Great Moments In Hockey History: Towel Power

The Chicago Blackhawks and  Vancouver Canucks met up in a physical grudge match in the Campbell Conference Finals way back in 1982. The Canucks won handily, 4 games to 1 and advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time.

Besides the fights, the most memorable part of this series was Roger Nielson's motion of surrender: the birth of towel power.

The Canucks travelled to Chicago to play the first two games in old Chicago Stadium. The Canucks won the opening game, in overtime. Game two was a different story, a 4-1 Chicago victory, thanks in large apart, at least in the minds of the Canucks, to bad officiating. Referee Bob Myers gave the Canucks four consecutive penalties in an era where referees were known to keep their whistles in their pockets.

Roger Nielson was so fed up with officiating that he sent not-so-subtle messages of mock surrender, raising a white towel high with a hockey stick. Soon other players, notably Tiger Williams, joined in.

With that proverbial surrender by white flag, a Vancouver hockey tradition was born. When the Canucks returned to Vancouver for game three, people in the streets, even the airplane taxi staff at YVR and of course every fan in attendance were waving these white towels. It was an amazing scene to see, and one that continues every spring in Vancouver and copied around the world in other sports and events.

Here's the YouTube footage of Nielson's iconic moment:



It has been debated if the Canucks started the sporting tradition of waving towels. It is generally regarded that NFL fans of the 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers were actually the first.

It is also interesting to know the story of Butts Girard, a local Vancouver wrestler turned t-shirt entrepreneur. It was Girard who cashed in nicely by coming up with the idea of outfitting Canucks fans with the towels.

It was early in the morning and Butts was beside himself with excitement. He told me he was going to find as many white towels as he could and was going to silkscreen sponsors' names (and his own company logo, of course) all over them. Then he was going to distribute them outside the Pacific Coliseum the following night at the Canucks' next game against the Blackhawks.

Here's the full story of Butts Girard.

Also here's a few more visual memories of the Canucks/Blackhawks series from 1982:

Stanley Cup Legends: Super Mario

Has there ever been an unstoppable Stanley Cup legend as Mario Lemieux?

Hart Trophy Nominees Announced

The Hart Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the "player adjudged most valuable to his team" in the National Hockey League. That being said, there has been a gradual trend to give the Hart Trophy to the "best player" in the NHL.

The Hart Trophy was named in 1924 in honour of Canadian Dr. David Hart. Dr. Hart, who donated the original trophy to the NHL, was the father of Cecil Hart, a former Coach and General Manager of the Montreal Canadiens hockey club.

Today the NHL announced the 2009 nominees: Pavel Datsyuk, Evgeni Malkin and your reigning MVP Alexander Ovechkin.

The Hart is the most important individual trophy in hockey. Every eligible player who has won the Hart trophy has also been enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

The Hart Memorial Trophy has been awarded 83 times to 51 different players since its beginnings in 1924.

Here's the break down by team:

16 - Montreal Canadiens
12 - Boston Bruins
9 - Detroit Red Wings
9 - Edmonton Oilers
6 - Chicago Blackhawks
6 - Combined defunct teams
5 - Pittsburgh Penguins
4 - New York Rangers
4 - Philadelphia Flyers
2 - St. Louis Blues
2 - Buffalo Sabres
2 - Colorado Avalanche
2 - Toronto Maple Leafs
1 - New York Islanders
1 - Los Angeles Kings
1 - Tampa Bay Lightning
1 - San Jose Sharks
1 - Washington Capitals

Here's the break down by position:

41 - Center
14 - Right wing
13 - Defense
7 - Left Wing
6 - Goaltender

HHOF Worthy: Sergei Fedorov?

Adam Kimelman of NHL.com hit the nail on the head when he proclaimed Sergei Fedorov's series winning goal against New York last night brings back memories of one the game's greatest players.

A decade ago, Sergei Fedorov was Alexander Ovechkin, streaking up and down the ice, making jaw-dropping plays.

Of course the fans in Washington remember the great Fedorov all too well. After all, in 1998 he was a key player for the Detroit Red Wings team that defeated the Washington Capitals in the Stanley Cup finals.

On Tuesday night at the Verizon Center, it was like 1998 all over again as Fedorov scored the series-clinching goal in Game 7.

It's the first time the Caps have advanced to the second round of the playoffs since 1998, the only time the Capitals have advanced to the Stanley Cup Final. Those Caps were swept by the Detroit Red Wings -- and the winning goal in Game 3, played in Washington, was scored by Fedorov.

Those were the days. Fedorov was one of my favorite players, the last classic Soviet-era centerman as creative in the offensive zone as he was heady in the defensive zone. He was blessed with speed and puck skills but above all he had a wonderful hockey mind.

Even in the height of his career some people claimed he was an enigma. That always bugged me. While I admit he looked disinterested in Anaheim and Columbus, the truth of the matter was he was an effortless player because he understood the game so well. He was always in such good position that he, unlike so many players in the league, did not have to go all out to make the play. Some fans hate that, I love it. In his prime he was a near perfect hockey player.

He was so flawless offensively that several times in his career he actually dropped back and played entire games as a rearguard, and play it wll. That is an incredibly rare thing to do, especially for an offensive player.

Sometime Fedorov did leave you wanting more, especially offensively. Even though he scored nearly 500 goals and nearly 1200 points, his talent suggested he could have raised those numbers some. But the bigger the game the better the performance by Fedorov. In four consecutive Stanley Cup playoffs between 1995 and 1998 Fedorov scored 20 points or more. Even Wayne Gretzky never scored 20 points in four consecutive playoffs.

As far as I am concerned Sergei Fedorov is an easy lock for the Hockey Hall of Fame. He was a key member of three Stanley Cup championships. He won a Hart Trophy and Pearson Trophy, and two Selke's and scored nearly 500 goals and 1200 points.

Stanley Cup Legends: The Messiah, Mark Messier

Like Patrick Roy, Mark Messier's playoff legacy is divided into two eras with two teams.

He started with his hometown Edmonton Oilers, winning five Stanley Cups in seven seasons between 1984 and 1990. Though the Oilers were Wayne Gretzky's team, Messier was Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP in the Oilers first championship in 1984. And it was definitely Mark Messier's Oilers that won the 1990 Stanley Cup, just 2 seasons after trading the Great One.

Messier took his five Stanley Cup rings and a bunch of former Oilers teammates with him to Manhattan where he became captain of the New York Rangers. In 1994 Messier became "the Messiah" in New York, leading the Rangers to their first Stanley Cup championship since 1940.

Messier's signature contribution in those 1994 playoffs came with his team down 3 games to 2 to the New Jersey Devils in the 1994 Eastern Conference final. Messier guaranteed New York fans that the Rangers would win Game 6 and return home for the seventh and deciding contest. The Rangers not only won the game 4-2, but Messier backed up his bold prediction by scoring a hat trick.

Full Mark Messier Biography

Selke Trophy Nominees Announced

The Selke Trophy goes to the best defensive forward in the NHL. This year's nominees are Pavel Datsyuk, Ryan Kesler and Mike Richards. All three are excellent choices. I think this might be Richards' year.

The award has been handed out since 1978. Here's the historical award break down by team:

7 - Montreal Canadiens
5 - Detroit Red Wings
3 - Dallas Stars
2 - Philadelphia Flyers
2 - Buffalo Sabres
2 - Chicago Blackhawks
2 - Carolina Hurricanes
1 - Boston Bruins
1 - Washington Capitals
1 - St. Louis Blues
1 - Toronto Maple Leafs
1 - Pittsburgh Penguins
1 - New Jersey Devils
1 - New York Islanders

Here's the award break down by position:

21 - Center
5 - Left Wing
3 - Right Wing

Putting The Puck On The 'Net

I have lots of posts today, so for my everyday readers I thought I would offer this handy little guide:

• Joe Thornton - Why He Should Not Be On Team Canada 2010
• Todd Bertuzzi - No Team Will Win The Stanley Cup With Him
  
• Top Ten First Round Surprise Players - Hello Varly
• Stanley Cup Flu - Flu Cancelled Stanley Cup in 1919. The scary thing - the Swine Flu may be related to that terrible illness.
  
