Catching Up With The Past

The past two weeks that is. Here's all the hockey news involving hockey history that happened while I was away on vacation:

• Former Flyer and Canadian Olympic goaltender Wayne Stephenson died at the age of 65. He is pictured above.
• Speaking of deaths, the hockey mecca website CheapUsedMotorcycles.com (I'm not making this up) has an excellent look back at some of hockey's tragic deaths over the years. It is actually the preface for a new book.
• After losing a battle for a new trial, former NHL defenseman Rob Ramage has begun serving a 4 year prison sentence for impaired driving causing the death of former NHLer Keith Magnuson.
• Georges Laraque is entering the political arena.
• He may have left the NHL five years ago, but he's been a stalwart with the Manitoba Moose ever since. Now Mike Keane is expected to retire.
• Art Berglund, Derian Hatcher, Kevin Hatcher, Dr. V. George Nagobads and Jeremy Roenick make up the United States Hockey Hall of Fame’s Class of 2010. 
• Sergei Fedorov's financial woes continue. Forbes says Fedorov's latest law suit has been dropped with prejudice.
• Steve Smith is coming home to Edmonton.
• Former NHLer's signing elsewhere: Brian Swanson with Alaska Aces (ECHL), Kris Vernarsky with Wheeling Nailers (ECHL), Denis Grebeshkov with St. Petersburg (KHL), Robert Nilsson with Salavat Yulaev (KHL). 
• Robert's famous father Kent Nilsson is also leaving the Oilers.
• Eric Nystrom is still living in his famous father's shadow.
• MacLean's magazine had a nice farewell for Bob Probert. 
• Wayne Fleming talks about the death of Alexei Cherepanov. 
• George and Darill Fosty have an excellent history of hockey in Russia from 1898 to 1954.Which leads some to wonder if it is okay to miss the old Cold War days of communist Russia.
• Kelly Chase is blogging about his involvement with the NHL meets figure skating reality show Battle of the Blades.
• Tom Larscheid says good bye to the radio booth in Vancouver. 
• Rick Wamsley is the new goalie coach with the Ottawa Senators.
• Dan Cloutier has been hired by the Barrie Colts as their new goaltending coach.
• Mike Van Ryn has joined the Niagara Ice Dogs coaching staff.
• The Sporting News looks back at the man they called Murder, Don Murdoch.
• Dale Tallon is busy in his first summer as the Florida Panther's GM. But this weekend he's focusing on golf. He's competing at the US Senior Open near Seattle.
• Mike Dunham is also doing quite well on the links.
  
• Former NHLers Craig Duncanson, Ron Duguay, Rod Schutt and Troy Crowder are amongst 192 competitors in Canada's oldest match play golf tournament.
• Did you know former NHL coach/manager Pierre Page is coaching a sponsored team in Austria - Red Bull Salzberg.
• The Tampa Bay Lightning rebuild will include embracing their history. How they failed to do this right after their Stanley Cup victory boggles my mind completely.
• In an unrelated move, the Bolts appear willing to give Phil Esposito an expanded role with the organization. Espo of course was instrumental in the franchise's creation.
• Brian Gionta, Ryan Callahan, Marty Reasoner, Scott Nichol, Lindy Ruff, Jim Craig and Mike Eruzione will play this weekend in a hockey exhibition game in support of Rochester Americans Hall of Fame player Craig Charron. Charron, Craig's nephew, was diagnosed with cancer a year ago.
• You've got to check out Alex McFayden's world record setting hockey scrapbook. It's over 200lbs!
• Some guy called 911 multiple times demanding the Jets be returned to Winnipeg!
• The renovation of Maple Leaf Gardens continues.
• A look at the origins of NHL team nicknames.