News you need to get through the day …
A collection of thoughts in the wake of one of the busier weeks we’ve ever seen involving people in suits walking onto stages to shake hands with other people in suits …
STILL STIFFED BY THE OHL
When members of the Erie Otters posed at the Hockey Hall of Fame with their trophy haul this season, the hardware included the J. Ross Robertson Cup (playoff champions), the Wayne Gretzky Trophy (Western Conference champions), the Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy (overager of the year), the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy (top scorer), the Max Kaminsky Trophy (top defenceman) and the Red Tilson Trophy (MVP).
Conspicuously absent as it has been for years now? The Hamilton Spectator Trophy for winning the regular-season points race. The OHL has it in storage, as we reported some months ago. For reasons they couldn’t explain, they simply don’t ever actually present it.
Which is both odd and insulting.
WHAT THE HECK IS THAT, ANYWAY?
While we’re talking about awards, if you were watching the NHL-Awards-slash-expansion-draft the other night, you may have seen Connor McDavid win the Hart Trophy as MVP. As you did, you might’ve wondered what the heck that trophy is supposed to resemble.
No, it’s not the bud of some giant unbloomed plant. No, it’s not a cabbage. No, it’s not an early model of the pods from Alien or, even better,
Spinal Tap. It’s a flaming torch. Honest.
NOT SCARING ANYONE
The least-intimidating minor-league baseball teams playing today. 1. Akron RubberDucks (AA) 2. Binghamton Rumble Ponies (AA) 3. New Orleans Baby Cakes (AAA) 4. Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (AA) 5. Augusta Greenjackets (A)
THE PRODIGY OF PRODIGIES
Doing the research for a piece on two local girls who are rising basketball stars proved to be more than a tad confusing this week. First, Canada Basketball’s website listed a couple of their under-16 national squad teammates as being 5-foot-12 (I’m now officially listing my height as 4-foot-28). More remarkable was the fact that on her school team’s web page, the bio of Hamilton’s Kaillie Hall says she was born in November 2016.
Making her the greatest seven-month-old player of all time.
TOO PREDICTABLE
Not sure if the casino sports books have set an over-under on this yet, but here’s guessing the number of times “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” or some variation on the theme will be used in print, online or on the air at least 1,498 times by media folks in game reports after their team visits the Golden Knights next season.
KINDA DEPRESSING
The Tiger-Cats open their new season Sunday night in Toronto. Not saying it’s been a long time since the Ticats won the Grey Cup or anything, but children who were born the year the black and gold last sipped champagne from the mug are graduating from high school this week.
GREAT ODDS
The NHL entry draft began Friday night and runs through Saturday. It’s certainly worth getting drafted if you’re a player, and not just so you can walk on stage to get a sweater and a nifty photo with Gary Bettman. Over the past 20 years, roughly 45 per cent of those whose names are called end up playing at least one game in the league, according to hockeydb.com.
The 2011 draft was the strongest in the past two decades with 55.5 per cent making it, while the 2002 draft was weakest at 35.7. This isn’t including the past couple drafts since many of those players are still in the minors or junior and will eventually play.
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO …
Speaking of the draft, the 1979 draft was the most-successful, with 81.7 per cent of drafted players making it into the league. In fact, each of the first 45 players taken made it except one: guy named Mike Perovich who was selected by the Atlanta Flames at No. 23.
THE FIRST OF THE FIRST
One more draft note. The very first player taken in the very first NHL draft back in 1963 was Garry Monahan. The Montreal Canadiens selected him.
He was 16.
UM, YUCK
The Chicago Tribune reported this week that scientists have determined the world’s top cyclists have a micro-organism in their digestive tracts called Prevotella that helps with muscle recovery. Which means — brace yourself for it because you know what’s coming — those same scientists say poop-doping will be the next big thing.
So hurry up and get your kids into competitive cycling, folks.