EURO CURVE

Euro Curve appears Saturdays on Illegalcurve.com and chronicles the latest international hockey news.

- The New York Rangers are going to rack up the air miles this coming Fall as they will play in the inaugural Victoria Cup against Metallurg Magnitogorsk (winner of the 2008 European Champions Cup) in addition to an exhibition game versus Swiss Club SC Bern. The Victoria Cup will be the first tournament in 17 years that has pitted an NHL club versus a Russian League team. It will be played at the soon-to-be-newly-renovated PostFinance Arena (cap. 16,789).

- Risto Pakarinen, the European hockey writer for the The Hockey News, had a interesting piece in the April 8th issue about the top 10 arena draws in Europe this season. SC Bern of the Swiss League had the highest average attendance for the seventh straight year at 15, 939. The top Russian club was Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. (8,995).

- Hockey Canada recently announced that Columbus Blue Jackets frontman Ken Hitchcock will once again be the head coach for Canada at the 2008 World Hockey Championships in Quebec City/Halifax. Hitchcock has won at almost all levels of amateur and professional hockey including the Stanley Cup, Memorial Cup and Winter Olympic Gold. Team Canada general manager Steve Yzerman is expected to announce the roster early next week and he will not have a shortage of players to choose from. Columbus Blue Jackets star and 2007 World Hockey Championship MVP Rick Nash should be ready to go despite having to undergo minor throat surgery this week and will be counted on offensively, especially with Hitch behind the bench. Other players who should expect a call from Yzerman include: Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St.Louis, Sam Gagner, Dustin Penner, Nathan Horton, Mike Cammalleri, Jonathan Toews, Darcy Tucker, Jay Bouwmeester, Ryan Kesler,Mike Comrie, Matt Stajan, Andrew Cogliano, David Perron, Duncan Keith, Roberto Luongo, Dwayne Roloson, Carlo Coliacovo, Dan Boyle, Andrew Raycroft.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Ezra Ginsburg.

EURO CURVE

Euro Curve appears Saturdays on Illegalcurve.com, and chronicles the latest international hockey news.

So Czech superstar -and New York Rangers veteran- Jaromir Jagr is rumoured to be the most recent hockey player considering a move from the National Hockey League to Russia. Ho-hum.

According to an article in yesterday's National Post, and citing references from the Bergen Record, Jagr has already began preliminary discussions with representatives from Avangard Omsk of the Russian Super League. The eccentric mega-millionaire will become an unrestricted free agent this summer and it has been said that the Rangers aren't necessarily prepared to offer Jagr another multi-year deal.

Based on Jagr's career numbers and improved defensive play, you have to think that he would command an average yearly salary of somewhere in the neighbourhood of $7-$9 million dollars. After averaging 110 points over the past two seasons, Jagr has struggled offensively in 2007'08 (77 games played, 20 goals, 43 assists). Because of Jagr's performance-dependant contract, he must score 84 points this season (impossible) or lead the Rangers past the first round of the playoffs (more likely) for his status as an unrestricted free agent to be changed.

There are a few factors which will determine whether or not Jagr boards a plane for the Evil Empire. Firstly, how the Rangers perform in the playoffs will have a massive impact on whether Jagr stays in the NHL or decides to finish off his career in Europe. The Rangers have an excellent team this year, a equal mix of speed, skill and grit. As is the case with the fortunes of many other playoff-contending teams, New York will sink or swim with starting goaltender Henrink Lundqvist. Jagr, Shanahan, Straka,Drury and Gomez et al. form one of the most dangerous forward units in the entire NHL and unless they all come to the first round of the playoffs with hangovers, will get their fair share of goals. Obviously, who the Rangers draw in the first round will be huge (The Devils love playing the Rangers in the playoffs, please see four game sweep in 2005'06 playoffs).

The second factor which will affect Jagr's decision is the type of contract that Avangard Omsk offers him. Remember, Jagr played for Avangard Omsk during the 2004'05 lockout season and was paid handsomely for his efforts. It is quite possible that Jagr would rather collect a one-year, $6 million tax free cheque in Russia than accept a reduced multi-year offer from an NHL club. Regardless, Jagr is not going to have to worry about missing his Lamborghini or Ferrari payments anytime soon.

