Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2000 By Lucas Aykroyd The menacing theme music from Jaws has echoed through San Jose Arena thousands of times when the Sharks go on the power play. Marco Sturm’s presence isn’t quite that intimidating, but the swift winger from Dingolfing, Germany does his part to strike fear into the hearts […]

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 1999 By Lucas Aykroyd German soccer is world-renowned, but German hockey has some way to go before it can be considered on a par with the Big Six of Canada, Finland, Russia, Sweden, the United States, and the Czech Republic. Players like Jochen Hecht are doing much to enhance their […]

Originally published in Rinkside in 2001 By Lucas Aykroyd “Dynasty” is a word that doesn’t get bandied around much in either NHL or international hockey these days. That’s not surprising. The globalization of our game has made it much harder to build a team that wins year after year, as players now move around with […]

Originally published in Rinkside in 2000 By Lucas Aykroyd 1964. It was the year four mop-topped lads from Liverpool hit America and revolutionized rock and roll. The year Martin Luther King won the Nobel Peace Prize. And in hockey terms, it was a long time ago. So when the Cologne Sharks of the Deutsche Eishockey […]

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 Eishockey News in 2007 By Lucas Aykroyd Did Accept’s 1982 speed-metal anthem “Fast As A Shark” point to the future exploits of Christian Ehrhoff, who was born in that year? Probably not, but the fact remains that the third-year NHLer has gained respect with San Jose as one of the world’s fastest-skating […]

Originally published in Eishockey News in 2006 By Lucas Aykroyd Doug Weight made his NHL debut on April 13, 1991 with the New York Rangers, but it took until June 19, 2006 for him to quench his thirst for Stanley Cup champagne with the Carolina Hurricanes. Yet in the off-season, the 35-year-old playmaking center signed […]

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 Eishockey News in 2006 By Lucas Aykroyd Germany outperforms the US in soccer, but the opposite held true at the 2006 NHL Entry Draft in Vancouver, Canada. A record-setting 10 American-born players were taken in the first round, including the #1 overall pick by the St. Louis Blues, defenseman Erik Johnson. Eleven […]