Up Close and Personal With Dan Rosen of NHL.com

This week NHL Digest was honored to have interviewed hockey journalist, Dan Rosen, from NHL.com.  Dan grew up in Northern New Jersey and studied journalism at the University of Arizona.  He worked at various papers as journalist for 7 years prior to joining the NHL last October.  Please enjoy getting to know the man behind the keyboard at NHL.com!

Do you think Sundin has a shot at winning a Stanley Cup with the Canucks? And, how do you think the Canucks feel about being Sundin’s second choice to the Rangers?

I’ll actually answer the second part first. I don’t think the Canucks feel much, if anything in regards to that because it has never been stated as a fact that Sundin did in fact favor the Rangers over them. I know it can be construed that way because Sundin didn’t immediately take a huge sum of money from Vancouver on July 1 and that he waited and waited and waited to find out what the Rangers plans were going to be to acquire him. Believe me, I see that side of the argument. However, why would the players on the Canucks care? They have him now and they know Sundin wouldn’t be there if his heart wasn’t in it.

In a way, he has a lot to prove, which leads to the first part of your question. Yes, I think he has a shot at winning the Cup with the Canucks. You always have a shot if Roberto Luongo is your goalie. That being said, I can’t sit here today and tell you that he will win the Cup with Vancouver. I still think the Red Wings are the favorite. I mean, how can they not be? I do think Vancouver is better off with Sundin than without him, which of course means he has a shot.

Did the Dallas Stars do the right thing by ridding themselves of Sean Avery? And, do you think Sean Avery will ever play in the National Hockey League again?

The answer to both questions is yes. For one, I think it was pretty obvious that Avery had a negative influence on the players in that dressing room. You have some established vets in there like Mike Modano, Brenden Morrow, Stephane Robidas, Brad Richards, Sergei Zubov, Marty Turco, Jere Lehtinen and Mike Ribiero. They didn’t need or want the sideshow that Avery brings wherever he goes. So, by taking Avery out of the mix, the Stars can now become a close knit group again. It’s showing. They beat Toronto, 8-2, in their last game before Christmas. Prior to the holiday, they had gone four straight without losing in regulation. I see it turning around there.

And, secondly, yes I do think Avery will find his way back into the League, probably next year provided the Stars can figure out what to do with his contract. I do not think he will play in Dallas and it will have to be a team in need of a jolt or a spark. I’m thinking Columbus, Atlanta, the New York Islanders, if you can believe that, or perhaps the Colorado Avalanche. I can’t say for sure this will happen. I do wonder if and when he comes back if he will put on the good boy behavior or will he be the same Sean. If he toes the line, I’m fine with that. Bad boys can be good for the game, too. If he jumps over the line, he needs to be disciplined. There’s no place in the sport for that.

What is your opinion of Sidney Crosby’s “low blows” on Boris Valabik of the Atlanta Thrashers? Do you think he should be punished by the league?

Tough question. Is it heat of the moment, wailing away with no disregard? Or, was it pre-meditated? I’m going to have to say it was heat of the moment and Crosby was wailing away with no disregard, but that doesn’t make it any better. There are certain body parts that should be, um, off limits. I think we know that is one of them. Every guy can attest to that. Every girl should attest to that or guys should run away from them. I don’t think Crosby should be punished by the League for the infraction, but I do agree with the roughing penalty. He was the third guy in to the melee. I don’t like it. It hurts to watch it. But, is it finable or suspendable? I’m not too sure about that.

Who do you think is the favorite to win the Calder trophy in 2008-2009?

