Monday's notes: Grapes sours on hockey geeks

by Dirk Hoag on Mar 29, 2010 11:28 AM EDT

Get your hockey week started with your (late) morning news and notes. It's another busy, four-game week for the Nashville Predators as they face off in Florida tonight against the Panthers.

After the jump, we have both a look at how advanced hockey stats are impacting the modern NHL, and the backlash against it from Don Cherry...

Before we get to the notes, I wanted to draw your attention a couple items you may have missed over the weekend:

Jonathan Blum working his way towards an NHL future - On the Forecheck
Eric Kent from Admirals Short Shifts provided us with a great feature article on the progress of 2007 1st-round draft pick Jonathan Blum. Might we see him with Nashville next season?

Tennessee's privilege tax draws criticism from Detroit's Brian Rafalski - On the Forecheck
Most are shedding no tears over the fact that professional athletes have to pay an extra tax to play in Tennessee. But consider the case of Peter Olvecky. He's played at the AHL level most of this season, for $105,000. He got called up back in October for one game, then sent right back down, and had to pony up $2,500 for the "privilege". That was his only NHL action this season, and coming to work that day cost him money, it didn't earn him anything.

Predators News

Predators fan vying to win contest
Head over here and vote for Tricia (known as @predsgirl on Twitter), a diehard Predators fan and cancer survivor, as Progresso Soup is having a contest that will award a makeover to one of 10 finalists. Bookmark this page, too, as you can vote once each day through April 12.

Game Night - The Trap is Set... - Paul McCann
Paul warns about the dangers in tonight's game, and reveals a super-fantabulous guest co-host for this week's Hockeybuzz Radio Show on Wednesday.

Preds On The Glass: What If The Preds Played in the East? and Weekend Wrap Up
Buddy's morning recap includes word that there's no podcast due to tonight's Predators-Panthers game.

Preds Can’t Cheat Fate. Can Arnott? " Pull My (Fang)Finger
If the captain is indeed suffering from the effects of a concussion (as seems obvious by now), that makes 3 in the last 3 seasons. Is Jason Arnott looking at the end of his career coming soon?

Column: Preds fans need parking after nearby lot closed - The Tennessean
Jenny Upchurch addresses the concerns of some Predators fans about how the Brdigestone Arena parking situation affects people who rely on handicapped parking. There good suggestions here, including the new "circulator" bus which is wheelchair accessible.

Preds must find cure for third-period blues - Nashville City Paper
Nashville has had some trouble last in recent games, writes David Boclair.

Around the NHL

Hockey’s numbers game - The Globe and Mail
A look at how advanced statistical analysis is slowly but surely working its way into NHL front offices.

"This shows how stupid the Corsi thing is..." - Behind The Net
Don Cherry goes off on the advanced hockey stats crowd, and bashes the Corsi number as useless. I love Grapes, but all too often the stats bashers beat up on a straw man. Nobody would seriously look at just the Corsi list and use that to declare a best/worst player in the league.

How Would the Thrashers Get Into the Playoffs? - Bird Watchers Anonymous
Here's the Eastern Conference team I'm pulling for. Their chances are slim, but still there.

Responding to Rumors " Teds Take
Ted Leonsis tries to slow down all the "Caps vs. Penguins at Heinz Field" talk regarding the next Winter Classic. As much as I'm sick of the NHL beating us over the head with Ovechkin vs. Crosby, it probably is the best thing they could do to attract a broader TV audience.

Rangers need Gaborik to be a star again - NYPOST.com
A cautionary tale for those who want to see Nashville sign a high-priced scoring winger. When they don't give you 100% consistently, the team is in big trouble.

Team Faceoff Percentage since 1997-98 - Behind The Net
Faceoff experts like Scott Nichol, Radek Bonk, and Yanic Perrault have served Nashville well over the years.

A Rookie Look at the Calder Trophy - View From My Seats
Amanda Fortier looks at the best from this year's rookie crop. My pick? Buffalo's Tyler Myers.

SB Nation Writers Going Pro - Blog Huddle
Congratulations go out as the Detroit Red Wings hire one of the writers from SB Nation's Winging It In Motown.

The Deepest Shade of Mushroom Blue - Jackets 4, Hawks 2 - Second City Hockey
Back-to-back losses to Columbus have Blackhawks fans wondering what's going on.

Who Will The Blackhawks Face in Round One? | Hockey Independent
This Chicago fan doesn't like a potential matchup with the Preds.

Postgame Avs-Sharks – Doesn’t anybody want that last playoff spot? - All Things Avs
Colorado isn't exactly locking down that playoff berth... might the Flames still be able to catch them?

A broadcast booth makeover - The Globe and Mail
Roy MacGregor asks a great question; given the influence of European hockey on today's NHL, why don't we see any European commentators on TV?

Taking one day to just be an NHL fan - USATODAY.com
Kevin Allen takes in a game in Detroit from the seats in the lower bowl, rather than the press box. Getting down close to the ice is an entirely different experience from observing way up high in the press box.

Bloge Salming: History Was Made To Be Forgotten...
The spoofs are already rolling in of the NHL's new playoff commercials! Here's one...

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Comments

Wow! Busy Monday!

Great job, Dirk! Some awesome links there as always! :)

by ajinnashville on Mar 29, 2010 11:37 AM EDT reply actions

I found a cool website to track the playoff race

here

Graphic Designer/Researcher/Writer at Music City Miracles.
Official Graphic Goon of On The Forecheck.

by Aditya T (smashville) on Mar 29, 2010 12:33 PM EDT reply actions

Also,

BridgestoneArena.com exists now

Graphic Designer/Researcher/Writer at Music City Miracles.
Official Graphic Goon of On The Forecheck.

by Aditya T (smashville) on Mar 29, 2010 12:46 PM EDT reply actions

A super-fantabulous guest co-host???

Wow… I wonder who could be joining me, Darren Pang, Craig Custance and Aaron Sims on Wednesday???

by SlapShot Radio on Mar 29, 2010 2:56 PM EDT reply actions

Go Tricia!

@PredsGirl deserves it, don’t forget to vote people!

by Poiju on Mar 29, 2010 4:13 PM EDT reply actions

Jock Tax

I’m still not convinced that any NHL player is actually paying to play a game in Tennessee. At worst, they may only make a couple hundred bucks.

If the league minimum salary is around 500,000 dollars and their daily pay is based on a 192 day year, the lowest someone could make in one day is a little over 2,600 dollars. A guy like Olvecky’s daily pay is based on his NHL salary (>500,000) while playing for Nashville, so I don’t think he ends up losing money on the game. Am I missing something here?

That’s not to say it isn’t an unfair tax.

by Lil cutie on Mar 29, 2010 5:05 PM EDT reply actions

You’re presuming that the $2,500 tax is all he’s losing, but that’s not the case.

First off, players have something like 18% skimmed off for escrow (a complicated aspect of the CBA they work under). 2600 * 18% = $468.

Then you take the “jock tax” = $2,500, so we’re already up to $2,968.

And this is before you get to any of the other taxes that come out of everybody’s paycheck: Federal income tax, Medicare tax, social security, etc.

Olvecky’s a rare example because he just spent 1 day at the NHL level this year, but it certainly cost him more than he earned that day. And for a guy making $105,000 at the AHL level, that’s certainly something most people should be able to sympathize with.

More fun than a stick to the face!
On the Forecheck is SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators.

by Dirk Hoag on Mar 29, 2010 5:31 PM EDT up reply actions