Originally published in Prospects Hockey in 2009 By Lucas Aykroyd The world was a tumultuous place in 1979. The Iranian Revolution, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and the Three Mile Island nuclear accident made headlines. But the annual NHL draft offered a ray of light for hockey fans with an unprecedented influx of talent, mostly […]

Originally published in Eishockey News in 2009 By Lucas Aykroyd Sam Gagner has a long way to go to catch up with his father Dave. To be precise, Sam trails by 791 career NHL games and 629 points. But the 20-year-old Edmonton Oilers center is gradually learning what it’ll take to match the consistency of […]

Originally published in Eishockey News in 2009 By Lucas Aykroyd The London Pro Knights beat Switzerland’s EV Zug 7-4 on August 31 to win the final of the inaugural Euro-Can Cup. Hosted in London, Canada, the week-long, eight-game tournament also featured Austria’s Black Wings Linz and EHC Munchen of Germany’s 2nd Bundesliga, which finished third […]

Originally published in Eishockey News in 2009 By Lucas Aykroyd Nowadays, in a hockey-mad country like Canada, the NHL trade deadline gets the kind of news coverage more typically associated with giant earthquakes and Beatles reunions. On March 4 this year, TSN and Sportsnet, the two dedicated cable TV sports networks, went head-to-head as usual […]

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 […]

Originally published in Eishockey News in 2009 By Lucas Aykroyd In January, the Vancouver Canucks looked like they were about to freeze to death. In February, the club has begun to smell as sweet as springtime flowers. After an overtime loss to the Minnesota Wild on January 31, the Canucks had truly hit rock bottom, […]

Originally published in Eishockey News in 2008 By Lucas Aykroyd When Roberto Luongo strained his groin while making a routine save on Pittsburgh defenseman Philippe Boucher on November 22, Vancouver Canucks fans had genuine reason for concern. Their superstar captain has amassed 11 wins, five losses, and two ties for his team so far this […]

Originally published in the official 2009 World Junior Program From the 19th century to the 21st, Ottawa’s hockey heritage is legendary By Lucas Aykroyd Even if it was just about checking birth certificates, Ottawa’s contribution to hockey history would be huge. Dozens of NHLers were born in the host city for the 2009 IIHF World […]

Originally published in the official 2009 World Junior Program Canada’s 1988 World Junior team reunites to celebrate its amazing run to gold By Lucas Aykroyd Many things have changed since 1988. Back then, Brian Mulroney was Canada’s Prime Minister, and pop artists like George Michael and Def Leppard ruled the charts. However, memories of Canada’s […]

Originally published in Eishockey News in 2008 By Lucas Aykroyd Unquestionably, power forward Olli Jokinen was the biggest off-season acquisition by the Phoenix Coyotes. But if the Arizona-based club is to earn its first playoff berth since 2002, it can’t just rely on veterans like Jokinen and captain Shane Doan. The Coyotes will need big […]