Update from the NJEC

Photos clockwise from top left: a.) #8 Jake Gardiner on D during the Aug 7 Blue/White scrimmage, b.) #22 Derek Stepan in front of the net during the Aug 9 Blue/White scrimmage, c.) #22 Derek Stepan at center ice during the Aug 12 USA/RUS game, and d.) #22 Derek Stepan on the draw during the Aug 11 USA/RUS game. All photos from usahockey.com.

The roster at the National Junior Evaluation Camp has been cut down from 42 to 29 players, and Badgers Derek Stepan and Jake Gardiner have made it past this cut. The camp started with 2 teams -- Blue and White -- and was cut down to a single team (5 defensive pairs, 5 forward lines, 4 goaltenders) prior to the games v. Russia. USA Hockey says they'll continue to evaluate all original camp participants, including those recently sent home.

In their first 2 games v. Russia, the US has won 8-1 and 6-1. There are 2 games remaining. You can find all game results, photos, and highlight videos here.

There are also a couple of videos of the coaching staff that you might find interesting. In this video, head coach Dean Blais and assistant coach Mark Osiecki talk about evaluating kids that have played for them previously. Oz indicates that rather than having a bias for those plays, they're more likely to have a reverse bias. But he does have some nice things to say about Jake Gardiner. And in this video, John Hynes, Mark Osiecki, and Dean Blais discuss speech strategies.

By the way, I'm not sure if I mentioned this previously, but Badger alum Tony Granato is a camp coach, recently departed Badger equipment manager Steve Castelletti is camp equiment manager, and Badger alum Jim Johannson is team GM.

Penguins name Tony Granato assistant coach

Congratulations, Tony!

Regarding Granato, Pens' head coach Dan Bylsma says:

"We are excited to have a guy who’s accomplished as much as Tony join our staff as an assistant coach. In addition to his 13 years as an NHL player, he’s also been a head coach and assistant for six years with the Avalanche, and all of that experience will make him a tremendous asset to the Penguins organization."

And here are some quotes from Granato:

"I’m just extremely excited to join an organization with such great history and get a chance to work with a staff that I’ve admired from afar with what they’ve done. I’m looking forward to being a part of it."

"To be able to jump to an organization like this that’s on the top, I feel very lucky. I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to help in any way I can. I’ll do my part to help keep that going."

"I’ve gone through a lot as a player and as a coach. I love the game and being a part of it. I think all of us that play and coach want to win and want to be a part of something special."

"I’m just thankful and really looking forward to being a part of the staff, getting my family moved and being part of the community there. With what Pittsburgh’s done for so many years, the tradition, the history, to be able to join an organization that like is extremely exciting for me."

Regarding how Granato may fit with the Pens coaching staff, Pensburgh says the following:

Fitzgerald worked with forwards a lot on faceoffs and penalty-killing, so presumably that may be an area that Granato, a former NHL forward, oversees.

Despite extensive coaching experience, Granato is just 45 years old, which ought to fit well with the youthful energy that Dan Bylsma (39) and Mike Yeo (36) look to keep throughout the lineup. Though he had some rocky seasons towards the end of his run with Colorado, Granato didn't have too much to work with roster wise. It'll be interesting to see how he fits in Pittsburgh and also if this will be a springboard for him to get another head coaching gig somewhere in the NHL.

Tony Granato gets 100th career win

On Friday, the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Washington Capitals 4-1 to give Badger Tony Granato his 100th career win as an NHL head coach. Apparently Granato is the 10th American-born head coach to win 100 games. Congratulations, Tony Granato!

Unfortunately, the Avs aren't having a stellar season this year -- in Granato's 2nd go-round as head coach, the Avs are sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference with a 28-30-1 record (although there's not much separation between the bottom 5 teams). In his 1st stint as head coach, Granato had a 32-11-4 coaching record in 2002-03 (after replacing Bob Hartley mid-season) and a 40-22-13 coaching record in 2003-04.

