Potvin Sucks

New York Rangers fans at Madison Square Gardens are among the most colorful in all of professional sports. Some of the chants they come up with are as unforgiving as they are funny.

A few chants have lived on to be passed on from generation to generation. Perhaps the most famous chant has been around for 30 years now, even though many of the younger and newer fans may not even understand why they are yelling it out.

"Potvin Sucks!"

The chant dates back to hey day of the Islanders/Rangers rivalry in the late 1970s and the early 1980s, when the Islanders were the top team in all of hockey, yet somehow the Rangers were always number one in New York City.

The one Isles player the Rangers hated more than any other was Denis Potvin, who famously hip checked Ulf Nilsson, breaking his ankle on the play. Nilsson was a key player for the Rangers, and they were a strong team that year, making it all the way to the Stanley Cup finals. Without Nilsson the Rangers were no match for the Montreal Canadiens.

Rangers fans have never forgiven Denis Potvin, and to this day chant Potvin Sucks, especially when the Islanders and Florida Panthers come to town. The Panthers? Denis Potvin is the color commentator for the Panthers since 1993.

Peter Schrager of Fox Sports has a great piece on the chant, with Wednesday being the 30 year anniversary of the Potvin/Nilsson hit.

Though the serenade has made him immortal, the chant has outgrown Potvin himself. As Potvin says himself, "I don't think it has anything to do with me anymore."

Let's see what else is going involving former hockey players in this week's Catching Up With The Past:

There is a new website out there showing some early promise for us hockey fans. It is oddly named HockeyBarn.com. Here's hoping they can come up with unique hockey content that is easier to find than a needle in a haystack.

They are off to a great start. Senior writer Stephanie Bagley has an awesome interview with Brian Leetch, the great New York Rangers defenseman. Glenn Anderson is also blogging for them.

The Stanley Cup was first awarded in 1893. The first Stanley Cup championship ring came shortly thereafter, as every member of the victorious Montreal Amateur Athletic Association was given a commemorative ring.

George Lowe was on that team. His ring just sold at auction for over $55,000. Puck Daddy's Sean Leahy has all the details.

Mike Mastovich remembers November 20th, 1951, the night Rocket Richard and the Montreal Canadiens came to Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The Habs played the EHL Johnston Jets in an exhibition game at Cambria County War Memorial Arena.

Miracle goalie Jim Craig has made a living on motivational speaking tour. Now he's making the rounds talking about abdominal aortic aneurysms. I'm not making that up.

Bruce Andriatch remembers the night Tim Horton died.

Shayne Corson has his own clothing line. Moose Knuckles promises to dress us like the most extreme Canadian stereotype - like a lumberjack!

Reggie Leach and Lanny McDonald recently made trips to Canada's far north.

Wayne Gretzky somehow found time to go backstage at a Nickelback concert in Nashville. It seems Gretzky also has captured wrestling fans interest. He was recently photographed wearing a Wrestlemania 26 t-shirt. Could wrestling's biggest day be heading to Phoenix next year? Here's the photo.

Gretzky and wrestling? Even armed with a steal chair I am not so sure Dave Semenko or Marty McSorley are much of a match for those guys. #99 better befriend Canadian Adam Copeland, better known as the heavyweight champion Edge, a noted hockey fan.

Shoebox Memories: Alan May

Do you know which NHL player was traded the most times on NHL trading deadline day?

According to an official NHL press release the answer is Alan May, who was traded 4 times (1988, 1989, 1994, 1995). That is one more time than Dan McGillis, Mark Jannsesn, Mike Gartner and Steve Konroyd.

Who?

Other than famed goal scorer Gartner, why would NHL teams be so interested in these already all but forgotten names at the trading deadline? In May's case in particular, why would teams in the heat of a playoff drive be so interested in a pugilist who in his best season scored just 7 goals and a scary 339 penalty minutes?

Find out more about Alan May here.

The Trade All Deadline Trades Are Measured Against

On March 10th, 1980, New York Islanders GM Bill Torrey traded Billy Harris and Dave Lewis to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Butch Goring.

Torrey thought he was acquiring the second line center his team had been missing, and he had. But in doing so he also set the standard for all trade deadline deals to be judged.

With Goring on board, the Islanders were finally able to forget about a few missteps in previous years and emerge as Stanley Cup champions - for the next four years.

Goring was a major contributor to that dynasty, scoring 27 goals, 35 assists and 62 points in 78 playoff games in those 4 years, and capturing the 1981 Conn Smythe trophy as the Stanley Cup MVP.

Rink Rap With Mick Colageo recently caught a few new Denis Potvin quotes about Goring's importance.

There was an element missing, and I think a lot of it had to do with the combination of maturity, which we recognized at that point, and maybe (playing) a little too uptight,” said Potvin.

It wasn’t the newcomer’s point-per-game production that made the trade pay off. It was his effect in the other players.

“Between my brother (Jean) and Butch Goring, we had two of the funniest guys in a dressing room around. That really lightened things up for us,” said Potvin. “One thing I’ll never forget is what Butch did. After a couple of games, he stood up and said, ‘I don’t think you guys realize how much respect every team in the league has for you. I don’t think you guys know how good you are.’ Coming from a guy who was 30 years old, it meant a lot to us.”

The Islanders were a bland 29-26-7 at the time of the trade, and arguably the greatest Stanley Cup dynasty ever after it. But there were other factors besides Goring's addition in the dramatic turnaround.

At about the same time Potvin had also just rejoined the team, having missed 36 games with a thumb injury. And he returned with a brand new defense partner - Ken Morrow, the steady if understated star of the Miracle On Ice team that had won gold at the 1980s Olympics just weeks earlier.

Essentially, the struggling Islanders added a good second line center, and a top defensive pairing including the best defenseman in the game.

I don't think we will see a team duplicate such a feat this trade deadline.

IIHF Hall of Fame Welcomes Five

It looks like I will have to focus my attention more amongst my collection of legends over in the international section.

From IIHF.com:

Hiti, Kasatonov, Suchy, Bush & Schell to IIHF Hall of Fame

ZURICH – The 2009 IIHF Hall of Fame will induct five new members on May 5th in Bern, Switzerland. Rudi Hiti (SLO), Alexei Kasatonov (RUS) and Jan Suchy (CZE) will be added to the players’ category. Walter Bush Jr. (USA) will be honored as builder while Hungarian referee Laszlo Schell completes the class. The IIHF Hall of Fame has grown to include 155 greats from 22 countries.

The induction ceremony will take place on May 5, 2009 in Berne, Switzerland at the 73rd IIHF World Championships

Jan Suchy is the only one of the five I have currently profiled. Suchy, the father of former NHLer Radoslav Suchy, was a heck of a defenseman. Read his full profile here.

Who Was Better? Guy Lafleur vs. Mike Bossy

The picture above is of Guy Lafleur and Mike Bossy together at the 1981 Canada Cup.

These two gunners had a lot in common. They were the two best goal scorers of their eras, succeeding each other as the game's dominant sniper. In doing so each served on successive dynasties, each arguably the greatest of all time. And the two Quebecois right wingers were superstars despite regularly smoking.

Their resumes are amongst the best in history. Let's take a look:


The numbers are bit hard to compare. Bossy went out in the prime of his career, forced out early due to a debilitating back injury. Therefore, he was never able to achieve the longevity of Lafleur. Though that prevented him from padding career numbers, his numbers never fell off like Lafleur's and pretty much every other player in history did.

