Originally published in Rinkside in 2006 By Lucas Aykroyd For most of the 20th century, North Americans and Europeans feared Russia, and that applied on two levels. The most serious confrontation, of course, was the 45-year-long Cold War, which pitted the democratic nations of the West versus the Soviet Union’s Communist bloc and thankfully never […]

By Lucas Aykroyd At 5-10 and 165 pounds, Gilbert Brule isn’t the biggest player in the WHL. But since breaking in with the Vancouver Giants this season at age 16, he’s towered above his peers as one of the league’s most gifted scorers. Already, scouts project Brule as a high first-round pick in the 2005 […]

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” […]

By Lucas Aykroyd As a hockey goaltender, Bernd Bruckler excels at one of the most difficult positions in all of sport. Yet the University of Wisconsin Badgers star grew up in a country where hockey is an afterthought. When you consider all the other obstacles he’s conquered to become a highly touted prospect of the […]

Originally written in 2001 By Lucas Aykroyd Despite its reputation as a great sporting country, Australia isn’t known for its hockey prowess. The Aussies regularly capture Olympic gold medals in swimming and equestrian events and dominate the international scene in rugby and cricket. To most Australians, the word “hockey” evokes images of a grass pitch […]

Originally published in Eishockey News in 2006 By Lucas Aykroyd On an Anaheim Ducks team stacked with former NHL trophy winners such as Teemu Selanne, Chris Pronger, and J-S Giguere, Andy McDonald doesn’t get a lot of attention. But that’s just fine with the 29-year-old playmaking center from Stratford, Ontario. “I don’t think it matters […]

Originally published in Prospects Hockey in 2007 By Lucas Aykroyd In 1975, the movie Jaws broke box office records, Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti topped the record charts, and The Six Million Dollar Man wowed TV audiences. It was a good year for hard-hitting star power, and the Canadian Hockey League emulated the trend by instituting […]

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 1999 By Lucas Aykroyd After the Ottawa Senators were swept in the first round of the NHL playoffs last year, Daniel Alfredsson had a big weight to carry on his back all summer. He didn’t whine. He made the most of it. Alfredsson pumped up his leg squat to six […]

Originally published on IHWC.net 2007 By Lucas Aykroyd Some Finnish fans might feel like the following article will be cathartic, enabling them to put the disappointments of yesteryear in perspective and move on. Other Finnish fans may immediately skip to another article as soon as they see the title. It’s impossible not to have a […]