NHL 2010 Top Draft Prospects: Tyler Seguin

So let’s see. At number one on the NHL’s scouting list, we have a light center with great leadership, incredible drive, a huge amount of talent, a powerful wrist shot, and beautiful passing abilities. Sounds a little like Joe Sakic, no?

Don’t get me wrong, Tyler Seguin is no Joe Sakic, but he may be able to have the same impact that Burnaby Joe did in his time with the Quebec/Colorado organization.

Chosen ninth overall in the 2008 OHL Priority Selection Draft, Seguin struggled early in his career with the Plymouth Whalers, going fourteen games before scoring his first goal. After that, though, he took off, scoring 67 points in 61 total games his rookie season. He responded with an incredible 2009-10 season, tying Taylor Hall for the OHL scoring lead with 105 points in 60 games, a number that includes 47 goals.

Scouts have also been extremely impressed with his maturity, at least for a 17-year-old. With tons of media requests coming in every week in Plymouth, Seguin does a great job of getting through them, getting his schoolwork done, then keeping his mind on winning games.

“It’s his overall game,” one scout says of the Tyler Seguin craze. “He’s a really good skater, has that extra gear when he needs to go there. He’s a great playmaker and this year he added scoring to that.”

Last year, Seguin’s Whalers were 20 minutes away from advancing in the OHL playoffs before Taylor Hall’s Spitfires knocked them out, en route to the 2009 Memorial Cup. Seguin desperately wants revenge so he can have a championship of his own. Not having been a part of a World Junior Championship team, Seguin needs to win. Unfortunately for Seguin, though, his Whalers once again came up short against the Spitfires in the 2010 OHL playoffs, losing in the first round.

Something that the scouts do not like is Seguin’s defensive ability. He is small, for NHL standards, at 186 pounds, and his plus-17 rating insinuates that he was on the ice for many goals against this season. He also does not get much ice time on the penalty kill.

However, that is not to take away from any of Tyler Seguin’s other positive characteristics. Through numerous YouTube and scouting videos, one can easily see why Seguin is battling Hall for the top spot in the 2010 draft. He sees the ice very well, has great hands, and simply has a knack for getting the puck in the net, whether it’s by dishing the puck or by taking matters into his own hands.

The Brampton, Ontario native is 20th on the Whalers’ all-time regular season points list with 172, and is explosive when necessary; he has twice scored five points in one game, and has had five career hat tricks in just two OHL seasons.

Seguin, though arguably not as talented or as coveted as Hall, will still be a consolation prize of epic proportions if he does not go first overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Alan Bass is a writer for The Hockey News and THN.com. In addition to writing for Inside Hockey and Pro Hockey News , he has also worked for the Philadelphia Flyers. He is the general manager of the Muhlenberg College hockey team as well. You can contact him at BergHockey24@gmail.com .

Pittsburgh Penguins Vs. Ottawa Senators: Eastern Conference Preview

4. Pittsburgh Penguins vs. 5. Ottawa Senators

Regular season: PIT – 47-28-7, 101 pts    OTT – 44-32-6, 94 pts

Head-to-head: 2-2

Leading scorers: PIT – Sidney Crosby, 109 points    OTT – Daniel Alfredsson, 71 points

Offense

Sidney Crosby won a share of the Maurice Richard Trophy with 51 points and was tied for second in the league with 109 points. Malkin, in a shortened year, had 77 points in 67 games. Six players on the penguins had 40 points, and 11 players had 30 points. The Senators’ leading scorer had 71 points (Daniel Alfredsson) and have just seven players with 30 points or more.Advantage: Pittsburgh

Defense

The Penguins’ defense is more offensive-minded than the Senators’ but Senators have the best shot blocker in the league in Anton Volchenkov. Sergei Gonchar is one of the best offensive defensemen in the league, but the Ottawa Senators had just as few goals against as the Penguins (237 vs. 238), despite having fewer household names and a lack of a superstar goalie.Advantage: Ottawa

Goaltending

Brian Elliot came up huge this year with a 29-18-4 record, a .909 save percentage and a 2.57 goals against average. Fleury’s numbers were worse than that, with a .905 save percentage and a 2.65 goals against average, but Fleury’s track record of coming up big in the playoffs gives him the edge here. Advantage: Pittsburgh

