The Race for the Green Jacket

Round One

 Hello hockey fans!

To recap the gist of this award, we'll talk about golf, where players want to get the lowest score to win. They start at even par and, depending on their performance, they get a - or a + number associated to their score. The lower the score, the more likely that player is to win the tournament.

In hockey, the opposite sediment is true. Though some debate the merits of the +/- stat, there is a correlation between being able to keep the puck out of your net and winning. A minus number is not a great number to have associated to you, especially if you are trying to be a complete player and enjoy team success. Not surprisingly, most of the leaders are from teams that are struggling.

Lets take a look at the first round clubhouse leaders for the coveted Green Jacket.

Kjell Samuelsson BUF               9 GP -14

Luke Richardson CHI               10 GP -14

Raimo Helminem CHI              10 GP -13

Rob McClanahan BUF              9 GP -12

Jimmy Carson SJ                      8 GP -10

Mark Astley BUF                        9 GP -10

Janne Laukkanen NYR             9 GP -10

Rob Ray NYR                          10 GP -10

Dave Donnelly PIT                   10 GP -10

Rich Pilon CHI                         10 GP -10

Other notable players:

Mike Ridley LA                         11 GP -8

Brian Curran NYR                    11 GP -8

Nik Lidstrom NYR                    10 GP -8

Last year's recipient, Lidstrom is still within striking distance, and we're only one round in so anything can happen! Check back after round two to check the progress of your favourite players!