Is this year the crossroads for Thomas McCollum?

     This is the first of a three part series I'll be doing on the goaltending situation for the Grand Rapids. 

     The Grand Rapids Griffins are off to a somewhat disappointing start that has me confused. I think there are a lot of reasons they've struggled so far, but perhaps the most interesting (and most fun for me to break down) is goaltending.The situation in Grand Rapids is interesting because we have Thomas McCollum and Jordan Pearce coming into this season as the veterans in the AHL, and we now have young, dynamic, talented, enthusiastic, thrilling to watch phenom Petr Mrazek thrown into the mix. But I'm not going to focus on Mrazek... yet.

     Thomas McCollum has been the recipient of a lot of criticism and disappointment in the last couple years, and I think this is the year for him to show whether or not he has a future playing professional Hockey. Fun fact, McCollum started playing Hockey when he was 4 and he played defense. One season in Mites his team's goalie quit, next practice Thomas put on the pads, took over in net and never looked back. McCollum was drafted by the Wings 30th overall in the 1st round of the 2008 draft. Prior to being drafted by the Wings, McCollum played in the OHL for 3 years. He played '06-'09 with the Geulph Storm, was named to the 2009 World Juniors Championship roster, and then traded to the Brampton Battalion where he played out the rest of the '08-'09 season. While in the OHL, McCollum had a respectable 2.27 GAA .922 SV% with an 85-51-20 record.

     At the beginning of the '06-'07 season McCollum started out as the backup, but quickly won the starter position and set the Geulf record for shutouts by a rookie netminder with 5 and was named to the OHL All-Star Game and nominated for OHL goaltender of the Year.

     In the '07-'08 season McCollum played in 51 games, went 25-17-3-3, with a 2.50 GAA and a .914 save percentage. He was named the Academic Player of the Year as well as OHL goaltender of the month in December '07.

     The '08-'09 season saw McCollum split time between the Storm and the Batallion while also playing in an 8-2 USA win over Germany, stopping 16 of 18 shots, in the '09 World Junior Championships that saw the USA finish 5th. From the research and really crappy video clips I could find of the World Junior's it sounds like McCollum had a rough time and had confidence issues (more on this later). He finished the season with an overall 2.11 GAA and .927 SV%. After being traded to the Battalion, he posted an impressive 1.94 GAA and .929 SV% in 23 games and finished the season strong.

     After being drafted by Detroit, McCollum spent the '09-'10 season splitting time between the Toledo Walleye (ECHL) and the Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL). He played 3 games in Toledo posting a 2-1-0 record with a 4.48 GAA and .864 SV%. He became the youngest goalie to ever play for the Griffins at 19 years old. That year he played 30 games in Grand Rapids and posted a 10-16-2 record with a 3.48 GAA and .881 SV%. Part way through the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs McCollum was called up by Detroit to serve as a Black Ace but never saw any ice time.

     There must be a glitch in the'10-'11 stats because there's something showing up that I'm sure didn't happen. But let's look at McCollum's stats in Grand Rapids before getting to that. This was a very rough year for Thomas. After 20 games in Grand Rapids, going 6-12-2 and posting a 3.33 GAA and .879 SV%, he was sent down to Toledo where he improved a little; playing 23 games and going 11-9-2 and posting a 2.76 GAA and .909 SV% Now here's the glitch in this season's stats. The official reports weave a twisted horrifying tale that I would definitely remember had it actually happened. On the night of March 30, 2011 the Red Wings were "supposedly" scheduled to play the St. Louis Blues. Now in this horror story, Chris Osgood was on IR for a groin injury and Jimmy Howard sustained a shoulder strain the previous game. Had this unfortunate series of events actually occurred, that would have left the goaltending responsibilities to *gulp* Joey MacDonald (who had been backing Howard up in Osgood's absence) and *gulp gulp* Thomas McCollum (who had no prior NHL experience whatsoever). Midway through this imaginary second period, St. Louis had scored 5 goals on Joey MacDonald and Babcock made the decision to give the rookie a shot. Thomas McCollum was put in net and unfortunately gave up 3 goals on 8 shots. Poor McCollum. Joey Mac was put back in net after that and.. I'm told... we lost the game 10-3. I still don't believe it, but the horrifying images are somehow stuck in my head and I can't make them disappear.

