enigma [ɪˈnɪgmə]
n. A person, thing, or situation that is mysterious, puzzling, or ambiguous. See: Alexander Semin.
Grantland editor-in-chief Bill Simmons wrote a terrific column on Oklahoma City’s enigmatic and polarizing star, Russell Westbrook, back in late June. Westbrook is one of the top talents in the NBA, but he has garnered plenty of criticism for the things he doesn’t do. Westbrook’s aggressive style of play is seen as reckless by his detractors, and they choose to overlook all of his positive attributes (and there are a lot of them). Those who defend Westbrook (including Simmons) accept his faults because he contributes positively in so many ways.
“Westbrook’s defenders accept his faults because they’re a small part of the greater good: He brings so many unique things to the table, fills the stat sheet in so many different ways, competes so freaking hard every game and remains such a good-natured teammate, they’re fine with any collateral damage.”
Alexander Semin is one of the most polarizing players in the NHL. Like Westbrook, he has no shortage of critics, including former coaches, teammates, and members of the media. In the past few playoffs, TSN and CBC in particular have been consistent with their political party-like smear campaigns. People focus on what he takes off of the proverbial table (consistent production, toughness, physical play, and intangibles like grit and heart), all the while ignoring his positives (production at even strength, and a positive impact on linemates, among other things).
There is one big difference between the two players. Westbrook is criticized at times for trying too hard. With Semin, the exact opposite is true.
Why does Semin get criticized for his faults so much more than other NHL players? There are many reasons.
In his column, Simmons also discusses what he calls the “10 Percent Theory.” All great athletes have weaknesses, and even the greatest players are only using about 90 percent of their total potential (not sure how Simmons quantifies this, but in general the theory makes sense). These weaknesses represent the other 10 percent. For some players, these weaknesses are more glaring than others (in Semin’s case, his get dissected on an almost daily basis). With the right coaches, the right fit, and the right playing style, these weaknesses are minimized. Put Semin on a team with a strong leadership group (something Washington probably hasn’t had in recent years, although that is merely speculation without being privy to what goes on in the dressing room), and perhaps the four most recent seasons may have ended differently.
Simmons mentions Steve Francis in his column. Francis very well could be the Semin of the NBA – a mercurial and talented player who was a divisive figure from day one. Francis refused to play for the Vancouver Grizzlies, the team that drafted him, while Semin returned back to Russia after spending 52 games in Washington as a rookie in 2003-04. Simmons discussed Francis with his former coach Jeff Van Gundy. Van Gundy had Francis during his tenure in Houston, and during that time he tried to change the highly skilled and explosive guard into more of a typical pass-first point guard. In the process, he took away Francis’s 90 percent and focused too much attention on his 10 percent.
The same could be said for how Semin (and many of Washington’s other offensive stars) have been treated in recent years. The Capitals were once the class of the NHL offensively, but after a few playoff disappointments (the final straw being the stifling Montreal defense and Jaroslav Halak during 2010), they changed course, opting for more of a gritty, two-way brand of hockey.
Did the move pay off? From 2008 to 2010, the Capitals won an average of 52 games, consecutive Southeast Division titles, a Presidents’ Trophy, and multiple individual awards. They lost once each in the first and second round. From 2010-2012, the Capitals won an average of 45 games, one Southeast Division title, and zero individual awards. Mike Green went from being the next Paul Coffey to an afterthought. Alex Ovechkin played like a shadow of his former Mark Messier/Pavel Bure hybrid self. And Semin’s role decreased with each passing season.
Like Van Gundy in Houston, Washington’s coaches (starting with Bruce Boudreau and ending with Dale Hunter) tried to change Semin. They focused on what he wasn’t doing (blocking shots, appearing to compete hard), instead of what he was (producing at an elite level, elevating the play of those around him, even as his quality of linemates decreased).
In 2009-10, he spent over 20 percent of his time on the ice with Backstrom and Ovechkin.
| Frequency | Strength | 2009-10 Line Combination |
| 21.37% | EV | 19 BACKSTROM,NICKLAS – 8 OVECHKIN,ALEXANDER – 28 SEMIN,ALEXANDER |
| 17.79% | EV | 14 FLEISCHMANN,TOMAS – 21 LAICH,BROOKS – 28 SEMIN,ALEXANDER |
| 9.69% | EV | 21 LAICH,BROOKS – 9 MORRISON,BRENDAN – 28 SEMIN,ALEXANDER |
The next season, that number dropped to 16 percent.
| Frequency | Strength | 2010-11 Line Combination |
| 16.15% | EV | 19 BACKSTROM,NICKLAS – 8 OVECHKIN,ALEXANDER – 28 SEMIN,ALEXANDER |
| 10.23% | EV | 90 JOHANSSON,MARCUS – 21 LAICH,BROOKS – 28 SEMIN,ALEXANDER |
And this past season it dropped even further, to 9.8 percent.
| Frequency | Strength | 2011-12 Line Combination |
| 17.43% | EV | 25 CHIMERA,JASON – 85 PERREAULT,MATHIEU – 28 SEMIN,ALEXANDER |
| 9.88% | EV | 19 BACKSTROM,NICKLAS – 8 OVECHKIN,ALEXANDER – 28 SEMIN,ALEXANDER |
| 9.17% | EV | 90 JOHANSSON,MARCUS – 8 OVECHKIN,ALEXANDER – 28 SEMIN,ALEXANDER |
Semin’s critics haven’t been entirely off the mark, though. Former teammates Matt Bradley and David Steckel spoke negatively of him in public – almost unheard of in hockey. This only confirmed what many people had assumed already – Semin was a bad teammate, and someone who cared more about his own stats than the greater good of winning games.
Comparisons could be made between the run-and-gun Capitals and the run-and-gun Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder have done a good job in recent years of shoring up their 10 percent (size, toughness, defense) without taking away from the other 90. The Capitals have been unsuccessful in this venture, and with the hiring of Adam Oates, a return to maximizing their 90 percent may be in order. Van Gundy told Simmons that the Thunder “needed to win or lose… on their own terms, not some idealistic, media-driven belief about how they SHOULD be playing.” That sentence sounds eerily familiar to Capitals fans, I’m sure.
In his blog for Sports Illustrated, Stu Hackel had the following to say about Semin:
“Semin’s offensive inconsistency reminds me of Alex Kovalev, who was one of the most gifted NHLers ever. He’d amaze teammates in practice, but was maddeningly inconsistent during games. He could have been one of the greatest ever, but he didn’t deliver on his potential enough.”
