Originally published in Prospects Hockey in 2007 By Lucas Aykroyd It’s fitting that Home Hardware has sponsored the CHL Top Prospects game since 2000. Hockey players need to be good with their hands, after all, whether they’re snipers, stay-at-home defensemen, quick-reacting goalies, or enforcers. Some CHLers, past and present, even show a talent for using […]

By Lucas Aykroyd How many of today’s international hockey stars tied their own skates, taught themselves how to shoot and pass, and drove themselves to games when they were kids? The answer is obvious, and that’s why players typically thank their parents for supporting them en route to the big time. In many cases, a […]

Originally published in Eishockey News in 2006 By Lucas Aykroyd Adrian Aucoin is well aware that money can’t buy happiness. The veteran defenseman signed a deal worth $16 million over four years with Chicago in August 2005. But the Blackhawks missed the playoffs in 2005-06, which they’ve done in seven out of the last eight […]

Originally published in Eishockey News in 2006 By Lucas Aykroyd Jonathan Cheechoo more than tripled his goal production from his rookie NHL season (9) to his sophomore year (28), but that didn’t make the San Jose Sharks winger a household name. Yet when Cheechoo racked up 56 goals to win the Rocket Richard Trophy as […]

Originally published in the 2004 NHL Yearbook By Lucas Aykroyd In biology, it’s known as a symbiotic relationship. Two organisms feeding off each other for mutual benefit, like the bee and the flower. In today’s National Hockey League, the equivalent is a dynamic duo whose offensive production stings opponents but sweetens their team’s success. Look […]

Originally published in Prospects Hockey in 2006 By Lucas Aykroyd What’s even more fun than cheering for your favourite CHL team? Often the answer is: “Booing our hated divisional rivals!” Rivalries inevitably blossom when you’re facing another club six times a year in many cases. In those grudge matches, teams often discover what kind of […]

Originally published in Prospects Hockey in 2006 By Lucas Aykroyd Going for a third consecutive championship in hockey is never easy. Just ask the 1986 Edmonton Oilers or the 1993 Pittsburgh Penguins, who failed in their quests for triple Stanley Cup glory. However, the challenge can be even greater at the IIHF World Junior Championships, […]

Originally published in Prospects Hockey in 2005 By Lucas Aykroyd By now, Canadian hockey fans are accustomed to watching touring Russian junior teams. In addition to the Canada/Russia Challenge we’re enjoying for the third straight year, the Russians have participated in numerous Canadian-hosted World Junior tournaments: 1978, 1986, 1991, 1995, 1999, and 2003. And that’s […]

Originally published in Prospects Hockey in 2005 By Lucas Aykroyd There’s no shortage of highly qualified and motivated coaches in the CHL. Brent Sutter didn’t have to return behind the bench with Canada’s World Junior team for the second straight year. Really, what did he have left to prove after steering the 2005 team to […]

Originally published in Rinkside in 2005 By Lucas Aykroyd Wayne Gretzky got a ton of attention when he centered the NHL’s most dangerous line with Esa Tikkanen and Jari Kurri in Edmonton. It was the same for Eric Lindros when he hooked up with John LeClair and Mikael Renberg to form the “Legion of Doom” […]