It’s hard to believe Lukas Krajicek is only entering his third full NHL season. He made his NHL debut with Florida on April 6, 2002 as a call-up from the OHL’s Peterborough Petes. But it took until 2005-06 for the #24 overall pick of the Panthers in 2001 to establish himself as an everyday blueliner […]

After the final on-ice sessions at Bear Mountain Arena in Victoria, how impressed was Vancouver Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault with the performance of Jannik Hansen? Just count the number of times Vigneault said “really” when asked to assess the speedy 21-year-old Danish winger to date.
“He’s really impressed me,” Vigneault said. “He’s really strong on […]

A hockey team that disagrees about its fundamental direction on the opening day of training camp is about as common as an infatuated couple that gets into a fistfight on a first date.
Pretty rare stuff, in other words. And so when the Vancouver Canucks brought out their head coach and veteran players to meet the […]

Originally published in the 2003 NHL All-Star Game Program
By Lucas Aykroyd
Traditional Southern cooking abounds with homegrown delicacies. But for sports fans in hot, dry places, hockey is often seen as an exotic new addition to the menu.
Fortunately, it hasn’t taken long for the southern United States to acquire a taste for the NHL’s ice cold […]

Originally published on HockeyCanada.ca in 2007
By Lucas Aykroyd
To the uninitiated passerby, the scene inside the suite at Winnipeg’s famous Fort Garry Hotel on Friday night might have looked like just another business mixer or high school reunion: people chatting animatedly, fruit platters and chilled drinks. But this was no ordinary get-together.
After all, how many 17th […]

Originally published on HockeyCanada.ca in 2005
By Lucas Aykroyd
At first glance, it’s a bit of a shock to see big Jim Sandlak wearing a Team USA jacket at various 2006 World Junior venues. Okay, maybe this doesn’t rank up there with Bryan Trottier donning American colours at the 1984 Canada Cup or Brett Hull’s “defection” to […]

Originally published on HockeyCanada.ca in 2005
By Lucas Aykroyd
When you survey hockey history, few players can rival Wayne Gretzky as the best of all time. But Bobby Orr is one of them, and while Gretzky has been preoccupied recently with coaching the Phoenix Coyotes and picking the Olympic team, as well as family matters, the […]

Originally published on IIHF.com in 2006
By Lucas Aykroyd
With just 2 million citizens and just over 1000 hockey players, Latvia is thrilled every time one of its native sons cracks the big time. And defenseman Karlis Skrastins of the Colorado Avalanche is one of the best contemporary examples.
Of course, there are others. Helmut Balderis no […]

Originally published on IIHF.com in 2002
By Lucas Aykroyd
In the National Hockey League, Brian Rolston of the Boston Bruins is generally viewed as a solid defensive forward with good wheels. But as a member of the American Olympic team in Salt Lake City, he may prove that he has more than just speed to burn.
The […]

Originally published on IIHF.com in 2002
By Lucas Aykroyd
The crucial February 12 game between Germany and Latvia is being billed as a duel of goaltenders. Although Marc Seliger’s .966 save percentage and GAA of 1.00 are outstanding, the 27-year-old German goalie has a long way to go before he can compare his international hockey record with […]