SLBAM: One minute with the new rules, please.

What’s up gang. How’s the snow and cold in Quebec? Fortunately, it’s not Calgary, many would say. For us, the cold is starting to set in, but during the day, we’re still fine.

It’s been a busy week for me. Not only did I get my Twitter account hacked (to which I no longer have access), but I also had my credit card associated with my Twitter account defrauded. In short, not a very fun week so far.

But, I have the answer to your questions, this won’t change. I’ve created another Twitter account so I can write the questions because I like you so much. Now it’s time for the article.

Your email was very detailed and unfortunately I couldn’t copy it all to the Twitter account.

You see, I’d do the opposite: I’d make the blue line smaller and make sure I had more cameras and especially, from all angles to review the offsides. That way, you eliminate any gray areas.

What about an automated offside system? In the sense that linesmen no longer call offsides, but a high-tech computer system does.

The margin of error could be lower, because you’d be surprised how many offsides per game aren’t called.

The other point you were making was to have a larger zone for the offensive/defensive zone. I don’t hate the idea, but while we’re at it: we could do the same rule as indoor deck-hockey at 5 c. 5. Once you cross the blue line, you can go all the way back to the red line.

But if we make a major change like that, the whole of hockey will change.

The media often asking the wrong questions, or always the same question, for any coach, it becomes redundant and flat. Many coaches continue to play the same tape because they fear losing their jobs.

But if you take Torts, he’s still himself and doesn’t beat around the bush.

Frankly, I love it, because he’s still himself. I’ve seen Martin St-Louis’ post-game interviews with the Habs, where he doesn’t beat around the bush either.

As for the players, a good majority of those who don’t like Tortorella all have the same thing in common: they’re not hard-working or have had it easy in life.

Torts is the fairest trainer you can have. He gives you the right time and asks you to work.

If you don’t, you fall into his bad corner. Talk to any player who’s ever liked him and they’ll all say the same thing. There’s no gray area with him, and it’s impossible not to know what to expect.

That’s something a lot of coaches struggle with, because there are often too many gray areas.

I’ve had the chance to talk to several people who know him very well, and the same quality comes up in every conversation. He’s the best person they know. So, is the media trying to paint a bad name because they don’t like him?

Gauthier didn’t want to play there and didn’t want to talk to management. At that point, thank you very much.

For coaches with old methods. I’m not going to get into the subject, but I wonder what’s more problematic between a coach with old methods (I’m not talking about breaking everything in a room) or players who choose where to play and when, and so on.

Top-5 junior leagues. It’s difficult, because the path is not the same for everyone. If you take the USHL for example, it’s excellent, but players leave at 18-19 to go to university.

In Canada, guys will play until they’re 19 and then make the jump to the AHL, otherwise they’ll play at 20 and at 21, they’ll go to USports. So development is different. Also, the difference for a drafted player who is NCAA or Junior is night and day with the extra year.

Then, each league is completely different. People talk about Quebec being the best league because it wins the Memorial Cup. But if you look, the Q teams are always the oldest at this tournament. That makes a big difference.

It’s the same thing with the women’s university network, which in Quebec is much older.

But to answer your question, the three leagues in Canada, the USHL and the MHL in Russia, are the best leagues. Elsewhere, players will make the leap to the professional level.

And let’s not forget the BCHL, which is now independent, but which continues to be one of the top leagues in the world. And then there’s the AJHL.

To bring the Cup back to Canada, why not. It’s been a long time and I don’t know if we’ll see it soon. I don’t believe in the Canucks this season, so it’ll have to be a surprise.

I understand your point of view and I don’t completely disagree.

But the reality between the NHL and junior is a business. A junior team will trade its best players and accept losing in the first round or maybe missing the playoffs after all.

At the NHL level, this would never fly with the fans, management, sponsors and so on, all to make another team win in Canada. There’s really no rule against it, but you must have something excellent in return for your rebuilding.

So as much as I like the idea, no, I don’t see this happening any time soon.

The last point also being, it’s not by making big trades at the NHL deadline that the whole thing will pay off. Just looking at Tampa Bay with Jeannot or the Rangers with Kane, the whole thing hasn’t panned out. So if we add several more players, I’m afraid the ship will start to sink.

Extension

A huge thank you for your questions and we’ll see you next week.

Hopefully, I’ll have a better week. We have three days off because of the star party and then off to Iowa with an overnight trip. @Mitch_Giguere.