• Stanley Cup Legends - Wayne Gretzky

Thanks again for reading everyone!

Joe Thornton Should Not Be On Canadian Olympic Team

Want to see a great disappearing act? Just watch Joe Thornton in big games.

Thornton has been in the league for 12 seasons now. The story remains the same - strong regular season point producer, and terrible playoff performer.

Here's the stats breakdown

Goals Per Game
NHL Season - 0.32
NHL Playoffs - 0.15

Assists Per Game
NHL Season - 0.69
NHL Playoffs - 0.53

Points Per Game
NHL Season - 1.01
NHL Playoffs - 0.68

Those are some pretty significant drops.

It should not be surprising, I suppose. The playoffs are no place for perimeter players who are unwilling to pay the physical price to succeed and handle to pressures of winning. Pretty play makers with no grit get nowhere in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The maddening thing is, of course, Thornton is 6'4" and 235lbs. He should be able to handle the physical game. But he flat out refuses to pay the price and drive to the net, score the big goal and be the hero. He would rather set up shop on the boards, out of harm's way, and make cross ice passes.

Vancouver 2010?

Steve Yzerman and Hockey Canada better be taking note. I am sure they are. After a promising showing at the 2004 World Cup, Thornton was one of the worst players on a disappointing Canadian Olympic team in 2006. Without any Stanley Cup playoff success to suggest growth, and with a long list of talent to pick from, Hockey Canada has not forgotten.

Even more disappointing than his performance in big games is his leadership abilities.

Look at his comments after going down 2 games to 0 against Anaheim. He showed no sense of urgency, just offering reassurance that if they just keep doing what they are doing "it will come."

Compare that to Calgary's Jarome Iginla. Also down 2 games to 0, an angry Iginla challenged his teammates to be better and to get the job done.

And After falling behind 3 games to 1 in game four, Thornton avoided the media altogether, slipping out the back door.

Who would you rather have on your team?

If there is a common trait Canadians will want to see on their 2010 Olympic team it will be big game players and leaders. Joe Thornton may be the highest scoring player this decade, but he will not be on the 2010 Canadian Olympic team.

Another Disappointing Playoff For Todd Bertuzzi

I have said it before and I will say it time and time again - no team will win a Stanley Cup with Todd Bertuzzi in the lineup.

As always, I have to preface my Bertuzzi comments by admitting I have never, ever liked Bertuzzi. That's not uncommon nowadays, but unlike most people, I could not stand the guy before the whole Steve Moore incident. Even back in 2003, when Bertuzzi was at his unstoppable best, I could not warm to him despite my being an ardent Vancouver Canucks fan.

For all his amazing ability, size and puck skills, he is almost rendered ineffective because he is incredibly undisciplined. In fact, he is probably the most undisciplined player I have ever seen.

I do not just mean in terms of physical plays and penalties. He is not willing to do the little things necessary for team success. He probably holds the NHL record for taking the most penalties while his team has the man advantage. I find him to be amazingly selfish, frustratingly lazy but almost worst of all I would even question his hockey sense.

Take last night. The Calgary Flames are playing in their most important game of the season, trying to stave off elimination by the Chicago Blackhawks. Just 1:27 into the game Bertuzzi takes a needless elbowing penalty, putting his team behind the 8-ball almost from the start of the game, just like in game 5 I might add. Less than a minute later Patrick Kane scores to give Chicago the much needed early edge. Adam Burish scored eight minutes later (both goals were assisted by Dustin Byfuglein, a Bertuzzi like clone in terms of size and skills), and the Flames were all but officially extinguished by the mid way point of the first period.

It all reminds me of the 2006 Olympics. Remember that Canada-Russia game that ended Canada's medal hopes? Let me refresh your memory. The two teams were entangled in a real naibiter, 0-0 after two periods. Alexander Ovechkin scored the game winning goal early in the penalty box. Where was Bertuzzi? In the penalty box after taking a lazy interference penalty.

More proof in the pudding - a team can not win with Todd Bertuzzi.

Top Ten First Round Surprise Players

Here's a look at 10 players who really impressed me in the first round of the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs.

10. Matt Walker, Chicago - I knew nothing about this gigantic defenseman before the playoffs. He has shown some real nice poise in his first post-season, never, unlike his finger, getting bent out of shape. He's shown heart, toughness, and a good first pass.

9. Ryan Johnson, Vancouver - Another finger-impaired player, Ryan Johnson was plagued all season with a bad finger injury which will require surgery in the off-season. He did not show Vancouver fans a lot during the season for that reason, but he has upped his game significantly in the post-season. He is a shot blocking machine and, regardless of the finger, is winning key face-offs.

8. Keith Tkachuk, St. Louis - Mr. Tkachuk has a terrible playoff reputation, and statistically he did not much as his Blues were swept in four games. But aside from Andy McDonald, Tkachuk was the Blues' most noticeable player, providing a great physical presence.

7. Brent Seabrook, Chicago - This guy has been, as TSN's Pierre McGuire would say, a monster! Walker, Seabrook and Cam Barker are all maturing on Chicago's blue line right before our eyes. That is not to mention Ducan Keith and Brian Campbell, and you can see why the Blackhawks are a very dangerous team this spring.

6. Eric Staal, Carolina - Staal is not a true surprise, as he's a pretty special player to begin with. That being said, after winning the Cup as a 21 year old his play levelled of a bit. At times against New Jersey he returned his game to that rare superstar level. If he can keep this up it will be hard to keep him off Team Canada 2010.

5. Paul Martin, New Jersey - At the other end of that series is New Jersey. Long gone are the days of big name defensemen in New Jersey - Niedermayer, Stevens, Rafalski. Paul Martin is now the guy on the blue line. Watching him up close definitely gives us a great appreciation of Paul Martin's abilities.

4. Ryan Callahan, New York - I've never really watched this pint sized player before. He's noticeable because of his size, but the more I watch the more obvious it is he can really play in this league.

3. Jonas Hiller, Anaheim - Not too many people knew of Jonas Hiller before this playoff. He has been hot down the stretch of the regular season, but has not tapered at all under the pressure of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

2. Claude Giroux, Philadelphia - The Flyers' first round was over quick, but Flyers fans have to excited about Giroux. He oozes potential.

1. Simeon Varlamov - Great story here, as the young Russian goalie dares to recreate Ken Dryden's fairy tale beginning to his career.

Flu Epidemic Cancelled Stanley Cup in 1919

Much of the world is worry (sensationalizing?) this new Swine Flu epidemic. When the World Health Organization issues a pandemic alert it must be serious.

This Swine Flue apparently has potential to be something significant. This flu has something called a H1N1 virus. H1N1 was the key ingredient in the "Spanish Flu" of 1918 and 1919 that is estimated to have killed as many as 100 million people world wide.

There was another casualty of that famous flu - the Stanley Cup. The NHL actually had to end the Stanley Cup finals before a winner could be declared. Prior to the 2004-05 lockout season it was the only time the Stanley Cup was not awarded.

The decisive sixth game was to supposed to decide the winner, as the Montreal Canadiens and Seattle Metropolitans battled to two wins a piece with one tied game. The game was to be played in Seattle.

