Honouring A Regional Great

It's always a great night when a player is remembered for how important he was to a franchise, especially when he made large contributions in bringing greatness to that franchise. Rod Brind'Amour had carved out a pretty good career in the NHL before he got to Carolina, but then led the Hurricanes to new heights as he helped to guide the young squad to a Stanley Cup championship. Tonight, the Carolina Hurricanes paid respect to a respected veteran hockey player, and the Flyers also showed their support of the former Philadelphia Flyer centerman.

Let's go way back to September 22, 1991. A promising young centerman by the name Rod Brind'Amour is traded by the St. Louis Blues, along with Dan Quinn, to the Philadelphia Flyers for defenceman Murray Baron and forward Ron Sutter. It was here that Brind'Amour really blossomed as a player, becoming a high-scoring, defensively-reliable centerman on Philadelphia's second line. Finding himself playing behind Eric Lindros for most of his time in Philadelphia, Brind'Amour became Philly's second scoring option. Known for the great shape he kept himself in, Brind'Amour soon developed the nickname "Rod the bod" around the Philadelphia locker room.

As a result of his playing behind Lindros, Brind'Amour saw a lot of ice-time. In 633 games with the Flyers over nine seasons, Brind'Amour scored 235 goals, added 366 assists, and spent 544 minutes in the penalty box. His leadership was vital, especially in the Flyers' run to the Stanley Cup final in 1997. In 19 playoff games that season, Brind'Amour recorded 13 goals and eight assists. However, his time in Philadelphia would come to an end through another trade.

January 23, 2000 saw the Flyers deal Brind'Amour, goaltender Jean-Marc Pelletier, and a second-round pick in the 2000 entry draft to the Carolina Hurricanes for Keith Primeau and a fifth-round pick in the 2000 entry draft. After playing 12 games with the Flyers in the 1999-2000 season, he was heading south down the coast to Raleigh, North Carolina. It was here that the veteran Brind'Amour really helped pave the way for some of Carolina's current stars such as Eric Staal and Cam Ward.

In 693 games with the Carolina Hurricanes, Brind'Amour continued scoring at a solid pace, but became a much stronger force on the defensive side of the puck as the younger Hurricane players contributed on the scoresheet. He still scored 174 goals, added 299 assists, and spent 398 minutes in the penalty box over his ten seasons with Carolina. In their run to the Stanley Cup, Brind'Amour scored 12 goals and added six assists in 25 games in helping Carolina to their first Stanley Cup championship.

Clearly, Brind'Amour has had some significant impact on two teams during his NHL career. Tonight, the Hurricanes paid respect by having each player wear Brind'Amour's famous #17 on their shoulders. They also wore his name and number on their chests just as they have done for other honoured players such as Glen Wesley. In a classy move, the club also donned Brind'Amour jerseys for the warm-up. While it may have looked like a Brind'Amour family reunion hockey game, the Hurricanes changed into their properly-named jerseys for the game.

The visitors this evening were the Philadelphia Flyers, and they also took to the ice in warm-ups with Brind'Amour jerseys on. While Brind'Amour never actually wore the jerseys seen in these images, it's still a classy move by a franchise that played a large part in Brind'Amour's career. Kudos for the Flyers for actively participating in tonight's honouring of Rod Brind'Amour.

I'm not saying that Brind'Amour is a sure-fire hall-of-famer or anything, but the man could play hockey. He won a Stanley Cup, he has 1000+ career points, and he has hardware behind his name in the Selke Trophy. I think that he's done well enough to be mentioned as a possible name on the nomination list, but is he a HoF player at this time?

Regardless, Brind'Amour will always be remembered by this writer as a great player, a great teammate, and an all-around great person. There may not be a Hall of Fame for athletes who make everyone around them and the teams they play on better, but Rod Brind'Amour could certainly be an inaugural inductee if there was a Hall of Fame like that.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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HBIC YIR - Part Two

We're back for the second half of Hockey Blog In Canada's Year In Review. Champagne, good food, and friends and family should be on the docket tonight, so HBIC will run through some of the highlights from the second half of the year. Yesterday, we took a look at the stories from January to June that attracted some attention, and we'll do the same today as we work through July to December. Happy New Year, everyone, and we'll be back in the normal fashion starting on January 1 with more hockey-related news and stories. Until then, all the best in the new year, and may health and happiness find you no matter where you are!

July Highlights

• July 2: An interesting Sports Illustrated article from 1976 shows that some of rules instituted by the NHL in the last few years are the same ones that players in the 1970s wanted. History does indeed repeat itself, it seems.
• July 5: Hockey loses one of its most feared players as Bob Probert passes away. I always respected Probert as a hockey player because he was the ultimate hybrid of guts and skill. Unfortunatley, his star burned out far too early.
• July 9: The National Film Board of Canada has another video gem in their archives. The Rocket is all about Maurice Richard, and is a fascinating film!
• July 16: The Hartford Whalers. I love the Whale, and I really wish the original Hartford Whalers were still playing. This article brings back some great memories.
• July 26: ESPN runs an interesting column that looks at the cleanliness and overall food quality of arenas and stadiums. A very interesting read for those attending games.
• July 29: Sports Illustrated's 1969 article about how Vancouver was going to become competitive as an expansion team is almost too incredible to believe. Except it happened, and Sports Illustrated ran the story.

August Highlights

• August 4: We get out first glimpses of what the Montreal Canadiens and Calgary Flames will be wearing during the 2011 Heritage Classic. Also included: my comments.
• August 12: HBIC recaps the first-ever Canadian Women's Hockey League draft. There are some good teams being assembled, and I think this league deserves a little recognition.
• August 15: Some incredible WHA news was reported in this 1979 Sports Illustrated article. It's amazing to read some of the interesting stuff that happened in the "Dub".
• August 31: Seventy-four year-old Chris Chelios announces his retirement from hockey. Immediately after, hell freezes over.

September Highlights

• September 4: HBIC's month-long road trip through the midwestern US takes me through Kansas City, Missouri. Lots of good hockey history in that city, and I look at some of it.
• September 5: The following day had me in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Great city, and some solid hockey history there. I really enjoyed my time in the city.
• September 8: Houston's WHA era was interesting, and certainly has some very cool history behind it. The Howes, the flirting with the NHL, and their eventually dissolution are all covered in this piece.
• September 9: Houston's WHA Aeros led to the IHL's Houston Aeros being born in memory of the WHA franchise. Some more excellent hockey history here.
• September 20: San Antonio is a gorgeous city, and I really enjoyed my time there. Because of my visit, I wrote a piece on San Antonio's hockey history.
• September 23: My stop in Des Moines, Iowa was short, but I drove through the city rather than going around it. A lovely little city that has a solid hockey history attached to it.
• September 29: The Whale return! Unfortunately for Hartford, the Whalers continue to not exist while the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack will become the Connecticut Whale. I'm not impressed with these developments.

October Highlights

• October 2: Washington shows off its uniform choice for the Winter Classic. While the jersey choice is highly appropriate, Reebok's lack of effort in recreating the uniform is more than disappointing considering the magnitude of the game.
• October 17: Found some great viral video from France that features a guy showing people what it looks like when a player gets bodychecked into the boards. Hilarious!
• October 29: The Penguins show off their chosen duds for the 2011 Winter Classic. It's kind of a mish-mash of former uniforms, but it gets a pass.

