The Big Time Hockey League

BTHL Trade Deadline: Silent Night

Here we are again. Another BTHL trade deadline. In what would seem one of the most exciting times in the BTHL, consider this: deals will be scarce.

Take last season for instance, where the Colts and Legend were the only deadline day deal that saw Darren McCarty and Ronald Petrovicky head to the Legend to help their playoff run. A playoff run that ended in the first round at the hands of the Synthesis.

Season 13 saw eleven trades head up the deadline the second most ever; however, the Colts were involved in six of them as they began their rebuilding phase. The head lining deal was however; the Wildcats and IceHawks that swapped goalies in Cam Ward to Vancouver and Evgeny Nabokov to the Wildcats.

Season 12 saw five deals go down before the tone of midnight that saw Brendan Morrow head from the Crushers to the Sting.

Season 11 saw just two deals where the Bandits acquired Rob Neidermayer.

Season 10 saw seven deals with the Knights cashing in on JS Giguere, Jean Michael Liles, Sheldon Souray, and the IceHawks 1st in exchange for Martin Brodeur, Toni Lydman from the IceHawks.

Will this year break any BTHL records for most deals? The record was in season 7 where twelve deals took place and that record should still be standing. Yes there are deals that take place prior to the deadline that could be considered, but the event is called �Deadline Day� not �Deadline Week�.

Here�s three reasons why this deadline will fall into the category of �Honey, I�m too tired�.

1. �Come on! Come get some!� In the NHL, this scenario could create a media hard on for trade possibilities, but this isn�t the NHL. The Knights, Marauders, Celtics, and oh let�s include the Mustangs for the hell of it have been with in 8 points all season. The 8th and final playoff spot in the West will be one of these team�s reward. Trade deadline��which team will step up and make a deal to get it? Answer: None of them. Why? The Decepticons will take down any of these teams now or upgraded in four, okay maybe five games. The Decepticons are not like any NHL team. There are two teams in the NHL with five 80 overall rated players: the Detroit Redwings and Anaheim Ducks. The Decepticons have thirteen 80 overall rated players. Are you kidding me, thirteen to five?! The reason there will be no trades at the bottom of the standings is simply because there is no point. Why deal in youth when all it will get you is maybe one victory versus Utopia? If the Knights, Marauders, Celtics or Mustangs gear up at the deadline, you gotta give that team balls for sure.

2. �I want it! I needsssss it� It�s no secret anymore that the Blizzard are looking for a goalie, but where will they find one? It would seem that the first place Blizzard are just not content with Olaf Kolzig in net. It�s anyone�s guess to why. Kolzig is 5th among goalies in the league for GAA and just ask the defending cup champs in the Storm about there goalie last season or the surprising IceHawks about there�s this season. Alright, so the Blizzard are saying �Hogwash, we want a better goalie�. Let�s take a look at what the options are. Roberto Luongo? Good luck. Luongo may be on the block, but can you imagine the cost? The Blizzard will have holes to fill in their cup run after that deal. Evgeni Nabokov? Sure the Bandits might move him, but not when the Bandits are 5 points out of a playoff spot. Dominick Hasek? Alright here�s where the money is, but consider this. Todd Semonick would only take Hasek for dirt, dirt cheap. The Phantoms are still in the playoffs and for a GM in Joe Scanlon�s position this is the main thought �Is it worth more to take a run or take the late 5th�. None of these scenarios are likely to happen.

3. �Zzzzzzzzzz��.� Past trade deadlines can usually see some action because some GM�s just simply thrive on the occasion. Decepticons, Marauders, IceHawks, Colts, Hammers, and Meteors have traditionally been active, but there just doesn�t seem to be any indication of activity in these camps. Decepticons: Really, do they need to get better? Marauders: May swing a deal with intimate friend Larenzo Jensen, but no other takers on the vets. IceHawks: May make a deal or two, but the Hawks are on a roll and may not need to change anything. Colts: They won�t be breaking any trade records this season. Hammers: Need to make a deal of all teams. Tim Thomas� play has hurt the team and a few players are heading for big de-rates in future. Hammers may stand put because although they won�t win the cup, they may steal a first round series. Meteors: A. Archer and his BTHL cup rings were rumored to be vacationing in Thailand and is most likely not even aware of the trade deadline.

