Some (Very) Light Reading

The Hockey Hall of Fame will announce its 2009 selections sometime today. The general consensus of opinion is that Steve Yzerman, a guy who has long been in the B-Rank of my heroes, is a no-brainer for induction in his first year of eligibility. From Fox Sports:

The easy decisions are for three of the four openings in the players category. Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull and Brian Leetch are clearly shoo-ins and make this year's class one of the most memorable in decades. All three are first-time eligible this year and the debate among the 18 selection committee members won't be long or spirited.

The fourth opening is the one that will spark plenty of dialogue. The other first-time candidates, who are retired three years from hockey, are Luc Robitaille, Alexander Mogilny and Dave Andreychuk.

The fans agree, too:

Here’s Stevie Y’s CV, from NHL.com… where you’ll find thumbnail bios of the other leading HHOF candidates:

Steve Yzerman -- Yzerman was Hull's teammate on the 2002 Stanley Cup-winning Red Wings. Yzerman also won the Stanley Cup in 1997 and 1998.

Yzerman was the fourth overall pick of the 1983 Entry Draft and went on to play 22 seasons with the Red Wings. He was only 21 when he was named team captain in 1986-87. He retired as the longest-serving captain in North American professional-sports history.

Yzerman retired in 2006 as the sixth-leading scorer in NHL history. Yzerman had 692 goals and 1,063 assists for 1,755 points in 1,514 NHL regular-season games. He had 70 goals and 115 assists for 185 points in 196 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He received the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1998 as the most valuable
player in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, when he led all scorers with 18 assists and 24 points.

Yzerman also won the 1989 Lester B. Pearson Award and the 2000 Selke Trophy as the NHL's best defensive forward. He was awarded the 2003 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for perseverance.

Yzerman was named to the NHL All-Rookie team in 1984 and the NHL First All-Star Team in 2000. He played in 10 NHL All-Star Games.

Yzerman broke the 50-goal mark in five seasons, with a high of 65 goals in 1988-89. He had 62 goals in 1989-90 and 58 goals in 1992-93. He ranks eighth all-time in goals, seventh in assists and sixth in points.

Yup: no-brainer.

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In other hockey news… this pains me:

Detroit -- The news wasn't surprising but no less significant.

The fact the Red Wings parted ways with Chris Chelios on Monday was expected. But it screamed attention, nonetheless.

Chelios, 47, didn't play much last season and had become an extra defenseman. But he's a surefire Hall of Famer. And when a team parts ways with a Hall of Famer, it's news.

General manager Ken Holland met with Chelios on Monday and officially told him the Wings wouldn't be bringing him back after 10 seasons.

"It was kind of understood last summer that the 2008-09 season would be the last one for Cheli as a Red Wing," said Holland, noting the need for the Wings to bring in young players such as Jonathan Ericsson. "Cheli wants to play another season, and I believe he can still play."

Bothered by a leg problem early in the season, then put in a reduced role when he returned, Chelios played in 28 games. He didn't have a point but was plus-1 and had 18 penalty minutes.

Chelios was in six playoff games, didn't score and had an even plus-minus.

He didn't return phone calls Monday. Chelios also didn't speak to the media after the Wings cleaned out their lockers after the playoffs.

He said late in the regular season he didn't expect to be re-signed by the Wings, citing the need for players such as Ericsson to get playing time.

There will be lots of talk over the summer about Chelli’s next team, if there is one. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him playing for Chicago next season… and I suppose that would only be fitting. It’s interesting how things change: Chelios used to be my… and most other Wings’ fans, as well… favorite “guy I love to hate” back when he played for Chicago and before he came to Detroit. I’ll miss him.

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In local news… we had an organizational transfer ceremony out at Cannon Airplane Patch this past Friday. From the Clovis News-Journal:

The “game changers” officially belong to Cannon Air Force Base.

Flanked by two of the AC-130H Spectre gunships it flies and maintains, the 16th Special Operations Squadron transferred its flag Friday from Hurlburt Air Field in Florida to Cannon.

“The arrival of Spectre is a game-changer,” said Lt. Gen. Donald C. Wurster, commander of AFSOC. “If you’re a good guy, you will win. If you are a bad guy, you will perish. It’s as simple as that.”

Prior to the transfer, crews of the 16th at Cannon were operating as a detachment unit while the official squadron was stationed at Hurlburt.

Now, it is Hurlburt with the detachment unit.

“It’s a important step for (Air Force Special Operations Command),” said Lt. Col. Sean Farrell, commander of the squadron. “As we grow our continental base and we build the capabilities of this wing to match the capabilities of our wing in Florida. “We deliver an important element to the AFSOC mission.”

That element includes close air support, armed reconnaissance, interdiction, night search and rescue, and airborne command and control.

Welcome to the High Plains of New Mexico, 16^th Special Ops! We’re glad you’re here, even though you may feel otherwise… given the radical difference between here and your old home. But, Hey! It ain’t all that bad…