No NHL teams. (Too familiar to be “strange.”) No junior teams. (Sorry, Lewiston MAINEiacs–you have to be able to drink in the US.) No teams with foreign-language names. (”Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk” might look funny to North Americans, but so what? “Manchester Monarchs” looks funny to Russians.) No teams with regular animal or force-of-nature names. (Nice try, […]

“Words are very unnecessary, they can only do harm,” sang Depeche Mode in the 1990 hit single “Enjoy The Silence.” Oh yeah? Obviously, you don’t hear a lot of Depeche Mode around NHL dressing rooms. It’s just the second month of the 2007-08 regular season, and already, players, coaches, and owners are proving unable to […]

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 apply […]

Joe Pelletier’s got an intriguing read over at Greatest Hockey Legends about some of the greatest penalty-killing experts in NHL history, including a run-down of the top all-time shorthanded goal-scorers. (It looks like Wayne Gretzky has a lock on that record with 73 goals, especially since his closest active competition is Sergei Fedorov with 36.)
Joe’s […]

Since officially launching this site last month, I’ve enjoyed all the emails I’ve received from readers, hailing anywhere from New York City to Duncan, British Columbia.
The most unusual one so far comes from a hockey fan in Ontario who’s also apparently well-versed in naval history. He suggested that I write an article comparing NHL power […]

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 […]

Being the best of the best as an elite athlete is something that kids dream of. Fame, fortune, and respect normally go hand in hand with being, say, the holder of baseball’s single-season home run record, the 2004 Olympic 100-meter sprint champion, or the 2006 Tour de France winner.
Unfortunately, Barry Bonds, Justin Gatlin, and Floyd […]

In addition to writing about hockey, I frequently review hard rock and metal CDs for the Georgia Straight newspaper in Vancouver, and whenever possible, I like to insert a blatant yet appropriate hockey reference. It’s no coincidence, in my view, that rousing, guitar-driven 80’s music continues to rock NHL arenas even decades after going out […]

Never let a little thing like a broken nose stop you. That’s the philosophy Petr Sykora will take into Pittsburgh’s Friday-night opener at Carolina.
After suffering the injury in a collision with teammate Brooks Orpik in exhibition play in Montreal, the 30-year-old Czech winger will wear a full face shield for protection. Although Sykora was sidelined […]

Although technically we’re already two games into the NHL season, with Anaheim and Los Angeles furiously vying for the President’s Trophy, 2007-08 really kicks off for the majority of hockey fans with Wednesday’s four-game slate. Up until now, it’s been lots of pre-season hype and talk. And these are the quotes that caught my eye […]