     In '11-'12, his third pro season, McCollum started out with the Walleye going 6-8 wtih a 2.62 GAA and .909 SV% in 15 games. He was called up by the Griffins in mid November and stayed there until returning to Toledo on December 4th. At the end of December he was recalled back to the Griffins and spent the rest of the season there; with the exception of two games wtih Toledo in early March. That season with the Griffins, McCollum went 11-16 with a 3.49 GAA and .891 SV% in 28 games.  Neither the Griffins nor the Walleye reached the playoffs that year. This season saw McCollum set a career best 5 straight victories and also a new career high in wins with 11. He led all Griffins goalies with 28 games played and tied for the team leading 11 victories. For context, the other goalies in Grand Rapids that year were as follows:

Goalie	GP	W	L	OT/SO	GAA	SV%
Ty Conklin	12	8	4	2	2.40	.915
Joey MacDonald	26	11	11	3	2.63	.913
Jordan Pearce	19	3	8	1	3.68	.871

     Goaltending is the most mental position to play. Go ahead and make your "goalies ARE mental" jokes... I'll wait.......... It's been well documented and discussed that goalies have to be mentally tough or they'll crack, and a cracked goalie won't do anyone any good. I always though I understood this before, but now that I AM a goalie, I understand this idea on a deeper level. As a goalie you have to be able to completely shake of goals and not let them bother you. Once the puck drops after a goal is scored, you have to be able to erase the last goal and play as if it didn't happen, this is especially true of bad goals or ugly ones you'd like to have back. Your full focus has to be on this game, this period, this play, right now.. all the time. There are no breaks, no shifts, you're on the ice all the time and have to be aware of everything going on at all times. Where the players are, where the puck it, where it's most likely to go etc... More than any other position, possibly in any sport, you have to be mentally tough. Chris Osgood is one of the best examples of mental toughness in a goalie. I've heard and watched interviews with him after games where he let in goals that would have made most people want to cry. Even after absolutely brutal goals or games, he would always shrug them off, say there's nothing he can do about it now, not let it get to him and be ready for the next game. I overheard someone comment once that it sounded like Ozzie didn't even care, that maybe he SHOULD care or cry about it. I emphatically disagree. If you let a bad goal or game get to you, if you obsess about it or let is shake your confidence, it will adversely affect your ability to be your best.

     Watching McCollum play on the Griffins this season, even in only 5 games, a few things have become apparent to me. I've seen him make some really good saves, sometimes his positioning and body language is fantastic and I have confidence in him; but that confidence has never lasted a whole game. He seems to get shaken when there's a lot of pressure, or a goal or two gets in. His body language changes and he seems more flustered and hesitant. Hesitant and unsure are killers for a goalie, and it just seems to get worse the more the game goes on. I also think this is one of the roots of the issues Grand Rapids has had this season. They've been off to a rough start and when you know your goalie is struggling and if you think he can't handle the pressure, the players can't focus on their game like they need to. Everyone has to do their job, and if even one player can't perform their duty at the necessary level, the whole team will struggle. I don't know if McCollum was traumatized by that nightmare of a game against St. Louis, or if he would have had the same struggles regardless. I think McCollum has average skills and his confidence/mental issues are proving to be his downfall.

     I like McCollum, and as a fellow goalie I feel bad for him and wish he wasn't struggling so badly. I'll be doing posts later on both Jordan Pearce and Petr Mrazek, so I don't want to get into them too much here; but with both of them also working to earn their spot in Grand Rapids, I think this may be the year that determines if McCollum stays in Grand Rapids, gets relegated to the Walleye, or maybe doesn't get re-signed at all. He's in the last year of his 3 year contract and will be a RFA at the end of the season and if things don't change and he doesn't improve, I have a hard time imagining the Griffins keep him around... especially with Mrazek getting his shot in the AHL.

