Originally published in Prospects Hockey in 2003 By Lucas Aykroyd Let’s face it. When your hockey team is fighting to maintain a 3-2 lead late in the third period, it’s tough on everyone’s bodies. Players block stinging slapshots and grind it out along the boards. Coaches feel their heart rate increase as they pace and […]

Originally published in Prospects Hockey in 2003 By Lucas Aykroyd How do you feel when your bank tells you that your latest cheque bounced or that you’ve racked up a ton of service charges? A good hockey coach is just as annoyed when his team unnecessarily gives up an odd-man rush. At the same time, […]

Originally published in Prospects Hockey in 2005 By Lucas Aykroyd Patrick Roy, Mario Lemieux, Wayne Gretzky, Bernie Parent, and Bobby Orr provided some of their greatest hockey in pressure-packed playoff situations. They’re members of a very exclusive fraternity as the only players who have won multiple Conn Smythe Trophies as NHL post-season MVPs. But the […]

Originally published in the Prague Post in 2001 By Lucas Aykroyd If Marian Havel is selected in the first round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, as expected, it’ll be thanks to his finesse skills. The 17-year-old hockey forward skates and stickhandles at high speed with ease. He also boasts a laser slapshot. That’s why […]

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 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 […]

Originally published in Prospects Hockey in 2006 By Lucas Aykroyd Operating an expansion team is often like being the new kid in school: nobody really knows you, and you get pushed around in the beginning. But the Chilliwack Bruins hope to minimize those growing pains as they enter 2006-07 as the WHL’s 21st and newest […]

Originally published in Prospects Hockey in 2006 By Lucas Aykroyd There’s an old joke about the pianist who asks how to get to New York’s Carnegie Hall. The answer is: “Practice.” It’s similar with the Vancouver Giants. Sure, they may already be the defending WHL champions and guaranteed a 2007 MasterCard Memorial Cup berth as […]

Originally published in Prospects Hockey in 2007 By Lucas Aykroyd It’s fitting that Home Hardware has sponsored the CHL Top Prospects game since 2000. Hockey players need to be good with their hands, after all, whether they’re snipers, stay-at-home defensemen, quick-reacting goalies, or enforcers. Some CHLers, past and present, even show a talent for using […]

Originally published in Prospects Hockey in 2004 By Lucas Aykroyd The current National Hockey League lockout doesn’t have many upsides to it. Here in Vancouver, whether you’re a Canucks season ticket holder or a fan who usually catches the games at the local pub, an employee at GM Place or a member of the media […]