Like Semin, Kovalev’s detractors focused on his weaknesses while overlooking his positive contributions. Kovalev wasn’t one of the greatest ever, but he was a very good player for a long time. Semin has a better shot and quicker hands than 95 percent of the hockey playing population, but perhaps his ultimate “potential” isn’t unrealized. Maybe he isn’t supposed to be a consistent two-way superstar that can also score 50 goals. Maybe his upside has been realized – a supremely talented offensive force that disappears for stretches and keeps hockey journalists busy.
Even Semin’s detractors can’t argue with the fact that Washington has never paired him with a suitable center on the second line. From over-the-hill veterans like Sergei Fedorov, Brendan Morrison, and Jason Arnott, to borderline top six forwards like Mathieu Perreault and Eric Belanger, Semin was never given a center to flourish alongside. Ironically enough, the Capitals went out and acquired a legitimate number two center this summer in Mike Ribeiro, but Semin won’t be there to play with him.
After scoring 40 goals in 2009-10, Semin was left off of the NHL All-Star Ballot the very next season. His poor playoff performance in 2010 (zero goals and two assists in seven games) overshadowed what was a spectacular regular season. Whoever was in charge of putting the ballot together obviously was listening to Semin’s critics, a group that seemed to be growing with each passing day. Dave Lozo, an NHL.com writer, put it best.
“Alex Semin is the only guy who can score on national TV and people spend the next five minutes questioning why he doesn’t try.”
Before the 2011-12 season, the Washington Post’s Neil Greenberg attempted to debunk some of the perceptions that the hockey world had created about Semin. Some of Greenberg’s work flies in the face of those who consider Semin to be a one-dimensional team cancer (this includes Marc Crawford, the former TSN panelist and Cup winning NHL coach who referred to Semin as a “complete loser” with “no character” on national television).
“In 2009-10, his Corsi percentage was .541, 17th best in the NHL among forwards, ahead of noted “puck-possession machines” Zach Parise, Marcel Goc and Ryan Clowe. Semin was also 12th in goals scored with 40, 20th in points with 84 and seventh in plus/minus with a plus-36. He did this despite playing the second-toughest opponents among Washington forwards in terms of Corsi relative to the competition.”
Over the last four years, Semin has also proven himself to be an excellent penalty killer. His 4.2 goals against per 60 minutes is in the top 10 lowest among forwards during that period, and he has kept opponents to 44 shots against per 60 when he has been on the ice, 26th best.”
A Corsi percentage of .541 means that of all shots directed on goal, 54.1 percent of them came from Washington players on the opposition’s goalie while Semin was on the ice (a very good number). Semin drove possession in a positive manner for his team while on the ice.
Washington GM George McPhee echoed many of the same sentiments (yet still chose to not re-sign the skilled winger this summer).
“With respect to his play, he’s a productive playoff player. His point-per-game average is way up there in the league. He’s played in 37 playoff games and got 30 points. I mean, Pavel Datsyuk is a terrific playoff player and in his first 37 playoff games he had 12 points. Semin had 30. Semin’s got a better point-per-game average than Corey Perry, who won the MVP, or the Sedin twins, who are great players, or a guy like [Boston’s Patrice] Bergeron, who won the Cup last year. It’s easy to point fingers but you’ve got to get the facts right, and this kid’s been productive.”
Matt Bradley, a teammate of Semin’s for a few seasons, had the following to say about the mercurial winger during an interview a few years ago.
“He could easily be the best player in the league. For whatever reason, just doesn’t care. You need him to be your best player, or one of your best players, and when he doesn’t show up, you almost get the sense that he wants to be back in Russia. That’s tough to win when you’ve got a guy like that.”
. Of course Bradley knows more about Semin as a teammate than we ever could. Semin may steal shampoo in the showers, he may cut laces in the dressing room, and he could snore really, really loudly. However, during 2005-2011 (when both Bradley and Semin were teammates), Semin was one of Washington’s most effective and productive forwards – at both ends of the ice.
The above chart, courtesy of David Johnson from Hockey Analysis, shows the GF20 numbers for Semin’s teammates over the most recent three seasons. GF20 stands for team goals for per 20 minutes of ice time. Each Washington forward is plotted on the chart. The horizontal axis shows their GF20 number without Semin on the ice, and the vertical axis shows their number with Semin on the ice.
First off, it is easy to see how Semin’s linemate quality has downgraded. Three years ago, he spent a lot of time with Ovechkin and Backstrom. This past year, his most frequent linemates were Perreault and Jason Chimera. The larger the circle, the more frequently a player skated on a line with Semin.
It is quite clear that Semin had a positive impact on the offensive production of a wide variety of linemates (and Chimera in particular). In fact, only Ovechkin (2011-12), Johansson (2011-12), and Morrison (2009-10) were better off without Semin. So in three years, only three of 14 linemates fared better offensively without Semin. Not a huge surprise though, as Semin is supposed to be an offensive star.
This next chart is almost identical, except that it measures GA20 (if you guessed team goals against per 20 minutes, you would be correct). Semin, thought of as a one-way offensive talent, would surely drag down the defensive play of his linemates, no?
Quite the opposite, in fact. Almost all of his linemates have had better goals-against ratios while playing with him compared to playing without him (excluding Ovechkin in 2010-11). Only one of 14 linemates from the past three seasons performed significantly better defensively without Semin than with him. Some saw almost no difference with and without Semin on the wing, while others saw a significant improvement in their defensive play. He may lack grit, heart, intensity, and a “motor that doesn’t quit,” but Semin has been a very strong defensive forward in recent years. Read that out loud a few times, now.
“Of 125 NHL players with 2500 even strength minutes over the past three seasons, Semin ranks fifth in GF20, behind the Sedin twins, Jonathan Toews, and Steven Stamkos). Even more impressive – he ranks 13th in GA20. Daniel and Henrik ranked 28th and 38th in GA20 over that same time, while Toews and Stamkos were way back at 60th and 105th, respectively.”
Fear the Fin conducted a very thorough analysis of Semin before free agency opened this year. Semin’s offensive production (the 90 percent) has been declining over the last four years. His even strength shot rate, goal and point output, and total shots on goal have steadily dropped since 2008 .
| Season | DZone% | Corsi Rel QoC | Corsi Rel | On-Ice Sh% | 5v5 G/60 |
| 2008-09 | 40.40% | 0.05 | 7 | 10.90% | 1.76 |
| 2009-10 | 46.00% | 0.46 | 4.9 | 12.10% | 1.74 |
| 2010-11 | 45.00% | 0.79 | 11.4 | 10.70% | 1.38 |
| 2011-12 | 48.90% | -0.34 | 11 | 9.30% | 0.9 |
Glossary:
- DZone% – percent of shifts starting in the defensive zone. Semin’s defensive responsibilities have increased in the last four years.