November Highlights

• November 7: Buffalo and Toronto clash in the annual Hockey Hall of Fame game, and Buffalo shows up with some serious problems on their uniforms.
• November 12: The New York Rangers officially unveil their new alternate uniforms just weeks after Sean Avery unveiled them on his website.
• November 13: The Saskatoon Blades donned their "Canadian tuxedo" uniforms to welcome the Professional Bull Riders Association, as well as Gene Simmons and Shannon Tweed.
• November 20: Pat Burns, the legendary NHL coach who won three Jack Adams Awards, succumbed to cancer after a long battle. Burns' contributions to hockey will live on forever, and we lost a great man far too soon.
• November 25: The Columbus Blue Jackets unveil their new alternate jersey, and I express my unhappiness with their choices. This won't be the last time we talk about these uniforms, I assure you.
• November 26: Another day, another alternate unveiling, more unhappiness from Teebz. This time sees the Anaheim Ducks squarely in my cross-hairs.
• November 30: It was a tough November as the hockey world lost another great. Hall of Fame writer Jim Kelley lost his battle with pancreatic cancer, and the world loses one of the most passionate hockey voices on the planet.

December Highlights

• December 2: The Portland Winterhawks unveil a new alternate jersey, but it looks remarkably like a jersey from a team in a different sport. To err is to be human, but this one just makes the team look bad in ripping off another team's idea.
• December 9: The University of Michigan and Michigan State University look to make history as they play an outdoor game in The Big House at Ann Arbor. Lots of cool information here about outdoor games.
• December 13: Remember those Blue Jackets' alternate uniforms? Apparently, the team has decided that superstition will kill them off as Columbus looks to mothball them.
• December 18: Donald Fehr is introduced as the new Executive Director of the NHLPA. Baseball laughs and mocks the NHL over their horrible luck. However, Fehr sounds like he's more interested in making hockey better.
• December 20: The world of Teebz and HBIC are changing. Actually, they already have by this point, but I've now charted a better future for me. Cross your fingers, kids!
• December 23: John MacLean is fired by the New Jersey Devils, and Jacques Lemaire is brought back. I point a finger at the $100M root of all the problems in New Jersey.

So there's another year down in the history of Hockey Blog In Canada. I'm really looking forward to next year already, and it starts with the 2011 Bridgestone Winter Classic tomorrow afternoon evening. Hunker down in front of the old cathode ray tubes, and enjoy some outdoor hockey from Sid the Kid and the Great Eight!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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End Of An Era... Or An Age?

The announcement was made today, and I am still in shock over it. Long-time NHL defenceman Chris Chelios - he of 48 years young - has decided to hang up his skates for retirement. While most hockey players call it a career between the ages of 38 and 42, Chelios defied the odds and continued to play at a high level well past 45. However, it appears that Gordie Howe's record will continue to stand as the eldest statesman in the NHLPA has decided to call it quits before his first pension cheque arrives.

There were a ton of accomplishments in the rearguard's career of which he should be proud:

• 1651 games by a defenceman - the most by a blueliner in NHL history.
• Three-time Norris Trophy winner.
• Three-time Stanley Cup winner.
• 27 years as a member of an NHL team.
• Four Olympic appearances.

However, the bigger accomplishments may come in helping Detroit's young players develop. Chelios accepted a role with the Red Wings as Advisor to Hockey Operations. It is reported that he will spend much of his time working with the players on Detroit's AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins.

"The luxury I have now is being able to stay in Detroit with my family and working for the Red Wings," Chelios said to Brian Compton of NHL.com. "I watched what [Steve Yzerman] did, and I'm trying to kind of follow in his footsteps what he did. His first year was kind of a learning experience for him. He didn't know what he wanted to do. He tried to find his niche with the organization. I'm just going to take it day by day here and enjoy what I'm doing. I'm learning from the best."

The "best" that he is referring to is none other than Red Wings' GM Ken Holland. Holland seemed particularly thrilled with Chelios' hiring, and sees him working in a number of capacities within the organization.

"It's a little bit of trying to figure out time commitment, figuring out what 'Cheli' wants to do and where he fits in," Holland said. "Player development is one area that he's going to be very important to us, going to Grand Rapids and working with our young defencemen. It's not one defined job. His role is probably going to evolve over the course of the year. I think Chris is going to bring us a lot of different dimensions to our front office."

Is there a chance that the veteran defenceman could suit up for the Griffins or the Red Wings this year?

"I'm not going to leave the door open," Chelios said. "I'm 100-percent sure that this is it. I know that I'll never play in the NHL again. It's not a hard decision. I couldn't have played any longer than I did. I accomplished what I wanted to. Basically, there's nothing left."

Sounds like he's ready to make the next step.

Congratulations to Chris Chelios on his amazing career and longevity in one of the most violent and brutal games on the planet! There is no doubt that he belongs in the Hall of Fame, and should be a shoo-in once his time comes in three years!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Brain Drain

I've been addicted to Sporcle for some time in that their games always keep my brain running on overdrive. You choose a quiz that sounds interesting, and try to fill in all the blanks before the timer hits 0:00. Of course, for most of these quizzes, that's easier said than done. Some of these will twist and torment your brain until the timer counts down its last second, and then you'll do the old "face palm" as you realize you should have gotten one or two more answers.

Allow me to share with you my torment. Here are some awesome Sporcle quizzes that should keep you busy for a while. I've broken these down into categories so that you can work your way up to the most difficult quizzes. Believe me, these are not your average run-of-the-mill quizzes once you hit the bottom of the page.

Get those thinking caps on, kids. Here are your quizzes.

Easy

Can you name the National Hockey League Teams? - 30 teams. Name them all.

Can you name the National Hockey League Original Six teams? - Name the six Original NHL hockey teams.

Can you name the NHL teams with the longest Stanley Cup Droughts? - Name the teams that have fans who have waited a long time for the Stanley Cup.

Can you name the six NHL players who have had their jersey number retired by two teams? - This one shouldn't take you very long. Teams are given, you fill in the name.

Can you name the the teams for which Wayne Gretzky played (WHA and NHL)? - End this section with a Mickey Mouse question.

Intermediate

Can you name the all time NHL point leaders? - Tough, but you should be able to score well on this one.

Can you name the Multiple Hart Memorial Trophy Winners? - There haven't been many multiple winners of the Hart Trophy, so test yourself here.

Can you name the players who have scored the most goals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs? - Name the players who regularly light the lamp in the post-season.

Can you name the Conn Smythe Trophy Winners? - Name the MVPs in the playoffs. There are a few that totally had me stumped.

Can you name the NHL Presidents' Trophy Winners? - Again, a few of these point totals had me stumped.

Difficult

Can you name the Los Angeles Kings' Retired Numbers? - If you're a Kings fan, this should be easy. If you're not, I got stuck on two numbers until near the end of the time.

Can you name the Los Angeles Kings all-time goalies? - Yeah, good luck on this one. Kings fans will find this one insanely hard.

Can you name the Hockey Hall Of Fame members? - Got twenty minutes to spend on this one?

Can you name the members of the Miracle on Ice (1980 U.S.) Mens Hockey Team? - Think back to that big win in 1980. How many players can you rattle off from that roster? And the coaches?

Can you name the Montreal Canadiens Retired Numbers? - I'm pretty sure you'll forget about one or two players on this list. It took me a while to get them all.

Can you name the NHL players with the most points from 1989-90 to 1998-99? Very tough. Because some of these players played almost twenty years ago, you really need to think about these answers.

Can you name the NHL players with the most points from 1999/00 to 2008/09? - If you do one decade, you might as well just roll into the next decade.

There are a ton more of these quizzes over on Sporcle's website. Scan through and tickle your brain with some intellectual challenges! I know it keeps me busy for a long, long time when I need something to ramp up the old gray matter!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Some Thursday Updates

It's Thursday, and there aren't a lot of major hockey stories that are dominating the headlines today. There's some basketball player who was holding a press conference to announce he signed a contract to play somewhere, but who really cares about basketball? There are more important things going on in the world of sports than some player making a mockery of his sport and league, so let's get off that island. We've got player news, uniform news, and a Russian who is all about the money, but has yet to show up when it really matters. We'll kick it off with that story. Let's go!

