Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2002
By Lucas Aykroyd
Pittsburgh seems to be the spiritual home for Czech NHLers, and that hasn’t changed much even since the early season firing of Head Coach Ivan Hlinka. Robert Lang is a case in point. Early in his NHL career, it looked like he didn’t have a prayer in North […]

Originally published in Prospects Hockey in 2005
By Lucas Aykroyd
Thirty years ago, nobody was a bigger deal in Ottawa than Peter Lee, except maybe Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Lee was named the 1975-76 Canadian Major Junior Player of the Year after tallying a then-OMJHL record 81 goals for the Ottawa 67s. Today, he remains the OHL’s […]

Originally published in Prospects Hockey in 2006
By Lucas Aykroyd
Before Sidney, there was Mario. And before Mario, there was Pierre. The Pittsburgh Penguins have drafted some of the greatest QMJHL forwards of all time, and in the 1970’s, perhaps only Guy Lafleur and Marcel Dionne outshone Pierre Larouche.
Growing up in the northwestern Quebec town of Amos, […]

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2000
By Lucas Aykroyd
John Sanful’s forthcoming book Russian Revolution: Exodus to the NHL dubs Alexei Kovalev an “enigma.” It’s hard to disagree with that assessment. The 27-year-old right wing has confounded teammates, coaches and fans ever since he entered the NHL with the New York Rangers in 1992-93. Blessed with exceptional […]