Originally published in Eishockey News in 2009
By Lucas Aykroyd
If you compare the first NHL season of Steven Stamkos to the rookie campaigns of other recent top draft picks like Alexander Ovechkin (2004) or Sidney Crosby (2005), it might seem like a failure. But as the 2008-09 regular season heads toward its conclusion, the 19-year-old Tampa […]

Originally published in Eishockey News in 2007
By Lucas Aykroyd
In recent NHL history, only a handful of teams have won the Stanley Cup thanks more to their scoring ability than their defensive play. The mid-1980’s Edmonton Oilers and, arguably, the early 1990’s Pittsburgh Penguins come to mind.
If the Tampa Bay Lightning are to bring the Cup […]

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2000
By Lucas Aykroyd
It’s tough to forget the image of a skinny kid from Czechoslovakia marching down from the stands at the 1984 NHL Entry Draft in Montreal to pull on an oversized Habs jersey. But today, Petr Svoboda epitomizes the term “veteran.” Nearing 1000 NHL games played at the comparatively […]