NHL Slapshot For Nintendo Wii

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Sticking Up For Dick Duff

One of the more popular features here at GreatestHockeyLegends.com is Hall of Fame Worthy? where we discuss whether particular players should be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

On a late August day with yet again little hockey news to talk about, Denver Post writer Adrian Dater, writing this time for Versus, made his own Hall of Fame Worthy list. He looked at 10 candidates' chances while adding a quick yes or no answer on 9 others. I encourage you to read the full article is here, but here are the results:

Yes - Sergei Fedorov, Joe Nieuwendyk, Claude Lemieux, Peter Forsberg, Pavel Bure, Brendan Shanahan, Rob Blake, Doug Gilmour, Mike Vernon, Ed Belfour.

No - Rod Brind'Amour, Bill Guerin, Keith Tkachuk, Jeremy Roenick, Mats Sundin, Adam Oates, Sergei Zubov, Gary Roberts and Theoren Fleury.

I generally agree with Dater's conclusions. I may be inclined to support Adam Oates personally, but there are lots of people who are just fine with his omission. I can understand that.

What I do have an objection to is Dater's opening words denouncing of Dick Duff's Hall of Fame induction only to campaign for Claude Lemieux's inclusion.

Happy 79th Birthday Jean Beliveau

Mention the name Jean Beliveau, and so many images come to mind. His size, his skills, his class - he was the perfect hockey player and an even better person. He's one of the few players that seems to have transcended the game itself, particularly in his native Quebec.

"Le Gros Bill" (Jean was nicknamed after a French folk hero) was the centerpiece of the mighty Montreal Canadiens dynasty that accumulated 10 Stanley Cups during his extraordinary reign. Five of those championships came with him serving as captain - no other man has captained his team to more Stanley Cups. Twice voted the NHL's MVP, he was a First All Star in 1955, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960 and 1961. He was the scoring champ in 1956 and was the first recipient of the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs in 1965. He accumulated 507 goals, 712 assists for a point total of 1219 in 1125 games, all with Les Habitants. He racked up 176 more points in 162 playoff games.  | continue reading Jean Beliveau biography |

Today is Jean Beliveau's 79th birthday. To celebrate, the boys at Habs Eyes On The Prize somehow collected 79 stories/links about the eternal legend. Now that is impressive! Be sure to check out Habs Eyes On The Prize today.

Hockey Video Games

Next week features one of the most anticipated days on many hockey fans' calendar, for they will release the newest additions to the two very successful hockey video game franchises - EA Sports NHL 11 and 2K Sports' NHL 2k11. And then there's the all new Wayne Gretzky endorsed NHL Slapshot for the Nintendo Wii - I'll have to try that one out for sure.

Forget about that for just a second though. I want to take you way back to the one of the earliest video games released. From 1981 here is Activision's "Ice Hockey," released for the Atari 2600 gaming console.

Does that not bring back great memories, or what?!

Here's an old television commercial for video game. Check out the primitive graphics:



That's probably the best commercial I've ever seen for a hockey video game! Did anyone notice Phil Hartman?

Also be sure to check out this excellent history of hockey video games.

Twitter Trivia

Sunday on GreatestHockeyLegends.com Twitter Trivia we learned:

• The fan vote to name the San Jose Sharks actually saw "Blades" as the top choice.
• Blades joined Americans and Meadowlanders as finalists for the naming contest for the New Jersey Devils.
• Ken Doraty once scored a hat trick in a single overtime period. Back in the 1930s the NHL had a 10 minute OT that was not sudden death.
• The 1983 New York Islanders were the first Stanley Cup champion invited to the White House.
• Of all the Islanders top gunners, Bob Bourne led the 1983 team in scoring with 28 points.
• The first coach of the Quebec Nordiques - Rocket Richard. He only lasted 2 games.

Join me on Twitter @HockeyLegends for the next random game of GreatestHockeyLegends.com Twitter Trivia

Must See TV: On Thin Ice Women's Hockey In India

You got to love the smiles on these girls' faces. Now that's hockey!

Six New Profiles Added

Former Boston Bruin Norm McAtee died on Thursday. He was 89 years old.

McAtee played in the 1940s, and had his NHL hockey career interrupted by World War II when he served with the Royal Canadian Air Force. He was a junior and senior standout who never quite caught on in the NHL and bounced around the minor leagues.