So if Jammy moves to Russia, what kind of precedent will this set in North America? Will thirty-something NHLers follow suit and finish their careers in Europe because of the more desirable contract offers? Will we see Daniel Alfredsson, Mats Sundin, Michael Nylander, Viktor Kozlov, Martin Straka, Saku Koivu and Alexei Kovalev in the same situation at this time next year? Probably not. These players are paid well and want to win the Stanley Cup. The elite leagues of Russia, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland may attract a few NHLers looking to prolong a fleeting career but for the most part, this will not create a negative spin-off.

As the Russian Super League continues to pursue talented players like Andrei Kostitsyn and Nikita Filitov, North American hockey pundits can take solace in the fact that hockey players still consider the National Hockey League the greatest stage for hockey in the world, which will keep most players coming back.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Ezra Ginsburg.

EURO CURVE

Euro Curve appears Saturdays on Illegalcurve.com and chronicles the latest international hockey news.

Daniel Alfredsson became the first European captain in the history of the National Hockey League to lead his team to a Stanley Cup Final series last season when the Ottawa Senators captured the Eastern Conference championship. The Senators were defeated in five games by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks and thus Alfredsson was unable to reach his penultimate zenith.

With less than a quarter of the 2007'08 regular season remaining, Alfredsson -who has a remarkable 78 points this season- remains Europe's best candidate to finally break the (continental?) barrier. The Senators have experienced their fair share of internal bickering this year, struggling to perform like a team who started the season winning 15 of their first 17 games. But the one constant, aside from the annoying horn heard at Scotiabank Place, has been the meritorious play of Alfie.

After dropping two games to the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins by a combined score of 9-0, the Senators axed ex-Winnipeg Jets head coach John Paddock in favour of GM Bryan Murray. The move was made in part because of the perfunctory play of some of the team's veterans. The micromanaging of the trials and tribulations of 1A goaltender Ray Emery could have been another reason.

This week, local hockey writers and insiders waited in anticipation like a bunch of Hannah Montana fans as Murray decided not to move Emery at the NHL's trade deadline. Instead, Murray acquired three-time Stanley Cup winner Martin Lapointe and gave Emery a supreme boost of confidence. Along with the acquisitions of Cory Stillman and Mike Commodore, Ottawa is now brimming with championship-winning leaders.

Amidst controversies surrounding the team's goaltending and coaching situations, Alfreddson has been diplomatic and level-headed. He has let his play on the ice do the talking. And that's why he is a good candidate to take a page out of Lars-Erik Sjoberg's book. The book of European captains who have won a major championshio that is. Sjoberg was an uber-talented Swedish captain who was flanked by all-star linemates. Sjoberg captained the Winnipeg Jets to three Avco Cup championship in the 1970's playing alongside Ulf Nilsson and "The Golden Jet" Bobby Hull.

Alfredsson faces many obstacles, particularly history, in his noble quest, as Brian Leetch remains the only non-Canadian to have captained his team to a Stanley Cup championship (New York Rangers, 1994). Another hurdle facing Alfie is the high competition level in the Eastern Conference as teams like the Montreal Canadiens, Pittsburgh Penguins and New Jersey Devils continue to push for high playoff seeding.

Will Alfredsson lead the Sens back to the Stanley Cup Finals to battle the stacked Ducks or will Detroit Red Wings captain Niklas Lidstrom steal the European championship belt? We'll have to wait just like those pre-teen Miley Cyrus fans.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Ezra Ginsburg

EURO CURVE

Euro Curve appears on Saturdays on Illegalcurve.com, and chronicles the latest international hockey news.