Deadline will not require use of the scroll wheel on your mouse, bank on it.

For the Calgary Sun and BTHL Insider I�m Brian Andrews.

Eastern Rankings:

Eastern Rankings:

Sometimes power rankings are just a snapshot of the current standings. I�ve never understood the point of these because anyone can just look at the standings themselves. Instead, the below power rankings are my purely subjective opinion of where teams should be based on the skill of the players on their team. They are completely up for debate and all comments are welcome. Without further adieu, the Eastern Power Rankings:

Team Skill	Current Position	Team	Total Points	BTHL MVP	Season Highlight	Key Issue
1	5	Sting	55	Sullivan	Super-emergence of NHL Malkin	Poor coaching must be keeping this team out of first
2	4	Meteors	55	Selanne	Selanne not retiring	Insufficient depth to deal with any injuries upfront
3	7	Arsenal	50	Iginla	Markov star season	Iginla, Briere, Kariya line in the minuses??
4	1	Blizzard	63	Williams	Toews NHL rookie season	Is there any? Doing something right to be first
5	3	Mercenaries	57	Cammalleri	Niedermayer not retiring	Playoff caliber goaltending???
6	2	Rage	63	Giguere	League leading 103 goals allowed	Defensively brilliant, but will the offence keep up?
7	8	Comets	47	DiPietro	DiPietro�s ridiculous rating	Sorry, I was too distracted wondering who rated DiPietro an 82???
8	6	Phantoms	52	Zubrus	Young core of defencemen continue to develop	Pure goal scoring could hurt team down the stretch
9	10	Bandits	44	Wolski	Acquisition of Blake could push team into playoffs	Pure goal scoring could hurt team down the stretch
10	10	Aces	39	Plekanec	Steal of a trade for Plekanec	Goaltending will hold this team back
11	11	Wildcats	32	Smolinksi	High draft pick should add value	Where to begin?
12	12	Colts	25	Anthem Singer	Only 32 games left	Investigation into throwing games?

Anonymous

Western power rankings (mid-season)

12) Surrey Crushers (8-33-5-2) - Heavyweight Milan Lucic\'s arrival has had minimal impact on the Crushers rough year, scoring just 1 point in his first 14 games of bthl action.

11) Quebec Mustangs (15-24-7-3) - Doug Weight has had a respectable season since joining the Stangs\' as a fee agent and the team still could grab the last playoff spot in the west. They could use a defenseman or two though......or three.

10) Halifax Celtics (18-26-3-1) - They have great talent throughout the lineup, even some world class players...but theres just one problem...no goaltending!! If GM John O\'Sullivan does decide to go out and get one, watch out.

9) Chicago Marauders (18-24-4-1) - Its no secret GM Rebelato is re-building, but Eddie Belfour\'s play is keeping them right in the thick of things.

8) Poughkeepsie Knights (18-25-3-1) - Anything is possible with Huet minding the nets and Daymond Langkow has been a top point producer all season.

7) Penticton Jackals (18-20-8-2) - They could be a real dark horse in this years playoffs, with tons of emerging talent, a solid defensive core and the best goaltender in the game in Roberto Luongo.

6) Steeltown Hammers (22-19-5-1) - They\'ve lost 4 straight, but are still fighting with the defending champs for 5th seed. The Hammers are looking for Ryan Getzlaf to pick up his pace a bit more in the second half of the season.

5) Kelowna Storm (22-20-5-2) - Injuries have the been the story for the Storm this season. You get the feeling that they are going to make a real run once they get healthy. Sami Salo\'s return is just around the bend.

4) Quabbin Legend (27-15-4-1) - Their 16 home wins leads the league, a valuable attribute for any successful playoff team.

3) Endinburgh Synthesis (29-14-3-2) - They give up an average of 2.3 goals per game, the second lowest in the bthl and the lowest of all western conference teams. The main reason: Tomas Vokoun. The netminder has posted an outstanding 18-9-2 record with a 2.02 GAA.

2) Vancouver Icehawks (26-11-9-1) - Winners of 5 straight, the Icehawks are the hottest team in the league. Alexei Kovalev has re-emerged as a lethal threat and has helped bring Vancouver straight to the top.

