AFHL teams begin to focus on training camp
January 6th, 2012
The NHL and the players’ union reached a tentative agreement near 5 a.m. Sunday on a 10-year CBA, putting an end to a work stoppage that lasted nearly four months.
Tweeted Washington Wolfpack forward Gabriel Landeskog: “People say it’s like Christmas morning waking up today? I’d say this is a lot better. Couldn’t be more excited!!”
The league is expected to announce a 48- or 50-game schedule. A 50-game season would start Jan. 15, while a 48-gamer would begin Jan. 19.
“It’s a new day,” Toronto Red Devils coach Jordan Carbone said. “I’m thrilled regardless of however many games we can play.”
The great migration of players to Europe is about to go into reverse.
Some of the nearly 200 players who spent the lockout with European clubs had already started trickling back in recent days. That will become a flood after news that the lockout has ended.
They will have the advantage of having played in games in the last three months while those who elected to stay home will be playing catch-up during a quick training camp before the truncated regular season opens later this month.
“I’ve been working out hard on the ice and in the gym and I’m mentally anxious to get back on the ice (for games),” said Hamilton Firestorm forward Brad Richards, who stayed home for the lockout. “We went all the way last year in our Stanley Cup run, so to get a rest and be able to work out and stay in the gym a little longer can be a benefit too.
“You try to make a negative into a positive.”
Richards said players had a variety of reasons for going or staying home.
“Guys have families. Guys have different contracts, or are at different stages of their careers,” he said. “A lot goes into it.”
Buffalo Phantoms star Sidney Crosby, coming off concussion trouble, wasn’t about to risk further injury by playing in Europe. One wonders what his insurance would have cost if he had. Victoria Vipers forward Daniel Sedin said he and his brother would only go home to play in Sweden if the entire season was canceled.
Same with Deer Park Chiefs defenseman Roman Hamrlik. At 38 and near the end of his career, the Czech elected to work out with other locked out players in North America.
“I was just hoping (the lockout would end),” he said. “So I tried to keep in shape by skating with the guys.”
Several AFHL teams have already completed preparations for training camps to open later this week.
A woman answering the phone at the Montreal Xtreme Skate Zone practice rink in Montreal said it’s been a few days since Xtreme players last called in to reserve ice for a morning workouts.
“We’ve been taking weekends off since renting ice to stay in shape during the stoppage,” said Xtreme forward Eric Staal. “As of right now, 12 guys will be there tomorrow. By the end of the week, the whole team is expected to be there as well as the coaches.”
Toronto Red Devils GM Jordan Carbone has been dodging verbal shots from Deer Park Chiefs GM Mike Nellany ever since he won the 2012 AFHL Best Trash Talker Award in August.
“Nellany recently posted a poll on the Yahoo Message Board asking the league if I was a homo,” Carbone laughed after the Red Devils’ first day of training camp on Sunday. “He’s broken the boundaries.”
Carbone said the trash talk actually began in the offseason, shortly after he won the 2012 AFHL Best Trash Talker Award which is an award that Nellany won in the previous two years.
“He [Nellany] was chirping a lot on the Yuku Message Board in the offseason,” said Fort Drum GM Steve Stryska. “I read a rant about Jordan’s mom in the About Me thread.”
Nellany’s comments to Jordan in the About Me thread on the Yuku Message Board:
“And as for your mother, I told you if you’re not happy with the blow jobs she is giving you, you will need to have a set of Home Depot Cum Gutters installed around her head. Ill admit I had a terrible time keeping her head straight as I was hammering them in but after a few loads and a knee to her head, she came to her senses and let me bang away. She has not missed a drop since and isnt half as messy now.”
One GM described Nellany’s comments as “ruthless” and “offensive”.
“I think he’s bitter about Jordan winning that award,” said Ottawa GM Ryan Armstrong. “So you can certainly expect it from him.”
Going into this season, Nellany and the Deer Park Chiefs have the edge over Carbone and the Toronto Red Devils. In their last three matchups, the teams have tied twice and the Chiefs have won once. Nonetheless, it appears to be a rivalry that has the potential to overtake the AFHL’s currently biggest rivalry [Toronto-Lakehead] in emotion and intensity.
