With the FNHL entering it's 10th season I only thought it would be appropriate to do some research on it's history and the statistics of it's players. There are many milestones that players can achieve but none are more coveted than the elusive 1,000 points. In the decade season two players have a legitimate shot at the millenium mark in points and they are Predators forward Jaromir Jagr and Rangers forward Jason Allison.
Both players are on the sunset of their careers. Jagr at the age of 40 has for all intensive purposes one season to hit his 1,000th point while Allison at the age of 37 might still have a couple of seasons to reach the plateau. Jagr only has 90 points to go while Allison has 98.
When Jaromir joined the FNHL at the age of 29 many would have predicted that he would be a top player in the league but to be as productive at 39 as he was 10 years ago, noone would have thought of it. He has 5 100 point seasons and has scored 30 or more goals in 8 of those seasons. His productivity may have slowed slightly over the past 5 years but after rebounding from a declining 86 points in 2009 to 108 points in 2010 his 73 points last season could just be another blip on the radar for what could be another career year for the aging forward.
Jason Allison has been a quiet threat but remains one of the most productive players in FNHL history. He may only have 4 100 point seasons under his belt but he has not scored less than 92 points in his entire career. What is also amazing about his career is that he has only missed 3 games due to injury in his entire career and unlike Jagr he plays with a bit more of an edge when it comes to the physical side of the game.
Another look at their great careers is what they lead the league in, in terms of cumulative stats in a career. Jaromir is the current leader in assists with 562, a leader in points with 910 and a leader in +/- with +377. Allison holds the leader in game winning goals with 61 and shots with 2385. He is also second in goals with 369 (only 1 behind leader Eric Daze), assists with 533, points with 902 and game tying goals with 10. It is not unconceivable that Allison could become the leader in many or all of those categories before his great career comes to an end.
If I were a betting man I would bet that Allison will hit the 1,000 career point total before Jaromir Jagr late next season. I would also bet that he will become the career leader in many of the offensive career leader categories before his storied career comes to an end. The one thing that I am sure though he would trade all his accolades in for is an FNHL Cup ring. Something that has eluded him his entire career. Jagr has been to the promise land once in 2004 with the Colorado Avalanche.
Who will retire as the greatest FNHL player ever? That is open to speculation. But one thing is for sure, if both of these players hit the 1,000 points that they are projected to do. They will both leave lasting legacies that will not soon be replaced.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Saturday, November 29, 2008
World Cup Update
Boston (AP) - The World Cup organization committee are very busy these days sifting through applications for the 8 teams who will grace the 3 week long tournament that will get underway during the FNHL's offseason.
"I would have to say that I am surprised of the amount of applications as compared to the initial interest put forward after the World Cup was announced. I only have 6 maybe 7 teams filled to date. Thankfully everyone who has applied so far chose a team that was open so basically as of right now every GM who has applied should get their first choice. I am hoping over the next couple of days we will get a couple more applications and have all the teams with general managers." said organizer Jeff Nagle.
Roster lists are also shaping up. With team Canada leading the way with 80+ eligible players, the organizing committee will be narrowing it down to about 50 before the lists go out to the GMs.
"We will be looking to release those lists to the GMs sometime later next week. The GMs will then have the balance of the regular season to make their final team selections." added Mr Nagle.
We also caught word that the FNHL World Cup website should be up and ready to go next week. Supposedly it is already created and populated but they are awaiting the GM selection before officially launching it. All World Cup related news, stats and roster selections will be available on that website.
"We found it would be imperative that we have a website dedicated to the World Cup. It is a league in it's own right. Once we have it launched we will ask the FNHL officials to put an official link on the FNHL website to bring users to the World Cup website. That will drive alot of traffic to the website and give fans a chance to keep up with the progress of the tournament." added Mr Nagle.
"I would have to say that I am surprised of the amount of applications as compared to the initial interest put forward after the World Cup was announced. I only have 6 maybe 7 teams filled to date. Thankfully everyone who has applied so far chose a team that was open so basically as of right now every GM who has applied should get their first choice. I am hoping over the next couple of days we will get a couple more applications and have all the teams with general managers." said organizer Jeff Nagle.
Roster lists are also shaping up. With team Canada leading the way with 80+ eligible players, the organizing committee will be narrowing it down to about 50 before the lists go out to the GMs.
"We will be looking to release those lists to the GMs sometime later next week. The GMs will then have the balance of the regular season to make their final team selections." added Mr Nagle.
