I know my following there and the following on The Bluenote Zone is quite different, with BNZ getting a lot more viewers than Bleedin’ Blue did. So I wanted to share that interview here so you all can learn a few tidbits on what Brendan actually does. Trust me, it’s a lot more than announcing the games!

Now I was curious, what exactly does Brendan do for the Rivermen? We know he broadcasts games, but what else does he do? So question one asks him just that.

You’re job title for the Peoria Rivermen is Radio Broadcaster and Director of Communications. Obviously other than calling the game on air and making the Ice Time Online videos, what else does your job entitle?

Brendan Burke – I have been lucky enough to wear a lot of different hats during my time in Peoria working in both the business side and hockey operations side of the team.  I handle the daily duties of a media/public relations director of any sports team, i.e.  fulfilling all media requests, writing press releases, doing everything I can to help the local newspapers and television stations provide the Rivermen as much coverage as possible.  I also am responsible for all of the Rivermen web presence.  I design, update and create content for www.rivermen.net as well as operate the Rivermen twitter and Facebook accounts.

On the hockey operations side I act as the traveling secretary for the team as well.  I book and coordinate all of the flights, buses and hotels that the Rivermen will use all season long as well as setting up meals for the team to eat before and after games. And then speaking of someone who wears a lot of hats – Kevin McDonald (Blues assistant general manager/Rivermen general manager/Blues director of professional scouting) – obviously has a lot of responsibilities outside of the Rivermen so he is not in Peoria on a full-time basis.  So that leaves me doing a lot of work with league transactions, drafting contracts for players to sign, and just really doing whatever else pops up.

And of course I get to broadcast the games – which is the fun part.

You’ve been with Peoria for three year now I believe? Who is the best player you’ve seen come through the Rivermen since you’ve been with the organization?

Hensick is having another solid year with Peoria..

I will however give honorable mention to Jake Allen.  What he did as a rookie has certainly put himself on the path to be in the conversation in a couple of years.  The one thing that impresses me nightly about Allen is his positioning.  He rarely makes scrambling, highlight-reel type saves because he never seems to be in the wrong place.  He is just always there and quietly makes the saves and wins games without grabbing your attention.  Don’t get me wrong, he still makes spectacular and flashy saves but they usually come on rebounds or quick passes that goalies aren’t expected to get to. 

With many of the Blues newly drafted talent (Ponich, Shields, Fairchild, and Barriball) finding their way to Peoria who do you look forward to seeing most this season?

Burke – I would probably say I am most excited to see Ponich. Whenever there is a player with a special attribute that you can’t teach (like being 6’7”) it ups the ante just a little bit.  He is every inch of 6’7” and still has room to put on 20 pounds or so and really grow into his body.  He skates well for  someone his size and if he can make smart decisions with the puck and impose his will in front of the net he could develop into a very difficult person to play against.  He is going to get a lot of ice time this season and could find himself paired up with a offensively-minded partner (like Danny Syvret) and have a lot of defensive responsibility thrown at him as a rookie.

Obviously, you have a first hand look at the practices the players go through all season, who are you expecting to “break out” this year for the Rivermen?

Burke – I am fully expecting Phil McRae to have a “breakout” type year.  He was very good as a rookie but his call ups and injuries didn’t really allow him to get into a rhythm.  This year I think you are going to see McRae spend the vast majority of the season in the AHL.  He may get called up for a stretch later in the year but I wouldn’t be surprised if he plays less than five games with the Blues this year. That’s not a knock on his play but simply what the organization feels he needs to develop properly.  There is no reason to rush him.  He has looked very good in camp with St. Louis.  His conditioning is one of the best on the team, he is faster and stronger than he was a year ago and his maturity can’t help but improve.  I think McRae will be a 20+ goal scorer in Peoria and wouldn’t be surprised if he flirts with 30.

What do you personally look forward to most at the start of the year?