- Corsi Rel QoC – the relative Corsi numbers of opponents on the ice. Semin saw his easiest minutes this past season, which is indicative of his declining role.
- 5v5 S/60 – even strength shots on goal per 60 minutes. Less shots equals less goals, all things being equal.
- 5v5 G/60 – even strength goals per 60 minutes. Declining each season.
- 5v5 P/60 – even strength points per 60 minutes. Declining each season.
Semin’s linemate quality has decreased. As have his offensive opportunities. And Washington’s radical shift in playing style and organizational philosophy have all factored in. Even with an even-strength point production ratio of 2.3 per 60 minutes, his lowest in four seasons, Semin still ranks in the top 50 of all NHL forwards (and the top 15 of all NHL left wingers).
Pierre McGuire is obviously plugged in to the hockey world. For all of his faults, he is a passionate color commentator with a coaching background and enough credibility to earn multiple interviews for GM vacancies. Calling Semin “the ultimate coach killer” likely comes from knowledge closer to the situation than most.
Bruce Boudreau, Semin’s coach for a few years in Washington, had the following to say back in 2009.
“Who knows what [Alex] is thinking. The minute I learn to read him, he throws me a curve ball. One day he looks like the greatest star on Earth and the next day you want to use a stick and beat him over the head with it. He’s the enigma of enigmas.”
Boudreau quickly followed that up with slight praise.
“In the NHL you can’t find this type of talent everywhere.”
The perception of Semin as an enigma, a player no heart (or one with a heart back in Russia), and a talented player performing well below the level he should be at was almost universally accepted in hockey.
Consistency is a skill that is underrated in all facets of daily life, and professional sports are no different. Wayne Gretzky was arguably the greatest player of all-time. A large part of what made him so good was the fact that he performed at such a high level for an extended period of time. Sometimes consistency can be learned (Vincent Lecavalier is a great example of this), and sometimes it can’t. Some players (Kovalev and Semin) are simply unable to use their 90 percent 100 percent of the time. You may get a player who plays with the same effort and same level of physicality each and every night (Ryan Callahan, for example), and that makes up a large part of his 90 percent. However, Callahan could only dream of doing many of the things Semin can do with the puck on his stick.
Another part of Semin’s game that has provided ammunition for his detractors – his penchant for lazy penalties in the offensive zone. Looking at the numbers, it is hard to refute this claim. Semin takes a lot of minor penalties relative to his teammates as well as the rest of the league.
| Minor Penalties | Team Rank | League Rank | |
| 2011-2012 Season | 28 | 1 | 34 |
| 2010-2011 Season | 27 | T-1 | 47 |
| 2009-2010 Season | 33 | 1 | 20 |
All that being said, Semin has the 11th highest goals-per-game average since the lockout. He has had a positive impact (on the ice, at least) on his teammates.
Even during 2011-12, a season in which Semin saw his ice time cut to 16:47 per game, and was playing with checkers instead of Washington’s top talent; he was able to generate scoring chances at a significantly greater rate than any other Capital.
“A scoring chance is defined as a clear play directed toward the opposing net from a dangerous scoring area, loosely defined as the top of the circle in and inside the faceoff dot. Blocked shots are generally not included, but missed shots are. A player is awarded a “chance for” (SCF) if someone on his team has a chance to score and a “chance against” (SCA) if the opposing team has a chance to score.”
Semin’s scoring chance differential of plus-52 was more than double any other Capital player (Perreault was second at plus-24). With Semin on the ice, the Capitals generated 52 more scoring chances on net than their opposition did.
Jim Rutherford, Carolina’s GM, spoke of his tempered interest in Semin.
“We would look at Semin on a short-term basis. We wouldn’t want to get locked in to anything, because we’ve all heard the stories.”
Some of the stories are true. Semin takes bad penalties. He isn’t the best teammate. However, calling him one-dimensional is simply wrong. Saying he doesn’t care? He would have been back in Russia long ago if that were true.
Instead of trying to figure out what makes him tick, why he doesn’t speak English more often, and why he isn’t revered by his teammates, NHL GMs should be figuring out why they are busy overpaying for average talent while one of the best possession players in the entire league continues to toil away on the open market.
Back to the Simmons column on Westbrook. He compared Westbrook’s “compete level” to that of Michael Jordan. Semin will never be lauded for his “compete level,” which makes up a part of his 10 percent. However, teams need to stop overlooking the other 90. If it was all about the money, Semin would be starring in Russia alongside Alex Radulov right now.
Take the final paragraph from Simmons’ column and replace Westbrook’s name with Semin’s.
“As for Semin, he’s never shedding that 10 percent. We’re always going to notice it. That is what makes him Alex Semin. You are who you are.”
Great article Jeff. In an industry where the objective and subjective should be like oil and water when evaluating a player, and subsequently compensation, it’s amazing how myopic and irresponsible some of the commentary that is being made by professionals that should understand better than most the objective aspects of the game.
Semin no doubt is a polarizing player that has had his 10% magnified more than most players. But as you and many others have so thoroughly pointed out, the numbers behind his game indicate a skilled forward that will surely be a welcome addition to a team that “takes a risk” on him next year. Twenty-nine teams next year will be scratching their heads on what they “didn’t see”.
Yep – hit the hammer on the nail, Greg
Holy heck Angus, that must have been one of the most insightful article that i have read in a long time.. put together so damn well, wish more sports writers could write like this..
Thanks for the kind words Phil, much appreciated
This is a fantastic article. Great to see an analytical approach, as opposed to the usual b.s. As a Caps fan I’m well aware of the 10% but have always known that 90 was a good deal bigger than 10.
Thanks Phil, much appreciated. Semin is far from the perfect player, but too much attention has been focused in on his imperfections.
one of the best articles ive read in a long time – great stuff
Thanks a lot
No joke in that the 10% is magnified. Yes, he’s had his bad days. And while Bradley criticized him after leaving the team, and Steckel said Bradley is correct. To say that everyone dislikes him (as many writers and pundits have been saying) is a gross exaggeration.
Anyway, excellent article
Excellent article, Jeff. Of all the phenomenal pieces you’ve written over the years, this may be your best yet. If only the NHL brass listened to us more often. As of a few days ago, Ken Holland told one of the local papers that Detroit had contacted Semin’s agent. That’s it. Amazing how a (mis)perception floods the thinking of even the best.
Thanks Rhys
Great piece, well researched and written
great stuff jeff…..he is rumored to be a penguin now (via sportsnet)
as pens fan, im not thrilled about the signing because of the ‘stories’ and i actually live in DC (joyfully) watching caps implode every year, but believe everyone deserves a chance (with new scenery)….. after reading your article, actually looking forward to seeing how this plays out..