We also caught word that the FNHL World Cup website should be up and ready to go next week. Supposedly it is already created and populated but they are awaiting the GM selection before officially launching it. All World Cup related news, stats and roster selections will be available on that website.
"We found it would be imperative that we have a website dedicated to the World Cup. It is a league in it's own right. Once we have it launched we will ask the FNHL officials to put an official link on the FNHL website to bring users to the World Cup website. That will drive alot of traffic to the website and give fans a chance to keep up with the progress of the tournament." added Mr Nagle.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
FNHL World Cup to Return
New Jersey (AP) - It has been announced that the FNHL World Cup will return this upcoming offseason. GM Jeff Nagle has taken on the task to be the official tournament organizer for this phenomenal event.
At press time a total of 7 nations will participate in the event, Canada, USA, Russia, Czech Republic, Finland, Sweden and a Unified Team featuring players from many of the former Russian block teams will participate. There are rumors that there might be an 8th team but negotiations have not been reached with the 8th team.
GMs from the FNHL will be allowed to participate in the player selection and game lineups. The managers will be chosen in the coming weeks. Asked if he will be manager of one of the teams GM Nagle said that organization of the tournament will be enough work for him although he would have been honored to participate.
"This will be a great way for the great hockey talent's of the world to showcase their talent on the ice against one another." said GM Nagle. "Alot of the details have yet to be worked out, but we are currently working on a new website to promote the tournament, and in the coming weeks we will be selecting GMs and preparing player lists that will be eligable for the tournament." added Nagle.
The dates of the tournament have yet to be released but it is believe that the tournament will start shortly after the FNHL Entry Draft. The tournament will last aproximately 3 weeks with each team playing one another 2 times then a single game elimination playoff. It is believed that the rosters will be chosen by the conclusion of the FNHL playoffs to enable GMs to prepare their lines and schedule practices before the tournament will begin.
At press time a total of 7 nations will participate in the event, Canada, USA, Russia, Czech Republic, Finland, Sweden and a Unified Team featuring players from many of the former Russian block teams will participate. There are rumors that there might be an 8th team but negotiations have not been reached with the 8th team.
GMs from the FNHL will be allowed to participate in the player selection and game lineups. The managers will be chosen in the coming weeks. Asked if he will be manager of one of the teams GM Nagle said that organization of the tournament will be enough work for him although he would have been honored to participate.
"This will be a great way for the great hockey talent's of the world to showcase their talent on the ice against one another." said GM Nagle. "Alot of the details have yet to be worked out, but we are currently working on a new website to promote the tournament, and in the coming weeks we will be selecting GMs and preparing player lists that will be eligable for the tournament." added Nagle.
The dates of the tournament have yet to be released but it is believe that the tournament will start shortly after the FNHL Entry Draft. The tournament will last aproximately 3 weeks with each team playing one another 2 times then a single game elimination playoff. It is believed that the rosters will be chosen by the conclusion of the FNHL playoffs to enable GMs to prepare their lines and schedule practices before the tournament will begin.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Western Conference UFAs
Anaheim
UFAs: LW Vaclav Prospal, LW Markus Naslund
Situation: With a possible retirement of Markus Naslund the re-signing of Vaclav Prospal will be paramount. As both left wingers are the Ducks' best and there is no clear cut front runner to take their place. It will be a rough ride if the Ducks do not have a plan in place to replace the aging wingers.
Calgary
UFAs: C David Legwand, C Nik Antropov, RW Miroslav Satan, D Chris Therien, D Sami Kapanen
Situation: It is a bit of a change in guard for the Flames. Signing at least one of thier UFA centers will be a priority for them as youngsters Wellwood and Esposito may not be ready to carry the full load of centering the Flames. Miroslav Satan will probably be the fall guy for the Flames to open up salary cap to sign their RFAs. He maybe valuable to the Flames but he is replaceable. The Flames could very well loose their top 2 defenceman to retirement as Kapanen and Theirien are entering their last years in the FNHL. If they can find the room to resign one of them, it would be to their advantage, or they could simply take the cap savings and shop elsewhere.
Chicago
UFAs: D Denis Gauthier
Situation: With the Hawks looking to out with the old and bring in the new, it appears as though Gauthier's time may be limited in Chicago but lack of true veteran defensive depth, the Hawks may very well extend Gauthier a contract if the price is right.