- It was reported earlier this week by many sources, including TSN, CBC and Rogers Sportsnet, that free-agent forward Peter Forsberg would not be returning to the National Hockey League this season, contrary to earlier speculation. It is believed that concerns regarding Forsberg's foot and ankle injuries can simply not be ignored and have turned interested teams off. The Philadelphia Flyers and Colorado Avalanche were rumoured to be the teams most likely to bring Foppa back to the NHL.

- The Philadelphia Flyers claimed Norwegian Center Patrick Thoresen off waivers from the Edmonton Oilers in a quiet move Friday afternoon. Thoresen fell out of favour with Oilers management after struggling in only 17 games of action this season (two goals and an assist). The 24-year-old may turn out to be a useful acquisition for the Flyers, who have been decimated by injuries as of late, particularly to star forward Simon Gagne. Thoresen has oodles of offensive talent- he scored 108 points for Baie Comeau of the QMJHL in 2002'03- but has been inconsistent in the NHL.

Eurohockey.net writes about:

-Former Pittsburgh Penguins and Los Angeles Kings forward Ziggy Palffy and how he is leading the Slovak Extraligue in scoring with 65 points in 43 games (27 goals, 38 assists). The 35-year-old right winger plays for HK 36 Skalica and scored six points in a game last weekend against rival Trencin. Palffy retired abruptly in 2005'-06 after 42 games. His best season came in 1996'97, when he posted 90 points for the New York Islanders.
-Eisbären Berlin's victory at the German Cup ( this is vaguely similar in format to the Spengler Cup hockey tournament) German national team head coach Uwe Krupp was in attendance as a scout.

Risto Pakarinen, the well-connected European hockey writer for The Hockey News, had two interesting pieces in this weeks issue:

- Kenny Jonsson, the former outstanding defenseman for the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Islanders, will play a key role on the blueline for Team Sweden at the 2008 World Hockey Championships in Quebec City and Halifax. NHL puckheads may have forgotten about Jonsson, but Swedish fans certainly have not. Pakarinen reminds readers that Jonsson was named top defenseman at the 2006 Turin Olympics and has been playing at a high level in the Swedish Elite League.
- 43-year-old Raimo Helminen may be retiring at the conclusion of the 2007'08 season, but his legacy will live on for a very long time. Helminen is a veteran of six Winter Olympics, and over 331 international games for Finland. Pakarinen notes that Helminen also played over 100 games in the National Hockey League but his mark was made as a jack-of-all-trades utillity player for Finland, winning a world junior scoring title in 1984 and a World Championship in 1995.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Ezra Ginsburg.

EURO CURVE

Euro Curve appears every Saturday on Illegalcurve.com, and chronicles the latest international hockey news.

- The rumour hurricane continues to swirl around the hockey world, as should be expected with the NHL's trade deadline a mere 10 days away, as European players are front-and-centre.

- Columbus Blue Jackets forward-and Czech Republic national- David Vyborny's time has likely expired in the beautiful state of Ohio as he is set to become a free agent at season's end. The 33-year-old Jihlava native has underperfomed this season for the lowly Jackets, as 3 goals and 15 assists in 50 games is hardly what head coach Ken Hitchcock expected when he pencilled him in on the team's top line. It is believed that he will attract significant attention from playoff contenders like the Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils and Ottawa Senators. A return to the Czech Extraliga next season is also in the cards.

- This week on The Sports Network, NHL insiders Bob McKenzie and Pierre Maguire indicated that Swedish superstar Peter Forsberg, and his agent Don Baizley, had narrowed down his possible signing options down to two teams, the Colorado Avalanche and the Philadelphia Flyers, with both announcers selecting a return to Philadelphia as the more plausible scenario. The 34-year-old Ornskoldsvik native hasn't played a single professional league game this year but has been practicing intensely in Sweden. Although he will be rusty when he returns to the NHL, Foppa is a special player and has produced at a point-a-game or better clip over his pro hockey career. It is believed that Forsberg and Baizley still want a two-year deal but have come down on their salary expectations.