Thanks!
Great article. I would love to see semin playing for the islanders with Tavares as hos center
Great article Jeff, It reminded me of the movie MoneyBall, I hate baseball, but enjoyed that movie as it went deeper into the world of sports. No doubt Semin has skill and regardless of how much skill he uses each night, percentage wise, he is a great asset to any team. If Player A has to be at 100% every night to contribute and Player B is a superstar but for whatever reason only dishes out 90% every night and contributes around the same as Player A It would be wise not to overlook Player B as on those rare occasions when a fire is lit under him that extra 10% can come out and the difference can be a Stanley Cup.
Thanks Phil. It will be interesting to see what happens.
This is terrific work. Well done.
Thanks Ralph.
A great article so glad to see someone writing about Semin in a light that is unbiased and truthful. Yes he has moments but he’s got so much skill and is so talented I hate seeing him left waiting. I wanted him to remain a Cap!
Thanks, much appreciated!
Jeff, wow! Excellent piece. Would you mind sending this to Ray Shero? The Pens PP of Malkin-Neal-Crosby-Semin-Letang would be pretty good I think.
This was one of the most thorough and well thought out articles I’ve read in a while. Another beauty with this one Jeff.
Well done sir, well done.
Thanks Zack. Much appreciated.
I think people tend to overlook the great charade that is the regular season in the NHL. In the regular season, so many games can turn on a few plays or players briefly exerting themselves and then the game is out of reach and the losing team lies down. Many years ago (pre-Ovechkin, pre-Jagr), the Caps got a good number of Ws not through talent, because they were so tough to play against and the other teams wouldn’t match their intensity. Then the talent came along and the Ws came because the talent would put the game out of reach and then the other team would lie down and come to play another day.
But in the playoffs, it’s so different. Nobody lies down. The magnitude of mistakes is magnified. You can’t give the puck up at the blueline repeatedly and hope to win. The reality is that Semin’s playoff stats may have been good but a guy like Jay Beagle can be trusted not to turn the puck over at the blueline repeatedly. Unfortunately, Alex Semin can not. I’m not sure the other Alex is there yet, but I hope that Oates can reach him like he reached Kovalchuk. I think Boudreau could not reach Alex O, Hunter had some success with him – but I’d say it was still limited.
“You can’t give the puck up at the blueline repeatedly and hope to win. ”
Thing is, it’s about risk and reward. Maybe that risky play at the blueline is 50-50. But the times it does succeed, you get a good scoring chance. When it doesn’t, well, the Alexes tend to lead the attack so you have players back so you may or may not surrender a scoring chance.
Jay Beagle won’t give you risk, but he won’t give you reward. Semin is the long run is going to be a net positive.
Risk/reward is, I agree, the correct way to look at it. And I agree, Jay Beagle offers/presents much less of a risk/reward opportunity. How many teams have won the Cup recently with a high risk/reward player like Semin? The Kings had some in the regular season (Kopitar, for one) but that wasn’t part of their game in the playoffs. Bruins have none other than maybe Lucic and he was marginalized in their playoff run last year. Blackhawks? Penguins? .
Kopitar is far from a high risk player – one of the best defensive forwards in the NHL.
If utilized properly Semin can be a part of a good team (my opinion, anyway).
You do the best you can with the cards you are dealt (players on the roster). You can’t magically turn them into the cards you want.
See, I see a subtle difference here between high risk and lack of defense. Sometimes they come together, sometimes not. High risk is a pass through the slot or a “curl and drag” at the offensive blueline without body position. Or a goalie that plays the puck a lot. Risky situations. Sometimes the goalie starts the breakout, sometimes he IS the breakout. And sometimes the puck may slide off his stick to an offensive player in the slot. Risk/Reward.
Lack of D is failure to backcheck after a turnover or mark up in the defensive zone – or flamingo legs out to the point.
I do believe that Semin is a decent enough defensive player, and won’t hurt a team defensively. There are just too many turnovers and they occur in the wrong place and at the wrong time in the game. If I were his coach, I would not have the confidence that he will tighten up his game when it needs to be tightened up and lower the risk/reward ratio in the situations that warrant more conservative play. I don’t think he has ever demonstrated the ability to adjust his game and so he’d be sitting on my bench at the key times rather than skating with Jay Beagle.
I have to folllow everyone’s sentiment. Great article. After writing the piece do you have any ideas where he will be next year?
Hopefully somewhere with a strong leadership group in place. Thanks
Hockey ain’t basketball though. It’s easier to work around/with one of 5 guys, who will stay out on the floor for an extended period, 5 minutes minimum. You gameplan for that set and rotation and substitution, and then for its complement, with tempo changes and D/O switchups built in. You can’t do that in hockey, as the substitutions don’t take place in basketball’s (mostly) set-piece environment. Thus, your hockey players will have to stick to a system together. They have to go over the boards and provide continuity in a composite gameplan. The little 50 second segments are more meaningful than in basketball, and can be far more dangerous to your team’s chances. Great teams/coaches find ways to spring the personnel traps in hockey, less so in basketball.
Not a good analogy, the basketball/hockey thing, although the Semin/Westbrook personality and temperament and utilization issues are worth analogizing, as you’ve done well here . Good article, and you’re getting at something important, but you’re too far down into the hockey weeds to be moving laterally into other sports comparisons, imo. The Semin production discussion is valid and useful, and thanks for that.
No, you are right. The sports are different. I wasn’t comparing them. I was comparing the perception (mostly media-driven) of two star players.
Hockey you do have to stick to a system, but the great teams are the ones that game plan with the players they have, not the players they wish they had.
Anyway, thanks for reading. Appreciate you sharing your thoughts.
There is only one problem.
There is no way to quantify what the lack of effort or ‘heart’ does to teammates or the team.
I’ve played with talented players that (seem to) care more about their numbers than the win. Let me tell you… you can look at their numbers and even the great +/-, but still have cancer in the room that players don’t want to play with.
Just like when one team is dominating shots, possession and scoring chances and half-way through this game, the dominating team’s goalie gives up an weak goal. It is still only 1-0. and 30 mins left, but how often do you simply see the better team hang their heads, stop dominating and say, “darned crappy goalie, yet again gave up a weak goal!”, and that team goes on to lose.
Some intangibles can’t be (yet) quantified but they exist, and they count!
Great article though and I agree with most of it!