In spite of the short career, Bossy had better offensive numbers almost everywhere except career assists and career points. His best years came in the 1980s, which which was a slightly higher scoring era than Lafleur's 1970s. Had he been able to play longer, even presuming an offensive slowing down from his prime, he likely would have dwarfed Lafleur's career numbers.

Yet when it comes to ranking hockey's greatest players, history has almost unfailingly given Lafleur the distinct advantage. There are several reasons for this.

Lafleur succeeded Bobby Orr as the greatest player in the game. Lafleur captivated audiences all by himself. He had a little bit of Rocket Richard's flare in him and a little bit of Jean Beliveau's grace in him. People in every NHL city came to see The Flower, hockey's main event.

Bossy in turn succeeded Lafleur as hockey's top sniper. Unfortunately for "The Boss," he was never the best player in the game. That torch undeniably was held by Wayne Gretzky. Bossy was the great goal scorer, but The Great One was even better.

It's too bad that Bossy was in many ways overshadowed by Lafleur and Gretzky, because he may have been the best shooter of all time. Bossy was the better goal scorer than Lafleur, as suggested by his better career totals in significantly fewer games. History tends to view Bossy as a one dimensional scorer, in that he relied time and time again on quick releases, one timers and overpowering shots. He was deadly accurate.

Lafleur, on the other hand, was a stylish scorer, scoring dramatic goals with highlight reel dekes and rushes. To watch the incredible Guy Lafleur was truly an event in the late 1970s.

Lafleur was regarded as more than just a goal scorer. He was the key offensive generator of the great Montreal dynasty of the 1970s. Bossy was part of a New York Islanders machine that was perceived to rely equally as heavily on Trottier and Denis Potvin.

And make no mistake, history also looks more favorably upon Lafleur because he played in Canada and was better exposed on television regularly back in those days.

Everyone adored Lafleur, for his artistry on the ice and for his swagger off of it. People did not warm to the confident, some say cocky, Bossy. This was partly because of his lack of comparable exposure and partly because his controversial and outspoken stands, such as on violence in hockey.

Who was the better goal scorer? Bossy. He may very well have been the best pure goal scorer ever. Certainly in the top five.

Who was the more dynamic offensive force? Lafleur, in his prime. He was the main event.

Had Bossy been able to stay healthy and play longer, he could have achieved career numbers that could have dwarfed Lafleur's, and maybe even challenged Gordie Howe's goal crown.

But based on their actual careers, I have to agree with history's reflection: Lafleur was the better player.

Thanks For Nothing, Clem

Earlier this month I wrote a piece about Scott Clemmensen finally getting some respect and a chance to play in the NHL. He posted a 25-13-1 record and .917 save percentage during Martin Brodeur's injury, keeping the Devils near the top of the Eastern Conference.

Then there is today's headline: Devils Demote Clemmensen.

Thanks for nothing.

The weird thing is Clemmensen was not subject to the usual waiver rules. There is no way he would have cleared waivers if he had. Some bubble playoff team would have snapped him up in a heartbeat.

"Loophole Lou" Lamoreillo somehow convinced the NHL that Clemmensen was up on an emergency basis only, given Brodeur's injury. Umm...I seem to remember emergency goalies meant you could use them under unusual circumstances until another goalie in the system became available.

Here's hoping Clemmensen finds a NHL job this summer time.

The Man Who Can't Stop Skating

ESPN The Magazine takes a look at Mike Keane, the man who can't stop skating.

Lindsay Berra has an excellently written piece which tries to answer why is he still playing, and in the cold winters of Winnipeg to boot?

A smallish guy with a very big heart, Keane found a cozy niche in the NHL, logging 1,161 games over 16 seasons. He won his first Stanley Cup in 1993 with the Canadiens, won another with the Avalanche in 1996 and a third with the Stars in 1999, becoming one of only eight players in NHL history to win three Cups with three different teams. So he could have retired—no regrets, no questions asked—like Ron Francis and Mark Messier did after the NHL's lost 2004-05 season. He could have gone the coaching route, like former teammates Guy Carbonneau and Kirk Muller did with the Canadiens. Hanging up his skates made sense to everyone. Everyone but Mike Keane.

Here's the full story.

I always appreciated what Mike Keane brought to the ice. It was impossible not to. Like his peers mentioned above, he was a warrior, and a winner.

While he may have had the soul of a hockey warrior, Mike Keane was not given the tools to be a star. He was not much of a finisher, though he had underrated playmaking skills. And he was small, just 5'10" and 185lbs in an era where the big man reigned supreme.

Yet through smarts, desire and a ridiculously high threshold for pain he became one of the best role players of his era.

A natural leader, Keane set the example for his teammates with smart and disciplined physical play. Despite his size he was fantastic in the corners and along the boards, one of the best in the business. He fearlessly crashed and banged against bigger men, using his speed to maximize his aggressiveness. More often than not he would come out with puck. And he would never take bad penalties. He was the definition of a physical catalyst, and of a coach's dream.

Keane could be counted on in any situation. His speed and smarts complimented any line, though more often than not he was used on a checking line, famously with Brian Skrudland in Montreal, and later reunited in New York and Dallas. The two durable stars were relied on heavily to either shutdown the other team's top line or to energize their own team when need be. And of course they were penalty killers extraordinaire.

The fire to win, to compete, to play hockey still burns deep inside Mike Keane. And in this 2008-09 season where we've seen his former teammate Claude Lemieux come out of a 5 year retirement to skate again, I have to wonder if Keane could not help a NHL team here in the playoff stretch run and in the playoffs, even at the age of 42. This time of year teams are always looking for depth players, especially ones that have Stanley Cup championships already on their resume.

Yet he will remain in Winnipeg, his hometown where he is under AHL contract, and lead the Moose into the Calder Cup playoffs where they must be considered a threat to win it all. And Keane will play every shift just like every shift he played in the Stanley Cup playoffs - with intelligence, desire and great pride.

Gretzky Didn't Fuss Over Sticks

Last week we talked about the evolution of hockey sticks, once an all wooden tool now all but extinct. That led to this week's poll question (see right hand column): Should we return to all wooden sticks?

I find it interesting that the majority of people would like to see us return to the twig. I do not think we would see the same level of support if the question asked if we should return to all straight blades as well.

Stan Mikita's experimenting with a curved stick blade was every bit as an important advancement in hockey as today's composite sticks. Despite his and teammate Bobby Hull's extensive experimenting with the curved stick, it was frowned upon heavily by the hockey establishment. Much more dismissed than today's technological stick advancements.

The curving of the stick blade is one of the most important advancements in hockey history. It had many detractors in it's day, much like today's composite sticks which are undeniably having a significant impacting hockey. Since it may be too late to go back anyways, maybe we should embrace change. One day we may look back and realize stick evolution is a good thing.

The defining moment will always be the day Wayne Gretzky, the game's greatest scorer, switched from wood to aluminum, popularizing the switch from twigs to new age sticks. That Gretzky led the way is odd, in that he rarely fussed over his old wooden Titan stick he used so famously in Edmonton.

Here's a passage from Bruce Dowbiggin's amazing book The Stick: A history, a celebration, an elegy:

"Ironically, one of the most indiscriminate stick users was the best offensive player the game has seen. Grateful stick representatives called Gretzky the ultimate zero-maintenance guy. Gretzky tore apart NHL scoring records in his early days using a white Titan TPM 2020, which has been described as "a log," "a rock," and "a railway tie." 'Did you ever see one of Gretz's sticks?' asks an NHL equipment man. 'There's no one today who would use it.' "

That is just one countless great quotes in one of the best hockey books ever written. Keeping with our recent stick theme, I have reviewed the book over at Hockey Book Reviews.com.