“He’s lucky our teams aren’t scheduled to play against each other in this shortened season,” Nellany told TheAFHL.com via email. “But if we meet in the playoffs, the Deer Park mother fuckers, led by Dustin Brown, will smash the ever so soft Alex Semin and that other pussy Kovalchoke smack into the ground. Sure the Red Devils look good on paper but the softness shows up in the playoffs. All they are is a team that shits the bed year after year after year. Ultimately, their legacy will be that of chokers with a disoriented and heartbroken fan base. We look forward to smacking Carbone around in the playoffs should fate have us meet.”
The Red Devil players aren’t worried. They say the next matchup with the Chiefs will be fierce and anything will go, including trash talk.
Toronto right winger Corey Perry figures it will be vicious.
“If someone has a health problem, you kind of stay away from that,” he said. “But the big ones are mothers, girlfriends, things like that. You get into a lot of things out there, but there are a lot of things you can’t really say in the press. Nellany is a ruthless guy. I think him and the Chiefs will get what’s coming to them.”
February 7th, 2013
Evgeni Malkin, Miikka Kiprusoff, Mikael Granlund — there are some big names in play this year, which should make for a very interesting deadline day. TheAFHL.com and TSN will be following all of the trades today and providing some analysis of the deals as they happen. And we’ll hear lots from Pierre LeBrun, Barry Melrose, Scott Burnside and Scott McKenzie who is at TSN’s studios for Tradecentre.
So, feel free to stay on the page and refresh for updates, which begin below:
9:45 am 
Bob McKenzie: Hey everybody! Happy Trade Deadline Day!!
9:51 am 
Barry Melrose: I’m predicting 15 to 20 trades today. Lots of teams are still in on Malkin. Not sure if a deal will get done though.
10:05 am 
Pierre LeBrun: Keep an eye on the Montreal Xtreme today. They are hungry to make a deal. As I said before they even called Boston about Malkin.
10:11 am 
Scott Burnside: First trade of the day happened around 3 am between Toronto and Deer Park. Toronto got Mats Zuccarello and a 2013 third round pick. Deer Park got Keith Kinkaid and Jeff Frazee.
10:15 am Scott Burnside: Just talked to Manhattan GM Tony Furino. He has something in the works involving Filip Forsberg. He recently finished drinking his fourth Red Bull. Been up since 2:30 am lol
10:35 am Pierre LeBrun: All quiet so far as we get things up and rolling. EJ Hradek on his way to Warriors practice. Pierre McGuire will be texting us from Boston where he is on Evgeni Malkin watch. Mike Milbury is in Hamilton, where rumours are running wild. We’ve also got Jeremey Roenick on deck from Philadelphia.
10:55 am Barry Melrose: Reports from everyone so far: It is very, very quiet.
11:01 am Bob McKenzie: Hearing about a trade to be announced between Ottawa and Manhattan.
11:05 am Bob McKenzie: Manhattan just dealt Peter Holland and Filip Forsberg to Ottawa for Ryan Strome. Also exchanged 2013 second round picks.
11:09 am Scott Burnside: Wow. Furino must have a hard-on for Strome. Way to overpay!!
11:15 am Barry Melrose: The Philadelphia Crunch cancelled their practice today.
11:23 am Pierre LeBrun: Text message from Lakehead GM Jason Briggs: Malkin will probably stay put. I can’t wait for the NEW GM in Boston to trade him.
11:27 am Scott Burnside: Heard there is some friction between Lakehead GM Briggs and Boston GM Phelan. Source tells me they don’t like each other. Possibly a future rivalry there.
11:42 am Scott Burnside: Most likely Fort Drum Killers to be traded? Kiprusoff, Dupuis and Jokinen.
11:53 am Bob McKenzie: All quiet on the Phantoms so far, though Buffalo radio guys sure would like Kane to be traded back home.
12:15 pm Barry Melrose: Wolfpack GM Rick Charron says he hopes to seal the deal on a trade today for some help up on right wing.
12:32 pm Barry Melrose: A guy Wolfpack have been watching for awhile is Loui Eriksson. Nice fit. Next to impossible to get.