I’m gonna be blunt about this… I want Semin on the Devils. I see all the points made in this article about him, and agree. Which is why NJ would be a great place for Semin to go. Between Lou, DeBoer, and the solid vets on the roster, Semin’s potential would be maxed out. Look at Kovy for instance. Sure it took over a year to complete the mold, but Kovy is a complete player, not to mention Top 5 in points this year. Put the two Russian’s together on a line and lets wash away the distaste of the Zach Parise misery.
That’s an interesting point.
Krusher, I agree. Semin playing for the Devils with Kovy would be great to watch. DeBoer seems to be a very good coach and to me, the Devils are a class team and organization. About Kovy and the related character assassination of Semin. The moron announcers were running him down for dogging it when anyone with eyes and a brain could clearly see that he was hurting. Courage! In terms of Parise, I don’t believe that he was truthful but that’s another story. He’s gone. Water under the bridge. However, I have read stuff comparing who’s better; Parise or Semin. If pressed I would have to say Semin but in fact I just believe that they are both very good players albeit, different (Parise is not worth that kind of money tho). I would also like to see Semin playing for the Pens with Crosby and Malkin. More exciting hockey to watch. If interested, I posted other comments on the 12th and 17th. Take care.
Solid article Angus. I’ve been reading your stuff for a while. Nice to see you struck out on your own. The link from Puck Daddy is a sure sign you’ve made it (or are making it!).
As for your article, I have similar sentiments as Marbrus.
The 90/10 numbers are pulled out of somebody’s butt and have no real connection to anything. It’s not necessarily always 90/10. Could be 70/30. Or 40/60. Or 10/90 even.
In hockey, when former teammates speak out against a player publicly that tells me this is no 90/10 split. Clearly Semin’s on-ice value is far outweighed by his off-ice issues.
In a sport that relies so heavily on the team concept, the interpersonal relationships transcend goals and assists (see Thomas, Tim).
An interesting stat that you didn’t mention was how many goals were scored while Semin was in the box. Factor that into some of his numbers and he picture may change.
Either way, interesting read.
Trevor
Thanks for your comments Trevor.
The point of my column wasn’t to cover Semin’s warts as a player. However, I’ll disagree that his on ice contributions are “far outweighed.” There is unfortunately no number for “lockerroom presence” we can look at to compare, but NHL teams are making a serious mistake if they don’t consider signing him *under the right circumstances).
Wow, to think I was afraid of the Habs signing this guy before reading the article and now I kinda hope they do. There are guys who can cover his missing 10% on the roster right now and NOBODY but another head scratcher (Gomez) who can come close to matching his skill level. I just hope that if the Habs pursue and acquire Semin, that Therrien can keep his 90% going and find the line combo to minimize the 10%. Truth be told, I would say that Semin at 90% effectiveness is much better than most players at 150%.
Thanks for the great article!
Thanks Sean, much appreciated
What a great article! Insightful and well researched. I have been a pens fan since the late 80′s, and did not want to see this guy in a pens uniform ever. I have to admit I am sold on the idea now. We have the hardest working russian in the nhl (IMO) with Malkin, and his compete level and conditioning may rub off on him. He would only play in a top six role which means crosby or malkin, and with those center-men I think 50 goals would be a serious possibility.
Thanks Mike
I’ve always liked (or wanted to like) Semin. So,…great article. Makes one wonder what Semin would achieve with a “slick” Russian center. He’d be another Bret Hull if he had Pavel setting him up in Detroit. What is the over/under on Alex scoring 60 goals if he is on Malkin’s line in Pittsburgh? What would he do in Winnipeg with Antro ( a natural passer, but from Kasakstan) or Burmistrov centering him? (Yeah, I’m an old Thrashers fan.)
Methinks any team with a top Soviet center should give Semin a hard look. Semin’s future in the NHL can be bright if you get the right fit.
Thanks for writing and posting this. As a Caps season ticket holder for the years Semin played in Washington I was constantly puzzled by the negative outcry leveled against a player who on any given night could do things that left me in awe of what I had witnessed. He was much like an unexpected sighting on a walk in the woods — an unusual flower, animal, or whatever — not seeing it would not have ruined the experience, but having seen it I have a memory that will persist and be cherished.
Thanks a lot Mark – really appreciate it.
Fantastic article. Great reference to Simmons, I am a fan (most of the time) of his and I thought that article and substituting Semin for Westbrook was perfect! Its criminal that no one wants to sign him though for a guy with his stats. Wideman gets 5.25 mill and he cant get a basic contract.
As the stats show when he plays with actual players who are legit top 6 he is one of the best and not exactly a slouch on the defensive end despite perceptions.
Thanks Drew. Glad you enjoyed it.
Amazing article. Kudos!
Jeff — a remarkable article. As a Semin fan, I appreciate the work and research you devoted to it. I’m always left in befuddlement at the extreme and harsh negativity leveled at him with almost no one ever really knowing or saying specifically how he is such a bad teammate, etc. The ugly words just get repeated as true. To me there is a huge difference between saying it seems like someone doesn’t care (which is a projection) and calling them a “cancer” (and as a cancer survivor, I resent that usage). I went to Caps practices once a week for most of the last 3 seasons. He practiced hard and was friendly with his teammates. This year especially he would talk a lot with Chimera during practice since they often were linemates.
I started watching the Caps closely because of Alex Semin during the 2006-07 season. It was clear to me then that he was more skilled and, for me, more exciting than Ovechkin. He’s marvelous to watch. His mistakes are magnified to a much larger degree than are the same mistakes by another player. He does need to reduce the PIM, but we saw a dramatic improvement in that after Hunter arrived. I hope that continues. What can’t continue, though, is how badly he was misused and mishandled by the Caps especially this last season. They marginalized him from the beginning which led to frustration, poor play and more PIM, and further reduced TOI. He used to play the PK and was quite good. It’s a mystery why they took him off. He should be a regular on PP1, but he wasn’t although he historically produced both shorthanded and PP goals. Why?
I think a lot of people project so much expectation on him once they see what he can do, and are disappointed when they don’t see it as often as they think they should. Hence, over time that turns into bitterness. I feel similarly to commenter Mark above that when you witness Semin’s talent you feel you’ve caught the wave, seen the shooting star, and you will see it again, so you watch for it.
Finally, I’ve always called what you describe in your article “the nature of his talent:” I don’t think he goes out there and doesn’t try or doesn’t want to win, but sometimes it just doesn’t work as well, much like a pitcher who doesn’t have his “stuff.” Whenever Semin has been asked about scoring/not scoring he seems as mystified as the rest of us as to why/why not he scored. I think he’s a mystery to himself. I delight in his play and hope I can see it in NA next season. I’ll miss him terribly on the Caps and am not happy with how the organization misused him this season and consequently let him walk. They finally get the elusive 2C for him, but now he’s gone? Gift of the Magi!