The Oldest Hockey Stick?

Earlier this month Bobby Rouillard put what he claimed to be the world's oldest hockey stick up for sale on eBay with an opening asking bid of $1 million.

The eBay auction garnered no bids, but plenty of attention, including much debate from hockey historians.

Scientists were able to date the wood the stick was made of back to the mid 1600s. And the way Rouillard sees it, the stick, which was carved all in one piece, was also carved in the mid 1600s, a full 150 to 200 years earlier than the earliest recorded evidence of hockey.

"That would make the stick older than the game itself! How could it be? The game wasn't invented 400 years ago," said Bill Fitsell, a founding member of the Society for International Hockey Research, in this newspaper article.

Some suggest the stick was carved much later, perhaps from an old beam of wood.

Rouillard is not so sure, pointing to evidence that Nova Scotia Mi'kmaq Indian tribes played a stick and ball game that mirrored the earliest forms hockey. British soldiers documented the game in the 1700s. Some believe the natives introduced the new comers to the ice game that eventually would become the game we so revere now.

One thing is for sure: this old piece of lumber could slash today's composite sticks in half in no time!

Moustache-Gate

Back in September I posted what proved to be my second most popular blog entry ever - The Top Ten Moustaches In Hockey History.

My top ten quotes from the book Shooting From The Lip was my most popular, by the way.

Well my moustache post has been back in the limelight as of late, thanks to Puck Daddy's feature Pass or Fail: Bringing Back The 'Stache.

In the feature, where they insist on using mustache's American spelling, Sean Leahy links to my little blog, and in doing so says "pray that the picture of Paul MacLean doesn’t give you nightmares for a month."

The picture Leahy refers to is MacLean's 1982-83 O Pee Chee rookie card:

That's quite the picture! Problem is, it is not actually Paul MacLean. The card is actually an error card. Pictured is Larry Hopkins, who played 41 games with the Jets the previous season!

Dun Dun Dunnnnnnh!

I know, it is shameful. I've known this for quite a while now, but I have never corrected it. Until now. Now is the time to do so, and I there is no better way to do that than to learn more about Larry Hopkins the man, the legend, and the moustache.

Full Larry Hopkins Biography

Poetic License

On the weekend CBC Radio host Shelagh Rogers interviewed two of the top authors of hockey books in 2008: Don Cherry and Randall Maggs.

While hosting the Canadian books/writing show The Next Chapter, Rogers discovers Cherry reads a lot of books, and talks to The Grapes One about his favorite hollywood biographies. It turns out Cherry is infatuated with Bette Davis.

She also talks to poet Randall Maggs about his book, Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems, documenting the troubled life of Terry Sawchuk. The interview is nothing short of fascinating.

You can right click to download the podcast right here, or visit The Next Chapter's website.

Howell, Bathgate Honored Tonight

New York Rangers legends Andy Bathgate and Harry Howell will be honored Sunday night at Madison Square Garden as the Rangers host the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Both stars first joined the Rangers in 1952. Tonight they, 57 years later, they will have their Nos. 9 and 3 retired.

Bathgate, now 76, played for the Rangers from 1952 through 64, captaining the team the last three seasons. He still ranks fourth all-time in club history with 272 goals.

The Hall of Famer was one of hockey's most devastating shooters, injuring many goalies, including Jacques Plante the night hockey was introduced to the goalie mask.

He was also the first Ranger to score 40 goals in a season in 1958 and was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1964 and helped them win the Stanley Cup. He retired in 1971.

Howell, also 76, played in a Rangers record 1,160 games, and despite playing in a lower scoring era still ranks fifth among defensemen in team history with 263 assists and 345 points.

Here are some interesting articles from around the internet:

No masking the pleasure for Bathgate and Howell - Newsday
Two Rangers Sweaters Will Rise Where a Cup Banner Didn’t - NY Times
Hats off to Harry - Hamilton Spectator

The New York Rangers website also has some great content.

John Halligan: Harry Howell Was 'Mr. Reliable'
John Halligan: Bathgate Gets His Due
Stan Fischler: Staal Stirs Memories of Howell
Stan Fischler: Bathgate a Remarkable Star
Stan Fischler: Bathgate Should Have Win Ross in '62

And some vintage articles too:

1957: Stars Make Room for Bathgate
1958: Andy Has a Touch of Greatness
1963: Howell Unsung Ranger Hero
1968: Howell 'Too Good a Man to Lose'

Kraft Hockeyville 2009: Vote For Terrace And Win

From Saturday, February 28th at 9pm PST, through Wednesday March 4th at 9pm PST, the Kraft Hockeyville voting process re-opens, this time with just five choices to determine the ultimate winner:

Terrace, British Columbia
Harbour Grace, Newfoundland
Woolwich, Ontario
Humboldt, Saskatchewan
Thetford Mines, Quebec

My loyalties are no secret. Terrace is my hometown. I have seen firsthand the amazing effect Kraft Hockeyville has had on our community. I suspect all of the five final communities will agree that regardless of who wins the final vote, we are all winners already.

But I figure we've already come this far, why don't we go out and win this thing already!

Because I find it hard to believe Terrace has the population base to pull this thing out, I am once again soliciting out of town support.

What I want each and every of my readers to do is to go to the Kraft Hockeyville 2009 website, review each of the five campaigns, and then vote. Vote as many times as you wish, for whoever you wish.

If you do not have any particular affiliation to any of the other communities, I will encourage you to vote for my hometown, Terrace, BC as Hockeyville 2009!

Last go-around I offered Kraft hockey cards from the 1980s in a random drawing. Well we all need to upgrade our efforts if we are going to win, so I am going to upgrade the prizes.

I want you to email me your name and hometown, and how many times you voted for Terrace as Hockeyville. If you vote a minimum of 200 times, I will put you in the drawing for our randomly drawn grand prize - an authentic Team Canada hockey jersey!

If you voted a minimum of 100 times, I will put you in the drawing for one of six autographed copies of my own books. There will be three copies of The World Cup Of Hockey and three copies of Legends Of Team Canada up for grabs!

So come back next weekend, vote early and vote often, and get your name in for a chance to win some pretty cool prizes.

TERRACE, BC is HOCKEYVILLE!!

Hockey Day In Canada

Last week Hockey Night In Canada had an engaging two-part Scott Oake interview with Wayne Gretzky. The Great One is always thoughtful and compelling, but one particular comment that has had me thinking all week.

"It's amazing to me how big the game of hockey has gotten in our country. It's always been big but it seems to get bigger each and every day, and there seems to be more passion about sport in our country all the time."

This is a very astute observation, but I can't help but wonder how it is possible. Hockey has always been at the very fabric of our nation and of our people. So how can it be growing? Especially at this time where our general population is aging, which translates into declining youth hockey enrollment, and where our population growth is coming mainly from immigration, which translates into first and second generation Canadians more interested in traditional sports like soccer than hockey.

There are probably a number of reasons, including increased NHL exposure, six healthy Canadian franchises, and Canadian dominance on the world stage.

But the passion for hockey begins at the grassroots level. Bob Nicholson and his team at Hockey Canada deserve heaps of praise for their attention to the sport at the grassroots level. They usually only get accolades for guiding the Olympic teams and World Junior championships dominance. Hockey Canada invests much more energy and money into the game at the kids level back in the small towns and suburban arenas.

