Interesting article by the Vancouver Sun’s Iain MacIntyre today, focusing on Canucks defenseman Willie Mitchell and his concern for the environment. Apparently 16 members of the Canucks purchase carbon offsets against the extensive air travel the team undertakes. Here, you can find one Kukla’s Corner commenter’s estimate of the distances travelled by each NHL club […]

Michael Peca has two Selke Trophies to his name (1997, 2002) and one trip to the Stanley Cup final (1999). Yet only the most ardent Columbus Blue Jackets fan would believe this 33-year-old center has a chance of getting his name engraved on Lord Stanley’s mug come June. Sure, the Jackets are now just five […]

Here’s a quick look at the transactions that caught my eye on deadline day: DEAL: Atlanta trades RW Marian Hossa and RW Pascal Dupuis to Pittsburgh for RW Colby Armstrong, C Erik Christensen, C Angelo Esposito and Pittsburgh’s 1st-round pick in the 2008 Entry Draft. VERDICT: Pittsburgh overpaid for the Slovak superstar, who has rarely […]

For the inaugural Breakaway Challenge at this year’s NHL All-Star Game skills competition, the league had high hopes for its dipsy-doodling superstars. A best-case scenario last night in Atlanta would have seen Alexander Ovechkin, Ryan Getzlaf, or Pavel Datsyuk deliver a moment of individual brilliance that would have topped Vince Carter leaping over that French […]

I have to disagree with TSN analyst Bob McKenzie’s assertion that hiring Cliff Fletcher as interim GM is a smart move for the Toronto Maple Leafs. It’s not that the 72-year-old veteran NHL executive is underqualified to take over this much-ballyhooed National Hockey League franchise after John Ferguson Jr. was fired on Tuesday. Winning the […]

January 8, 2008. GM Place. Final score: Vancouver Canucks 3, New York Islanders 2 by shootout. Vancouver outshoots the Islanders 45-28. This might have been the sloppiest game I’ve seen all year at GM Place. The Islanders’ game notes trumpeted: “CHRISTIE BRINKLEY SUPPORTS HER HOME TEAM.” That’s great for the 53-year-old supermodel, but can you […]

The Good: Canada Golden Again at World Juniors Congratulations to Team Canada for winning its fourth consecutive gold medal at the IIHF World Junior Championship in the Czech Republic. A couple of days ago, I questioned whether Canada’s mental focus was where it needed to be heading into a potential final with the Russians. Of […]

Brad Marchand should have listened to Zach Boychuk. When Canada lost 4-3 to Sweden in round-robin action at the 2008 IIHF World Junior Championship, it ended a 20-game winning streak at the tournament. Boychuk, whose 91 points for Lethbridge last year earned him third place in the WHL scoring derby, told reporters: “In the last […]

As we kick off the New Year, would it shock you to learn that hockey has overtaken the other three major North American pro sports? And is just this wishful thinking from a lifelong hockey fan (that would be me) who really doesn’t care much about what happens in football, basketball, or baseball? Far from […]

Life got a lot better for Detroit Red Wings fans with last week’s announcement that Nicklas Lidstrom had signed a two-year, $14.9-million contract extension. But the fact that Lidstrom will still be playing hockey in 2010 is also crazy good news for supporters of the Swedish Olympic team. Count on him being there in Vancouver. […]