More Deaths Equals a Bad Offseason

As the headlines keep coming in and in all the time, there's also some bit of bad news that circulates. Another catastrophe happened today and it happened in another form of death.

Wade Belak was found dead in his Toronto home at 1:33 EST Wednesday. Tony Vella, a Toronto police spokesman, said that "foul play is not suspected in the ongoing investigation." He was scheduled to be a sideline reporter for the Nashville Predators this season after being with the team for the past two years. Unfortunately, that has not come to fruition.

Belak is the third NHL former or current player to die in the offseason. As you may remember, Derek Boogaard was found dead in his home in Minnesota after accidentally oxycidine and another thing that I don't remember. Rick Ryien was the second player to die and now this.

This has become somewhat of a somber offseason with players reflecting on their careers and what they meant for the game. For the respective teams of the players, it has somewhat become a part of bad offseason. We have these three death and the fact that Sidney Crosby still has post-concussion symptoms.

This is really not the offseason I've come to enjoy. Usually, it's a time for vacation with the family or a time to relax and refresh until hockey season starts up again. Instead, we have all this news and for us to question whether or not it will be a great hockey season for everyone come next season. Some say yes and some say no. I'll just leave that question to you. Will it be a good season?

As for Wade Belak, the NHL, writers around the league, and its fans are deeply saddened by the loss of such a great hockey player and that his name will live on in the hockey circles to come. For now, it's a time to move on and to look forward to another NHL season.

Robbie Keane Makes His Mark

Once thought to be rumors that Robbie Keane was coming to the Galaxy turned out true and last night, he did exactly what the Galaxy was looking for.

Keane scored in the 21st minute of play and helped the Galaxy beat rival Earthquakes in a 2-0 win, including making his trademark cartwheel-somersault after scoring his first goal. Certainly, Keane has already made his new home in LA a welcome one.

"It couldn't have gone, obviously, better for me," Keane said to Greg Beachem, AP Sports Writer. "It's great to score a goal, but the most important thing is the three points. ... When you come to a new team, it's always good to get the first goal. When you go a few games without a goal, it starts to play on your mind."

The 10th league goal scorer in Premier League history has fit in comfortably alongside Landon Donovan and David Beckham on the MLS' top team.

Keane is one of the players that I think has the ability to drive the ball to the net and create chances that many other players who rather defer to the other players. I saw him last night and his skill was basically off the charts. He created diversions whenever the San Jose defense was getting to him and it paid off with his first goal with the Galaxy as well as help create a 2-0 win in their favor.

With that win, LA moves six points clear of Seattle after Seattle won a 1-0 game against FC Dallas. Look for Keane to really make the impact for this team as they head down the stretch. Colorado, Vancouver, Real Salt Lake, and Chivas USA are coming and if the Galaxy want to stay far ahead of Seattle, they'll need guys like Keane to really step up. So far, Robbie Keane has made his mark.

US Is On the Right Track

So far so good for new US men's soccer head coach Jurgen Klinsmann. Yesterday, he made his debut in a match against rival Mexico and boy was it a debut to remember.

The US got a late goal from Robbie Rogers and they took a 1-1 draw with Mexico, showing that signs of life for the US are good so far. But Klinsmann still has work to do and the draw against Mexico was certainly a start.

If the US plans on making some considerable runs and get the wins they need, Klinsmann will have to show to the team what it means to be representing the country. He did that before the match by stripping the names off players' back and just assigned them the numbers, representating that he's trying to teach them to forget about their names and their reputation and just represent the country.

This was something Bob Bradley couldn't even have done. Jurgen Klinsmann is certainly showing that the US can fight in the world of soccer and he's certainly showing that early.

I don't know what'll happen to the US down the stretch but I think it's a good start to come on. The U.S.'s next friendly is against Costa Rica on Saturday, September 2nd at the Home Depot Center. There'll be a lot more things ahead before their big match with them, so know that Klinsmann knows what needs to be done and how to turn this team into remarkable World Cup contenders. Certainly, the stepping stones have fallen into pieces and this team knows where it's going.

Is Overseas the Right Move for Kovalev?

The Kontinental Hockey League is soon going to get another recent NHL player on ones of its teams, the Atlant Mytischi. And this one might be an interesting one.

Former Penguins player Alexei Kovalev has decided to sign a two-year deal with the club, one week after the same team signed a deal with Flyers right wing Nikolay Zherdev. But Alexei Kovalev is not leaving the NHL quietly, or at least with his criticism in his mouth.

He criticized the Senators' former coach Cory Clouston as well as the media, because he said he couldn't understand what Clouston was trying to do in Ottawa. He said that players were not treated kindly and that when he benched players, he didn't explain to them why he did it. He also criticized the journalists because he believes they're not that interested in hockey.