     But all hope is not lost for McCollum, even if he doesn't have a long career in the professional Hockey, perhaps he could take the path of another goalie with a similar story. Let's take a brief trip together shall we? It was the '83-'84 season and the Red Wings called up a young goaltender who had only played in one NHL game, and after 6 years in the AHL, he was about to get his shot in the big leagues. The Red Wings called him up, he played 3 games, went 0-1-1 with a 4.11 GAA and .811 SV%. This goalie played the next season in the AHL, and that was the end of his professional career. BUT, to our good fortune, he remained in the Hockey world and became the General Manager we know and love. Yes, our very own Kenny (Tick Tock)  Holland. Who knows, maybe someday Thomas McCollum will be the next Ken Holland.

The Anger Is fading.

     This will be a quick, short, depressing post  that I’m writing because I need to get it off my chest. I asked a question this morning that the pre-lockout me would have kicked my ass for even thinking.   

     One week ago today I was having a conversation about how pissed I still got when I thought about the lockout and the NHL. That anger was something that I held on to because it was still a feeling, it meant I still cared; I still cared enough to be angry and want to punch babies, drown kittens and burn puppies. The rage that burned inside was hot and fierce, but it was a feeling, it kept my Hockey soul alive. Feeling anger and rage is better than the emptiness of feeling nothing, it’s better than the hopeless void that exists when apathy takes over; when the void exists but you can’t feel it anymore. Today I proposed that perhaps it was actually better if the Winter Classic is cancelled this year, regardless of if we have a season (news flash, I don’t think we will). I've gone through the stages of shock and denial. The stages of anger and despair took a long time, but now the anger is fading and I don’t give enough fucks anymore to get irate and rant and rage.   

     The despair is giving way to the apathy and the rationalization and bargaining has begun. The NHL has fucked the non-existent season so badly that maybe they should cancel the Winter Classic. At this point if the season started with the WC (or even a few weeks before) the lockout has tainted the spirit of the WC so badly that for me there wouldn’t be a pure, unadulterated enjoyment of the WC like there should be.  The Winter Classic to me is supposed to represent the love of the game, creating an outdoor rink, playing the game in a location that’s at close to its origins as you’ll see an NHL game played. This one was going to be extra special, not only were the Wings going to be in it, but the Leafs as well. Two original 6 teams who have a history of great rivalry.. the teams, the fans, the atmosphere, the record attendance.. it was going to be epic. But right now, even if the NHL hadn’t cancelled the Winter Classic, I probably still would have watched it, but it would have been with bitterness, anger and conflicted thoughts and emotions. The WC would have been tainted, violated and what it’s supposed to represent would have been replaced with something else that was more bitter than sweet. pre-lockout me would be kicking my butt right now for even speaking such words. Maybe it’s just part of my coping process, if I rationalize the inevitable and convince myself that maybe it’s for the better, than maybe it won’t hurt so much. 

     The NHL has taken something beautiful, something I love and shit all over it and a part of me is dying; the anger is fading and I'm going numb. I guess when something you love so much rejects you, the pain and anger get to be too much and you have to make yourself not care as much to try to get over the heartbreak. You feel like it will never happen, you’ll never be able to let go and the pain and anger feel like they will consume you forever, you think surely they will never go away and you’ll suffer forever. Then one day something happens, you hear news about it and it doesn’t hit you as hard as it always did. It doesn’t hurt quite as much and you don’t get so angry that the rage monkeys burst from your chest and lay waste to everything in sight. I guess that means you’re getting over it. The NHL has no idea what it has done, it’s not just losing casual fans who may catch a game once in a while and it’s not just losing new fans who haven’t yet become raging addicts, it’s losing the very heart and soul of its livelihood. I can’t even get angry enough right now launch into a tirade about all the repercussions and how utterly stupid the NHL is being. It doesn’t matter, no one cares and I’m caring less and less. What’s the point? There’s nothing I can do about it. I don’t know what will happen when/if we have Hockey again. I’m sure a whole new coping process will start and I don’t know what it will entail, but the fact that I, and other Hockey fans that have been dedicated for far longer than I, have come to this point is sad, unnecessary and depressing. 

