For many NHL fans, Anze Kopitar of the Los Angeles Kings put Slovenia on the hockey map with his dazzling 61-point rookie season last year. But this former Yugoslav republic of 2 million had already made its mark in the elite division of the IIHF World Championships as early as the 2002 tournament in Sweden. […]

When Joe Pelletier of GreatestHockeyLegends.com challenged me and other bloggers to pay tribute to a favorite retired hockey player to mark the upcoming Hockey Hall of Fame inductions, I thought it was a great idea. I also thought: “Wow, who am I going to pick?” Growing up in British Columbia in the 1980’s and 90’s, […]

Compared to the entertainment world in general, NHL players, coaches, and officials are hardly quote machines. (Ditto for their junior counterparts.) You’re more likely to catch the Dalai Lama challenging Mike Tyson than, say, to get a colorful answer when you ask an NHLer: “So which team would you like to face in the first […]

Since officially launching this site last month, I’ve enjoyed all the emails I’ve received from readers, hailing anywhere from New York City to Duncan, British Columbia. The most unusual one so far comes from a hockey fan in Ontario who’s also apparently well-versed in naval history. He suggested that I write an article comparing NHL […]

In addition to writing about hockey, I frequently review hard rock and metal CDs for the Georgia Straight newspaper in Vancouver, and whenever possible, I like to insert a blatant yet appropriate hockey reference. It’s no coincidence, in my view, that rousing, guitar-driven 80’s music continues to rock NHL arenas even decades after going out […]

Never let a little thing like a broken nose stop you. That’s the philosophy Petr Sykora will take into Pittsburgh’s Friday-night opener at Carolina. After suffering the injury in a collision with teammate Brooks Orpik in exhibition play in Montreal, the 30-year-old Czech winger will wear a full face shield for protection. Although Sykora was […]

Although technically we’re already two games into the NHL season, with Anaheim and Los Angeles furiously vying for the President’s Trophy, 2007-08 really kicks off for the majority of hockey fans with Wednesday’s four-game slate. Up until now, it’s been lots of pre-season hype and talk. And these are the quotes that caught my eye […]