• The Los Angeles Kings' saga of being in and out of the Ilya Kovalchuk sweepstakes sees the team out of the running again after they rejected agent Jay Grossman's counter-offer to the contract proposed by the Kings. Here's a quick tip for both Grossman and Kovalchuk: win something, and then ask for more money. Kovalchuk has yet to advance past the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, yet he's asking for Gretzky/Lemieux money. Personally, I wouldn't pay it.
• The Vancouver Canucks make a couple of appearances today, but we'll start with the retirement talk. A third banner will be raised to the rafters at the newly-named Rogers Arena this year as the Canucks have announced that Markus Naslund's #19 will be retired. Naslund captained the Canucks from 2000-2008, and is the franchise's leading scorer. Naslund was a major player in community initiatives, so this will be special for the city of Vancouver and Naslund himself. He joins former captains Stan Smyl and Trevor Linden as the only men to have their number retired by the Canucks, and the ceremony will go down on December 11, 2010.
• The arena that the Canucks call home got itself a new name after General Motors decided to not renew their naming rights for this upcoming season. GM Place, affectionately known as "the Garage", will now be called Rogers Arena as the telecom giant puts its name on another sports facility. Rogers has the rights to the name on the Vancouver arena for the next ten years. GM, in their defence, will remain as a major sponsor inside the building as they push the Chevrolet brand.
• The Canucks also showed off their 40th Anniversary throwback jerseys, complete with patch! Lots to like on this jersey: monsterous logo, 1970s-style captaincy letters, the "V" on the sleeve stripes, no names on the back of the jersey, and great hockey stripes. The hates? That damned Reebok logo, the curved hems at the bottom of the jersey, and tapered collar into the NHL shield logo. Look, I get the sponsorship angle in terms of having Reebok design these uniforms, but a throwback should "throw back" to the actual uniform. Overall, though, a very good design, and one I can endorse.
• In the continuing TSN series that looks at the four Canadian municipalities that are on the NHL's radar for possible expansion or relocation, Winnipeg is tops of the three cities seen right now. Winnipeg's overall mark of "B" ranked them ahead of Hamilton, who scored a "D+", and Toronto, who scored a "D-". Quebec City goes tomorrow, but with no NHL-suitable arena at their disposal, it appears Winnipeg may be the best Canadian choice for the NHL by the standards set out in this study.
• The Nashville Predators have their new captain after having dealt Jason Arnott to the New Jersey Devils. Defenceman Shea Weber has been annointed the new captain, and becomes the fifth captain in team history and the first captain that had been drafted by the Predators. Kudos to Weber as he is one of the best young defencemen in the NHL!
• Montreal Canadiens defenceman PK Subban added some hardware to his mantle today as he was awarded the AHL's President's Award in recognition of his outstanding accomplishments for this past season. I've seen this kid play, and he is an outstanding skater with a knack for being in the right place at the right time. He was a first team AHL All-Star this year as well as being part of the AHL All-Rookie team, and he showed amazing talent all season long. A very deserving award for a highly-skilled player!
• The rest of the AHL's award winners can be found on this page. Congratulations go out to Howard Dolgan of the Syracuse Crunch, Tom Mitchell of the Binghamton Senators, linesman David Butova, and the Chicago Wolves for their award wins!
• The Hershey Bears went back to the future in bringing back defenceman Lawrence Nycholat for the 2010-11 AHL season. Nycholat spent last season with the Manitoba Moose where he suited up for 37 games due to injury. Nycholat won the 2006 Calder Cup with the Bears, and put up career highs with 13 goals and 57 points. As long as he remains healthy, this signing can make the already-dangerous Hershey Bears a whole lot scarier.
• Lastly, the requests for comic strips has gone out, and we have a number of responses. On Saturday, I'll post the first-ever HBIC Funnies Page that will feature at least three hockey-related comic strips as well as blurbs about the strips and links to where you can read more. If you know of anyone else who wants their comic strips featured - professional artists or amateur doodlers are welcome - please put them in contact with me!

I'm doing a pile of coaching tomorrow, but I'll have some pretty cool stuff coming up this weekend. Make sure you hit this site up on both days as I plan to make both pretty memorable.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Let's Hear It For The Girls!

There were a lot of interesting developments today in hockey as the San Jose Sharks basically gave long-time Shark goaltender Evgeni Nabokov his walking papers, while the Boston Bruins dealt an underwhelming Dennis Wideman and the fifteenth overall pick in this year's draft to Florida for Nathan Horton and Gregory Campbell. But that's not why I'm here today. Sure, the Sharks got a little worse, the Bruins got a little better, and the Panthers are apparently giving Horton what he wants. Instead, it's time to give credit where credit is due on this blog, and I'm looking directly at the Hockey Hall of Fame.

The Hockey Hall of Fame has pushed aside amateur and international players for the sexier option of NHL players that bring notoriety. There are many NHL players deserving of the honour of being in the Hockey Hall of Fame without doubt. But there are a large number of players who deserve to be in the Hall of Fame who have not suited up in the NHL, and it appears that the Hockey Hall of Fame is finally changing its tune towards one group of individuals. Especially when its home page states that it is "[h]ome to hockey's greatest players".

Let's go back to July of 2007 where I blasted the Hockey Hall of Fame regarding their lack of recognition given to the phenomenal female players on planet today. Some of these women are trailblazers in their building of their countries' respective programs, and deserve a spot in the Hall of Fame not only for their playing abilities, but their leadership, courage, and dedication to the sport of hockey.

Looking forward, it was announced in March of 2009 that women, for the first time in the Hockey Hall of Fame's history, would be eligible to be voted into the Hall of Fame. Thanks to the Hall of Fame's wisdom, two women will be eligible for induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame per year from this year forward. The women's game, thought to be at risk in future Olympic years, should point to this day as the first day where women's hockey is given the same respect as the men's game.

There are literally dozens of women players who deserve to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame, but the two women voted into the Hall of Fame today are extremely well-known in North America for their efforts in growing the women's game within their respective countries of birth as well as on the international stage. Canada's Angela James and USA's Cammi Granato will be the first women to have their faces molded in bronze and hung alongside the many men voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame before them.

While the Hockey Hall of Fame has always maintained that women have always been eligible, it was nearly impossible for their careers to be compared to the men who played in the NHL. As a hockey fan, it makes me proud that the women's game is getting equal billing after decades of living in the shadow of men's hockey.

However, not everyone shares this sentiment. The comments on the TSN website are absolutely disgusting and highly misogynistic in their nature. Overlooking the spelling and grammar mistakes, you would think that these people are from the 1800s where women couldn't vote or own property.

Says "cbrcbr":

"I have a MAJOR PROBLEM with totally inferior Women Hockey Players being selected for entrance to our now lost so called Hockey Hall Of Fame .To me it is now thye CANADIAN HOCKEY HALL OF SHAME.There are at least 30 Former NHL players and Builders who have been waiting for many years for admission.TYPICALLY CANADIAN,WE HAVE TO BE OUR VERSION OF POLITACULLY CORRECT.Our Juinor A teams would beat any Canadian team of the past and or present.All American Hiockey leage Teams and European Leage teams would do the same. I am Appauled no more NHL Hockey for me."

It's funny that "cbrcbr" feels that most any men's team can beat the Canadian national women's team. After all, the AAA teams from Alberta are having their asses handed to them by the Canadian women. These AAA players are the next NHL players, the next Junior-A players, and the next European League players. Yet they are getting hammered by a non-checking women's team. But the women aren't that good, apparently.