Congratulations NHL I hope you’re proud of yourselves.

I hate what the NHL has done to me.

     I hate that when I sit down to write about Hockey it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I hate that sometimes when I compose a comment, post, tweet etc... I get so frustrated and angry that I simply walk away so I don't spew bitterness all over everyone else. I hate that I'm writing this post instead of something exciting about the Red Wings. I wish I were writing a post about how Jonas Gustavsson was proving to be a great acquisition from Toronto, or how Brendan Smith was showing great improvement from last year, or how having Gustav Nyquist on the first line with Datsyuk gave me a warm tingle feeling every game (hey I can dream). I wish I were writing a post outlining all the reasons why Henrik Zetterberg was the perfect choice for Captain, or even bidding a bittersweet farewell to Tomas Holmstrom, who served this team so diligently and selflessly for 16 years. I wish I were writing a post welcoming back Patrick Eaves and saying how wonderful it was to see his smiling face back on the ice and seeing how excited he gets when his team scores. I'm not writing about any of those things that would make me happy, and every day that goes by and the situation doesn't change, I get a little more apathetic towards it all. I still care, the fact that I'm writing about how much I hate the situation is proof that I still care. But if this drags on and on, and we lose the season, the Winter Classic and a year of watching the players and game we love, will I reach the point where I don't care about the NHL anymore? I've talked quite a bit about this topic with different people over the last few weeks and the more I talk about it and express my frustration and sadness, the more I realize just how much I've cared and invested of myself into Hockey, the NHL and the Wings.

This is what it feels like I've been doing.

     When something that means so much to you is suddenly withheld and you can't do anything to get it back, you're forced to re-evaluate things. I want to make it clear that my love of Hockey hasn't changed, my love of Hockey continues to grow, despite the NHL's attempt to kill our Hockey loving souls one bull shit filled statement at a time. I started playing Hockey in April and playing the game I love so much has allowed me to grow to love the game on a deeper, more intimate level than only watching on TV ever could. A friend asked me teasingly if I was cheating on the Wings because I was watching the Griffins, my response surprised me a little bit.

"No. The Wings walked away from me, they decided we weren't going to spend any time together and they were gong to look for fulfillment elsewhere. If that's the way they want to be, then I'm not going to spend any more time sitting around feeling sorry for myself and wishing they'd come back. If/when they decide to come back, then we'll evaluate our relationship and see where we stand. As for right now, I'm going to spend my time and energy on people and things that are more important and who value me more."

     Really? That's it? "We'll re evaluate our relationship and see where we stand"? There was no groveling, no air of desperation, just a somewhat apathetic evaluation. Even as I write this there are reports that then NHL is expected to announce the cancellation of the Winter Classic on Thursday. Do you know what my reaction was? Eh, it was just a matter of time. I'm an optimistic realist and I'm usually the one encouraging people to look on the bright side and not give up. Maybe it's the realist in me, or maybe it's my self defense systems raising shields to mitigate damages, but I don't care as much as I used to... or at least I don't think I do right now.

Does this image really need any further explanation?

     As much as my give a damn level is sinking, I still know that when we eventually have NHL Hockey again, and I have the opportunity to watch my beloved Red Wings, I'll be right there glued to my TV drooling and overdosing on the Hockey I've been craving and missing for far too long. I suspect however, that when once the NHL does come back, it will be bittersweet. Sure I'll be right there watching the Hockey I've been yearning for, but there will still be that twinge of pain and betrayal where the knife was. I'll probably eventually get over, but I'll never forget this. I suspect it will be one of those things that you hide under rug in the closet and don't think about; until one day when you need the box of glass eyes you keep in said closet (hey I don't judge you by what you keep in YOUR closet). Then all of a sudden it jumps up at you and makes you scream like a little girl (I'm talking pig tails here) and you remember for a horrifying moment what the lockout was like.

I'm never going in that closet again, guess it's time to get the patch back out.