Burke – Personally I look forward to getting back on the radio.  I really do enjoy broadcasting games.  That’s what I have wanted to do since I was nine years old and I have been fortunate enough to land a job broadcasting hockey at a very high level.  Couple that with the potential that the Rivermen have this season to be one of the top teams in the Western Conference and it is a pretty exciting time for me.

With the talent the Blues have coming up through their pipelines, even those who haven’t hit the pro level in North America, how do you see this teams future with their many talented prospects?

Burke – There is no doubt that the St. Louis Blues are headed in the right direction as an organization.  Watching the evolution of the roster in Peoria over the past four seasons it’s very easy to see what is happening with St. Louis.  Take a look at their high-round picks from previous years and how many of them played at all in Peoria.  The top draft picks were heading straight to St. Louis whether they were 100 percent ready or not.  Now the Blues are deep enough where they are starting to DEVELOP players.  Phil McRae,  Jake Allen, Ian Cole,  Lars Eller,  Aaron Palushaj all were/are being given the time they need to develop the way the Blues want them to instead of needing to fill roster spots at the NHL level.  The way things are looking there is no reason to think the Blues won’t be in Stanley Cup contention in five years and probably sooner than that. 

Yourself, along with Dave Eminian, started up Ice Time Online a few seasons ago: where did that idea come from?

Burke – First let me say that Dave Eminian is one of the best writers in minor league sports.  He works very hard and is invested in the growth of this team.  Not to mention that he has been covering the Rivermen for 27 years.  He came to me a few years ago wanting to incorporate more video into the Peoria Journal Star’s web  coverage of the team.  At that point the newspaper had a few  web “shows” for various topics but were mostly just a couple of guys sitting at a table discussing the topic of their choice.  We didn’t want to do that and set off on a venture to do our own thing.  We didn’t really know where we were going with it when it first started but we just kept trying to find interesting topics and fun ways to give fans some behind-the-scenes access to the team.  The players have been great and have had fun with it and it has turned into something that I think  a lot of  fans look forward to each week.

The depth the Rivermen now have is very strong with many American Hockey League All-Stars including TJ Hensick, Jonathan Cheechoo and Brett Sterling. How does the Rivermen line up compare to the rest of the league?

Ben Bishop, potential AHL goalie of the year, has proven he's ready for the National Hockey League.

Burke – On paper this Rivermen team looks to be one of the top offensive teams in the AHL.  Brett Sterling scores 30+ goals every season and TJ Hensick is a 70+ point player.  Thrown them together and give them Jonathan Cheechoo on the right wing and it creates a line that the league is already talking about and they haven’t even played a game together yet.  Follow those three up with Phil McRae, Derek Nesbitt and Evgeny Grachev (possibly) and the top-six forwards are as good as you can get.  The goaltending with Jake Allen and Ben Bishop is solid.  The defense is the only place where the Rivermen could afford to get a little stronger.  Obviously Danny Syvret and Ian Cole are NHL-caliber players.  Brennan Evans is a sturdy AHL veteran.  Brett Ponich is a rookie with a lot of potential. Mark Cundari has been a good find for the Blues but his upside is on the offensive side of the puck.  Guys like Cade Fairchild and David Shields are still question marks at this point.  But with the offense and the goaltending being what it is, Peoria is a playoff team with a chance to make a serious post-season run.

Evgeny Grachev has impressed thoroughly in the Blues training camp. If he doesn’t make the team or gets sent down, where do you see him on the Rivermen roster?

Burke – This is going to be a tough call for Jared Bednar to make. The Sterling-Hensick-Cheechoo line is a line that is already feared in the AHL but I honestly think he will break it up if Grachev is added to the Rivermen roster.  I could see Grachev playing the right wing with Sterling and Hensick and giving a guy like Cheechoo to Phil McRae to play with.  I think that works out for the team and the development of McRae.  But either way I see Grachev and Cheechoo being the top two right wings and being used interchangeably.

Lastly, I have to ask, give us your prediction for the Rivermen this season.

