The Good: Canada Golden Again at World Juniors
Congratulations to Team Canada for winning its fourth consecutive gold medal at the IIHF World Junior Championship in the Czech Republic. A couple of days ago, I questioned whether Canada’s mental focus was where it needed to be heading into a potential final with the Russians. Of course, […]

Brad Marchand should have listened to Zach Boychuk.
When Canada lost 4-3 to Sweden in round-robin action at the 2008 IIHF World Junior Championship, it ended a 20-game winning streak at the tournament. Boychuk, whose 91 points for Lethbridge last year earned him third place in the WHL scoring derby, told reporters: “In the last couple […]

As we kick off the New Year, would it shock you to learn that hockey has overtaken the other three major North American pro sports?
And is just this wishful thinking from a lifelong hockey fan (that would be me) who really doesn’t care much about what happens in football, basketball, or baseball?
Far from it. In […]

Life got a lot better for Detroit Red Wings fans with last week’s announcement that Nicklas Lidstrom had signed a two-year, $14.9-million contract extension.
But the fact that Lidstrom will still be playing hockey in 2010 is also crazy good news for supporters of the Swedish Olympic team. Count on him being there in Vancouver.
That’s the […]

In case you’re wondering why updates have been infrequent recently, I spent a week vacationing in Huatulco, Mexico, where CNN occasionally shows 30 seconds of NHL highlights every four hours. When I got back, it was nice to see that the NHL had been as calm, peaceful, and serene as a Mexican beach, and the […]

Smart hockey and hard-hitting journalism. Could you ask for more of a winning combination? Why, it’s the essence of the latest NHL Quotes of the Week.
“Not long ago, taking an aspirin was the medical solution for a concussion.” — Columbus Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock on today’s increased awareness about this serious hockey health issue. […]

If Mark Recchi’s NHL career ends in the same city where it began, it won’t be by the former Pittsburgh winger’s choice.
The NHL’s 23rd all-time leading scorer, who cleared waivers Wednesday, is likely to get bought out and signed by another club seeking the kind of veteran leadership that he delivered in Carolina’s 2006 Stanley […]

Hockey Canada announces its selection camp roster for the 2008 IIHF World Junior Championship in the Czech Republic today, and Jordan Staal of the Pittsburgh Penguins does not appear on that list.
The Penguins told Hockey Canada officials a couple of days ago that the 19-year-old forward wouldn’t be made available. Presumably, Staal himself would rather […]

Armed robbery. Cheating husbands. Judy Garland. We’ve got it all covered in the latest edition of NHL Quotes of the Week.
“I’m going to say, ‘Hey buddy, remember me, the guy whose career you almost ended last year? See this dent in my face? Want to be roomies?’” — Journeyman enforcer Todd Fedoruk on being picked […]

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 the […]