The Forman Faceoff

Friday, December 31, 2021

2021 Hockey Reading List - Year In Review

My goal for 2021 was to read 60 hockey books (5 per month), a total that I ended up reaching in early October (I also crossed the 200 hockey book mark in the process). Here is a list of every hockey book (95) that I read in 2021 and each book listed below also has a corresponding score out of 10 based on how I enjoyed it. I then listed my top 10 hockey books of the year that I recommend to other hockey fans, hope you enjoy!

Breakdown:

List of Books Read:

1. Everyday Hockey Heroes, Volume II: More Inspiring Stories About Our Great Game (2020) - by Bob McKenzie & Jim Lang (320 pages) 10/10

2. So You Think You're a Philadelphia Flyers Fan? Stars, Stats, Records and Memories for True Diehards (2018) - by Skip Clayton (184 pages) 4/10

3. So You Think You're a Detroit Red Wings Fan? Stars, Stats, Records and Memories for True Diehards (2019) - by Pat Gass (242 pages) 4/10

4. Boy on Ice: The Life and Death of Derek Boogaard (2014) - by John Branch (384 pages) 10/10

5. In the Crease: Goaltenders Look at Life in the NHL (1996) - by Dick Irvin (386 pages) 9/10

6. The Montreal Canadiens: 100 Years of Glory (2009) - by D'Arcy Jenish (384 pages) 9/10

7. Coach: The Pat Burns Story (2013) - by Rosie DiManno (336 pages) 5/10

8. Hockey Superstitions: From Playoff Beards to Crossed Sticks and Lucky Socks (2010) - by Andrew Podnieks (192 pages) 7/10

9. Before the Lights Go Out: A Season Inside a Game on the Brink (2020) - by Sean Fitz-Gerald (304 pages) 7/10

10. The Greatest Game: The Montreal Canadiens, The Red Army, and the Night That Saved Hockey (2011) - by Todd Denault (368 pages) 10/10

11. The Leafs (2004) - by Jack Batten (308 pages) 7/10

12. All Roads Lead to Hockey: Reports from Northern Canada to the Mexican Border (2004) - by Bill Boyd (227 pages) 7/10

13. Hockey Towns: Stories of Small Town Hockey (1998) - by Bill Boyd (256 pages) 7/10

14. Hockey's Most Amazing Records: +125 More Jaw-Dropping All-Time Feats (2001) - by Edward Fraser (175 pages) 7/10

15. Ice Hockey A to Z (1978) - by Ira Gitler (157 pages) 7/10

16. The Jacques Plante Story (1972) - by Andy O'Brien (162 pages) 8/10

17. Six Shooter's: Hockey's Sutter Brothers (1990) - by Dean Spiros (226 pages) 9/10

18. Into the Empty Net: Tales of Big League Hockey (1997) - by Ross Brewitt (246 pages) 9/10

19. Teemu Selanne: My Life (2019) - by Teemu Selanne and Ari Mennander (336 pages) 8/10

20. Offside: My Life Crossing the Line (2017) - by Sean Avery (336 pages) 6/10

21. Fabric of the Game: The Stories Behind The NHL's Names, Logos, and Uniforms (2020) - by Chris Creamer and Todd Radom (280 pages) 10/10

22. Of Myths and Sticks: Hockey Facts, Fictions and Coincidences (2015) - by Kevin Gibson (160 pages) 7/10

23. Crossroads: My Story of Tragedy and Resilience as a Humboldt Bronco (2021) - by Kaleb Dahlgren (296 pages) 10/10

24. Mario (2002) - by Lawrence Martin (275 pages) 7/10

25. Toe Blake: Winning is Everything (2020) - by Paul Logothetis (288 pages) 8/10

26. Breakaway: Hockey and the Years Beyond (1995) - by Charles Wilkins (236 pages) 7/10

27. What's the Score? A One-of-a-Kind Compendium of Hockey Lore, Legend, History, Facts, Stats (2001) - by Liam Maguire (208 pages) 7/10

28. The Stanley Cup: One Hundred Years of Hockey at its Best (1992) - by D'Arcy Jenish (319 pages) 8/10

29. The Home Team: Fathers, Sons & Hockey (1995) - by Roy MacGregor (325 pages) 7/10

30. Thunder and Lightning: A No-B.S. Hockey Memoir (2003) - by Phil Esposito and Peter Golenbock (304 pages) 10/10

31. Hockey Night Fever: Mullets, Mayhem and the Game's Coming of Age in the 1970s (2015) - by Stephen Cole (416 pages) 7/10

32. Cracked Ice: An Insider's Look at the NHL in Turmoil (1995) - by Stan Fischler (239 pages) 8/10

33. Vancouver Canucks: Heartstopping Stories from Canada's Most Exciting Hockey Team (2004) - by Justin Beddall (144 pages) 5/10

34. Edmonton Oilers: Stories from the City of Champions (2004) - by Rich Mole (128 pages) 5/10

35. Calgary Flames: Fire on Ice (2004) - by Monte Stewart (128 pages) 5/10

36. Finding Murph: How Joe Murphy Went From Winning a Championship to Living Homeless in the Bush (2021) - by Rick Westhead (360 pages) 10/10

37. Road Games: A Year in the Life of the NHL (1994) - by Roy MacGregor (321 pages) 8/10

38. Bower: A Legendary Life (2018) - by Dan Robson (352 pages) 9/10

39. Roger's World: The Life and Unusual Times of Roger Neilson (2004) - by Wayne Scanlan (240 pages) 9/10

40. Hockey Addict's Guide to Los Angeles: Where to Eat, Drink and Play The Only Game That Matters (2019) - by Evan Gubernick (144 pages) 4/10

41. Sid vs. Ovi: Crosby and Ovechkin - Natural Born Rivals (2011) - by Andrew Podnieks (320 pages) 7/10

42. Pee Wees: Confessions of a Hockey Parent (2021) - by Rich Cohen (240 pages) 9/10

43. The Final Call: Hockey Stories from a Legend in Stripes (2011) - by Kerry Fraser (320 pages) 7/10

44. Willie: The Game-Changing Story of the NHL's First Black Player (2020) - by Willie O'Ree and Michael McKinley (256 pages) 10/10

45. Guy Lafleur: Hockey's #1 (1978) - by Claude Larochelle (251 pages) 7/10

46. Last Minute of Play: Tales of Grit and Glory (1993) - by Ross Brewitt (239 pages) 9/10

47. The Best of it Happened in Hockey (1998) - by Brian McFarlane (384 pages) 9/10

48. Bench Bosses: The NHL's Coaching Elite (2015) - by Matthew DiBiase (544 pages) 10/10

49. 101 Fascinating Hockey Facts (2019) - by Brian McFarlane (224 pages) 7/10

50. Hockey Dreams: Memories of a Man Who Couldn't Play (2018) by David Adams Richards (224 pages) 2/10

51. Eagelson: The Fall of a Hockey Czar (1993) - by William Houston and David Shoalts (238 pages) 7/10

52. Tropic of Hockey: My Search for the Game in Unlikely Places (2001) - by Dave Bidini (312 pages) 8/10

53. King of Russia: A Year in the Russian Super League (2008) - by Dave King and Eric Duhatschek (264 pages) 7/10

54. Quinn: The Life of a Hockey Legend (2016) - by Dan Robson (400 pages) 8/10

55. Travels with Stanley (2007) - by The Keepers of the Cup (168 pages) 5/10

56. True Hockey Stories - The Leafs (2008) - by Brian McFarlane (186 pages) 7/10

57. Warriors of Winter: Rhymes of a Blueline Balladeer (2009) - by Sheldon Kannegiesser (189 pages) 4/10

58. Cornered: Hijinks, Highlights, Late Nights and Insights (2012) - by Ron MacLean and Kirstie McLellan Day (336 pages) 7/10

59. Game Misconduct: Hockey's Toxic Culture and How to Fix It (2021) - by Evan F. Moore and Jashvina Shah (256 pages) 10/10

60. Of Ice and Men: The Craft of Hockey (1999) - by Bruce Dowbiggin (328 pages) 7/10

61. Patrick Roy: Winning. Nothing Else (2014) - by Michel Roy (528 pages) 9/10

62. Bobby Hull (1966) - by Jim Hunt (105 pages) 4/10

63. Gordie Howe Number 9 (1968) - by Jim Vipond (157 pages) 7/10

64. Dynamite on Ice: The Bobby Orr Story (1972) - by Hal Bock (224 pages) 7/10

65. The Good, the Bad & the Ugly: Heart-Pounding, Jaw-Dropping, and Gut-Wrenching Moments from Philadelphia Flyers History (2013) - by Adam Kimelman (352 pages) 7/10