Colorado
UFAs: LW Petr Cajanek, RW Wayne Primeau, G Manny Legace, G Jocelyn Thibault
Situation: With both goalies on the hook for new contracts and no suitable replacements in sight, the Avalanche will be looking to resign Thibault once more to guide them as their starting goalie. Petr Cajanek would be an average player on any other team but with the Avalanche he is the top dog. He will be looking for another contract making about the same as he is now, will Colorado step up? or will they rely on youth to complete their rebuild?
Columbus
UFAs: None at the time of publication.
Dallas
UFAs: LW Matt Pettinger, D Richard Matvichuk
Situation: The Stars are sitting quite well without relying on any aging talent. They are restocking the cupboard with new young players so resigning Matt Pettinger will be the least of their worries. Matvichuk will probably retire but if not, he cannot expect to haul anywhere near the $7.5 million contract he once did. His earning days are near over and with Dallas shedding older talent, they may just decide to part ways with the once nasty defenceman.
Detroit
UFAs: LW Tyler Arnason, RW Niklas Sundstrom, D Tomas Kloucek, D Kenny Jonsson
Situation: More than likely Aranson will be resigned but of course it will take a slim raise to get him back to the fold. If the price is right defenceman Kenny Jonsson will most likely be re-signed. As for the rest of the Wing's free agents, they will probably look to promote from within or resign them for a bargain price.
Edmonton
UFAs: C Jason Arnott, C Steve Begin, D Chris Pronger, D Aaron Ward, D J-F Fortin
Situation: With the club's best center and defenseman up for contract renewal it will be a big offseason for the Oil. Pronger is the league's best defenceman and has been forever, his current $10 million price tag almost still seeems to cheap for him. He will look for Jagr money and he will get it. But will it be from Edmonton? In Arnott the Oilers will have to make a tough decision on their top forward, but more than likely GM Burns will deal him off for more rebuilding tools. As for the rest of the Oilers free agents, they are a dime-a-dozen and will be signed only if there is a need an the price is right.
Los Angeles
UFAs: LW Serge Aubin, D Barret Jackman, D Branislav Mezei, G Derek Gustafson
Situation: The Kings have set themselves up so well that their UFAs are simply pluggers and fillers and unless the GM has a spot for them in his heart, most if not all of them will be replaced or re-signed at a bargain price. Derek Gustafson could find himself the odd man out if youngster goalie Riku Helenius develops the way management thinks he can.
Minnesota
UFAs: D Sean Brown
Situation: Although Minnesota isn't the deepest team in terms of defense. They can do without Sean Brown. Unless he comes cheap, the Wild will most likely find outside help to cover for Brown's absense.
Nashville
UFAs: C Boyd Devereaux, RW Jaromir Jagr, D Maxim Kuznetsov, G Andrew Raycroft
Situation: Devereaux and Kuznetsov are expendable and are probably playing their last games this season in Nashville. Jaromir Jagr on the other hand is proabably playing his last games of his career. At the age of 39, it would appear as though the Pred's best player will be retiring at season's end, thus giving the Preds a whole lot of cap room. As for Raycroft, it is highly doubtful that he will be resigned with the emergence of Cam Ward as his replacement.
Phoenix
UFAs: C Dave Scatchard, LW Josh Green, RW Martin Havlat
Situation: Phoenix will be looking to resign veteran winger Martin Havlat. His contributions to the team are too much to really put a price tag on so with that being said, the Coyotes will be looking towards a considerable payraise for the star winger. As for Scatchard and Green, their re-signing will hinge on the development of farm talent that could easily replace the two forwards.
San Jose
UFAs: C Brian Rolston, C Brendan Morrison, LW Mike York
Situation: The Sharks are a re-tooling team and will be looking at the performance of their UFAs this year to see if it will be worth resigning them next year. Brian Rolston will probably look at retirement but could be an affordable resigning for another year if he decides to play again. Brendan Morrison will be looking at a significant pay cut to stay with the Sharks, but his abilities make him a prime candidate of an overpriced offer from another team. Mike York will probably resign at around the same rate with the Sharks as he is their best left winger.
St Louis
UFAs: C Artem Chubarov, LW Bates Battaglia, D Philippe Boucher, D Adrian Aucoin, D Mathieu Dandenault, D Brian Rafalski
Situation: The Blues have been the doormat team of the FNHL for some time. The current GM seems intent on bringing them up from the ashes, he will have his work cut out for him. The Blues will have alot of problems on defence if most of their defencemen retire or walk away. Currently the Blues top 3 defenceman are 38 years old and are overpriced and will probably retire. This departure of defenceman will leave the Blues with alot of capspace and perhaps they will use it to look for help elsewhere. Let's hope.
