Colby Armstrong out with a concussion

Was Colby Armstrong wrong in not telling anyone he was feeling light headed after he collided with Vancouver's Ryan Kesler in a game Saturday?

It's a question that is being asked now that Armstrong has been sidelined indefinitely with a concussion.

On the collision with Kesler, Armstrong suffered a cracked toe. But he also felt dizzy and lightheaded.

Remember, he missed 2 months with an ankle injury, and was playing in his 4th game since his return when he suffered the toe/concussion.

Armstrong has suffered pretty much every injury you can think off while he's been a Leaf: hand, knee, groin and eye injuries have meant Armstrong has played in 50 % of the games while he's been in Toronto.

That frustration - and the culture of hockey - played a large role in Armstrong deciding to try and hide his symptoms for a couple of days.

"If a guy doesn't tell you he has any symptoms, it's no different than 90 % of men who never go in for a checkup," said coach Ron Wilson. "We have all of these issues and that's just the way a lot of us were brought up: Unless you think you're dying you don't say anything, you don't see the doctor, you don't tell anybody."

It is a mindset that Wilson admits should change, but in a sport where competition is fierce and there are always people looking to take your job away, it's understandable in the eyes of the coach.

"Colby I think was trying to be noble," said Wilson. "He’s had a lot of injuries and he doesn't want to be known as fragile or injury prone so he didn't alert anybody until he felt really bad."

Armstrong skipped practise on Sunday because of his toe injury. He took part in the morning skate ahead of Monday's game vs. the Kings. It was early in the afternoon when he felt quite ill and was then diagnosed with a concussion.

"I talked to him after that game on the phone for quite a while and he never had a concussion before and he thought it was one of those things that he could shake off the next day," said defenseman Luke Schenn. "He probably thought a good night’s rest and hopefully it would go away."

It didn't and now the Leafs have lost Armstrong once again, and his hockey future may be in doubt. He has one more year on his $3 million a year contract.

"From talking with him that's what it sounded like, he didn't really know he had a concussion," said defenseman John-Michael Liles. "I don't think he was hiding anything from anybody. It’s not exactly something that jumps out a lot of times."

Whether he was hiding anything or not can be debated and discussed. But there is no doubt Armstrong knew he wasn't right and didn't respond to the situation immediately.

“If you don’t feel right, then you’re probably not right,” Keith Primeau told the National Post. Primeau's career was cut short by repeated concussions. “And that’s one of the most powerful messages in the education process: It’s imperative that you listen to your body.”

"From his point of view it's a normal reaction," Wilson said of Armstrong's decision to not say anything right away. "That's old school right there where you don't tell anybody and you hope you can fight through it. At least he realized even if it was late in the day he couldn't fake his way through the feelings he had."

Darryl Sutter: Right fit for underachieving Kings?

The LA Kings are set to name Darryl Sutter head coach in the next few days.

“He’s going to bring character, an attitude I think we need in here,” said Kings forward Jarret Stoll this morning ahead of the game against the Leafs on Monday. “Our attitude some games is right, some games it’s not.”

Sounds like a team that hasn’t played with much heart, passion or grit this season, doesn’t it?

“I heard he’s a bit of a yeller and that’s a good thing,” added defenceman Drew Doughty. “We need someone who is going to push us, to get the best out of us every night. He’s going to be a great fit for our team.”

We need someone who is going to push us? Really?

He brings an attitude we need in here? What?

This LA Kings team seems to have plenty of young talent, but it also seems to be missing something that can’t be measured in goals, or wins. 

The Kings sit 10th in the Western conference, having scored just 69 goals on the season. They find themselves 5 points out of the last playoff spot in the Western conference. 

Is this a team that is much like the southern California lifestyle itself: laid back, easy going, care free?

“We are going to be lot harder team to play against under Darryl,” said Stoll.

“We need to take control, every single one of us,” said Doughty. “Right now we are so down emotionally that things aren’t going well. Everyone has to look at the mirror.”

The Kings have scored just 68 goals on the year. They haven’t scored more than 2 goals in any of the last 11 games they have played. They are coming off an 8-2 beating in Detroit.

Darryl Sutter last coached in the NHL in 2006. His record behind an NHL bench: 409-320-131.

Can his no nonsense approach work with a young team that is apparently craving that type of leadership?

We should have a good idea soon enough.

Ricky Ray ready to lead Argos

When asked why he dealt Ricky Ray, Edmonton GM Eric Tillmam said "it's better to trade a quarterback a year too early rather than a year too late."