1) Utopia Decepticons (32-10-4-1) - Secret to success: they have a fourth line that could easily make up some teams\' first line. Can GM O\'Flaherty and the Decepticons get things done in the playoffs?

Flex on the Beach: Interior Division Report Card

Kelowna Storm:

Offence: B+

\\\"No. We repeat: This is not a BTHL Cup hangover. We are only experiencing momentary difficulties. Please stand by.\\\" A true test in every sense for this club is the tempest they\\\'re facing in the scope of injuries to key players. Marian Gaborik is the lifeblood of this club, and his loss to an undisclosed chest injury for 4-6 weeks is a huge one. Right now, he accounts for more than 20 percent of the teams goals, and also leads the team in points. When he returns, he\\\'ll pick back up on a 3 game scoring streak, and will likely bring a smile to Andrew Brunette\\\'s face, Gab\\\'s benefactor, who will surely struggle during his absence. Picking up Keith Tkachuk to help carry part of the load is looking even larger now, with Brian Gionta gone up to a month with a scratched cornea. Does Frolov have the stuff to step it up during this time of need?

Defence: B

Niklas Kronwall is continuing to reward trig GM Ryan Archer, who refused several other managers a trade involving the young, talented defender. His +13 rating is second on the corps only to Chris Phillips (+20), who has really stepped into a leadership mold for the blueline. Mike Commodore\\\'s 137 hits places him in company with Zdeno Chara and Brendan Witt, two annual leaders in that category. Other than his 2 game winning goals, Filip Kuba has disappointed slightly, and is not playing to his potential, and is a -13 after 44 games played.

Goaltending: B+

The defending cup champs have it where it counts, and that\\\'s between the pipes. Their stength is the ability to put either Roloson or Raycroft in net, with the chance to compete and come out with a \\\"W\\\" every game. Roloson has stepped to the plate and improved his save percentage to .903, while Raycroft has already had some memorable games this season, nailing down important inter-divisional games. Most importantly, they have proved their effectiveness in the post season, and really, what more can a General Manager ask of his keepers?

Intangibles: A-

This rating would be a flat-out \\\"A\\\"... if their PK weren\\\'t ailing them so. Ranked at 20th in the League with an 84.1% efficiency won\\\'t return them to the grandeur they enjoyed last season. But, not to overstate the obvious, but a team that can win 16 post season games before anyone else MUST be doing something right.

Utopia Decepticons:

Offence: A+

It is no secret that Dan O\\\'Flaherty posesses the most gifted and enviable line-up of Forwards in the League. Most teams, given a Rick Nash or an Anze Kopitar, would have them playing 1st line time, and probably work them over on at least the powerplay. As it stands, Rick Nash plays 4th line time, and Anze Kopitar doesn\\\'t even have a spot to play in. Lecavalier, Heatley, Alfredsson, Crosby and Ovechkin all have 40 points or better. \\\'Nuff said.

Defence: A

One might get a notion they could perhaps squeak out a win or two in a playoff series versus this club, were it they were built on offensive prowess alone. Not the case here. Nicklas Lidstrom is the anchor that Rob Blake, Dan Boyle, Wade Redden and Lubomir Visnovsky cling to, and it holds this ship very firmly in BTHL waters. The team\\\'s 6th ranked team defense is quite formidable, and their penalty kill ranks 10th in the League. Look for Liddy to get the nod as a finalist for the Norris trophy.

Goaltending: A

A small ripple of rumours runs through the League about this topic: How long will Miikka Kiprusoff be the starting goaltender in Utopia? Both Kari Lehtonen and Pascal Leclaire are chomping at the bit to become heir apparent, but the Kipper was brought in with one mission in mind - Rings. Cup Rings. He\\\'s already made good on that arrangement, and figures to add more before he\\\'s succeeded. He\\\'s come a long way since Chicago, but similar to Patrick Roy in that he just wants to own more records than anyone else, and he\\\'s making a serious stab this year, to.

