Women Welcome In Hockey Hall of Fame

There was a fundamentally huge announcement by the Hockey Hall of Fame on Tuesday. Chances are you may have missed it, as many top media sources glossed over it if they mentioned it at all.

The Hockey Hall of Fame is revamping its bylaws in a move that signals it is ready to admit its first female player.

Starting in 2010, the Hall will consider male and female candidates separately. The new bylaw will allow a maximum of four men and two women to be inducted each year.

Currently there is a maximum of four player inductees and women are judged and considered against men.

This is a very important step in welcoming women to the Hall. While there is nothing preventing women from being inducted at this stage vying against NHL legends for just 4 annual spots has made enshrinement all but impossible.

With their own category starting next year, we should see names like Angela James, Cammi Granato, Cassie Campbell and Manon Rheaume included in the coming years.

This is a great victory for women's hockey. The female game has had significant growth and significant impact on hockey in the past 20 years.

Son Of Slap Shot

This is Christian Hanson. TSN is reporting the unrestricted free agent will sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs today.

Hanson is a strapping 6'4" 225lb center who is graduating from the NCAA's Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He had 16 goals and 31 points in 37 games this season.

Hanson will be most notably in the headlines today because of his lineage. He is the son of Dave Hanson, a former minor pro ruffian with stints in the NHL and WHA. He is more famous for his role in the movie Slap Shot, where he acted as Jack of the cult hero Hanson Brothers.

Which begs the question: What does son Christian think of the famous movie?

"I probably didn't see it until I was about 13 years old, and I'm just sitting there watching and I'm actually befuddled," he once told ESPN. "My dad is up there hacking and whacking and beating guys up, and swearing. I never saw any of this at home."

Christian Hanson is one of several highly sought after NCAA graduates you will hear about in the coming days and weeks. Tyler Bozak from the University of Denver and Matt Gilroy from Boston University are likely fielding offers from most NHL teams.

Why the interest in players that were previously repeatedly passed over by every NHL team at the NHL draft?

In the salary cap world, stockpiling prospects is essential and finding inexpensive talent to fill roster spots is key. Most teams in the league are interested in investing in these older and more mature prospects who may be able to step in and play.

This is hardly new, and in fact is done every year. Perhaps we are hearing more about it this year because Brian Burke is being so aggressive in his pursuit of these players.

You may remember back in 1985 when Detroit, then a cellar dwellar, was aggressive in this same marketplace. They struck-out quite spectacularly when they succeeded in signing Tim Friday, Chris Cichocki, and the most coveted NCAA free agent of the day, Ray Staszak, who just so happened to be represented by player agent Brian Burke.

The Wings may have found three strikes in Friday, Cichocki and Staszak. But they did find a pretty good NCAA free agent that summer - Adam Oates.

Bullet Joe Simpson

This is Joe Simpson. He was was dubbed Bullet Joe by a reporter due to his darting moves on the ice, and because of his military past. He was a Canadian hero on the battle-scarred fields of Belgium during World War I. Twice wounded, he received the Military Medal as a member of the 43rd Cameron Highlanders.

Born August 13, 1893 in Selkirk Manitoba, Joe Simpson played his amateur hockey with the Winnipeg Victorias. He later joined Winnipeg's 61st Battalion team and helped him win the Allan Cup in 1916, emblematic of senior hockey supremacy in Canada.

Simpson had to put hockey on hold for the next two years, but after the war Simpson returned to Manitoba where he picked up his Senior hockey career.

Two years later Simpson moved west and turned professional, joining the WCHL's Edmonton Eskimos. But first he needed his father's permission.

Legend has it the Eskimos offered Simpson $3,000 to turn pro, a significant sum in those days. Simpson, who was in a Winnipeg pool hall at the time, chalked up his cue and said he would go if the team could convince his father to let him go.

Simpson was allowed to head west, and became the franchise's cornerstone for the next six strong season.

In 1925 infamous bootlegger Big Bill Dwyer, owner of the New York Americans, brought Simpson to the National Hockey League. Simpson, along with New York native Billy Burch, was one of the first outstanding gate attractions, and thus partly responsible for making New York a hockey hotbed that it is today.

Simpson enjoyed 6 solid years in New York, scoring 21 goals and 40 points in his career. Those were pretty good numbers for a defenseman at that point. The Amerks publicity team tried to portray him as a trap-liner from 450 miles north of Edmonton who travelled to New York city by dog sled and toboggan and guarded by friendly Indians.

A defenseman, Simpson was a lightweight weighing as little as 155lbs, but he played like he was 200lbs. Bill Corum, a columnist of the New York Journal-American, described Simpson as "a rollicking, rocking man, flashing down the rink with the puck on the end of his stick." None other than hockey legend Newsy Lalonde once declared Simpson as "the greatest living hockey player.

Simpson retired in 1931 and turned to the management side of things. He first coached the New Haven Eagles minor league team and later managed the Americans until 1935.

Before stepping behind the bench Simpson returned home to Winnipeg for one last on-ice hurrah. He was part of the Winnipeg Hockey Club team that represented Canada at the 1932 Lake Placid Olympics, winning the gold medal.

Elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1962, Simpson suffered a severe heart attack in the late 1940s, leaving Simpson in bad shape.

"I was laid up for two years." said Simpson. "I was really down when Art (Coulter) took me in."

Coulter, a stalwart defenseman in his own right and fellow Hall of Famer from New York (though with the Rangers), owned a hardware shop in Florida.

"He gave me a job selling skates in his hardware store, four hours a day. It may sound funny, selling skates in Florida, but Coral Gables, at that time, had an arena."

Bullet Joe Simpson died on Christmas Day, 1973.

NHL Cousins

We looked at NHL grandfathers last week. Let's take a look at some more NHL family connections and look at NHL cousins.

Major props if you knew these guys are cousins:

Carey Price - Shane Doan
Ron Francis - Mike Liut
Joe Nieuwendyk - Jeff Beukeboom
Wendel Clark - Joey Kocur - Barry Melrose
Keith Tkachuk - Tom Fitzgerald
Joe Thornton - Scott Thornton
Phil Kessel - David Moss
Ralph Backstrom - Daren Puppa
Henry Boucha - Gary Sargent
Rob & Scott Niedermayer (brothers) - Jason Strudwick
Eric, Jordan, Marc Staal (brothers) - Jeff Hereema
Ryan Jones - John Tonelli
Craig Muni - Gerry O'Flaherty
Dennis Kearns - Shawn Evans
Brian Conacher - Pete Conacher - Murray Henderson
Chris Chelios & Nikos Tselios

Here are the cousins who share the same last name:

Brad & Morris Lukowich
Brandon & Brett Sutter
Frank & Alex Pietrangelo
Perry & Randy Turnbull
Darcy & Randy Rota
Mickey, Dick & Craig Redmond
Denis, Jean & Marc Potvin
Gilbert & Bob Perreault
Mike & Mike Peluso
Kelly, Kevin, Kip & Ryan, Drew Miller
Mark, Paul & Mitch, Joby Messier
Alan & Reg Kerr
Doug & Wes Jarvis
Dale & Paul Hoganson
Chris & Dan & Josh Gratton
Adam & Butch Deadmarsh
Marc & Eric Chouinard
Lyndon & Dane Byers
Terry & Matt Carkner

So How Good Was Stan Mikita?

On the weekend I commented on Jim Mathieson's stance that Steve Yzerman was a better player than Stan Mikita.

Based on the comments on my piece, the community here at Greatest Hockey Legends.com strongly disagreed with Mathieson's stance that Yzerman was better than Mikita, and disagreed with my stance that they were near equals.