Vancouver
UFAs: D Scott Neidermayer
Situation: With the emergence of young defencemen Cam Barker and Jack Johnson, the Canucks will probably let Neidermayer walk unless he signs a more affordable deal. At the age of 38, Neidermayer is more than expected to retire thus freeing up some valuable cap space the Canucks can use to resign restricted free agent Rich Nash.
UFAs: LW Vaclav Prospal, LW Markus Naslund
Situation: With a possible retirement of Markus Naslund the re-signing of Vaclav Prospal will be paramount. As both left wingers are the Ducks' best and there is no clear cut front runner to take their place. It will be a rough ride if the Ducks do not have a plan in place to replace the aging wingers.
Calgary
UFAs: C David Legwand, C Nik Antropov, RW Miroslav Satan, D Chris Therien, D Sami Kapanen
Situation: It is a bit of a change in guard for the Flames. Signing at least one of thier UFA centers will be a priority for them as youngsters Wellwood and Esposito may not be ready to carry the full load of centering the Flames. Miroslav Satan will probably be the fall guy for the Flames to open up salary cap to sign their RFAs. He maybe valuable to the Flames but he is replaceable. The Flames could very well loose their top 2 defenceman to retirement as Kapanen and Theirien are entering their last years in the FNHL. If they can find the room to resign one of them, it would be to their advantage, or they could simply take the cap savings and shop elsewhere.
Chicago
UFAs: D Denis Gauthier
Situation: With the Hawks looking to out with the old and bring in the new, it appears as though Gauthier's time may be limited in Chicago but lack of true veteran defensive depth, the Hawks may very well extend Gauthier a contract if the price is right.
Colorado
UFAs: LW Petr Cajanek, RW Wayne Primeau, G Manny Legace, G Jocelyn Thibault
Situation: With both goalies on the hook for new contracts and no suitable replacements in sight, the Avalanche will be looking to resign Thibault once more to guide them as their starting goalie. Petr Cajanek would be an average player on any other team but with the Avalanche he is the top dog. He will be looking for another contract making about the same as he is now, will Colorado step up? or will they rely on youth to complete their rebuild?
Columbus
UFAs: None at the time of publication.
Dallas
UFAs: LW Matt Pettinger, D Richard Matvichuk
Situation: The Stars are sitting quite well without relying on any aging talent. They are restocking the cupboard with new young players so resigning Matt Pettinger will be the least of their worries. Matvichuk will probably retire but if not, he cannot expect to haul anywhere near the $7.5 million contract he once did. His earning days are near over and with Dallas shedding older talent, they may just decide to part ways with the once nasty defenceman.
Detroit
UFAs: LW Tyler Arnason, RW Niklas Sundstrom, D Tomas Kloucek, D Kenny Jonsson
Situation: More than likely Aranson will be resigned but of course it will take a slim raise to get him back to the fold. If the price is right defenceman Kenny Jonsson will most likely be re-signed. As for the rest of the Wing's free agents, they will probably look to promote from within or resign them for a bargain price.
Edmonton
UFAs: C Jason Arnott, C Steve Begin, D Chris Pronger, D Aaron Ward, D J-F Fortin
Situation: With the club's best center and defenseman up for contract renewal it will be a big offseason for the Oil. Pronger is the league's best defenceman and has been forever, his current $10 million price tag almost still seeems to cheap for him. He will look for Jagr money and he will get it. But will it be from Edmonton? In Arnott the Oilers will have to make a tough decision on their top forward, but more than likely GM Burns will deal him off for more rebuilding tools. As for the rest of the Oilers free agents, they are a dime-a-dozen and will be signed only if there is a need an the price is right.
Los Angeles
UFAs: LW Serge Aubin, D Barret Jackman, D Branislav Mezei, G Derek Gustafson
Situation: The Kings have set themselves up so well that their UFAs are simply pluggers and fillers and unless the GM has a spot for them in his heart, most if not all of them will be replaced or re-signed at a bargain price. Derek Gustafson could find himself the odd man out if youngster goalie Riku Helenius develops the way management thinks he can.
Minnesota
UFAs: D Sean Brown
Situation: Although Minnesota isn't the deepest team in terms of defense. They can do without Sean Brown. Unless he comes cheap, the Wild will most likely find outside help to cover for Brown's absense.
Nashville
UFAs: C Boyd Devereaux, RW Jaromir Jagr, D Maxim Kuznetsov, G Andrew Raycroft
Situation: Devereaux and Kuznetsov are expendable and are probably playing their last games this season in Nashville. Jaromir Jagr on the other hand is proabably playing his last games of his career. At the age of 39, it would appear as though the Pred's best player will be retiring at season's end, thus giving the Preds a whole lot of cap room. As for Raycroft, it is highly doubtful that he will be resigned with the emergence of Cam Ward as his replacement.
Phoenix
UFAs: C Dave Scatchard, LW Josh Green, RW Martin Havlat
Situation: Phoenix will be looking to resign veteran winger Martin Havlat. His contributions to the team are too much to really put a price tag on so with that being said, the Coyotes will be looking towards a considerable payraise for the star winger. As for Scatchard and Green, their re-signing will hinge on the development of farm talent that could easily replace the two forwards.
San Jose
UFAs: C Brian Rolston, C Brendan Morrison, LW Mike York
Situation: The Sharks are a re-tooling team and will be looking at the performance of their UFAs this year to see if it will be worth resigning them next year. Brian Rolston will probably look at retirement but could be an affordable resigning for another year if he decides to play again. Brendan Morrison will be looking at a significant pay cut to stay with the Sharks, but his abilities make him a prime candidate of an overpriced offer from another team. Mike York will probably resign at around the same rate with the Sharks as he is their best left winger.
St Louis
UFAs: C Artem Chubarov, LW Bates Battaglia, D Philippe Boucher, D Adrian Aucoin, D Mathieu Dandenault, D Brian Rafalski
Situation: The Blues have been the doormat team of the FNHL for some time. The current GM seems intent on bringing them up from the ashes, he will have his work cut out for him. The Blues will have alot of problems on defence if most of their defencemen retire or walk away. Currently the Blues top 3 defenceman are 38 years old and are overpriced and will probably retire. This departure of defenceman will leave the Blues with alot of capspace and perhaps they will use it to look for help elsewhere. Let's hope.
Vancouver
UFAs: D Scott Neidermayer
Situation: With the emergence of young defencemen Cam Barker and Jack Johnson, the Canucks will probably let Neidermayer walk unless he signs a more affordable deal. At the age of 38, Neidermayer is more than expected to retire thus freeing up some valuable cap space the Canucks can use to resign restricted free agent Rich Nash.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
A Rookie's Perspective
As my first full season of the FNHL draws near to an end and unfortunately my team was nowhere near playoff contention I am very pleased to give the league an annual report card on what my experiences have been thus far. As a veteran of fantasy hockey leagues I must say this is by far the best league I have ever been apart of that I have not ran myself. To be honest, the level of participation put in by all GMs in the FNHL rivals my best ran league and sticking to my motto that the best part of a fantasy hockey league is the GM's then this league does take the cake. But back to the topic of grades, I am going grade this league based on areas that are crucial to having a successful fantasy hockey league. These areas include GM Participation, Commissioner Participation, League Website, League History and Team Balance.
Lets begin!
GM Participation - Grade: A-
With 15 out of the 30 GMs netting half or more than half of their GM points for the season that shows a great amount of participation with such a large league (30 teams). With 4 of the GMs netting their full GM points and 2 others only missing a point or 2 this league is in great shape. GM participation is truly contageous and if those 6 GMs all of a sudden died off, the FNHL would quickly become a ghost town. You can never expect all 30 GMs to be fully "on board" but in my experience with the league thus far even the quiet GMs will still respond to email and that is a good sign.
The reason I gave the GM participation grade a lower "A" grade is that close to a third of the GM's have under 1/5 of the total GM participation points that they could of had.
The whole system of GM participation points is a great air-tight way of showing who is up for the task as a FNHL GM but I do believe a slight tweak in adding points for trades could go a long way, especially for GM's who do not like writing articles but love to be an active FNHL GM. My example would be Toronto's John van Teunenbroek. He basically got his near league worse 26 points by sending in lines. There was barely a week that didn't go by without him sending in lines which shows great participation but his points do not reflect it. If he were to gain 5 points for ever trade he had made, he would have garnered another 40 points this season. That would give him a decent 66 points for the season.
Overall I am very impressed by the amount of league participation being put forth by all GMs. It is very special when you have this many dedicated GMs.
