Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2000 By Lucas Aykroyd Some NHL players resort to easy clichés when assessing their personal performance: “I don’t think too much about it, just gotta put the team first, take it shift by shift.” Others, like Patric Kjellberg of the Nashville Predators, take a more straightforward, honest approach. “I don’t […]

Originally published in Rinkside in 2007 By Lucas Aykroyd Aspiring country stars come to Nashville, Tennessee to hone their musical skills and get their shot at the big time. Similarly, Kimmo Timonen has paid his dues in Music City, and now the mobile Finnish defenseman is hoping for a big pay-off in the post-season. Since […]

Originally published in Attractions Magazine in 2007 By Lucas Aykroyd In 2005-06, Kevin Bieksa was hardly the most noticeable member of the Vancouver Canucks defense corps. Sure, he played 39 NHL games and added six assists, plus a decent defensive presence. But if Ed Jovanovski and Sami Salo hadn’t suffered long-term injuries, Bieksa would probably […]

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2000 By Lucas Aykroyd Few players on the Nashville Predators qualify as household names, and Karlis Skrastins isn’t one of them—yet. But since he scored his first NHL goal on 26 December against St. Louis, the 25-year-old Latvian defenseman has shown he’s ready to take a regular NHL shift. In […]

Originally published in Eishockey News in 2007 By Lucas Aykroyd “I’ve always said Patrick Roy was the best goalie I’ve ever seen, but this kid is going to be better.” That’s what former NHL star and Atlanta Thrashers scout Peter Mahovlich said about Kari Lehtonen a few years ago. So far in 2006-07, the 23-year-old […]

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2001 By Lucas Aykroyd The National Hockey League has a cruel way of making its players feel prematurely old. In most walks of life, you’re still considered young when you turn 35. A hockey player that age is a veritable graybeard. No doubt Valeri Kamensky of the Dallas Stars would […]

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 on EuroReport in 2000 By Lucas Aykroyd Jozef Stumpel is rarely the center of attention, but his smart playmaking skills are a big reason why the Los Angeles Kings enjoy the NHL’s second-best offense. Even though the 6-3, 225-pound center from Nitra, Slovakia has missed 25 games due to hernia surgery and a […]

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 Eishockey News in 2006 By Lucas Aykroyd The 2003-04 edition of the Colorado Avalanche was stacked with big NHL stars like Peter Forsberg, Alex Tanguay, Rob Blake, Adam Foote, Teemu Selanne, and Paul Kariya. Yet after the lockout, the league’s new salary cap environment forced the Avs to let go of those […]