Meeting the New Guys: Dany Sabourin

This is going to be the final player profile of the offseason. I’d appreciate feedback from you guys that have been reading. Let me know if you liked this “Meeting the New Guys” series and/or things you would change, etc. I hope you feel more informed about the team this upcoming season.

Braden Holtby is most likely to be sharing this season’s games with Dany Sabourin, a veteran AHL goalie who has also seen a decent amount of NHL games. Let’s say hello.

Name: Daniel “Dany” Sabourin
Birthdate: September 2, 1980
Hometown: Val-d’Or, Quebec, Canada
Drafted: 1998, 4^th round, 108^th overall by the Calgary Flames
Height: 6’4
Weight: 200 lbs
Catches: left
-Finished the 2009-2010 season with a .50 win percentage, a .915 save percentage, and 2.67 goals against average. He played 56 games and posted 3 shutouts.

I know that many people (myself included) are itching to see Braden Holtby play a game or two in the NHL. And if one of the goalies gets a minor injury, he is likely to be the one they call-up. But if one goalie goes down with a long-term injury or if (god forbid) both are injured, expect to see the team turning to Sabourin to take on the workload. At least until they know they can rely on Holtby.

On July 1, 2010, he signed a one year, two-way contract with the Washington Capitals. CapGeek.com lists his salary as $250,000 in the AHL and $525,000 in the NHL. Taking a look at Sabourin’s professional career, he has played for 6 AHL teams and 3 NHL teams. When he played for the Vancouver Canucks in 2006-2007, he saw playing time during two playoff games, once when Luongo was pulled and once when he needed to…attend to something off-ice. He played a total of 57 games at the NHL level. He averaged a .854 save percentage for those 57 games.

During the 2005-2006 season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Sabourin won the Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award. Every year this award is given to the goalie determined to be the best goaltender in the league. Basically, it’s the AHL version of the Vezina trophy. His statistics for that season included a 2.26 goals against average and a .922 save percentage.

To get a better idea of what kind of goalie we’re looking at, I enlisted the help of Providence Bruins fan and expert, Sarah Connors (of Something’s Bruin):

For Providence fans, last season was an especially frustrating one. Our team didn't make the playoffs for the first time since the late 90's, our scoring struggles were just as drastic as Boston's, and our talent pool was stricken by injury and callups, moreso than usual because of injury to the big club right up I-95.

One bright spot, however, was Dany Sabourin, your future Bears goaltender.

Last year was a record-setting year for Mr. Sabourin's personal statistics. He started 57 games to the oft-injured Kevin Regan's 21, and played over 3000 minutes, something he'd never done before, even at the age of 30. The closest he'd come previously was his year with the Pittsburgh/WBS Pens, in 05-06, when he started 50 games. He's played in 57 total NHL games, and last year often carried the struggling P-Bruins on his back, often making 30+ saves in a night. He's solid in net, and is a good veteran presence; the Bears' younger goaltenders will learn a lot from him.

Fun fact - Sabourin did not lose a game in OT all season. His 28-27-0 record does not reflect how well he played at all - he has Providence's fail of an offense last year to thank for that. In January alone, he went 5-5, but his GAA was 1.94. He'll be good insurance if your defense isn't stellar, and paired with the perennially goal-happy Bears offense, you should be good to go.

Big thanks to Sarah for helping out with this post. Be sure and check out her work at Something's Bruin and follow her on Twitter.


In order to endear him to the Washington/Hershey fans some more, here’s a video of him making a highlight save against Mike Richards during a shootout.



Apparently he’s also a fan of PSP. I ask forgiveness for linking a Penguins video…

Changing Goalie Leg Pads

Apologies for the small break in posting. I was busy with work and moving apartments. But Flashy Glove Save is back!

The NHL has been putting a lot of energy into changing the restrictions on goalie equipment in recent years. The popular adjective used to describe the new equipment is “form-fitting.” It contours more closely to the body and tends to make the goaltender look “smaller.” The NHL is requiring that all pads be measured by the NHL. It’s messy and complicated over something that may appear to be only a small change.

Specifically, we’re going to take a look at how the leg pads are being altered. According to the new standards, the knee risers on the side of the pad will be smaller by about half an inch. It may not seem like a lot but that’s half an inch where a puck could slide under when going into the butterfly. Additionally, the calf protector is no longer wedged out from the leg, but sewn close to it. Another potential weak spot for pucks to slip past. But the most controversial change is the potential chance in the height of the leg pads. There is no real blanket limit for all goalies, but instead an individual measurement, proportional for each. While this may sound fair, it means that the smaller goalies will have smaller pads. Larger goalies, who already can cover more of the goal, will be allowed larger pads to possibly give them even more of an advantage.

