The North Bay Skyhawks took a big gamble at Saturday’s deadline by acquiring Jack Squat.
Jack Squat, as in, brother of Diddly Squat. Nothing.
(Actually, they got forward Alex Valenti for defenceman Andrew Glasser, but that deal was done a few days earlier).
When the puck drops in Garson Wednesday — and for the next month or more — the Skyhawks will be able to dress 16 skaters, two short of the maximum for each game.
The junior ‘A’ club has 18 skaters to choose from, but defenceman Brad Norkum will be out with an injury for at least a few more weeks. And junior ‘A’ teams are limited to dressing nine 20-year-old players in any game. The Skyhawks have 10, so one of the 1988-born players must sit out each game.
So by getting stuck with Jack Squat after Saturday’s deadline, 16 skaters could be the best-case scenario for the Skyhawks for the foreseeable future.
Ouch.
If the team is able to survive injury-free and suspension-free (good luck to that with the way some officials dish out instigator infractions), the Skyhawks will still be two men short every game.
They are now basically a three-line team, with maybe 10 forwards each game — one of the forwards, such as Scott Britton, could be used to fill in on defence.
There are only five true defencemen (Kyle Radigan, Marcel Konopelky, Nathan Vail, MacKenzie Koopmans and Nick Laporte) and three of those guys are counted on to throw down the mitts every now and then.
But there might be a benefit to a shorter bench. For the forwards, going with three lines presents an opportunity. More icetime.
And this forward crew is a pretty worthy bunch. It’s not like there will be “fourth-liners” filling in on one of the top three lines. Every forward on the roster has shown an ability to play on the top two lines. (Two lines is perfect for men’s league, but this isn’t men’s league).
With more icetime to go around for quality players, there is more opportunity for production — good players don’t have to sit on the bench watching fourth-line pluggers take up icetime.
But not having extra players available on a fourth line can hurt. Not every player is on top of his game every night, and often, those “hungry” fourth-liners can push everyone else by playing hard, working for more icetime.
When the injuries or suspensions do arise, sometimes those fourth-liners are “due” and are ready to step up and break out.
Even though it’s a defenceman that is most required, having forward Kyle Tront return to the team would be a bonus — it would also create more competition for icetime and keep the forwards hungry.
But until Norkum rejoins the blueline, or an unsigned player appears before Feb. 10, the team is short-handed.
• • •
One thing that could work in the Skyhawks’ favour — the Great North Midget League season ends earlier this season, so that the league can supply players to the OHL Cup showcase. The midget regular season ends Feb. 8, in just more than three weeks.
Chances are, the New Liskeard Cubs’ season will be over by the third week of February, and players from that team would be available as affiliates to help fill out the Skyhawks’ roster if needed. The Cubs’ Nick Robidas and Tyler Miller provided some energy during a recent game and sometimes that’s all that’s needed.
The midget North Bay Trappers’ season could be over the same weekend too, but, you know, having North Bay midget players join the North Bay junior ‘A’ team when the season ends just makes too much sense.
• • •
The Skyhawks’ stated intention heading into this season was to put together a championship-calibre team that could go out with a bang by winning a league title and leaving North Bay hockey fans with a taste of winning hockey in what could possibly be the club’s last season.
So far, the Skyhawks have made good on their promise, putting together a first-place team with loads of talent. But bowing out at the deadline without acquiring a much-needed defenceman is the first real misstep this season.
And it won’t be the Skyhawks’ final season at Memorial Gardens, as it turns out.
One of these weeks, representatives from the Skyhawks and the new Nipissing University hockey club will gather local media to discuss the deal that has been worked out for both teams to co-exist at Memorial Gardens, beginning next season.
Which should mean more improvements to the arena in the form of a new dressing room.
I wonder if Wednesday’s game in Garson will have more or less than the 84 warm bodies that showed up for the last game vs the Beavers.
I would hope so Armand
keep in mind that game was in the Soo.
would have drawn similar attendance anywhere, except maybe abitibi, and the bay ( but only due to being fairly close to suds). 100 people would be pretty good at any neutral site, I would think.
Jack Squat use to play for the Cubs I thinks. Say speaking of Sudbury fans, I think the best dirty water hotdogs are at the wolves games. I like them so much that one time I had a few too many pops and ordered twelve of em! I don’t know why I ordered twelve, cause I only ate 2 of them with mustard and onions. But the best is the italian sausage from the cart outside the rink! Tasty! I seen my buddies gobble a lot of weiners and sausage in there time, but when we go to sudbury, we eat more weiner and suasage than usual. I guess it is like they say, when in Rome, do as the Romans. While we are talking about Romans, big shout out to my buddy, Olivier Klosov. I though of him cause he always use to say he was a “continental lover – russian hands and roman fingers!” and we would laugh and have a beer. Good times my friends, good times!
Off topic but mention food in Suds and I can’t help but have fond memories of those popcorn cart guys who used to be on a couple of downtown corners. Freshly popped popcorn in a little brown bag with a few shots of butter – man that was tasty. Don’t know whatever became of those guys but it was a treat when they were there. These days I settle for Deluxe Drive-In’s chicken in a basket – love the sauce & fries. Ok, now back to hockey…..
