Yardbarker: Carolina Hurricanes

NZ Maori snatch Pacific Nations Cup from Australia A

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:41:27 -0500

New Zealand Maori clinched the Pacific Nations Cup rugby championship with a match-winning try three minutes from time for a 21-18 win over Australia A in Sydney on Sunday.

Wellington Hurricanes flanker Thomas Waldrom's late try enabled the New Zealand Maori to leapfrog the previously-unbeaten Australia A on the final standings and claim the tournament by just one point after five rounds.

Full-back Mark Gerrard had the chance to draw the match in the final minute, which would have been enough for Australia A to claim the title, only for his 45-metre attempt to fall agonisingly short.

Former rugby league international centre Timana Tahu appeared to put Australia A within sight of victory with his second try of the match for an 18-14 lead with 20 minutes left.

But with seven minutes remaining, the Maori chanced their arm, throwing the ball from side to side, and aided by some ruck penalties awarded by Fijian referee James Bolabiu, the Kiwis were presented with a late chance to snatch the game.

Hurricanes centre Tamati Ellison found a gap on the left and passed inside to Waldrom who barged over between two defenders. Scrum-half Piri Weepu converted from wide out to put the Maori in front with just minutes to go.

It was the first appearance in the Pacific Nations Cup for the Maori, replacing the Junior All Blacks who romped to victory in the Cup's first two years.

Time: 05:52
Article: AFP

Shannon Paku incredible finish from 2007 Air NZ Cup

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 17:25:44 -0500

With the Air New Zealand Cup, New Zealand's premier domestic rugby competition, kicking off in only a few weeks time, we thought it would be a good idea to randomly feature a few of the better tries scored in recent times in the tournament, which used to be known as, and is still referred to as, the NPC.

This particular try was scored brilliantly by the flying Wellington Lions, Hurricanes, and current New Zealand Maori winger Shannon Paku.

After a movement that started back in Wellington's own half, scrum half Piri Weepu sparked life into the backs as he flew down the wing and bashed into a few North Harbour defenders. Current All Black star Ma'a Nonu then carried it up strongly before it was moved wide through some quick hands, and given to Paku, who had the narrowest of space to work with.

His momentum, and a slight touch from the first tackler, meant that he was never going to make it safely into the corner, especially with another tackler coming across. The big dive followed, and with Paku's body outside of the field of play, airborne, he somehow managed to get the ball down to stylishly finish off a brilliant try.

Oh Canaduh! Oilers Edition

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 11:02:28 -0500

With Hockey madness in full force in Canada it seems appropriate that my first blog discuss the current direction of the NHL's Canadian teams. I'll start it off with Oil Country as the Oilers are leading the offseason charge thus far. With new Billionaire owner David Katz in place the Oilers seem poised to have the financial backing to actively pursue some of the top players and contracts in the league. With the 90 million dollar 9 year contract offer to Marian Hossa, Lowe and company are showing just how desperate they are to bring a big name back to Edmonton. Luckily the likelihood of some of these high profile players choosing Edmonton is minimal and they've avoided some disastrous contracts. I'm not knocking Marion Hossa as a player but I bet years 6 through 9 of his contract would not be so rewarding. The bright side is the Oilers have an excellent young core which is destined to improve and Lowe has done an excellent job finding trades to improve his club. The additions of Erik Cole, Gilbert Brule and Lubomir Visnovsky address some team needs and add youth. On the way out were Jarret Stoll, Raffi Torres and Joni Pitkanen who all failed to reach full potential with the Oilers. With hopes of of being a top line offensive defenseman; Pitkanen has battled injuries and consistency. Visnovsky is certainly an upgrade as he's one of the premier offensive defenseman in the league and is known for having a good work ethic and locker room presence. Erik Cole's combination of heart, grit and scoring touch will be an upgrade over Stoll our Torres and should bring instant dividends. Cole will be a free agent after this season and the audition years have a way of being productive. Former first round pick Gilbert Brule has yet to put up the numbers expected of him but a young potential filled player is not a bad risk to take. Let's hope the Oilers stay the course and not lose their focus trying to bring in a big name who may hurt the team in the long run. Glencross signed on in Calgary and although he seems to be on the right path to success this year free agent signings have proven to be expensive and an overpriced Glencross is not what the Oilers need. It looks like the Oilers will be a playoff team in the upcoming season and with the youth they have it may be the beginning of a good stretch for Oilers fans. That's part 1 of Canaduh Oil Country edition. Hope you enjoyed it. Be sure to check back for the Flames edition shortly. - Rib

Making Sense Of The Free Agency Madness

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 21:41:04 -0500

NHL free agency is less than 3 days old and already the NHL's landscape has undergone some big changes. Which teams have taken advantage of free agency, and which teams were in better shape on June 30th? It's time to break down the winners and losers in free agency thus far.

NHL Draft Results

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:13:41 -0500

The NHL drafted dudes this weekend, and all four Michigan recruits were picked:

D Brandon Burlon went in the late second round (#52) to New Jersey.
Robbie Czarnik went at the top of the third (#63) to the Kings
Greg Pateryn went in the fifth (#128) to Toronto
David Wohlberg went in the sixth to New Jersey (#172)

Draft-eligible freshmen Scooter Vaughn and Tristin Llewellyn were passed over, as was 2009 D recruit Lee Moffie. This is the first time since 2000 Michigan didn't have a player picked in the first round. The program is a machine.

