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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

I’ve worn many hats (or should that be helmets?) over the years as a hockey writer, largely because I’ve always felt it’s fun to tie this sport into as many areas of life as possible. That’s included covering the launch of Wayne Gretzky’s signature fashion line at the Bay, interviewing the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” […]

If Mike Comrie was surprised, he shouldn’t have been. When you buy Hilary Duff a $100,000 Mercedes for her birthday, expect to end up in People magazine. The same goes if Jose Theodore parties with Paris Hilton or Sean Avery flips off a photographer while escorting Elisha Cuthbert. In the end, it’s all just fodder […]

Philadelphia prospect Steve Downie laid a disgracefully vicious, concussion-inducing hit on Ottawa’s Dean McAmmond in exhibition play on Tuesday night. Was Downie sending a message that the NHL club known more than any other for enshrining violence as a tactic is back in business as the “Broad Street Bullies”? In recent years, the Flyers haven’t […]

King of Russia: A Year in the Russian Super League By Dave King with Eric Duhatschek Published by McClelland & Stewart Hardcover, 256 pages Release Date: October 2, 2007 Has Dave King ever met J.K. Rowling? I doubt it. In fact, I also doubt that his co-author Eric Duhatschek is on a first-name basis with […]

I covered the exhibition opener for the Canucks in Vancouver. It’s good to be back at GM Place for NHL hockey (even of the pre-season variety). My last such experience was Game Seven versus Dallas, prior to heading off to the IIHF World Championship in Moscow. Sure, the atmosphere was just a tad more jacked […]

I didn’t have much luck in my first hockey “contest.” It consisted of my mom taking me to Mark’s Work Wearhouse in my native Victoria for an in-store appearance by Vancouver Canucks captain Stan Smyl and goalie Richard Brodeur. This being 1982, both were massive local heroes for their efforts in Vancouver’s gallant run to […]