The Montreal Canadiens could not ice a full team for the game, as Joe Hall, Louis Berlinquette, Billy Coutu, Jack McDonald and manager George Kennedy were all in hospital. With the Canadiens short players, Kennedy tried to borrow PCHA players from nearby Victoria. Frank Patrick refused any such request.

Knowing he could not ice a team, Kennedy felt he had no choice but to forfeit the Stanley Cup to Seattle. But Mets coach Pete Muldoon refused to accept the Cup under such dire circumstances. No winner was declared.

Hall died of flu-related pneumonia five days after the game was supposed to have taken place. Kennedy survived, but was said to have never been healthy again. He died in 1921.

Hopefully no NHL teams of 2009 fall ill to flu!

Stanley Cup Legends: The Great One

Wayne Gretzky certainly needs no introduction. And his playoff record needs no polishing for inclusion as a true legend of the Stanley Cup.

• Captained four Stanley Cup championship teams, made two other Finals appearances.
• Conn Smythe Trophy Winner in 1985 and 1988 as playoffs MVP.
  
• All Time leader in playoff goals (122), assists (260), and points (382) in 208 career games.
• Single playoff record holder for assists (31) and points (47).
• All time leader in game winning goals (24) and hat tricks (10).

Vezina Trophy Nominees Announced

First awarded in 1927, the Vezina Trophy has been around a long time. That being said, it has quite the different history from most NHL awards.

The trophy was named after the early goaltending great Georges Vezina. Upon his early death the former owners of the Montreal Canadiens donated the trophy to the NHL to commemorate the best goalie in hockey.

Up until 1980-81 the trophy annually went to the goaltender/goaltending tandem who allowed the fewest goals against. No voting, just whoever let the fewest goals in was given the Vezina. Though far from a perfect method, it made some sense in the era where teams used only one goalie.

Once it became common practice to use two goalies in the late 1960s and 1970s, the award became less meaningful in many ways. Especially considering it basically was a team defense award, as the best goalie in hockey did not necessarily play for the team with the best team defense.

So in 1981-82 a change was made. The goalies/team with the fewest goals against in a season were now awarded the William Jennings Trophy. The Vezina would be awarded to the best goaltender in the league each season, as deemed by voting of the NHL general managers, not the media.

So as you can see there is a bit of a confusing history here. Let's look at the award's historical breakdowns, starting only from 1982:

7 - Buffalo Sabres
5 - Montreal Canadiens
4 - New Jersey Devils
3 - Chicago Blackhawks
2 - Washington Capitals
1 - New York Islanders
1 - Boston Bruins
1 - Philadelphia Flyers
1 - New York Rangers
1 - Edmonton Oilers
1 - Calgary Flames

Including the original awarding method, the Montreal Canadiens lead all franchises with 28 Vezina awards.

This year's Vezina Trophy nominees are:

Tim Thomas, Boston
Nicklas Backstrom, Minnesota
Steve Mason, Columbus

Last Whistle - The Day Dean Bergeron's Life Changed Forever

This is Dean Bergeron. He is one of Canada's most decorated Paralympians. He has competed in four Paralympic Games from 1996 through 2008, winning three gold medals, two silver and five bronze in the track and field.

Bergeron was destined to be a Canadian sports star, although wheelchair track and field certainly was not his first choice. His first choice was the great Canadian game - hockey.

Here is a picture of Bergeron at community rink. He once starred on the ice, as a fully able-bodied athlete. He was a promising young star in the QMJHL, with NHL scouts taking notice.

His destiny all changed in a training camp scrimmage in August, 1987. Bergeron was engaged in a hockey fight. In one fleeting moment he hit his head on the ice, broke his neck and was paralyzed permanently.

Since Don Sanderson's death under similar circumstances, Bergeron's story has once again surfaced, too. It's hard to believe some 20 years after Bergeron's life-altering injury nothing has changed. A player has now died on the ice, and no significant change is in the horizon.

Bergeron recently told his story to CBC Radio's The Inside Track. You can listen to the podcast here, or read this CBC news story based on the radio interview.

Canada Gets Revenge On Hungary

I just love this photo. It comes from the 2007 book release World of Hockey by the IIHF, my favorite hockey book that year, by the way.

Not surprisingly, Canada defeated Hungary handily yesterday, walloping them 9-0 at the 2009 World Hockey Championships.

Hungary has returned to the WHCs for the first time in 70 years. Yesterday's game was the first meeting between Hungary and Canada at this tournament since February 18, 1938!

Even more amazing - that game ended in a 1-1 tie! That is amazing considering at that time Canada was basically unbeatable.

Andrew Podnieks has all the details over at IIHF.com

Stanley Cup Legends: St. Patrick, Patrick Roy

Today's Stanley Cup Legend is arguably the greatest NHL playoff performer of all time - goaltender Patrick Roy.

St. Patrick led the Montreal Canadiens to an unexpected Stanley Cup title as a rookie in 1986. For his efforts, Roy won his first Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs MVP. Then in 1993 he had one of the greatest post-seasons in NHL history when he won 10 overtime games to give Montreal the edge over Wayne Gretzky's Los Angeles Kings. Roy won another Smythe trophy.

Roy moved to Colorado and won two more Stanley Cups, in 1996 and 2001. In 2001 he won his third Smythe award, an impressive 15 years after his first. It also marks the most playoff MVP nods of any player in NHL history.

NHL greatness is cemented with playoff success. Though he owns practically every NHL regular season record for a goalie, he is considered to be the greatest goaltender of all time not for most career wins but for his 4 Stanley Cups and 3 Conn Smythes.

Read full Patrick Roy career biography

Juneau Suing Financial Advisor

Former NHL star Joe Juneau is suing his former financial advisor/"lifestyle coach."

Arizona based Phillip Kenner is said to have scammed Juneau and other NHLers of $20 million, according to the lawsuit. The FBI is now looking into the matter, as well.

Juneau is the third NHLer to pursue legal action against Kenner. Owen Nolan has filed for arbitration, while Jozef Stumpel filed a federal lawsuit in 2008, but later dropped the case.

Ethan Moreau has a lawsuit against against Tommy Constantine, a close associate of Kenner's.

Here's the full details.

Kenner, who has been unlicensed since 2003, once claimed to the chief financial advisor for both Mark Messier and musical act N'Sync.

More On Ladislav Scurko

The hockey world was shocked when former Philadelphia Flyers draft pick Ladislav Scurko confessed to murdering a linesman over a year ago. He was arrested last week.

A few more pieces of information are coming to the forefront now. Allan Maki of The Globe and Mail has a great column, with the motive speculation pointing at gambling problems.

Torts And Schoeny

Who would have guessed Sean Avery would be on the bench but John Tortorella would not be for game six of the New York Rangers game six in their series against the Washington Capitals?

Torts is suspended for one game due to an altercation with Washington fans in game five. So who is coaching the Rangers today? Assistant coach Jim Schoenfeld. Yes, the "have another donut, you fat pig" Jim Schoenfeld from 1988.

Schoenfeld might be the best person to coach a team in this unique situation. Schoenfeld is the only other one of two other head coaches in NHL history who missed a playoff game due to a suspension.

UPDATE: Special thanks to Bob Duff for pointing out that Detroit's Jack Adams also missed NHL playoff games due to suspension. He missed the final three games of the 1942 Stanley Cup Finals for abusing the officials. 1942, eh? That's the year the Wings had a 3-0 series lead and blew it, losing four games in a row and losing the Stanley Cup!

Patrick Marleau Is A Playoff Stud

Great game last night between San Jose and Anaheim. The Sharks staved off elimination thanks to Patrick Marleau's OT goal and strong performance.