Commissioner Participation - Grade: A
The heart of any league is it's GMs, the brains of any league is it's commissioner. Just like the body, without a good brain, the heart will slowly die and without a good heart the brain will die. I must commend Dave and his relentless simming and his excellent communication skills. Whenever there is active conversation in the league he always takes the neutral side of things and puts a calming approach to the the conversation, this is what a great commissioner will do. He must always be the voice of reason and so far Dave has shown this thru and thru.
Dave is always open to new ideas to make his league better and that is a great quality to have especially in a league so large. A league with a closed minded commissioner will NEVER survive as things will become a dictatorship and there aren't too many GMs out there that will put up with that.
Sometimes it almost seems as though Dave isn't even a commissioner. You couldn't ask for anymore than that as a GM.
Overall this league will continue to be successful as long as Dave Broche is at the helm.
League Website - Grade: C
This is the lowest grade of my report card and it's not because I am criticizing the work that our great commissioner has done but moreso that I am very picky with web etiquette. With the history that this league has built up over the years this website deserves to show that off and display all the stats that have accumulated throughout the years. I have already approached Dave about the website and as usual he was very open to the idea of a new website concept. Once I get more time I will be finishing the concept I had created and together we will bring this grade up a notch or two.
By no means is the league site the worse I have ever saw, I just believe that it deserves more for the league that it is. To be honest when I first signed up I didn't give the league high hopes because I wasn't sure what the league had. Well after I got to know the GMs and the commissioner I was absolutely shocked. We just have to put more effort in displaying our history and our GM participation.
Overall the league website does the job but could be given an overhaul and this is one area in which I have expertise and will be moving forward on.
League History - Grade: A-
Wow is all I can say about the history of the FNHL. With over half of the GMs being here since day 1 the history that surrounds this league is phenomenal. Currently sitting in season 10 and all previous seasons stats still readily available complete with draft lists and such, it really brings the feeling of being apart of something bigger than your own team. When I inherited my Bruins I quickly jumped over to the seasons past to see what former players I had and how they did. Who did the Bruins draft.. etc etc. This is amazing as now I feel like I inherited a franchise that needed a new direction and can look back on some of the greatness that it once had.
A league that has only played a couple of seasons does not have the same nostalgia that a league that has survived 10 seasons have. Being only apart of this league for one season has already given me great pride that I was able to join something so great.
Overall I would have given the league's history an A+ but I don't believe we are displaying it the way we should and again I will be working together with the commissioner on fixing that.
Team Balance - Grade: B
What I mean by team balance is the talent gap that exists between the worse team and the best team and how hard it would be to narrow that gap. It is a well known fact that a team with little talent or future talent is a reflection of the work put into it by the GM. When a GM is either not cut out for his job or is just downright no good as his job, his team will suffer. I do find a pretty big gap between the heavy hitters of the league and the bottom feeders. This gap is mostly due to the terrific job done by the heavy hitters and the horrible job (or lack thereof) by the bottom feeders. A gap is fine, but how hard is it to narrow that gap?
In the FNHL the talent turnover seems to be mostly done through smart trading and not with free agency so any new GM taking over a bottom feeding team must keep that in mind. Mind you being a rookie I haven't been apart of the free agency period so I cannot definitively say that but I can say that through a season of observation. That being said if a team has no valuable talent to trade and any draft picks, that GM will be in for a long challenging build. This is why I give team balance a grade of "B". It is not necessarily a bad thing to have the systems we do as it it most mimics a real sports league but for new GM's coming in, it could be very frustrating if they are expecting a quick turnover. I will be the first to say that I took over a decent team in the Bruins but I know with all the systems in place (salary cap, slow player development and shallow drafts) I have to be in it for the long haul.
Overall this league is not a beginner GM league. It is definitely meant for someone who has prior FHL simulator league experience. That being said, the help from fellow GMs is absolutely amazing in this league so whenever a new GM with the right attitude comes to the league they will find themselves enjoying the challenge and still enjoy the league even if their team isn't playoff bound.
Conclusion
In conclusion I have immensely enjoyed my first season as an FNHL GM. Honestly, I had come out of "retirement" from fantasy hockey leagues hoping to have a couple of months of enjoyment before A) the league folded or B) I would quit. But after 5 months of being apart of this great league I am now dedicated as much as I was when I was a commissioner, and for that I am thankful to Prez Broche and the amazing GM's that make up this fantastic league. I always ran my own leagues because I could never stand being just a GM because of the idiocies of the commissioner, in the FNHL I am fully content just being one of the GMs as the league is in more than good hands.