Fantastic insights, thanks for sharing them.
I find it pretty sickening that TV personalities would refer to him as a “complete loser” and “total team cancer” too. These guys are not privy to what goes on behind closed doors. The anti-Semin (and anti-Russian) sentiments in recent years from TSN and CBC are befuddling, to say the least.
Your point about witnessing the talent – reminds me of watching Bure here with the Canucks.
I certainly don’t know him personally, but even McPhee has said he is a shy, introverted kid. Semin says he does not like to interact, especially in English. Does that make him a bad teammate? I don’t know, but I guess I usually think of someone who is not good in the room as being someone who is disruptive, inconsiderate, attention-grabbing. I believe the language issue has been huge in all of the perceptions. It would have served Semin and the Caps much better if they had insisted he learn English from the start. I doubt we’d be having this discussion if that had happened. I think it taught them a lesson.
We’ll miss his face. I’ve never seen a person who can look either 12 years old or 42 years old in 2 different pictures. Clearly a changeling!
By the way, he said in an interview once that Bure was his favorite player to watch growing up.
Although approaching inflammatory I don’t think all the recent anti-Russian sentiment is completely unwarranted. The third Alex (Radulov) isn’t doing his Russian brethren any favors in the NA market. He is definitely the Russian poster boy for indifference and has proven that he plays only for himself and not for any team. When rumors started popping up that he would join Nashville for the playoffs, everybody including the media were extremely intrigued on the instant impact he could make despite the baggage. Low and behold, his playoff antics were a huge factor that cost Nashville the first round. Maybe McGuire and Co. were feeling a little stupid for placing so much stock in Radulov (http://www.usatoday.com/SPORTS/usaedition/2012-03-16-NHL-Radulov-March-16_ST_U.htm) and decided to use Semin as the new Russian whipping boy to save face? Just my $0.02 on that matter. IF Semin does play in the KHL next year, nobody would be surprised. It’s what people probably expect based on what they hear about him.
The fact that Semin still hasn’t buckled under this ridiculous and mostly unwarranted scrutiny to play at home in the friendlier KHL demonstrates to me that he still wants to prove himself and compete at the highest level.
I just hope he proves everybody wrong.
Hi Jeff. This is the first time that I found and read one of your articles and must say that it is bang on. This is the first time that I have ever commented to an article and hope it is not too long. It is just that I have been following this year’s free agency and have so much to say. For now, I will just say that I believe Alex Semin to be an awesome superstar. He is by far one of the most talented players in the N.H.L. today. Your analysis of him is well thought out and refreshing to read. As I said, I have alot to say regarding him but will stop here and ask if I could write back and express my thoughts in a longer, but not excessively long comment? Thank you. Sincerely, Bob. (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)
Feel free to share your thoughts, Bob!
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What a great write. I’ve been a long time hockey fans and this falls into the top 5 most well written columns. As someone wrote earlier, love the analytical approach. This article was an eye opener on a player I did not get to see very much but, like everyone else heard “great skills, horrible everything else”. I wonder how many GMs look this deeply into a player before deciding “he’s not a great fit”.
Looking forward to reading more of your articles Jeff.
Thanks Phil, your compliments are much appreciated. I enjoyed writing this one.
very fantastic read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Do you think the Pens are waiting on Doan before they may pull the trigger on Semin? Would be nice to see Semin with the Pens. All the commotion would be what he thinks of Crosby now, and he can smile after scoring his 50th goal and that be all the answer anyone needs.
thanks Jeff. Much appreciated. I’m not sure what the wait is – it definitely could be for Doan.
I am very disappointed that the Caps dumped Semin. When he plays well, he is wonderful to watch and I for one am going to miss him on the ice. I heard all the bad things said about him and started looking around and could only find nebulous comments about his character. As for his work ethic….I can’t tell you how many times I saw Ovechkin just dawdling on the doing NOTHING while I screamed at the TV for him to play! This season saw a lot of that team wide.
I hope Alex gets a good home and I will be watching those games and hopefully I will get to see him play against the caps this year at Verizon center.
Oh and thanks for a really nice article. I appreciated it.
Thanks Valerie!
Very interesting! I am big fan of Semin not only because Im Russian, he has that soviet-style of skills and fanatstic skating which reminds of many old Soviet players. And this is what makes him unique in the NHL today. The problem is that there’s a stereotype on Russian player that they compete without heart and are not teamplayers. I think because of that stereotype the number of Russian reduced in the last years, maybe the level of talent reduced in general or maybe that because NHL have changed and it’s hard to compete with tough big guys who can skate now and will check you permanently until you’re done. This is what I find very unhealthy trend nowadays. skilled players get injured again and again. There are enough examples I don’t want to list the names. So this is what GM’s are looking at first. THey look at Checking and blockshot- stats, because this is how their teams survive in the league with 30 even teams. But if this goes on the league will lose talent and become NFL with concussions as its main problem where it’s not hockey anymore but bloody and violent entertainment. I hope that Im wrong.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Ilya.
Ilya, you have made some very good points in your comment that I agree with and have been pet peaves of mine for the last couple of years. In regards to Alex Semin, see my comment on July 12. I have been a hockey fan for many years and played hockey into the major juniors so I know a bit about the game. I have seen changes in the N.H.L. that in fact frighten me. I, like you Ilya very much enjoy watching what hockey should be to me and that is talent or skill or (Soviet-style) like you said. I understand what you mean. As I said, the N.H.L. has changed for the worst. Without getting into it too much, I believe it to be a corrupt organization, the officiating is terrible, the rules, at least alot of them are assinine, suspensions are a joke etc., etc.. But, that is a long discussion best left for another time. Suffice to say that it would seem to me that (and I’m generalizing slightly here) I see beer ladened fans jump up yelling more for bone crushing hits and fights than for terrific plays and goals, saves etc.. You are right that the skill element of the game is secondary. Hence players like Semin, Crosby, Malkin, Ryan, Stamkos, etc.. And Gretzky and Lemieux(when they were still playing). Fans tend to boo these guys, paint up nasty signs and there truly seems like an element of hate, I would say jeolousy prevails. To me these are not hockey fans at all. Same people who watch Nascar for a wreck rather than a awesome demonstration of racing skill. Incredibly,these seem to be the norm instead of the exception.The superstars should be getting a standing ovation from the crowd wherever they play not booed just because they don’t play for the home team. I watch hockey to be entertained by skilled and talented players not some goon trying to take them out because his coach in most cases told him to. Not hockey. Hockey has indeed changed. It is far more dangerous today. Getting back to Semin, no player is perfect. Maybe there are some negative aspects he has to his game personally. Maybe it has to do with him not being happy with – I think Ovi and the organization are a problem; or something else that could impact his game mentally and be a distraction, who knows. Perhaps he should have asked to be traded before. I don’t know for sure. Could be any issue or just the way he is. Whatever. A couple things and then I’ll end my rant. 1- Alex Semin is a very talented hockey player-one of the best and in no way deserves the unprecedented thrashing he got from the goofs at TSN. And on an ominous note, 2- if hockey continues to decline like I believe it is, sadly within a relatively short period of time, a player will be severly hurt or killed. Hockey could be a fantastic sport. Many changes are needed but if there is the will it can happen. Lets appreciate and put the main emphasis on talent and skill and watch the beauty inherent in the game of hockey.