Thanks to the magic of Twitter, we can get some insight on how goaltenders in the league are reacting to these changes.

Dan Ellis (of the Tampa Bay Lightning) is among those who have confidence that the new equipment will only help goalie speed. When asked about the new rules, he answered:

“…smaller equipment only helps to move faster”

Later, he tweeted about the official changes he had to make:

“New standards had my pads 1/2" shorter...looking fwd to the change! Easier to move. Thx NHL”

Dan Ellis is 6’0. He’s amongst the “smaller” goaltenders that have to adjust to slightly smaller leg pads. It’s probably not enough to make any change to his abilities and he can easily adapt to his new gear.

Mike McKenna, a member of the New Jersey Devils system, is 6’2. He also seemed confident that playing ability will not be hindered by the pads.

“I could go up to a half inch bigger if I wanted. Not many guys are losing inches. It won't matter anyway. Athletes > gear.”

He also was one of many to note how complex this seemingly simple change actually is.

“34+4's for me...doubt they'll fly. Short shins. Proposed rules package resembles college calculus so who knows.”

As already mentioned, this means that bigger goalies are not really impacted yet smaller goalies must have smaller pads. Bigger goalies may even be able to have bigger pads than they had before. For goalies 6’0 and under, such as Jose Theodore, Marty Turco, Chris Osgood, etc, they have to work even harder to make up for their lack of size.

Now some may argue that there aren’t many goaltenders 6’0 and under and therefore it wouldn’t make too much of a difference. However, this new change could impact goaltending prospects. How will the future of goaltending change because the NHL keeps changing their equipment measurements? Currently, shorter goaltenders are sometimes preferred because they are usually lighter and speedier. But with smaller equipment, speed alone might not be enough.

The NHL officials mention two “advantages” of the form-fitting equipment. First, they believe it be safer for goaltenders. And, secondly, they foresee the game becoming a more high-scoring event. Let’s focus on the safety issue first.

Even though the NHL believes the new restrictions to help goalie safety, many are concerned that it will do the opposite. With these new measurements and adjustments, goalies may be forced to make quicker movements and faster reactions to stop a goal. These changes have raised many concerns about an increase in injuries to goalies. On Twitter, Kevin Weekes pointed this out:

“Me no like, enough gear changes already! When will it ever end? Hip, knee surgeries are through the roof. Scorers still score goals”

Related to the above tweet, the other selling point of the new equipment changes is the potential increase in goals per game. From a marketing standpoint, it’s a good idea. It’s easier to sell hockey to a new audience that is unfamiliar with the sport when there are high-scoring games. To those of us already in love with the game, it’s not really great news. Personally, I think that some of the most exciting games are the ones that end with a 1-0 score. And it definitely seems that guys like Alex Ovechkin, Sydney Crosby, and Ilya Kovalchuk don’t seem to be having a problem finding room to score.

So, is this going to be a concern for the goaltenders of the Capitals? Long story short? Not really, not yet. Semyon Varlamov is 6’2, Michal Neuvirth (and Braden Holtby if we look even farther) is 6’1. If any of them have to make changes to their pads, it will be very small. All three also play very aggressively so I don’t think that their style will be negatively impacted.

No word yet on how Brett Leonhardt’s game will be affected.

All photos are my own work. You can see more at my Flickr.

Meeting the New Guys: Jared DeMichiel

This entry is the first in the series where I will introduce you to and look into the newest Caps signings and draft picks. To open, we’re taking a look at goalie, Jared DeMichiel, who signed a one-year contract with the Hershey Bears this July.

And I’m incredibly pleased to announce that Jared DeMichiel himself was nice enough to do an interview with me. What a way to start this blog with a bang! But first, we’ll start off with some basic statistics about this RIT Tiger.

Name: Jared DeMichiel

Birthdate: April 16, 1985
Hometown: Avon, CT
College: Rochester Institute of Technology, #33.
Major: Business Management, double minor in Marketing and Communications
Height: 6’1

Weight: 190 lbs

Catches: left
-Finished the 2009-2010 with a .724 winning percentage, a .921 save percentage, and 2.09 goals against average. He played 38 games and posted 6 shutouts.

(Picture courtesy of Southcreek Global Media)

A quick look into his RIT bio will show you that he has a wide range of musical tastes (from 50 Cent to Kenny Chesney) and that his favorite NHL team is the Hartford Whalers. In my exclusive interview with him, we find out all the work he’s been doing in

the off-season (hint: it’s a lot) and the interesting story behind his number.