     I'm getting pretty tired of writing posts like these instead of the happy kind I mentioned above, and I'd bet my pet space monkey that you're getting pretty tired of reading them as well. Sometimes I read through the articles and thoughts of the day and am disappointed that most of them are negative, bad news, or the same regurgitated  news we've been hearing and talking about since the Playoffs ended (D'oh). But then I remember that there isn't a whole lot of other Hockey things to talk about and most of our options are pretty depressing at this point. But there's something therapeutic about venting, about letting out the anger, frustration, sarcasm, snark and hurt; especially among friends who understand exactly what you're going through because they're in the same boat as you are. Sure the life boat it a bit crowded, and someone's feet somehow end up in your face when you wake up in the morning, and you have to fight back the reflex to gag everyone someone gets seasick.

The Lochout Monster is no laughing matter.

     I think the venting helps up cope, so I think until the lockout ends, we have NHL Hockey again and the sting fades a little, I'm going to embrace this new form of venting and I encourage you to do the same. Go ahead if you haven't already, it can feel oh so good.This lockout won't crush our Hockey spirits, most of us won't emerge unscathed, and sadly many who love Hockey and the NHL will leave and never return, and that truly makes me sad. But the love of Hockey will live on in us, no matter how badly the NHL screws up. We'll continue to play Hockey, love the game, watch at other levels, and for those people who posses enough knowledge and experience, maybe even help others appreciate, love and learn the game that means so much to us. Please don't lose heart Hockey fans, Hockey doesn't live and die with the NHL. Hockey lives on in each of us. We will take it with us wherever we go and spread the passion and Hockey culture.

     Most days are an emotional Hockey roller coaster. I go from disappointed, to frustrated, to angry, to apathetic, to hopeful, to thinking about all the great people I've met because of Hockey and the meaningful friendships that have come from it. When I think about those things, I'm reminded that there are more important things in life and I achieve a sort of zen about the whole thing. I know that this place I'm at in my life is exactly where I'm supposed to be. Regardless of what the NHL does or doesn't do, life will go on and all the great things and people in my life that I have because of Hockey will still be there and I will continue to hold them dear and enjoy them.

Long live Hockey!

Introducing The Dollar Hotdog Power Hour Podcast!

     Sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures, and sometimes those desperate measures lead you to something awesome that you might not have otherwise discovered or attempted.  With the NHL and NHLPA still having their collective heads up their asses and no NHL Hockey being played now, nor in the foreseeable future; Hockey fans have been forced to come up with other ways to get their Hockey fix and entertain ourselves. 

     We do things like keep up with how our favorite players are doing in Europe, watch and attend Grand Rapids Griffins games, start blogs to help us cope, vent and bond with our Hockey family for support and comfort, and even….. Start a podcast!

In case you're slightly confused by the name of the podcast, Larry Murphy's love for dollar hotdogs was the inspiration. 

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Since this whole idea was Mike's I'll let him explain: from his blog: 

In trying to keep spirits alive, I've been thinking of doing a podcast. Without games to break down, without trades and signings to discuss and strategies to analyze, this lockout has been excruciating  I can't watch and read about hockey and the Red Wings, so I've lost one hobby. Now I can't even write about it, thus killing another hobby. I could write about the lockout, and honestly I should be, because it is important, but it just gets me angry.

Both sides are showing themselves to be obstinate, although there was been some significant movement. And I tip my hat to the NHL for being the first ones to really move. And I shouldn't be writing about CBA negotiations, I should be writing about hockey. Granted, a podcast won't fix that entirely because there's still no Red Wings hockey to talk about. But at least it'll be something new and different for me to do.

I've invited Michelle of Twitter and blog fame, as well as a fellow up and coming Red Wings blogger and Tweeter Kevin to collaborate with me on this project. I'm hoping to get more voices in to keep it fresh and interesting, and I want my handful of readers to submit questions or topics of conversation for us to discuss. We want to be responsive to what you want to hear.