A plethora of other european players have been mentioned ad nauseum in trade rumours, including: Mats Sundin, Toronto Maple Leafs, Olli Jokinen, Florida Panthers, Marian Hossa, Atlanta Thrashers, Ladislav Nagy, Los Angeles Kings, Michael Handzus, Los Angeles Kings, Robert Lang, Chicago Blackhawks, Joni Pitkanen, Edmonton Oilers, Viktor Kozlov, Washington Capitals, Pavol Demitra, Minnesota Wild, Jaroslav Spacek, Buffalo Sabres, Jozef Vasicek, New York Islanders and Patrik Elias of the New Jersey Devils. It promises to be a compelling deadline on Tuesday, February 26.

- Former NHL goalie and ex-Washington Capitals coach Glen Hanlon, who hails from Brandon, Manitoba, will coach Jokerit in the Finnish SM-liiga next season. Hanlon was part of Team Belarus' effort at the 2006 international world hockey championships.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Ezra Ginsburg.

EURO CURVE

Euro Curve takes a look at the latest international hockey news.

Hello ladies, gentlemen and hardcore puckheads from Flin Flon to Dubai.. It's your supreme european hockey source, Ezra Ginsburg, ready to educate and entertain the masses.

Just a few comments from the fascinating and riveting world of international hockey...

- The National Hockey League's decision to announce the scheduling of four regular season games in Europe next year- Sweden and Prague-, in addition to naming the New York Rangers as the choice for the inaugural Victoria Cup tournament was poorly organized. When the executive director of the NHLPA, Paul Kelly questions the decision the next day, you know there will be future problems. Kelly said that players may have problems committing to these events due to timing, travel and insurance concerns and said he was unhappy with the way Commissioner Gary Bettman handled the negotiations. Although everyone agrees promoting the game in Europe is a win-win endeavour, ensuring the players' union is content seems to be a no-brainer. Hopefully, these issues will be resolved by the summer as it would be in everyone's best interest. From all reports, the two regular season games held at the end of September between the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings in London, England were entertaining and well-executed. Here's to seeing the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames in Tel Aviv, Israel in 2012!

- So we found out earlier this week that super-sniper Peter Forsberg passed on joining his hometown MODO club and is interested in signing with an NHL team. This is bad news for Coach Kent Forsberg who would have preferred his son end his Hall of Fame career in Sweden but great news for whoever ends up signing him. And obviously for, Don Baizley, his Winnipeg-based agent. Yes, I know what you're thinking right now. Forsberg is injury-prone with tender ankles and shaky knees. But alas, my source in Sweden tells me Forsberg has been training in the United States with UFC 81 star and heavyweight mixed-martial artist Brock Lesnar and looks to be in his best shape since he won a gold medal at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics. I'm obviously kidding but he has been playing some competitive hockey in Europe and should be in better shape after his off-season surgery.

It is anybody's guess where Forsberg will end up with Colorado, Philadelphia, Detroit, Vancouver and Ottawa the accepted frontrunners. Reports from the Canadian Press had Forsberg and Baizley asking for a 2 year contract worth $5 million. If you ask me, and nobody is, I think any team would be warranted in pursuing this deal, whether it's Foppas former team, Colorado, or a team like Detroit, looking to bulk up to compete with the likes of the Anaheim Ducks. Regardless, Forsberg will be the center of attention leading up to an intriguing trade dealine, coming up at the end of February.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Ezra Ginsburg.

EURO CURVE

Euro Curve chronicles the latest international hockey headlines.

- The Associated Press and Canadian Press reported today that unrestricted free agent forward Peter Forsberg may attempt a comeback next month with the Swedish national team. Back in November, Forsberg lasted only one practice in a failed attempt to play for Sweden in the Karjala Cup. "Foppa" as he is affectionately known, has been hampered by a nagging foot injury and had been previously unclear relating to his playing future. However, he recently told Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter that his training sessions have been proceeding swimmingly and that an NHL return is not out of the question.