Special Teams

These teams are dead even in special teams. Pittsburgh ranked 19th in the powerplay and Ottawa ranked 21st. Ottawa ranked 8th in the penalty kill and Pittsburgh ranked 9th. With Malkin completely healthy come playoff time, it’s tough to give this to the Senators, but Ottawa has shown that it is hard to score on them with the man advantage. Advantage: Even

Coaching

Cory Clouston has shown great promise as the head coach of the Senators and continues to lead them to fairly good success. Dan Bylsma joined the Penguins down the stretch last season and has done nothing but win. What’s to say he’s going to quit now? Advantage: Pittsburgh

X-Factor

The Penguins have made deep playoff runs in each of the past two years. They have had numerous injuries this season and players may be getting fatigued. The closing of their historic arena may inspire them a bit, but building a new arena does not heal bruises and bones.Advantage: Ottawa

Prediction

This series is going to be closer than a lot of people expect. Ottawa and Pittsburgh have met in the first round three of the last four years. Ottawa won first, Pittsburgh won second. Who will win third? Well, it may go to a sixth or seventh game, but you have to believe that the team that will pull it off is the one that has proven to the hockey world that they can win. Pittsburgh in six.

Alan Bass is a writer for The Hockey News and THN.com. In addition to writing for Inside Hockey and Pro Hockey News , he has also worked for the Philadelphia Flyers. He is the general manager of the Muhlenberg College hockey team as well. You can contact him at BergHockey24@gmail.com .

Philadelphia Flyers: Who is the Top Player in Franchise History?

If I told you that I wanted to use my second-round draft pick to take a somewhat good player with diabetes who may never play a game in the NHL, what would you tell me?

You would tell me I’m crazy, right?

That is exactly what the Flyers did when they chose Bobby Clarke in the 1969 NHL Entry Draft.

Robert Earle Clarke, as he was named at birth, did not seem to be a very reliable player, but Keith Allen thought that he was something special. In fact, another GM offered him a few players and some draft picks for Clarke immediately after he was drafted. Allen’s response?

“No way.”

As soon as Clarke arrived at training camp, everyone else knew that he was something special.

15 years, three Hart Trophies, one Pearson, one Masterton, one Selke, four All-Star teams, one Lester Patrick trophy, and two Stanley Cups later, and Bobby Clarke retired, holding almost every offensive Flyers’ record that existed.

He still holds many of these records today, including most games, assists, points, shorthanded goals, and highest career plus/minus rating as a Flyer.

He played his entire career with the Flyers, and he finished with unbelievable stats, including 1,144 games played, 358 goals, 852 assists, and 1,210 points.  His stats earned him spots in the Flyers’ Hall of Fame and the Hockey Hall of Fame.

His number 16 was also retired by the Flyers for Bobby Clarke night, which was held during the 1984 season. That night, he was also named the new general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers.

At that point, his second career with the Flyers started. He made many moves, both good and bad, from the time he was hired, to the time that he resigned in 2006, with a few-years break in the early ’90s, when he left to become GM of the newly expanded Florida Panthers.

His record as GM of the Flyers was 714-433-199. He was very successful, leading the Flyers to three Stanley Cup finals, but he was unable to win a Cup while the GM.

He did encounter a few problems, including the Eric Lindros incident, and his inability to create a fast, talented team following the lockout, which ultimately led to his resignation.

But he is one of the most known people in NHL history, and easily the most known Flyer in team history. Clarkie is one of the best skaters in Flyers’ history, and the best player in the teams’ long history as well.

This is the final part of a ten part series.  Thanks for reading!

Alan Bass is a writer for The Hockey News and THN.com. In addition to writing for Inside Hockey and Pro Hockey News , he has also worked for the Philadelphia Flyers. He is the general manager of the Muhlenberg College hockey team as well. You can contact him at BergHockey24@gmail.com .

Top Players in Flyers’ History: No. 2 Bernie Parent

“Only the Lord saves more than Bernie Parent.”

This quote is known throughout Philadelphia and perhaps the hockey world—at least to anyone that followed hockey in the 1970s.  Bernie Parent was the greatest goalie that ever played for the Flyers, and one of the best of his time in the NHL.