They converted me. On any list of the greatest centers of all time, I will forever rank Mikita ahead of Yzerman.

Now my question is just how good was Mikita? Where would he rank on the list of the greatest centers in hockey history?

The pretty much unanimous stance in hockey has Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Jean Beliveau occupying the top three center spots. Mikita falls in behind with a group that includes Mark Messier, Howie Morenz, Henri Richard, Syl Apps Sr., Max Bentley, Phil Esposito, Bryan Trottier, Milt Schmidt, Bobby Clarke, Teeder Kennedy, Marcel Dionne and Yzerman. Maybe I should be including Joe Sakic at back end of this conversation too.

Could Mikita be ranked as high as #4? I'm going to let the Greatest Hockey Legends.com community weigh in on this one. Leave your comments below or vote in the poll in the right hand column.

Road Hockey With Elmer Lach

Dave Stubbs recently got a chance to play a little road hockey with 91 year old Hall of Famer Elmer Lach.

I’m three feet out of the net that’s only four feet wide, two-thirds NHL width, and the angle is well cut down. Elmer is staring inside my post, stick side, even telegraphing his shot.

And then the ball sails just under the crossbar into the opposite side of the goal, over my catching glove.

Clearly delighted, Elmer is stickhandling playfully again, having rediscovered his generous nose for the net.

Full Story

Meet Don Dietrich

The Chicago Blackhawks player wearing #32 in this picture is Don Dietrich.

By all standards Don Dietrich does not rank as a Legend of Hockey. He played in just 28 NHL games in a professional career spanning a decade. He never scored a single goal, and picked up seven assists.

People often ask me why I profile "lesser" players. Don Dietrich does not deserve a spot alongside Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr at a website called Greatest Hockey Legends.

They may be right. But I do it because these players also have amazing stories to tell. Don Dietrich is the perfect example.

Dietrich tells his own story in his autobiography No Guarantees.

It is an amazing story on two levels.

Firstly, it is a great hockey story. We have heard time and time again the often similar stories of the greats of the game. It is those stories that formulate the stereotypical hockey dream we all once had. But Dietrich's story is the far more common story. Most players who turn professional do not make it to the NHL. They play on in the minor leagues chasing the dream. Usually the only thing keeping them going is not the money or the glory, but the passion for the game.

This describes Dietrich to a tee. And he has some incredibly entertaining stories to tell. Like ordering a steak with Doug Wilson and breaking in Phil Russell's gloves, to contracts and trades and an unbelievably horrible Olympic experience; From the lows of minor league politics to the glories of European leagues to the troubles of life immediately after hockey, Dietrich is very open and honest, making this is a very refreshing hockey book.

"Dieter" is a great storyteller. He lacks a little polish and he could use an occasional fact check, but through it all he becomes a very lovable protagonist of the book, an underdog who the reader will find himself rooting for.

That emotion becomes quite exacerbated as the book takes on a second focus late in the book though, leaving hockey behind. Dietrich is dealt one severe blow after another. First he is diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, then two battles with cancer, the second one of the rarest and deadliest forms of cancer.

Don Dietrich was not supposed to live much longer after the second diagnosis of cancer. That was well over a decade ago now. Through excessive medical treatments, strong family support and a stubborn determination, he has amazingly extended his life with inspiring positivity and dignity.

Inspiring is definitely best term to describe this book. Must-read is another, for all hockey fans and even non hockey fans.

Who's Better? Mikita vs. Yzerman

Yesterday I referred to a Jim Mathieson piece where he was talking about some of hockey's all time great players as listed by The Hockey News over a decade ago.

One thing that really caught my attention was when Mathieson, with great authority, said

Yzerman was 78th the first time around. Sorry, but he's a better player than Stan Mikita, who was 17th. With four Cups, 1,755 points, and his leadership abilities, Stevie Y can take Mikita's No. 17 slot.

Mathieson is one of the most trusted journalists on the hockey scene over the last three decades. He has even been inducted into the media wing of the Hockey Hall of Fame, that's how good he is. When Mathieson talks, we should all take notes.

So for Mathieson to so assuredly annoint Steve Yzerman as a better player than Stan Mikita is quite something.

I have always held each in the highest of regards. I think it is brilliant to suggest that Yzerman and Mikita are great comparables.

Both are amongst the greatest centers of all time. They are offensive geniuses who were also known as grizzled warriors and leaders. They were noted for their complete games as well as their offensive brilliance and gutsy play.

Both players also had two distinct stages to their careers, too. Early in his career Yzerman was the offensive superstar. It was not until later that he became one of the greatest two-way players of all time. Mikita always was a complete player, excelling at every aspect of the game. Early in his Mikita was a voracious warrior who was greatly undisciplined, perhaps partly because as a smaller player he needed to do so to survive his early days in the Original Six NHL.

It is hard if not impossible, and almost always foolhardy, to compare players of different eras.

If I had to break down their games I would have to give Yzerman a distinct edge in terms of skating, goal scoring and one-on-one dangerousness. In his offensive heyday he was an explosive and instinctual scorer.

I would have to give Mikita the edge in terms of intelligence. I am certainly not questioning Yzerman's hockey brains, but Mikita's bread and butter was his on-ice intellect. He was an incredibly clever attacker and playmaker, always making those around him better. He was as slick and clever as they come

Judging by Mr. Mathieson's short comments, he's giving Yzerman the edge based on two arguments: He had more championships and more points.

Yzerman won four Stanley Cups while Mikita won just one. Championships rightfully should be part of the equation, and Yzerman was a big part in all four titles. But sometimes too much emphasis is put on Stanley Cups. It takes a whole team to win, not just one player. While it is true they probably should have been able to win another title, Mikita's Blackhawks just never seemed to have quite enough depth in an era of two notable Stanley Cup dynasties - the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens of the 1960s.

Yzerman also outdistances Mikita in the point race, 1755 regular season points compared to 1467. I think that is a bit of a weak argument, especially given Yzerman's advantage of playing in the significantly higher scoring 1980s. Mikita retired as the third highest scorer in NHL history. Yzerman, you could argue, was one of the three greatest offensive players of his time when you consider he played against Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr.

I'm really not trying to take anything away from Yzerman. We all saw how good he was, with all his natural talent and flare.

But I can sense that I am trying to defend Mikita, who was truly was one of the all time greats. Recent generations know him better for Wayne's World donuts rather than. He was the first hockey player ever to win three major individual awards in one season, and he did in two consecutive years, winning the Hart, Art Ross and Lady Byng trophies. Even more impressive - he did not play on the same line as Bobby Hull.

In my book there is no more complete or near perfect hockey player as Stan Mikita. Yzerman transformed himself into a similar player over the years.

Mikita may not have had the pure talent that Yzerman had, but he had the intelligence and the heart to make him Yzerman's equal.

So who was better? In all honesty, I can not name one over the other. To do so almost sells one undeservedly short.

So I will say this - if The Hockey News were to revise their top 50 list any time soon, Mikita should retain his #17 ranking. Yzerman, now with his full career behind him, would be significantly upgraded, to either #16 or #18.

While they played different stylistically, Yzerman and Mikita are near equals.

Time For An All New Top 50?