"Acesup" jumps in with this beauty comment, showing vast intelligence and hockey savvy:

"HHOF is the wrong place for the ladies. They should be in the IIHF hall of whatever they have. To push aside legitimate NHL players to include them is wrong, wrong, wrong."

I forgot how the Hockey Hall of Fame is strictly for NHL players. Perhaps that's how Vladislav Tretiak got in there - his phenomenal NHL numbers. What's that? He never played in the NHL? Oh, right! It's not the NHL Hall of Fame, it's the HOCKEY Hall of Fame. My bad!

"Scorp0232" feels that Canadian history is being smeared by keeping out a former Maple Leaf:

"Putting these women in the hall is ludicrous.Paul Henderson scores the most important goal in Canadian hockey history and he can't get in and yet they vote these 2 ladies in."

When did the Hockey Hall of Fame become the Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame? In the grand scheme of things, the Henderson goal is an iconic moment in Canadian history and Canadian hockey history. There's no denying this. But what significance did it have on the Americans? The Swedes? The Czechs?

Henderson's goal is already an enshrined moment in the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame, but a player like Henderson is not even close to being worthy of having his face in bronze on the wall. He didn't even score 500 points in the NHL, let alone score 500 goals. If his one claim to fame is "the goal", then John Slaney should also be in the Hall of Fame. And he's not going there either.

Frostyice, who apparently is not married, hates women, and feels all women should be back in the kitchen, thinks that the women should be kept separate from the men:

"Please create a seperate hockey hall of fame for Women as most of us don't really consider Womens hockey a Sport. If Someone wants to watch Womens hockey or read about it they could go there."

I'm going to guess that "Frostyice" is one of those bandwagoners who claim Canadian supremacy when the Canadian women win a gold medal or World Championship, but complain about the game. Should sledge hockey be kept separate from the Hockey Hall of Fame too? After all, it's different. As far as I can tell, it's not the "Hockey Hall of Fame for People Who Have Male Sex Organs". It's open to all hockey players, regardless of gender.

Angela James was a dominant force in women's hockey throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Long regarded as the Wayne Gretzky of the women's game, the argument against James, and Granato for that matter, being inducted into the Hall of Fame is that she played against vastly inferior opponents during her heyday. There is validity to this argument, but James' induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame is less about her point totals, and more about what she did for the game of women's hockey in Canada.

Without James leading the way, there may be no St-Pierre or Campbell to speak of in this country. Without James blazing a trail, there may not have been a Rheaume playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning or a Wickenheiser attending the Flyers' training camp or an ECHL Cincinnati Cyclones' camp.

Cammi Granato deserves her induction for the same reason: she literally grew the game through her actions in the United States. While her older brother, Tony, went on to play in the NHL, Cammi broke down barriers at Providence College by shattering every scoring record the school had seen. She's the idol of current players such as goaltender Chanda Gunn.

"You have to understand - I didn't want to be like Cammi Granato," Gunn told Wayne Coffey of the NY Daily News in 2005. "I wanted to be Cammi Granato."

Granato was the building block of the US Women's Program in the same vein that Mia Hamm was for US Soccer and Jennie Finch was for US Softball. She literally was the face of US Women's Hockey for 15 years, and is a major reason why the US Women's Hockey Team is a powerhouse on the world scene.

There is no doubt that both of these ladies scored at a torrid pace when they played the game. In fact, Granato is still the leading scorer, the leading goal-scorer, and the leader in games-played for her country after retiring. However, it was their actions that allowed the game to explode onto the North American sporting world, and this is the primary reason their inclusion to the Hockey Hall of Fame is deserving.

If Wayne Gretzky is credited with growing the sport in the state of California and into the Sunbelt in the southern United States, James and Granato are responsible for growing the sport in two entire countries. Name one player currently in the Hockey Hall of Fame that has had that kind of effect on the game of hockey.

Bobby Orr? Wayne Gretzky? Gordie Howe? Maurice Richard?

If those four men grew the sport of hockey in North America through their skill, scoring, and charisma, then Cammi Granato and Angela James are long overdue for induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Regardless of their scoring prowess, these two retired hockey players had more impact on their sport than 99% of the men currently in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

If you ask me, that's entirely the definition of what it means to be a great hockey player.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Rewarding One of the Greats

The Boston Bruins will reportedly hold a press conference on Wednesday to announce that they have filled their vacant team president position. It is expected that long-time Bruin great Cam Neely will be promoted from his current position of team vice-president to the position once held by Harry Sinden. To me, this move will pay off in spades for the Bruins in a number of ways. There's no doubt that Bruins fans hold the power forward dear in their hearts. For the longest time, Bourque and Neely were synonymous with the Boston Bruins as both men proudly wore the spoked "B" for the better part of their careers. And now it appears that Neely will continue to ply his trade, albeit off the ice, for the team to which his name is forever linked.

There is a lot that Cam Neely has done as a member of the Boston Bruins:

• Became a mainstay in Boston after Vancouver shipped him and a first-round draft pick to the Bruins in exchange for Barry Pederson.
• Led the Bruins in goals seven times, and in points twice.
• Currently sits fifth in Bruins goals all-time, and ninth in points all-time.
• Has the most playoff goals of any Bruins with 55, and is seventh in playoff points with the Bruins.
• Neely became just the fifth Boston Bruin to hit the 50-goal plateau when he did so in 1989-90, and set a club record for goals by a right winger with 55.
• Neely became just the second Bruin to score 50 goals in consecutive seasons when he scored 51 in 1990-91.
• Neely was the second fastest player in NHL history to score 50 goals when he scored 50 in 44 games in 1993-94.
• Thanks to his amazing season in 1993-94 after returning from serious thigh and knee injuries, Neely was awarded the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for his dedication to the sport of hockey.
• In 1995, Cam Neely helped found the Cam Neely Foundation in honour of his parents, Mike and Marlene Neely, after they passed away from cancer. Through his foundation, Cam Nelly has been able to help thousands cope with cancer, and is working towards finding a cure for this disease.
  
• Neely's injuries continued to hamper his game, though, and he retired from the NHL as a member of the Bruins in September 1996.
• Neely saw his number raised to the rafters on January 12, 2004 in a retirement ceremony held by the Bruins.
• Neely was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2005 as a member of the Boston Bruins.
• On Wednesday, Cam Neely will be named as the eighth Team President of the Boston Bruins.

Over the last decade, we have seen a number of retired NHL players take prominent roles with various NHL teams: Mario Lemieux owning the Pittsburgh Penguins, Wayne Gretzky coaching the Phoenix Coyotes, Garth Snow taking the general manager reins with the New York Islanders, and Steve Yzerman becoming the general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning. You can add Cam Neely to the list as well as he was mentoring as the team vice-president since September 2007.

The differences between some of these players-turned-executives is in their training and preparation for their new roles. Steve Yzerman worked alongside Ken Holland in Detroit for several seasons before accepting the Tampa Bay position. The jury is still out on his job, obviously, but there is a strong feeling that he will succeed thanks to Ken Holland showing him the ropes.

Much like Yzerman, Neely has had the opportunity to work in Boston's front office in a lesser role before moving into the larger office. While Neely didn't specifically have anyone who mentored him for his new role, Neely worked with Charlie Jacobs and general manager Peter Chiarelli over the last season, getting a bird's eye view of how the hockey operations run.

There are clear and concise differences between being a general manager of an NHL club and the team president of an NHL club, but the fact that both men learned from arguably some of the best in the business gives them an advantage in adapting to their new roles.

With that being said, congratulations go out to Cam Neely on his appointment to Team President of the Boston Bruins! It's nice to have a familiar face steering the ship!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Sunday Photos

With no hockey being played today, I figured it was a good time to start clearing out all of the random hockey photos I have been piling up. There are some photos of special uniforms, at least one gruesome one, and a few historic pictures. I'll also meander through the Interwebs to a few other sites that have been doing extraordinary work over the last few weeks, and highlight their efforts. All in all, this will be nothing more than a collection of randomness, but it's a perfect way to start fresh for the summer months now that hockey is nearly over. Of course, there's always that AHL Calder Cup Championship game on tomorrow night, so you can still get your hockey fix. Tonight, however, is all about pictures.

• Let's get the gruesome out of the way first. I had only heard bits and pieces about his injury, but Leafs' defenceman Borje Salming was the recipient of 250 stitches in 1986 after being stepped on by Red Wings' forward Gerard Gallant. As Salming was lying in the crease during a goalmouth scramble, Gallant was pushed backwards and stepped back to brace himself. The problem is that he stepped onto Salming's face. Steve Thomas, Salming's teammate, stated, "He looked like a softball after the game". Yikes.
• Andy Brown is famously known as the last goaltender to play in an NHL game without a mask protecting his face. Here are a couple of shots of Brown stopping pucks for the Detroit Red Wings in 1972. I'm always amazed at just how courageous these men had to be to stand in front of a frozen piece of rubber traveling at 100 mph.
• David Glazer, the engineering director at Google, decided to show support for the California team still in the playoffs on May 19 when they held their annual Google I/O show. Glazer sported a San Jose Sharks home jersey with "HMTL 5" on the back. As you may be aware, HTML 5 is reportedly the replacement for Flash, and this was Google's hyping of this new programming. I wonder if Glazer is actually a hockey fan?
• In 1995, the Buffalo Sabres decided to retire the numbers of the "French Connection" line, and the unit's respective numbers were raised to the rafters in the old Buffalo Auditorium. Gilbert Perreault, #11, actually had his number retired on October 17, 1990, but November 15, 1995 saw left-winger Rick Martin and right-winger Rene Robert join #11 in the rafters to honour the team's most productive line. I still think those jerseys are gorgeous. They could have stood the test of time if they hadn't been replaced.
• Speaking of the Buffalo Sabres, I found a serious error on the National Post's website during their opening round previews of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and forgot to post it. Somehow, Tyler Myers became a member of the Ottawa Senators! That's a pretty big "oops" on the National Post's part.
• Game Five of the Stanley Cup Final saw Jonathan Toews run into some problems with his helmet. Because the game can't be stopped, Toews did what any player would do: borrow a teammate's sweaty helmet. That's Patrick Sharp's lid he has on. I get that he was supposed to be on the ice, but don't these guys have extra lids when playing at home? Couldn't Joel Quenneville have pulled Toews off the ice for five seconds?
• Two things about this old-time hockey photo: note the headgear the player is wearing, and check out the St. Louis Eagles logo in the background! I have yet to see an Eagles logo that clearly ever in any photo. Someone should resurrect that logo. Maybe for the Winter Classic against Minnesota in 2012? One can only hope!
• In bringing the last few points together succinctly, we head back to the 1991-92 season where Pat Lafontaine sported a bulky protector for the broken jaw he suffered during the 1992 season. Incidentally, Michael Nylander wore an identical protector in 1993 after he returned from a broken jaw against the Chicago Blackhawks. I have yet to see a picture of this one, but Lafontaine's helmet looks like he could work for NASA.
• We also have a great look at the old Cooper SK 600 helmet with face protector. Normally, this setup would be used for a player with a broken nose or some other facial injury that wasn't too serious. Personally, the invention of the visor and full visor now seems like a really good idea, doesn't it?
  
• As you know, I am a firm believer and religious user of the Skate Fenders. This piece of equipment, designed by Mr. Frank McClelland, is an amazing revelation for defencemen, and I highly recommend everyone to get some. Barrett Jackman, on the other hand, is using his multimillion dollar contract to purchase the Kevlar-based guards. From bulky helmets, we move to Jackman's bulky guards. Would you wear those? I wouldn't. Wow.
• I never noticed this during the WHL playoffs, mainly because I don't get to see many Americans games, but check out the placement of the Memorial Cup patch on Tri-City's jerseys. Thanks to those awesome Reebok EDGE jerseys, the patch is basically on the players' ribs. Yet no one thinks there's a problem with Reebok's design, apparently.
• Next season, Bemidji State's hockey team will open a brand-new hockey rink for their NCAA team to play in. However, February 19 was the big day when the John S. Glas Fieldhouse would see its final hockey game. To commemorate the event, Bemidji State wore throwback jerseys to their 1967 team that first played in John S. Glas Fieldhouse. They also donned special patches for the game, and featured the name of the arena on the backs of their jerseys. That's a pretty classy way for a collegiate team to send off an arena.
• Bobby Hull has been in the spotlight a lot recently thanks to the Blackhawks, but there were other teams that he played for in his career. Of course, everyone knows the Golden Jet for his time in Winnipeg, but the Jets traded him to the Hartford Whalers in 1979-80 where he wore #16 because Gordie Howe was still wearing #9. He retired as a Whaler after the 1980 season, but he played five games for the New York Rangers in the preseason in the 1981-82 season as part of a comeback. He was cut, though, as both parties agreed his career was over at that point as he was seemingly ineffective in the DN Cup Tournament in Sweden and Finland. I have yet to see Hull in a Rangers uniform, however.
• I wrote an article in 2007 about underwater hockey that didn't attract much attention. It's not your normal version of hockey, so I get that not many people may have heard about it, let alone played it. It's still very much a fringe version of hockey in most major markets, but, like many fringe sports, it has its major tournaments and events. Here is a patch commemorating the 1996 World Underwater Hockey Team! How gorgeous is that patch? I have yet to see another one, but I'm impressed with that patch.
• Posted on Puck Daddy, big "oops" on the window of Macy's in Chicago where they are congratulating the "Blawkhawks" on their Stanley Cup victory. Does anyone proof-read anymore? Where is the pride in one's work? Simply brutal.
• Down Goes Brown comes up with a beauty of a letter from the desk of Brian Burke to the other 29 NHL GMs. It's hilariously realistic and highly factual. Well worth your time.
• Big props go out to former Manitoba Moose head coach Scott Arniel for accepting a job coaching the Columbus Blue Jackets. Make no mistake about this: Columbus fans will like Arniel as he doesn't mince words and he'll be accountable for his team. As sad as I am to see him leave the Moose, the Blue Jackets are getting a professional individual who demands results from both his team and himself. Mike MacLean of The Cannon endorses the hiring, so at least one Jackets fan is happy.

There's a pile of random stuff to click through for your enjoyment. I'm still accepting project ideas for the summer, and one individual hit me with a great idea that I'll start working on shortly. Send me your ideas, though, and I'll take a look at producing results based on your idea.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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TBC: The Rookie

It's kind of funny to be reviewing this book now, but I feel that the information contained within its covers makes a lot more sense today than it may have a few years ago. Today, Teebz's Book Club is proud to review The Rookie, written by Shawna Richer and published by McClelland & Stewart. Shawna Richer, a sportswriter for the Globe and Mail in Canada, decided that she would like to follow around the NHL's most-hyped freshman in some time during his first year in the spotlight in the NHL as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins, chronicling his season as he embarked on an NHL career. What she found in her year-long tailing of Sidney Crosby is that the young man is remarkable in terms of the time he gives to fans, and how dedicated to and passionate about hockey he is.

Shawna Richer was the Globe and Mail's Atlantic bureau chief before embarking on her year-long crusade following Pittsburgh's new star. She was based in Halifax where she got to see and hear a lot about Sidney Crosby's exploits as he made his way towards the NHL. Richer worked as editor-in-chief for the Telegraph-Journal in New Brunswick, but is now writing for the Globe and Mail once again.

Miss Richer leaves no stone unturned in her examination of Crosby's rookie season in the NHL. She documents how the Penguins were awarded the first pick in the NHL Draft Lottery coming out of the 2005 Lockout, and how lightning would strike again as the Penguins - in dire financial straits - found another dynamic, young player to pull them out of the fire when they needed it most. Much like his idol and new owner, Mario Lemieux saved the Penguins from financial despair when he was drafted, and now Crosby would be suiting up in the same dressing room as his favorite player.

It was rather interesting to hear Crosby's perspective on his first season in the NHL. The Penguins had a rather poor season in the win-loss column, but there were definitely highlights that Miss Richer identified. From Crosby's phenomenal play that allowed him to join the 100-point club as an 18 year-old to his competition with Washington's Alexander Ovechkin for the Calder Trophy to the development of the younger Penguins to the adversity his team went through, Crosby's views on the Pittsburgh Penguins show an extraordinary young man through Miss Richer's recordings.

There was a lot of adversity in his first year. A couple of injuries slowed Crosby down. A Olympic team roster spot was put on hold when Wayne Gretzky and his management team decided to leave the youngster at home. But the biggest surprises came in January 2006. On January 18, a frustrated Zigmund Palffy - one of Pittsburgh's prized free agent signings - walking into GM Craig Patrick's office and asked a simple question: "Can we talk?"

Patrick didn't have to be clairvoyant to see what was coming. Palffy stated that he was retiring due to a shoulder injury that simply hadn't felt right all season long. Due to his personal reasons, Patrick was hardly in a position to convince the winger to stay on, and Palffy left mid-season despite playing on a line with Crosby.

The second biggest surprise came just six days later on January 24. The man who had saved the Pittsburgh Penguins on a number of occasions, both on and off the ice, had found himself as an old man in a young man's game. Mario Lemieux, standing before Pittsburgh media and his teammates, announced he was retiring from the game of hockey at the age of forty. Crosby's landlord, idol, captain, and friend was leaving the game just as Crosby was beginning. However, in Lemieux's eyes, the torch had been passed to Crosby as the rookie led the Penguins in scoring.

It's interesting to see how Crosby kept all of these events from becoming much larger than some people were making them. Through all of the disappointment, he was realistic and practical about the events unfolding around him. On not being selected for the 2006 Canadian Olympic team:

"It would have been nice, definitely. But there are so many good players in Canada, and being so young, I don't think I expected to be picked. I prepared myself. I tried to have the best first half possible and give myself an opportunity, and I was right in the mix. I'm not there, but at least I can say I gave it a good shot. Like with World Juniors, when you play so much hockey you always know there's other teams to play for. But if you focus on playing for your own team, everything else takes care of itself. I just tried to worry about helping the team here. If I can contribute and make things happen here, then that's the best way I can make a difference."

That's a pretty good sign that Crosby had been prepared for moments like this for a long time. And it's not just the maturity he shows, but the way he handles himself and speaks glowingly about others that shows he might be one of the most mature eighteen year-olds to ever play in the NHL.

The Rookie is a very interesting look at the Penguins' season and how Crosby worked through his first professional season. Shawna Richer wrote the book in a chronological manner, but her insight into Crosby's past allows for a number of excellent side stories to be told. The Rookie is probably not the best story for non-Penguins fans, but it is certainly a story worth reading by hockey fans, and I encourage everyone to put aside any "Crosby bias" to give this book a shot. I enjoyed reading it, and I feel it is worthy of the Teebz's Book Club Seal of Approval for its honest look at Crosby's first season in the NHL. Richer does editorialize occasionally, but she's on the mark with most of her comments in reflection.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Just Not Good Enough

With the announcement that Keith Tkachuk was retiring from the NHL after 19 seasons in the show, there was immediate chatter about his Hall of Fame credentials. Tkachuk played in some big games throughout his career, suiting up with the Winnipeg Jets, the Phoenix Coyotes, the Atlanta Thrashers, and the St. Louis Blues in his professional career. He represented Team USA in four Winter Olympic Games, and has played in two World Cups of Hockey. However, Tkachuk's numbers will come into question when people look at his potential on the Hall of Fame ballot. And I think that there are other players who should be in the Hall of Fame ahead of the bruising American.

There's no doubt that Tkachuk has had a marvelous career. He has amassed 592 goals and 525 assists over his 19 seasons, and led the NHL in goals in 1996-97 with the Phoenix Coyotes when he netted 52 goals. Those 52 goals also marked the first time that an American-born player had led the NHL in goals, and it would mark the fourth time that any NHL player had scored 50 or more goals while putting up 200 or more penalty minutes.

Tkachuk was drafted by the Winnipeg Jets 19th overall in 1990. He played one season for the Boston University Terriers, scoring 17 goals and adding 23 assists in 37 NCAA games in 1990-91. He made the Hockey East All-Rookie Team that year after his impressive freshman season.

Tkachuk would spend five seasons in Winnipeg. He played in nearly every game during his four full seasons in the Manitoba capital, appearing in 308 games. He scored a total of 144 goals, including 50 in the Jets' final season in 1995-96, and added 145 assists. He spent 792 minutes in the penalty box for the Jets, twice topping the 200-minute mark. He captained the Jets from 1993-95 before the team was sold and moved south.

Tkachuk would move from Winnipeg to Phoenix when the Coyotes set up shop in the desert. He would spend seasons in the Phoenix sun with the Coyotes, appearing in 332 games. He racked up 179 goals and added another 155 assists while spending another 716 minutes in the sin bin. Tkachuk would be traded at the trade deadline in 2001 to the St. Louis Blues for Ladislav Nagy, Michal Handzus, Jeff Taffe and a first-round selection who would turn out to be Ben Eager. Tkachuk served as captain of the Coyotes from 1996-2001.

Keith Tkachuk would play parts of eight seasons in St. Louis where he would become an important figure in Blues' history. Of course, there was that little 18-game experiment in Atlanta, but that ended quickly as the Thrashers were swept out of the playoffs. In St. Louis, Tkachuk would play 476 games, scoring 195 goals and adding 200 assists. He only spent 621 minutes serving penalties, and posted 139 minutes in his most-penalized season with the Blues in 2002-03.

That 18-game span in Atlanta at the end of the 2006-07 season? Tkachuk did play well there as he put up seven goals and eight assists, while watching for 34 minutes from the penalty box.

On November 30, with the Blues, Tkachuk recorded his 1000th point against the Atlanta Thrashers. On April 6, 2008 - the final day of the regular season two years ago - Keith Tkachuk scored the 500th goal of his career against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He became the 41st player to achieve that mark, and only the third American-born player to score 500 goals, following in the footsteps of Joe Mullen and Mike Modano. He played in five NHL All-Star Games, and holds the Phoenix Coyotes franchise records for game-winning goals (40) and penalty minutes (1508). In international play, Keith Tkachuk was part of the silver-medal winning American team in 2002 at the Salt Lake City Olympic Games.

So you have his history. You've seen his stats. Does he make the cut for the Hockey Hall of Fame? In terms of points and career achievements, there are at least two men who should get the call before Tkachuk does.

Comparatively, he ranks lower than another bruising forward who has yet to be called by the Hall. Dino Ciccarelli has 608 goals and 592 assists to his name, but isn't in the Hall of Fame. By comparison, Ciccarelli has 167 more points over his 21-year career than Tkachuk does in his 19-year career.

Comparatively, Steve Larmer's credentials are better than Tkachuk's. Larmer has 1012 points over 15 NHL seasons - just 21 points less than Tkachuk's 1033 points in four less seasons - and has yet to receive the call. Larmer also has a Stanley Cup ring with the New York Rangers, and captured the 1983 Calder Trophy. He holds the NHL record for consecutive games with one team at 884 with the Blackhawks, won the Canada Cup in 1991 as a member of Team Canada, and played in two NHL All-Star Games.

There are countless other players who are sitting on the precipice of a Hall of Fame career, but they are still waiting for their invitation. Unfortunately, the NHL is losing a great scorer and leader in Tkachuk, but he'll be forced to stand in line with other NHL players who simply haven't achieved greatness in their careers.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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HBIC YIR 2009

As the clock clicks towards 2010, Hockey Blog In Canada looks back in 2009 to bring you the best work done on this site from the past twelve months. I realize that there are a number of stories that should be highlighted for their importance or relevance to the major hockey stories this past year. We'll also take a look at the resolutions I proposed at the start of last year to see if I held true to things I wanted to do through 2009. Lastly, I want to run through some people and organization that deserve a "thank you" for helping HBIC become what it is, and for working towards making HBIC better than what it was. Let's get this party started with the Year-In-Review.

Janaury 2009

• Janaury 14 - OHL Commissioner David Branch says helmets to be worn. The OHL Commissioner enacts a rule in the wake of the passing of Don Sanderson that prevents players from removing helmets during a fight. Some view this rule as stupid as it will ruin fighting in hockey. Others see the benefit. Me? I haven't noticed a change yet.
• January 20 - Where the NHL All-Star Game started. HBIC takes a look at where the NHL All-Star Game started, and some of the innovations and changes that have happened at the All-Star Game over the years.
• January 21 - When All-Star Games get cancelled. HBIC takes a look at what has replaced the NHL All-Star Game over the years.
• January 22 - NHL All-Star Game stats. There have been some amazing performances at NHL All-Star Games, and this article runs down all the stats from some of hockey's biggest stars at the annual showcase event.
• January 23 - Jerseys worn at the All-Star Game. The NHL has changed the look of the NHL All-Stars often. Why? No idea.
• January 27-29 - Examining "the code". This three-part examination of "the code" looks at the fighting in hockey was a part of a team's success in the 1980s, the unwritten rules of the code, and one enforcer's view on his role on the team.

February 2009

• February 14 - What number do you wear? HBIC takes a look at goaltenders who wear wacky numbers from a historical perspective.
• February 20 - Oscar night. How many players named Oscar have had success in the NHL? HBIC can tell you.
• February 27 - History of the masked men. HBIC, in conjunction with Uni Watch Blog, takes a look at the way the goalie mask has evolved over the course of time.

March 2009

• March 6 - The passing of a legend. Colleen Howe, the woman behind NHL legend Gordie Howe, passes on. The world loses one of the all-time greatest people with the loss of Mrs. Howe.
• March 15 - A legend retires. Brian Kilrea, legendary junior coach, hangs up the skates and clipboard. His retirement marks the end of an impressive era in Ottawa.
• March 23 - Frozen Four logos to 1999. Uni Watch Blog and HBIC join forces to examine the Frozen Four logos and history up to, and including, 1999.
• March 25 - Frozen Four logos to today. More information about the logos and history of the men's and women's Frozen Four.
• March 28 - Men's Frozen Four jerseys. Phil Hecken from Uni Watch Blog works his magic in examining the jerseys worn by all 16 teams in the 2009 Frozen Four.
• March 31 - The HHOF decides women are important. After being stuck in the stone age for so long, the Hockey Hall of Fame changes its by-laws to allow women into the Hall based upon their body of work in the game of hockey. Finally.

April 2009

• April 9 - Communicating in hockey. HBIC is proud to provide major coverage of the World Deaf Ice Hockey Championships. Great hockey is played over the next two weeks.
• April 21 - Overtime playoff hockey rules. I love overtime in the NHL Playoffs, and this piece has a number of videos to show why.
• April 24 - Ovechkin and Mara. These two are forever linked due to Ovechkin's goal-scoring ability and Mara's presence on the ice.
• April 25 - Awesome photos. Triswykes, a commenter on the Uni Watch Blog, emailed me a pile of old pictures from the NCAA. Note all the old equipment!

May 2009

• May 4 - Overtime in the playoffs. I'm not sure why the talking heads on TV need to change something that works so well in the NHL Playoffs.
• May 5 - Stick-swinging incident #1. Tomas Surovy clocks teammate Jaroslav Halak. My opinion is that it is an accident, but it's still stupid.
• May 9 - Balsillie gets lots of press. The battle for the Phoenix Coyotes was just beginning, but Jim Balsillie proved that he had been planning the coup for some time. I take swings.
• May 16 - Bettman mentions Winnipeg. This dream of having an NHL team in Winnipeg needs to stop. I make the case for the insanity to end.
• May 18 - Rick Dudley's music career. I was unaware that Rick Dudley's hockey career in Cincinnati was overshadowed by his music career. Until I wrote this piece.
• May 24 - A non-starring role. I spend a day out in Selkirk, Manitoba on the set of CBC's newest mini-movie about Don Cherry. And I learn about the movie-making business.
• May 26 - Losing another. The hockey world sees Peter Zezel lose the battle with anemia. The entire world loses a great man who was significantly underappreciated.

June 2009

• June 8 - A more personal loss. Paul Lukas, head man over at Uni Watch, sees his father pass on. Rest in peace, Mr. Irwin Lukas.
• June 13 - Lord Stanley's Cup is handed out. The Penguins defeat the Red Wings in seven games to win the third Stanley Cup in team history.
• June 16 - Spelling errors. HBIC takes a look at mistakes on the Stanley Cup in terms of spelling errors, multiple names, and a few omissions.
• June 21 - Hockey's family tree. HBIC looks at all the members of the Sutter family who have played hockey in the various leagues across the globe.
• June 23 - New mathematics. HBIC looks at a formula to determine a defenceman's value in terms of overall performance on the ice.
• June 30 - Prospects and the future. HBIC takes a long look at the vast amount of talent that the Washington Capitals have stockpiled.

July 2009

• July 7 - Going extinct. The Iowa Chops, farm team for the Anaheim Ducks, announce that they are ceasing operations. And the AHL gains respect as a professional league.
• July 10 - End of an era. Joe Sakic announces that he will retire. Burnaby Joe is the epitome of class in a hockey player, and I pay him some respect.
• July 24 - Product endorsement. I had never heard of "Sweet-Stick", but chatter of it on Hockey Night In Canada forced me to research it. Readers said it works.
• July 27 - More product endorsement. I test WIN detergent out at home. My test piece of laundry drew rave reviews for its overall stank.

August 2009

• August 8 - Clairvoyant. I make a radical proposal in the battle for the Coyotes: the NHL should buy the franchise. I'm not saying that I am clairvoyant, but I came close.
• August 9 - The cab ride from hell. Patrick Kane shakes the hockey world up by posing for mugshots in Buffalo after a dispute with a cab driver.
• August 14-15 - Captains of the ship. HBIC looks at the captains of the Manitoba Moose since their move to Winnipeg. IHL captains are featured, followed by the AHL captains.
• August 25 - Confirming clairvoyance. The NHL officially files a motion to buy the NHL. 13 days earlier, I had suggested that very thing.
• August 30 - Wild new look. The Minnesota kick off the alternate jersey frenzy for the 2009-10 season as they debut their new alternates. And I comment on this look.

September 2009

• September 2 - Retro Flames. The Calgary Flames announce that they will be wearing a throwback jersey in honour of their 30th anniversary. I comment on these.
• September 9 - Breaking the rules. Washington's Alexander Ovechkin tells the NHL that he doesn't care about their ideals, and will "definitely" be playing in the 2014 Olympics.
• September 13 - More new threads. Philly shows off their Winter Classic uniforms, and the University of North Dakota gets some Reebok-isized uniforms.
• September 24 - Being fed crumbs. Or, at least, crummy teams. The NHL stages an Oilers-Lightning game in Winnipeg. I demand better based on the price of tickets alone.
• September 30 - Unceremoniously. The Phoenix Coyotes ordeal ends with a whimper, and Jim Balsillie walks away with his tail tucked between his legs. For now.

October 2009

• October 9 - Icing is bad. I'm not a fan of touch icing when there is such a huge risk for injury. I make the comparison of driving a Ferrari into a wall.
• October 13 - Toronto is in a hole. The Leafs start the season in complete disarray, and I make a bold statement: if Toronto betters last season's point total, I'll give away a Maple Leafs jersey. It's currently in the Prize Vault awaiting the Leafs to do good.
• October 15 - ECHL fashions. I post the entire list of ECHL teams that will have a promotional jersey night this season.
• October 16-17 - Theoren Fleury talks. Fleury's return to the NHL didn't end with a roster spot, but it helped him talk about his life and his new book. He appeared on The Hour and on The Fifth Estate on CBC.
• October 19 - Simply amazing. In November 2008, I wrote an article about the Preston Rivulettes. This is the follow-up article with Miss Ruth Collins. Huge thanks goes out to Miss Collins and Matt, her grandson, for providing me with this opportunity!
• October 21 - Down the middle. HBIC looks at center ice lines in hockey, and the various design elements that go into making them unique.

November 2009

• November 2 - Head trauma. I make the suggestion that cheering on monsterous hits could be a reason for the increase of hits to the head, and the resulting increase in concussions.
• November 3 - Wednesdays change. An opportunity is extended to HBIC from the AHL's Manitoba Moose. HBIC will now dedicate Wednesdays to the AHL club.
• November 5 - No more games. OHL Commissioner David Branch throws the book at Erie Otters forward Michael Liambis after he destroys Ben Fanelli.
• November 12 - Colorado goes blue. The Avalanche present their new alternate jerseys to the world, and I find serious problems with their design and colours.
• November 16 - Forsberg says no. Peter Forsberg announces he will not return to the NHL this season. Does anyone notice? Or care?
• November 21 - Best look ever. I take a look at every city to house either an NHL or WHA team, and pick the best uniform from their history.
• November 23 - Panthers are tamed. Florida introduces the world to their alternates, and I am underwhelmed again. This trend will continue.
• November 27 - Blackhawks go retro. The Blackhawks bring back their Winter Classic jerseys with a few changes. I'm a fan of these.
• November 28 - Smashville. Nashville goes black-and-blue with their alternates, and there are elements that I like in this new jersey.

December 2009

• December 3 - Computer savvy. I got to test-drive an impressive piece of hockey software, and I must say that it was quite slick.
• December 6 - Coward. I make the case that Daniel Carcillo's punch on Matt Bradley is a sucker-punch and, therefore, cowardly.
• December 10 - Magazine archives. I found an interesting article in an old edition of Popular Mechanics that suggests that Gordie Howe's wrist shot is harder than any shot recorded in modern NHL history.
• December 11 - Most successful coach. I find some interesting information about John Paris Jr., the most successful African-American head coach in pro hockey.
• December 19 - No yule logs. The Minnesota Wild encounter a serious problem as their equipment burns in the back of their truck.
• December 21 - Best all-time. I make the case that Martin Brodeur is the best goaltender in the history of the NHL based on his career stats and accolades.
• December 22 - Being responsible. Sheldon Souray makes the case for players protecting players, and I agree with his suggestion.

I do want to thank a number of people for helping me make HBIC successful this year. In no particular order, I'd like to thank: Paul Lukas, Phil Hecken, Rick Pearson, Eric Postma, Dorion Morphy, Nikole Kritikos, Cassandra Sadek, Derek Jory, Matt McLeod, Ruth Collins, the Manitoba Moose, the Vancouver Canucks, Pepsi Canada, Scholastic Canada, and Random House Canada.

But most of all, I want to thank you, the reader, for stopping by and reading my babble about hockey. At the closing bell for 2009, over 302,000 visits have been logged on this site, and I want to issue 302,000 thank yous to all of you. Thank you so much for making HBIC a part of your day, and for making HBIC an absolute joy for me.

There is the HBIC YIR for 2009. There are lots of stories that I didn't pick as my favorites, so I encourage you to search through the archives if you're searching for specific news. The Winter Classic is less than 15 hours away, so get yourself ready for some excellent outdoor hockey action tomorrow!

Until 2010, keep your sticks on the ice!

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I'm Glad It's Over

"Hey now, hey now. Don't dream. It's over". As rare as it is that I start a blog with lyrics from a Crowded House song, the Peter Forsberg sweepstakes are over before they begin. According to Vancouver GM Mike Gillis, Forsberg has decided to remain with Modo of the Swedish Elite League, ending the veritable lottery for his services in the NHL. While there are a pile of options for Forsberg to still explore this season - including being in Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Olympics - he will not be suiting up in the NHL this season. And for this, I am glad.

Don't get me wrong: the guy is still a world-class talent, even on one leg. The problem that I have is that he demands a king's ransom for his services in the NHL despite him only having one good leg to skate on. Sounds a lot like one of his fellow countrymen, doesn't it?

I don't know if it was common sense, maybe his sense of pride, or a combination of them both, but Forsberg has elected to stay with Modo. Frankly, it might be the best move he's made his entire career. Does anyone think that he would be the dominant player he once was after playing a mere twelve professional games in the last two years?

TSN's Bob McKenzie feels that there is a pretty good shot that Forsberg could suit up for Sweden at the Winter Olympics if his foot holds up while playing with Modo. He's trying to convince Sweden's coaches that his foot can and will stand up to the abuse that a short tournament puts players' bodies through. I, for one, would have no issue if Forsberg suits up for Sweden. After all, it is the greatest honour to represent one's country, and the Swedes do have a gold medal to defend.

After the season ends for Modo, I personally believe that Forsberg should hang the skates up. While I don't believe his passion for the game has decreased in any way, his body is simply telling him that it cannot handle the everyday abuse that an NHL hockey season is placed on it. And, really, what else does he have to prove?

• 1995 Calder Trophy winner as Rookie of the Year in the NHL.
• 2003 Hart Trophy winner as the league MVP in the NHL.
• 2003 Art Ross Trophy winner as the top scorer in the NHL.
• Three-time NHL First Team All-Star.
• Two-time Stanley Cup winner in 1996 and 2001.
• 1993 IIHF World Junior Championship top forward and all-star.
• 1998 IIHF World Championship top forward and all-star.
• Set the all-time points record at the 1993 WJC with 31 points in seven games.
• Holds the all-time WJC point total rcord with 41 points.
• 885 NHL points in 706 games.
• 171 NHL Playoff points in 151 games.
• Two-time Winter Olympic gold medallist in 1994 and 2006.
• Two-time World Championship gold medallist in 1992 and 1998.

As great as it would be to have Forsberg back in the NHL, don't dream. It's over. It's time that his health rank ahead of the game, and the NHL won't allow for his health to get better. If he continues to play in Modo, that's ok with me. Holding teams hostage while he decides whether or not his NHL dream will continue is just downright selfish.

For a guy with 636 career NHL assists, he hardly seems selfish.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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