66. Pro Hockey 68-69 (1968) - by Jim Proudfoot (160 pages) 5/10

67. The Lost Dream: The Story of Mike Danton, David Frost, and a Broken Canadian Family (2011) - by Steve Simmons (272 pages) 7/10

68. The Last Good Year: Seven Games That Ended an Era (2018) - by Damien Cox (288 pages) 7/10

69. Phil Esposito's Winning Hockey for Beginners (1976) - by Phil Esposito (160 pages) 6/10

70. Hockey 365, The Second Period: More Daily Stores from the Ice (2021) - by Mike Commito (416 pages) 7/10

71. McCown's Law: The 100 Greatest Hockey Arguments (2008) - by Bob McCown (352 pages) 7/10

72. Hockey Fight in Canada: The Big Media Faceoff over the NHL (2018) - by David Shoalts (224 pages) 6/10

73. Stanley Cup: The Complete History (2018) - by Eric Zweig (528 pages) 10/10

74. The Hilarious History of Hockey (2010) - by Helaine Becker (172 pages) 7/10

75. Original Six: True Stories from Hockey's Classic Era (1996) - by Paul Quarrington (160 pages) 6/10

76. Road to Gold: The Untold Story of Canada at the World Juniors (2019) - by Mark Spector (220 pages) 8/10

77. A Loonie For Luck (2003) - by Roy MacGregor (2003) - (96 pages) 7/10

78. Born Into It: A Fan's Life (2018) - by Jay Baruchel (272 pages) 8/10

79. Coolest Game on the Road: The Official Travel Guide to NHL Cities (2000) - by Mike Brehm and Mark Paddock (238 pages) 5/10

80. Oldtimers: On the Road with Legendary Heroes of Hockey, Including Bobby Hull, Darryl Sittler, Marcel Dionne (2003) - by Gary Mason (240 pages) 8/10

81. Greatest Moments in Canadian Hockey (2005) - by J. Alexander Poulton (144 pages) 5/10

82. Canadian Hockey Record Breakers: Legendary Feats by Canada's Greatest Players (2005) - by J. Alexander Poulton (144 pages) 5/10

83. Weird Facts About Canadian Hockey: Strange, Wacky, & Hilarious Stories (2005) - by Peter Boer (160 pages) 5/10

84. Road to the NHL: The Incredible Stories of 25 Maritimers Making it to the Show (2013) - by Philip Croucher (260 pages) 8/10

85. Borje Salming: Blood, Sweat and Hockey - 17 Years in the NHL (1991) - by Borje Salming and Gerhard Karlsson (197 pages) 8/10

86. Fischler's Illustrated History of Hockey (1993) - by Stan Fischler (155 pages) 7/10

87. Hockey (2014) - by Christopher Kubala (163 pages) 7/10

88. The History of the NHL Hockey Jerseys 1983-1993 (2015) - by Chris Delorme (160 pages) 9/10

89. Hockey Drill Book: 200 Drills for Player and Team Development (2009) - by Michael A. Smith (240 pages) 7/10

90. Etched in Ice: A Tribute to Hockey's Defining Moments (2002) - by Michael McKinley (138 pages) 7/10

91. Play Better Hockey: 50 Essential Skills for Player Development (2010) - by Ron Davidson (144 pages) 8/10

92. Sunlight Presents NHL Hockey Card Collectibles: All Time Hockey Greats (1992) - by Sunlight/Lever Brothers (64 pages) 7/10

93. Official Guide to the Players of the Hockey Hall of Fame (2010) - by James Duplacey and Eric Zweig (544 pages) 8/10

94. The NHL: Today's Stars, Tomorrow's Legends (1999) - by James Duplacey and Mark Paddock (112 pages) 6/10

95. Ultimate Collection of Pro Hockey Records (2015) - by Shane Frederick (128 pages) 6/10

Thursday, November 18, 2021

Forman Files Deep Dive: Does the NHL have an issue with hits from behind?

I have frequently stated on this blog my dislike for the way the NHL handles headshots/head injuries, a problem that starts with the NHL's denial of the link between hockey and concussions/CTE and continues with George Parros and the Department of Player Safety continuous lack of player safety. A huge issue is there is no precedence or standard suspension for headshots and thus it's always left to a judgement call, one that often time determines the player made a "hockey play" and thus somehow not suspension-worthy. At the beginning of the season Gary Bettman assured us that NHL refs were "the best in the world" and that they would be cracking down on cross-checking this season, and yet one month into the season it's almost worse then it was last year. Bettman loves to give empty promises without actually fixing the issue at hand and thus these types of hits are bound to keep happening. In this deep dive I'm going to look at a worrying trend I've noticed in the first month of the 2021/22 NHL season: hits from behind that are not resulting in major penalties/suspensions as they need to be:

Here are 10 hits from the first month and a bit of the NHL season and the penalties/discipline from the Department of Player Safetty (or lack there of) that was decided and my analysis on what needs to change:

Exhibit #1: Alex Ovechkin hit on Nick Paul

Penalty called: none

Suspension/fine: none

Analysis: I mean this is as blatant as it gets, Ovie is coming at full speed towards Nick Paul and he's looking directly in the numbers as he throws his entire weight into the hit. Should have been a 2-minute boarding call minimum and likely a 1-2 game suspension, but because Paul continued the game nothing happened

Exhibit #2: Steven Stamkos hit on Sam Girard

No YouTube video, twitter link: https://twitter.com/nhl_review/status/1452094363148881922

Penalty called: none

Suspension/fine: none

Analysis: This is a perfect example of everything that's wrong with NHL officiating today, Stamkos makes zero attempt to let up and drives Girard straight in the numbers into the boards head first, and no penalty is called because it was OT and clearly the ref didn't want that to "influence" the game. But see that's the thing, it does influence the game when the ref doesn't call the rulebook as it is, that's textbook boarding and should have been a 1-2 game suspension too

Exhibit #3: Mikael Backlund hit on Travis Konecny

Penalty called: 2-minute minor for cross-checking

Suspension/fine: $5000 fine

Analysis: This is a really dangerous hit and Backlund is lucky that Konecny wasn't seriously hurt or this likely would have been a suspension. Another issue I have with the Department of Player Safety, even if he isn't injured that doesn't take away the intent of what Backlund did and there has to be a precedence that you can't hit players in the numbers like that

Exhibit #4: Brandon Duhaime hit on Bowen Byram

Penalty called: 5-minute major for cross-checking and a game misconduct

Suspension/fine: none

Analysis: This hit boils my blood for so many reasons, the most obvious is that I'm an Avs fan and Byram is a 20-year old rookie who already missed extensive time last season with a concussion (and is now out again after a Horvat elbow). There is just zero reason for Duhaime to throw this hit and it's the exact type of play the NHL needs to get out of their game. This should have been a 2-game suspension minimum and that's putting my Avs bias aside

Exhibit #5: Lawson Crouse hit on Corey Perry

Penalty called: 2-minute minor for boarding

Suspension/fine: none

Analysis: Crouse commits to the hit well before actually throwing it and is looking at Perry's numbers the entire way, he had the option to let up here and yet still launches his body directly into Perry. These are the types of hits that are bound to keep happening as long as there is no precedence for suspending them and should have been at least a 1-game suspension

Exhibit #6: Matt Martin hit on Mike Hardman

Penalty called: none

Suspension/fine: none

Analysis: There's a lot of things I don't like about this hit, primarily that he targets the head and seems to leave his feet as he does so. It's a tough judgement call because Hardman turns a bit before Martin got there, but he still clearly hits him into the boards in the numbers and I would have liked to have seen at least a 2-minute minor called here. Martin is a player who throws his body around frequently and while I wouldn't call him a dirty player he's definitely aggressive

Exhibit #7: Mathieu Joseph hit on Dylan Larkin

Penalty called: 2-minute minor for roughing (Joseph), 5-minute major and game misconduct (Larkin)

