Originally published in Prospects Hockey in 2004 By Lucas Aykroyd Hollywood movies like The Towering Inferno and Backdraft are as close as many of us ever come to confronting a fire raging out of control. But for the citizens of Kelowna, the sight of homes and forests ablaze became a terrifying reality in the late […]

Originally published in Attractions Magazine in 2007 By Lucas Aykroyd In the NHL, longevity and Stanley Cup glory don’t always go hand in hand. Even though Vancouver Canucks forward Trevor Linden has played over 1,300 regular season games, plus 112 more in the playoffs, the beloved veteran, who celebrates his 37th birthday on April 11, […]

Originally published in Prospects Hockey in 2004 By Lucas Aykroyd Today, North American fans are accustomed to watching Russian players strut their skills on this side of the Atlantic. But recently, some Canadian CHL graduates have reversed the trend by heading over to Russia. Few are better qualified to describe that experience than former goalie […]

Originally published in Rinkside in 2004 By Lucas Aykroyd It’s often called “the most exciting play in hockey,” but a penalty shot is also one of the most nerve-wracking for shooters and goalies. In the normal course of a game, there are dozens of possibilities developing on the ice, and there’s a give-and-take to the […]

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2000 By Lucas Aykroyd Paul Kariya may wear the C for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, but it’s clear this team has two leaders. Teemu Selanne’s solid start to his ninth NHL season has been a key to whatever success the Ducks have enjoyed so far. The Finnish Flash has […]

Originally published in Eishockey News in 2007 By Lucas Aykroyd In recent NHL history, only a handful of teams have won the Stanley Cup thanks more to their scoring ability than their defensive play. The mid-1980’s Edmonton Oilers and, arguably, the early 1990’s Pittsburgh Penguins come to mind. If the Tampa Bay Lightning are to […]

Originally published in Prospects Hockey in 2005 By Lucas Aykroyd Most hockey observers believe Corey Perry of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks has a bright future. But will the 6-3, 197-pound center give Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin a run for their money in the quest for NHL Rookie of the Year status? Or will he […]

Originally published in The Prague Post in 2002 By Lucas Aykroyd “I’m going to Disneyland” is what pro athletes in North America often crow after they capture a championship. Yet for National Hockey League players, Anaheim has historically resembled a graveyard more than a Magic Kingdom. Winger Petr Sykora is hoping to reverse that trend […]

Originally published in Rinkside in 2003 By Lucas Aykroyd All year long, they’re going to hear the ABBA jokes. Questions about whether coach Marc Crawford is fluent in Swedish yet. Suggestions that General Motors Place should be renamed the Volvodrome. So the Swedish members of the 2003-04 Vancouver Canucks may as well get used to […]

Originally published on EuroReport in 1999 By Lucas Aykroyd The silent Swede sat in a sled, staring at a snowbank outside Stockholm. That’s definitely not Mats Sundin. In conversation, his affable personality is eons removed from the somber tone of an Ingmar Bergman film. But the Toronto Maple Leafs captain must hope he makes more […]