How long have you been playing hockey for? Have you always been a goalie?

I started skating when I was around 4 years old. I started playing organized hockey as a forward when I was 7 and when I was 10 I decided to switch to goalie for Pee Wees.

What kind of training and conditioning have you been doing in the off-season?

This off-season I've been training with some NHL, AHL, ECHL, and D-1 college hockey players in Rochester. We lift 4 days a week and skate around 3-5 times a week. We start every morning with a skate at 7am. After the skate we go outside and do some speed, quick feet, and cardio work on the track. When we are done on the track we head in to the weight room and lift weights for over an hour. We rotate the days that we lift upper body and lower body. When we are done lifting the weights we finish with some core and medicine ball exercises. I'll do some stretching for around 20-30 minutes when we are done. I'm focusing on getting a strong and explosive lower body and core; at the same time, I'm trying to gain some strength in my upper body to gain some weight. On my days off I'll do some racquetball to work on hand and eye coordination. Golf is also great for days off from lifting!

What are your personal goals for the upcoming season?

First off, I would like to win as many games as possible and obtain a championship whether it's with Hershey or South Carolina. Secondly, I would like to continue to get better between the pipes and work as hard as possible to work my way up the Capitals organization. Lastly, I want to have as much fun as possible! I love playing hockey and if I'm working hard and having fun this should lead to success on the ice.

Do you pattern your game after any goalie?

I do not pattern my game after any particular goalie, but I enjoy watching Ryan Miller play. I like how he is athletic, but technically sound at the same time. He aggressively challenges when needed and he also stays deep in his net depending on his read of the play. He is efficient using his stick and he plays the puck adequately to help his team.

Do you know what equipment you will be using this upcoming season?

As of right now I am not sure of what gear I will be wearing next season. I'm leaning towards wearing Reebok gear because that's what I wore the past two seasons at RIT. I'm thinking of getting a split paint job on my mask of Hershey and South Carolina. If anyone has cool ideas for a paint job, I am all ears!

Favorite memory at RIT?

Favorite memory at RIT was this past season when we made our run to the Frozen Four. It was a great experience for all of the players and the entire school.

You played with current Hershey Bear, Steve Pinizzotto in 2006-2007. What do you remember from playing with him?

I remember Pinner being a great player for RIT. He was the total package for us in 06-07. Pinner did a great job getting points and making those around him better. He scored clutch goals, but also made some great passes when needed. Pinner played tough every game as he would take the body consistently which set the tone for the game and gave our team energy. Pinner and I have stayed close over the years and I look forward to seeing him at the Caps camp in September!

Cameron Burt was at the Capitals development camp a week ago. Have you two been in contact about possibly playing for the same organization?

Cam and I played 1 year of junior together and we were roommates this past season so we are pretty tight. I was extremely excited for him when he told me he was going to the Cap prospect camp. I texted him during the camp to see how things were going and he seemed very happy with his play. We have been lifting together all summer and it would be a great experience if he was going to sign with the same organization as me. Hopefully Cam continues to work hard and the Caps sign him to a nice contract.

Any significance behind your number?

Former NHL player Jim McKenzie who won the Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils (editor’s note: McKenzie also played for the Caps in 1999-2000) is a close family friend of mine and he always wore 33. I wear the number to pay respect to him as he has been a great role model to me. I also like the number because Larry Bird used to rock the 33!

If you make the team in Hershey, do you have any plans on visiting Chocolate World, the Hershey's chocolate tour?

I for sure want to check out Chocolate World and everything that Hershey has to offer. I'm extremely excited to be a part of a great organization and I plan on making the most of my situation. I cannot wait to get to Hershey and see the city!

You can also get to know DeMichiel a little better through these videos.

First a highlight reel (including a couple flashy glove saves). He has a fun, energetic goaltending style. A very interesting video.

Join SportsZone as they follow DeMichiel around for a day. He tells us that he’s a big Superman fan and a big Ryan Miller fan (I thought they were the same person…). Techno is his preferred pre-game jam.

And finally, I love goalie tricks and this is no exception. I think anyone would love watching this:

DeMichiel has been invited to Caps training camp and I’m very excited to see more from this new member of our team. At RIT, he got better with every year and I look forward to seeing him in action. He will be competing against the likes of Braden Holtby and Dany Sabourin for the job in Hershey. Again, a huge thank you to Jared for helping me out with this post.