Intangibles: A-

It\\\'s hard not to admire a statistic like 3.70 goals for a game. It\\\'s just as difficult not to recognize how many weapons this team has in it\\\'s arsenal, and the last piece of the equation is how well they blend it all together and make it work. Specials teams are doing great, and are not far off from recording exceptional numbers; make no mistake about it, this club has been built like a brick privy: Immovable, built to last, and you leave feeling like you\\\'ve had the crap knocked outta ya. Interestingly, the club is currently 4.5 million over the League cap, leaving speculation there might need to be some housecleaning of talent before too long.

Quebec Mustangs:

Offence: C+

The Mustangs made a couple of offseason moves that are paying quite high dividends right now, namely the acquisition of Doug Weight and Bill Guerin, numbers 1 and 4 in team scoring, respectively. JP Dumont looks poised to have a great season, and should continue to flourish under present managements direction, especially if given the proper guidance and pairing with supporting players. Their 15th ranked power play could use some help, though, and are scoring 2.39 goals per game, which is good enough for 20th in the League.

Defence: C+

Given another season or two, this ranking would surely be higher, given the emergence of Luc Bourdon, Marc Staal and Kris Letang (Letang having a good start in his rookie campaign) on the backend. But this is a \\\'now\\\' viewpoint, and Greg de Vries may lead blueliners in points (17), but a -16 rating in 43 games played. Garnet Exelby has been holding up his end of the bargain, with a respectable 12 points, +5 rating, and is bangin\\\' away with 103 hits under his belt. Good outlook for this group.

Goaltending: B+

This should be the \\\'Stangity Stangs bread and butter for many, many meals to come. MA Fleury has played a tonne of minutes, has a 2.77 average and .901 save percentage, and sits 4th on the Star Points ac*****ulation. To be frank, if they make the playoffs, which is not out of the question, I would consider Fleury to be a candidate for MVP proceedings. He\\\'s playing that well.

Intangibles: C+

At this point and time, one has to consider this a club in the midst of a rebuild. The good news for them is that they\\\'ve got the elements to successfully come out from under the shadow they\\\'ve played under for the last 3 seasons. Again, the strength of the BTHL goaltender for a team continues to be more and more evident, and Fleury is a good franchaise player for just such a position. The Bourdons, Staals and Letangs help make this a very bright up and coming group, and perhaps with more help from Free Agency, the Mustangs will again be a contender.

Edinburgh Synthesis:

Offense: A+

The only team in the League with six 40+ point men, this club is an offensive juggernaut with only one rival for goalscoring supremecy this year. Martin Havlat (he of 7 game-winning goals), Marian Hossa and Olli Jokinen have been tearing most teams in the League a new orifice so far, and show no signs of repentance. Erik Staal and Patrik Elias also provide intense 2nd line production, and even Erik Cole is getting in on the bonanza of goals this club feasts upon.

Defence: A+

Ranking 2nd in team defence with only 2.27 goals against per game, and the first ranked penalty kill, this is an area of dominance for the Castle dwellers. Obtaining Sergei Fedorov from the IceHawks continues to be a clutch move, moving him to defence as is their wont. His 17 points come in handy, but his +21 rating has GM Neil Hayes beaming with pride. Youngsters Allen and Morrisonn are having good years, and of course, Sergei Gonchar is in the middle of a career season at a point a game and a +34 rating.

Goaltending: A

Tomas Vokoun continues to swoon fans in Edinburgh with his uncanny consistency and night after night compelling performances inbetween the 4 x 6 foot cage. He sports a 17-8-2 record, 1.95 goals against average (only uber-Rager JS Giguere has a better one), and a .919 save percentage (2nd in League). The beauty of the situation is that Hayes can deploy Curtis Joseph at a moments notice, usually with a winning result (he\\\'s 11-5-0). Tale of the tape: If you score 3 goals in a game vs the Syn, you\\\'re doing something.

Intangibles: A-

Unfortunately or not, this season will undoubtedly be held in the balance again if the Synthesis play the Decepticons in the Conference final. The Synthesis, while not being measured solely against that yardstick, are a team built for right now, for success this season and a couple to come. Everything jives right now, the team has stayed quite healthy, and have the roster and ingredients necessary for a long cup run. And hell, being only about 700k over the Cap means Hayes could also beef up heading into the trade deadline, with loads of $ still in the bank.

