Originally published in Eishockey News in 2006 By Lucas Aykroyd Since Ed Belfour has apparently been relegated to backup status this season in Florida, that would make Olaf Kolzig the only remaining starting NHL goalie to have played his first NHL game in the 1980’s (a 4-1 loss to Hartford on October 11, 1989). However, […]

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2000 By Lucas Aykroyd Some NHL players resort to easy clichés when assessing their personal performance: “I don’t think too much about it, just gotta put the team first, take it shift by shift.” Others, like Patric Kjellberg of the Nashville Predators, take a more straightforward, honest approach. “I don’t […]

Originally published in Rinkside in 2007 By Lucas Aykroyd Aspiring country stars come to Nashville, Tennessee to hone their musical skills and get their shot at the big time. Similarly, Kimmo Timonen has paid his dues in Music City, and now the mobile Finnish defenseman is hoping for a big pay-off in the post-season. Since […]

Originally published in Attractions Magazine in 2007 By Lucas Aykroyd In 2005-06, Kevin Bieksa was hardly the most noticeable member of the Vancouver Canucks defense corps. Sure, he played 39 NHL games and added six assists, plus a decent defensive presence. But if Ed Jovanovski and Sami Salo hadn’t suffered long-term injuries, Bieksa would probably […]

Originally published in Referee Magazine in 2005 By Lucas Aykroyd When the USA confronted the Soviet Union in the 1980 men’s Olympic hockey tournament in Lake Placid, the February 22 matchup was viewed as a case of David versus Goliath. The veteran Soviets were the reigning Olympic and world champions and had convincingly defeated a […]

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 on EuroReport.com in 2001 By Lucas Aykroyd The National Hockey League has a cruel way of making its players feel prematurely old. In most walks of life, you’re still considered young when you turn 35. A hockey player that age is a veritable graybeard. No doubt Valeri Kamensky of the Dallas Stars would […]

Originally published in Rinkside in 2004 By Lucas Aykroyd Getting good grades. Getting rid of pimples. Getting to know cute girls. These are typical concerns for guys who are 18 or 19. But when it comes to holding down that first professional job, few face the kind of pressure that a teenage NHL rookie experiences. […]

Originally published in Eishockey News in 2006 By Lucas Aykroyd The 2003-04 edition of the Colorado Avalanche was stacked with big NHL stars like Peter Forsberg, Alex Tanguay, Rob Blake, Adam Foote, Teemu Selanne, and Paul Kariya. Yet after the lockout, the league’s new salary cap environment forced the Avs to let go of those […]

Originally published in Prospects Hockey in 2006 By Lucas Aykroyd Jannik Hansen is one cool customer. Insert the Portland Winter Hawks rookie into the first-ever shootout in team history (November 8 versus Prince George), and he responds by scoring the winning goal. Inform him that pop singer Jessica Simpson (his dream date according to the […]