Bob: “I see beer ladened fans jump up yelling more for bone crushing hits and fights than for terrific plays and goals, saves etc.. ”
This was Exactly happened to the Caps this year. At the first round of the Cup Playoffs here I was appalled at the Caps fans in front of me behaving just as you noted. The Caps were not known to be a rough and tumble team, Hunter brought that aspect of play to their game this year. Semin did not fit with that kind of play and he paid for it by being relegated to the bench; which, I imagine he did not like. Oh, and the comments on Semin being a Coach Killer….it was Ovechkin not Semin who had problems with Boudreau. That is well known here in D.C. and was widely reported in the local papers when the dust ups between them were going on.
Valerie, watching a hockey game with my son surrounded by drunken loud mouths is no fun at all. While I admire Ovechkin’s skill I personally don’t like his attitude and just over all personality from what I have seen of him. To me it really seems unfair the amount of bad publicity Semin gets and although I don’t know him from Adam, I find myself feeling sorry for him. I would like to see him get picked up by another team that he fits into better and get the fresh change and start that he deserves. Playing on a good line, he would dazzle the fans and light up the light. Thanks for your response Valerie!
Angus, hope you do not mind the links. If they don’t work go to russianmachine\never\breaks.com and search on Semin.
Link to an interview with Alex Semin. It gives you a perspective into the kind of guy he is and his take on some things hockey.
http://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2012/05/08/alexander-semin-talks-to-rmnb-about-life-liberty-and-bryzgalovs-passion-for-space-exploration/
Another link to him joking around with Nicky Backstrom at practice.
http://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2012/03/15/photos-alex-semins-failed-attempt-to-prank-nick-backstrom/
After reading this stuff there should be no doubt Semin is getting an undeserved bad rap. From my inquires I have made my season ticket holder buddy is the ony negative I have heard about him is he likes to drive fast. My friend did see him once at practice and asked for his autograph. He was disappointed Alex did not talk to him, but…Alex did give him the autograph.
Feel free to link – RMNB is a fantastic blog. Thanks for sharing those links.
I am biased, I am a Caps fan, and yeah it’s a good source for Caps info.
But what you did was really good in terms of showing Semin is a Good Player. He is. His performance against the Bruins in the Cup playoffs was great. I can’t find fault there. Now I can find fault in other places…….that acutally cost us wins.. can you say Joel Ward? OMG that penalty was awful. It cost us that game.
Valerie, Thanks for the links. You seem as passionate about this as I am. To be honest it has been consuming. I should just let it go. It doesn’t really have anything to do with my life. But, in a way it does. You are a Caps fan and I am for the most part just a hockey fan. I find it very difficult to sit by and watch someone get trashed and his career put in jeopardy by power tripping media idiotics who don’t have a clue and the public sheep who follow them and regurgitate what they claim to be fact because they heard it from the so called experts. Semin is not perfect. Who is? However, he is a truly exceptional hockey player. PERIOD! In my opinion he seems to be a shy soft spoken person who prefers to have as little to do with the media as possible. So what? Leave him alone already. He can hardly speak English. He’s an introspective guy etc.,etc.. We are all different. He’s just a hockey player. Let him play. He knows if he screws up or plays bad. He is just a very easy target for the blank,blanks. It sounds and looks like the Capital organization is a large part of the problems there just like here in Edmonton for years. Semin should have been gone from there. Perhaps he has a crappy agent. It’s clear he doesn’t fit there. Personally I think Ovechkin is a problem as well. Anyway, I could go on and on. I wish Alex Semin very well wherever he ends up hopefully in the N.H.L., and I hope he fills the Caps net with his wicked shot over and over. Sorry Caps fan but I’m sure you will appreciate his skill.
Bob: “I hope he fills the Caps net with his wicked shot over and over” yeah, paybacks…LOL I honestly think the best place for Semin is with the Penguins. If he plays well there, the Caps will rue the day they let him go.
I am also happy that a lot of fans from other teams, are begging their GM’s to sign him. ESPN says he’s asking too much. That problem can be solved.
Valerie, I too hope the Pens sign him. The Devils would be good too with Kovy. I really think that he was unlucky in the first place to end up on the Caps. I think they’re the problem not Semin. I just hope he stays in the east so he gets to play against the Caps alot. And, I had not heard about other fans urging their GM’s to sign him. The fans pay the bills right? I’m afraid he will end up in Russia and the N.H.L. fans be without another talented player to watch. But, you know most fans won’t mind. Keep signing the goons!
Thanks Bob for your comments above. I have watched Caps games after Ovi started playing there. Through Center Ice or Gamecenter Live I watched almost every game (season and playoffs) of past 3 seasons.
)) In my opinion this is a well-thought tactic by GM to get rid of Semin and to make him responsible for the losses. Even in the total-defense system of Hunter he was still one of the best hard-working players, another one is probably Beagle. When I watchen Boston series I always had a feeling..please score first because it seemed so hard for the caps to score….That was tough to watch…Although I started to like his system inspite of very low-scoring I am glad he is gone. And by the way those comments by Crawford (who he thinks he is…he wasn’t even an NHL player or failed after one season as far as I remember and won a cup 20 years ago, after that never made playoffs or lost Olympics) and others…I suppose Columbus franchise should feel very offended by those comments….
After all dissappointing losses the Caps organisation decided they have to find a scapegoat. There are 4 candidates: Ovi, Backstrom, Green and Semin. That became clear to me after Green was signed two weeks ago. For me Green is so bad defensively and totally overestimated. He missed almost two seasons, he wasn’t a force in the playoffs at all and now he can stay with the team. Ovi is a face of a franchise, actually he’s not that bad attitude as you say, he just knows what and how he should do in order to remain first-page athlete in the US. Backstrom is the only skilled center on the team so he has to stay as it’s hard to find a center in the NHL. And now come Semin….Well, it is clear to everyone and certainly to GM that noone can be as productive as he has been playing with players like Laich, Chimera, Perreault, Johansson….I mean this is still amazing how Semin was able to score points and have fantastic +/- while having those partners…Can anyone explain me whats so special about Brooks Laich??? I mean he’s an average player who can’t score clutch goals and converts only once out of ten sick assists he was served by Semin last season. Or a player like Chimera suddenly becomes a top scorer? What’s the reason?