McAtee is one of four new players profiled here at GreatestHockeyLegends.com. The others are:

• Vic Lynn - The only player to skate with all of the Original Six teams.
• Walt McKechnie - Big center was often compared to Phil Esposito
• Bill Juzda - "The Beast" was best known for his legendary clashes with Maurice "Rocket" Richard.
• Pat Hannigan - Hard hitting Hannigan was one of three brothers to make it to the NHL.
• John Gould - This Canuck had back to back 30 goal seasons in the 1970s.

Also recently added were Hec Lalande, Don McFadyen, and Larry Hornung.

How Times Have Changed: Brad Park's Contract Dispute

Nowadays the NHL is concerned with salary cap circumventing contractual disputes, such as the 17 year, $102M contract the New Jersey Devils tried offering Ilya Kovalchuk.

Long time hockey writer Gerald Eskenazi remembers 40 years back when New York Rangers all star defenseman Brad Park's contract came due. Park, the best defenseman in the game besides Bobby Orr, had just finished a contract that paid him $14,000. The Rangers offered $20,000 a year. Park wanted $45,000 but eventually settled for $30,000.

Before signing the final contract Park and the Rangers engaged in a lengthy holdout. Missing training camp, Park wanted to keep skating so that he would be ready for the NHL season whenever he did sign. But the Rangers would not give him his skates.

Here's how Eskenazi tells the story:

Park was among four Rangers holding out. Still, he wanted to skate on his own — but the coach and general manager, Emile Francis, would not allow Park to pick up his skates, and skates cost about $120 a pair. So Emile confiscated his star defenseman’s skates. And Park, not springing for the $120, did not skate.

How times have changed!

Focusing On Women's Hockey

Shannon Szabados

Women's hockey becomes the focus of the World Hockey Summit on Thursday. Which reminds me of something I wish we were seeing this NHL training camp.

Eighteen years ago this training camp we saw the first female player attend a NHL training camp. Goaltender Manon Rheaume became an instant household name by participating in a NHL exhibition game and later playing in the minor leagues.

Since then a few female players have played in men's professional hockey, but none have ever come close to the NHL ever again.

My question - how long before we see another female player - almost certainly a goaltender - in a NHL setting?

We almost saw exactly that back in March 2010. The Edmonton Oilers ran into goaltending injury problems. Caught in a pinch for a game against the Vancouver Canucks, the Oilers called upon a third string goaltender from the University of Calgary named Nathan Deobold to back up that night.

At the time there was a minor uproar as fans had hoped the Oilers would choose female goalie Shannon Szabados, who a few weeks earlier led Canada to an Olympic gold medal at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.

Szabados has to be an upgrade on a third string CIS goalie who apparently rarely practiced let alone played. She took the snub hard.

"It's brutal," said Szabados. "I'm just so disappointed ... it's the story of my life, being a girl goaltender. They don't give you the opportunity. That shows you right there."

It is time for another NHL team to give a female goalie an opportunity. A Canadian NHL team should invite Szabados or another top Canadian goalie to training camp, if for no other reason, to give the Canadian women's team and the goalie of choice a chance to improve. Reward a Canadian Olympic hero and at the same time give young girls another reason to dare dream of hockey, too.

There is a small but growing amount of pressure on the NHL to give back to women's hockey. This would be an an nice start.

Women's Hockey Legends

I have over 1300 former NHL and International hockey stars profile here at Greatest Hockey Legends.com.

But did you know I also feature women's hockey legends? Check it out!

Hockey Back In The Headlines

In a summer where there have been far too many days of no hockey news to report, August 25th, 2010 certainly made up for it with a couple of significant headlines.

First, a rapid fire checklist of some happenings today

• Willie Mitchell signs with Kings for $7M over 2 years. That's pretty good money for good defenseman with a bad concussion history. Big gamble, but could pay off nicely.
• Raffi Torres signs with Canucks $1M for 1 year. Low risk gamble with potentially good reward for Canucks. I'm not sold on his defensive game but a good third line addition especially given the lack of UFA options right now.
• Ilya Kovalchuk's agent contacts the KHL. Maybe Kovy can't get the deal he wants in the NHL and is heading home to Russia? Stay tuned.
• Tampa Bay signs UFA Ryan Jones and RFA Steve Downie. We're finally starting to see the free agent stand-still get rolling again.
• National television schedules released: CBC - TSN - NBC - Versus - American fans continue to be unhappy with their television coverage.