Burke – Like I said earlier, Peoria is a playoff team.  The AHL has changed their playoff format to mirror the NHL’s with the top eight teams in the conference getting in.  I think Peoria will be battling with Chicago (and possibly Charlotte) to win the Midwest Division and depending on how healthy the Blues/Rivermen are in April have the potential to push for the Calder Cup.  I think that if this team is pushing down the stretch you may see Kevin McDonald pull the trigger on a deal or two that could make this team championship caliber.  I wouldn’t be surprised if the Rivermen finish with 45-50 wins (in the new shortened 76-game schedule)

I want to first thank Brendan for sitting down and doing this interview with me.  Getting  to see what he does and hear the opinion of a man who sees everything that goes on in the organization.  I can’t wait to see the NHL and preferably the Blues call your name in the near future for a broadcasting upgrade.

Next I urge you to give Brendan a follow on twitter, @BrendanMBurke as he’s gives great insight on whats going on behind the scenes with the Rivermen, discusses the practices, and shares any need-to-know news regarding the Rivermen! He also runs the @PeoriaRivermen twitter page as well, so if you’re not already, click follow on both of those links!

I for one love being able to learn more about those people inside our organization and what they do to help the Blues or in this case, the Rivermen succeed.

Some thought, myself included, that Burke announced games and made the Ice Time Online videos you’ll find on the Rivermen channel on Youtube. However, we see his duties with the Rivermen are much more extensive with that. He books all the flights, bus trips, hotels, etc. He sets up meals for the players to eat while out on trips and he even drafts contracts for players to sign (example being, if a player signs a professional/amateur try out, like Chris Bruton or, or when the Rivermen want to sign a player on an AHL deal, like Derek Nesbitt, Jake Gannon or Shaun Heshka).

Brendan’s duties with the Rivermen are large factors that help the team to function. You’d be surprised to know what some of the people in the organization get to do on a daily basis.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter also, @RandallRitchey.

Have the Habs won the Eller for Halak trade or the Blues?

There is one question asked at several intervals, often in perpetuity, following a trade commonly asked by media member and fan alike.

“Who won the trade?”

The answer has been pondered and proclaimed several times regarding the June 2010 trade of forward Lars Eller (and Ian Schultz) by the St. Louis Blues to the Montreal Canadiens for goalie Jaroslav Halak. With Halak set to return to the home of the Habs for the first time as a foe tonight, what better time than now to review yet again?

Yet it doesn’t feel right to take a look without also considering the seemingly insignificant deal, which has had a much bigger impact than anticipated, completed a few months ahead of the blockbuster. On March 3rd, 2010 the two teams swapped fringe frontmen who were trending down in their respective organization. The Blues sent Michigan product Aaron Palushaj to Montreal for Sault Ste. Marie native Matt D’Agostini.

There are many methods that can be employed to answer such a question, but I find a pro/con list the most effective and the least time consuming.

Pros – Canadiens

- Reemergence of Carey Price: The Habs had another highly touted netminder in Price. When he struggled, Halak flourished. With both becoming RFAs in the summer of 2010 Montreal had to pick one. Consensus said Price would go and Halak would stay (thanks to the epic playoff run), but the opposite became true. With such a confidence boost Price has come back to form as the clear number one with a near Vezina quality season in 2010-11 (38-28-6, 2.35 GAA and .932 save percentage) and is having a solid season to date (15-14-17, 2.45 GAA, .913 save percentage).

- Palushaj’s Numbers in the AHL: 107 games played, 34 goals, 90 points, Plus-31 rating.

- The clearance of cap and payroll space: If Halak and Price had been paid fair value the Canadiens would have nearly $7 million invested in net with no clear starter. Even though it has been arguably spent unwisely, money has been available to re-sign Andrei Markov, Eric Cole and other free agents to provide depth in the 18 skater rotation.

Getting something for nothing: The roll of the dice on a former top 15 first round pick is very nearly never a bad one. Especially when the player leaving in exchange was on his way out anyways.