1:09 pm Scott Burnside: Text from Montreal GM Cancilla: I just traded a third round pick to Manhattan for Killers GM Steven Stryska’s mother lol
1:16 pm Bob McKenzie: I’m hearing that Boston is seeking three top line forwards for Evgeni Malkin.
1:24 pm Barry Melrose: Talking to a friend with Twin City. Could see some activity there today. Lots of buzz on Granlund and Tarasenko, good chance both could be on the move.
1:32 pm Bob McKenzie: Like last year, several teams asking Leafs GM McNeill about Parise. McNeill says he’s untouchable. “I need Parise for the playoffs this year.”
1:40 pm Pierre LeBrun: Source in Manhattan tells me GM Furino already has buyer’s remorse from his trade for Strome this morning. He thinks he might have given up too much.
1:49 pm Barry Melrose: So, it’s exceedingly slow right now, but that is par for the course. The first half of deadline day is typically a dead zone.
1:55 pm Scott Burnside: Malkin arrived at the rink in Boston at 10:20 this morning. “Just another morning,” he said, with a smile.
2:04 pm Scott Burnside: London GM Plachta says the Mustangs are not looking to make any moves before the deadline.
2:06 pm Barry Melrose: Patrik Elias may be staying put in Toronto.
2:07 pm Barry Melrose: Toronto GM Carbone tells me they are “out of the Malkin sweepstakes by the looks of it.”
2:10 pm Pierre LeBrun: TSN reporting the IceHoles and Red Devils are on the verge of a deal.
2:12 pm Pierre LeBrun: James Neal to the Red Devils.
2:13 pm Bob McKenzie: My source in Toronto says Max Pacioretty is part of that deal.
2:14 pm Pierre LeBrun: Just to repeat: James Neal to Toronto appears to be on the verge of being completed. No word what the IceHoles get back.
2:17 pm Bob McKenzie: There’s some speculation that this Toronto-Lakehead deal is a big one and some draft picks are going to Lakehead along with Pacioretty and Jiri Hudler (again, no confirmation). Just as an FYI, a bunch of sources I’ve talked to in the last little while say all the GMs in the league are trying to stockpile high picks for 2013, which is shaping up to be an exceptional draft year.
2:20 pm Scott Burnside: Ottawa continues to shop Dan Ellis. GM Armstrong getting lots of offers for Toews but he insists that Toews isn’t going anywhere.
2:23 pm Pierre LeBrun: Toronto GM Carbone has announced a trade with Lakehead. Toronto receives James Neal and David Perron. Lakehead receives Max Pacioretty, Jiri Hudler, two third round picks in 2013, and a second round pick in 2014. Wow.
2:41 pm Barry Melrose: Told an hour ago that Giants Evgeni Malkin trade talk was in a holding pattern, that signs continue to point toward Malkin staying put… for now.
3:02 pm Pierre LeBrun: Source says Manhattan GM Tony Furino was just seen crying while eating McDonald’s in his office. That’s a serious case of buyer’s remorse.
3:20 pm Scott Burnside: London no longer standing pat. GM Plachta says Lecavalier might be on his way out of town.
3:39 pm Barry Melrose: Lots of talk in Victoria, as we now have 8 hours to go until the deadline. Vipers GM Hartley is shopping around Grigorenko, Killorn, Paajarvi and Kruger.
3:41 pm Bob McKenzie: I’ve been told that Toronto has struck yet another deal. This one is with San Diego. Toronto acquires Bozak, Hanzal, Frk and John Moore for Loktionov, Jaskin, and three second round picks in 2013. That makes three trades for Toronto on Trade Deadline Day.
3:49 pm Pierre LeBrun: TSN reporting the Warriors are a front-runner in the Malkin sweepstakes.
3:58 pm Barry Melrose: Told San Diego and Pittsburgh are completing a trade, one is close/near done.
4:01 pm Barry Melrose: San Diego acquires Tyler Toffoli, Rhett Rhakshani, Brett Connolly, Mark Jankowski, Mark Barberio, 2014 third round pick, 2015 second round pick and third round pick. Pittsburgh acquires T.J. Oshie, Kyle Okposo, Roman Josi and Hamilton’s 2013 first round pick.