San Jose is still in real trouble here, as the Ducks still lead the series 3 games to 2 and have been the better team. Thoughts of yet another San Jose playoff failure have heaped heavy criticism on the Sharks top players - Joe Thornton, which is much deserve, and Patrick Marleau, which is not.

I'll comment on Thornton another day. As the resident superstar, he takes a lot of heat for his poor playoff play. Marleau, as team's long time captain, too often gets grouped together with Thornton. To do so is to spread a serious falsehood.

True Patrick Marleau hasn't been able to lead the Sharks to playoff success, but he has played well in the playoffs.

Marleau's OT goal last night was his 32nd playoff goal since 2002. He is the highest goal scorer in that time period:

Patrick Marleau - 32 goals in 69 games
Henrik Zetterberg - 31 goals in 66 games
Joe Sakic - 28 goals in 58 games
Daniel Alfredsson - 28 goals in 69 games
Jarome Iginla - 27 goals in 51 games
Chris Drury - 26 goals in 69 games
Marian Hossa - 26 goals in 65 games
Daniel Briere - 23 goals in 62 games
Martin St. Louis - 23 goals in 45 games
Tomas Holmstrom - 23 goals in 85 games

Not only is he the leading playoff goal scorer in the last 7 years, but he also leads in game winning goals. Marleau has 10 game winning goals, one better than Drury and two better than Alfredsson and Johan Franzen.

In that same time frame he is also tied for the lead in short handed goals (3), second in even strength goals (18), and tied for third in power play goals (11).

So do not be so quick to put Patrick Marleau in the same playoff-failure boat as Joe Thornton. Marleau has proven to be a good playoff player.

No Hockey On A Sunday! Stanley Cup Game Ended Tied

On March 31st, 1951 the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins battled in what was described as "one of the most gruelling NHL playoff games on record." The game went into overtime, but was never completed.

Why was it never finished? Because of Sunday.

Back in those days the city of Toronto had a municipal bylaw that forbade events such as professional sports on a Sunday.

Well game 2 of the Leafs-Bruins opening round series started on Saturday, but threatened to pass over midnight into Sunday, heaven forbid. So when the first overtime period ended minutes before the clock struck twelve, the game was called. Final score 1-1.

Officially the game never counted, although the player's statistics did. Here's Jim Vipond's account from the April 2nd, 1951 Globe and Mail:

"Although the statistics will be incorporated into the record book to recall a bruising night in big-time hockey, the result is wiped out. If necessary to declare a winner, the game will be replayed as the 8th contest at the conclusion of the 7 game series."

That meant after seven periods and 140 minutes of the most physical hockey ever played, the Bruins held just a 1-0 series lead, with games three and four moving back to Boston. The Leafs would come back to win the series 4 games to 2.

Arrested During Stanley Cup Playoffs

Yesterday I referred to a Slovakian report about a former NHL prospect who was arrested for murder.

Way back in the 1943 Stanley Cup playoffs an NHL player was arrested by the FBI.

Detroit's tough guy defenseman Jimmy Orlando was arrested and charged with draft evasion. He was accused of falsifying documents that stated he was employed in an essential war job and therefore free from military service.

Orlando was found guilty of the charges. He was able to avoid jail time by enlisting in the Canadian army.

Orlando did survive the war, but he never returned to the NHL. He continued to play senior hockey mostly in the Montreal and Valleyfield, Quebec regions.

You can read the full Jimmy Orlando biography here.

Slovakian Player Arrested For Murder

KOSICE, Slovakia – Kosice police arrested 23-year-old forward Ladislav Scurko on Thursday. The Slovakian player is suspected of murder and has confessed to it, the police announced at a press conference on Friday.

Scurko is suspected of having killed referee Marek Liptaj with 14 knife stabs in January 2008 at a highway roadhouse. The corpse, buried in a forest, was discovered in December 2008.

Full Story. By the way, Scurko was a 2004 draft pick of the Philadelphia Flyers. He did play some junior hockey in the WHL with Seattle, but otherwise has never played pro hockey in North America.

Lady Byng Nominees Announced

This is the Lady Byng Trophy. It was donated by Lady Byng back in 1925 to honour the most gentlemanly player.

Byng herself actually picked the award's first winner, Ottawa's Frank Nighbor. From 1928 through 1935 Frank Boucher won the award 7 times in 8 years, and Byng actually told Boucher to keep the award and she would donate a new trophy.

Other notable multiple winners include Bobby Bauer (3), Red Kelly (4), Alex Delvecchio (3), Mike Bossy (3), Ron Francis (3) and Wayne Gretzky (5).

We can add Pavel Datsyuk to the list. He's won the award the last three years in a row, and has been nominated for a fourth, along with Zach Parise and Martin St. Louis.

Here's the award break down by team:

14 - New York Rangers
13 - Detroit Red Wings
9 - Toronto Maple Leafs
8 - Chicago Blackhawks
8 - Boston Bruins
5 - Los Angeles Kings
4 - Combined defunct teams
- New York Islanders
3 - Pittsburgh Penguins
- St. Louis Blues
2 - Montreal Canadiens
- Edmonton Oilers
- Calgary Flames
- Anaheim Ducks
1 - Buffalo Sabres
- Tampa Bay Lightning
- Carolina Hurricanes
- Colorado Avalanche

Award break down by position:

56 - Center
13 - Right Wing
10 - Left Wing
4 - Defense

Only two defenseman have ever won the award, Bill Quackenbush and Red Kelly, who won the award three times as a defenseman, and once as a center.

Kevin Maguire Shows The Money

The Toronto Maple Leaf player in this picture is Kevin Maguire.

He is a former Leafs and Sabres tough guy who played 260 games in the NHL in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was an all heart and guts type of player, chipping in 29 goals and 59 points in his career. He spent most of his time bending the rules, as his 782 career penalty minutes attest.

After his career as a hockey player ended he remained on the ice as enforcer - this time as an enforcer of rules. He became a minor league referee who saw action in the NHL in parts of three seasons at the turn of the century.

Early in the new century Maguire left the ice and turned to the world of business. He does something called "sales" for a trucking company.

Somehow he must have made some pretty big friends in the world of business, because yesterday he was identified as the head of a group that is trying to land a second NHL franchise in Toronto.

The idea of another Toronto based team is not new. Ask Jim Balsillie. Ask the folks who have lived in Hamilton the last 30 years. The amount of money that would be needed to a) build a rink, b) acquire a franchise and c) compensate the Maple Leafs and probably the Buffalo Sabres would be an astronomical number. So I, for one, would be curious to learn how Kevin Maguire, a fringe NHLer I once admired, has found himself as the front man of this group.

That we may never know, not unless this group and the NHL enter into far more serious talks. These stories tend to be fly by night and closer to fiction than fact, and we may never hear from this group again.

But the Kevin Maguire I do know gave it everything he had on the ice, and I'm sure he's doing that in the world of business. Here's a look at Kevin Maguire.

Norris Trophy Nominees Announced

This is the Norris Trophy, better known in recent years as the Nicklas Lidstrom Trophy. Since 1954 the NHL has handed out the award to the league's best defenseman.

This year the award will go to either Lidstrom (looking for his 7th straight title), Zdeno Chara or Mike Green, as announced by the NHL today.

Lidstrom certainly has enjoyed domination of the trophy this decade. Repeat winners are common though. The award has been handed out 53 times, to only 21 different players.

The most famous multiple winners are Doug Harvey (7), Bobby Orr (8), Ray Bourque (5) and Lidstrom.

Boston has certainly enjoyed a lot of great defensemen over the years - Orr and Bourque, with Chara likely to win a Norris soon. Eddie Shore and Dit Clapper pre-dated the award.