Suspension/fine: Larkin 1-game, Joseph none

Analysis: What an absolute mess this entire situation was, Joseph with a brutal hit from behind on Larkin and travels quite a bit of way to get there and hit him into the boards directly in the numbers. Larkin is justifiably irate and sucker punches Joseph (not the best reaction however) resulting in a 5-minute major and game misconduct followed by a 1-game suspension. Joseph on the other hand? All he got was 2-minutes for "roughing" and no further discipline from the DOPS. What makes no sense here is that Larkin doesn't sucker punch him without the initial illegal hit, both plays need to be suspension-worthy or neither

Exhibit #8: Jack Roslovic hit on Lucas Raymond

No YouTube video, twitter link: https://twitter.com/RyanHanaWWP/status/1450642041902411783

Penalty called: none (Bertuzzi 2-minutes for roughing)

Suspension/fine: none

Analysis: Raymond has his back to the play with the puck and Roslovic still commits to the hit from behind, directly into the numbers, and yet the only penalty called on the play was Bertuzzi for retaliating and Columbus scored on the ensuing PP. Raymond was hurt and left the game and ultimately was okay but this is still the type of hit that was no place in hockey and yet somehow no penalty or further discipline when this should have been at least a 2-game suspension

Exhibit #9: JT Miller hit on Nazem Kadri

Penalty called: matching minor penalties for roughing

Suspension/fine: TBD

Analysis: This hit is different then most of the ones on this list because the play doesn't happen next to the boards, but I would argue that it's even more dangerous how he pushes Kadri head first into the post. Miller has no stick on the play and doesn't even attempt to make a hockey play, the only thing on his mine is attempting to injure Kadri. Still remains to be seen what the DOPS decides but I wouldn't hold my breath on the account of the NHL hating Kadri, as evident by the fact that all Miller got on this play was matching minors with Rantanen

Exhibit #10: Cedric Paquette hit on Trevor Zegras

Penalty called: 5-minute major for boarding and a game-misconduct

Suspension/fine: 2-game suspension

Analysis: This is the only one of the 10 hits I listed here where the refs/Department of Player Safety actually did their jobs properly (batting at an average of .100) and got the call right. Paquette makes no attempt to let up and drives Zegras head first into the boards from behind, just a reckless hit that has no place in hockey and the penalty/resulting suspension needs to be the standard call for these types of hits

Lastly, here's a chart via Range Hockey (https://twitter.com/Range_Hockey) that shows the number of minor penalties per game, per season going back to the 2015/16 season.

As you can see, there has been a sharp decline in penalties called since opening night on October 12th to the cue of at least 2 minor penalties a game, and the season is barely one month old. So much for that "crackdown" on cross-checking

It's time the NHL get's serious and starts treating these hits from behind properly or someone is going to get seriously injured. Enough is enough already

Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff

Tuesday, November 2, 2021

The Time for Change is Now Part 2 - Time to Fire Gary Bettman

It's been 6 days since Kyle Beach gave his gut-wrenching interview with TSN's Rick Westhead, and a lot has happened in that time to shed light on the absolute failure from top to bottom between the Blackhawks, NHLPA and the NHL. I wrote about it the day after (https://formanfaceoffnhl.blogspot.com/2021/10/the-time-for-change-is-now.html) and just how disgusted I was, and frankly it continues to be downright difficult to enjoy being a hockey fan right now. The league seems to go two steps backwards every damn time they try and "fix" something, a true sign of Gary Bettman's "sweep it under the rug" mentality that reverberates throughout hockey. One thing remains abundantly clear: Gary Bettman is unfit to lead the NHL and needs to be fired immediately (same for Donald Fehr as head of the NHLPA)

For all that witnessed or read quotes of Bettman's disastrous press conference yesterday, there is no question that he needs to go and it needs to happen now. For starters he actually had the audacity to speak these words after all that has happened in the past week,

"Hockey culture does not encourage, but in fact prohibits this type of activity"

I mean how tone deaf do you have to be Gary to say this after the same culture allowed Kyle Beach and several other victims to be sexually abused by Brad Aldrich? What about all the victims of Graham James? Hockey culture DOES encourage this behaviour because it happens time and time again, and acting like it doesn't makes you part of the problem.

Then there was the part where a reporter asked him how could he justify fining the Blackhawks (a team valued at over $1 billion) just $2 million especially in comparison to the Devils getting fined $3 million for cap circumvention with the Kovalchuk contract, and he replied "different context, different facts." There is so much wrong with this I don't even know where to begin. For starters Gary, it sends the message that sexual abuse is a less serious offense than breaking the cap. Then there's the part of it being "different context" which is absolutely true, except that these stories aren't even in the same realm and the Blackhawks fine should have been significantly more. The fact that Gary actually thought this response was going to make him and the NHL look better is a perfect reflection of the entire press conference and how they've handled this situation.

Bettman went on to defend his actions to allow Joel Quenneville to coach last Wednesday night, a mere hour after the Beach interview, because he wanted to "treat him fair" and award him due process. He said the same about Kevin Cheveldayoff who he determined didn't deserve to be fired because he "wasn't in senior management of the Blackhawks and shouldn't be held responsible" despite him being the Assistant GM and lying about being in the meeting. Quenneville ultimately stepped down, Cheveldayoff remains, but the actions speak louder then words here. Gary cared more about catering to these old hockey men then he did giving Kyle Beach and the other victims THEIR due process.

Then there was Bettman being asked about the NHL's Sexual Abuse Policy, in which he gave this response,

"We do have a policy. We don't tolerate it, and we punish as appropriate. I know there are policies in other leagues where they specify what the penalty is, but that's something that they frequently don't adhere to. We think you judge on a case-by-case basis"

So the policy is that they don't have a policy but judge it case-by-case? This just further proves how clueless and downright inept they are at handling these situations. You can't expect anyone to believe that the NHL is handling this matter appropriately when they have nothing concrete in place.

Then there was Blackhawks beat reporter Mark Lazerus who pressed Bettman on the leadership of the Blackhawks, specifically John McDonough, who was always praised for running a "model franchise." Lazerus asked Bettman if he needed to pay more closely attention to the culture that NHL teams foster, and he responded by basically that he was surprised as anyone and wondered why Mark, as the Blackhawks reporter, didn't also know more (despite the fact that Mark didn't cover the team in 2010). Once again Gary deflects blame to someone else, a common theme in his press conference, where it seems that he bears absolutely zero responsibility.

And finally there was Bettman refusing to allow Rick Westhead, one of only a handful of reporters who actually had the strength and courage that most others didn't to cover this story relentlessly (along with Katie Strang), to ask a question in the press conference. It wasn't until 47 minutes in when Pierre Lebrun, a fellow reporter, had to basically shame them into allowing Rick to ask a question and they finally relented. Rick pressed Bettman on if the NHL was going to provide counselling to the high school player who was abused by Aldrich after he left the Blackhawks and he responded by saying they needed more information and they can't commit to it now. Think about that for a second, another victim that the NHL enabled to get abused by Aldrich and they won't even commit to simply supplying him with counselling. Right here out in the open we can see that Bettman has not learned his lesson and never will, and trying to silence the reporter who is exposing all their failures should be Gary's last act as NHL Commissioner.

I want to conclude by stating what I have said throughout this piece, TIME TO FIRE GARY BETTMAN AS NHL COMMISSIONER IMMEDIATELY. Time and time again he has shown that he is not fit for the job, that he lacks any amount of empathy, compassion or moral compass and only cares about being Lawyer Gary and serving the best interest of the owners and other members of the Old Boys Club. Until Gary is gone, these things are due to repeat itself and nothing will change, simple as that. It is up to us as hockey fans to demand that Bettman be fired and it happen now, and I want to thank all media using their platforms to demand the same. Lastly, I want to re-iterate how much respect I have for Kyle Beach and the strength and courage that he showed last week is so important for creating this desperately needed culture change in the sport of hockey.

THE TIME FOR CHANGE IS NOW

Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff

Thursday, October 28, 2021

The Time for Change is Now

The past 48 hours with the Chicago Blackhawks story breaking has truly been a dark and disturbing time for the NHL and the sport of hockey. Having watched the interview with TSN reporter Rick Westhead and the victim Kyle Beach last night, I find myself truly sick to my stomach and just left with such an anger that is shared amongst a lot of hockey fans right now. There's no more pretending this stuff is an anomaly or rare instance, saying stuff like "this isn't hockey" is bogus when this IS hockey. The sport that cares more about protecting other hockey men and that "sweep it under the rug" mentality instead of actually tackling these problems head on, and so nothing changes. When winning comes at the expense of everything else, stories like this will continue to happen and foolish for us to pretend otherwise. This story is the tipping point however, there are so many high level NHL executives and even players implicated in the report that this will not go away anytime soon and damn well it shouldn't, and it's time for every last person that failed Mr. Beach the last 11 years to be held accountable.