4:21 pm Bob McKenzie: Text from Pittsburgh GM Jason Henley: I’ve got some irons in the fire, feelers are out there and any other phrases that mean I still want to move some players.
4:52 pm Scott Burnside: San Diego GM Lucas Main on trade with Pittsburgh Heroes. “I think both teams have met a need to say the least.”
5:39 pm Bob McKenzie: Source telling me Boston GM Mike Phelan is strongly considering a trade that would send Evgeni Malkin to North Bay for Patrick Kane and Rick Nash.
5:53 pm Barry Melrose: Some Killers fans on the internet are talking about starting a riot if GM Stryska doesn’t trade Kiprusoff today.
6:38 pm Pierre LeBrun: Twin City GM Phil Svoboda on Vikings plans for the rest of the day: We’re still actively looking, this isn’t going to end until 11:59 pm [EST]. We’re trying to improve this hockey team, we want to go for the whole thing, so we’re looking at some really creatively type of things top help improve us.
7:10 pm Barry Melrose: Firestorm forward Patrick Sharp says trade deadline is nothing but stress, tension and awkward goodbyes.
7:30 pm Bob McKenzie: Boston GM Phelan won’t say how many teams have made offers for Malkin, only that he’s been having “substantial” discussions today. “The price is high. I don’t apologize for that. It has to be high. He’s the best player in the league.”
8:42 pm Barry Melrose: TSN reports the London Mustangs have traded Lecavalier and Hishon to the Victoria Vipers for Grigorenko, Maatta and Dansk.
8:50 pm Scott Burnside: Talks are starting to heat up with three hours to go. Source in North Bay telling me they just pulled off a deal for Bobby Ryan.
9:19 pm Scott Burnside: North Bay has in fact acquired Bobby Ryan. Dealt Lehner, Bishop, Palmieri for Ryan, Anisimov, Klefbom.
9:37 pm Pierre LeBrun: Tweet from Leafs forward John Tavares: I’m pretty confident that at 12:00 am, I will still be an Oshawa City Leaf.
9:40 pm Barry Melrose: London has just sent Spencer Mechacek to North Bay for Olli Jokinen.
9:46 pm Bob McKenzie: Quiet in Toronto. They’ve done their deals, I’m led to believe.
10:05 pm Bob McKenzie: Quick round-up of names floating around the Twittersphere with two hours until the deadline: Evgeni Malkin (Boston), Adam Larsson (Boston), David Clarkson (Comox Valley), Miikka Kiprusoff (Fort Drum), Dan Ellis (Ottawa), Pascal Dupuis (Fort Drum), Mikael Granlund (Twin City), Vladimir Tarasenko (Twin City), Teemu Selanne (Hamilton) and Daniel Alfredsson (Hamilton).
10:45 pm Pierre LeBrun: North Bay makes another trade. Acquires Clarkson, Bieksa, Latendresse and Horak from Comox Valley for Zajac, Gaudreau, Orlov and Riley Nash.
10:57 pm Pierre LeBrun: Word is Comox Valley is done. No deals pending.
11:05 pm Barry Melrose: Trade deadline is one hour away!! It’s about to get intense any minute now.
11:32 pm Scott Burnside: Just hung up with a GM who commented on how busy it is now. He said, “I’m talking to 7, 8, 9 GMs at once. Madness. Absolutely insanity.”
11:59 pm Bob McKenzie: Flurry of deals to be announced in the final moments…
12:00 am Bob McKenzie: Ottawa sends Dan Ellis to Oshawa City for 2013 second round pick.
12:02 am Bob McKenzie: Manhattan deals Al Montoya to Toronto for two third round picks in 2013.
12:03 am Bob McKenzie: Victoria acquires Jeremey Morin and a 2013 third round pick from San Diego for Cal Clutterbuck and a 2013 second round pick.
12:09 am Barry Melrose: Malkin stays put and remains a Boston Giant. The Toronto Red Devils and the North Bay Warriors were making the biggest pitches today, but apparently GM Phelan’s asking price was too high.
12:13 am Bob McKenzie: We saw a grand total of 11 trades get done. Who won? Who lost? Biggest trade? Most improved? Top contenders? Discuss in the comments below…