Archives for the 'Feature' Category

Halifax: An International Hockey Hotbed

Originally published in the 2008 IIHF World Championship official program By Lucas Aykroyd Some people visit Halifax for attractions like the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, Pier 21, or the Halifax Citadel. But for hardcore sports fans, this port city of 370,000 is renowned for staging outstanding international hockey events. Halifax’s Metro Centre will host […]

Yan Stastny carries on family tradition with Blues

Originally published in Eishockey News in 2008 By Lucas Aykroyd Peter Stastny was the NHL’s second-leading scorer in the 1980’s behind Wayne Gretzky, and the Slovak legend amassed 1,239 career points between 1980 and 1995. His oldest son, Yan Stastny, will never match those totals, but is emulating the paternal example by wearing a St. […]

Nashville’s Weber not eager to go on vacation

Maybe the Mexican vibe in Vancouver sent the wrong message to the Nashville Predators during their 6-2 loss to the Canucks on Thursday night. A mariachi band played rinkside to promote Tourism Mexico, and in nearby Yaletown, the Tequila Kitchen restaurant was preparing for its grand opening. But surely come April, defenseman Shea Weber and […]

Seven super November hockey stories

Here are seven hockey stories from both mainstream sites and blogs that made an impression on me this month. 1. The Globe and Mail: “Speed kills”: Has the NHL gotten too fast for its own good? Eric Duhatschek investigates. Interesting to see Al MacInnis admit that sometimes he’s preferred watching international women’s hockey due to […]

Kane paying big dividends with Blackhawks

Some players might gripe after ending a six-game road trip with a 2-0 loss in Vancouver on November 25 and being held off the scoresheet for the fourth straight time. But not Patrick Kane. “I think we had a good trip, and you’ve got to be happy with the way we played,” the 19-year-old Chicago […]

Nilson delivers never-say-die attitude with Flames

Marcus Nilson has one goal as a hockey player, and that’s winning the Stanley Cup. The downside is that the gritty Calgary Flames winger also only has one goal in 19 games this season. “It’s been tough so far,” Nilson told HockeyAdventure.com with a wry chuckle. “A lot of nights you’re mostly penalty-killing and not […]

Hockey jobs: find work in the NHL and beyond

If you’re reading this in mid-November, you might be thinking: “Who applies for a hockey job a month before Christmas? The season’s in full swing. Most of the jobs are taken now.” You wouldn’t be far from the truth. But the fact is, there are hockey jobs available right now. And if you want to […]

Forgotten mustachioed NHL aces of the 1980’s

When Joe Pelletier of GreatestHockeyLegends.com challenged me and other bloggers to pay tribute to a favorite retired hockey player to mark the upcoming Hockey Hall of Fame inductions, I thought it was a great idea. I also thought: “Wow, who am I going to pick?” Growing up in British Columbia in the 1980’s and 90’s, […]

Ehrhoff says hard work is key for Sharks

The biggest German moment in NHL history was Uwe Krupp’s triple overtime, Stanley Cup-winning goal for Colorado in Game Four of the 1996 Stanley Cup finals versus Florida. But Krupp, currently coaching his country’s national team, could see his “title” challenged if the San Jose Sharks win their first Cup in 2008, as many pundits […]

The Straight Dope on Doping in the NHL: Part Two

Dr. Ken Kirkwood, a doping expert at the University of Western Ontario, is eager to debunk the myth that steroid use automatically makes you resemble Ben Johnson, the muscle-laden sprinter whose disqualification from the 1988 Olympics still influences the way Canadians view doping today. In the new NHL, where speed and skill are integral parts […]