I don't want to include any specific details about what Brad Aldrich, the former Blackhawks video coach did because honestly I find it too disturbing to read and to write the specific words in this post, but if anyone is inclined to read it here is the entire 107-page report:

https://jenner.com/system/assets/assets/11549/original/Report%20to%20the%20Chicago%20Blackhawks%20Hockey%20Team%20-%20October%202021.pdf

Here also is the full 25-minute TSN interview with Rick Westhead and Kyle Beach that is a must watch: https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/video/~2307782

I want to start off by saying the obvious here: every single person in the Chicago Blackhawks organization, from top to bottom, has failed Kyle Beach. The owners the Wirtz family, all the important hockey executives: Stan Bowman, Al MacIsaac, John McDonough, Joel Quenneville, Kevin Cheveldayoff, Marc Bergevin, Bill Peters, Jay Blunk etc. Every single last one of these hockey men deserves to be fired, never to work in any level of hockey again whether that's the NHL or their kids PeeWee hockey. It's important to understand just how badly these guys covered up this story just for the sake of winning the Stanley Cup, and then denied knowing anything about it 11 years later until implicated. They allowed Aldrich to party with the Stanley Cup (in front of the victim), have his name engraved, and then recommended for a future job in hockey all while knowing what he had done to Beach. Winning was more important than reporting sexual abuse and it allowed him to prey on future victims as well, and if that doesn't infuriate you then what are we doing here?

Then there is the rest of the Blackhawks organization, starting with the team's leaders during that season: Captain Jonathan Toews, Assistant Captains Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith, all who currently still play in the NHL. The three of them all continue to play dumb like they didn't know anything occurred and even praised people like Bowman for what they did for their own careers despite the complete derelict of duty. One of the biggest issues in hockey is conformity and not wanting to walk out of line, and that's what you are seeing here is these guys don't want to risk their own careers so they just stay silent. These are three players who were pretty much locks for the Hockey Hall of Fame and now their legacy is forever tarnished, and damn right it should be. I applaud guys like Nick Boynton and Brent Sopel who were the rare ones from that 2009/10 Blackhawks team that spoke up during the matter and actually told the truth.

Then there is the NHL, starting with it's clueless leader Gary Bettman. His constant need for "working through it" in hopes of sweeping it under the rug instead of actually solving the problem is a common theme in many NHL issues today (head shots, CTE, mental health, drug use etc). The fact that he had to personally meet with Quenneville and Cheveldayoff Friday instead of both men being fired or even suspended indefinitely is exactly the problem here, what could Gary possibly do or say that would justify them keeping their jobs? It looks ignorant and just plain wrong that they are allowed to continue on like nothing happened and Bettman's leadership remains a huge issue in hockey. I think it's long overdue for a change at the top of the leadership in the NHL.

And what about the NHLPA, you know the supposed players association who should have the players backs and look out for them in situations like this. It was reported that Beach told NHLPA head Don Fehr two separate times about the situation, only to be ignored or told that it was not worth looking into. The same Don Fehr who 11 years later still remains in charge of the NHLPA. What the hell is this man's job if he isn't interested in looking into a situation like this? The NHLPA has already shown they don't care about player's health and safety and it's time old hockey men like Don Fehr are shown the door.

Perception is everything in hockey. It allowed us for years to believe Beach (11th overall pick in 2008) was a bust and never made it to the NHL because of many different reasons that never mentioned what he was actually going through. It also allowed us to believe for years that the Blackhawks were a model organization, not just that they won so often but that they did it with class. It allowed us to believe Jonathan Toews "aka Captain Serious" was a role model leader and one of the best in all of professional sports. It's important to understand this idea of conformity "if you aren't with the team you're against it" is something that exists in all levels of hockey down to youth hockey, which is why this story is so much more then just an NHL issue its a hockey culture issue.

And yet as Beach gave his stunning, emotional, and truly gut-wrenching interview with Westhead at 6pm, there was Joel Quenneville standing behind the Panthers bench at 7pm coaching an NHL game and refused to speak to the media before or after. The fact that the NHL or the Panthers didn't step in and at least suspend him until he meets with Bettman is just so insulting to Beach and to this entire process and it speaks volumes. It basically showed the Panthers care more about winning, which is exactly what Quenneville did in the first place not wanting to cause a distraction and "ruin chemistry" to win the Stanley Cup. This also applies to both Kevin Cheveldayoff (Jets GM) and Marc Bergevin (Canadiens GM) who continue to work their current NHL jobs but act like nothing is wrong.

A recurring pattern among people from the Blackhawks organization (and people defending them in general) is the idea of referring to what happened to Beach as a "mistake" and that's just so wrong for so many reasons. A mistake is when you forgot to take the trash out before the garbage truck came. This entire situation and the cover-up for 11 years wasn't random, it was calculated and meticulous to sweep everything under the rug. Aldrich had a method for preying on his victims and holding their hockey career's as hostage, and has shown zero remorse for his actions, that is not a mistake. Sweeping it under the rug in order to win a Stanley Cup, that is not a mistake. Calling it a mistake sympathizes with the perpetrator instead of the victim, the same way that Toews/Kane praising Bowman for being a "good person" does no good. The only person who deserves any amount of sympathy is Kyle Beach and the other victims.

When writing this post I asked myself "what can I do to help?" besides just speaking out. One of my biggest passions in life is reading hockey books (175+ read), and there are certain books that tackle these difficult issues in hockey that should be required reading for all. Here are a few that I've read that I highly recommend:

1. Game Misconduct: Hockey's Toxic Culture and How to Fix It by Evan Moore and Jashvina Shah

2. Finding Murph: How Joe Murphy Went From Winning a Championship to Living Homeless in the Bush by Rick Westhead

3. Breaking the Ice: The Black Experience in Professional Hockey by Cecil Harris

4. Boy on Ice: The Life and Death of Derek Boogaard by John Branch

5. Game Change: The Life and Death of Steve Montador, and the Future of Hockey by Ken Dryden

6. Playing with Fire by Theo Fleury

7. Willie: The Game-Changing Story of the NHL's First Black Player by Willie O'Ree

I want to end with this, and it's a tough thing to realize: The Blackhawks cared more about covering up for a video coach then they did protecting the victim, a player in their own organization and they did this because they decided winning was more important then all. This enabled Aldrich to not only find future employment (with recommendation and reference from the Blackhawks!) in hockey but prey on future victims, and it was just heartbreaking to watch Kyle Beach apologize for not doing more as if it was his fault and not the layers upon layers of the hockey world that failed him every step of the way. The burden that he must have been keeping for these 11 years is just unfathomable and I can't even begin to describe how brave and courageous he is for telling his story to the world, and I hope for his own sake that some weight was lifted off his shoulders and he can find some peace and healing. What he did last night is more important than anything he did on the ice in his career and while that was never fair to him it's going to create must needed change in the sport for the better.

Thank you Kyle Beach

To everyone in the Blackhawks organization who failed you, they don't deserve to work in hockey for the rest of their sad, pathetic lives. The time for change is now folks, and you are on the wrong side of history if you don't believe so. Lastly to the investigative reporters who refused to let this story die, namely Rick Westhead and Katie Strang, you are the epitome of professionalism and the world needs more journalists like you.