So here is to next season and the fun that it will bring because as far as I am concerned, the Boston Bruins have hired their final GM. This guy is in it for the long haul and will continue to be one of the most active GMs this league has ever seen.
Jeff Nagle
Boston Bruins GM
Lets begin!
GM Participation - Grade: A-
With 15 out of the 30 GMs netting half or more than half of their GM points for the season that shows a great amount of participation with such a large league (30 teams). With 4 of the GMs netting their full GM points and 2 others only missing a point or 2 this league is in great shape. GM participation is truly contageous and if those 6 GMs all of a sudden died off, the FNHL would quickly become a ghost town. You can never expect all 30 GMs to be fully "on board" but in my experience with the league thus far even the quiet GMs will still respond to email and that is a good sign.
The reason I gave the GM participation grade a lower "A" grade is that close to a third of the GM's have under 1/5 of the total GM participation points that they could of had.
The whole system of GM participation points is a great air-tight way of showing who is up for the task as a FNHL GM but I do believe a slight tweak in adding points for trades could go a long way, especially for GM's who do not like writing articles but love to be an active FNHL GM. My example would be Toronto's John van Teunenbroek. He basically got his near league worse 26 points by sending in lines. There was barely a week that didn't go by without him sending in lines which shows great participation but his points do not reflect it. If he were to gain 5 points for ever trade he had made, he would have garnered another 40 points this season. That would give him a decent 66 points for the season.
Overall I am very impressed by the amount of league participation being put forth by all GMs. It is very special when you have this many dedicated GMs.
Commissioner Participation - Grade: A
The heart of any league is it's GMs, the brains of any league is it's commissioner. Just like the body, without a good brain, the heart will slowly die and without a good heart the brain will die. I must commend Dave and his relentless simming and his excellent communication skills. Whenever there is active conversation in the league he always takes the neutral side of things and puts a calming approach to the the conversation, this is what a great commissioner will do. He must always be the voice of reason and so far Dave has shown this thru and thru.
Dave is always open to new ideas to make his league better and that is a great quality to have especially in a league so large. A league with a closed minded commissioner will NEVER survive as things will become a dictatorship and there aren't too many GMs out there that will put up with that.
Sometimes it almost seems as though Dave isn't even a commissioner. You couldn't ask for anymore than that as a GM.
Overall this league will continue to be successful as long as Dave Broche is at the helm.
League Website - Grade: C
This is the lowest grade of my report card and it's not because I am criticizing the work that our great commissioner has done but moreso that I am very picky with web etiquette. With the history that this league has built up over the years this website deserves to show that off and display all the stats that have accumulated throughout the years. I have already approached Dave about the website and as usual he was very open to the idea of a new website concept. Once I get more time I will be finishing the concept I had created and together we will bring this grade up a notch or two.
By no means is the league site the worse I have ever saw, I just believe that it deserves more for the league that it is. To be honest when I first signed up I didn't give the league high hopes because I wasn't sure what the league had. Well after I got to know the GMs and the commissioner I was absolutely shocked. We just have to put more effort in displaying our history and our GM participation.
Overall the league website does the job but could be given an overhaul and this is one area in which I have expertise and will be moving forward on.
League History - Grade: A-
Wow is all I can say about the history of the FNHL. With over half of the GMs being here since day 1 the history that surrounds this league is phenomenal. Currently sitting in season 10 and all previous seasons stats still readily available complete with draft lists and such, it really brings the feeling of being apart of something bigger than your own team. When I inherited my Bruins I quickly jumped over to the seasons past to see what former players I had and how they did. Who did the Bruins draft.. etc etc. This is amazing as now I feel like I inherited a franchise that needed a new direction and can look back on some of the greatness that it once had.
A league that has only played a couple of seasons does not have the same nostalgia that a league that has survived 10 seasons have. Being only apart of this league for one season has already given me great pride that I was able to join something so great.
Overall I would have given the league's history an A+ but I don't believe we are displaying it the way we should and again I will be working together with the commissioner on fixing that.
Team Balance - Grade: B
What I mean by team balance is the talent gap that exists between the worse team and the best team and how hard it would be to narrow that gap. It is a well known fact that a team with little talent or future talent is a reflection of the work put into it by the GM. When a GM is either not cut out for his job or is just downright no good as his job, his team will suffer. I do find a pretty big gap between the heavy hitters of the league and the bottom feeders. This gap is mostly due to the terrific job done by the heavy hitters and the horrible job (or lack thereof) by the bottom feeders. A gap is fine, but how hard is it to narrow that gap?