Here's a look at the award's breakdown by team:

13 - Boston Bruins
12 - Montreal Canadiens
7 - Detroit Red Wings
6 - Chicago Blackhawks
4 - New York Rangers
3 - New York Islanders
2 - Washington Capitals
2 - Edmonton Oilers
2 - St. Louis Blues
1 - Pittsburgh Penguins
1 - New Jersey Devils

Habs Season Ends Mercifully

This is Bob Gainey. He's a great hockey man. But he's no Superman.

I am not even going to begin to try and figure out what went wrong in Montreal this season. Let's just say pretty much everything. There was probably 100 things gone wrong in this the Habs centennial season.

Check out Dennis Kane, Eyes On The Prize, Habs Inside/Out and Hefter on the Habs for all the analysis you can handle and then some.

There will be many changes this summer. It will be an interesting exercise to watch unfold.

The Gillis Effect: Are The Canucks Any Closer?

When Dave Nonis was rudely dismissed by Canucks ownership last summer, the word was he was fired for not getting the team deeper into the playoffs.

Enter Mike Gillis, the ownership's hand picked man. He added salt to Nonis' wounds by proclaiming he was inheriting a team that was "not close at all" to contending for the Stanley Cup.

Almost a year later, the Canucks find themselves in round two, convincingly beating the St. Louis Blues, and looking great doing it. Suddenly the Canucks are not just a team with a dangerous goalie. They are a veteran laden team, hungry for success and blessed with depth on defense and forward.

There are still areas of concerns, not unlike every other team though. The Cup is still a long ways away, but I think it is safe to say the northwest division champion Canucks are a contender. They are certainly closer than "not close at all."

The question is how much of their improvement is due to Mike Gillis?

A solid case could be built to suggest Gillis' additions are not the reason for the Canucks improvement. Let's take a look at it on a case by case basis:

Successes

Ryan Johnson - Johnson's late season and playoff play salvages a success rating. Granted a finger injury hindered him all year, but for much of the regular season he was a non factor.. He was not a notable upgrade as the advertised faceoff expert (see the finger injury) or the penalty kill.

But he's really upped his game in the playoffs, giving coach Vigneault improved penalty killing and trust in the 4th line to eat up some playoff minutes.

Kyle Wellwood - After an early season demotion to the minors, it looked like the Kyle Wellwood experiment was over before it began. But he came back quickly, and put up some points early, earning a spot on the team for the rest of the season, even when a mid-season scoring slump placed him back in the coaches dog house.

But Wellwood brilliantly reinvented himself as an effective third line center. He provides some offense while providing surprisingly solid and heady defensive play. This gave the Canucks a very solid third line, allowing the Canucks to come at teams in waves.

Jason Labarbera - Labarbera was brought in mid-season during Roberto Luongo's injury absence. With Curtis Sanford failing and rookie Corey Schneider not quite ready for the big time, Labarbera stepped in with a couple of big wins to calm the storm.

But ultimately his job is to take shots in practice and open the gate and hand out towels during games. Success, but to minimal benefit.

Draws

Steve Bernier - Bernier was brought in as a much publicized top line right wing candidate for the Sedin twins. Though given ample opportunity early in the season, Bernier never really clicked with the Sedins, largely because he never kept his stick on the ice while waiting for the Sedins to thread the puck to him. Gillis did not do his homework on this one.

Based on expectations, Bernier was a disappointment. But by playoff time he has found a nice role on the Canucks third line, accepting a physical and defensive role. So far during the playoffs he has been very good. Bernier has benefited from Taylor Pyatt's absence.

Still, ultimately, Bernier's failure on the top line is only forgiven because the Canucks did eventually find a top line right winger for the Sedins - Alex Burrows, who at the time was the Canucks third line left winger.

Shane O'Brien - I like Shane O'Brien. His physical game is a nice upgrade on the third D-pairing over the departed Lukas Krajicek. He showed some real nice mobility and puck moving, and a willingness to stand up for teammates.

But O'Brien was also prone to lazy penalties and occasional bad gambles with the puck. And while he was not added for offense, his 0 goals and 10 assists are hardly irreplaceable.

All of that led to strained relations with coach Alain Vigneault. At times the dispute boiled over into the media and threatened to distract the team.

Pavol Dimetra - Dimetra is a Gillis-loyalist, and was all too happy to come to Vancouver. But expectations were high, perhaps unfairly so given his age, as Dimetra was essentially replacing long time captain and offensive leader Markus Naslund. His 20 goals and 53 points equalled what Naslund would have provided.

I can't call this an out-right success though. Removing Naslund may have been a necessary move in terms of team culture, and replacing his production was necessary. But Dimetra's game offered nothing new. At this age he is a soft, perimeter player who scored the quietest 53 points in the NHL. For long stretches of time he was almost unnoticeable.

Darcy Hordichuk - I know a lot of people like him, especially coach Vigneault. And I understand he is a great guy in the dressing room.

But his on ice contributions were negligible. 4 goals and 1 assist - that's fine, that's not why he is there. He's there for physicality. As a fighter he is willing, but able only as a middleweight. Against the true big boys he is more of a wrestler than anything.

He was said to be more than a goon, and that he would be able to play some minutes. He can, and generally won't hurt the team. But when the team needed a real good energy shift, Hordichuk's lack of mobility keeps him from contributing with heavy forechecking and inspiring bodychecks.

He fills his role well, but it also would not be hard to find an upgrade.

Failures

Mats Sundin - The biggest failure has to be Mats Sundin. For a pro-rated $10 million for half a season, not to mention all the drawn out hype, Sundin has delivered almost nothing. He's struggled to keep up with the play, and has never found his timing. He failed to bring the power play to the upper echelon. And though his linemates have found some life, he personally has added little offensive presence, taking little pressure off the Sedin twins.

Gillis' biggest splash ended up getting a lot of mud on his face. I just thank the lord above Sundin only signed for one year at $10 million and not 2 years.

Rob Davison - Yeah, he is still with the team. He played 23 games and looked very much like an AHL defenseman. Thankfully Shane O'Brien came along to provide Davison's intended role and the team's blue line stayed relatively healthy.

Michel Oullette, Jason Krog, and Lawrence Nycholat barely played and delivered no returns.

Inconclusive

Ossi Vaananen - A nice depth move late in the season. Vaananen has barely had a chance to play. When he has he is limited to small minutes, as coach Vigneault almost goes to a 5 man blue line. Vaananen really needed more regular season play to better fit in in these emergency situations.

Conclusion

So how much did Gillis' moves improve the team? For the most part his additions are largely replaceable puzzle pieces. This team's success very much depends on Roberto Luongo, the Sedin twins, Ryan Kesler, Alex Burrows and a deep blue line, all pieces Gillis inherited.

In fact, Vancouver's rise from "not close at all" to Stanley Cup contender has had more to do with the maturation of the Sedins, Ryan Kesler and Alex Burrows and good health especially amongst the defensemen.

It's too bad Dave Nonis did not have that benefit.

Stanley Cup Legends: Number Four, Bobby Orr

There are no words that can do the greatness of Bobby Orr true justice. If you want words, check out my biography. Otherwise, enjoy these pictures.

Calder Trophy Nominees Announced

The NHL has announced the nominees for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's best rookie. Steve Mason and Bobby Ryan are no surprise, with Kris Versteeg getting slot #3 over Pekke Renne and Drew Doughty.

The NHL first handed out a rookie of the year award in 1933. In 1937 the award was named after Frank Calder, the NHL's president since day one in 1917. In 1943 the award was renamed the Calder Memorial Trophy after Calder's death.