Edmonton Journal writer Jim Mathieson recently was asked if it is time to upgrade that definitive list of top 50 hockey players of all time:

March 18, Edmonton Journal: Question: It's been over 10 years since The Hockey News put out its top 50 players of all-time. I was wondering how that list would change today. In particular I want to know about Nicklas Lidstrom, Steve Yzerman, Dominik Hasek and Ron Francis, and whether you think Doug Harvey would still be No. 6. (Tony Wong)

Jim Matheson: Lidstrom didn't make the top 50 or the companion book that listed the top 100 in history, but if Ray Bourque is 14th, then Lidstrom should be no worse than 15th in a new compilation. He has racked up six Norris trophies and four Stanley Cups, including a Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP. Yzerman was 78th the first time around. Sorry, but he's a better player than Stan Mikita, who was 17th. With four Cups, 1,755 points, and his leadership abilities, Stevie Y can take Mikita's No. 17 slot. Hasek was in 95th spot 10 years ago. For sure, he's better than Bill Durnan, who was 34th. Hasek won six Vezinas and two Hart trophies. Maybe, he's 25th. Do I think he was as good as Ken Dryden? Dryden played on a great Canadiens team; Hasek played on an average Buffalo team for years and willed them to victories. Francis, who helped the Penguins win two Stanley Cups, should be in the top 50, for sure. He can take Marcel Dionne's spot at No. 38 or certainly Gilbert Perreault's No.47. As for Harvey, he was the ultimate play-making defenceman, silky smooth. You couldn't take the puck off him. With seven Norris trophies, he still rates No. 6.

It was a good question posed by Tony Wong. He only asked about those four players specifically. We would also have to add Martin Brodeur to the conversation, which would give us five more for the top 50.

The Hockey News originally ranked Jari Kurri at #50. So let's use him as the benchmark. Are there any additional players from the past 10 years who you would rank as better than Jari Kurri?

Joe Sakic, Jarome Iginla, and Peter Forsberg are the three players in my mind who should also be included in the conversation.

Are they top 50 players of all time? You tell me.

UPDATE: Here is a list of the top 100 players as listed by THN

Gordie Howe Says Drink Gatorade

Gatorade has signed endorsement contracts with a number of sporting legends you might not normally expect to see pitching sports beverages to young people.

On the top of that list is Gordie Howe, who turns 81 later this month.

Retired women's hockey great Cassie Campbell and sledge hockey goalie Paul Rosen were also signed.

No Alex Ovechkins or Jarome Iginlas here.

Also signed were Ultra-Marathoner Ray Zahab, wheelchair racer Chantal Petitclerc, and basketball champ Bradd Arseneau. Only UFC champ Georges St-Pierre might qualify as someone you might expect to endorse Gatorade.

Good on you Gatorade.

The Marsh Pegs

Silver Seven, an Ottawa Senators fan site, has a good piece on Fred Marsh, the creator of the Marsh Pegs. You know, the pegs that hold the nets in place on the ice. You may not think about the pegs too much, but every player subconsciously thanks Mr. Marsh every time they crash into it and the net safely breaks away.

The piece is written by a fellow named DarrenM. It turns out Mr. M is from Kitimat, BC a hop, a skip and a jump away from my hometown of Terrace, aka Hockeyville. Add Smithers' Sean Zandberg of 'Nucks Misconduct, and I think our tiny and remote part of the world is very well represented.

Forgotten Grandpas

I missed two NHL grandfathers in my post from earlier today.

Ron Hextall is the grandson of Bryan Hextall Sr., a great player with the New York Rangers way back in the 1940s. Note he is another Hall of Famer. Bryan Hextall Jr. also played in the NHL, as did Dennis Hextall, another son of Bryan Sr.

And the great Syl Apps, yet another Hall of Famer, is the patriarch of another three generation hockey family, although this one is a little bit different. Syl Apps Jr. was a good player in the 1970s NHL. Nowadays, grand-daughter Gillian Apps is one of the best female players in the world!

Hockey's Grandfathers and Grandsons

Daniel Hendrikson interviews Mark Taylor for the latest edition of The Hockey News' online feature Backchecking.

Mark Taylor is the grandson of hockey's first superstar, "Cyclone" Taylor.

Taylor was 20 years old when his famous grandfather passed away. He remembers his grandfather telling stories of his playing days around the dinner table.

“He wasn’t one to brag about his past,” Taylor reminisced, “but if you asked him questions he would get into some stories. But it’s always the way with kids, you didn’t fully appreciate what you had until it was gone and then now sitting back I wished I could have asked him a thousand more questions about his accomplishments.”

Here's the full story.

Hockey has a lot of family connections, but it is pretty rare to see a grandfather/grandson combination.

Washington Capitals back up goaltender Brent Johnson is the only current NHLer whose grandfather played in the league. His grandpa was none other than Hockey Hall of Famer Sid Abel.

The great Howie Morenz's grandson played briefly in the NHL. Dan Geoffrion, who is also the son of Boom Boom Geoffrion, only lasted 111 games in the league.

Interestingly, Dan's son Blake is hoping to crack the NHL once he leaves the University of Wisconsin. That would not only make Boom Boom and Blake the next grandfather/grandson connection, but would make Morenz the first player to have a great grandson in the NHL.

Other grandpas/grandkids are Dit Clapper and Greg Theberge and Glenn Hall and Grant Stevenson.

Note in every case the grand father is a Hockey Hall of Famer, while the grandsons were all role players.

Update: I missed two NHL grandfathers in my post from earlier today.

Ron Hextall is the grandson of Bryan Hextall Sr., a great player with the New York Rangers way back in the 1940s. Note he is another Hall of Famer. Bryan Hextall Jr. also played in the NHL, as did Dennis Hextall, another son of Bryan Sr.

And the great Syl Apps, yet another Hall of Famer, is the patriarch of another three generation hockey family, although this one is a little bit different. Syl Apps Jr. was a good player in the 1970s NHL. Nowadays, grand-daughter Gillian Apps is one of the best female players in the world!

Canadian Olympic Jersey Gets COC Approval

From CTV Olympics:

A fifth version of a modified Hockey Canada logo and jersey has been approved by the COC and submitted to the International Olympic Committee for final consent.

The jersey is believed to be strikingly similar to the traditional sweater worn by Canadian hockey teams at the last three Winter Olympics. It has a Maple Leaf on the front but not a silhouetted hockey player framed inside. There is also a COC logo located on the lower back of the sweater.

Full Story

Three Hockey Deaths

Three European hockey greats have passed away.

Igor Stelnov, a two time Olympic gold medalist with the old Soviet teams, succumbed to "a serious illness" at the age of 46. The defenseman also played in the 1984 and 1987 Canada Cup tournaments.

Also, Hungary's Gabor Ocskay died of a heart attack today. Three times the 33 year old Ocskay had been named as the Hungarian player of the year. Just five days ago he led his team Alba Volan to their ninth national championship in Ocskay's tenure.

Also, former Czechoslovakian defenseman and later national team coach Jaroslav Pitner died on Friday at the age of 82.

2009 Hockey Books - Early Preview

What do Stephen Brunt and Peter Pocklington have in common?

They're both releasing books later this year on the Wayne Gretzky trade. And Pocklington's book is titled "I'd Trade Him Again."

I've got details over at the newly redesigned HockeyBookReviews.com, as well as early looks at other upcoming books including books on Team Canada, Jacques Plante, hockey dad Bob McKenzie and a book poking fun at the Toronto Maple Leafs priced at $19.67!

HHOF Worthy - Joe Sakic?

Duh!

That should have been the first word in your mind after reading the above head line for this week's HHOF Worthy? feature.

Joe Sakic is an absolute, guaranteed, first ballot Hockey Hall of Famer. Two Stanley Cup championships. A Conn Smythe Trophy. A Hart Trophy. A Lester B. Pearson Award. A Lady Byng Trophy. Three first-team NHL All-Star honors. Twelve All-Star game appearances. Olympic, World Junior and World Championship gold medals. 625 goals, and 1641 points in 1378 games. 84 goals, 188 points in 172 playoff games.

