What is Lou Lamoriello thinking? When the New Jersey Devils general manager acquired sniper Ilya Kovalchuk from the Atlanta Thrashers on February 4, he made the following statement during a conference call about the blockbuster deal: “He [Kovalchuk] can do things that a lot of people can’t do, and put him into our lineup, he […]

Originally published in Eishockey News in 2007 By Lucas Aykroyd Life would be so much simpler for NHL coaches if every team won all its home games in overtime. In fact, it’s hard to imagine any other scenario where all coaches could succeed in keeping their jobs. However, the fans would probably start to get […]

Here’s a quick look at the transactions that caught my eye on deadline day: DEAL: Atlanta trades RW Marian Hossa and RW Pascal Dupuis to Pittsburgh for RW Colby Armstrong, C Erik Christensen, C Angelo Esposito and Pittsburgh’s 1st-round pick in the 2008 Entry Draft. VERDICT: Pittsburgh overpaid for the Slovak superstar, who has rarely […]

Two of the NHL’s brightest young stars got married this summer: Eric Staal (perhaps you heard about the bachelor party?) and Ilya Kovalchuk (Alexander Ovechkin attended the reception in shorts). Although fans of the Carolina Hurricanes and Atlanta Thrashers may rejoice in the personal happiness of their heroes, they may be unaware that holy matrimony […]

Originally published in the 2003 NHL All-Star Game Program By Lucas Aykroyd Traditional Southern cooking abounds with homegrown delicacies. But for sports fans in hot, dry places, hockey is often seen as an exotic new addition to the menu. Fortunately, it hasn’t taken long for the southern United States to acquire a taste for the […]

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2000 By Lucas Aykroyd In the NHL, the jersey number 39 is most closely associated with superstar Buffalo goalie Dominik Hasek. Per Svartvadet of the Atlanta Thrashers also wears that number, and although he may not be quite as adept as Hasek at preventing goals, he is an excellent defensive […]

Originally published in Eishockey News in 2007 By Lucas Aykroyd “I’ve always said Patrick Roy was the best goalie I’ve ever seen, but this kid is going to be better.” That’s what former NHL star and Atlanta Thrashers scout Peter Mahovlich said about Kari Lehtonen a few years ago. So far in 2006-07, the 23-year-old […]

Originally published in Rinkside in 2005 By Lucas Aykroyd It may seem hard to believe now, but at one time, Finland produced fewer quality goalies than any other major hockey nation. Want proof? Check out the scoresheets from the inaugural 1976 Canada Cup. In their first best-on-best competition, the Finns lost 11-2 to Canada, 8-0 […]