Halifax Celtics:

Offence: B+

What more needs to be said than \\\"Big Zee\\\"? Henrik Zetterberg is a bonafide superstar in this League, with the numbers to prove it. With 25 goals (10 on PP), 26 assists in 44 games, in a 4-way tie for most tallies, my question is: Which GM wouldn\\\'t pay him $549,000 a season for the next 4 years? Of note, Martin Erat seems to be overachieving, sitting 2nd in team scoring (with Datsyuk in behind closely in 3rd) and Brian Campbell is doing exactly what ex-GM Darren Beseigel brought him in for: To break out and feed his teammates the vulcanized rubber black disc.

Defence: C

Oh, the woes on the blueline that leave John O\\\'Sullivan scratching his temple. He surely doesn\\\'t need to be reminded that his team is 20th in the League in team defense, coupled with the fact that his penalty kill ranks 2nd to last at 81.2% efficiency. It\\\'s not that as a whole they\\\'re performing poorly, as Nick Schulz is a very respectable +9 in 44 games, and MA Bergeron and Jim Vandermeer are the others with a positive rating, but Babchuk, Campbell, Tanabe and especially Dick Tarnstrom are all in the red, and that needs to change in order for the team to have more success.

Goaltending: C

At one point in time, I recall Robert Esche having a 77 OV rating, but that was a long time ago. Now, the netminder sports an .890 save percentage, allows 3.17 goals against on average. His counterpart, David Leneveu is coming along, but is not quite ready to become a true backup goaltender in this League. Sources close to the Insider say that O\\\'Sullivan was presented with a number of proposals to change his \\\'tending situation when he first took over the team, but they note that he was unwilling to move any players on the starting lineup. Therefore, you can add O\\\'Sullivan\\\'s name to the list including Todd Semonik\\\'s name of GM\\\'s looking for a better keeper. Hard to say how long fans in Halifax can be patient awaiting a move in this regard. Intangibles: C+

What it boils down to is this team is more than adept at putting the puck in the net. They\\\'ve got a goodly number of young rising stars that, given some help and direction, could make this team quite competitive in the future. Special teams are an extension of a clubs\\\' best players, and simply, it\\\'s hard to have a good penalty kill with a mediocre goaltender. Perhaps in the future, O\\\'Sullivan will augment the club with a goaltender, which surely could mean the difference between making the post-season, and not. But kudos to the General Manager that can stand patiently and wait for his club to improve from within, -I can think of a few teams that will be looking nervously over their shoulders as this club matures over the next couple of years.

Hammers land a giant in Boyle

Hammers land a giant in Boyle
(Hamilton)-Finally. It\'s been a long search but finally it is over. The heir apparent to Jason Allison\'s job on the third line has finally been found. Some will say it was a search brought on by the trading of Tomas Plekanec to the Aces during the pre-season. Don\'t count Hammers GM Stephen J. Holodinsky among them. "Thomas was good at what he did and there is no doubt in my mind that he improved this year," the GM started. "But we have always favoured size down the middle and for that reason Thomas wasn\'t in our long term plans." If Holodinsky wanted size, he got it in spades in 6\'6" 222 pound Brian Boyle. But there is more to the former Boston College product than that. He has offense to spare and a mean streak. Even more, he can line up on the blueline should the situation warrant. So what did Boyle cost the Hammers? T.J. Hensick, Ryan White and Wildcats 3rd round pick in 2010. Ironically the deal that landed him was made with the same team that was traded Thomas Plekanec, the Las Vegas Aces. "We really like the package Brian brings with him," explained the GM. "To us he looks like a jumbo Jason Arnott in training wheels. We can see where the trio of (Jason) Spezza, (Ryan) Getzlaf and Boyle will be one of the most feared trios down the middle in the BTHL." Mike Sledge
Brian Boyle

T.J. Hensick	Ryan White
HAMILTON SPECTATOR

Blizzard Bolster Forward Corps with 2 big Additions.

Despite a strong start to the season that sees the club perched in second place in the conference, Blizzard GM Todd Semonick was unhappy with the depth of his attack up front. Fortunately the team was able to adress this by adding two very talented forwards to an already solid group.