There is something else at play here, though. I sense a generational change where young and middle-aged Canadians are fiercely proud of their Canada and all of it's myths and stereotypes. We want to celebrate Canada now more so than in the past, and hockey at all levels is the great benefactor.

There are tremendous opportunities for everyone in this country to share in grassroots hockey. Hockey Day in Canada, airing today on CBC, is a humongous success, with politicians now clamoring to make it a national holiday. Tim Hortons sponsored youth level Timbits Hockey is now a Canadian experience. I have witnessed Kraft Hockeyville's powerful community drawing power first hand this year. And there's a new (actually revised) program out there called Team Up And Bring Home The Cup, where a local hockey team will get the chance to hoist the Stanley Cup on their home ice thanks to Pepsi, Lays, Gatorade and Mark Messier.

Canadians want to celebrate Canada and hockey, and there are plenty of opportunities to do so in every corner of the Great White North.

This paradigm shift may have been born during the NHL lockout in 2004-05. Canadians rediscovered that, as influential as it may be, the National Hockey League is not the be all, end all of the hockey world.

In the NHL's absence that season Canadians returned to local rinks to watch our kids, our junior teams and our senior teams. We re-embraced hockey at it's core, and re-discovered why we love hockey, not the NHL, so much. And in doing so we rediscovered what is great about our communities, about Canadians and about Canada at large.

It is hockey at the grassroots level that sustains the NHL. I hope the powers that be in the NHL can see past the piles of money and never forget that.

Team Up And Bring Home The Cup

I just wanted to comment on the new (actually revised) PepsiCo initiative called Team Up And Bring Home The Cup.

After having been involved with Kraft Hockeyville here in Terrace, BC (vote for Terrace next weekend by the way, I'll be giving away prizes for out of town support!), I can't express enough what a wonderful community experience it has been. Team Up promises a similar experience.

If you watch TSN no doubt you have or soon will see the TV commercials concerning this unique new contest where one amateur or youth hockey team in Canada will be presented the Stanley Cup on their home ice by Mark Messier. Talk about big league dreams on small town ice!

Having the Stanley Cup come to town would be another great way to rally the community together, and share in the great Canadian experience. It would definitely be worth checking out.

Hailing The King

Life is busy. So if you're having trouble finding time to read the top Canadian hockey book of 2008, now you can listen to it.

CBC Radio's Between The Covers recently completed a reading of Paul Quarrington's hockey-based novel King Leary. King Leary was the winner of the 2008 Canada Reads contest as the best book in all of Canada, successfully championed by none other than Dave Bidini.

Here are the links to the 20 part audio podcast.

Should We Return To All Wooden Sticks?

This is Wayne Gretzky's old wooden Titan stick he used back in Edmonton. When I was a kid everyone wanted one. Everyone wanted to be just like #99.


This is Wayne Gretzky's aluminum shaft/wooden blade Easton stick he used in Los Angeles and beyond. I'm not sure who actually used a non-wooden stick first, but it does not matter. Once Gretzky sported the shiny wand, everyone began changing to new age sticks, which of course have now evolved into the controversial composite sticks of today. Again, everyone wanted to be just The Great One.

So it is highly ironic that the man who may be most responsible (if indirectly) for the evolution of sticks suggested last season that maybe the NHL should ban all new age sticks and go back to wood.

"They should go back to wooden sticks. If it was good enough for Bobby Orr, it should be good enough for everybody."

That's my poll question this week. Look to the side bar and tell me, should we return to all wooden sticks?

Meet Bert Corbeau

As a hockey history geek I was beyond excited to learn a lot of new information about a really old hockey player last week.

Andrew Hind of the Midland Mirror wrote an article about Big Bert Corbeau. Most people do not know of him. He last played in the NHL in 1927, and his best days predated the NHL itself.

Bert Corbeau was a big man in his day, noted for his physical presence and goal scoring ability from the blue line. I liken him to a bit of a cross between the modern day Hatcher brothers. Corbeau had big Kevin's penchant for offense, but was more of Derian's mentality - mean and aggressive.

Hind's article is about Corbeau's tragic death. During World War II Corbeau found work at a foundary and machine factory in his hometown of Penetanguishene, building supplies for the allied forces. It was a stressful job, and Corbeau, forever the team player, decided to relieve the stresses of his work mates by treating several of them to a day of fishing out on the Georgian Bay. Corbeau, an avid boater and fisherman, owned his own 79-foot yacht, but it was ill equiped to handle the number of people who boarded on the fateful day of September 21, 1942. A severe storm hit, and the dangerously overloaded boat was not able to speed back to the docks. The boat would capsize in the violent waves, killing Corbeau and most of his 41 guests.

I had not known anything of Corbeau's demise before this. Previously I had always associated Corbeau with his exorbitant hockey card price. The 1923-24 Paterson Hockey Bar card set was produced with Corbeau's card in very limited quantities, simply due to oversight. Because of the scarcity of Corbeau's card #25, a complete set of this collection is extremely rare, and extremely valuable. An online auction saw a set come in at nearly $10,000 US.

Henri Richard: As Tough As They Come

Though he was comparatively understated in comparison to his brother's legendary temper, do not think Henri Richard was not capable of creating on-ice mayhem that would make his big brother Maurice proud.

Henri's normally long fuse reached it's end in a game against Boston on New Year's Day, 1958. Burden by his brother's dark shadow, Henri had had enough of the Bruins incessant needling.

A 15 minute brawl erupted at the Boston Garden with Richard battling three tough hombres in Fern Flaman, Leo Labine and big Jack Bionda.

Boom Boom Geoffrion, Dickie Moore, Andre Pronovost and Bob Armstrong also headlined the night's fight card.

But it was Henri Richard who most impressed journalist Roger Barry of the Quincy Patriot-Ledger:

"Little Richard proved his toughness by engaging in pitched battles with Bionda, Flaman and Leo Labine, bouncing up like a rubber ball everytime he was knocked down."

Veteran linesman Matt Pavelich recalled the fight nicely, albeit quite exaggeratedly.

"Henri hadn't been in the league very long at the time and the fans and the players used to get on him, saying he was only there because of his brother the Rocket, who was still playing.

"Henri was going along the boards and big Fern Flaman of Boston, one of the toughest players in history was rubbing him. Then Leo Labine, another hard-nosed Bruin, leaped off the bench and took a swing at Henri. The players were giving him a rough time all night. "Well Henri hauled off and hit Labine and split his eyebrow for 8 stitches. That put Labine out. Then Jack Bionda, another big tough defenseman who was also a great lacrosse player came into it. Jack was about 210 pounds and 6'1. A real tough customer."

"Richard hit him and split his nose - twisted it across his face. That put him out. Flaman came after Henri next. Flaman didn't lose too many but he didn't beat Henri. It was a saw-off. To tell the truthI wouldn't have believed it unless I had seen it with my own eyes. The linesman still take about that one."

Bruins vice-president Lynn Patrick was also impressed.

"He must have fought by himself for five minutes. But he didn't back up once. How he did i I don't know but he's one heck of a fighter."

Of course Pocket Rocket was far more noted for his all-around style of play and his timely offensive contributions. While virtually every aspect of his game is unfairly overshadowed by big brother Rocket Richard, little Henri was every bit as competitive.

Goodish Better Than The Great One

One of the big stories at the beginning of the 2008-09 season was of burned out junior star Stefan Legein's quitting hockey altogether.

After taking some time off, Legein returned the ice, joining the AHL's Syracuse Crunch in January. Unfortunately he broke a finger and has only played in two games so far.