Cons – Canadiens

Eller’s Number’s: 115 games played, 15 goals, 34 points, Plus-1 rating, 3 game winning goals. Not terrible production considering he was a young man on a veteran team with a veteran coach, but opportunity to take a step or two forward were missed last season. All of which calls to question his future. Is he an Alex Steen type of “late bloomer” or a “Matt Stajan” type of “could be, but isn’t”?

Palushaj’s Potential: At one point Palushaj was compared to David Perron in terms of playstyle and ceiling potential, but he now seems to be more in line with the TJ Hensick’s of the hockey world. Skilled enough to produce in the AHL, but just can’t keep up with the NHL game.

Ian Schultz: He was a nice add on to Eller, but a cost controlled 4th line option can only help a team so much. Maybe there is still top 9 potential in him, but he seems to be on a BJ Crombeen type path should he make it to the NHL. Otherwise he looks a lot like Rivermen winger Tyler Shattock who is on the “Chris Porter plan”.

Pros – Blues

- Halak’s Number’s: 78 starts, 36-28-12 record, 2.34 goals against/game, .9105 save percentage. Though not exceptional more often than not Halak has played the part of a starting netminder. Most of his down times have come via a depleted lineup in front of him or a healthy group not performing up to standards.

- D’Agostini’s Number’s: 130 games played, 30 goals, 63 points, Plus-22 rating (was a collective Minus-29 on playoff caliber Habs teams), 8 game winning goals.

- D’Agostini’s Impact: When injuries decimated the Blue lineup in 10-11, Dags stepped up in a big way. Coming out of obscurity to avoid an assignment to Peoria out of camp to be Vladimir Sobotka’s short term replacement as the 4th line center. His success granted him more ice time which lead to stints on David Backes’ wing. An opportunity to showcase his speed, shot and work ethic was not missed. He has become a key interchangeable part that keeps the Blues machine running.

- Depth trickle down: The removal of Eller from the depth chart opened the door to uncover many capable role players in Peoria. Specifically thinking of Porter, Adam Cracknell, Ryan Reaves. While they fill different roles, Eller certainly would have been recalled ahead of them had he been present. Phil McRae has taken the place of Eller and had made the most of the promotion. Really becoming a key player for the Rivermen to bank on.

Cons – Blues

- Thinning prospect depth: With most of the Blues rebuild core prospects in the NHL, Eller was the last high end near term prospect they had. They did draft two highly skilled first round picks, Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko, in the same month as the deal, but both were not destined to reach even the AHL ranks for at least two seasons. Behind Eller there really was McRae and no one else on the youth end of the age scale that could step in to a skilled hole. Hence why the trade for Evgeny Grachev and the signings of Jason Arnott and Jamie Langenbrunner have become so important. Internal depth was cut down so it had to come from external sources.

The winner is…

The Blues.

I try to avoid homer responses that can be easily attacked with Kool-Aid bombs, but there is no dodging the appropriate answer. Both teams have had varied success in the standings which brings the determining factors down to personal performance. D’Agostini and Halak have out performed Eller and Palushaj, even when considering the impact of Price. In terms of impact Price cannot carry the three kid forwards past the two Blues’ brothers.

-

Feel free to chime in. Do you think the Blues or Habs won the last two trades between them?

When Travis Moen is your best fighter and he hasn’t won any fights, that’s not a good signal of your team’s toughness. Image via clydeorama/Flickr

Total domination . . . that was what the St. Louis Blues displayed in a 4-0 shellacking of the visiting Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night. The only bad part of that game was that while there were some moments of testiness in the battle – especially between Cody McLeod and, fresh off his Injured Reserve stint, Ryan Reaves – there were no fighting majors assessed. But hey, I’ll take the victory. The Note stays at 15 fighting majors on the season, still good for 18th spot all alone in the National Hockey League in that category. And yes, the fight record still stands at 6-2-7.