First the team reached an agreement that landed them center/winger Tim Connolly from the Wildcats. Connolly will likely line up either centering the 2nd line, or on the wing on the 3rd line. To aqcuire Connolly the Blizzard sent prospect Jeff Schultz, winger Trent Hunter, as well as defencemen Denis Gauthier and Jay Harrison to the Wildcats. The Blizzard also recieved Jiri Novotny in the deal.

The second of the additions came from within. It has just been learned that uber prospect Jonathan Toews will be joining the team immediately. Toews has franchise player upside and is likely to be slotted in as the 2nd line center once Jarret Stoll returns from injury. These additions make the Blizzard attack among the most fearsome in the league. Projected Lines:

Gagne-Gomez-Michalek
Williams-Toews-Hemsky
Connolly-Stoll-Smyth
Staal-Kelly-Ruutu

Flex On the Beach - report card

Lemieux Division Vegreville Sting: With a solid record within their Conference, the (under new management) Sting are vying for top spot. Currently, they hold a slight margin over division rivals, the Blizzard. Perhaps even more than last season, they\\\'re playing like a real unified unit with purpose, and should be a handful all season.

Offense: B

Brendan Morrow started out posessed, but has tapered slightly. In his stead, Steve Sullivan is quietly having a career season at well over a point a game, and Chris Pronger continues to pile \\\'em up from the back end.

Defence: A

Matthieu Schneider continues to be one of the best defensive additions in recent memories, and forms the backbone of the Sting reargaurd with Pronger; Lydman and Hainsey are nice touches on an already formidable top six.

Goaltending: A

It\\\'s quite a flattering indication of depth when Niklas Backstrom only has had 16 minutes of work with nearly 30 games in the books. King Henry (Lundqvist) is the man in Vegreville, and his sparkling .906 Sv pct is giving Eastern opponents fits. Possible Vezina candidate.

Intangibles: B

Once the bread and butter for Sting offence, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau will have to lessen the scoring load placed on Sullivan; but as has been recently pointed out by the new General Manager, the team is especially blessed up the middle, so production isn\\\'t squarely focused on 2 sets of shoulders.

Winnipeg Blizzard: The Blizz are having a fine season, and are making their intra-conference games count. Their struggle with the Mercenaries will be a titanic one, and could possibly decide the division with a stretch of important tilts with Jeff Pietrobon\\\'s Mercenaries in the last 15 regular season games.

Offense: B+

Speedster Justin Williams is making every effort to lead this team in a number of ways, but particularly Special Teams. He has 4 PP goals already, and scores more than once every 5 shots. Ryan Smyth and Simon Gagne are playing decently, but it\\\'s Milan Michalek who\\\'s getting a lot of press in Winnipeg lately.

Defence: B

Grade would be higher if not for Robyn Regehr\\\'s slower start, but Timonen is GM Semonik\\\'s saving grace thus far; Bryan McCabe is also having a good campaign, but will need to make more of a difference with the man advantage than he is at the moment.

Goaltending: B-

If the Blizzard have an achilles tendon, this is the area. Not that Olaf has played poorly, because his record would indicate otherwise, but I remember him \\\'stealing the show\\\' for a couple of seasons when he played for the Bandits, so the League knows what he\\\'s capable of. Biron might be out of work soon...

Intangibles: C+

Ales Hemsky is the real temple-scratching quandry in my opinion. Shyte-loads of talent, but having a hard time staying healthy, missing nearly half their games to present; Sergei Zubov is another defenceman that would benefit from increased PP production; - he\\\'s always got it done in the past.

Treviso Mercenaries: Giving the Sting and Blizzard lots to look at (up close and personal like) in their rearview mirrors. Mired in a slight slump, the Headhunters from Treviso are annual threats to take this Division, and should have more to say about it as the season sheds pages of the calendar.

Offense: B

What a difference a year has made for the stats sheet up front with the top six. Mike Cammalleri and Alex Tanguay are battling it out for bragging rights atop the teams\\\' scoring chart, but it\\\'s the absence of Ilya Kovalchuk from that race (thus far) that is the most perplexing. Defence: B-

When a team has a Scott Neidermayer, it\\\'s easy to overlook little gems like Dan Hamhuis and Jay Boumeester, so we won\\\'t. Were it not for their contributions, the Mercenarie blueline might have more perforations than it does currently. Brett Clark has been steady and reliable, and every team needs a Kevin Bieksa. Goaltending: B

Ray Emery is performing very, very well, and will have lots of opportunity to prove his worth as the season wears on. Playing heavy minutes, this category would be rated a \\\"B+\\\" if Antero Shittymaki could pull up his socks and his 5.45 GAA. The Big Question Mark: Can Emery do it this year in the post-season?

