise and a mere slice of cheese. Huy, not to be outdone, stepped up and ended the discussion when he boldly stated that he'd consider ponying up a slice of ham. Stringer, who likes ham, had heard enough. Even the promise of ham was too good to pass up. Wiemer was sent packing to Washington for a ham sandwich, although it remains to be seen whether Hyugen will have trouble actually getting the ham across the border.

Will keep our loyal readers posted on the eventual contents of the sandwich when it arrives.

Wiemer Waivered

2005-12-12T11:11:00.000-03:30

For immediate release:

The Baffin Island Rovers have placed Jason Wiemer on irrevocable waivers. Wiemer, acquired last month by the Rovers with Dave Andreychuk from the San Diego Aviators, did not appear in any games with Baffin Isle. On the season Wiemer has played in two games, registering one assist.

Day 29: SOC@ROV review

2005-12-07T12:49:00.000-03:30

In their first game in the post-Nylander era, the Rovers continued their winning ways with a 2-1 home-ice victory over the Sockeyes. The win kept them a point up on South Edmonton in the Champions standings, just a point back of the Mounties. The Rovers again jumped all over their opponent, outshooting the Sockeyes 45-17, including 25-7 in the second period. Rookie Patrice Bergeron, playing in his first RHL game, scored on his first shot on goal (his only shot of the game) early in the second period to open the scoring. Bergeron was playing in place of fellow rookie Nathan Horton, who missed his first game due to his right shoulder injury. "It was great to get into the lineup and contribute", Bergeron said after the game. "I'll never forget it. The puck will hold a prominent place in my collection."

The injury to Horton gave the coaching staff an opportunity to shake up the lower lines, which they did by promoting winger Ryan Malone to the third line to join Jokinen and Bergeron. Malone assisted on both goals as a result of the shift. "We were really pleased with Malone's play today. We have seen it in practice and in limited shifts from the fourth line, but he played with two really good players tonight and he showed what he is capable of", Stringer said of his his winger.

A number of scouts from various teams were in attendance in Iqaluit, and it was questioned whether Malone's promotion was a showcasing to other teams. "Ryan Malone is a Rover and is playing very well. We changed up the lines, that's all. You guys read too much into things like that some times."

Nylander on the move

2005-12-04T01:07:00.000-03:30

Multiple sources in Iqaluit are reporting tonight that Michael Nylander, who signed as a free agent three weeks ago with the Rovers but has yet to see action, has been dealt to the Guelph Reapers in exchange for a 1st round draft pick. The Reapers, decimated by injuries, have been seeking a playmaking center and reportedly decided to meet the asking price for Nylander, who ironically was bought out by the Reapers at the start of the season.

Notes: The MRI on Nathan Horton's right shoulder came back negative this morning, but he is expected to miss a week of action. With the Rovers hitting a lull in the schedule, it's possible that he may only miss two or three games.

Day 26: 500@ROV review

2005-12-01T15:09:00.000-03:30

Another test for the Rovers presented itself last night in the form of the perennially tough Indianapolis 500s. GM Benvenga's squad has always played well against Baffin, so a 3-1 home-ice win was exactly what the team was hoping for to build on their win over the Vampyres the day before. Just as against Calgary, the Rovers had the edge in every statistical category from shots to passing. Outshooting the 500s 43-23, the Rovers finally got a goal from Alexander Frolov, his first of the season, as well as the winner from Pavol Demitra and insurance from rookie Ryan Malone, his first RHL goal. Martin Gerber's lone mistake came early in the second on an Alex Tanguay shot from the high slot. The win stretches the team's unbeaten streak to 11 games and moves them to within one point of the conference-leading Mounties, though Kitchener has two games in hand.

A down note from the game came on the second shift of the game when rookie Nathan Horton slid into the boards and came up limping, holding his right shoulder. He left the game and did not return. "I don't think it's separated, but he has some discomfort there. We'll see what the MRI says tomorrow". In a fortunate scheduling quirk, the Rovers now play only once in the next six days, having a two day break before hosting the Sockeyes and then waiting another three days until a return game against the 500s in Indy.

Day 25: ROV@VAM review

2005-11-30T13:58:00.000-03:30

Pulling into Calgary for the first time since losing game seven of the Kings Cup finals last season, the Rovers were on a roll. However, the truest barometer of their fortunes to Rover fans seems to be their performances against their archrivals, the Vampyres. That said, last night's 1-0 win appears to have settled a lot of questions that people may have had of the team. "Right now, we've really got it together", Stringer said after the contest. "This may have been our best 60 minute effort this season".

What the Rovers got was an A game from all aspects of the club. Dominating the hometown Vampyres in shots, faceoffs, hits, corner battles, possession time, and passing, the Rovers looked like they had the puck all night, and if not for Vesa Toskala could have turned the affair into a slaughter. Toskala stopped 37 of 38 shots, with his only blemish coming from the stick of Nils Ekman in the second period. Martin Gerber registered his first shutout of the season, turning aside all 23 shots he faced.

Now unbeaten in 10 games, the Rovers return home to face their other historical rival, Mark Benvenga's 500s. Though struggling out of the gate, everyone knows that the 500s can drop five or six goals on any team in the Champions conference, so the Rovers can't afford any sort of letdown on home ice if they hope to keep their momentum up the standings.