And counting, maybe.

We all know Joe Sakic's terrible injury problems in the past couple of seasons. A debilitating back injury and weird snowblower accident have limited him to just 59 games in two seasons. He's back skating and hoping to finish off this season.

If the surgery does not relieve his pains, we could have seen the last of Joe Sakic. It is always a shame when one of the all time greats' careers is ended on anything but his own terms.

Hopefully Sakic can come back for his intended final season in 2010-11 and a spot on the Canadian Olympic team. But don't bet on it.

Hat Trick Origins

This is Alex Kaleta, born in Canmore, Alberta. He is of no relation for current player Patrick Kaleta of Angola, New York, but he is closely related to the origins of the term hat trick in hockey.

Well, maybe.

Legend has it that while in Toronto for a game with the Leafs, Kaleta stopped in tailor Sammy Taft's shop looking for some head wear. He did not have enough money to buy the hat he wanted, so Taft made him a deal. If he scored three times in the game, he would give him the hat. Kaleta responded with not just three goals, but four!

A tradition was born. Taft gave Kaleta his hat and would reward other players thereafter, Leafs or otherwise, for scoring three goals in a game - a hat trick - at Maple Leaf Gardens.

That is the one of the most popular myths behind the origins of the term hat trick in hockey. But not the only one.

Janet McLeod recently looked at the hat trick's place in the hockey lexicon for the Guelph Mercury newspaper. She looks at the Kaleta story and others, as well as the real origin of the term in the sport.

The Morning Skate

Here's a few stories worth reading:

• In case you missed my late post yesterday, here's more on the plight of Walt Poddubny.
• Learn what it's like to travel NHL style
• It's the end of the line for Don Koharski
• Gordie Howe sticks junior player with a big kiss.
• Brian Costello of THN recognizes lesser-known retirements.
  
• It's not hockey related, but somehow pranksters convinced a hotel guest to throw appliances out the window.
  

Top Ten Hockey Trivia Questions

Through the wonders of email I recently was reconnected with an old friend from high school. We got into a little trivia tussle, trying to one up one another with some hockey humdingers.

Conveniently, we posed five questions each, which adds up to ten, which makes for an easy Top Ten list! Post your answers in the comments. I will post all answers in the comments late tonight.

1. Who hold the Oilers record for most shutouts in a career?

2. Who is the only player in NHL history to be drafted twice in the first round, by different teams, in different years? Hint, he's still playing in the NHL and is a D-Man.

3. Who was the first Swedish captain in NHL history?

4. The first official NHL draft commenced in 1969. From then until now, how many brothers have been picked in the 1st Round - 1st, 2nd, or 3rd overall? There are 4 pairs and 3 pairs were picked in different drafts.

Bonus Question: There is also 1 set of first cousins that you could add to this list.

5. What do Patrick Marleau, Eric Staal, Dan Boyle, Marc Savard and Nathan Horton all have in common? Hint: It's something they never did.

6. What former NHL player shares the exact same birth date as Mario Lemieux?

7. Who was the last goalie in the NHL to play without a mask?

8. Which of these superstars did NOT have a brother who also played in the NHL?

• Gordie Howe
• Mario Lemieux
• Bryan Trottier
• Patrick Roy
• Ray Bourque

9. Three retired players have scored 50 or more career short-handed goals. One was Wayne Gretzky. Name the other two.

10. Two retired goalies are tied with the most goals against in a career (regular season) with 2756. Name one of them.

More On Walt Poddubny

I was at work all day and unable to pass this story along earlier. That's too bad, because this, as James Mirtle has already stated, really is must read material.

The Globe and Mail's Allan Maki tells us much of the story of Walt Poddubny. He never woke up on Saturday, dying at the young age of 49.

He was far from the most skilled player. He had adequate size and a good burst of speed to find open space. He had a nose for the net, too, as he exploded for 40, 38 and 38 goal seasons to close out the 1980s. Devastating knee injuries slowed him down and eventually forced him out of the game just before hockey's big money era.

It turns out Poddubny's story after the NHL is quite sad. He tried to stay in the game, partly for financial reasons but mostly because he could never deal with the game being taken away from him. But after mixed results coaching in the low minor leagues, he returned home to Thunder Bay and has been living in his sister's basement. He lost his marriage and found friendship in the form of the bottle.

His story is probably not completely uncommon, especially amongst the many players who are forgotten about not long after they have left the ice if not earlier.

Poddubny seemed to be reaching out for help, talking with the Globe and Mail columnist. The two agreed to meet in the off season and work out some sort of project. Poddubny wanted to tell his story, presumably so others would not have to go through it.

Unfortunately, Poddubny found a way to have his story heard loud and clear.

Gladiators Being Replaced By Pests

When Gary Roberts recently announced his retirement, I began to wonder why there are no players like him any more.

Roberts was once the prototypical NHL winger. Rugged, he could knock you on the seat of your pants with either a demoralizing body check or a devastating punch. He played with his heart on his sleeve, yet he could still skate and actually play the game. Roberts would score 35 or more goals, despite spending a couple hundred minutes in the penalty box.

He was the prototypical North American hockey player.

In the 1990s Roberts had a lot of company, too. Cam Neely. Eric Lindros. Rick Tocchet. Kevin Dineen. Pat Verbeek. Owen Nolan. Gerard Gallant. Brendan Shanahan. Keith Tkachuk. Kevin Stevens. Even Chris Gratton and Adam Creighton scored 30 goals and 200 PIMs in a season, too.

How many times has someone scored that feat in this decade? Not even once.

Hockey has changed a lot in just 10 years. No longer is it the same grinding game where players like Roberts were the ultimate gladiators in an unforgiving physical game. Now the game is based much more on speed and skill. Not that is necessarily bad, but clean hits seem to be a disappearing species nowadays. If you don't believe me, ask Bobby Clarke, and even Bobby Orr.

With rare exceptions, long gone are the goal scoring warriors. Jarome Iginla and Brendan Morrow, when healthy, are throw back players minus the high penalty minute totals. Milan Lucic looks ready to revive memories of Al Secord. David Backes has had rambunctious season this year.

Replacing physical warriors are super pests, now free to run rampant with no fear of getting pounded like back in the good ol' days.

Sean Avery. Steve Ott. Alex Burrows. Chris Neil. David Clarkson. They're all pretty good players, too. Their constant bickering is completely unsportsmanlike, but at least they a regular shift, on the special teams units and notch 20 goals.

Then there are the guys like Jordin Tootoo, Dan Carcillo, Jarkko Ruutu and Steve Downie, guys who probably could not survive in the NHL had the culture not grown to allow pests to be unaccountable. They are a detriment to the game, and it is rare that they answer the bell.

I'd love to see some of these pests play back in the days of Brian Sutter, Wendel Clark, Bob Probert and Clark Gillies. They would keep these nuisance players shaking in fear down in the minor leagues and score 30 goals, too.

Pests have always been a part of a hockey, but at least these dirty hockey players had to be very good players and accountable for their dirty actions. Dale Hunter, Ken Linsemen, Esa Tikkanen, Tiger Williams, Claude Lemieux, Theoren Fleury, and Bobby Clarke were all good and even great players as well as the best pests of all time.

Walt Poddubny Passes Away

In case you have not heard, Walt Poddubny passed away suddenly on Saturday. The cause of death is not yet known.

"My Cousin Knows Vladislav Tretiak"

Before Christmas some time I showed up at my girlfriend's house, surprised to see she was all excited because her cousin and his family had arrived into town.