Intangibles: B-

Remember when Marek Svatos was tearing up the BTHL with his torrid goalscoring pace? I do to, and Pietrobon is hoping for some total recall soon from the ex-sniper. Not to harp on Kovalchuk, but he\\\'s a difference maker and BTHL scoring champion; so it\\\'s hard to evade the spotlight he\\\'s created for himself.

Arizona Phantoms: Like a tumbleweed on the desert floor at the beginning of a sandstorm, this team is gaining momentum. Production in a number of areas are at least on pace, if not improved, and have served notice they\\\'re no longer the Eastern whipping boys they once were portrayed as. Offense: A-

Tied for 4th in team scoring with the Sting, there\\\'s a new trend in Arizona, and it\\\'s fans jumping up from their seats and cheering, and not because GM Joe Scanlon is giving fans the Full Monty up on the Jumbotron. Bertuzzi, Zubrus and Matt Cullen are scoring, and Dustin Brown is finding his new groove.

Defence: B

Snug and secure in the top half of the League, team defence is really at an all-time high in the desert. Ryan Whitney has been a delightful find, and like Lindsay Lohan\\\'s social adventures, has been giving observers lots to talk about around the water cooler; Glen Wesley should receive Unsung hero award.

Goaltending: B

Dom is very much the tale of the tape for this club; as he sails, so do the Ghostly Ones. Personally, I thought for sure he was lost to \\\'Zona when he hit the FA market, but Scanzz has been very mindful of his pocketbook, and saved some cheese for arguably the most sought after agent in the offseason.

Intangibles: B-

Although his fastest days are a recent memory, everybody still wants to be like Mike. At the cool 2 million he\\\'s commanding, Modano is putting up points, but should have a more profound effect. But with what he brings to the locker-room, it really doesn\\\'t matter, as long as the club is winning, which it is.

New York Comets: Perhaps akin to Haley\\\'s Comet, found lighting up the sky every so often with brilliance, yet also being noticibly absent at times, the Comets have been streaky over the past few seasons, and this season is no different. Definitely victims of an increasingly tough division and Conference.

Offence: C+

Although being ranked 20th in the League in GF/G, there are (ahem) some bright spots lining those stats. Rolston, Boyes and Vyborny are once again having good years, and Boyes will only continue to improve upon current point totals. Forsberg\\\'s shooting percentage improving will help the team significantly.

Defence: A-

Just a shade inferior to the Sting\\\'s defensive set-up, the Comets pride themselves on good, tight team defense. They have the 7th ranked PK in the League, and Sean Hill and Roman Hamrlik are both having fine seasons, especially in the +/- dep\\\'t, which has New York brass beaming about their back end.

Goaltending: A

This is where things look good for the club, both now and in the foreseeable future. Rick DiPietro could be a BTHL Cup ring bearer before too long, whether with the Comets or not. Time should help this goaltender mature into the elite class of goaltenders, and he\\\'s well on his way. Intangibles: B-

The value of the BTHL netminder continues to climb in the minds of several managers League-wide, and the Comets could very well have theirs pay dividends for seasons to come. They also have a well rounded group of veterans working with their up-and-comers, which should buoy faith in the franchaise and brand.

Missisauga Wildcats: This is what a team in rebuild looks like. There are a hundred cliches that could apply to the Wildcats as far as looking towards what the future holds, and all would be applicable right now. Make no mistake, though, they\\\'re wild, and they still fight for every little scrap they get. Offence: B-

Ultimately, hockey comes down to being able to put the puck in the net, and GM O\\\'Byrne\\\'s club has been doing that. Tim Connolly leads the team, and has been very consistent. Of note is that Peter Prucha has 6 PP tallies for his club, which is tops in the League, and has them nicely in 6th spot for PP conversion pct.