Ilya, I agree with your points. I really don’t want to discuss the media much because it makes my blood boil. Suffice to say that these guys are power-tripping know-it-alls who in fact know very little. Unfortunetly most fans know less and instead of thinking for themselves listen to that crap they hear or read from those idiots, believe it and regurgitate it and thus a skilled player like Alex Semin has to carry around a nasty false reputation. It’s totally unfair and impacts his career. Hockey like most things is very political. I agree with you 100% that Semin has been used as a scapegoat. And a Russian scapegoat at that. All that much better for an organization that instead of having their own skills to put together a competetive and functional (as opposed to dysfunctional) hockey team requires the need for a scapegoat at all. Easier than taking their own responsibility I quess. I hope Semin comes back to haunt them. You know what tho.. It all boils down to the fans. They have the power to initiate change. If they keep filling the arena, buying merchandise, and following along like sheep, etc., the status quo will continue. I wish Alex Semin well. He deserves none of it. But, like I always say. Most fans prefer through their beer glazed eyeballs, to watch the goons instead of players like Semin that actually have talent. AND! the management knows this.
Ilya, I re-read your post dated July 16 and after doing a little research on the web it does appear that many Russians are going to the K.H.L. or are not even coming to play in North America to begin with. I agree with you that there seems to be a bias against Russian players. It is it appears, quite obvious if you look at it. I was wondering if you don’t mind, if you could tell me all you know about the K.H.L.. I am interested to learn about that league. From my previous posts you know what I think of the N.H.L.. It’s too bad. Thanks, I would appreciate it. Bob..
For Ilya: I have been watching for 3 years as well. Never knew I would love hockey as much as I do, but I just can’t get enough. One thing I am very proud of now is I can actually follow the puck….Yes you can laugh at me, but at first I could hardly see the thing.
Green is popular with the fans that is why they kept him. He is always hurt and of no help to the team. Kunetsev (don’t know if I spelled it right) was supposed to come to the Caps this year, he put it off for 2 years. I am afraid the Russians/Europeans will not want to play here because they play a more finesse game than what is being played here now. I think that would be a shame for the NHL.
I too am glad Hunter is gone.I don’t like players who hurt people on purpose ( and this is how Hunter played).
I am still hoping Semin signs in the NHL.
Bob, I can tell you about KHL, and russian hockey system in general, although I don’t follow KHL, as this system is pretty shaky, many clubs belong to state companies or others from oil/gas sector. Other clubs begin to struggle as soon as they dont get sponsorship. It’s all about money in fact but that seems to be the only way to attract players and try to save some talent form going abroad like it was in the 90′s. I follow only the national team of Russia and NHL since ’94
))
What I dislike about KHL is the fact they teams change their roster in the mid-season almost to 80%…Players just leave if they are paid somewhere else. Also hockey is more popular in the regions (Actually where’s Semin from, although there’s no KHL team right now) but almost every region (Ural + Siberia) has a team. another problem is travelling. Theres a team in Khabarovsk and there are team in Europe now (Czechoslovakia) There aer 10000 km in-between…..But I hope that KHL makes its way and remain stable although some teams are already defunct or were put together. Anyway hockey is huge in Russia again (well, I don’t live in Russia, but in Europe) especially because of national team success. (Apart from the Olympics)…. and there are players like Radulov, Kuznetsov who are very well paid and prefer to stay on front of the native public. Some say the level is low but its russian hockey, more ice, more skating, more skills…
As far as I know theres an issue for young players that if they want to play in the NHL they leave early for the minor leagues (examples: Yakupov) because otherwise they have little chance to be drafted…(Maybe you know why is it so? Why NHL teams dont draft too many russians anymore)…. Same problem exists in Sweden, Finnish and Czech hockey.. Players just leave as soon as they can.
KHL project wants to be bigger by the way…the goal is to integrate more european teams…I dont know if its good for the hockey…
Well, Semin just signed with Carolina….TO be honest not the team I imagined him to be on…I dont know if he fits well with Staal brothers. I suppose they are very dominant.
))
But i wish him all the best. there will be 6 games against the Caps
Ilya, Thanks for the info. Maybe the K.H.L. will evolve and improve in terms of how it is run and organized. I’m sure there is alot of talent and that the games are primarily skillful as opposed to the opposite you tend to see in the N.H.L. which has gotten worse. To me it is quite clear that there is an obvious bias against Russian players. Again from my previous posts, you know how I feel about the N.H.L.. I’m afraid it will get worse before it gets better. Thanks again. I think Semin will do well in Carolina. He really needed a fresh start. I hope he comes back to haunt the Capitals who I feel treated him like crap. And I hope he shoves the words of those that constantly bad mouth him down their throats. Anyway, take care Ilya. Bob..
Carolina Hurricanes, Alexander Semin agree on $7M, 1-year contract
I am so happy he signed in the NHL. And, the Caps play the Hurricanes 3 times at home this year, so I will be there!
And I will be at 3 of those 6 games! Yay!
Well Valerie here’s hoping Alex has a good season. I think he will and he might even make all those that run him down choke on their words. It looks like if the Canes can manage to pick up a couple of good defensemen and a good backup goalie they will be pretty much a handful for any team. Take care.
I am hoping he pulls a hat trick…LOL right after the Caps to their Release the Fury vid. And I am gonna buy a Semin Hurricanes jersey to wear to those games. take care Bob, and have fun at the games with your son. V
http://insider.espn.go.com/nhl/blog?name=custance_craig&id=8205612&_slug_=nhl-fancy-stats-guide-alexander-semin-signing&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fnhl%2fblog%3fname%3dcustance_craig%26id%3d8205612%26_slug_%3dnhl-fancy-stats-guide-alexander-semin-signing
Angus you have anything to do with NEW Semin stats that ESPN reports? The stats were not new, they just were not analyzed.
If you had a hand in this, kudos !!!
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Valerie, Hi. I think wearing that jersey to the games would be great. You may get some nasty comments but you know what? I think there will be others (more than we may believe) wearing them too. I think I’ll get a jersey or a T-shirt too but it irks me to give any money to the N.H.L.. I can’t wait to watch the Hurricanes play. A.S. just really needed a change of scenery. I think playing with those guys, with a coach that will use him like he should, Alex Semin will shine. Oates may help the Caps. Anyways take it easy and have fun at the games. Bob..