Parent started his NHL career with the Boston Bruins, but was taken by the Flyers in the 1967 NHL Expansion draft.  After failing in his first stint with the Flyers, he was dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs to play with his idol, Jacques Plante.  After learning greatly from the 42-year-old All Star, Parent joined the WHA.

He eventually decided to rejoin the NHL, but refused to play with the Leafs.  They traded his rights back to the Flyers, and the rest is history.

Parent dominated the NHL, winning two consecutive Vezina Trophies in 1974 and 1975.  He led the Flyers to their two best seasons, which both ended in Stanley Cup wins.  He took the Conn Smythe Trophy both seasons as the playoff MVP, and twice skated off the ice with Bobby Clarke and the Stanley Cup—two of the most prized possessions of the Flyers’ history.

Bernie dazzled the NHL and Philadelphia with his unbelievable play—his athletic ability, his mysterious mask, and his trademark kick save.

His career was ended, however, when a hockey stick hit him in the eye, and permanently damaged his vision.  This injury caused many goalies to use the modern cage helmet, as opposed to the fiberglass model that everyone had used.

His playing career may have been over, but he was not.  Bernie continued to influence the Flyers’ organization by being a goaltender coach to the team, and to this day makes many appearances as team alumni, both in public and in the Flyers’ home, the Wachovia Center.  He won a total of 232 games with the Flyers, which is still a team record.

When healthy, his save percentage went below .900 only once, and his goals-against average was 2.55 for his entire NHL career.  He had 55 shutouts throughout his illustrious tenure.

His accomplishments are numerous.  He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, was ranked number 63 in The Hockey News’ list of 100 greatest hockey players, was the third NHL goalie to ever appear on the cover of TIME magazine, and held the season record for wins for 33 years, before Martin Brodeur broke the record in 2007.

But Bernie’s influence over this city is enormous, and he will never be forgotten as long as the Flyers exist in the NHL. That is why he is number two on this list of top players in Flyers’ history.

This is the ninth part of a ten part series.  Stay tuned for the rest of the series!

Alan Bass is a writer for The Hockey News and THN.com. In addition to writing for Inside Hockey and Pro Hockey News , he has also worked for the Philadelphia Flyers. He is the general manager of the Muhlenberg College hockey team as well. You can contact him atBergHockey24@gmail.com .

Top Players in Flyers’ History: No. 3 Bill Barber

At this point in this top ten series, you have to expect there to be some Hockey Hall of Famers.  So I will guarantee you that these last three players are all in both the Hockey Hall of Fame and the Flyers’ Hall of Fame.

Bill Barber was another piece of homegrown talent that the Flyers were able to turn into a superstar.  He was drafted seventh overall in the 1972 NHL Entry Draft, and was sent to the AHL.  He spent eleven games there, and then was called up to the NHL by coach Fred Shero.

He never scored less than twenty goals in any NHL season.  His best season came in the 1975-1976 season, when he scored 50 goals and 62 assists for 112 points.

Bill Barber was the captain of the Flyers for a short time in the 1981-82 season and part of the 1982-83 season.  He still holds the Flyers’ career scoring record with 420 career goals with the team.

He was forced to retire in 1985 after being unable to rehabilitate from knee surgery.  His number seven was retired by the Flyers’ in 1990, and he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990.

He became the coach of the Philadelphia Phantoms, and eventually coached the Flyers for three years, winning the Jack Adams Trophy as coach of the year in 2001.

He eventually moved to Tampa Bay, where he was named the Director of Player Personnel, where he won another Stanley Cup in 2004.

However, he is and always will be known as a Flyer, and was one of the best of all time.  He had 420 goals, 463 assists, and 883 points in 903 games in the NHL.  He spent his entire career with just the Flyers, and is one of the most well-known people in the organization.  His ability to play the game and his ability to be a physical presence on the ice as well is what contributes to Bill Barber being the third best player in Philadelphia Flyers’ history.

This is the eighth part of a ten part series.  Stay tuned for the rest of the series!

Alan Bass is a writer for The Hockey News and THN.com. In addition to writing for Inside Hockey and Pro Hockey News , he has also worked for the Philadelphia Flyers. He is the general manager of the Muhlenberg College hockey team as well. You can contact him atBergHockey24@gmail.com.