If the Edmonton Eskimos GM is right, than the trade for Ricky Ray will turn into a good one for his CFL team. Maybe not this year but sometime down the road.

If Tillman is wrong, the Toronto Argonauts will be able to compete for a chance to play the Grey Cup on home soil in 2012. And could be a good team for a few years after that.

Ray - the 32 year old two-time Grey cup champion - was introduced as the Toronto Argonauts quarterback on Wednesday, a couple days after a blockbuster deal from Edmonton.

"I was definitely a little bit surprised," said Ray about the trade. "The more I thought about it, it seems like a good fit to me. Once the shock wore off thinking about moving forward and this opportunity here, I'm excited."

"You always have something to prove," added Ray. "I'm not going to draw any extra motivation from those guys (Edmonton) because I'm already motivated enough and look forward to my time here."

"This is about the future of the organization," said Argos GM Jim Barker who dealt quarterback Steven Jyles, kicker Grant Shaw and the Argos 1st pick in the 2012 CFL Canadian draft for Ray. "Toronto is a star town and a guy like Ricky Ray brings us that. I think it's vital to where we're going."

Ray will get to work with Argos head coach Scott Milanovich, who for years was the offensive coordinator in Montreal making Anthony Calvillo seemingly ageless. He plans on having similar success with Ray.

"We want to build a team that plays with poise and courage and we wanted to build a team that represented the Toronto Argos with professionalism and class," said the Argos head coach. "Ricky Ray personifies these qualities."

"I've been able to see first hand what they've been able to do in Montreal," said Ray of the Milanovich-Calvillo relationship. "It excites me to come in and lean from coach Milanovich. Hopefully I can have some of that same success."

"He's going to fit in perfectly," said Milanovich. "We'll tweak it to where he can be able to utilize his abilities. I have no doubt that Ricky has 4 or 5 or 6 more good years of good football left and play at a high level. I have no doubt about that."

The Argos sure hope so.

Jake Gardiner playing well for the Maple Leafs

It's hard not to be impressed by the way Jake Gardiner has played this season.

At 21 years of age, the University of Wisconsin product has not only surprised many by being a mainstay on the Toronto Maple Leafs blueline, but by the way he has shown no problems adjusting to the pro game.

He has averaged more than 23 minutes of ice a game this month, and in the last 7 games has played at least 20 minutes each and every time.

For a kid you hasn't played more than 41 games in a season, you would think he would be hitting the proverbial rookie wall. Not so.

"Hes one of those types of kids who is never going to get tired," said his coach Ron Wilson. "I haven't seen him have an off day even in practice. He's out there flying around- even in practice, and he's gong to get better with experience."

"I just try to keep playing my game and playing the way I have been," said Gardiner, who has 8 assists on the season. "I can get better each day. Right now I feel pretty good."

Give an assist here to his roommate Matt Frattin for helping - in part - make sure Gardiner is eating right.

You see Frattin's father ran an Italian bakery so Frattin knows his way around a kitchen.

"I gave him a couple of opportunities early," said Frattin. "But it wasn't up to par so I decided to take the reins in the kitchen."

Good thing cause Frattin is able to cook up steak, pasta and chicken - all staples for any young hockey player. Gardiner's speciality? Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

The smooth skating defenceman was a 1st round pick of the Anaheim Ducks. But with Cam Fowler playing so well, the Ducks felt they could make a move and dealt Gardiner last February to Toronto for Francois Beauchemin. The Leafs also got Joffrey Lupul in the transaction. Let's call this a win for the Leafs shall we.

It really has been quite a year for Gardiner who a year ago at this time was a junior in college playing hockey and wondering when he would make the jump to the pro ranks.

Still property of the Ducks at that time, the team sent up Scott Neidermayer to Wisconsin to meet up with Gardiner. The two talked about all things hockey - with Neidermayer telling Gardiner to keep working hard and he would be in the NHL sooner rather than later.

That meeting helped Gardiner realize he could make the jump to the pros.

"In my sophomore year in college I would let things get to me and get inside my head and I realized I couldn't play like that," said Gardiner. "I would be down the rest of the game. the only time I played well is when I got off to a good start. Now I try to let things go."

And that attitude has served Gardiner well.

Ask Frattin if he's surprised by Gardiner's early season success, and the answer is quite bluntly "no."

"He carries himself well with a lot of confidence and if he does that he plays to his best potential," said Frattin.

That has been good news for the Toronto Maple Leafs.