Wow. Just wow, Kovalev. First you want to go overseas and now you leave while throwing dirt onto a Canadien team. Sure, Ottawa has had problems with winning and they did miss the playoffs last year, but I wouldn't go too far as to say that the journalists don't care about hockey or that Cory Clouston tried his best to make this team a winning one. After all, he did help Ottawa make the playoffs two years ago, so I don't know why you can really throw dirt at him just because of that. If the system didn't work, maybe that's why they're bringing in a new coach. So why don't you leave Ottawa alone? They've got enough problems with you trying to bring them down even harder.

I, for once, am glad that Kovalev is going overseas, because this guy has done very little to help Pittsburgh and Ottawa in the regular season as well as in the playoffs. He'll probably do very well in the KHL and even though he did fine as a player here, as well as win the 1994 Stanley Cup, sometimes you just need to go play in another country closer to home.

Kovalev might leave, but hockey goes on. With or without Kovalev, the league is still better. Players keep constantly improving and now that Ottawa has gotten rid of this baggage, they'll probably be in a better situation to revamp their team and get to the playoffs. Let's just hope Ottawa...and Kovalev knows what they're doing.

Is Avery Out of Control?

The question says it all because the New York Rangers' Sean Avery just got himself into trouble again but it's not with Dion Phaneuf or his ex-girlfriend Elisha Cuthbert. No, this time it's the law.

Avery was arrested at his Hollywood Hills home early Friday morning when he shoved a LA police officer the first time he opened the door. The second time, he cooperated with authorities but that did not last long before Avery was arrested on suspicion of battery on a police officer. He was released several hours later. The Rangers have said they will discuss the matter with Sean sometime later. But this arrest comes after creating a stir with him being in a same-sex marriage proposal commercial in New York. But this arrest proves something more than just Avery getting uptight about things.

People who work around the NHL know Sean Avery to be a mean-spirited player, a fighter, an agitator. He had his stints against Devils goalie Martin Brodeur but has caused havoc with other teams too. He made questionable remarks about his ex-girlfriend dating current Maple Leafs player Dion Phaneuf and recently appeared in a commercial promoting same-sex marriage. Does he not know the limits to where he might be getting out of control?

I'm not saying that Avery is a bad player. I just thinks he needs to get his act together and finally realize that he can't go around doing all this stuff because it'll get you into more trouble with the league. Dallas quit on him about his ex-girlfriend remarks and it looks like the Rangers could be headed down that road to dump him a second time. He'll have to learn and I doubt he will because trouble finds him or he seems to stir up the trouble himself. He's had suspensions, fines, and all that junk. I wouldn't be surprised if he sat out the entire season. He has to find a way to make a good name somewhere. If it's no longer with the Rangers, who's going to take the chance on him?

Sean Avery will always be the agitator but somehow, he's going to have to find a way to stop building up the drama. Other agitators in the league don't do the crimes he does. And if he can't learn, he's not going to be in the league for long and that would be sad. You can't get away with anything that's illegal or unfair and if he tries to, he's not going to be sitting in the NHL agitating another fighter. He'll have to find a way to control himself and try to rebuild a career that seems to keep going downhill.

The Islanders' Future Is In Jeopardy

The future of hockey in Long Island could be jeopardized after a near vote that might've cost Nassau County a chance to build an arena and keep the franchise on the island.

The Nassau County Board of Directors rejected a 400 million dollar plan to build a new arena and ballpark which would allow the struggling Islanders to stay in Long Island for years to come. But now with the rejection it seems that hockey on the island could be coming to an end.

The voters rejected this bill since they are already paying some of the highest property taxes in the country, a source from the Associated Press and ESPN.com stated, but that does not mean the doors to building a new arena are completely closed.

The Islanders have been one of many successful teams in history, winning four Stanley Cups in the early 80s. But the Islanders have slipped into a coma not making the playoffs in a while, and it seems like the voters don't care if the once-proud team stays on the island any longer. Although I personally believe the Islanders can return to form, they need to find a way to upgrade that stadium or just get off the island and move to Madison Square Garden, or at least an arena that can support the Islanders.

I don't think the Islanders can stay on the island. Honestly, the arena sucks since it hasn't been upgraded in years and it seems like nobody's even making a chance to turn this struggling franchise around. I think this team will be relocated but I don't know if they will leave the New York area. If they do leave, they could possibly go to Quebec City or possibly a trip down to Atlanta, which seems unlikely since they lost their team to Winnipeg.

Hockey is in chaos on Long Island and whether or not the Islanders stay is completely up in the air. As I said before, the doors are not closed and there's still a chance an arena could be built to keep the Islanders on the island. If not, the Islanders could possibly be on their way out.