Top Players in Flyers’ History: No. 4 Brian Propp

Brian Propp is another one of those rare instances where the Flyers took home-grown talent and made it into a star player.  Propp was the 14^th overall pick in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft after scoring 168 points in 57 games in Juniors.

He was put on a line next to Reggie Leach and Bobby Clarke, and he immediately showed results.  He also played next to Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux in the 1987 Canada Cup, so it is obvious the Brian Propp is a player who could truly play the game.

Propp scored at least 65 points in each of his first ten seasons in the NHL, and in that eleventh year, he was traded out of the Flyers’ organization.

Here is a list of awards and honors bestowed upon Brian Propp in his NHL career.

Named to the SJHL All-Star Team (1976)

Named as SJHL Rookie of the Year (1976)

Named as SJHL Most Valuable Player (1976)

Named to the WCJHL All-Star Team (1977)

Named to the WCJHL All-Star Team (1978)

Named to the WHL All-Star Team (1979)

Played in NHL All-Star Game (1980, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1990)

Here are some hockey records that Brian Propp holds for his career.

Most goals by a left wing in the WHL, single season (94 in 1978–79)

Most assists by a left wing in the WHL, single season (112 in 1977–78)

Most points by a left wing in the WHL, single season (194 in 1978–79)

Most game-winning goals in WHL, single season (16 in 1978–79)

Philadelphia Flyers team record for most short handed goals (7)

Philadelphia Flyers team record for most points in a playoff year (28 in 1987)

Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars team record for most power-play goals in a playoff year (8 in 1991)

Most points by a left wing in the NHL playoffs (64 goals, 84 assists for 148 points)

In his career, Propp played 1016 games, and scored 425 goals, 579 assists, and 1004 points.  His nickname is “Guffaw”, and is known as that through Flyers’ history.  He now does color commentary for 610 AM WIP for Flyers’ games.

He is an unbelievable player, and has earned this spot as fourth best player in Flyers’ history.

This is the seventh part of a ten part series.  Stay tuned for the rest of the series!

Alan Bass is a writer for The Hockey News and THN.com. In addition to writing for Inside Hockey and Pro Hockey News , he has also worked for the Philadelphia Flyers. He is the General Manager of the Muhlenberg College hockey team as well. You can contact him at BergHockey24@gmail.com.

Top Players in Flyers’ History: No. 5 Rick MacLeish

Rick MacLeish was drafted 4^th overall by the Boston Bruins in the 1970 NHL Entry Draft.  He did not play one game for the Bruins in his NHL career, but was immediately moved to the Philadelphia Flyers, where his career took off.

Rick MacLeish was not a very talkative guy.  Many players liked him for his leader-type role, yet he leaded by example.  When he was told that he was going to be playing for the Flyers, he was ecstatic, and was thrilled to be leaving his home in Oklahoma City.

In his first full NHL season, Rick scored 50 goals and 50 assists for 100 points in 78 games.  That season was the one before the Flyers made history.

The next year, his stats went down a bit, only scoring 77 points, yet his team won the Stanley Cup, becoming the first expansion team to do so.  Because of that, it made this season even more special than the one before it.

One funny story from Rick MacLeish occurred during the famous “fog game” between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Buffalo Sabres in the 1975 Stanley Cup finals.  The Spectrum was not cold enough to hold the ice together, and the arena became so humid and foggy that players could barely see the puck at their feet.

During the game, a bat flew out of the rafters and started to fly around the ice surface.  The arena staff and the officials were unable to get the bat out of the building, so Rick MacLeish took his hockey stick and batted the animal out of the air, and it fell limp onto the ice.

MacLeish proceeded to take his glove off, pick up the bat, and toss it over the glass into the penalty box.  Fellow teammate Joe Watson skated up to Rick and said, “Ricky, don’t touch that, don’t you know you could get rabies?”

Rick replied, “What are rabies?”

And that, along with 759 points in 846 games in the NHL, is what earns him number five on this list.  Okay, it’s more so about the stats and play than that one example.  But that is still pretty funny.

This is the sixth part of a ten part series.  Stay tuned for the rest of the series!

Alan Bass is a writer for The Hockey News and THN.com. In addition to writing for Inside Hockey and Pro Hockey News , he has also worked for the Philadelphia Flyers. He is the General Manager of the Muhlenberg College hockey team as well. You can contact him at BergHockey24@gmail.com.