Terry Frei ranks NHL coaches: Tony Granato

Our friend (well, at least he doesn't run away from me) Terry Frei, a columnist for the Denver Post, recently ranked this season's NHL coaches. Rather than do a straight ordinal ranking, Terry grouped the coaches into several groups. (Terry's approach seems more useful to me, anyway.) His groups include:

• The Elite: men who get the most out of their rosters, regardless of how good (or otherwise) those rosters are
• The Proven: guys you know can pull it off until their voices get stale, it's time for a change, or the general manager needs to save his job by making someone a scapegoat
• The Jury's Still Out: first-time NHL head coaches who still have to show they can be productive in what passes in this sport for the long run
• The Suspect: they'll have to prove some people wrong to be considered (back) among the elite
• How the heck can we know yet?: first-time NHL head coaches
  

As you know, during this offseason, Badger alum Tony Granato was hired as the Avs' head coach. Terry places Granato in "The Suspect" category of his rankings:

Tony Granato, Colorado
One of the strangest situations in the league. Despite some ridiculous parroted criticisms of his work during his first stint behind the Avalanche bench, he still has the best winning percentage of any Colorado coach ... ever. But now he gets a second chance, and under conditions that might make winning difficult. He bought into the company line that it was time to trust the organization's own young talent and this might be a team headed for a fall -- no matter who is coaching.

Now, before you get all riled-up that Frei called Granato suspect (nubeetle, I'm talking to you, settle down), go ahead and read what Frei actually said. Sounds to me like he's defending Granato and criticizing the Avs, as he seems to indicate that perhaps the Avs are (unintentionally, of course) setting Granato (and the team) up for failure.

Joel of the Mile High Hockey Blog seems to agree with me, as he wrote the following:

I'm not sure if this is a criticism of Granato or a defense. It reads a lot like a defense. Criticisms of Granato are "ridiculous" and "parroted," he has the best winning percentage ever (complete with elipses for effect), and if the team sucks it probably won't be his fault. Sounds to me like Frei thinks the Avalanche organization is a lot more suspect than the head coach.

Personally, based only on what Frei wrote, I'd think Granato would be more appropriately ranked in the "Jury's Still Out" group. Granato has been a coach before, after all, and if Frei's contention really is that the odds are stacked against him by a weak team and a misguided organization, then you can't fault Granato's ability, can you?

I speculate that perhaps Frei didn't include Granato in the "Jury's Still Out" category because his criteria stated "first time NHL head coach", and this is Granato's second stint. And based on internet chatter (for what it's worth), Granato's promotion seems to have been somewhat controversial, and that perhaps fits Frei's criteria of "hav[ing] to prove some people wrong".

The Avalanche Blog on The Hockey News has a nice write-up of the situation, explaining why Granato's situation is, as Terry Frei puts it, "one of the strangest situations in the league". I believe that the author of this article is also the author of the aforementioned Mile High Hockey blog, and he finishes the article saying:

So Granato has his work cut out for him. Though I wouldn’t classify his position among other NHL coaches as “suspect” like Terry Frei has, I’m definitely worried that the Avalanche team he’s inheriting is destined for mediocrity, regardless of who is standing behind the bench.

Anyway, here's hoping that Granato is able to rise up and overcome the challenges that he faces this season. Good luck, Tony!

More Tony Granato

A few more links on Tony Granato's hiring as Avs head coach:

Real hockey bloodlines (Frei)
Avs were wrong to rush hiring (Frei)
Granato comes full circle with Avalanche (Dater)
Been here, done that (Paige)

Thanks to HIW for the heads-up on the first Terry Frei article. (Nice find!) And don't put out by the title of the second Terry Frei article -- he's criticizing the timing of the hire, not necessarily the choice of Granato.

Terry Frei, by the way, is the author of the "Third Down and a War to Go" about the 1942 Badger football team. Terry's a nice guy, and his book is absolutely fantastic -- I highly recommend it.