- By knocking off Sparta Prague 5-2 this past Sunday in the gold medal game at the 2008 IIHF European Champions Cup, Russia’s Metallurg Magnitogorsk earned the right to represent Europe in the inaugural Victoria Cup, to be played next September, location to be determined. The Victoria Cup trophy will pit the ECC Winner versus an NHL team.
The three-team tournament will also include another team from a European hockey league. The tournament, announced back in May 2007 by International Ice Hockey Federation president Rene Fasel, is part of the IIHF's 100th anniversary year, which also includes the World Senior Men's Hockey Championships in Quebec City and Halifax in 2008. Details on the NHL team involved, venue and format should be released in the coming weeks. This will be the last year for the ECC as the new 12-team Champions League will replace the tournament. The best teams in the seven top European leagues will compete for over 10 million Euros in prize money, with the annual winner competing in the Victoria Cup.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Ezra Ginsburg.

EURO CURVE

Euro Curve chronicles the latest international hockey news.

Team Canada edged Sweden 3-2 in overtime Saturday to take the 2008 World Junior Hockey Championship (their fourth straight gold medal in a row), capping an exciting two weeks in which we were treated to some of international hockey's brightest young stars. Pardubice, Czech Republic provided a sneak preview of next years NHL Calder class as well as some 17-year-olds who won't be draft eligible until 2009. Players like Brad Marchand, John Tavares, Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, James van Riemsdyk, and of course Matt Halischuk became household names in what turned out to be a very competitive tournament.

The 2009 World Junior Hockey Championships will be held in Ottawa, Ontario and may break attendance records previously set in Vancouver, British Columbia in 2006. Three of the next four WJC will be held in Canada, and rightly so, as the tournament has become Canada's March Madness.

In other European Hockey news:

- Slapshot.ch reports that Toronto Maple Leafs Forward Simon Gamache has been released and will join SC Bern of the Swiss Elite League. Gamache was seeing regular ice time with the Buds earlier in the season, but was sent down to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL back in November. He had two goals and two assists in 11 games with the Maple Leafs. Gamache is a former QMJHL MVP who registered an astounding 184 points back in 2000-01 for the Val d'Or Foreurs. The 27-year-old Thetford Mines, Quebec native will get another shot in the NHL again as he can provide a scoring boost to a number of teams.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Ezra Ginsburg.

EURO CURVE

Euro Curve chronicles the latest international hockey news.

Writers Note: Euro Curve's 2008 World Junior Hockey Championship report is back after being absent for two days following the shocking 4-3 victory Sweden handed Team Canada on Saturday afternoon in Pardubice.


- Team Canada advanced to the quarter-finals with a 4-1 victory over lowly Denmark Monday afternoon. Now, this may not be the 10-0 victory that hardcore puckheads wanted, but it was a solid effort coming off the difficult loss to the Swedes. 17-year-old Oshawa Generals forward John Tavares added a goal and assist, and continued to show his array of offensive weaponry. Phoenix Coyotes draft pick Kyle Turris (University of Wisconsin) continued his strong play and has Coach Gretzky smiling. Goaltender Steve Mason played well enough between the pipes, facing only 16 shots, making a strong case to be get the next start between the pipes. Canada will now move on to the medal round to face the surging Yanks.

- Team Sweden beat Czech Republic 4-2 on Monday and finished the tournament with a perfect 4-0-0 record, winning Group A and earning a bye to the semi-finals. Oscar Moller of the WHL's Chilliwack Bruins has been especially impressive.


CANADA WINS SPENGLER CUP

- The game ended only two hours ago, but will still be enjoyed by Canuck fans as it is broadcast on tape-delay on Rogers Sportsnet later this afternoon. Canada beat Salavat Yulaev Ufa 2-1 on goals by Ryan Keller and Kirby Law, taking the tournament for the first time since 2003 and for the 11th time in the tournament's history. Canada won all five of their games, beating international club teams from Switzerland, Germany, Czech Republic and Russia.


For Illegal Curve, I'm Ezra Ginsburg.

FROZEN ASSETS

TO WIN THE CONFERENCE OR TO WIN THE CUP?