So kick back, grab something to drink and tune in. We hope you enjoy it so we can keep doing it. Follow us all on Twitter and we'll let you know when we're going to record next so you can submit ideas, and for general hockey and Red Wings commentary. Please check out both Michelle and Kevin's blogs and keep coming by here.

Also, I want to apologize for the poor audio. Being new at this whole thing and not having the ideal equipment to do it, there were some feedback and audio issues that I hopefully got resolved later on. I hope you'll give me the chance to get them worked out, and I hope Michelle will forgive me for fucking up her early segments. In general, it doesn't do justice to Michelle or Kevin. The quality of their words was above and beyond better than the quality of my recording. All the more reason to follow them both on Twitter and read their blogs!

Let's Go Red...aww I'm sad. Go Griffins!

     I'm honored to be a part of this fantastic new venture two very smart, knowledgeable members of my Hockey family. If you have half as much fun listening to our podcast as we have making it, then I'll consider it a success. I hope you enjoy listening and check out both Mike and Kevin's blogs for awesome Hockey content. 

Let us know what you think, comments and suggestions are welcome.

Screw the NHL and NHLPA and Go Griffins!

The AHL is doing it right.

I had the pleasure of attending my first Grand Rapids Griffins games on Friday and Saturday. Since it was my first AHL game I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect, but the details weren’t that important… I was going to watch live HOCKEY. I commend the Griffins for making the entire game experience fun and enjoyable. The Red Wings games I’ve been to are fun and I enjoy myself, but the Griffins (and from what I can tell other AHL teams as well) really have fun with the pregame, intermission and commercial break activities. There was a T-shirt shooting machine gun, sandwich and hot dog cannons, goodies parachuting from the rafters and raining down like confetti, and the mascots came onto the ice riding in the Griff Mobile and doing donuts and having a good time.

                              Did I mention they shot hot dogs and sandwiches out of cannons? 

I have a lot of fun and enjoy myself at Red Wings games (stupid lockout) but I honestly had more fun taking in a weekend of Griffins games. I met some friends down there and watched the games with them, good company and Hockey discussions while watching live Hockey added to the experience. Friday night was $1 hot dog and $1 beer night (I'm starting a petition to change the name to Larry Murphy Night) and after the game they opened up the rink and we got to skate around for close to an hour. This is an awesome event and I give kudos to the Griffins for doing it. How cool is it that I can say I learned to do crossovers on the Griffins ice at Van Andel Arena? It’s pretty darn cool. 

                                                    Almost as cool as these two... almost.

Saturday night after the game, the Griffins had 3 players available for autographs- yeah for adding to my signed puck collection! I was surprised there weren’t more people taking advantage of both the open skate and opportunity to get autographs, but as someone who did take advantage of both; it was nice that there weren’t that many people involved. This was my first AHL game and even though the Griffins lost both nights (3-2 Friday and 4-3 SO Saturday) I still had an absolute blast. If you can get to any AHL games, I highly recommend you do so; it’s relatively cheap, a lot of fun, and it’s Hockey.  I will definitely be attending more Griffins games this year regardless of what the NHL and NHLPA do (or don’t do). 

                                At least we still have an opportunity to watch Goose in action.

Because of the NHL lockout, other Hockey leagues, clubs, and teams have benefited from increased awareness and interest. I sincerely hope that the increased interest in the AHL remains higher, even when we have NHL Hockey again. I want Hockey to thrive anywhere and everywhere and I want as many people as possible to watch, enjoy, play and be addicted to Hockey. I would love to see some AHL games broadcast on TV, and maybe the increased awareness and demand will help the process along. In the meantime, you can listen to theGriffins for free here and the AHL offers online streaming video packages or single game access here. I encourage everyone to support Hockey at any level they can. I had already planned to attend a few Griffins games, even before the lockout started, but the lack of NHL Hockey gave me extra motivation to do so. I’m extremely glad I did and the AHL will be have  larger part of my Hockey life going forward. Go Hockey! Go Griffins! 

Go ahead, puff your cheeks out and give it your best shot.

Don't get shut out of Hockey, get off your 5 hole and check out some other opportunities.

Ok, I'm done now... I swear.