Derick Brassard was at or near the top of my list for most of the season until now. Poor guy dislocated his shoulder in a fight with James Neal of Dallas and will be out for the year. Why was he fighting? I don’t know. However, I don’t see how you can overlook Drew Doughty in Los Angeles. Aren’t defenseman supposed to be late bloomers? Aren’t they supposed to take a while to develop? Doughty looks like he’s been in the League for five years already. He’s the Kings’ ice time leader by more than a minute. I mean, that’s unbelievable. It’s incredible. He’s been excellent despite being thrown right into the fire. I think Doughty is the guy to watch from here on out, but of course don’t take your eyes off of Columbus goalie Steve Mason either. He may struggle because of the Jackets’ defense, but Mason is the real deal.

Growing up in Northern New Jersey, have you always been a hockey fan?

Absolutely. My first hockey game I ever went to was on Feb. 28, 1988, the day before my 10th birthday, at what was then called Brendan Byrne Arena and later re-named Continental Airlines Arena. The New Jersey Devils beat the Minnesota North Stars, 8-6. It was my birthday party and it was awesome. I was already a Devils fan at the time, but after going to that game I was hooked. I went to Game 6 of the 1988 Patrick Division Semifinals at the Byrne Arena with my dad to see the Devils win the series over the Islanders with a 6-5 victory. Again, it was amazing. I remember seeing Wayne Gretzky come to town with the Los Angeles Kings. I also remember screaming a profanity his way - I was maybe 12 or 13 years old - and my mom told me to sit down and shut up. Of course, she said it in a motherly, very nice way. I grew up a Devils fan and I still root for them, but it’s a little different working in this field now. The good thing is that in my office we have a great group of hockey guys, some of which are Flyers’ fans. That sparks up a good rivalry between the Devils fans and the Flyers fans. It brings the passion for my team back. It’s great stuff.

Of all of the hockey articles you have written, which one(s) has been your favorite?

I may think I have written a lot, but then I look at guys like John Dellapina, who used to cover the Rangers for the New York Daily News and now works for the NHL as the media relations director, and Tom Gulitti of The Record (Hackensack, NJ) and I think I have a long way to go. I’ve gotten to know guys like Pierre Lebrun, Scott Burnside, Jim Matheson, Mark Spector, Dave Stubbs, etc. Those guys have done way more than me. I’m only 30 years old. I’ve got a long way to go.

However, to answer your question, I’d have to say I have a few favorites. The first article I ever wrote relating to the NHL was back in the 2002-03 season when I was still at The Record and I filled in for Tom Gulitti on a Devils’ practice. I wrote about Scott Gomez and the sports editor at the time liked it enough to give me a few more shots filling in for Tom. I ended up covering the Devils’ entire run to the 2003 Stanley Cup championship alongside Tom, traveling to Boston, Tampa, Ottawa and Anaheim. It was an incredible experience. Two more of my favorites came last season when I wrote about Alex Ovechkin, who is presently my favorite professional athlete. I wrote about Ovechkin using his late brother, Sergei, as his inspiration to get to the NHL. I also wrote about Ovechkin the day before he made his playoff debut. I was at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex for practice that Thursday morning and Alex was the first guy on the ice, taking a twirl and shooting the puck into the boards because the goals weren’t even out yet. The Zamboni was still on the ice. He was so restless. He was so ready. Those are some of my favorites, but of course covering the Winter Classic and Stanley Cup Final last year was amazing, too.

As a journalist, what are your thoughts on Bloggers being awarded press credentials?

It’s a really tough call because sometimes bloggers can do everything they do from their own couch. Sometimes there is simply no need for them to be in the locker room. It’s a muddy area, though. If a blogger is reporting the news and has established a business for himself or herself in doing so, then I think he or she has the right to be there. They have to show proof of that, though. They have to show that they aren’t just there to slam on the coach or a few players, or they aren’t just there to play favorites. That’s just not journalism, at least not good journalism, and it ruins it for us real journalists.
The Rangers credential Dubi Silverstein of Blueshirt Bulletin. I know Dubi well and he’s a great guy. What’s great about Dubi is he’s objective even though the Rangers are clearly his favorite team, and he also puts out a newsletter for fans every month. So, while he may just be blogging off the games, he is contributing in another way, too.