Legein's story brought the pressures of youth and junior hockey stars face to the forefront. They are often targets of on ice bullies, hazing teammates and unrelenting parents, sometimes their own. Teenagers are pressured into leaving their home, often move 100s of miles away, to pursue an unrealistic NHL dream or at least a US college scholarship. If they are really good, they have to deal with growing distractions from NHL scouts, pressuring coaches and physical trainers, pesky media, and outside interests.

And all this before they graduate high school. Oh yeah, education, that all-too-often forgotten about demand.

When you think about it, it is amazing as many of these kids make it as far as they do. For many, the game ceases to be fun.

You have to wonder for every Wayne Gretzky who thrived in these conditions, how many other great hockey players quit early or burned out.

The answer is many. Take for example Bob Goodish.

Goodish was a superstar youngster who played against Gretzky from ages 8 through 16, from peewee hockey to the OHA. Goodish was a 6'0" 195 lb defenseman at age 14, a can't miss prospect that Gretzky will tell you was the best youth player he ever played against.

In an interview with Mike Brophy for the book Total Gretzky, Gretzky said this of Goodish:

"I can always remember my dad saying, 'Play like (Goodish) and you'll play in the NHL. He had everything; he had speed, he had hockey sense, he had size. In peewee he was probably a better player than me."

Now that is saying something. He later called Goodish the best minor hockey player he had ever seen, with Paul Reinhart a close second.

Goodish would join the OHA's London Knights, but would soon fizzle out. His undistinguished junior career got him no interest from the NHL draft, only a training camp tryout offer from the Colorado Rockies. He turned it down, heading off to university instead. He got a degree in business, and became a stock broker and mutual fund salesman.

In the same Brophy article, Goodish said:

"I was a victim of junior hockey. A lot of people took the fun out of the game for me, the way they treated people. The coaches, the managers, the owners, they're in it to make money. I understand that. The thing is, (we were) just kids."

There is no doubt in my mind that some kid, somewhere quit the game as a teenager because it no longer was fun for him. I have no idea who that player was, but his unfulfilled destiny was to become the greatest player in the history of hockey.

Memories of Maple Leaf Gardens

This past week was the 10th anniversary of the closing of Maple Leaf Gardens. It has sat dark and weathered, which is probably better than being turned into a grocery store.

With the arrival of the anniversary came a slew of feature media stories. Here's the best:

Decade In The Dark - Tim Wharnsby, Globe & Mail
Gardens Of Stone - Stephen Johns, Torontoist
A decade has passed since Leafs vacated Gardens - Howard Berger, National Post
Gretzky's Memories to Ballard's Bunker - Mike Zeisberger, Toronto Sun

I made the journey to MLG back in summer 2005, my first trip to Toronto. The grand old rink was part of my hockey itinerary. I had already seen the Hockey Hall of Fame, Wayne Gretzky's Restaurant and Legends of the Game collectible store.

In the midst of very humid hot spell, I walked all the way from Union Station up to Cash Box on Carlton Street. Yes, I realize taking the subway would have been a lot of easier, and by the time I had walked all the way up there in that sweltering heat I wish I had. I love to city crawl and though I made many stops on the way up Yonge Street, I was beat by the time I got to MLG.

And that is when my most poignant memory of Maple Leaf Gardens happened. I was hungry, very thirsty, and looking for a place out of the sun to cool down. I thought I had found the perfect spot - a restaurant with shaded sidewalk seating directly across from the old main entrance to MLG. I do not remember the name of the restaurant, and judging by the food and the reported tough economy in this now dying part of town, I doubt it is still there. It was a misplaced family restaurant with food that made Denny's seem gourmet.

Yeah, the food was the worst I had eaten on my entire vacation, but the tall glass of ice water sure hit the spot. And I was sitting across from Maple Leaf Gardens, once the proud home of Syl Apps, Teeder Kennedy, Johnny Bower, Frank Mahovlich, Dave Keon, Darryl Sittler, Wendel Clark and Doug Gilmour.

Does it get any better than that?

Canadian Olympic Jersey Compromise Reached

I've been following this story for a while now. It's funny. While Americans will soon be pre-occupied with which Hollywood starlet is wearing what on the red carpet of the Academy Awards, Canadians only care what sweater their hockey teams will be wearing a year from now at the Olympics.

Good news, in case you missed it:

While the COC had previously declined to support Hockey Canada’s traditional jersey, the one with a silhouetted player skating inside a red-and-black maple leaf, it agreed Saturday to submit a modified version to the International Olympic Committee. The IOC had repeatedly informed the COC it was going to enforce its rules restricting what athletes wear on their Olympic uniforms. But late last week, IOC president Jacques Rogge told the Canadian Press he thought there could be a compromise between the COC and Hockey Canada. The COC then announced it would pass along an altered version of Hockey Canada’s 14-year-old trademark jersey given the IOC’s “flexible approach.”

Here's the full story.

An obvious compromise whereby we will see Canada in an all new sweater, which means millions in dollars in retail sales. Undoubtedly the COC/IOC will get a fair chunk of that money from Hockey Canada, but perhaps Hockey Canada can also project a healthy revenue stream from this.

Ronning, Nicholls Pumped About New NHL

Both Bernie Nicholls and Cliff Ronning are giving thumbs up to the "new" NHL.

"There's no clutching and grabbing, at least not like there used to be," he said. "You get in front of the net now and no one is going to grab you or cross-check you. They can't even put their stick on you without getting a penalty," said Nicholls.

"When I played you'd get punched in the back of the head, cross-checked in the ribs, slashed, you name it, and without a penalty," he said with a wry smile. "It's so much easier to create offensive chances today. The game is pretty exciting because of it."

Adds Ronning:

“It would have made a big difference for someone like myself. I was probably the most hooked and elbowed guy to the head ever to play the game in the NHL. You’d spin off a guy and get to the net and they’d have to hook you. A smaller guy can play the game now. It’s way better.”

Can Defenseman Mike Green Score 50?

There was a great story Saturday night in hockey - Washington defenseman Mike Green set a new NHL record for defensemen by scoring a goal in 8 consecutive games.

The record was previously held by Mike O'Connell, a real under-rated defenseman who scored in seven straight games for the Boston Bruins during the 1983-84 season.

The NHL record for goals in consecutive games belongs to Ottawa's Punch Broadbent who scored goals in 16 straight games way back in 1921-22. The modern day NHL record belongs to LA Kings' Charlie Simmer with 13 straight games back in 1980.

Green now has 22 goals this season, by far the most amongst NHL defenseman. And that is despite missing 13 games dues to injury.

In fact, Green is having one of the greatest offensive seasons in history. Assuming he's healthy the rest of the season, he's on pace to score 35 goals in 69 games. Over a full 82 game schedule he would be on pace for 42.

In NHL history only 16 times has a NHL defenseman topped 30 goals. And only three times has somebody topped 40.

Player             - Season  - GP - Goals

Paul Coffey, EDM   - 1985-86 - 79 - 48
Bobby Orr, BOS     - 1974-75 - 80 - 46
Paul Coffey, EDM   - 1983-84 - 80 - 40
Doug Wilson, CHI   - 1981-82 - 76 - 39
Paul Coffey, EDM   - 1984-85 - 80 - 37
Bobby Orr, BOS     - 1971-71 - 78 - 37
Bobby Orr, BOS     - 1971-72 - 76 - 37
Kevin Hatcher, WSH - 1992-93 - 83 - 34
Bobby Orr, BOS     - 1969-70 - 76 - 33
Bobby Orr, BOS     - 1973-74 - 74 - 32
Ray Bourque, BOS   - 1983-84 - 78 - 31
Phil Housley, BUF  - 1983-84 - 75 - 31
Denis Potvin, NYI  - 1975-76 - 78 - 31
Denis Potvin, NYI  - 1978-79 - 73 - 31
Paul Coffey, PIT   - 1988-89 - 75 - 30
Denis Potvin, NYI  - 1977-78 - 80 - 30

That is some pretty exclusive company. While no one will compare Green to Bobby Orr, the comparisons to Paul Coffey are coming fast and furious.

Which leads me to Ken Campbell's article over at The Hockey News. He thinks it is possible Green can break Coffey's record for goals by a defenseman, and even hit the magic 50 mark.

The question that needs to be asked now, though, is if Paul Coffey’s record of 48 goals, the hallmark for markers by a defenseman in one season, is going to be in jeopardy in the next few seasons? Are we looking at a defenseman who is capable of becoming the first 50-goal scorer in NHL history?

Green is a fantastic talent, playing a real instinctual game. But coach Bruce Boudreau deserves full credit here for allowing Green to play the game essentially as a rover or a 4th forward. Most coaches would try to reign a player like Green into the restrictive confines of accepted hockey thinking. Boudreau lives with Green's gambling and offense first approach because he realizes Green can bring something really special to the game.

Boudreau's blessing is akin to the green light Harry Sinden gave Bobby Orr and Glen Sather gave Wayne Gretzky when they first broke into the league. A less visionary coach (ie almost everybody else) would not allow such freedoms.

So can Green score 50? I would not bet on it.

No professional league has ever had a 50 goal scorer. The NHL has come close with Paul Coffey's 48 or Bobby Orr's 46. But otherwise the key minor leagues such as the AHL, IHL, ECHL, not to mention major league WHA has never had a 50 goal scoring defenseman. And while trying to figure out all the semi-pro and very low minor league teams through out history is like finding a needle in a haystack, it is believed that none of them has ever had a defenseman who scored 50 times in a season, either.

I then took a look at major junior hockey, where I found only one defenseman to hit the 50 mark, Saskatoon Blades' Larry Sacharuk.

Alright, so he did it in the juniors. No other defenseman in junior hockey history has ever scored 50, including Orr and Coffey. Paul Reinhart did top 50 goals but also spent a significant part of their season at a forward position as well as defense. Sacharuk was primarily a rearguard.

Mike Green is a great player in the right situation. It will be interesting to watch him over the next few years.

Shoebox Memories: Wayne Gretzky And Mark Messier

This 1983-84 O Pee Chee hockey card honours Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier, the two offensive leaders of the Edmonton Oilers.

The Oilers scored a NHL record 424 goals in the 1982-83 season, with Gretzky leading the way with 71 goals and 196 points. Mark Messier added 48 goals and 106 points.

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but what I find interesting is that even though OPC honored this record breaking performance with a special card, they did not do the same the next season when Gretzky and Messier led the Oilers to a 446 goal season, a NHL record that still stands today.

Women's Olympic Preview

I am not going to even pretend to know enough about the current status of the women's game to give a proper Olympic preview.

I know Canada and USA will be heavy favorites for gold again, although Sweden has made some progress too. I am pretty certain Bulgaria will not medal.

I wanted to post a series of good links about the upcoming women's tournament, but sadly there really is not that much out there.

Team Canada

Globe & Mail
Tough choices ahead for Canadian women
Hockey a family tradition for Mikkelson, others

CTV Olympics.ca
Player profiles - Jennifer Botterill, Kim St. Pierre, Gillian Apps
Psychologist works with women's hockey team

Other
Year to Remember upcoming for Botterill
Audio Interview with Becky Kellar, Jayna Hefford, Gillian Apps - Fan590

Team USA

Mark Johnson to coach American women - GHL
Ruggeiro in line for fourth games - Detroit Free Press

Greatest Canadian Olympic Moment

Globe and Mail columnist Stephen Brunt penned an excellent article about the greatest moment in Canadian Olympic history:

"...or Canadians, while all medals are to be treasured, all sports are not created equally. Anyone doubting that might want to consider what happened in Turin in 2006 — our best Winter Games, ever, but one also vividly remembered for what was lost.

"Hockey will forever be at the top of the Canadian sports food chain, so the greatest Winter Olympic moment, no slight to the rest, really has to be a hockey moment.

"And it really has to be the men's victory that ended the country's half-century gold-medal drought in 2002."

Full Story

The Brithplace of Team Canada

While GM Place will host the marquee games of the 2010 Olympics, UBC's new Thunderbird Stadium will also host many mens and womens games, plus sledge hockey in the paralympics.

Did you know that UBC's original Thunderbird Stadium is the birthplace of Team Canada? UBC's Basil Waugh reminds us:

Don’t be surprised if you hear Hayley Wickenheiser or any of the other sure-fire Canadian Olympians say, “Home, sweet home,” when they arrive at UBC in 2010.

That is because the new UBC Thunderbird Arena, a 2010 Olympic and Paralympic competition venue, is located where Canada’s National Hockey Program was born.

Full Story

Team Canada '72 Offers Jersey Rights To Canadian Olympic Teams

Here's an early morning breaking story:

Team Canada 72 and Ficel Marketing Corp., Team Canada's marketing agency of record are offering the Official and First Ever Team Canada jersey from 1972, to our Olympic Athletes in 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

Ficel Marketing owns pretty much anything to do with Team Canada '72 nowadays, and are very shrewd in their business dealings. Successfully using the historic jerseys at the Canadian Olympics would be like hitting the jackpot for them.

Also See: Photo Essay: Team Canada Jersey History

Hockey Canada seems determined to coming up with a jersey where they will somehow profit from the certain retail revenues. Team Canada has used Canada Cup replicas and Canada Cup redesigned jerseys as third jerseys in recent years. Do they already own these designs? You know Hockey Canada will exhaust every jersey design that they own outright before turning to the '72 jerseys seriously.

It has been said nothing will ever surpass the 1972 Summit Series as the greatest moment in Canadian hockey history. The 1987 Canada Cup finals and the 2002 Olympic gold medal came close, but maybe the only win that could match 1972 would be an Olympic gold on home ice.

That is a very tall order, but it would be fitting if they were wearing the same jersey that Paul Henderson, Phil Esposito and Bobby Clarke wore.

2010 Olympic Preview: Slovakia

Outside of Canada I do not know if there is a more hockey crazed country than Slovakia. That being said, they are not yet a contender for gold. They continue to lack a true star goaltender and defensive depth beyond big Zdeno Chara. Their generation of offensive weapons has mostly aged.

Goaltending - Peter Budaj and Jaroslav Halak will battle for the top job, although ideally they would make passable #3s on any other top nation. That being said, no one expected Finland's Antero Niitymaki to turn in the second coming of Bernie Parent back in 2006, so perhaps the Slovakian goaltending will surprise us. Slovakia better hope so.

Defense - Slovakia arguably boasts the best defenseman in the world in Zdeno Chara, but he has next to no supporting cast. In such situations he tries to do too much, rendering himself almost inefficient.

Lubomir Vishnovsky and Andrei Meszaros have emerged and will take some heat off of Big Z. The Slovaks need Andrej Sekera and Milan Jurcina to develop quicker than they will, seeing as they are the Slovaks only other regular NHL employed defensemen.

Forwards - In the past Slovakia boasted an embarrassment of offensive riches up front, but that generation is aging and slowing down. Marian Hossa will be the Slovak's top forward, and, with a little luck from the injury gods, Marian Gaborik will finally break out.

Otherwise the likes of Pavol Dimetra, Miro Satan, Marek Svatos, Michal Handzus, Ladislav Nagy and Richard Zednik are all solid NHL players, though their play has flatlined if not descending.

Summary - The Slovaks have some good players. Just not enough elite players.

2010 Olympic Preview: Czech Republic

The Czechs have been enigmatic since the late 1970s. Despite some nice pieces to the puzzle, it is hard to call the Czech Republic a true contender in 2010.

Goaltenders - The Czechs are not deep in goal. Ideally the underrated Tomas Vokoun will play every important game. Who will back up? Ondrej Pavelec? Marek Schwarz? Maybe Jiri Holecek or Vladimir Dzurilla are still around?

Defense - Again, the Czechs are not blessed with a lot of elite talent here either. Tomas Kaberle and Marek Zidlicky can provide some offense, while Pavel Kubina, Michal Rozsival and Jaroslav Spacek offer steady games. Then the talent pool drops off.

Games are not played on paper, but it is hard to get excited by this line up card.

Forwards - Jaromir Jagr may or may not play. There has been speculation that 2006 would be his last Olympic games, but he may view 2010 as a potential career ending swan song since his Russian adventure is not turning out like he had hoped.

The Czechs better hope they can convince Jagr to play. Veterans Patrik Elias, Milan Hejduk, and Martin Havlat can still put some points on the board, but they will need youngsters Ales Hemsky, Martin Erat and David Krejci to have big tournaments.

Expect solid citizens like Jiri Hudler, Milan Michalek, Thomas Plekanec and Jakub Voracek to round out this roster.

Summary - I really believe any of the big seven hockey nations can win a gold medal in 2010. The tournament set up really is a crap shoot, and the teams that come together the quickest will do the best. The Czechs will have to hope that they are one of those teams, because they can not be consider the pre-tournament favorite at this early stage.

New Olympic Hockey Website

I wanted to point out a new website dedicated strictly to the 2010 Olympics.

CTVOlympics.ca promises to be the leading Olympics website. CTV owns the broadcast rights here in Canada. Sports channels TSN and SportsNet are part of the CTV brand, guaranteeing great multimedia coverage at this website.

I am including CTV's Hockey section in the GreatestHockeyLegends.com links section.

Will This Be Team Canada's Logo In 2010?

This is the logo of the Canadian Olympic Committee. Minus the Olympic rings, the COC logo might double as Team Canada's hockey logo at the 2010 Olympic Games as well.

By now we all know Team Canada's famous logo has been banned from Olympic games. The International Olympic Committee has banned all "corporate logos" from national team uniforms at any Olympic event.

Hockey Canada has tried to convince the IOC for an exemption, to no avail. And the COC refuses to help Hockey Canada at all.

Why? Because Hockey Canada makes a lot of money from their logo, money that goes back to the fund the sport at the grassroot levels, and the IOC and COC want it all to themselves.

Yes, the IOC can publicly cry out about the corporatization of the Olympics, and the COC can lay low. Fact is they are all a bunch of greedy hypocrits. The Olympics have been a corrupt brand themselves. Now that the IOC supposedly has cleaned up it's act after long list of bribery scandals, I guess they have to find some other way to line their pockets.

2010 Olympic Preview: Finland

Thanks to the heroics of goaltender Antero Niitymaki and a quick coming-together of teammates committed to the coach's tight defensive game plan, the Finns almost took the gold medal in 2006. They ended up settling for the silver, but the lessons learned for every other nation should have been obvious: Find players who are willing to accept their roles, work hard, and buy in, and you will do well.

Expect the Finns to attempt to do exactly that again. They will have to, because they do not have the same high end talent as other nations.

Goaltenders - Oddly enough, Niitymaki is not likely on the radar this go around. The Olympics will likely prove to be his career highlight, as he has never regularly established himself as a NHL player.

Instead, we can expect to see a trio likely consisting of Miikka Kiprusoff, Kari Lehtonen and Nicklas Backstrom.

Defense - The Finns were deep on the blue line in 2006. I do not see Finland able to bring back the same high level on their blue line this time around, especially if one or two regulars are injured.

Kimmo Timonen, Tony Lydman, Ossi Vaanane and Sami Salo, if he can stay healthy, should all return. Teppo Numinen is getting up there in years, so he may need to be replaced, and I think the whole hockey world is getting tired of waiting for Joni Pitkanen to deliver on his promise.

Watch for Lauri Kukkonen, Ville Koistinen and veteran national team regular Petteri Numelin to get consideration.

Forwards - Outside of Teemu Selanne, the Finns do not really a superstar to count on. And he's going to be nearly 40 come the Olympics.

Father time is also catching up with Saku Koivu, Olli Jokinen and Jere Lehtinen.

All four will be on the Olympic team, but the Finn's already pop-gun offense will likely rely on these agin stars and Mikko Koivu. The rest of Finland's forward group consists of role players like Antti Miettinen, Niklas Hagman, Jarkko and Tuomo Ruutu, Niko Kapenen and Valterri Filpulla.

Summary - the Finns will have to play tight defense and hope for another goaltending miracle, because as of right now they do not have the offense to get the job done in 2010.

2010 Olympic Preview: Sweden

Sweden is the reigning Olympic champion, and could have much of the 2006 team return.

Goaltenders - Henrik Lundqvist will be king of the nets for Sweden again, no doubts about it.

Defense - The blue line will be anchored by the seemingly ageless Nicklas Lidstrom. The best defenseman in the world is a pretty good starting point. Hard-hitting Detroit teammate Niklas Kronwall and Vancouver's Mattias Ohlund are virtual locks as well.

Like every nation except Canada, the blue line thins out. Buffalo's Henrik Tallinder, Vancouver's Alex Edler, Atlanta's Tobias Enstrom and Niclas Havelid, San Jose's Douglas Murray and Swedish Elite League stars Kenny Jonsson and young Victor Hedman could round out the back end.

Hey, it does not look formidable, but a similar group got the job done in 2006. Players willing accepted their roles which allowed the team to gel nicely.

Forwards - We will see a passing of the torch of sorts for Sweden up front. Key players Mats Sundin, Peter Forsberg, and Jorgen Jonsson are likely done, while Daniel Alfredsson and Markus Naslund will bridge the gap.

Regardless, Henrik Zetterberg will lead the charge, with the Sedin twins, Nicklas Backstrom and Johan Franzen expected to emerge on the international stage.

You can also count on Sami Pahlsson to bring his shut down game, Tomas Holmstrom to bring his crease crashing ways, Kristian Huselius to bring his slick puck handling ablities. Mikael Sameulsson a nice combination of skill and grit, too.

The Swedes may wish to round out the roster with SEL veterans again. Otherwise watch out for young Patrick Berglund. He's the real deal and has a heck of a shot.

Summary - On paper, the Swedes do not look to be the most feared of teams. But they were not in 2006 either. With some good goaltending and quick gelling, Sweden could very well repeat as Olympic gold medallists.

An Ode To Aurele Joliat

Check out Dennis Kane's excellent site for a wonderful poem on really old school Montreal Canadiens great Aurele Joliat.

Teaming with Howie Morenz, Joliat was this tiny pepperpot known as Little Giant and as one of the greatest left wingers in the history of hockey.

2010 Olympic Preview: Team USA - The Next Generation

Although it is still very much a niche sport in the American sporting landscape, American hockey has made significant growth in hockey.

In 1976, Team USA had to choose from less than 80 registered players for the inaugural Canada Cup tournament.

By 1996 they sported a generation of stars that captured the reborn tournament, the World Cup of Hockey.

And now Americans make up 20% of the entire National Hockey League, second to only Canada.

Despite having many good players to choose from, Team USA will be looking for a new identity in 2010. Gone is the World Cup generation of stars like Brian Leetch, Mike Richter, Brett Hull, John Leclair, Pat Lafontaine and Tony Amonte. And don't expect the hangers on to be named to the 2010 team for nostalgic reasons. Players like Chris Chelios, Doug Weight and Jeremy Roenick should not be back.

So who will be on Team USA 2010?

Goaltenders - Tim Thomas and Ryan Miller have to be considered locks, although one will have to establish himself as the number one guy.

An interesting wild card will be the seemingly always injured Rick DiPietro, once appointed as USA's goalie of the future. If he can return next season healthy and playing well, he could still figure in the mix.

Ty Conklin might get some token mention, but I expect Craig Anderson to not only be the UFA steal of the upcoming summer, but the third goalie on Team USA 2010.

Defense - Brian Rafalski is a guarantee and will anchor an otherwise young defense corps that lacks depth.

A likely inclusion will be Ryan Suter, son nephew of 1996 World Cup champion Gary Suter and son of 1980 Miracle On Ice Olympic gold medalist Bob Suter. He has the skills to be part of the power play.

Mike Komisarek's physical presence will make him a likely candidate for a shutdown role. Unheralded Paul Martin also should be part of this team.

It will be interesting to see if wunderkind Erik Johnson can rebound from a lost season due to injury and impress enough to be part of this team.

Otherwise the other two or three spots fall to the likes of John Michael Liles, Brooks Orpik, Ryan Whitney, Tom Gilbert, Keith Ballard, Ron Hainsey, Joe Corvo and Matt Carle.

On the surface it appears Team USA's blue line is significantly weaker than Canada's. They certainly can not fill all seven spots with a #1 NHL rearguard, but they will be able to find players who are happy playing roles and filling holes. In a short tournament like the Olympics, this might work in Team USA's favor.

Forwards - The new faces of USA hockey will be Patrick Kane, Zach Parise and Phil Kessel. All three are exciting players with game-breaking ability and speed.

Another top forward will be a Quebec-born Slovak/son of a NHL legend who calls America home, Paul Stastny. Scott Gomez's playmaking ability makes him a likely lock.

The Americans are quite small, and will need some big bodies. Pencil in Blake Wheeler, Bobby Ryan, Ryan Kesler, Peter Mueller and possibly David Backes.

Chris Drury will be a veteran presence on this team, likely leading a group of wily role players like Brian Rolston, Brandon Dubinsky, Dustin Brown, and Canadian born Jason Pominville.

Summary - The United States may be providing more NHL players than ever, but the top end talent is not, at this time, on par with other countries, Canada and Russia in particular. They will have a young, hard working, coachable team that has as good a shot as anyone in a short, crap shoot of a tournament like the Olympics.

Lorne Chabot's Time

February 11th, 1935. Lorne Chabot graces the cover of Time magazine. He is the first of only five hockey players to be featured on the cover of arguably the most famous American magazine.

For being hockey's first ever cover boy, Lorne Chabot is today's Greatest Hockey Legend.

Wings Remember The Past

Here's a nice story, found via Kukla's Korner.

As he worked his way through the packaging, Marcel Pronovost couldn’t remember being this curious about a gift since he was a child.

When he reached the bottom and opened another tiny box, he felt like a kid again too.

Staring back at him was a glittering version of the 2008 Detroit Red Wings Stanley Cup ring with his name on one side with four extra diamonds symbolizing the quartet of cups he won with Detroit in the 1950s.

“My reaction was instantly to flashback to those teams,” said the 78-year-old Pronovost, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1978 after a 21-year playing career and five cups with the Wings and Toronto.

Pronovost was one of 20 to 30 retired Red Wings to receive a gift last week.

Detroit may be the classiest organization in all of professional sports nowadays. Great story. Read the full story.

The Championship Photo

Of all the great moments immortalized by a photographer's camera, the championship team photo on the ice may be the most special of all. Captured just moments after the championship has been won, the once impromptu photo has become the standard opening celebration to begin a championship reign.

By most accounts, the on-ice photo op was started by Wayne Gretzky and his Edmonton Oilers. The Great One called his teammates over for the center ice photo after winning the Stanley Cup in 1988 in what would prove to be the last photo of #99 in an Oilers jersey ever.

Every Stanley Cup winning team has done the same ever since. Also quickly following were Olympic, Worlds, World Juniors, Women's, NCAA and Canadian junior championship teams, not to mention probably every amateur team around the world.

But were Gretzky's Oilers really the first to do this? According to the following photo I came across, the answer appears to be no.

That is Vladislav Tretiak and the Soviet national team posing with the Challenge Cup in 1979. The Soviets defeated the NHL All Stars in a 2 game series in 1979. You can learn all about the Challenge Cup here.

I found the photo at NYMag.com.

Could we see a similar Russian photo on North American ice in 2010?

2010 Olympic Preview: Russia

Team Russia promises to be a most formidable challenger for Olympic gold at the 2010 games in Vancouver. They are blessed with goaltending and offense, not to mention the best player in the world.

Forwards - The Russians offer perhaps the most lethal collection of offensive forwards of any nation. Boasting the world's best player Alexander Ovechkin, the Russians also feature Evgeni Malkin, Pavel Datsyuk, Alexander Semin and a maturing Ilya Kovalchuk, are all among the most elite of players. There is no lack of offensive fire power here.

The question becomes do they have the depth on the bottom two lines?

Alexei Kovalev will likely be the veteran presence of the team. Do not count on Sergei Fedorov, who has had a love-hate relationship with Russian national teams of the past. If he makes this team, it will be because of Ovechkin's insistence. Slava Kozlov could be another veteran presence.

Los Angeles' Alexander Frolov and New York's Nikolai Zherdev are intriguing players.

We have to expect at least two or three players from the KHL to fill out the Russian forward lines. Aleksey Morozov, Alexander Radulov, Maxim Sushinski and dare I say Alexei Yashin are all candidates. Pencil in Oleg Saprykin, who played a nice buzzsaw role when in the NHL and could be a nice 4th liner.

Defense - The Russian defense corps are very thin, and therefore the team's weakness.

Health permitting, super passers Andrei Markov and Sergei Gonchar will anchor the blue line.

Anton Volchenkov, Vitaly Vishnevski, Denis Grebshkov, Fedor Tyutin, Dmitri Kalinin and KHLers Ilya Nikulin and Vitali Proshkin will round out a less than fearsome back end.

Do not count on Sergei Zubov. Like several veteran Russians he has declined to play for the national team in the past. And he's been riddled with injuries.

With their high end offense, the Russians can survive a weak blue line so long as the rear guards are apt at moving the puck to spring the forwards free.

Goaltenders - Also masking a weak blue line will be strong goaltending. The Russians will have Evgeni Nabokov, Nikolai Khabibulin and Ilya Bryzgalov to choose from. All three are legitimate number ones.

Summary - With their top end talent the Russians have to be consider co-favorites along with Canada for the gold medal. The eternal Canada-Russia rivalry looks ready to boil over again.