In the FNHL the talent turnover seems to be mostly done through smart trading and not with free agency so any new GM taking over a bottom feeding team must keep that in mind. Mind you being a rookie I haven't been apart of the free agency period so I cannot definitively say that but I can say that through a season of observation. That being said if a team has no valuable talent to trade and any draft picks, that GM will be in for a long challenging build. This is why I give team balance a grade of "B". It is not necessarily a bad thing to have the systems we do as it it most mimics a real sports league but for new GM's coming in, it could be very frustrating if they are expecting a quick turnover. I will be the first to say that I took over a decent team in the Bruins but I know with all the systems in place (salary cap, slow player development and shallow drafts) I have to be in it for the long haul.
Overall this league is not a beginner GM league. It is definitely meant for someone who has prior FHL simulator league experience. That being said, the help from fellow GMs is absolutely amazing in this league so whenever a new GM with the right attitude comes to the league they will find themselves enjoying the challenge and still enjoy the league even if their team isn't playoff bound.
Conclusion
In conclusion I have immensely enjoyed my first season as an FNHL GM. Honestly, I had come out of "retirement" from fantasy hockey leagues hoping to have a couple of months of enjoyment before A) the league folded or B) I would quit. But after 5 months of being apart of this great league I am now dedicated as much as I was when I was a commissioner, and for that I am thankful to Prez Broche and the amazing GM's that make up this fantastic league. I always ran my own leagues because I could never stand being just a GM because of the idiocies of the commissioner, in the FNHL I am fully content just being one of the GMs as the league is in more than good hands.
So here is to next season and the fun that it will bring because as far as I am concerned, the Boston Bruins have hired their final GM. This guy is in it for the long haul and will continue to be one of the most active GMs this league has ever seen.
Jeff Nagle
Boston Bruins GM
Monday, March 10, 2008
One Wild Line
The fans of Minnesota are gifted with one of the top lines of the FNHL, make that "THE" top line of the FNHL. Patrick Elias, Marian Gaborik and Ales Hemsky make up the PAM line and boy do they make opposition teams slid off the frying pan!With a combined point total of 113 and the top two league scorers in Gaborik and Elias the deadly trio make Minnesota one of the hardest teams to play against. It is one thing to shut down one player on an opposing team but to shut down an entire line of superstars hell bent on lighting the lamp, well you better bring your "A" game.
To put things into perspective each player is on pace to score 42 goals each this season. Has any other top line in the history of the FNHL ever score 40 or more goals each? I'll bet you can't think of it every happening before and it is because it hasn't. The Chicago Blackhawks in 2003 came close with Eric Daze (46), Theo Fleury (42) and Steve Sullivan (38) and again the Hawks in 2009 had Daze with 46 goals, Marian Hossa with 41 and Oli Jokinen with 30.
With a killer game deciding line like this in the FNHL it is no wonder why the Wild are considered strong favorites for the FNHL championship. As long as their three pistons keep firing, their engine will race pretty fast to the finish line with ease.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Bruins GM Multiplies
Boston (AP) - On Monday morning March 3rd, Bruins GM Jeff Nagle got his very own little prospect as he and his wife had a bouncing baby boy. Chase Nagle was welcomed into the world at 9am and weighed an impressive 9lbs 2oz. Both baby and mother are doing great.
"It was an awesome experience, definitely something I have never experienced before. He is a great kid so far and both me and my wife are thrilled with having him." said the GM.
Sleepless nights are going to be had for the rookie parent but don't expect that to hinder the GM's professional side of things. "I will be on alot of caffeine over the next few weeks. I expect I will resume my full duties as GM of the club next week. We have alot of adjustments to make but once we get in a routine, everything will be fine." added the GM.
"I was very touched by all the well wishes from the other GMs. Alot of them have experienced this and wanted to pass on their delight."
"It was an awesome experience, definitely something I have never experienced before. He is a great kid so far and both me and my wife are thrilled with having him." said the GM.
Sleepless nights are going to be had for the rookie parent but don't expect that to hinder the GM's professional side of things. "I will be on alot of caffeine over the next few weeks. I expect I will resume my full duties as GM of the club next week. We have alot of adjustments to make but once we get in a routine, everything will be fine." added the GM.
"I was very touched by all the well wishes from the other GMs. Alot of them have experienced this and wanted to pass on their delight."
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