With the commencement of a new NHL season, Gary Bettman’s wish for sunbelt stability may be about to come true-at least in Tampa Bay.

“It’s too easy to say we’re going to paint this thing with a broad brush and that the sun belt doesn’t work. That’s not true,” said Bettman in a CBC interview.

Particularly during his feud with former Phoenix Coyotes owner Jim Moyes and Blackberry billionaire Jim Balsillie, the NHL commissioner has been adamant in his assertion that, with stable ownership, the NHL can indeed be a success throughout the U.S.

Ever since new Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik took the franchise reigns in February, he has made all the right moves to lead one to believe that he is indeed the stable ownership the franchise has been longing for.

The Lightning have struggled both on and off the ice  in recent years, and an ongoing spat between dual owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie was well documented.

Yet with Vinik, singular ownership has translated into directive clarity.

In what was the summers blockbuster front-office acquisition, the Boston Billionaire signed Detroit Red Wings legend Steve Yzerman as his new general manager.

With the organization on new found stable ground, Yzerman began the retooling process.

The former Red Wings great signed Guy Boucher as his head coach. Boucher led the Hamilton Bulldogs to the Calder Cup finals in the American hockey league last season. Known as a talented teacher and communicator, the Notre-Dame du Lac, Quebec native is a rising star on the NHL coaching scene.

Yzerman then signed long time Lightning great Martin St.Louis to a four year extension, all but assuring that the 2004 Hart Trophy winner will finish his career with in Tampa.

Perhaps his biggest moves were acquiring star forward Simon Gagne via trade, and signing free agent goaltender Dan Ellis.

In Gagne, Tampa Bay adds a winger who can score goals yet is also defensively responsible, fitting well into Yzerman’s blueprint for success. Gagne is also expected to play on Vincent Lecavalier’s wing, and it is hoped that the former Flyer will help rekindle Lecavalier’s offensive flair.

The result is a rejuvenated franchise who many experts feel are once again playoff contenders, some even going so far as to forecast the Lighting as a legitimate threat to dethrone the Washington Capitals as Southeast Division champions.

In defense of Gary Bettman and league owners, the NHL’s sunbelt crusade is a complicated endeavor.

Major League baseball had the distinct advantage of having a strong foundation throughout the U.S before they ever expanded to Florida or Arizona.

If the NHL wants to succeed in the southern U.S, it has to grow the game. To accomplish that, to develop a fan base that will follow teams through success and failure, it has to allow time for people to learn the game, to play the game, to LIVE the game.

This can’t be rushed.

Compound that with the fact that Phoenix, Atlanta, Florida and Tampa Bay have all endured long periods of on-ice futility early in their respective franchise lives, it’s no surprise that attendance figures have been a disappointment.

If you want to be successful in non-traditional markets, which the NHL obsessively does, you have to be committed for the long haul- much to the chagrin of many a passionate Canadian hockey fan.

But inevitably, given sufficient time and stable ownership, evidence of finanancial growth will be needed.

If not provided, it will expose a major flaw in Bettman’s theory, and consequently, the NHL’s plans.

Martin St.Louis has signed a four-year,$22.5 million contract extension with Tampa Bay, essentially keeping the star forward in Florida for the remainder of his career.

It’s a great move-plain and simple.

The Quebec native scored 29 goals and added 65 assists last season, showing that he is still an elite player.

More importantly, it is well-known that he is a great mentor for a young rebuilding team.

Playing on a line with Steven Stamkos, St.Louis has had a huge impact on the development of the emerging superstar.

Trading St.Louis would definitely deal a sudden blow to the young centre at a fragile point in his career.

With St.Louis locked up for the next five years, Stamkos should experience continued success with a proven winner at his side.

As Steve Yzerman knows, you don’t often trade players like Martin St.Louis.

You keep them in your organization, and when their playing days are done, you hang their name and number in the rafters.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have dealt defensemen Andrej Meszaros to the Philadelphia Flyers for a second round draft pick.

Meszaros scored 7 goals and added 11 assists in 81  games last season.

However, more was expected of the 24-year old , and the Slovak blueliner was a -14 on a team that allowed more goals than any team in the NHL last season.

The defense corps in Tampa needs a makeover, and this is at least a step in the right direction.

On top of that, the Bolts will be glad to be rid of Meszaro’s contract, which will pay him 16 million dollars over the next four seasons.

Tampa Bay did well to acquire a second rounder.

Game 1 Review

Much has been made of the Philadelphia Flyer’s 6-0 rout of the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday.

An impressive display by the Flyers, no doubt.

The Flyers, coming off their historic series victory, didn’t miss a beat in game one. Six different players scored for the Flyers, who showed no signs of fatigue after a grueling series with the Bruins.

They were able to do what the Capitals and Penguins could not do on a consistent basis against the Habs-get traffic in front of Jaroslav Halak, and move the puck easily through the neutral zone.

