Triple Gold Club
I was recently invited to a Canadian Tire press conference announcing their new five-year partnership with the NHL to become the League's Official Sporting Goods Retailer of the NHL in Canada. While I was unable to attend the event, which included a one-on-one interview with Olympic Gold Medalist and Stanley Cup winner Jonathan Toews, the promotion company generously offered a media release for the site.
After tonight's snoozer, let's move on to a bigger and better subject.
Some of you may have watched a surprising Norway side battle Switzerland to the bitter end for a quarterfinal birth in their final preliminary game at the Olympics; if so, try to recall a 5'7, 160-pound speedster working a stick as tall as the man himself.
The NHL has finally done something right this decade. Hits to the Head will now officially be punished in the league, which offers up the option of suspending players more frequently should the violent collision continue.
Canadians vs. Americans. Patrick Kane vs. Jonathan Toews. Ryan Miller vs. Martin Brodeur. The battle of North America. A game that will have the highest [more…]
The most important person involved in the Mike Green snub from the Canadian Olympic team is perhaps the defenseman himself.
Reasoning used by the Canadian contingent isn’t likely similar to that of the general public, although the overwhelming sentiment of a lack of defensive game (often incorrectly portrayed as ‘liability’ in some circles) seems to be mostly prevalent.
And it’s a falsity.
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No truer words ring out to the ears of the throng of fans and particularly management of the Leafs victory over the current GM's former organization.
And it took Alice in Chains to create them.
Cali, you're alright .....
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According to Andy Strickland the first draft-related move of this (almost) off-season has transpired. Chris Pronger has been traded to the Los Angeles Kings for "a package including Jack Johnson and the 5th overall pick." Note that this is an unconfirmed rumor. However, in the past Strickland has been very reliable.
*EDIT*: Strickland has revised his stance slightly. New blog link is up.
Phew. Finally a chance to catch our breath after what was perhaps the best 2nd round of playoff hockey ever played. We were treated to three 7 game series, 9 overtime periods, and an epic showdown between the league's premier young rivals, Crosby and Ovechkin. Perhaps overshadowed by all the intensity and exciting finishes, is a fairly simple underlying theme: Youth.
With the imposition of the salary cap taking some clout away from the financial Super Powers (or so they say), the "new" NHL focuses upon the importance of successful drafting and a constant flow of young players on cheap, entry-level contracts. With scouts now being dispatched to all corners of the globe, it's getting to be quite a small world. The boundaries of the Hockey Community are ever-growing, and we're starting to find ourselves with a neat little global village forming in the NHL. [more…]