The visitors had left the house by the time I got over there, but she was over-ecstatic that her cousin knew a former Russian hockey star personally.

She had never heard of him, and could not pronounce a name resembling any Russian hockey star I had ever heard of. Eventually we figured out that the hockey player he knew was none other than Vladislav Tretiak.

"Yeah, right" was my obvious reaction. I did not believe it. All of her family that I had known to that point had all lived in small town northwestern BC. How does this cousin I had never heard of before know Vladislav Tretiak?

Well it turns out he's a big wig with Cisco, based in Moscow and doubling with organizations like CERBA, the Canada Eurasia Russia Business Association. He gets to meet a lot of famous people like Prime Ministers and hockey players.

I eventually did meet him and his family. He's a real interesting guy with some impressive stories to share, yet very much at ease in the local, small town watering hole.

He even promised me he would get me a signed Tretiak jersey when he met up with the goaltending great for the 8th annual CERBA Silent Auction in February.

I never doubted he would be a man of his word. I never would ask for such a favor myself, although it seems my girlfriend sent out a few reminders.

Well guess what I got this past week!


There is only one way I can repay him. And that is to tell you guys about the CERBA charitable pursuits.

CERBA teams up with the Vladislav Tretiak Foundation annually for a silent auction and cocktail. This year they raised over $127,000 US, with the money goes to children's, social and family institutions in Saratov and the Russian regions.

The CERBA website does offer online sales of items for charity fund raising, although I am not completely positive the sale is still active.

Thanks again Sheldon.

Bargain Book Alert: Brodeur Beyond The Crease

He just became the winningest goalie in NHL history. He's about to become the NHL's shutout king. Some say he is going to be the greatest goalie of all time. Others insist he already is.

With the paper back release of his autobiography coming out in October, traditional publishing thinking has his hardcover edition on clearance right now.

That's right. With Martin in the news all the time right now, and in the coming months with the Stanley Cup playoffs and Olympics on the horizon, you can buy Brodeur for just $5.99 at Chapters!

Shoebox Memories: Ron Duguay

This is Ron Duguay, one of hockey's great playboys. Here he is posing back in the mid 1980s for Sasson Jeans, with his Bon Jovi locks and his hairy chest, he was a real ladies man.

Women loved him. Especially supermodels. He married two of them: Robin Bobo and Kim Alexis.

Duguay also served as judge for 1980 Miss Universe Pageant in South Korea and appeared on television shows such as Hope And Gloria and Beverly Hills, 90210.

The former New York Ranger heart throb is making another hockey comeback this weekend. As mentioned last week, the 51 year old has signed a two game contract to play in the little known Eastern Professional Hockey League. Tonight he laces up with the Jersey Rockhoppers. Next weekend he will skate for the Brooklyn Aces.

This is not the first time Duguay has returned to professional hockey.

After retiring in 1989, he attempted a comeback with the expansion Tampa Bay Lightning in 1992, bu he suffered dislocated right thumb and separated left shoulder during a scrimmage in training camp. He was cut.

In 1996-97, at the age of 39, he played two games for San Diego of the WCHL. He returned for three more games in 1997-98. This led to speculation of another NHL comeback attempt, this time with Nashville in the team's inaugural 1998-99 season. Nothing ever came from that.

Then in 2002-03, at age of 45, he played two games for Jacksonville of the ACHL. He reportedly played these two games because he wanted his 8 year old son to see him play hockey.

In Conversation With Denis Brodeur

CBC radio has released the podcast version of As It Happen's interview with Denis Brodeur, father of Martin Brodeur.

Brodeur-ly love. New Jersey Devils' goalie Martin Brodeur breaks a record -- and his shutterbug father is there for the photo finish. A conversation with Denis Brodeur.

Right click to Download 2009-03-18: As It Happens Daily
[mp3 file: runs 9:20]

This is one of quite a few of hockey related CBC Radio podcasts currently available. You can either check the CBC podcast website, or get the direct links via my Twitter account.

What Happened To Patrik Stefan?

ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun takes a look at whatever happened to Patrik Stefan.

It turns out that Stefan, one of the biggest draft flops in NHL history best remembered for not being able to score on an empty net, is a player agent now.

Stefan, who hung up the blades due to a chronic hip injury after returning to Europe, commented on his own career.

"Obviously, when I look back at my career, am I happy with it? No, I'm not," said Stefan. "Being a No. 1 draft pick certainly doesn't happen to everybody. And as a No. 1 overall pick, you should show that you are one of the best and you try to become one of the best players in the NHL. I was trying to do that, but some things happened. I had a couple of injuries. I didn't live up to the potential of where I wanted to be. But that's life.

Dryden vs. Dryden

It is March 20th. Something very special happened in NHL history on this date in 1971.

That night marked the first time two brother goaltenders played against each other as Dave Dryden played against his brother Ken Dryden. Ken at the time was a late season rookie call up who would later that year go on to lead the Montreal Canadiens to the Stanley Cup.

Buffalo coach Punch Imlach wanted a brother-against-brother match up right from the opening faceoff. His reasoning was that Dave had more NHL experience than Ken, and would give his team an edge against the powerful Habs that night. However Montreal wanted no part of that and started veteran starter Rogie Vachon instead. Upset at Montreal's unwillingness to allow NHL history to happen, Imlach made a late change and started Joe Daley in net instead of Dave.

With the Habs leading 2-0 in the second period, Vachon had to leave the game due to an injury. Of course Ken Dryden had to go into replace the injured veteran. Before the referee could drop the puck to resume the game, Imlach surprised all in the Forum by pulling Daley, and replacing the healthy goalie with Dave Dryden. Finally Imlach, always a showman, had the showdown he wanted from the beginning.

The game ended with Montreal winning 5-2. Ken allowed 2 goals on 13 shots, Dave allowed 3 goals on 20 shots.

Alexander Mogilny

ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun recently caught up with Alexander Mogilny.

"I give lessons to the young players and help out in any way I can," he added. "That makes me feel really good. This game gave me a lot and I feel like I owe it and need to give back. I really enjoy working with the kids, and especially in my hometown. Not a lot of hockey players have come from out of there. Hopefully, we'll have more in the future."

I always admired Mogilny's ability. Using quotes from a number of different sources, I think was able to piece together a pretty nice Alexander Mogilny biography, making him the newest Greatest Hockey Legend.

Next Target: Terry Sawchuk

Now that he is the winningest goalie in NHL history, next on Martin Brodeur's milestone target list is Terry Sawchuk's long standing NHL record 103 career shutouts. Brodeur is just three shutouts away from equaling the great Sawchuk.

Mike Zeisberger recently took a look at the career of Terry Sawchuk.

As a young kid, Sawchuk was forced to strap on the pads and go in net for a team in Winnipeg to replace their previous goalie, who had passed away. The boy who died just happened to be Sawchuk's brother.

Expect a lot of Sawchuk pieces as Brodeur gets closer to the record. With only a dozen games left, it is unlikely Brodeur will break the record this year, so the late-Mr. Sawchuk may get lots of press early next season.

Meet Jacques Caron - The Man Behind Martin Brodeur

Guest writer Vikash Khanna offers us a look at the man behind Martin Brodeur: long time New Jersey Devils goaltending coach Jacques Caron.

Martin Brodeur's recent milestone victories have elicited a great deal of interest in those who have influenced him over the years. Perhaps no figure has been more intimately involved in Brodeur's success than Jacques Caron, the tall, silver-haired, 69-year-old goaltending coach for the New Jersey Devils.

Caron joined the Devils' coaching staff in 1993, at which point Brodeur was serving humbly in their American Hockey League affiliate in Utica. Caron recognized at a very early stage that the organization had someone extraordinarily special brewing in the pipeline. "I could see his total ability was unbelievable," he later recalled. Using his bilingualism to communicate with the young goalie and make him feel right at home, Caron orchestrated an almost father-son relationship that has endured now for over fifteen years.

More than anyone else, Caron was responsible for developing that hybrid style of Brodeur's we are so accustomed to seeing today. "When I came in," Caron remarked, "he was a typical Québec goaltender; a butterfly goaltender. They play their feet real wide and they fall on every shot, hoping the puck hits them with a thud, with no control." Caron immediately got to work on Brodeur's balance, lateral mobility, and angular positioning. In due course, with Caron's guidance, Brodeur learned how to spend more of his time standing up.

Brodeur credits Caron for keeping him razor sharp during practice sessions, thanks to their endless private on-ice drills and video tape analyses. In between periods of games, Caron is always on hand to provide Brodeur with both technical suggestions and emotional support. Said Devils General Manager Lou Lamoriello, "we just can’t overestimate the value of Jacques." In fact, even though Caron goes about his duties quietly, he is universally recognized around the league as one of the most valuable goaltending coaches of his generation.

Caron's own playing career spanned 18 seasons, most of which were spent either as a backup or in the minors. He established himself playing for the AHL's Springfield Indians from 1961 to 1968. The team was coached by the legendary Eddie Shore, who employed unorthodox tactics such as tying his goalies to the goalposts in order to drill home the importance of having strong footing. (That was old-time hockey for you!) Throughout his minor league career, Caron won a Calder Cup in the AHL; a Patrick Cup in the Western Hockey League; and a Lockhart Cup in the North American Hockey League.

The 1967 Expansion Los Angeles Kings acquired Caron, and although their goaltending was solid with the combination of Terry Sawchuk and Wayne Rutledge, he did manage to log in one game in December (a 4-2 loss). He would enjoy more action during the 1970s with St. Louis and Vancouver, as well as with Cleveland of the World Hockey Association. In all, his numbers were respectable, and his pretzel-like mask memorable; however, his time in the big leagues was plagued with intermittent episodes of retirement, stress and uncertainty.

In 1980, Caron opened a summer goalie school (one of the first of its kind) in his hometown of Rouyn-Noranda, Québec. He worked with the Hartford Whalers as a goaltending coach for several years before solidfying his hockey legacy with Brodeur and the Devils.

Martin Brodeur Trivia

Here's some Martin Brodeur trivia:

Of his 552 wins, 238 of them are by just one goal. The most common victorious score for Brodeur is 3-2, which has happened 99 times. On 64 occasions the score resulted in a 2-1 win.

Let's see if you can answer these questions. Post your responses in the comments section.

1. Martin Brodeur has a winning record against every NHL team except for one. Name that one team.

2. The record for most goals scored against Martin Brodeur is 17. Which former NHL player holds that record.

3. Martin Brodeur's first NHL victory was on March 26th, 1992 against Boston. Who was the losing goalie that night?

4. With 43 wins, Brodeur has defeated this team more often than any other. Name the team.

5. Which goalie has Martin Brodeur defeated the most often in head to head match ups? Here's a hint. He has won 15 of the 26 head to head match ups.

UPDATE: The answers are now posted in the comments section.

Catching Up With The Past

There is quite a lot of news involving former players. Let's get down to it with this edition of Catching Up With The Past.

Back On The Bus - Concluding an excellent series on junior hockey, the Globe and Mail takes a look at why so many retired NHLers are returning to junior hockey as coaches, executives and owners.

Roy Coming Back To The NHL? - Sports Illustrated's Michael Farber looks at Patrick Roy, the coach. I do not think Montreal will hire Roy as their new coach this summer, although there will be a lot of clamoring for such a move by the French Canadian press. But I do think some time in the next couple of years Colorado will be interested in Roy as a coach. The timing is not right right now, in my opinion. They need to restock and rebuild a some more, but when a young Avalanche team is on the cusp of success again, watch for Colorado to call on the fiery Roy to try to take them to the next level, not completely unlike what Chicago did this year with Joel Quenneville.

More Cujo? - The Toronto Sun's Mike Zeisberger suggests retirement is no longer in Curtis Joseph's plans. I guess now that Martin Brodeur broke the record for most wins, Cujo wants to make sure he gets the record for most losses. He's only two behind Gump Worsley.

Will a NHL team give him another chance? He'll be 42 next season, and has only played in 23 games in the last two years. As the economic meltdown will finally hit the NHL in the next couple of years, I suspect many teams would rather dedicate back up roles and money to youngsters with more of a future, even if Cujo would come in around the $700,000 again.

More Brindy, Too - Chip Alexander of the News & Observer writes that Rod Brind'Amour intends on returning next season, too. Brind'Amour, currently 37, has two years left on his contract. The Carolina captain has had a dreadful season, and appears to have lost a step. He is too proud of an athlete to go out this way, so I hope he comes back and has a strong year. In order for that to happen, I think he will have to be recast in and accept a lesser role.

No Joke - On April 1st the Chicago Blackhawks and thoroughbred racetrack Arlington Park will both pay tribute to Mr. Goalie Glenn Hall. It is an interesting cross promotion. I wonder if the Hawks owners have any stake in the horse track?

Remember Dave Hunter - The Edmonton Journal's Jim Matheson recently caught up with former Edmonton Oiler grinder Dave Hunter. I always liked Hunter. He was less skilled than his brothers Dale and Mark, but I admired him more for some reason. It must have been all that Stanley Cup bling.

Hasek's Heroes - Did you know Dominik Hasek founded Hasek's Heroes, a Buffalo based organization that provides a foundation of athletic development and educational support, enabling children from low- to moderate-income families to achieve their life goals? Me neither. Good on Dom. The group seems to be working with the NHL's diversity committee, as Hasek's Heroes will soon host the 1st Willie O'Ree Skills Showcase Weekend.

Big Willi Style - Eric McErlain of the AOL Fanhouse has a great story about former Atlanta Flames giant Willi Plett.

Clear The Track, Here Comes Shack - Ah, it's been too long since I typed out those famous words. Look out Barrie, Ontario. On Thursday Eddie Shack and Shayne Corson will visit the Simcoe County Museum. They are there to help promote the arrival of the Hockey Hall of Fame's travelling exhibition.

Women's Hockey Has Come A Long Way

In the early 1960s, Scott Young, then still en route to becoming a legendary sports columnist, wrote a column in The Globe And Mail completely disrespecting women's hockey.

If anyone would care to see me in a wide variety of attitudes of sheer horror, trick me into attending a girl's ice hockey game.

I wouldn't go willingly, any more than I would go willingly to watch lions eat Christians. In fact, wild horses couldn't drag me. The last time wild horses tried to drag me to a girls' hockey game I dragged them in the opposite direction with such violence that their braced forelegs became badly worn down, and they had to give up wild-horsing and take jobs as kangaroos.

Women's hockey has sure come a long way. Overcoming the male-dominated sporting society was amongst the biggest obstacles.

Women's hockey will be one of the most anticipated events in the upcoming 2010 Olympic games. It will be the fourth Olympic tournament for the ladies. The Americans won in 1998, with the Canadians winning the last two.

Canada announced a big step in defending their Olympic title on Tuesday. Hockey Canada announced the female roster Canada will take to the 2009 IIHF World Championships coming up in April.

The 20 players announced yesterday, as well as six others, will all be invited to a month long Olympic training camp in Calgary after the Worlds. From this group the Canadian Olympic team will be announced.

It should be noted that two Canadian veterans have effectively been cut from the Olympic team. Missing from the roster and reserve list are forward Katie Weatherston and defenceman Cheryl Pounder, pictured, both members of the 2006 Olympic team.

The 25 year old Weatherston has missed most of the season with injuries. 32 year old Pounder was making a come back this season after sitting out 2007-08 season to have a baby.

Canada is bringing up a lot of youth, which is both good and necessary, as there are just too many good young female hockey players in this country. Eric Duhatschek has more on that.

The fact the game is thriving in Canada has a direct correlation to the women who pioneered the game. It is probably this website's best kept secret, but I do try to profile women hockey legends amongst the Greatest Hockey Legends.

So as we look forward to the world championships and 2010 Olympics, be sure to take a moment to look back and remember the women who brought the ladies game to where it is now. Here's who I have profiled so far:

Canada
Albertine Lapensee
Hilda Ranscombe
Bobbie Rosenfeld
Abby Hoffman
Angela James
France St. Louis
Manon Rheaume
Cassie Campbell

USA
Cammi Granato
Katie King

Lowetide on Frank St. Marseille

The history-laden blog Lowetide has a great story on how Frank St. Marseille found employment in the National Hockey League.

"Two years earlier (1965), Lynn Patrick (the Blues GM at expansion) had been managing the Los Angeles Blades of the WHL (pro) league when he received a letter from St. Marseille's brother, a singer in town. The letter extolled the skills of Frank, who was playing for Port Huron of the IHL. Frank's brother urged Patrick to give him a tryout; Frank would pay his own expenses to Los Angeles and stay with his brother.

Full Story

Thanks to my old buddy Patrick Houda, I have more on St. Marseille's career and his brother's involvement, including quotes directly from his brother. Be sure to read Frank St. Marseille's story.

Joliat Stole The Show

Back in the days of Howie Morenz, there is an mite sized forward name Aurel Joliat who was mighty good.

Eyes On The Prize has a great story about Aurel Joliat's run in with mobsters trying to fix a game.

"Joliat...was offered the sum of $500 dollars if he would help tank the game. Joliat then asked to see the cash, and when the sinister types flashed the dough, the player grabbed it - he couldn't help himself - and stuffed it in his pocket. Joliat had never seen so much money in his lifetime!

The fix was on, and the gamblers, who had set up numerous bets figured they were all set to cash in after having bought off the Flyers best goal scorer.

The only trouble was, Joliat forgot to play along."

The story goes on to tell us how Joliat escaped from the angry mobsters, with the cash in hand. Full Story

552!

Martin Brodeur is officially the winningest goalie of all time!

Stat Attack - Crosby, Lemieux, Gretzky

Here's an interesting stat.

The other night Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins registered the 21st three assist night of his career.

That matches Mario Lemieux for the franchise record, who also had 21 three helper nights in his first four NHL season.

By the way, in his first four NHL seasons Wayne Gretzky had 49 three assist nights, better than Crosby and Lemieux combined.

Ten Funniest Hockey Commercials On YouTube

Today I turn the website keys over to two 15 year old girls, Kylie and Courtney. They are huge hockey fans who encouraged me to post their list of the Ten Funniest Hockey Commercials On YouTube.

Here is their list:

#1. Nike Goalie: The Landscaper



#2. Nike Goalie: Taxi Driver



#3. NHL Road Trip



#4. Nike Goalie: The Babysitter



#5. Sundin Likes ABBA



#6. Swedish Twins



#7. Ovechkin Wants His Chips



#8. Vinnie Lecavalier & Brad Richards Play Video Games



#9. McDonalds Russian Hockey Star



#10. McDonalds Mini Goalie

Comparing Ovechkin To Rocket Richard

John McGourty compared Alexander Ovechkin to Rocket Richard on his recent NHL.com column.

It is a very good comparison. The two share insatiable desire to score, unmatchable flare, break-neck speed and obvious passion.

The only thing Ovechkin lacks is Richard's infamous temper and eight Stanley Cup championships.

Five Hockey Websites You Need To Know About

If you're reading my website there is a very likely chance you like hockey history and hockey books. So with that in mind, here are five hockey websites you need to know about.

1. Forever 1940 - Given their disastrous season, you're probably not looking for a New York Islanders blog here in the playoff stretch drive. But Eric Hornick's blog Forever 1940 is one of the most unique blogs you will ever see. Why? Hornick is the Islanders home statistician. His Stat Tricks are fascinating reads.

2. Hockey In Print - You know I have a thing for hockey books. So I don't know how I did not know about the online project Hockey In Print. HIP is a work in progress, but they are trying to create the definitive hockey bibliography resource anywhere.

Looking for a book on the Minnesota North Stars? Or the name of that Douglas Hunter gem you just can't remember? Over time you will find it here. Magazine and journal articles are also part of the database.

Curiously, they do not offer readers the easiest opportunity to acquire any of the titles. They list some general resources where to find the books, but no one-click options where available.

3. AndrewPodnieks.com - Speaking of books, there is no more prolific (or thorough) hockey author than Andrew Podnieks nowadays. He's got some interesting stuff besides the expected book promotions, including a tribute to women's hockey players and some unique photos.

4. Lost Hockey - James Milks looks back to a now-foreign era of hockey, the 1920s and 1930s, at his website, Lost Hockey. He has profiles on players you likely have never heard of, a large obituary collection that covers many decades, and an eclectic collection of interesting articles.

There is some amazing photography on this well designed site, too

5. Hockey Players On The Railway - The first NHL road trip by air was in 1935, it did not become common practice until the mid 1960s. Back in the Original Six days the preferred mode of travel was train.

Canada's history is heavily intertwined with both hockey and the railroad. With that in mind, Hockey Players On The Railway looks back to a more innocent and hard-working time of life and people in railroad towns, and the game on ice that they were so passionate about.

Catching Up With The Past

Harvard has had a hockey team since 1898, but have never been shutout in consecutive games. Until this week. Brown did last week in the playoffs, in Cambridge nonetheless. Oh, and even more amazing, Brown finished the season with a 3-21-5 record, and entered the playoffs as the weakest team.

Brown opted to start freshman goalie Mike Clemente, from Virginia of all places. After 39 and 47 save performances, I think it is safe to say Brown has found a new goalie!

Here's the rest of the news in hockey history:

The Penguins honored Ed Johnston on Sunday. Here's two great articles on EJ: 25 Years Of Service - Penguins.com and Penguins Honor Franchise Icon Johnston - PittsburghLive.com

Detroit News columnist Jerry Green gives a history laden piece on fighting in hockey. Nice read, especially for Red Wings fans.

Former NHLer Brad Ference has found a new team. Ference is now a firefighter in Calgary.

Tampa goalie Mike McKenna is more focused on the future, but he has an appreciation for hockey history. He quite literally grew up with the St. Louis Blues.

In more college hockey news, the Bowling Green hockey program is facing budget problems and may have to be discontinued. Bowling Green has produced many NHLers, including Hobey Baker Award winners George McPhee and Brian Holzinger, Nelson Emerson, Rob Blake, Ken Morrow, Garry Galley, Gino Cavallini, and Mike Liut.

Former NHL star and playboy Ron Duguay is making a comeback. He is going to lace up for two games in the all but unknown Eastern Professional Hockey League, playing one game each with the Jersey Rockhoppers and Brooklyn Aces.

Brodeur Ties Roy With 551 Wins - Will Record Fall On St. Patrick's Day?