Believe victims today and every day

Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff

Saturday, October 2, 2021

The Forman Faceoff - NHL Offseason Trading Places

This summer was one of the busiest offseasons in a long time in the NHL, starting with the Seattle Kraken expansion draft and followed by a very busy free agency. Here a breakdown of all the additions/subtractions for all 32 NHL teams:

Anaheim Ducks:

Additions:

Tobias Rieder (F) - Buffalo Sabres

Subtractions:

Haydn Fleury (D) - Seattle Kraken

Danton Heinen (F) - Pittsburgh Penguins

David Backes (F) - Retired

Ryan Miller (G) - Retired

Carter Rowney (F) - Detroit Red Wings

Top Draft Pick:

F Mason McTavish (1st Round, 3rd Pick)

Arizona Coyotes

Additions:

Loui Eriksson (F) - Vancouver Canucks

Jay Beagle (F) - Vancouver Canucks

Antoine Roussel (F) - Vancouver Canucks

Shayne Gostisbehere (D) - Philadelphia Flyers

Dmitrij Jaskin (F) - Dynamo Moscow (KHL)

Andrew Ladd (F) - New York Islanders

Ryan Dzingel (F) - Ottawa Senators

Liam O'Brien (F) - Colorado Avalanche

Travis Boyd (F) - Vancouver Canucks

Anton Stralman (D) - Florida Panthers

Conor Timmins (D) - Colorado Avalanche

Carter Hutton (G) - Buffalo Sabres

Josef Korenar (G) - San Jose Sharks

Alex Galchenhuk (F) - Toronto Maple Leafs

Subtractions:

Oliver Ekman-Larsson (D) - Vancouver Canucks

Conor Garland (F) - Vancouver Canucks

Darcy Kuemper (G) - Colorado Avalanche

Antti Raanta (G) - Carolina Hurricanes

Adin Hill (G) - San Jose Sharks

Christian Dvorak (F) - Montreal Canadiens

Derick Brassard (F) - Philadelphia Flyers

Michael Bunting (F) - Toronto Maple Leafs

Alex Goligoski (D) - Minnesota Wild

Tyler Pitlick (F) - Calgary Flames (from Seattle Kraken)

Jordan Oesterle (D) - Detroit Red Wings

Niklas Hjalmarsson (D) - Retired

Jordan Gross (D) - Colorado Avalanche

Frederik Gauthier (F) - New Jersey Devils

Jason Demers (D) - Free Agent

Lane Pederson (F) - San Jose Sharks

John Hayden (F) - Buffalo Sabres

Top Draft Pick:

F Dylan Guenther (1st Round, 9th Overall)

Boston Bruins

Additions:

Linus Ullmark (G) - Buffalo Sabres

Nick Foligno (F) - Toronto Maple Leafs

Erik Haula (F) - Nashville Predators

Tomas Nosek (F) - Vegas Golden Knights

Derek Forbort (D) - Winnipeg Jets

Troy Grosenick (G) - Los Angeles Kings

Subtractions:

Tuukka Rask (G) - Free Agent

David Krejci (F) - Olomouc HC (Czech)

Jaroslav Halak (G) - Vancouver Canucks

Nick Ritchie (F) - Toronto Maple Leafs

Sean Kuraly (F) - Columbus Blue Jackets

Jeremy Lauzon (D) - Seattle Kraken

Kevan Miller (D) - Retired

Jarred Tinordi (D) - New York Rangers

Top Draft Pick:

F Fabian Lysell (1st Round, 21st Overall)

Buffalo Sabres

Additions:

Vinnie Hinostroza (F) - Chicago Blackhawks

John Hayden (F) - Arizona Coyotes

Will Butcher (D) - New Jersey Devils

Robert Hagg (D) - Philadelphia Flyers

Mark Pysyk (D) - Dallas Stars

Craig Anderson (G) - Washington Capitals

Aaron Dell (G) - New Jersey Devils

Subtractions:

Sam Reinhart (F) - Florida Panthers

Rasmus Ristolainen (D) - Philadelphia Flyers

Linus Ullmark (G) - Boston Bruins

Carter Hutton (G) - Arizona Coyotes

Riley Sheahan (F) - Seattle Kraken

Will Borgen (D) - Seattle Kraken

Tobias Rieder (F) - Anaheim Ducks

Jake McCabe (D) - Chicago Blackhawks

Matt Irwin (D) - Washington Capitals

Top Draft Pick:

D Owen Power (1st Round, 1st Overall)

Calgary Flames

Additions:

Blake Coleman (F) - Tampa Bay Lightning

Tyler Pitlick (F) - Seattle Kraken

Trevor Lewis (F) - Winnipeg Jets

Brad Richardson (F) - Nashville Predators

Erik Gudbranson (D) - Nashville Predators

Nikita Zadorov (D) - Chicago Blackhawks

Dan Vladar (G) - Boston Bruins

Subtractions:

Mark Giordano (D) - Seattle Kraken

Josh Leivo (F) - Carolina Hurricanes

Joakim Nordstrom (F) - CSKA Moscow (KHL)

Louis Domingue (G) - Pittsburgh Penguins

Derek Ryan (F) - Edmonton Oilers

Dominik Simon (F) - Pittsburgh Penguins

Top Draft Pick:

F Matt Coronato (1st Round, 13th Overall)

Carolina Hurricanes

Additions:

Frederik Andersen (G) - Toronto Maple Leafs

Antti Raanta (G) - Arizona Coyotes

Jesperi Kotkaniemi (F) - Montreal Canadiens

Derek Stepan (F) - Ottawa Senators

Josh Leivo (F) - Calgary Flames

Ian Cole (D) - Minnesota Wild

Ethan Bear (D) - Edmonton Oilers

Brendan Smith (D) - New York Rangers

Tony DeAngelo (D) - Free Agent

Stefan Noesen (F) - Toronto Maple Leafs

Subtractions:

Dougie Hamilton (D) - New Jersey Devils

Petr Mrazek (G) - Toronto Maple Leafs

Alex Nedeljkovic (G) - Detroit Red Wings

Warren Foegele (F) - Edmonton Oilers

Brock McGinn (F) - Pittsburgh Penguins

Jake Bean (D) - Columbus Blue Jackets

Morgan Geekie (F) - Seattle Kraken

Cedric Paquette (F) - Montreal Canadiens

James Reimer (G) - San Jose Sharks

Jani Hakanpaa (D) - Dallas Stars

Jonathan Bernier (G) - New Jersey Devils

Top Draft Pick:

D Scott Morrow (2nd Round, 40th Overall)

Chicago Blackhawks

Additions:

Marc-Andre Fleury (G) - Vegas Golden Knights

Seth Jones (D) - Columbus Blue Jackets

Tyler Johnson (F) - Tampa Bay Lightning

Jujhar Khaira (F) - Edmonton Oilers

Jake McCabe (D) - Buffalo Sabres

Caleb Jones (D) - Edmonton Oilers

Subtractions:

Duncan Keith (D) - Edmonton Oilers

Nikita Zadorov (D) - Calgary Flames

Adam Boqvist (D) - Columbus Blue Jackets

David Kampf (F) - Toronto Maple Leafs

Pius Suter (F) - Detroit Red Wings

John Quenneville (F) - Seattle Kraken

Carl Soderberg (F) - Malmo Redhawks (SweHL)

Vinnie Hinostroza (F) - Buffalo Sabres

Andrew Shaw (F) - Retired

Top Draft Pick:

D Nolan Allan (1st Round, 32nd Overall)

Colorado Avalanche

Additions:

Darcy Kuemper (G) - Arizona Coyotes

Ryan Murray (D) - New Jersey Devils

Darren Helm (F) - Detroit Red Wings

Artem Anisimov (F) - Ottawa Senators

Jack Johnson (D) - New York Rangers

Kurtis MacDermid (D) - Seattle Kraken (from Los Angeles)

Mikhail Maltsev (F) - New Jersey Devils

Dylan Sikura (F) - Vegas Golden Knights

Stefan Matteau (F) - Columbus Blue Jackets

Jordan Gross (D) - Arizona Coyotes

Subtractions:

Philipp Grubauer (G) - Seattle Kraken

Joonas Donskoi (F) - Seattle Kraken

Brandon Saad (F) - St. Louis Blues

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (F) - Tampa Bay Lightning

Ryan Graves (D) - New Jersey Devils

Matt Calvert (F) - Retired

Conor Timmins (D) - Arizona Coyotes

Liam O'Brien (F) - Arizona Coyotes

Devan Dubnyk (G) - Free Agent

Patrik Nemeth (D) - New York Rangers

Top Draft Pick:

Oskar Olausson (1st Round, 28th Overall)

Columbus Blue Jackets

Additions:

Jakub Voracek (F) - Philadelphia Flyers

Sean Kuraly (F) - Boston Bruins

Jake Bean (D) - Carolina Hurricanes

Adam Boqvist (D) - Chicago Blackhawks

Subtractions:

Cam Atkinson (F) - Philadelphia Flyers

Seth Jones (D) - Chicago Blackhawks

Michael Del Zotto (D) - Ottawa Senators

Mikhail Grigorenko (F) - CSKA Moscow (KHL)

