I played right and left wing at the Div III college level.
- Ryan_Wilson

If you had have concentrated on one or the other perhaps you could have played D1.

If you had have concentrated on one or the other perhaps you could have played D1.
- Marshalle

Aye he could have pulled a Dustin Penner...without the...you know...

If you had have concentrated on one or the other perhaps you could have played D1.
- Marshalle

The choice I made as it pertained to school was academically driven.

The choice I made as it pertained to school was academically driven.
- Ryan_Wilson

so if you were recruited by say, Maine, UNH, Miinesota, etc. you would have gone to a D3 school with better academics?

so if you were recruited by say, Maine, UNH, Miinesota, etc. you would have gone to a D3 school with better academics?
- Fountain-San

Are those colleges academically awful?

Are those colleges academically awful?
- jochfr

not really. they are however, D1 hockey power houses.

Great write-up. I still don't understand why he wasn't matched with Crosby. The Pen's are a confusing club to figure out.

Are those colleges academically awful?
- jochfr

great picture.

Great write-up. I still don't understand why he wasn't matched with Crosby. The Pen's are a confusing club to figure out.
- ChetManly

Two factors, Crosby took a puck to the mouth in Iginla's first game as a Penguin. Crosby was already on the most productive line in the NHL last year.

great picture.
- ChetManly

Thanks...
I'm a big fan of Archer also..

Did anybody calling this write up "a stretch" even read the blog? He clearly states he doesn't think it was intended a slight to Iginla.

Are those colleges academically awful?
- jochfr

I don't think so

Mr.Wilson knows what he's talking about. He's just trying to make things interesting.

BTW, ChrisMS I'm with you on the Iginla deal. I trully think he was misused by Bylsma as he neither gave Iggy a chance on the RW with Geno/Neal or on Crosby's line....plus, he took Iggy's effective shot from the PP.

It seemed like Iginla and Neal on the same line was duplicating what we already had. Iginla is far from the physical player he once was and seems to be one dimensional now.

Nothing but good things to say about him. Classy guy.

To the guys who are saying that it is complicated. It really isn't. It's small adjustments but it isn't like going from Center to Goaltender. And the fact that you are saying that it is hard and then questioning if Mr. Wilson played hockey, it makes me wonder if you played, or if you were any good if you struggled so much at switching wings.

With Iginla I would see how he problem, he had played RW for 15 years in a row at the NHL level and probably developed positional habits, but he should have still been able to make the shift. I am sure there were times were on the PP or in situations that he would have played the other wing.

If Taylor Hall can figure out how to change his play going from LW to C, then Iginla should have been figure out how to go from RW to Lw.

To the guys who are saying that it is complicated. It really isn't. It's small adjustments but it isn't like going from Center to Goaltender. And the fact that you are saying that it is hard and then questioning if Mr. Wilson played hockey, it makes me wonder if you played, or if you were any good if you struggled so much at switching wings.

With Iginla I would see how he problem, he had played RW for 15 years in a row at the NHL level and probably developed positional habits, but he should have still been able to make the shift. I am sure there were times were on the PP or in situations that he would have played the other wing.

If Taylor Hall can figure out how to change his play going from LW to C, then Iginla should have been figure out how to go from RW to Lw.
- Ben37

the best players in the world struggle with it. it not news. no one is saying that he all of a sudden could not play the game. he's a HOF player. it's not as easy as "hey just switch nothing will change". it's a different ball of wax. and to suggest a kid playing D3 did it with no problem means Jarome Iginla should too is apples and oranges. something tells me the pace and positioning and physicality of the two EXTREMELY different levels is pretty apparent.

the best players in the world struggle with it. it not news. no one is saying that he all of a sudden could not play the game. he's a HOF player. it's not as easy as "hey just switch nothing will change". it's a different ball of wax. and to suggest a kid playing D3 did it with no problem means Jarome Iginla should too is apples and oranges. something tells me the pace and positioning and physicality of the two EXTREMELY different levels is pretty apparent.
- Fountain-San

Team Canada had a number of players switch from Center the wing in the last Olympics and they will again this year and Mike Richards, Eric Staal, Patrice Bergeron and Jonothan Toews were all effective.

Going from Center to Wing is harder than switching wings. A HOF player should be able to pick up passes on his backhand just as well as he does on his forehand.

Team Canada had a number of players switch from Center the wing in the last Olympics and they will again this year and Mike Richards, Eric Staal, Patrice Bergeron and Jonothan Toews were all effective.

Going from Center to Wing is harder than switching wings. A HOF player should be able to pick up passes on his backhand just as well as he does on his forehand.
- Ben37

more to it than that. they players will say so and i go with what a Loui Eriksson or Jarome Iginla say over you. respectfully.

and the swich to the wing from center is a function of getting guys into a lineup. deep at center, boss. we need you on the wing. that happens a lot. taking a wing to the other side does not happen nearly as much simply because it takes player unnecessarily out of their comfort zone.