They might have some affiliates in the lineup by playoff time, but . . . when was the last time any team won a championship with 16 skaters?
First time for everything Pagz, maybe this is that year
No doubt 16 solid skaters, but a little risky counting on everyone staying in the lineup . . .
i hear ya
can still sing fee agents for a month
Carlson was a good one
was Villeneuve not one as well? or was he a last minute trade?
Ole Ole: sorry I can’t resist…. you just said “I seen my buddies gobble a lot of weiners and sausage in there time, but when we go to sudbury, we eat more weiner and suasage than usual.”
You just said you and your buddies like the sausage!!! Lol hahahaha
Well according to the nugget Swazz said they had the wool pulled over their eyes on a couple players by some western teams with big money… I do believe they were going after some big name players… would really like to know who was supposed to be coming.. probably not enough time after that before the deadline to make a move worth taking… there should be some decent O, W or Q players that were dropped at the deadline and are free agents… not game breaker types but good role players I would assume
There were a couple of really good player movements in the BCHL and the AJHL so I am sure one or two of those top guys were looking like they were coming to NB… but that is hockey
Motley,
Carlson came a few days after the deadline in 2005. Austin Rugal about three weeks after the deadline in 2006. Villeneuve was signed after the deadline last year.
Carlson was a classic — one night, I rushed to the Beer Store on Cassels a few minutes after the game to beat the 10 p.m. close. Carlson was already there, he just got off the ice 10 minutes earlier. Must have had a good billet.
Skyscraper,
Ole Ole’s favourite sausage is Italian, although he doesn’t mind Polish.
Carlson’s billet was one of a kind as well, the experience was so positive with Carlson that the billet experience would start and stop with him, couldn;t get better , and why risk a bad experience
was a great move
and yes there we go 3 quality players, so perhaps a quality D can be found, its harder of course, but someone has to piss off their coach and GM between now and then
ole and skraper
considering a couple blocks over that consumption is done , for a living…,
check out former cent brett angel on hockeyfights dot com, multimedia section, old time end to end rush, and dumo in , chace and run the goalie playing the puck , and kicks the guys A$$ comming in to defend. 10 fights in that game alone, all are there.
big brawl, yee haw
Hey Motley,
Awesome letter in the Nugget. Posted in its entirety on-line, different procedures for the print edition (As Ray from Trailer Park Boys says, “that’s the way she goes.”)
Lookin forward to my next Sab concert “Mama let that boy play some rock and roll . . .”
6-7 of feb at the voy
thanks sir, rock on
haha
“Randy…, I Am the liquor”
(mr. lahey)
Piss jugs all frozw up with this weather. Makes fur a good game of piss jug curling when I am out at the shack fishin with Olivier, The Beav, Monzi, and Don Kebals!
Piss jug curling sounds like a great ideeer.
should have a celeb bonspiel, call that sh#tshow a celeb “sh$tspiel”, feating the Sab sh$tstorm, media sh$theads, some sh#thawks, and some of our local curling and hockey greats, they could be known as local sh$t puppets.
Don’t forget the liquor, and the Dressed All Over and Zesty Mordant Chips
Here’s $2.37, go pick me up some Ja-lapp-inn-o chips
The story that never dies – apparently Nick Kypreos said on am590 the fan that if NB council ever decided to build a new arena here he would be willing to lead a group to return the city to the O. Its a nice thought but basically just wishful thinking because a new arena here is many years if not decades away. The business case for a team here has both pros and cons but I always wonder why it is that places smaller than NB like Owen Sound, Belleville, Rouyn and Val D’Or can do it and we can’t.
Poor taste of a title for the artcile Ken! Classless or typical either way you look at it..
David
wow someone needs to lighten up
Just finished my lunch of Fifty with some bread heels and bacon grease, and seen daveyboy’s post. I ain’t the sharpest knife in the tool box, but I don’t get what he means by the title being classless and in poor taste? Is there an other meaning for Jack Squat or something? I thought it means nothing? Skyhawks took a chance by not bringing anyone in?
The Great one’s view on scraps/ heads hitting the ice;
”If you throw a guy down (in a fight), it should be an extra penalty,” said Gretzky. ”If you try to trip a guy during a fight, it should be an extra penalty. If its worse, than it should be reviewed by (NHL disciplinarian) Colin Campbell. That way it will make two guys stand up and actually fight.”
”That’s tough to do,” Coyotes head coach Wayne Gretzky said when asked if players should still be able to voluntarily take their helmet off. ”My old helmet I could get off pretty quickly,” he joked. ”It’s something we’ll debate forever and fighting is always going to be a part of the National Hockey League. It’s not going to go away.”
I like his idea, myself
first view of OHL new rule , hockeyfights dot com, multimedia, Akim Aliu vs Kyle Clifford
So the city will spend $1.1M on a new roof and dressing room at the Gardens – this after a pile of dough was spent on the walls. Reminds me of what was said in the U.S. election campaign – “you can put lipstick on a pig but in the end, its still a pig”.
Who gets the new room?, nip i would guess?
$600 000,…. full stocked bar, topless waitress, and some friggin root beers come with that price?