Upshot? It's nice to have top-end picks, but a bunch of second to fourth rounders are almost as good since NHL teams are less likely to pick them off after a year or two but they still have excellent talent. See: Porter, Kevin and Kolarik, Chad.

Czarnik going to LA is a little unfortunate. The Kings have a history with Michigan hockey, and by "have a history" I mean "you hate them." Mike Cammalleri, now a (yech) Flame, was pressed and pressed by the Kings until he finally signed right before the season started, pissing Red off something fierce and causing one of his regular diatribes against early signing. Two years ago, USHL player of the year Trevor Lewis never got to Michigan after being picked by the Kings at the tail end of the first round. LA signed him and shuffled him off to the OHL. (Jack Johnson also signed with the Kings early, but he went right into the NHL; can't blame anyone for that.) Czarnik's not going to pull a Lewis, knock on wood, but if he turns into a star he might get signed prematurely.

Other than that, it's nice to see the Devils pick a couple Michigan players. New Jersey's one of the best-run organizations in the league and they get a ton out of the draft, which speaks well of Burlon and Wohlberg's talent relative to their draft positions. They also tend to leave guys in college longer (IMO). Pateryn getting drafted is a major bonus since he's not on much scholarship money.

CCHA Note: Highly-touted Ohio State recruit Zac Dalpe may never see Columbus. He went high-ish in the OHL draft to Plymouth and was just taken by the Carolina Hurricanes. Both franchises are owned by Peter Karmanos. Dalpe was reportedly considering the OHL route but wanted to see what the team who drafted him preferred; Carolina is obviously going to push for the Whalers.

Outside of Michigan, it was a meh year for the CCHA in the draft. MSU recruit Daultan Leveille went 29th; he and Dalpe were the only two players selected before the fourth round, when a couple ND recruits and another MSU player went.

Draft Day Frenzy

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:49:35 -0500

The 2008 entry draft is two days away. At this point too many things are happening to believe no trades will take place. Here are some final rumours.

Southeast Division 2008 Free Agency Preview

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 21:34:49 -0500

What does free agency have in store for the Atlanta Thrashers, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Washington Capitals? Can the Lightning find their way out of the basement? Can the 'Canes regain their championship form? Can the Caps bolster Alexander Ovechkin's supporting cast?

Previewing the NHL Draft By Division: The Southeast Division

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 18:33:24 -0500

This is part four of a six part series. The Top 5 prospects rankings are according to Hockey's Future...

So long, Sami: Kapanen retires

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:39:55 -0500

After 12 years in the league, Flyers winger Sami Kapanen has decided to end his NHL career. According to Bill Meltzer of Hockeybuzz.com, Kapanen will play for KalPa in Finland, the team he started his career with, for one season before hanging up his skates for good. Kapanen spent the last 4 1/2 seasons with the Flyers and was a total team player, doing whatever it took to help the team win, including playing defense from time to time. He still had one year left on his contract where he would have earned just over a million dollars, so now the Flyers will have a little bit of extra cap space. Click the link for more on Kapanen's career, including footage of his most memorable moment.

Sami Kapanen Retires

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 16:15:06 -0500

Sami Kapanen announced his retirement from the NHL on Monday. Kapanen who spent the last five seasons with the Flyers after being acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes retires after 13 seasons in the NHL.

The Throw In Bites Back

Sat, 24 May 2008 22:56:08 -0500

At the 2003 Draft, the Pittsburgh Penguins traded the 3rd overall pick (Nathan Horton), a 2nd round pick (Stefan Meyer) and Mikael Samuelsson to the Florida Panthers. In return, the Penguins received the 1st overall pick (Marc-Andre Fluery) and a 3rd round pick (Daniel Carcillo). The Penguins just gave up one roster player who never made an impact at the NHL level at that point. Fluery was...

Oprah tells NHL: Hire good people, be successful like me.

Thu, 22 May 2008 15:50:04 -0500

Your teams' path is laid for the future through the executive restructuring ongoing throughout the Spring months currently upon us. How important are the decisions your team is making right now? Very.

Laviolette to remain behind bench

Tue, 20 May 2008 14:41:03 -0500

Even though the Carolina Hurricanes have missed the playoffs both years since they won the Stanley Cup in '06, General Manager Jim Rutherford said that the team would retain the services of coach Peter Laviolette. Many people in the media believed that after Joel Quenneville and Ron Wilson were fired after their teams made the playoffs, Laviolette would be gone to. However this was never the case in Rutherford's mind saying that speculation was a little beyond what it should be. Laviolette has 3 years remaining on his contract that he signed after he won the Cup and has compiled a 155-119-28 record in his 4 years of being the bench boss in Carolina.

Takin' Care Of Business

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 08:32:40 -0500

Odds and ends from around the NHL and beyond, including: Sean Avery, playoff coverage, fantasy hockey awards, and more!

The NHL Draft Lottery

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 20:01:36 -0500

Tonight the NHL held the Draft Lottey Tonight. One of five teams had a chance for the Stamkos sweepstakes. The Tampa Bay Lighting, the Los Angeles Kings, Atlanta Thrashers St. Louis Blues, and the New York Islanders. With almost 50% chance of winning the lottery the Tampa Bay Lighting are on the clock with the Number 1 pick in the 2008 Entry Draft...