Martin Brodeur seems to have a good sense of showmanship.

It certainly was not lost on the New Jersey goaltending great as the tried to tie Patrick Roy, his childhood idol, with all time with his 551st win. | Also see: Is Brodeur The Greatest? |

Not only did Brodeur have a chance to do it in Montreal, where Roy reigned supreme for years, but he had a chance to do it with Roy in attendance.

Brodeur seized the moment and led his Devils' to a 3-1 victory.

Brodeur will now have a chance to become the winningest goalie in NHL history when the Devils host Chicago on Tuesday - St. Patrick's Day, of all days.

Isn't it ironic . . . don't you think? That Martin Brodeur is such a little devil!

Bailing Out Peter Puck

"It's easy to be friends with somebody when they're on top."

That's what Wayne Gretzky said about Bruce McNall when the former Kings owner fell on hard times.

"In life, nobody's perfect," Gretzky added. "Bruce was punished for the things he did wrong, but he did a lot of things right too. Ask any player who ever played for the Kings."

"At the end of the day, Bruce has a big heart and I wanted to stay by his side."

I always admired Gretzky for that stance. It proves that he is a class act, and a great friend. It's something I think we all must remember whenever any of our friends fall on hard times.

A couple of Gretzky's old pals were put to this test this week. Glen Sather pledged a million dollar piece of property in Minnesota to bail out Peter Pocklington, the former owner in Edmonton.

Good on Mr. Sather for standing by his friend.

As I understand it, Slats has made a killing in real estate ventures dating back 30 years now. He may have more money than Pocklington ever did, at least in the post-Oilers era.

There is certainly no shortage of Pocklington articles in the online news right now, but I wanted to remind you of a Globe And Mail article that appeared just before Christmas. It remains a great read.

Dave Kerr's Time

March 14th, 1938. Dave Kerr graces the cover of none other than Time magazine.

He was an extremely popular sports figure in New York, especially two years later when he backstopped the Rangers to the 1940 Stanley Cup championship.

Everyone knew who Dave Kerr was then. But that was a long time ago, and history has tended to forget about this all time great.

That's the reason Dave Kerr is today's Greatest Hockey Legend.

Brodeur vs. Roy vs. Hasek Who Is The Greatest Goalie Of All Time?

Martin Brodeur hopes to catch up to Patrick Roy on the all time win column Saturday night as New Jersey travels to, of all places, Montreal. Brodeur is looking to match Roy's NHL record 551 career wins.

Health permitting, Brodeur probably has another 3 really good years in him, meaning he will greatly elevate the bar as the NHL's winningest goalie in NHL history. He should get close to 650 wins. Could he even challenge for 700 wins? Those are amazing numbers, even more impressive when you remember NHL-NHLPA labour disputes cost him possible 126 games, or probably another 60 wins.

More over, it's only a matter of time before Martin Brodeur overtakes Terry Sawchuk's title of shutout king, as he sits only 3 behind the once-untouchable record. Could he could push that total to 120 shutouts?

The Greatest Goalie?

Debate is sure to rage from now until someone challenges Brodeur's lofty totals, which means a really, really long time, as to whether or not Martin Brodeur is the greatest goalie of all time.

On one hand it is hard to argue with Brodeur's resume. On top of all of his dominating numbers he has 3 Stanley Cups, 1 Olympic gold medal, 1 World Cup, 4 Vezina trophies and 7 after-season All Star nods.

Critics will suggest he is the product of New Jersey's stringent defensive system. The fact that New Jersey rolled along nicely with a career minor league goalie, Scott Clemmensen, during Brodeur's 50 game absence due to injury this season only exacerbates that argument.

So who is the greatest goalie of all time?

Firstly, let's remove the pre-1967 goaltending greats from the equation. I intend no disrespect to Sawchuk, Jacques Plante, Johnny Bower, Glenn Hall and company. Comparing players from different era's is always difficult, but we need not go back that far to determine that Brodeur may in fact not be the greatest goalie of all time.

To be the greatest goalie of all time, it stands to reason that one must be the best goalie of his own generation. There is a good argument that Brodeur was only the third best, with contemporaries Roy and Dominik Hasek besting him.

Let's compare their stats. I have chosen the time frame of the 1993-94 season through the 2001-02 season. This matches the time frame that all three went head to head, with Brodeur and Hasek arriving in the NHL as starting goalies. I picked 2002 as the end point as that was when Hasek initially ended his NHL career.

Those numbers are pretty amazing. Hasek clearly dominated the era, with all the Vezina and All Star honors, plus 2 Hart trophies as the NHL's MVP to boot. He has by far the best save percentage and the best GAA, despite playing with arguably the weakest team.

Look at that save percentage number - 0.926, the number that many agree is the one goalie stat that is not team dependent. Hasek's percentage is significantly better than Roy's or Brodeur's.

And he had to take a lot more shots to post that sparkling number. Despite playing in 60 fewer games, Hasek faced 925 more shots than Brodeur. Yet he allowed 135 fewer goals.

Despite Hasek's dominance, the generally accepted thought in NHL hockey is that Patrick Roy is the greatest goalie of all time. A case could be made that young Brodeur bested Roy in our comparison here, but Roy remains king largely due to his reputation in the playoffs.

So, let's take a look at the threesome's career playoff stats:

Emphasis on playoff success certainly is an important consideration, though Canadian media tend to over use it too liberally to discredit the foreigner Hasek. Make no mistake, such politics does unfairly these greatest ever debates. Why else is Hasek not usually mentioned, at least on this side of the Atlantic.

Roy certainly does impress in the playoffs, with NHL records for games and wins, as well as three Conn Smythe trophies as playoff MVP. When it counted most, Roy got the job done. Roy's GAA is noticeably higher, although he did begin his career earlier and in the latter half of the higher scoring 1980s.

So if we concede Hasek was the best of the three in the regular season, and the Roy the best of the playoffs, Brodeur ends up third fiddle in a comparison of his peers.

Keep in mind Brodeur was just 21 years old at the beginning of this comparison. Roy was 28, having already been in the league since 1986. Hasek was 29, as he was not free to play in the NHL until later in his career thanks to communist politics in his Czech homeland. Brodeur was just a youngster going head to head against two guys in their prime.

Brodeur will go on to play several seasons after Hasek and especially Roy retired, easily trumping them and everyone else in career numbers. In the time after Roy retired and Hasek initially retired, Brodeur has been the best goalie over the course of that time:

Just for fun, here's a comparative of Brodeur and Hasek upon Hasek's return to the NHL after retiring in 2002:

Brodeur played a lot more, which would get him the nod in award voting. The 40 year old Hasek simply could not play as many games any longer, but his save percentage and especially his GAA remain impressive.

Still, Brodeur will always be compared to Roy and Hasek. Here's a look at the career totals:

And we have not even talked about international play, where both Hasek and Brodeur have starred time and time again, including as Olympic gold medalists. Roy either shunned or was not asked to participate in international tourneys.

I think of Martin Brodeur as the goaltending equivalent of Gordie Howe. Brodeur has been remarkably consistent throughout his long career and will post amazing totals because of that, not unlike Howe.

Howe was very good, for a very long time, yet ther players had higher peak performances like Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr and Mario Lemieux.

A very similar case could be built for Martin Brodeur, Patrick Roy, Dominik Hasek and even older stars like Jacques Plante and Terry Sawchuk.

Here's some more interesting reads on Brodeur:

More About Marty - Eric Duhatschek
Bower Had 639 Pro Wins - Chris Mizzoni
A Unique Roy-Brodeur Comparison - Eyes On The Prize