Gavin Bayreuther (D) - Seattle Kraken

Zac Dalpe (F) - Florida Panthers

Stefan Matteau (F) - Colorado Avalanche

Matiss Kivlenieks (RIP)

Top Draft Pick:

Kent Johnson (1st Round, 5th Overall)

Dallas Stars

Additions:

Ryan Suter (D) - Minnesota Wild

Braden Holtby (G) - Vancouver Canucks

Michael Raffl (F) - Washington Capitals

Jani Hakanpaa (D) - Carolina Hurricanes

Luke Glendening (F) - Detroit Red Wings

Andreas Borgman (D) - Tampa Bay Lightning

Subtractions:

Jamie Oleksiak (D) - Seattle Kraken

Jason Dickinson (F) - Vancouver Canucks

Andrew Cogliano (F) - San Jose Sharks

Mark Pysyk (D) - Buffalo Sabres

Sami Vatanen (D) - Geneve Servette (Swiss-A)

Top Draft Pick:

F Wyatt Johnson (1st Round, 23rd Overall)

Detroit Red Wings

Additions:

Alex Nedeljkovic (G) - Carolina Hurricanes

Nick Leddy (D) - New York Islanders

Pius Suter (F) - Chicago Blackhawks

Carter Rowney (F) - Anaheim Ducks

Mitchell Stephens (F) - Tampa Bay Lightning

Jordan Oesterle (D) - Arizona Coyotes

Subtractions:

Dennis Cholowski (D) - Seattle Kraken

Valtteri Filppula (F) - Geneve Servette (Swiss-A)

Luke Glendening (F) - Dallas Stars

Christian Djoos (D) - Zug EV (Swiss-A)

Evgeny Svechnikov (F) - Winnipeg Jets

Darren Helm (F) - Colorado Avalanche

Richard Panik (F) - New York Islanders

Alex Biega (D) - Toronto Maple Leafs

Dylan McIlrath (D) - Washington Capitals

Top Draft Pick:

D Simon Edvinsson (1st Round, 6th Overall)

Edmonton Oilers

Additions:

Duncan Keith (D) - Chicago Blackhawks

Zach Hyman (F) - Toronto Maple Leafs

Warren Foegele (F) - Carolina Hurricanes

Derek Ryan (F) - Calgary Flames

Brendan Perlini (F) - Ambri-Piotta (Swiss-A)

Cody Ceci (D) - Pittsburgh Penguins

Colton Sceviour (F) - Pittsburgh Penguins

Subtractions:

Adam Larsson (D) - Seattle Kraken

Ethan Bear (D) - Carolina Hurricanes

Alex Chiasson (F) - Vancouver Canucks

Jujhar Khaira (F) - Chicago Blackhawks

Dominik Kahun (F) - Bern SC (Swiss-A)

James Neal (F) - St. Louis Blues

Caleb Jones (D) - Chicago Blackhawks

Tyler Ennis (F) - Ottawa Senators

Gaetan Haas (F) - Biel HC (Swiss-A)

Dmitry Kulikov (D) - Minnesota Wild

Top Draft Pick:

F Xavier Bourgault (1st Round, 22nd Overall)

Florida Panthers

Additions:

Sam Reinhart (F) - Buffalo Sabres

Joe Thornton (F) - Toronto Maple Leafs

Zac Dalpe (F) - Columbus Blue Jackets

Subtractions:

Chris Driedger (G) - Seattle Kraken

Keith Yandle (D) - Philadelphia Flyers

Alexander Wennberg (F) - Seattle Kraken

Anton Stralman (D) - Arizona Coyotes

Nikita Gusev (F) - Toronto Maple Leafs

Brady Keeper (D) - Vancouver Canucks

Top Draft Pick:

F Matthew Samoskevich (1st Round, 24th Overall)

Los Angeles Kings

Additions:

Viktor Arvidsson (F) - Nashville Predators

Philip Danault (F) - Montreal Canadiens

Alex Edler (D) - Vancouver Canucks

Subtractions:

Kurtis MacDermid (D) - Colorado Avalanche (from Seattle Kraken)

Troy Grosenick (G) - Boston Bruins

Matt Luff (F) - Nashville Predators

Top Draft Pick:

D Brandt Clarke (1st Round, 8th Overall)

Minnesota Wild

Additions:

Alex Goligoski (D) - Arizona Coyotes

Dmitry Kulikov (D) - Edmonton Oilers

Frederick Gaudreau (F) - Pittsburgh Penguins

Jordie Benn (D) - Winnipeg Jets

Jon Merrill (D) - Montreal Canadiens

Subtractions:

Ryan Suter (D) - Dallas Stars

Zach Parise (F) - New York Islanders

Carson Soucy (D) - Seattle Kraken

Nick Bonino (F) - San Jose Sharks

Marcus Johansson (F) - Seattle Kraken

Ian Cole (D) - Carolina Hurricanes

Matt Bartkowski (D) - Pittsburgh Penguins

Brad Hunt (D) - Vancouver Canucks

Top Draft Pick:

G Jesper Wallstedt (1st Round, 20th Overall)

Montreal Canadiens

Additions:

Mike Hoffman (F) - St. Louis Blues

Christian Dvorak (F) - Arizona Coyotes

Mathieu Perreault (F) - Winnipeg Jets

Cedric Paquette (F) - Montreal Canadiens

David Savard (F) - Tampa Bay Lightning

Sami Niku (D) - Winnipeg Jets

Chris Wideman (D) - Nizhny Novgorod Torpedo (KHL)

Subtractions:

Philip Danault (F) - Los Angeles Kings

Jesperi Kotkaniemi (F) - Carolina Hurricanes

Corey Perry (F) - Tampa Bay Lightning

Tomas Tatar (F) - New Jersey Devils

Eric Staal (F) - Free Agent

Cale Fleury (D) - Seattle Kraken

Erik Gustafsson (D) - New York Islanders

Jon Merrill (D) - Minnesota Wild

Michael Frolik (F) - St. Louis Blues

Top Draft Pick:

D Logan Mailloux (1st Round, 31st Overall)

Nashville Predators

Additions:

Cody Glass (F) - Vegas Golden Knights

Matt Luff (F) - Los Angeles Kings

Philippe Myers (D) - Philadelphia Flyers

David Rittich (G) - Toronto Maple Leafs

Subtractions:

Pekka Rinne (G) - Retired

Ryan Ellis (D) - Philadelphia Flyers

Viktor Arvidsson (F) - Los Angeles Kings

Calle Jarnkrok (F) - Seattle Kraken

Erik Haula (F) - Boston Bruins

Brad Richardson (F) - Calgary Flames

Erik Gudbranson (D) - Calgary Flames

Top Draft Pick:

F Fedor Svechkov (1st Round, 19th Overall)

New Jersey Devils

Additions:

Dougie Hamilton (D) - Carolina Hurricanes

Tomas Tatar (D) - Montreal Canadiens

Ryan Graves (D) - Colorado Avalanche

Christian Jaros (D) - San Jose Sharks

Jonathan Bernier (G) - Carolina Hurricanes

Frederik Gauthier (F) - Arizona Coyotes

Jimmy Vesey (F) - Vancouver Canucks

Mark Jankowski (F) - Pittsburgh Penguins

Subtractions:

Nathan Bastian (F) - Seattle Kraken

Will Butcher (D) - Buffalo Sabres

Mikhail Maltsev (F) - Colorado Avalanche

Ryan Murray (D) - Colorado Avalanche

Nick Merkley (F) - San Jose Sharks

Connor Carrick (D) - Seattle Kraken

Aaron Dell (G) - Buffalo Sabres

Eric Comrie (G) - Winnipeg Jets

Top Draft Pick:

D Luke Hughes (1st Round, 4th Overall)

New York Islanders

Additions:

Zach Parise (F) - Minnesota Wild

Zdeno Chara (D) - Washington Capitals

Richard Panik (F) - Detroit Red Wings

Erik Gustafsson (D) - Montreal Canadiens

Subtractions:

Jordan Eberle (F) - Seattle Kraken

Josh Ho-Sang (F) - Toronto Maple Leafs

Andrew Ladd (F) - Arizona Coyotes

Nick Leddy (D) - Detroit Red Wings

Travis Zajac (F) - Retired

Braydon Coburn (D) - Free Agent

Top Draft Pick:

F Aatu Raty (2nd Round, 52nd Overall)

New York Rangers

Additions:

Barclay Goodrow (F) - Tampa Bay Lightning

Ryan Reaves (F) - Vegas Golden Knights

Sammy Blais (F) - St. Louis Blues

Patrik Nemeth (D) - Colorado Avalanche

Jarred Tinordi (D) - Boston Bruins

Subtractions:

Pavel Buchnevich (F) - St. Louis Blues

Colin Blackwell (F) - Seattle Kraken

Brendan Smith (D) - Carolina Hurricanes

Brett Howden (F) - Vegas Golden Knights

Jack Johnson (D) - Colorado Avalanche

Top Draft Pick:

F Brennan Othmann (1st Round, 16th Overall)

Ottawa Senators

Additions:

Zach Sanford (F) - St. Louis Blues

Michael Del Zotto (D) - Columbus Blue Jackets

Nick Holden (D) - Vegas Golden Knights

Tyler Ennis (F) - Edmonton Oilers

Subtractions:

Evgeny Dadonov (F) - Vegas Golden Knights

Joey Daccord (G) - Seattle Kraken

Derek Stepan (F) - Carolina Hurricanes

Logan Brown (F) - St. Louis Blues

Ryan Dzingel (F) - Arizona Coyotes

Artem Anisimov (F) - Colorado Avalanche

Mike Amadio (F) - Toronto Maple Leafs

Top Draft Pick:

F Tyler Boucher (1st Round, 10th Overall)

Philadelphia Flyers

Additions:

Cam Atkinson (F) - Columbus Blue Jackets

Ryan Ellis (D) - Nashville Predators

Keith Yandle (D) - Florida Panthers

Rasmus Ristolainen (D) - Buffalo Sabres

Derick Brassard (F) - Arizona Coyotes

Nate Thompson (F) - Winnipeg Jets

Martin Jones (G) - San Jose Sharks

Subtractions:

Jakub Voracek (F) - Columbus Blue Jackets

Shayne Gostisbehere (D) - Arizona Coyotes

Nolan Patrick (F) - Vegas Golden Knights

Robert Hagg (D) - Buffalo Sabres

Carsen Twarnyski (F) - Seattle Kraken

Brian Elliott (G) - Tampa Bay Lightning

Philippe Myers (D) - Nashville Predators

Top Draft Pick:

F Samu Tuomaala (2nd Round, 46th Overall)

Pittsburgh Penguins

Additions:

Brock McGinn (F) - Carolina Hurricanes

Danton Heinen (F) - Anaheim Ducks

Brian Boyle (F) - Free Agent

Louis Domingue (G) - Calgary Flames

Matt Bartkowski (D) - Minnesota Wild

Dominik Simon (F) - Calgary Flame

Subtractions:

Brandon Tanev (F) - Seattle Kraken

Jared McCann (F) - Seattle Kraken (from Toronto)

Frederick Gaudreau (F) - Minnesota Wild

Cody Ceci (D) - Edmonton Oilers

Mark Jankowski (F) - New Hersey Devils

Colton Sceviour (F) - Edmonton Oilers

Top Draft Pick:

F Tristan Broz (2nd Round, 58th Overall)

San Jose Sharks

Additions:

James Reimer (G) - Carolina Hurricanes

Adin Hill (G) - Arizona Coyotes

Andrew Cogliano (F) - Dallas Stars

Nick Bonino (F) - Minnesota Wild

Nick Merkley (F) - New Jersey Devils

Lane Pederson (F) - Arizona Coyotes

Subtractions:

Martin Jones (G) - Philadelphia Flyers

Patrick Marleau (F) - Free Agent

Ryan Donato (F) - Seattle Kraken

Josef Korenar (G) - Arizona Coyotes

Alexander True (F) - Seattle Kraken

Christian Jaros (D) - New Jersey Devils

Kurtis Gabriel (F) - Toronto Maple Leafs

Top Draft Pick:

F William Eklund (1st Round, 7th Overall)

Seattle Kraken

Additions:

Philipp Grubauer (G) - Colorado Avalanche

Jaden Schwartz (F) - St. Louis Blues

Alexander Wennberg (F) - Florida Panthers

Marcus Johansson (F) - Minnesota Wild

Riley Sheahan (F) - Buffalo Sabres

Ryan Donato (F) - San Jose Sharks

Scott Wilson (F) - Buffalo Sabres

Connor Carrick (D) - New Jersey Devils

Gustav Olofsson (D) - Montreal Canadiens

Subtractions:

Vitek Vanacek (G) - Washington Capitals

Kurtis MacDermid (D) - Colorado Avalanche

Tyler Pitlick (F) - Calgary Flames

Top Draft Pick:

F Matty Beniers (1st Round, 2nd Overall)

St. Louis Blues

Additions:

Pavel Buchnevich (F) - New York Rangers

Brandon Saad (F) - Colorado Avalanche

James Neal (F) - Edmonton Oilers

Michael Frolik (F) - Montreal Canadiens

Logan Brown (F) - Ottawa Senators

Subtractions:

Jaden Schwartz (F) - Seattle Kraken

Vince Dunn (D) - Seattle Kraken

Mike Hoffman (F) - Montreal Canadiens

Zach Sanford (F) - Ottawa Senators

Sammy Blais (F) - New York Rangers

Carl Gunnarsson (D) - Retired

Top Draft Pick:

F Zachary Bolduc (1st Round, 17th Overall)

Tampa Bay Lightning

Additions:

Corey Perry (F) - Montreal Canadiens

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (F) - Colorado Avalanche

Zach Bogosian (D) - Toronto Maple Leafs

Brian Elliott (G) - Philadelphia Flyers

Subtractions:

Yanni Gourde (F) - Seattle Kraken

Barclay Goodrow (F) - New York Rangers

Blake Coleman (F) - Calgary Flames

Curtis McElhinney (G) - Retired

Tyler Johnson (F) - Chicago Blackhawks

David Savard (D) - Montreal Canadiens

Luke Schenn (D) - Vancouver Canucks

Mitchell Stephens (F) - Detroit Red Wings

Andreas Borgman (D) - Dallas Stars

Top Draft Pick:

D Roman Schmidt (3rd Round, 96th Overall)

Toronto Maple Leafs

Additions:

Petr Mrazek (G) - Carolina Hurricanes

Michael Bunting (F) - Arizona Coyotes

David Kampf (F) - Chicago Blackhawks

Nick Ritchie (F) - Boston Bruins

Ondrej Kase (F) - Boston Bruins

Josh Ho-Sang (F) - New York Islanders

Kurtis Gabriel (F) - San Jose Sharks

Nikita Gusev (F) - Florida Panthers

Mike Amadio (F) - Ottawa Senators

Alex Biega (D) - Detroit Red Wings

Subtractions:

Zach Hyman (F) - Edmonton Oilers

Frederik Andersen (G) - Carolina Hurricanes

Zach Bogosian (D) - Tampa Bay Lightning

Joe Thornton (F) - Florida Panthers

David Rittich (G) - Nashville Predators

Alex Galchenyuk (F) - Arizona Coyotes

Nic Petan (F) - Vancouver Canucks

Riley Nash (F) - Winnipeg Jets

Stefan Noesen (F) - Carolina Hurricanes

Jared McCann (F) - Seattle Kraken

Top Draft Pick:

F Matthew Knies (2nd Round, 57th Overall)

Vancouver Canucks

Additions:

Oliver Ekman-Larsson (D) - Arizona Coyotes

Conor Garland (F) - Arizona Coyotes

Jason Dickinson (F) - Dallas Stars

Jaroslav Halak (G) - Boston Bruins

Nic Petan (F) - Toronto Maple Leafs

Luke Schenn (D) - Tampa Bay Lightning

Tucker Poolman (D) - Winnipeg Jets

Alex Chiasson (F) - Edmonton Oilers

Brad Hunt (D) - Minnesota Wild

Brady Keeper (D) - Florida Panthers

Subtractions:

Braden Holtby (G) - Dallas Stars

Nate Schmidt (D) - Winnipeg Jets

Alex Edler (D) - Los Angeles Kings

Loui Eriksson (F) - Arizona Coyotes

Jay Beagle (F) - Arizona Coyotes

Antoine Roussel (F) - Arizona Coyotes

Jimmy Vesey (F) - New Jersey Devils

Travis Boyd (F) - Arizona Coyotes

Kole Lind (F) - Seattle Kraken

Jake Virtanen (F) - Moscow Spartak (KHL)