Hello, one-game road trip! And at that, it’s a visit to one of professional hockey’s most storied franchises . . . Les Habitants de Montreal, or – in English (as Randy Cunneyworth prefers . . . harf harf harf!) – the Montreal Canadiens. Despite a hot performance which included a four-goal game (and first-ever hat trick) by former Blues prospect Lars Eller, the Habs have been on a downward slide pretty much the entire season. I would not let this fool the Blues, though, as it could be a perfect trap game. However, with Jaroslav Halak (who, ironically, was the return for the trade package that included Eller) playing for the first time in Montreal since being traded by them after an outstanding 2009-2010 playoff run, anything is possible. However, it is wise not to expect a fight in this contest, as the Habs are tied for 28th in the NHL with the Phoenix Coyotes with eight fighting majors on the season. Their record in those fights is a less-than-satisfactory 0-3-5.

How little do the Habs fight? They are led in fights by two people who have two fights each, and neither is particularly known for fisticuffs – Travis Moen (6’2”, 215lbs, 0-0-2) and Petteri Nokelainen (6’1”, 202lbs, 0-1-1). The rest are solo fighters, and they are Mike Blunden (6’4”, 218lbs, Draw), Max Pacioretty (6’2”, 196lbs, Draw), young up-and-coming defenseman (and one of my personal favorites) PK Subban (6’0”, 206lbs, Loss) and the incredibly tall Hal Gill (6’7”, 241lbs, Loss).

As noted earlier, I do not anticipate there being a fight between these two teams, but with all the trading that has happened with the two clubs in the last few years, maybe I will be wrong. If you’re betting on anything to happen, bet on Moen going at it with BJ Crombeen, but don’t bet the house on it.

I would much prefer the Blues continue this winning streak. Wouldn’t you?

LET’S GO BLUES!!!!!

Information obtained via the incomparable Fried Chicken’s Hockey Fights

Below you will find all the nitty gritty information you need to know for tonight’s game in a quick and dirty format.

- – -

According to reports the most intriguing goaltender match-up of the season will take place tonight. Jaroslav Halak starts for the Blues and will take on former teammate and potential Vezina finalist Carey Price.

Why should you care?

Rewind to the second half of the 2009-10 season. Halak assumes control of the starting gig in Montreal. Price is slipping. Losing the confidence of the fans and some in the organization. Behind Jaro’s efforts the team makes the playoffs and takes down two of the most dangerous offensive teams in the league. The Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins. While the Habs fell short in Round 3, Halak became a hero in the craziest hockey city in the world.

In the summer the Canadiens ship Halak to St. Louis and go with Price as their man. Implosion occurs. Fans are none too happy.

Fast forward back to today.

Price is 7th in GAA (2.31), 6th in save percentage (.924), tied for 2nd in Shutouts (7), and is tied for first in wins (32).

Halak? Don’t need to go there.

The Halakness Monster is ready to regain his October form and stick it to his former team, regardless of his performance this season as a whole. He surely doesn’t want to kick them while they’re down, Patches was a teammate of Halak’s too, he still wants to win.

Career Numbers:

Price > 1-0-1, 2.81 GAA, .889 save percentage against the Blues.

Halak > Never faced Montreal.

Puck Fantasy: Given the lack of historical data for the two, it’s easy to say “start Price” given how he has performed. The Pacioretty situation clouds the crystal ball though. Not much optimism with Halak going on no rest and the Blues level of play up and down like The Boss at Six Flags.

Welcome Back Great Dane: Former Blues prospect forward Lars Eller, the primary return for Halak in the summer trade, will return to St. Louis for the first time. The 2007 1st Round selection (17th overall) was thought of highly in the organization, but became expendable when Halak became available. In 62 games with the Habs the Denmark native has 7 goals and 15 points. In 7 games with the Blues last season Eller tallied 2 goals.

