Al Strachan fires off lawyer’s letter; NHL referees blow call, video

  Al Strachan, who was fired from Hockey Night In Canada a few weeks ago, has sent a lawyer’s letter to the CBC stating that he was unfairly dismissed.

  Strachan was removed from his spot on the Hotstove panel after the CBC learned that his new book, Why The Leafs Suck, identified him on the cover as “from Hockey Night In Canada.” Permission had not been given to the publisher, Harper Collins, to use the show’s name. Hockey Night markets its own publications and did not want its brand appearing on a competitor’s book. Strachan’s letter states that he was an innocent third party in a dispute between the CBC and Harper Collins.

   For Hockey Night, the immediate issue is: Who replaces him? Reporter Elliotte Friedman filled in one week and did a good job. The Globe and Mail’s David Shoalts appeared once.

   Last week, Glenn Healy took a turn, juggling two assignments, one in the studio replacing Strachan, by remote, and the other at ice level as a game analyst. It’s difficult to do both jobs effectively.

  To replace Strachan, Hockey Night will need somebody who provides inside information and gossip, and has an edge. The other panelists are Pierre LeBrun, a good reporter, and Mike Milbury, who, to be effective, needs to be heavily produced or prodded by somebody on the panel. Strachan did that by challenging Milbury, occasionally needling him and tossing out commentary that incited a response.

    Anyway, Strachan’s position will not be easily filled. The CBC could relent and bring him back in December, after serving a six week suspension, but that probably won’t happen.

   Instead, the panel will evolve with LeBrun probably becoming more willing to engage Milbury. Friedman might be the best choice for the permanent third spot.

Schenn and the Leafs

  Bill Watters and Nick Kypreos made some valid points about Toronto Maple Leaf second-year defenseman Luke Schenn, who’s struggling after a good rookie season.

  Schenn is not a skilled player, so to be effective he needs to be physical and tough. But he’s neither of those things. He doesn’t hit hard. Instead of hitting, he sort of pushes people. He can’t fight, although he tries. And there’s no passion to his game. He doesn’t get angry or emotional. As Watters said during the Tuesday game telecast on Rogers Sportsnet, “He shows up,” but doesn’t seem to have the sort of personality needed to assert himself.

   The Leafs are on schedule to deliver a 2010 lottery pick to the Boston Bruins – by finishing in the bottom five of the NHL and sending their first round pick to the Bruins for Phil Kessel – and general manager Brian Burke will be held responsible for this.

   But don’t under-rate the damage done, in a short period of time, by Cliff Fletcher, the over-the-hill general manager brought in by MLSE boss Richard Peddie in 2008 to replace John Ferguson.

  In addition to trading up — giving away a second and third round draft choice, plus the Leafs’ own first  — to take Schenn, a No.4 D at best, Fletcher’s leadership gave Leaf fans the fiasco of the “Muskoka  5,” the five veterans who refused to be traded. In one, the Philadelphia Flyers wanted Tomas Kaberle for a package that included Jeff Carter. Who would you take right now? Carter or Kaberle?

    Kaberle is having a strong season, but he’s the kind of player who performs well when a team is bad and doesn’t when it has a chance of doing something. And don’t forget Fletcher’s ridiculously bad Lee Stempniak deal.

   And how did Burke respond to Fletcher’s poor record? He gave him a contract extension.

Brutal mistake by referees

  Take a look at this blown call from last night:

Helene St. James of The Detroit Free Press wrote, the Wings 3-1 loss to the Stars, “might have turned out differently had Brad May’s perfectly good goal at 6:24 of the third period not been called off. Referees Stephane Auger and Dennis LaRue ruled the whistle had blown when May’s shot from the slot sneaked in past Dallas goalie Alex Auld’s left skate. . . . . The referees were called to the scorer’s table after the call to talk to NHL officials’ headquarters in Toronto, but neither Auger nor LaRue overruled the bad call.”

 Sonny and Cher redux

  This piece is circulating on the Internet: