Around The NHL: Rick Rypien Passes Away

Winnipeg Jets forward Rick Rypien was found dead in his Alberta home at age 27, according to multiple reports including TSN. Rypien, who had played his entire career with the Vancouver Canucks before signing with the Jets this past summer, scored 9 goals and had 7 assists with 226 penalty minutes in 119 NHL games. 

CH: This is just terrible, terrible news. This is the second death of the summer for the NHL, both of which fall in the enforcer category. I am sure that many will talk about the nature of fighting in the game and weather it should be kept or taken out. I think that is nonsense. Fighting has been part of the NHL game for years and is a staple of the culture of the league. Now, I don't agree with stage fighting, but that is another conversation for another time. But does anyone not enjoy a passionate, spur-of-the-moment fight between guys you would never expect to throw down?

I think what the NHL really needs to look at is how they can help players off the ice. The league has an outstanding substance abuse program, one in which Nashville forward Jordin Tootoo came out of as a huge success story, but with these recent tragedies it may not be enough. I don't have the answer here, so it's unfair for me to harshly criticize the league. And this is not the right forum to do it. But two deaths in two months is two too many, and it's something that as a person - let alone a hockey fan, that I never want to see happen. If anything, it's just a reminder of how important it is to take care of yourself and if you need help, seek it. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Rypien family, the Winnipeg Jets, the Vancouver Canucks, and the NHL as a whole.

AT: 100%, completely agreed with Carey here. The NHL needs to invest further in post-career health care access (I'm sure they have some form already) for those who have retired, and the league needs to monitor those players who are continuously taking shots to the head or seem on edge. These are not robots. They are human beings playing a professional sport who have every mistake come under criticism from local and national media outlets. Most remember what happened with Rypien and his interaction with a fan, and while we were all quick to jump on him for what he did (and rightly so), we tend to forget that this is a human being that we're talking about, and they have the same emotions and feelings we do sitting here blogging. When you insult us, we take offense, and so do most players. Some learn to grow a thick skin, but it's not as if Rypien was in the spotlight being a 4th line enforcer. Without having much media coverage on him and then having a spur of media coverage in a short time all being negative against you, for some that is difficult to cope. I hope that in the future the NHL takes a hard lesson from this and works actively with players to speak up when they feel less than normal.

My deepest prayers go out to the Rypien family, the Jets and Canucks communities and to anyone who ever enjoyed seeing Rypien both on the ice and off the ice.

News: Gregoire to Winnipeg; Martinek to Columbus

Former Islanders prospect Jason Gregoire has signed an entry level contract with the Winnipeg Jets according to Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun. The Winnipeg, Manitoba native spent the last three years with the University of North Dakota, culminating with 43 points in 35 games this past season. Gregoire, who was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2007 NHL Draft, became a free agent after completing his college season and going pro.

CH: Like I said on earlier podcasts, this is extremely underwhelming by Gregoire. It's a real slap in the face to the team that drafted him and took a shot on him when he really was not ranked very high in 2007. He seemed like a character guy, and I certainly did not expect him to leave the Islanders like this. That said, he'll get more of a chance to crack the NHL roster on a Winnipeg team who is still rebuilding. Either way, whether people brush this off or not, just remember the only other player to use this loophole was Blake Wheeler, who was picked in the top 10 of the NHL draft (and I did not defend him when he did). That said, life goes on, and the Islanders will too with their elite level prospect pool.

AT: I would've liked Gregoire in the depth charts, but he'll probably have a better chance at being higher in ranking in Winnipeg's system. Not to mention he's actually from Winnipeg, so his first team will be his hometown team. A shame as he should've signed with the team that drafted him, but there's not much you can do in this situation. I hope this loophole is fixed in the next CBA.

Secondly, the Columbus Blue Jackets have signed former Islanders defenseman Radek Martinek to a 1 year, $2.2 million contract on Wednesday. Martinek, a 10-year veteran (all with the Islanders), finished with 16 points in 64 games last year.

CH: Martinek was a good Islander for many years and I'm very happy to see that he found a home in Columbus next season. He will fit in well with that system and collection of players, and if he stays healthy will be an underrated piece as the Blue Jackets push for their second playoff appearance in franchise history.

As for the Islanders, this was their back-up plan. Now he's gone. So it's really up to Snow now. We've identified some free agents and trade targets that are still out there. It's only July 7, so there is plenty of time, but the Islanders need to act before this August 1 vote. Waiting until arbitration will not make the fanbase happy, which normally is not a big deal, but with such an important day in Islanders history they should be doing their best to get the fans excited for the next season. And that does not include signing Kirill Kabanov to an entry-level contract. I remain patient and hopeful, because it is still early, but with free agent defensemen off the board daily and trades happening seemingly every other day, it makes every fan antsy. How many more players will be moved? Will there even be players available? I'm all for Garth Snow to wait for the move that fits best for the team, but that move has to come. Anything less would make this off-season a complete failure. He has two months to make it happen, but more and more targets will be gone as the days go by.

AT: I liked Radek. I really did. He was amazingly the healthiest D-man on the Isles this past season. But as Carey mentioned, he was their backup plan, and he's gone now. Where do the Isles go now? You have to hope and pray Garth is on the phone constantly looking for a top 4 D man to deal for. It is absolutely essential for success at this point. Hope Radek fits in well in Columbus. Beautiful city, he'll be with another former Islander in Wisniewski, and he seems the be excited.