Really, could there be a more fitting time for Don Cherry, the hockey media’s most notorious and self-righteous loudmouth, to make his exit? After all, June 4, 2008 will always be remembered as the date when the Detroit Red Wings became the first NHL team to win a Stanley Cup under the leadership of a […]

For the inaugural Breakaway Challenge at this year’s NHL All-Star Game skills competition, the league had high hopes for its dipsy-doodling superstars. A best-case scenario last night in Atlanta would have seen Alexander Ovechkin, Ryan Getzlaf, or Pavel Datsyuk deliver a moment of individual brilliance that would have topped Vince Carter leaping over that French […]

I have to disagree with TSN analyst Bob McKenzie’s assertion that hiring Cliff Fletcher as interim GM is a smart move for the Toronto Maple Leafs. It’s not that the 72-year-old veteran NHL executive is underqualified to take over this much-ballyhooed National Hockey League franchise after John Ferguson Jr. was fired on Tuesday. Winning the […]

Brad Marchand should have listened to Zach Boychuk. When Canada lost 4-3 to Sweden in round-robin action at the 2008 IIHF World Junior Championship, it ended a 20-game winning streak at the tournament. Boychuk, whose 91 points for Lethbridge last year earned him third place in the WHL scoring derby, told reporters: “In the last […]

I’ve been fortunate enough to work with the International Ice Hockey Federation at every World Championship and Olympics since 2000, writing and editing for the official web site. IIHF.com has just undergone a complete facelift as part of the organization’s 100th-year anniversary celebrations, and I’m happy to announce that I’ll be a contributing columnist for […]

Hockey Canada announces its selection camp roster for the 2008 IIHF World Junior Championship in the Czech Republic today, and Jordan Staal of the Pittsburgh Penguins does not appear on that list. The Penguins told Hockey Canada officials a couple of days ago that the 19-year-old forward wouldn’t be made available. Presumably, Staal himself would […]

In Toronto, as we all know, the dream of winning a Stanley Cup for the first time in more than 40 years takes priority over combating international terrorism, finding a cure for AIDS, and putting the brakes on global warming. (Among other back-burner issues.) With that unwavering focus in mind, Toronto Sun sports columnist Steve […]

The Russians used to dominate the hockey world, in part, because they were physically fitter than their opponents. Today, almost everyone’s in shape. The great dividing line, then, is often mental conditioning. And that’s an area where one Swedish captain of a Canadian NHL team could learn from another. Check out this recent excerpt from […]

So you get home from work and you just don’t have the motivation to whip up lasagna and a tossed salad. Instead, you grab a jumbo-sized box of Hostess Twinkies and flop down in front of the TV. Cramming the first Twinkie into your mouth, you feel that quick, easy surge of pleasure that cheap, […]

Yesterday, James Mirtle posted an excellent, detailed breakdown of the ages of the 29 NHL coaches. (It excluded Don Waddell, who only plans to remain behind Atlanta’s bench until he’s identified the right man or woman to replace Bob Hartley.) When checking out Mirtle’s list, what caught my eye was how surprisingly few championships the […]