Defence: C-

This is where it gets dicey for the team. They need to be more effective on the PK, and though they score on average 2.62 goals a game, they are allowing 3.19 per, which is causing some concern in Wildcat country. But the team works hard at keeping penalities down, which is a strong sign. Goaltending: C

Brent Johnson is doing everything in his power to hold the ship together, and somehow, someway Michael Garnett is stopping well over 9 out of every 10 shots against him. But the writing is on the wall; there will need to be a new heir to Pride Rock inbetween the pipes. Intangibles: C+

It comes to mind that not so far in the distant past, the team, whether \\\'overachieving\\\' or not, made the playoffs, and then surprised everyone by beating the Mercenaries with Dan Cloutier leading the way. It\\\'s possible this team has more surprises in store; begging the question: Will it come soon?

Phantoms Aquire Knuble

The Arizona Phantoms have been looking for another top winger all season. It took them 19 games, but they\'ve finally found their man.

The Phantoms completed a trade thursday with the Mississauga Wildcats, acquiring winger Mike Knuble in exchange for Dominic Moore and a fourth round draft choice in the 2008 draft. In 18 games with the Wildcats this season, Knuble has 9 goals, 8 assists, and a +7 rating.

\"This is something we certainly needed\" said GM Joe Scanlon. \"Stempniak is having a real good season for us, but passing up on Knuble was something we couldn\'t do. Hes going to bring alot to this team...scoring, strong two-way play, leadership. We are instantly better.\"

Knuble joins the likes of Modano, Bertuzzi, Zubrus, Cullen, and Dustin Brown to create a forward core that can give the team a chance to win on any given night. \"We\'ve definitely never put a group this talented on the ice ever before\" says Scanlon. \"Not to mention a couple of great kids like Weiss and Stempniak on the lower lines. We are deeper than ever and hopefully we continue to grow.\"

Sting Hire New GM

Sting would like to introduce their new gm Brian Turner. Turner brings over an impressive record of getting the most out of his players. In previous jobs he has been able to compete without having the same caliber of some teams, and with the impressive roster laid before him this may be his chance to shine.

�coming into this job I am in a new position, one that a gm dreams of. Every other job I have started out on a rebuilding club, but managed to make the playoffs every year and lay the ground work and rapidly improve, but this team presents me with a unique challenge. All the main pieces of a winning team are here, it�s might just the minor tweeks that make the difference between a cup, a impressive cup run, or being bounced in the first round.�

Reporter one � What do you see this teams biggest weakness is ?

�well to be honest there is no huge weakness on this team. The depth up the middle is just amazing. We could use another top six winger but its not a must have, but more of a cherry on the Sunday. Also Having a defensive core anchored by allstars Pronger and Schneider

is great , but the supporting cast can more then hold their own. If anywhere I would be looking to add some players, the blue line may be it.

Reporter two � what direction do you plan on taking this club

�well we have some amazing young players in malkin and lundvist who will lead this team for years, and some vets that make is one of the elite teams in the league. We will not be rebuilding that is for sure. We plan on making a huge push for the cup.

Reporter three � who if anyone do you view as untouchable

�well the odds of Malkin, Lundqvist, Pronger, or Thornton moving are slim to none. These are players you build around not move. Also there are many players it would take a lot to pry away from me. But that being said I understand you have to give to get, so some players that I do like will likely be moved if the deal is right.�

A lot of gms ask me what type of gm I am, what my philosophy is, and things along those lines. I tell them basically the same thing. I think I am a fair gm, but a tough gm at times. I have no time for bogus offers that makes absolutely no sense for me. I don�t offer those offers to other gms so I don�t want to hear them. Also I will listen to any offer sent my way, cant promise I will like it , but I will listen.

Well I should be getting to work, I would like to thank the league for this opportunity , and look forward to talking to you all.

for more information Brian Turner can be reached at nightmare_3020@hotmail.com.

The Big Time Hockey League

BTHL Trade Deadline: Silent Night

Eastern Rankings:

Western power rankings (mid-season)

Flex on the Beach: Interior Division Report Card

Hammers land a giant in Boyle

Blizzard Bolster Forward Corps with 2 big Additions.

Flex On the Beach - report card

Phantoms Aquire Knuble

Sting Hire New GM

BTHL Free Agency