If a blogger is going to enhance the coverage of the team and the sport like Dubi, I’m all for it. However, that blogger has to show proof of legitimate journalism.

Do you use social media to interact with hockey fans and/or get ideas for columns?

I get e-mails all the time and I always make it a point to respond unless the e-mailer has some nasty things to say about me. That has happened on more than one occasion, believe me. So, I talk to fans via e-mail and we also have a social interacting web-site on NHL.com called NHL Connect. It’s a place for fans to talk via their own blogs. I have a blog on NHL Connect as well. Hey, I’m a fan, right? I’m not on Connect all the time, but I certainly check it out and can get pertinent information or story ideas from it. Nobody knows more about their team than the fans. They are the ones that are intimately involved with their favorite club. I need to be listening to them considering I write for them. They are my audience.

Who is your favorite hockey player of all time and why?

The guys I work with would say it’s Ovechkin, but he’s not quite there yet. He’s  close, but I’d still have to say it’s Scott Stevens for how he played the game and respected the game. If you know the story of Stevens, you know that he was a hot shot youngster with the Washington Capitals who liked to pile up the points without caring too much about how many penalty minutes came with them.

He learned over time that is not the way he was going to last a long time in this League, so when he got to New Jersey he changed with the system and became arguably the best, if not one of the best, shutdown, physical blue-liners in the history of the game. I loved his tenacity. I loved his physicality. I will always remember him crushing Slava Kozlov and then warning Dino Ciccarelli, “You’re next.” People will say his hits weren’t legal. They were. They were just really hard and really good. Eric Lindros knows.

If you could sit down for dinner and talk hockey with anyone, who would it be and why?

It wouldn’t be a player, a coach, or a manager. I would want to sit down with Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick and talk puck over a good meal. To me, there is nobody in the game with a better knowledge of its history. He’s basically an encyclopedia for names, dates, goals, games, championships, etc. I have talked hockey with Doc before, but not to the extent I would like to. He is one of the nicest men in the business and always willing to share stories. He’s seen so much from the broadcaster’s booth so to me there is no better brain to pick than his. Of course, if I wanted to talk strategy I would have said Gretzky or Scotty Bowman or Bobby Orr. I don’t want to talk strategy. I want to talk about the game, the stories within the game, the history of the game, the current state of the game, etc. Doc’s my man, plus I get to listen to his voice and that’s pretty darn cool, too.

I would personally like to thank Dan Rosen and NHL.com for thier cooperation in with this interview.  Please check out Dan’s blog on NHL Connect and his feature columns on NHL.com.

Crosby Not As Perfect As You Thought

Shane Giroux submits:

I’ve been shocked once already this offseason. Then shocked again after hearing about Forsberg skating in Sweden (because there was no “He’s injured!” followup story). I fully expect the trifecta of shockingness to come into play at some point, but today is not that day.

Sid The Kid Vs. Burnaby Joe

The National Post is running an article titled “Sidney Or Sakic: Who’s More Likeable?” and the results are as un-shocking as they get. Joe Sakic had a “Q score” of 26 while Sid the Kid fell behind with a 22. Poor Sid, for all the hype and marketing - and his 3 full seasons in the NHL -, is less likable than one of the quietest players to ever play the game. Who knew?

Honestly, I didn’t need a survey to tell me that people would think more highly of Joe Sakic than Sidney Crosby. Crosby came into the league as a whining 18-year old, was given an “A” in that same year, had the captaincy foisted upon him at the age of 20 - to which they called a press conference to announce -, and has been anointed as the next Great One since he was a young teenager. In other words, he’s been shoved in our faces. Contrast that with a man such as Joe Sakic, who has quietly gone about his business and proven himself a winner at every level and you might get an idea why Sakic is more likable.

Is There Such Thing As Over-Marketing?

Now, I have nothing against Crosby. The problem is that he was so darn good at a time when the league - and the Penguins - needed it. Coming out of the lockout, they needed a face to market the game on. They needed a savior. An icon. Ok, I don’t actually believe that but nonetheless, many people - including the NHL and most of the mainstream media - did and they began shoving him down our throats. And nobody likes anything being shoved down their throat.

For a quick refresher on how the media treats their golden boy, look no further than the end of the National Post article:
“Crosby’s numbers should jump once he gets his first ring.”

Sigh. There is no guarantee that Sidney Crosby will ever win the Stanley Cup. He’s not guaranteed to win another Art Ross. He may never again win the Lester B. Pearson. But the way people talk, it’s as if he’s entitled to everything just because his name is Sidney Crosby.

See, it’s not so much that people dislike Crosby. It’s that they dislike the hype that goes along with his name.

Detroit Wins Stanley Cup!

Well…statistically speaking, the league might as well forgo the next games in the series and simply give Lord Stanley to the Red Wings right now.

After taking a 2-0 series lead following Monday night’s domination of the Penguins, the Red Wings have taken what history has shown to be an insurmountable lead in the Stanley Cup final series.

The Penguins now find themselves up against the slimmest of odds. In fact, the all-time championship series record of home clubs winning the first two games is 30-1. The 1970-71 Chicago Blackhawks were the only team to blow a 2-0 lead built at home, losing to Montreal in seven games.

If you want to catch one more hockey game this season you had better get tickets for either of Games 3 or 4.

Home Sweet Home

If there is any luck remaining for the Penguins in this playoff run, it is the fact that they are 8-0 at home during these playoffs. Heading to the familiar confines of Mellon arena may be just the spark that this team needs to get back on track and build some momentum.

Of course the officiating is always to blame. However, Coach Therrien’s claims are very shallow and seem to be what is amounting to a last-ditch effort to gain some sympathy calls in the next couple of games. I suppose you have to pull out all of the stops to win a Stanley Cup.

Here is a sampling of Therrien’s complaints:

“They’re good on obstruction. It’s going to be tough to generate offence if the rules remain the same.

“This is the first time we’re facing a team where the obstruction is there.”

Interestingly enough, Sidney Crosby isn’t finding fault with the officials.  Although, Crosby spends his fair share of time whining at the men in stripes, he’s turned in another direction after the loss in Game 2.

“To be honest, they’re not getting that many more chances than us,” said Crosby, who had six shots on goal Monday. “If they were skating down every time getting tons of chances, I’d be worried. But it’s the nature of the game. They’re capitalizing (on their chances) and we’re not.”

As Good As Osgood

Chris Osgood has been fantastic behind an equally fantastic Detroit defense. As much as Osgood’s two straight shutouts in the Stanley Cup final have impressed fans, the defensive system of the Red Wings has stifled the most potent of NHL offenses by allowing just 42 shots in two games.

Here is what coach Babcock had to say about the Red Wings’ stingy defensive system:

“It’s the Stanley Cup Final. It’s an opportunity of a lifetime. You gotta be jacked up to play, and it’s pretty evident who - Malkin is up for the MVP of the League. It’s evident that him and Crosby and Staal, and you can go through a lot of the forwards, are really talented people. So we have to shut those people down if we’re going to be successful.”

Brad Stuart, who played terrific in Game 2 was qwuick to praise his netminder. “A lot of credit has to go to Ossie,” Stuart told Hockey Night in Canada after the game. “He’s made some big saves, they easily could have had a couple goals in the first and second period.

The series can be summed up as follows:

• Osgood is on point and currently facing very few quality scoring opportunities.
• Niklas Kronwall is the best open ice hitter in the NHL next to Dion Phaneuf.
• The Red Wings have the best breakout and transition game in the league…period.
• Detroit gets secondary scoring in every single game - a key to their success.
• The Red Wings rarely retaliate and are much more disciplined than the Penguins.

Any other thoughts?  Feel free to share them in the comments!