At the other end, while the Canadiens outshot the FLyers, they were unable to sustain pressure in the offensive zone with any regularity. The bleu, blanc et rouge were also given a taste of their own medicine, as playoff scoring leader Mike Cammalleri was shut down by Pronger and Co., not totally unlike Montreal’s defence corps did to Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

While Jaroslav Halak is the clear MVP through two rounds of the playoffs, Micheal Leighton is quietly putting together his own impressive story. Leighton picked up his second shutout in four games since replacing the injured Brian Boucher.

Philadelphia clicked on all cylinders. In short, a perfect game.

The Flyers will need to play precisely this style for the remainder of the series to be successful.

The Flyers fortunes may continue to rise, as injured 33-goal-scorer Jeff Carter and gritty forward Ian Laperriere are close to returning.

Game 2 preview:Much ado about nothing

Was game one a measuring stick, a sign of things to come in this series?

Highly unlikely.

This will probably be a long, hard-fought series

Reports of the Montreal Canadiens’ imminent demise are, in all likelihood, greatly exaggerated.

Much of the difficulty understanding the Canadiens’ success this post-season stems from a lack of understanding of their system.

Without getting too deep into that, Bob Gainey and the Canadiens’ had a specific system in mind before the free agency period, and were able to find the proper players to implement it.This playoff run is not a fluke, nor is it a surprise to the Montreal front office.

The system is reactionary, and in every new series, it usually takes the Canadiens a game or two before they can make the needed adjustments to be successful.

As a partial result, the Flyers had an easy time in game 1, as the Canadiens were still in the “feeling out” process, and unable to disrupt the Flyers on any level.

We saw much the same result from the Canadiens in game 1 of the conference semi-final.

With Jaroslav Halak’s tendency to bounce back after a sub-par performance, I expect the Slovakian netminder to be in top form tonight.

Also, look for the Canadiens to pick up the tempo in game two, and not sit back as much as they did in the opening game.

The key to tonight’s contest, and the entire series, will likely be the battle directly in front of Jaroslav Halak.

If the Flyers are able to get as much traffic in front of Halak tonight as they did in the opener, I like their chances.

Judging by how the Canadiens have been able to make the needed adjustments in previous series, and how they get stronger as each series moves along, I’m picking the Canadiens tonight, and I believe they’ll be heading back to the Stanley Cup final for the first time in seventeen years.

Team Canada will rely largely on youthful vigor for the 2010 World Hockey Championships in Germany.

But while general manager Mark Messier may not have assembled the best team available, he did, in fact, assemble the RIGHT team.

While the European elite leagues’ finish their respective seasons just in time for the world championships, the NHL’s playoffs are just getting started.
Come April, our best players, at least a significant number of them, are either vying for a Stanley Cup, spending much valued time with their familes, or sipping wheat-based beverages on a beach in South America.

Messier’s choice to go with youth, mixed with a few veteran leaders, will pay dividends well beyond any success at this year’s tournament.

From Team Canada’s perspective, the choice to go with a younger roster creates a deeper pool of players with international experience once the Olympics roll around (or perhaps the World Cup, if the NHL pulls the plug on Sochi).

It’s particularly great for players like John Tavares, Matt Duchene, and Evander Kane- still teenagers- to get some international experience at the senior level.

Furthermore, several other emerging players, like Mark Giordano and Rich Peverley, are playing for Team Canada for the first time, either at the senior or junior level.It’s equally important that these players get some international experience. It’s not inconceivable that some of these individuals will get consideration for Team Canada on a larger stage in years to come. For such players, the world championships are the ideal stepping stone.

That’s not to say that this team can’t win NOW.

Veterans like Ryan Smyth, Ray Whitney, and Corey Perry add not only the leadership these young players need, but the scoring and grit needed to make Canada competitive in the medal round.

Still, with the absence of available stars like Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St.Louis, and Mike Green(hmmmm…), Canada’s young guns will be expected to fill big shoes.

Steven Stamkos,for example, may already be considered a legitimate leader in his own right.

A returning silver-medallist, and defending Maurice Richard Trophy co-winner, Stamkos will play a role of increased importance this time around.

As for the man that’s expected to bring everything together, head coach Craig MacTavish is just what the hockey doctor ordered.

MacTavish, known as a fine communicator,strategist ,and mentor of inexperienced players, will need this team to buy into his system very quickly. Canada’s coach has stated that he will tinker with his lineup during the tournament.If MacTavish can achieve the right chemistry,as he’s proven he can do in the past,then this team may well be greater than the sum of it’s very young parts.

(Canada opened the tournament with a 5-1 win over Italy on Monday, and will resume preliminary round action Monday against Latvia)

The Tampa Bay Lightning are at a franchise crossroads.

New ownership took the reigns in Tampa this past February, as Boston business tycoon Jeff Vinik bought the troubled Florida franchise.