And then, the two biggest pieces of news of the day:

Debating The Future of Olympics at World Hockey Summit

• An emotional Brian Burke states (accurately) that too many people get too emotional about the NHL's decision to return or not return to Olympics. People need to think this through rationally, and they will clearly see the NHL's point.
• Out of places unknown the number of $200M is floated out there as revenue generated by international hockey by using NHL players. Those players get next to nothing, while the NHL's business is inconvenienced to the tune of millions of dollars.
• Burke even went so far as to suggest that hockey move to the Summer Olympics.

Donald Fehr accepts NHLPA Executive Director position

• I'm surprised this decision took so long. I kind of figured Fehr must not have wanted it given the length of time this took. 
• Now that he is in power, look out! The perception is that Donald Fehr vs Gary Bettman will make Bob Goodenow vs. Bettman seem down right friendly.
• NHL fans still perceive Bettman as a basketball guy. Now the next most powerful man in hockey is a baseball guy.
• They players finally have a strong voice, but for fans this is not good news. Labour peace is in great jeopardy. Especially since NHL owners are already whining about franchise instability. I thought the last lockout - which cost us an entire season and a Stanley Cup champion - was supposed to fix that. Good luck trying to get more out of the players with Fehr around.

Eddie Mio To Run For Mayor Of Windsor?

It appears that former NHL goaltender (and Wayne Gretzky's best man at his wedding in 1988) Eddie Mio is considering running for mayor of Windsor, Ontario.

Here's the story courtesy of the Windsor Star.

Mio appears to be very active in the community, although he actually lives across the border in Michigan. I'm sure that would be brought up in the rival campaigns.

Hockey players switching to the political arena is not new by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, a couple of NHL players actually sat in Ottawa as an MP while playing in the NHL! Here's a look at the intertwined history of hockey players and politicians: Change Of Arena.

Fasel Steals Headlines, But Lener Delivers Real Story

So far, and to no one's great surprise except maybe the fools who paid $450 each to sit in the audience, the World Hockey Summit has produced lots of discussion without saying anything at all, and certainly with no progression.

You could almost say trying to get some real news out of this unnecessary Summit is as painful as pulling teeth. Which is why it is so fitting that a licensed dentist has made the biggest waves so far.

Rene Fasel (yes, he's a dentist) came out swinging today, particularly upset at the idea of National Hockey League expansion into Europe.

"Try to come. Good luck. This is our territory and I will fight like hell and not allow anybody to come from abroad. I think in Europe we are strong enough to do something on our own, and then have the competition between Europe and North America. That makes the fan happy. That's really what we should do.

"I don't think an NHL division in Europe would fly. If they have a lot of money to invest, they can try. But as long as I'm sitting in my chair I wouldn't allow it."

I nearly fell out of my chair because I was laughing so hard.

Fasel is a long time IOC stooge, known to be quite spineless when it comes to matters of importance in hockey. Under Fasel's leadership the IIHF does whatever the IOC tells it to do. The NHL tries to cooperate, but generally just bypasses him.

The Myth of NHL Expansion Into Europe

But once in a while Fasel lashes out, trying to change his reputation. The problem is he does it over complete non-issues. Non-issues like NHL expansion into Europe.

There has been talk about the NHL expanding into Europe since the 1950s. We are no closer today to heading overseas than we were six decades ago. The logistics just aren't there, and neither is the interest amongst NHL owners. They want to grow their presence in Europe (read that as they want increased merchandise sales from European fans) but there is certainly no imminent plan to create a NHL European division.

I would say we are at least still 20 years away from serious expansion talk into Europe, and probably longer than that. Rene Fasel will be long gone by then. He knows this as well as anyone, so he can safely "fight like hell" against the mythical notion of European expansion, impressing whoever it is he's trying to impress in Europe so that they think he has their best interests at heart, while still not offending anyone.

Interestingly, Fasel does not mind the NHL coming to Europe for training camps and Premiere regular season games. Why? European teams make a lot of money off of that. Come over, please, but just don't stay. He also hypocritically ignores the KHL's reported desire to expand throughout all of Europe.

European Player Development Challenges

Far more interesting was the Summit's discussion on European player development courtesy of Slavomir Lener. The Czech and Slovak hockey programs are in complete disarray. Much of European hockey at many levels are decimated by the recent global financial collapse. You know, stuff Rene Fasel should be concerned about.