Jayce Hawryluk (F) - Skelleftea AIK (SweHL)

Tyler Graovac (F) - Minsk Dynamo (KHL)

Top Draft Pick:

F Danila Klimovich (2nd Round, 41st Overall)

Vegas Golden Knights

Additions:

Evgeny Dadonov (F) - Ottawa Senators

Nolan Patrick (F) - Philadelphia Flyers

Brett Howden (F) - New York Rangers

Laurent Brossoit (G) - Winnipeg Jets

Subtractions:

Marc-Andre Fleury (G) - Chicago Blackhawks

Ryan Reaves (F) - New York Rangers

Tomas Nosek (F) - Boston Bruins

Cody Glass (F) - Nashville Predators

Dylan Sikura (F) - Colorado Avalanche

Tomas Jurco (F) - Free Agent

Top Draft Pick:

F Zach Dean (1st Round, 30th Overall)

Washington Capitals

Additions:

Matt Irwin (D) - Buffalo Sabres

Dylan McIlrath (D) - Detroit Red Wings

Vitek Vanacek (G) - Seattle Kraken

Subtractions:

Zdeno Chara (D) - New York Islanders

Brenden Dillon (D) - Winnipeg Jets

Michael Raffl (F) - Dallas Stars

Craig Anderson (G) - Buffalo Sabres

Daniel Carr (F) - HC Lugano (Swiss-A)

Top Draft Pick:

D Vincent Iorio (2nd Round, 55th Overall)

Winnipeg Jets

Additions:

Nate Schmidt (D) - Vancouver Canucks

Brenden Dillon (D) - Washington Capitals

Riley Nash (F) - Toronto Maple Leafs

Eric Comrie (G) - New Jersey Devils

Subtractions:

Mason Appleton (F) - Seattle Kraken

Trevor Lewis (F) - Calgary Flames

Mathieu Perreault (F) - Montreal Canadiens

Nate Thompson (F) - Philadelphia Flyers

Tucker Poolaman (D) - Vancouver Canucks

Derek Forbort (D) - Boston Bruins

Sami Niku (D) - Montreal Canadiens

Laurent Brossoit (G) - Vegas Golden Knights

Top Draft Pick:

F Chaz Lucius (1st Round, 18th Overall)

Available Free Agents:

Eric Staal (F)

Tuukka Rask (G)

Patrick Marleau (F)

Jason Demers (D)

Devan Dubnyk (G)

Frans Nielsen (F)

Ben Hutton (D)

Braydon Coburn (D)

Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff

Friday, August 20, 2021

Larger than Life - In Loving Memory of Coby Forman

I sit here trying to write truly the hardest thing I've ever had to, and I'm in constant tears as I do so. But I felt it was important for me to put my thoughts on paper about how much my dog Coby meant to me and to celebrate the gift of love that he gave our family for the past 12 years. It's something you hear from pretty much anyone who has a dog about "how special their dog is" but Coby was just so much more then that. He was my best friend, someone that was always by my side and loved me unconditionally no matter what. Simply looking at his big goofy face or lying with him was my safety blanket, and I feel so hurt without him

We got Coby back in the summer of 2009. The story goes like this:

Our first dog Riley unfortunately passed away on May 24, 2009 after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was a rescue and we never quite knew how old he was or previous health conditions he had, but he was a great dog for the 7 years we had him. Losing him was very tough but we knew that we had to fill the void eventually by getting another four-legged friend. What we didn't expect however was that happening just 7 days after he passed away, a situation I now look back as God's way of showing fate. We had gotten a call from a family friend who had an 8-week old puppy that they unfortunately couldn't keep, they lived in a high rise apartment and didn't think that they were able to properly care for an eventual 80+ pound dog. The entire family was skeptical about how soon this was, particularly my mom who was by far the closest to Riley, and I can't blame her for thinking that way. Despite most of the family being hesitant I spoke up, I said what did we have to lose? We could simply meet the dog and if it still felt too raw that would be okay

And 5 days later on May 29th, we were brought "Oliver" the Golden Doodle to come meet our family at 11pm at night. From the first moment I laid my eyes on him, I knew this was meant to be. He came right up to me and licked me on the face, proceeded to spend the visit bouncing around the house with just such a beautiful smile on his face. In that short visit, this little dog had won all of our hearts and we decided to keep "Oliver" but rename him Coby (my choice) and we officially adopted him on May 31st

In a matter of months Coby went from this little puppy to this giant fluffy 80-pound goof, but he still thought he was tiny and that's something he kept with him for the 12 wonderful years we had him. He would not hesitate to jump on the couch and plop down right on top of you, or just stick his big head right in your chest/face and just sit there with that big goofy smile he had. He was basically a therapy dog without actually being an official one, just being with him made me feel comfortable

From 2009-2013 I was away at University and I took every opportunity I could to come home from Guelph to see Coby. He was the type of dog that was happy to meet any person that graced his presence, a dog with a truly larger than life personality that we always joked was a human in a dog's body. He was Coby but he had so many nicknames from my brother Kyle and I: Cobybeef, Cobyashi, Cobbers, Beef, Coba-Cooby, Cooper to name a few

Coby was resilient dog, in 2016 he tore his ACL and it was the start of two years of consecutive surgeries and rehab for the guy. As a result of the first surgery he tore his meniscus in his other knee due to over compensation from the first ACL surgery, a common thing with ACL injuries in dogs. He then tore the ACL in his other knee and finally his meniscus in the other one, which means he had two ACL and two meniscus surgeries in 2 years. And yet, he had a smile on his face the entire time. Post surgery you would have never known he had been injured in the first place, we called him the bionic dog. People couldn't believe when we told them how old he was because they'd always assume he was a puppy, it was that puppy jovial spirit that he had for his entire life

In the summer of 2019 we added Maui to our family, despite being 10 years old Coby still had a ton of energy and we wanted him to have a friend to play with in his remaining years. At first Coby was almost ignoring Maui, which was funny because Maui absolutely adored him. She followed him everywhere he went and mimicked everything he did, even lying in the exact same positions. It took a while but Coby eventually warmed up to her, and they became best friends. It was such a joy to see how much that Maui just loved doing whatever Coby was, no matter what that was

In March of 2020 the pandemic started and found myself home almost 100% of the time, meaning I spent every second with Coby and Maui. I developed a routine of waking up super early (mostly by Maui waking me up) to feed them breakfast and take them outside. Maui would always wait for Coby to come out of my parents bedroom and would not go downstairs until Coby went first. She wouldn't start eating until Coby started eating, almost like she waited for him to make every decision

We celebrated Coby's 12th birthday on March 31st of this year, it started to daunt on me that I might not have much time left with him but he was still in perfect health. He had a vet checkup in June and everything was fine, which why this is all so sudden and shocking. He went from stopping eating and throwing up Friday to passing away peacefully early in the morning on Wednesday August 18th. A matter of 5 days and just like that he's gone

While I knew this day was inevitable and one day would come, I truly believed he would make it through this. He was smiling until his last breath and the only thing that comforts me right now is knowing that he wasn't suffering and was able to pass away in the comfort of his home surrounded by his family who loved him more than life itself. I spent every second with him in his last few days and it just breaks my heart that this was the way I had to say goodbye to my best friend in the entire world. Just hours before he passed away, my mom captured this picture of us together and he was happy and smiling to the end, too weak to stand up or to eat and drink but he still licked me on the nose once. Almost his way of saying goodbye without me realizing at the time

I am heartbroken and just completely devastated, it's the most hurt I've ever felt in my entire life and I truly am just crushed. He was so much more then just a dog, he was my entire world. He was with me through the shitty times when I had my concussions and couldn't connect with anyone, he would keep me company. There are just so many day to day routine things that he was always with me that makes this just so hard, I constantly am expecting to see his face and it breaks my heart.

I know this won't last forever but right now this is just the worst I've ever felt in my lifetime. It feels like I lost a part of me that I'll never get back and it's just so hard to really grasp that he's not with us anymore. People joke about broken hearts but they are a very real thing, physically, emotionally, mentally I am hurting. I would do anything to be able to pet him or kiss his face one more time

In loving memory of the best dog you could ever have and my best friend in the entire world

Rest in Peace Coby Forman 03/31/2009 - 08/18/2021