Did anybody calling this write up "a stretch" even read the blog? He clearly states he doesn't think it was intended a slight to Iginla.
- BulliesPhan87

He asked the question himself in the blog. This wasn't in response to anyone, this was someone trying to read meaning into someones elses second hand statement in order to generate hits. A Hockeybuzz specialty.

C'mon people...

Of course Jarome Iginla can easily move to the left side... Any NHL forward can play the right or left side. Do most players have a preference? Of course. But to make it sound like a hall of fame player can take a pass on his backhand, or a guy who scored 500 goals can't figure out the angle when coming down the left side is ludicrous. Heck, he has scored a lot of goals from the left side in his career, especially on the power play.

There is a little adjustment on the breakout taking pucks of the boards, etc., but some of you guys make it sound like in 16 years of NHL hockey, Iginla never crossed to the other side of the ice.

He played well enough in Pittsburgh when used on PP, but just didn't mesh well with Malkin & Neal. Maybe it was the lack of foot speed or not being able to read those two well, but the chemistry wasn't there.

H probably should have gotten a longer look on Sid's right side, but Sid's injury in Jarome's first game sorta screwed up any experimenting that could have been done. You don't want to experiment with lines a couple of games into the playoffs, and Sid was going back to who he felt comfortable with after missing more than a month.

I'm just curious but have you played organized ice hockey before Ryan? It really is quite different, the entire game becomes backwards, receiving passes on your forehand have to be taken on your backhand, you have to protect the puck with the opposite side of your body, working the boards on your off wing very hard as well because you're turning your back to the play and the biggest reason why players get wallpapered into the boards face first. 30 years of instincts will go way beyond where you lineup for the faceoff.
- sushi

man, when I'm agreeing with a guy from Vancouver...
but really, any time your playing along the boards your stick is curved the wrong way, if you cant get that concept, try curling.

i see what you're saying. but it's also a comfort zone thing. any wing who switches to play the off wing will tell you it's a completely different way of looking at the ice.

other than the offensive zone flow i think of the breakout and the neutral zone.
- Fountain-San

I agree that there are adjustments to be made in those areas. However, many times you are covering for someone else the defensive zone because of where you ended up on the back check. In this instance, you're breaking out differently anyway. My point is only that Jerome has seen the ice from both sides most likely every game of his career. Therefore, like most wingers, should be able to adjust in a short time frame.

C'mon people...

Of course Jarome Iginla can easily move to the left side... Any NHL forward can play the right or left side. Do most players have a preference? Of course. But to make it sound like a hall of fame player can take a pass on his backhand, or a guy who scored 500 goals can't figure out the angle when coming down the left side is ludicrous. Heck, he has scored a lot of goals from the left side in his career, especially on the power play.

There is a little adjustment on the breakout taking pucks of the boards, etc., but some of you guys make it sound like in 16 years of NHL hockey, Iginla never crossed to the other side of the ice.

He played well enough in Pittsburgh when used on PP, but just didn't mesh well with Malkin & Neal. Maybe it was the lack of foot speed or not being able to read those two well, but the chemistry wasn't there.

H probably should have gotten a longer look on Sid's right side, but Sid's injury in Jarome's first game sorta screwed up any experimenting that could have been done. You don't want to experiment with lines a couple of games into the playoffs, and Sid was going back to who he felt comfortable with after missing more than a month.
- rival22

don't forget he's also adjusting to a new team, new style, new system, at the very end of a short season, there's a reason players are labeled "right wing" and "Left wing", instead of simply "winger..."

i think we should all smoke a bowl and agree to disagree. WTF do we know?

spark it

He asked the question himself in the blog. This wasn't in response to anyone, this was someone trying to read meaning into someones elses second hand statement in order to generate hits. A Hockeybuzz specialty.
- Marshalle

He literally states he doesn't think Beau Bennett intended it as a slight. The question is just a framing device for a blog about the two players and their different outlook and results on switching wings.

He literally states he doesn't think Beau Bennett intended it as a slight. The question is just a framing device for a blog about the two players and their different outlook and results on switching wings.
- BulliesPhan87

...take a hit

To the first question....no.

To the second statement....of course he is going to say that. He wants to make the team in any position possible.

Finally...I think Iginla has earned to right to want to play the position that he played in several all-star and Olympic games. Don't you?
- stormeyAlterEgo

You don't earn the rights to choose what position you play by simply being a superstar... Superstar or not, you need to act as a team player. Refusing to play in a position is a straight up insult to the organization. Management should have insisted and said... if you don't want to play that position, then you're name won't be on the cup if we get to win this year.