Posted at 7:00 a.m.
Face-offs
In hockey, how are face-off wins counted? Is it where the puck is going, towards Team A or Team B, or does the team that takes possession of the puck win the face-off?
Jean-Francois Morin
Response from Simon-Olivier Lorange:
The team that takes full possession of the disc wins the face-off. Thus, a center player can send the puck towards a teammate, but if the latter touches it and cannot control it and an opponent seizes it immediately, the face-off will be considered lost.
World Series
Is it correct that the World Series of Baseball was first organized by a newspaper of the time, The Worldwhich pitted the champions of the two major leagues against each other, which becameThe World Series ?
Roger Valois
Response from Simon Drouin:
This information, which circulates a lot, is apparently inaccurate. The newspaper New York Worlda Democratic daily newspaper published from 1860 to 1931, did cover the first “World Series Championships,” the original name, in the early 20th century.and century, but never organized or sponsored them. So where does the name “World Series” come from to designate the competition pitting mainly American professional baseball teams against each other? The authors disagree. Marketing question to attract more spectators, says one. Feeling of Americans to dominate the world at the time, says the other. Originally, the two finalist teams were indeed the best two in the world, suggests a third. Perhaps it is simply the invitation extended by the owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates, the best team in the American League, to his counterpart of the Boston Americans (predecessors of the Red Sox), the best club in the National League, to play a first “World Series Championship” in 1903.
Ottawa or Quebec?
The Nordiques having returned it seems in the news, here is my question: what do you think are the reasons why the NHL considers Ottawa to be a viable market while Quebec is not?
Francois Courteau
Response from Richard Labbé:
François, this is an excellent question, especially when we learn that the government of François Legault is still in seduction mode; on May 19, Minister Eric Girard had a “courtesy” meeting with Commissioner Gary Bettman. One can also wonder if the Senators could have returned to this league with Bettman at the head (they returned in 1992, a year before the start of Bettman’s reign), since the present commissioner does not seem too fond of small Canadian markets, as evidenced by his funeral head when he announced the transfer of the Thrashers from Atlanta to Winnipeg in 2011. So a market is viable until it is no longer, and if ever the Senators cannot afford a new arena soon enough, they too will be in trouble. I also believe that the only chance of a return of the Nordiques pass through a potential move of the Senators. In the meantime, Quebec serves only as a scarecrow against clubs threatened with relocation. It’s a shame, but it’s the reality.
An effect that cannot be measured in numbers
The loss of Nick Leddy for the New York Islanders had the same effect as the loss of Phillip Danault for the Canadiens: a tumble in the standings. Some of these discreet players bring a dimension that is not quantifiable on paper, but very real on the ice.
Dany Leduc
Response from Miguel Bujold:
You are absolutely right and the best organizations know it very well, starting with the Lightning. Players like Anthony Cirelli and Ryan McDonagh, to name just two, have an effect that cannot be measured in numbers. Besides, it always makes me laugh when journalists only base their analyzes on a player’s statistics or advanced statistics. A sports team is a puzzle, with pieces of all shapes. And sport is about emotion first and foremost. If only talent and offensive qualities weighed in the balance, the Maple Leafs would not have lost in the first round six years in a row.
question of sticks
Could the composite sticks of NHL players have improved the speed and accuracy of wrist shots? We see more and more shots from the slot entering the net at very high speed.
Robert Letendre, hockey fan since the days of the good old Sherwoods
Response from Nicholas Richard:
It is obvious that several factors have helped to improve the quality of shooting in the NHL, you are not dreaming. On the one hand, when it comes to the speed of the shots, there is of course the strength of the players that comes into play, but there is also the flexibility of the sticks. The new composite sticks allow players to use their stick almost like a whip. Hence the curved shape of the sleeves when the players are photographed taking a shot. The lower the flex number, the softer the stick and the softer it is to push the puck off the blade easily. For example, the stick flexibility of Auston Matthews and Alex Ovechkin is 80. On the other hand, the sticks used by defenders are often stiffer, because it is to their advantage. This is why the flexibility of the sticks of the Shea Weber or Zdeno Chara is rather between 120 and 150. In terms of precision, players now have the luxury of using custom-made sticks. It is often the curve of the paddle that will improve a player’s accuracy and ease. The more curved the paddle, the easier it is to lift the puck. This is why professional players spend dozens of hours with manufacturers to find their curve. For example, Ovechkin’s palette is very curved. However, that of Sidney Crosby is almost straight. It depends on individual preferences. Other players are also inspired by curves already made. Like Auston Matthews, who practically plays with the curve with which Joe Sakic evolved.