Here's a few interesting observations over the years:

Teams to have best rookie:
9 - Toronto Maple Leafs
- Combined defunct teams
8 - Chicago Blackhawks
- Boston Bruins
- New York Rangers
6 - Montreal Canadiens
5 - Detroit Red Wings
3 - New York Islanders
- Calgary Flames
2 - Buffalo Sabres
- New Jersey Devils
- Pittsburgh Penguins
1 - Los Angeles Kings
- Washington Capitals
- St. Louis Blues
- Atlanta Thrashers
- Vancouver Canucks
- Ottawa Senators
- Colorado Avalanche
- San Jose Sharks

Best rookie, by position:
23 - Center
18 - Right Wing
15 - Goaltender
9 - Left Wing
9 - Defense

Traditionally there has been a bias against rookie defensemen. The first defenseman to win the award was Kent Douglas, and that was not until 1963.

No Time To Spare

• Jussi Jokinen's goal with 0.2 seconds remaining in the third period not only gave the Carolina Hurricanes a most dramatic victory, but also set a record for the latest game winning goal scored in regulation time of a NHL playoff game. Bob Pulford of the Toronto Maple Leafs previously held the record. In game one of the 1964 Stanley Cup Finals Pulford scored with just two seconds left to give the Leafs the series lead over the Detroit Red Wings.
• Vancouver's 4-0 series victory over St. Louis gave the Canucks their first ever best of seven series sweep in franchise history.
• The Blues played hard for stretches in the series, including dominating much of game four. With a couple of lucky bounces, or anyone other than Roberto Luongo in net, the Blues would still be alive, and maybe even would have gotten one more home date in game six.
  
• There is something magical about Bob Cole's voice on Hockey Night In Canada. I know they are phazing him out. He's getting older and over the course of a long season his work has notably deteriorated. But after a long break from him, I sure welcome his unique style back in the Montreal-Boston series.
  
• Much of this season's focus has been on pests. Sean Avery. Steve Ott. Adam Burish is the most talked about in the last couple of days. I know pests have been around as long as pucks and skates have, but could we not give these guys unsportsmanlike misconduct penalties. Not only does their antics precipitate acts of violence, but is detrimental and sometimes downright embarassing to the game.
• I had the strangest dream last night. It was back in the early 1980s and news reports had Mark "The Bird" Fidrych beating up Edmonton defenseman Charlie Huddy outside of the Oilers dressing room right before a game. I wonder how to interpret this one? And where was Dave Semenko?
  

Stanley Cup Legends: Marathon Man Mud Bruneteau

One of the biggest surprises for me in recent years is the amount of support there is for altering playoff overtime to prevent marathon games. I understand the difficulties it provides for American broadcasters, but to mess with playoff OT is downright sacrilegious in the eyes of Canadians.

Oh yeah, I forgot: the NHL is more interested in the fans it doesn't have than the fans it does have.

I wonder what Mud Bruneteau would think of all this. He more than anybody is a legend of hockey due to a marathon goal. He is remembered by history only because he ended the longest game in NHL history.

On March 24, 1936, the Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Maroons faced-off in what would turn out to be the longest game in National Hockey League history. The playoff match reached a 9th period (6 overtime periods) of scoreless hockey. While the era did not feature the same speed as the modern game does, you can understandably imagine just how exhausted and fatigued both teams were.

By the 9th period it became more and more essential to keep fresh legs on the ice. Top players on each team were greatly fatigued and teams began relying more and more on inexperienced younger players as they had more stamina to continue the marathon. One of those rookies was Moderre Bruneteau, the youngest player on the ice that night.

At the 16 minute mark of the 9th period, Bruneteau surrounded the puck in the Detroit zone. He made a centering pass to Hec Kilrea, who broke in on the Montreal defense. Kilrea faked a return pass and then slid it across the blue line and behind the Montreal defense. As the two Montreal defenders closed in to prevent Kilrea burst through, Bruneteau swept in behind the defensemen and, in far from classic fashion, banged home the loose puck in front of Montreal goalie Lorne Chabot.

The rookie won the game, and became immortalized forever as a hockey legend.

"Thank god" a relieved Bruneteau said. "Chabot fell down as I drove it in the net. It's the funniest thing. The puck just stuck there in the twine and didn't fall on the ice."

It was as if the puck and the net were as tired as the players were.

Read the full Mud Bruneteau biography

Hasek's Back, With Olympics In Mind

Dominik Hasek's retirement is over. Yes, again.

The Dominator has signed a one year contract with HC Moeller Pardubice, a club in the town where he was born and started his career with.

"I'm really glad I could sign a deal with this club," Hasek said. "It's a club where I spent the most years. I've never even thought I could play for any other club in the Czech Republic. I'm looking forward to the next season."

I do not believe for a second that Hasek is motivated by nostalgia. No. He's motivated by the 2010 Olympics. He wants to be there.

When asked about the possibility, Hasek said "will be a motivation for me in training." He also noted he was unaware if the coaching staff would be interested in him.

Art Skov Passes Away

Former NHL official Art Skov has passed way. He was 80.

History Tells Us...Winning Game 4 Is Nice, But Not Imperative

So most of the series are heading into game four now.

Vancouver and Boston are up 3 games to 0, giving them a real stranglehold on the series. According to WhoWins.com, NHL teams with a 3-0 series lead have a 98.7% likelihood of taking the series. The number jumps up to 99.2% if the team in the lead is also the top seed.

More good news for Canucks and Bruins fans. Historically speaking there is a 64.5% chance that the team with a 3-0 lead will also win game four and sweep the series.

Chicago, Pittsburgh, New York and New Jersey are all up 2 games to 1.

The good news is the leading team still has a 70.1% likelihood of winning the series, increasing to 77.5% for the top seeded teams.

The bad news is it is unlikely these teams will win game four. Only 47.1% of the time does the team extend the lead to 3-1. Being the top seed only improves the odds to 48.2%

How important is game four? Considering teams can potentially go up to a commanding 3-1 lead or equalize the series at 3-2, winning game four is not as important you might think. Here's a look at the winning percentage data from 1994 through 2008.

Winner of Game #1: 145-65 0.690
Winner of Game #2: 151-59 0.719
Winner of Game #3: 133-77 0.633
Winner of Game #4: 130-80 0.619
Winner of Game #5: 132-49 0.729
Winner of Game #6: 99-23 0.811
Winner of Game #7: 50-0 1.000

Still, going up 3-1 is essential. 234 times a series has seen one team lead 3-1 in a best of seven series since 1918. The leader has a series winning percentage of .915

Compare that to 398 series that have been knotted at 2-2. There is no advantage in that case, with the series being split an even 50/50!

In other news:

Former Hab Michael Ryder scored the game winner against Montreal on Monday night. In doing so he became only the second former Hab to do so in the past 32 years. The other was Sean Hill back on May 13, 2002.

The Canadiens have now lost seven straight playoff games, tying a club record set from 1962 to 1963 and again from 1996 to 1997. I think they will set a new record in game four.

In New York, Washington rookie goalie became the second youngest goalie to win against the Rangers at Madison Square Gardens. You may have heard of the youngest goalie - Patrick Roy.

Top Ten Famous Goals of the Stanley Cup Playoffs

Here are the top ten most famous goals in Stanley Cup history.

10. Theo Fleury vs. Edmonton, 1991 - That impromptu celebration continues to make Alexander Ovechkin jealous.

9. Pat LaFontaine vs. Washington, 1987 - It was not the longest game ever, but one of the most famous due to the dramatics of game seven. A young Pat Lafontaine makes Washington goalie Bob Mason famous.

8. Wayne Gretzky vs. Calgary, 1988 - For a guy who scored more goals than everybody, there is no real signature Gretzky goal. This is probably as close as they come.

7. Wayne Gretzky vs. Toronto, 1993 - Leafs fans will forever think of this goal when they think The Great One.

6. Mario Lemieux vs. Minnesota, 1991 - Super Mario could score more ways than anyone. But this is his most famous signature goal.

5. Guy LaFleur vs. Boston, 1979 - Lafleur's goal forced overtime and triggered a come from behind win for Montreal over Boston. This goal made Don Cherry famous.

4. Steve Smith vs. Edmonton, 1986 - Okay, actually it was Perry Berezan who got credit for this goal, knocking off Gretzky's Oilers in a gruelling seven game series against Calgary. In terms of fame, or more accurately infamy, few goals are better known.

3. Brett Hull vs. Buffalo, 1999 - Speaking of infamous goals, Dallas OT Cup clincher in 1999 may be the most controversial goal in the history of hockey.

2. Bobby Baun vs. Detroit, 1964 - Baun scored this Stanley Cup winning goal while with a broken
leg. This moment gave the Leafs the Cup, and gave Baun Stanley Cup immortality.

1. Bobby Orr vs. St. Louis, 1970 - Orr scores the Stanley Cup winning goal in overtime, and then flies through the air like Superman. This could be the most famous goal in the history of the sport.

Stanley Cup Legends: Thirsty Moore Unlikeliest Of Heroes

The New York Americans' goalie in this picture is Alfie Moore. The little known goalie is enjoying a beer after a game with Toronto goalie Turk Broda.

Moore only played 21 games for the Amerks, plus two more in the playoffs. Otherwise he was a well travelled, long time minor league goalie.

But he did get into one more NHL game. It is one of the greatest stories in Stanley Cup folklore.

In the 1938 NHL playoffs Chicago was playing Toronto in the Stanley Cup finals. Chicago's regular goalie Mike Karakas came down with a broken toe and was unable to play. The Hawks regular replacement Paul Goodman had not arrived to Toronto in time for game one, leaving Chicago without a goaltender to open the series. Furthermore, Toronto refused to let New York Rangers goalie Davey Kerr fill in.

Johnny Gottselig, who at that time was Chicago's captain remembered the situation very well:

" We had a noon meeting before the first game in Toronto that night, and Bill Stewart (player/referee Paul Stewart's grandfather) told us that Mike Karakas couldn't play, his toe was so bad. Our minor league goalie, Paul Goodman hadn't arrived. Alfie Moore was a minor league goaltender who lived in Toronto, so Stewart told me to go get him.

" I knew Alfie. I went to his house and his wife, Agnes, she said he's down at the tavern, you can find him there. I went down to the tavern and a guy told me Alfie just left here, you can find him at another one. I caught him at the second one, and he's sitting there with three or four other hockey players who were through for the season.

" I walked in and Alfie looked at me and said, ' By God am I glad to see you. I'd love to get a couple of tickets for tonight's game.' And I said, 'Boy, Alfie you got the best seat in the house.' When I told him he was going to play that night, he said, ' Boy, it's about time. That Connie Smythe is going to rue the day he ever sent me down to Pittsburgh. I should have been playing up here instead of Broda, I'll show that Connie Smythe.'

" Then he said let's have one more drink on that before we go. He'd had about ten or a dozen before that. We brought him back to the hotel, when Stewart, who was a non-drinker, saw him he said, ' Get him out of here, he won't play for us tonight.' I said, ' Hell, I'm not going into those nets Bill, and I don't think Mush March will (also a forward). This guy is going to play or else.'

" ' Well,' Bill said. 'It's your money fellows, if you want to use this guy go ahead and use him.'

"We took him out to the rink and put some coffee into him and put him under the shower. By game time he was in pretty good shape. The first shot they threw at him, it went in, the first shot of the game. But after that they couldn't put a puck by him and I guess that night he did show Connie Smythe."

Chicago won that first final game, April 5, 1938, 3-1. And beside the Gordie Drillon goal after 1:53, Alfred shut out the Maple Leafs. Gottselig by the way had two goals in that game.

It was Alfred's only game of the playoffs, as the Leafs insisted the Hawks had to use Goodman now that had arrived. But Chicago went on to win the Stanley Cup and Alfred got his name inscribed on the Cup. As further show of their appreciation, the Hawks gave Moore an engraved watch.

Anthems - Good & Bad

I always watch the Canadian broadcast of a game rather than the American. I actually quite enjoy NBC's and even Versus commentators and presentation, but there are certain Canadian-centric traditions I must simply indulge in.

Take for example - the national anthems. Almost always CBC will broadcast live coverage of both anthems. TSN and Sportsnet usually show at least the Canadian anthem.

American broadcasts very rarely show the anthems, which is a real shame. Take Sunday for example, where NBC audiences were not show the live coverage of God Bless America in Philadelphia, while CBC audiences were. How good was it? So good that NBC did a short feature on it coming out of the commercial break.

The Flyers of course have a tradition of having the legendary Kate Smith sing God Bless America, with great superstitious influence on the outcome of the game. When Smith sings, the Flyers almost always win.

Of course Ms. Smith died 23 years ago. They've carried on the tradition by showing video footage of her singing. In more recent years, they have combined the video footage and new anthem singer Lauren Hart, daughter of legendary Flyers announcer Gene Hart, to create one of the most stirring duets out there.

Of course, last night's anthem is not readily available on YouTube. Here's a similar performance from last season, I believe.



Great stuff from two great singers.

On the opposite end of the spectrum (no pun intended Flyers fans), there were a few classless buffoons in St. Louis last night. A small but noticeable minority of Blues fans were booing the Canadian national anthem. That's about as low as it gets.

If the series gets back to Vancouver, I hope Canucks fans cheer on the American anthem and show those few dozen idiots what class is all about.

Shoebox Memories: Rene Robert

This is Rene Robert. He was one of the greatest players in the history of the Buffalo Sabres. He was one third of the legendary French Connection line, scoring 552 points in 524 games in Buffalo. His jersey #14 hangs proudly in the rafters of the HSBC Center.

He sounded off this weekend, being extremely critical of his beloved Sabres. He ripped the management and the ownership for failing to sign star players, failing to replace them once they left, and eliminating the scouting staff.

Here's the full piece.

Tweet! Tweet!

Shaq tweets. Ashton Kutcher does it better than CNN. And now even Oprah is twittering.

I've been tweeting for a while now. I have removed my live Twitter feed from the side bar, however, as I found that particular app to slow my site's load time down, sometimes significantly.

So here's a reminder: You can find me on Twitter @HockeyLegends. My posts on hockey history and hockey books are all there, as well as more commentary and links on current events and non-hockey topics.

Can Hockey Save The Economy?

Okay, so the Stanley Cup playoffs are not the answer to the global economic crisis. But the impact on NHL cities is not insignificant.

Take Vancouver for example. The Vancouver Sun cited a BC Restaurant and Food Services Association survey that claims there is a 30% increase in food and beverage purchases on Canucks playoff game nights compared to non Canucks game nights.

Beer sales were up over 70%, wine and other alcohol sales up over 45% and food sales up over 16%. Interestingly, 60% of the entire game day's business came during the Canucks game.

That's just the food and drinks for people not attending the game. The Canucks themselves are reportedly raking in as much as over $3 million per home game in ticket, concession, souvenir and parking revenues.

In 2006 the Vancouver Hotel Association estimated the Canucks playoff participation was worth $5 million per game night to the city of Vancouver.

Mind you, these studies do not likely take into account business losses suffered due to increased employee absenteeism. After all, who wants to work when the Canucks are in a big game?

Oh, and the Canucks are definitely impacting more than just the economy. They are also impacting the provincial election. Not only are the Canucks keeping the election on the secondary pages of the newspapers, but, according a story in the Vancouver Province, the Canucks success in the playoffs could directly influence the outcome of the election.

History Tells Us....Win The First Two

Obviously winning the first two games of a best of seven series is a good thing. Who would not want to start off the series in such commanding fashion?

What is the likelihood of a team with 2-0 series lead to win the series? According to the website WhoWins.com 87.3% of the time the team with a 2-0 lead goes on to win.

WhoWins.com breaks down history into home and road games, too. When the home team takes the first two games, the likelihood of winning the series increases to 90.6%. Boston, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Vancouver and Chicago all won their first two games of their series' at home.

Interestingly, when the road team takes the first two games, such as the New York Rangers have done, the likelihood of winning the series dips to 76.5%. That is still a commanding lead, but I'm surprised it is lower. You would think coming back to your home rink for a possible 3 games to get 2 wins would be easier than winning on the road.

Apparently road teams coming home with 2-0 leads get quite complacent. WhoWins.com says the team in that scenario only as a 50/50 chance of winning game three.

Meanwhile, when 2-0 teams play their first road games, the chances of winning game three are slightly better at 54.3%.

Bottom line - game three is a biggie.

Stanley Cup Legends: Ken Mallen Never Got His Name On The Stanley Cup

Today I want to talk about the curious case of Ken Mallen - the Stanley Cup champion who never got his name of the Stanley Cup, and no one is quite sure why.

Born in 1884 (possibly 1885) in Morrisburg, Ontario, Mallen was a popular speed merchant who served in 155 professional and amateur games. He was a true vagabond, bouncing from league to league, and city to city, likely on the legendary word of his skating ability.

His most famous stops may have been with the Vancouver Millionaires in 1915, where he captured the Stanley Cup championship.

However Mallen's name was mysteriously omitted from Stanley Cup engravement.

The excellent book called Lord Stanley's Cup, written by Andrew Podnieks and produced by the Hockey Hall of Fame, talked about Mallen's situation on page 47:

"A speed skater, Kenny Mallen played this year on a line with Nighbor and MacKay after coming over from New Westminster with goalie Lehman. Nonetheless, his name is inexplicably not on the Cup."

Podnieks is the most thorough of researchers, and with the HHOF behind the book you can guarantee he had access to every resource available, but he could not find an answer as for the omission.

Therefore we will have to assume Mallen's exclusion is simple oversight and not anything more sinister.

Mallen died young, just 34 or 35 years old depending on his official birth year, of a severe attack of bronchial pneumonia.

Upon his death Mike Rodden, sports editor of the Toronto Globe wrote about Mallen:

"On Wednesday at Morrisburg Kenny Mallen succumbed to an attack of double pneumonia, and thus passed the man who was rated by many as the fastest skater that hockey ever knew. He had worn the colors of numerous clubs, notably the Montreal Wanderers, Calumet, Toronto, Quebec, Renfrew, Ottawa, New Westminster, Vancouver, Seattle and Pittsburgh, but had never reached the heights as a (Howie) Morenz or a (King) Clancy because he could not control that puck in accordance with his phenomenal speed, nor could he combine with slower teammates. However, it was the worth the price of admission to see him "burn up that ice." On natural surfaces, particularly when bitterly cold weather prevailed, the snow flew off the skates of the flying Mallen.

"After his retirement from professional hockey he held the position of instructor of sports at the Ottawa Playgrounds, was a professional figure skater at London, Ont., and acted as coach of the Morrisburg Maroons and Cardinal St. Lawrence Hockey League teams.

"The late Mr. Mallen's friends were legion. He always "played the game," and even in the days when hockey resembled a miniature war this fine sportsman took his bumps and did not retaliate. Kenny Mallen was a gentleman."

By the way, Mallen's obituary suggests he also worked for the municipality of Morrisburg as a treasurer, and was a figure skating instructor for four years in San Francisco and later in British Columbia.

Top Ten Guys I Want To See Win The Stanley Cup

#10. Tim Thomas - There is part of everyone of us that wants to see this unlikeliest of hockey heroes go all the way this year.

#9. Alexander Ovechkin - He's young and has time on his side, but as good as he is ultimately he will need a Stanley Cup championship to cement his legacy.

#8. Sidney Crosby - See Ovechkin above. Plus after last year's great run come up just a little bit short, it would be nice to see the Pens get it this year.

#7. Paul Kariya - He's been around a long time now, and it would be a good end cap to a good career that has certainly quieted in late years. If he could somehow make it back from injury and lead the Blues to glory, what a great story that would be.

#6. Steve Mason - I know, he's just a rookie. But what a legendary story it would be to complete his amazing season by taking the upstart Blue Jackets all the way to the Stanley Cup!

#5. Dan Boyle - I know Danny Boyle has won the Cup before, but I really do not believe he gets the credit he should. If San Jose finally goes deep this year, he will be the reason why.

#4. Jermey Roenick - I've had a love-hate relationship with good ol' JR. But he's played long enough. 1363 regular season games plus 148 more in the playoffs, but no Cup...yet.

#3. Roberto Luongo - I want to see a goalie captain accept the Stanley Cup from Gary Bettman. And hey, I'm a Canucks fan at heart.

#2. Saku Koivu - After the cancer and all the years in Montreal, it would be nice to see Captain Koivu rewarded

#1. Jarome Iginla - I don't like the Flames, but I do, like everyone else, love Jarome Iginla. If he does not get a Stanley Cup in his career, you could make a good argument that is the best player without that championship ring. I hope he gets it and with the Flames.

Andre The Giant Meets Bobby Orr

Montreal and Boston move onto game two tonight in Boston. Hockey Night In Canada will even have the old fashion 8pm EST start time for this one.

All the talk before game one centered around Georges Laraque challenging the Bruins like tough guy Shawn Thornton, Milan Lucic and Zdeno Chara.

Laraque needed to make an impact like this much earlier in the season, especially against Boston who routinely used Mike Komisarek as a rag doll. But Laraque made a decent impact in game one, allowing his teammates to play bigger than they really are.

That is Big Georges' job. It's too bad he can only back up all the talk with his fists. Unlike Lucic and Chara, Laracque does not have the skills to physically dominate a game in any other way. He simply does not have the agility or even speed anymore to change the flow of a game through heavy and clean bodychecking.

I do not think Thornton, Lucic or Chara are afraid of Laraque. They were too smart, not to mention likely under strict orders from the coach, to fight Laraque early in the game. Lucic can do that. Chara can do that better than anyone, and he's probably the best defenseman in the league this year, too.

Georges better watch out. Over their history the Bruins have had some big friends. Giants even. Giants that even make Zdeno Chara look small.

That is Andre the Giant holding up Boston Bruins Carol Vadnais on the left and Bobby Orr on the right. Vadnais befriended Andre while he played in California, likely drawn together by their French language and cultural upbringings.

What an amazing pic. Vadnais and Orr were not small guys by any stretch, both around 6 feet tall and 200lbs. But they look like kids next to the "Eighth Wonder Of The World." And what a hair-do and outfit. I guess when you are that big you can't be too picky when buying clothes. You have to buy whatever you can find that fits. Is that an oversized table cloth for a shirt?

Phil Esposito talks about the night this photo was taken in his book from 2003 Thunder and Lightning: A No-B.S. Hockey Memoir. Apparently he has a similar picture of him and Orr with Andre.

Espo goes on to tell of the story of the night on the town the four of them had that night, with the accompaniment of a female companion. There is no P.G. version of the story, so you'll have to buy the book if you really want to know the story.