So far, the new owner is talking the typical new GM talk.
“I’ve been an avid hockey fan my whole life, and I pledge to our fans that I will work my hardest to build the Lightning into a world class organization both on and off the ice.” Vinik told NHL.com. He added, “I have a passion for the game and will do my best to restore a winning culture at the St. Pete Times Forum that all of our fans and partners can be proud of.”

Vinik, he would lead us to believe, is in the business of winning. Rather essential in the south Florida hockey market , where there Is NO business without winning.

A few weeks ago, the new Lightning owner fired head coach Rick Tocchet, along with general manager Brian Lawton.

With that in mind,the next few months will be crucial for Vinik and the Lightning organization, and while he has stated that he will not hire a new GM untill a new CEO is in place, the GM decision is arguably the most important step in creating that winning culture the Lightning seek. Particularly in a non-traditional hockey market, such a culture is even more essential for the long-term stability of the franchise.

So who’s the right man for the job?
The reported shortlist includes Toronto Maple Leafs Assistant GM Dave Nonis, New York Rangers’ scout/consultant Doug Risebrough, and Steve Yzerman of the Detroit Red Wings.

According to sportsnet.ca, Nonis is considered the favorite, but that may depend on the level of interest from Yzerman.

With all due respect to Nonis and Risebrough, if I’m Jeff Vinik, and Yzerman is in fact interested, I look no further.

While he may not have realized it during his career,Yzerman has been groomed perfectly for such a position. In recent years, he’s studied under the wing of Detroit’s greatness. As a player, he led them to it.

The Red Wings are the NHL’s flagship franchise. They have been THE model of NHL excellence-from ownership to management to coaching to players-for the past twenty years.
Yzerman has experienced it first-hand, both on the ice, and in the front office, for more than two decades.

Nineteen consecutive playoff appearances,and four Stanley Cups(three as a player and one as VP) between 1996 and 2008.
Yet while Detroit’s playoff streak began in 1991,Yzerman entered the NHL in 1983, drafted by a celler-dwelling Detroit Red Wings team that hadn’t made the playoffs in 5 years.He didn’t win a Stanley Cup untill his thirteenth season.This just emphasizes why he is the perfect candidate.He experienced the essential failures necesary to eventually achieve success.

Yzerman’s journey,leading Detroit out of the NHL cellar early in his playing career, to captaining the winged wheel to three Stanley Cups more than a decade later, gives him the understanding of what it takes not only to win, but to BECOME a winner-an essential component for a young, rebuilding Lightning team searching for it’s identity.

During the past four years, working with current GM Ken Holland in the front office, where Hockeytown’s high standards continue to mirror his own, Steve Yzerman has learned the business of hockey well.

If the Nepean, Ontario native should succeed Brian Lawton as Tampa’s GM, perhaps his most critical decision this summer will be choosing a new head coach.

Again, his experience with the Red WIngs,and that team’s rich coaching tradition, give Yzerman a keen understanding of the qualities to look for.

Yzerman played under the legendary Scotty Bowman-arguably the greatest of all time. Bowman not only turned the Red Wings from a contender into a champion., but challenged Yzerman to change from an offensive player into a complete player, and one of the great leader’s in recent hockey history.

His experience as a player with a young rebuilding team, and later with championship teams give Yzerman the insight into which type of coach is right for both.

Also,Yzerman’s close relationship with current Red Wings bench boss Mike Babcock,both personally and prefessionally, ensure that he knows what kind of a coach it takes to win in the current NHL.

Furthermore, there’s Yzerman’s comprehension of Detroit’s outstanding draft history.

Great drafting, particularly in the late rounds, is crucial to sustaining an elite team.

Unlike most top teams that have rebuilt through high draft picks,the 2008 Detroit team which won the Stanley Cup were lead by Pavel Datsyuk, a 6th round draft pick, and Henrik Zetterberg,a 7th round selection. Power-forward Johan Franzen, netminder Chris Osgood, and Future hall-of-fame captain Niklas Lidstrom were all drafted in the third round.

Identifying talent pays dividends far beyond the draft.

The Red Wings gave Dan Cleary a walk-on tryout when no team offered him a contract. Chris Draper was acquired from the Winnipeg Jets for the grand total of one dollar. Despite being players that no one else wanted, both players became essential ingredients on Stanley Cup winning teams.

Such is the magic of this organization.

If Jeff Vanik truly wants to turn the Tampa tide, Yzerman’s understanding of the Red Wings’ growth as an organization would be a godsend.

Due to his experience in the league’s premier front office, Yzerman knows how to not only instill, but to sustain a winning culture in Tampa Bay.

No team in recent memory has exemplified winning culture more than the Detroit Red WIngs, and no individual personifies that great franchise more than Steve Yzerman.

Detroit’s loss would be Tampa Bay’s indisputable gain.