When It Rains:Forward Dave Scatchard was recalled from Peoria on an emergency basis following the diagnosis of Alex Steen’s injury as a high ankle sprain. Steen will likely miss the remaining balance of the schedule. Have Blues fans lost count of the man games lost to injury for core players?

Blues Injury Report: Steen joins forwards Vladimir Sobotka (foot), Phil McRae (knee), and David Perron (post concussion recovery) on the shelf. Fellow forward BJ Crombeen (lower body) and defenseman Roman Polak (foot) are game time decisions.

Canadiens Injury Report: Max Pacioretty is out with the concussion and neck injury sustained in the reckless play by Zdeno Chara. Forward Mathieu Darche (groin) and defenseman Jaroslav Spacek (knee) are also out.

Blues Lineup:

With the injury to Steen, anyone’s best guess is what head coach Davis Payne will roll over the boards.

McDonald – Backes – D’Agostini
Porter – Berglund – Stewart
Oshie – Scatchard – Hensick
Reaves – Cracknell – Janssen

* If Crombeen can play, he could easily swap in for Scatchard. The Habs don’t have many fighters and rarely drop the mitts. Their tied for 24th overall in Fighting Majors with just 24 on the season. Scatchard could replace Janssen as well.

Jackman – Pietrangelo
Cole – Shttenkirk
Colaiacovo – Nikitin

* If Polak plays, Nikita Nikitin is likely the odd man out.

-

As always, you are invited to follow @618_STLBlues and @BlueNoteZone on Twitter and on the BlueNoteZone Facebook Fan Page for in game updates and Blues news.

- – -

Busy Friday and much to do so I’m throwing this one out to our readers and Tweeps for feedback.

- Blues announced yesterday that you can show how much blue you bleed in a specialized section of the DrinkScotch Center. If you want to, you can become a “Bluenatic”, you can for three games for the remainder of the season! I’m not a fan of fabricating enthusiasm or even attempting to. The “Code of Conduct” just adds to the cheese-factor for me.

Don’t get me wrong, I would love to see the FANS replicate the feeling of say… Section 303 in Nashville or what the New Jersey Devils have done (stick tap to Frozen Notes for what the Devils are doing). The Blues organizing this effort for only three games that may end up being completely meaningless is too much of a stretch for me.

Don’t try to shove square pegs in to round holes. Scottrade has its own natural vibe, don’t mess with that. Win the games and the fans will respond like we always do.

How do you vote folks? Am I right or wrong?

- Speaking of “Cheese”-Wiz… James Wisnieski of the Montrael Canadiens blocked a Taylor Hall shot with his face last night. He could likely be out for a while. Will this rekindle discussion of Blues captain Eric Brewer heading to the Habs?

While its likely too early to move Brewer because the Blues are still sniffing around the playoff bubble, does Montreal have anything you want? Besides Lars Eller? Who be it?

- With Jaroslav Halak out for the short term, Ben Bishop was recalled from Peoria. Seen several fans say “I’m on Team Conks!”. Really? No offense to Ty Conklin, but trust a career back up and journeyman to help push a team to the playoffs is something none of the other 29 NHL clubs want. Why should the Blues? The alternatives aren’t much better. With waiver wire pick ups and AHL starters being who the Blues could add.

I just can’t bring my self to say I have more confidence in Conklin than I do in Halak.

So full of it or what?

- Sean Leahy at Puck Daddy commented on the Blues seemingly failing to deliver on the “Every Game Counts” ticket promotion. Yep, they have. Like he says, its only 600 seats, but that’s 600 seats of revenue this franchise needs completely lost. Now, you can argue that most of those wouldn’t have sold out as full season tickets if not for the promotion. What’s better 600 at half price or 300 at full? In raw numbers it’s roughly the same. Though the 600 at half price makes it easier to claim sellouts.

In hindsight is this a face-palm move or a calculated roll of the dice that just didn’t work?

-

As always, you are invited to follow @618_STLBlues and @BlueNoteZone on Twitter and on the BlueNoteZone Facebook Fan Page for in game updates and Blues news.