Welcome to the fifth edition of Frozen Assets. Every week I offer general tips for successful futures wagering and I examine odds in the hockey futures market. This week, I will discuss the difficult choice of whether to place a conference or championship wager. I will then provide you with a list of sportsbooks that offer futures odds on European hockey.

One of the questions that arises when placing a futures wager is “should I take the team to win the conference or the championship?" In the 3 major North American sports, there is disparity between conferences. The NBA’s Western Conference is much stronger than the Eastern Conference, in the NFL the AFC is considered more than a touchdown favorite to win the Superbowl, and in baseball the American League is regarded as a superior league to the National League. What about the NHL?

In the recent NHL the Western Conference has been the stronger conference. Without running serious numbers, last year’s average point total in each conference was 90.86 for the East, while in the West it was 91.86. When you look at the average point total of playoff teams in each conference, the East was 100.75 while the West was substantially higher at 106.5.

This year, the gap between the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference has narrowed. Ottawa, Anaheim, and Detroit are the three favorites to win the Stanley Cup (1 East 2 West). After those teams come the tier-two favorites: San Jose, Pittsburgh, and the Rangers (2 East 1 West). After those teams, the next group of contenders consists of Buffalo, Colorado, Calgary, Carolina, Vancouver, Dallas, Minnesota, Philadelphia and New Jersey (4 East 4 West).

Though it is early in the season, the Eastern Conference has played 83 games and has registered 91 points. The Western Conference has played 93 games and has 99 points. The East is 6-3 against the West so far this season. I am not suggesting the East is better than the West, as conclusions are difficult after 6 games of an 82 game season. I am suggesting that, at this point in the young season, it looks like the East and West are relatively equal.

From a wagering perspective, if your research indicates a team is likely to be successful, make sure that you are determining which odds, conference or championship are more favorable. If you are not able to determine which odds are better, the tiebreaker is to take them to win the conference. Conference odds will allow you more flexibility in managing your risk. For example, if you are fortunate enough to win your conference futures bet and you think your team should win the Stanley Cup then you can put some or all of your winnings on that team to win the Stanley Cup. If you took the team to win the Stanley Cup and they lose in the finals then you don’t win anything (unless you hedged).

FROZEN ASSETS' EUROPEAN VACATION

In a future edition of Frozen Assets I will compare conference odds with Stanley Cup odds, but today I would like to shift focus away from North American Hockey and provide information as to which books offer futures odds on European Hockey. Euro Curve, this week is dedicated to you:

Country…………….…League…………….....Site (Rating)………………………

Austria……………….....…EHL………....……….......Bet365 (B+), William Hill (A)

Czech Republic………....ExtraLiga…...............…10Bet (B-), Bet365 (B+),

................................................................................Bet At Home (D)

Denmark………….......…Oddset Ligaen…..….....10Bet (B-), Bet365 (B+)

Finland……….......……....SM-Liiga……........….…William Hill (A), Portlandbet (NR)

Germany……….......…….Bundesliga………....…...William Hill (A)

Germany……….......……Eishockey Liga…......….Bet365 (B+)

Slovakia……….......…….Extraliga…….…….......…10Bet (B-), Bet365 (B+)

Sweden…………..…........Elitserien…….....………..Portlandbet (NR)

Switzerland……….....…Nationalliga A….....…….10Bet (B-), Bet365 (B+)

Note: New sites can choose to post futures odds for European hockey, and it is possible that other sites that usually post futures odds for European hockey didn't have them up today.

Tip: Watch out for the Pelicans

For illegal curve, I'm Ari Baum-Cohen

About the writer: Ari Baum-Cohen’s first sports betting victory came in 1989 when he won his father’s office pool at age 8. Since then, he has been interested in many different types of sports betting. His first major futures win came in November of the 2001-2002 hockey season when he selected “field” (field included Jarome Iginla) at odds of 30/1 to win the National Hockey League goal scoring title.

FROZEN ASSETS October, 11, 2007
FROZEN ASSETS October 4, 2007
FROZEN ASSETS September 27, 2007
FROZEN ASSETS September 20, 2007