Interestingly, the European contingent are upset that many of their top youth are leaving to play in Canadian junior leagues. That is completely understandable. They want their top players to develop at home, helping their domestic programs strong. There are many here in Canada who would rather see these top players stay home, come to the NHL when they are ready, but keep strong and varying brands of hockey from several different countries.

Puck Daddy's Dmitry Chesnokov passed on this interesting note on Twitter, suggesting that Canadian junior hockey is not necessarily developing European hockey players any better anyways:

Fun fact:of 226 prospects from former Soviet Union who played in Canada's junior leagues, only 12 made it to the NHL (per Igor Kuperman)

In fact, there are very European players who trained in the Canadian juniors and became NHL stars who can return home and lead their countries to international titles.

The CHL debate is a bit of a non-issue, too. Those European players come here by choice, or at least by the advice of their agents. It's not entirely about Canadian junior teams stealing these players. And Lener is the coach of the Czech U20 team. He wants access to his best players all season so he can better prepare for the World Juniors. Lener has his own agenda here, too.

The biggest problems facing hockey development in Europe lies in Europe, not Canada. They have to have the funding, the facilities, the education and the coaching. If that was all healthy and in place, European hockey development would be so much better off than it is right now.

A lot of this is cyclical, too. Canada faced it's own crisis in the 1990s. They went through their own summit, but made actual progress and decisions and it has paid off royally now. 

The 1970s All Decade Team

After debating the forwards, defensemen and goaltenders, we give to the 1970s All Decade Team:

Soviet Stars Alexander Maltsev and Valeri Kharlamov
are among six Europeans named to the GHL 1970s All Decade Team

Valeri Kharlamov - Phil Esposito - Guy Lafleur

Bobby Hull - Ulf Nilsson - Anders Hedberg

Gilbert Perreault - Bobby Clarke - Marcel Dionne

Bob Gainey - Jacques Lemaire - Alexander Maltsev

Bobby Orr - Brad Park 

Denis Potvin - Borje Salming 

Larry Robinson - Serge Savard

Ken Dryden 

Vladislav Tretiak

 

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1970s All Decade Team: Forwards

We've look at goaltenders and defensemen. Now it is our unenviable task to name 12 forwards to our 1970s All Decade Team.

How is that possible? There are far too many players to consider. But to narrow it down, we must remember who defined the decade. (I will name 12 forwards, but not worry about their position.)

Valeri Kharlamov - Phil Esposito - Guy Lafleur
Bobby Hull - Ulf Nilsson - Anders Hedberg
Gilbert Perreault - Bobby Clarke - Marcel Dionne
Bob Gainey - Jacques Lemaire - Alexander Maltsev

Other players considered:


Bryan Trottier and Mike Bossy - It was decided their time would really come in the 1980s.

Alexander Yakushev and Boris Mikhailov - There will be calls for more Soviet players to be included. These two I will completely agree with, but ultimately there's only 12 spots open.

Andre Lacroix and Marc Tardif - WHA scoring stars.
Gordie Howe and Mark Howe - Gordie was still great, while Mark was always under appreciated. 

Rod Gilbert, Darryl Sittler, Rick Martin - NHL scoring stars

Jean Ratelle - In the rough and tumble hockey world of the 1970s, Ratelle was the epitome of class.

Wayne Cashman, Derek Sanderson, Dave "The Hammer" Schultz - Hockey's bad boys defined the decade.

Puck On The 'Net: World Hockey Summit Edition

It's been a while since I've shared some current event thoughts. Let's hit the ice and put the Puck On The 'Net:

• The Molson Canadian World Hockey Summit is on in Toronto. The purpose? To make money, and lots of it. They sold naming rights to this phony summit, and then had the gall to charge fans $450 each for the events and Hot Stove session at the Hockey Hall of Fame. Shameless. You are much better off just following the session on Twitter courtesy @JeffMarek
• This World Hockey Summit promises to establish a long term "Global Event Agenda." That means planning for future Olympics, World Cups, and World Championships. Unless the International Olympic Committee (not the IIHF) starts compensating the NHL and the players for Olympic participation, expect the NHL to continue balking at future Olympic participation.
• Almost every player and every fan wants to see the NHL return to the Olympics, which is fine. But to not acknowledge the NHL's unreasonable sacrifice is down right ignorant. 
• Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think the NBA or FIFA get any compensation from the almighty IOC either. Don't expect the NHL to win this battle. They really need to be teaming up the NBA and FIFA to take on the IOC.
• World Cup vs Olympics - I loved the old Canada Cups and wrote the book on the World Cup quite literally. In theory the World Cup can provide a superior tournament. But the Olympics have two trump cards: the grandest world stage and it is played in hockey season. It will be a tough sell to go back to September hockey with no Olympics.
• In other news, the NHL recently held a research and development camp where they experimented with rules changes. A lot of it was unnecessary, such as the various face-off tinkering. But it appears to be another step towards accepting either no-touch or hybrid icing, and possibly overtime reform seeing 3-on-3 on hockey after 5 minutes of scoreless 4-on-4 hockey.
• The NHL is very guilty of too many rule changes for one simple reason - trying to win over new fans while not giving a damn about the fans they do have. The NHL is lucky hockey demands loyalty, as diehard fans put up with far more than we should have to.
• There's only one rule change I really want to see - Stanley Cup finals done no later than May 31st. Start the season earlier and ban June games.

Join me in conversation on Twitter @HockeyLegends for more hockey talk.

1970s All Decade Team: Goaltenders

Today we continue our look at the best of the best of the 1970s.

Who will tend to the goal crease for our 1970s All Decade Team? I see 6 serious candidates:

• Ken Dryden - 258-57-74 record in the 1970s is ridiculous. And he only played 8 seasons. Add to that 6 Stanley Cups, 5 Vezina Trophies, 1 Conn Smythe trophy.
• Vladislav Tretiak - Soviet netminder foiled Dryden time and time again. He never played in the NHL, but he did win gold at both Olympics of the decade, as well as 7 golds in the annual World Championships. His play in the 1972 Summit Series made him a hero in both Russia and Canada.
• Tony Esposito - 311 wins in the decade are by far the best (he did play 3 more regular seasons than Dryden). Three time Vezina trophy winner was also the shutout king, with 65 of his career 76 SOs coming this decade.
• Bernie Parent - Parent's spectacular goaltending was the biggest reason the Flyers won back to back Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975, and his absence due to injury was a big reason they lost in the Cup finals in 1976. 223-126-95 in the decade, but much of the decade he was "just" very good in comparison to his two peak seasons when he won the Cup. He had perhaps the best peak of any 1970s goalie.
• Rogie Vachon - The star of the 1976 Canada Cup compiled the third most wins in the decade with 235, despite playing with a weak Los Angeles team. Also for this reason he was better than his numbers suggest. He was chased from Montreal to the Kings after the arrival of Dryden.
• Gerry Cheevers - "Cheesy" won Stanley Cups in 1970 and 1972. His 149 NHL wins ranks in 8th for the decade, this despite spending 4 seasons in the WHA as one of their top goaltenders.

From their the talent level drops. The next tier of NHL goalies includes Eddie Johnston, Gilles Gilbert, Dan Bouchard, Suitcase Smith, Gilles Meloche, Cesare Maniago, Wayne Stephenson and we'll say Billy Smith, who far enjoyed the 1980s more so than the 1990s. Joe Daley, John Garrett, Ron Grahame and Richard Brodeur were good in the WHA. Internationally consideration should go to Jiri Holecek and Vladimir Dzurilla.

So who makes the cut? This is really tough to choose.

Ken Dryden was aided by a great team in front of him at the NHL level and floundered internationally. But how do deny his resume?

Tretiak's legacy is the greatest of them all, but he had troubles in the biggest of games - losing games 6, 7 and 8 of the Summit Series being case in point.

Tony O was spectacular in net with an average Chicago team that never went to far in the playoffs. Bernie Parent had the highest peak of them all.

It hurts me to leave any four of these goalies off the team, but ultimately there are only two goalie positions open for the 1970s All Decade Team. I will choose Ken Dryden and Vladislav Tretiak as my two goalies. If I could have a third goalie I would choose Tony Esposito.

Former Hawk Hec Lalande Dies

Former Chicago Black Hawk Hec Lalande died on August 18th, 2010 at the age of 75.

A junior sensation with the Galt Black Hawks in the early 1950s, Lalande got his first taste of the National Hockey League at the age of 19. He would play regularly if unspectacularly with Chicago from 1955 though 1958, fnishing that third NHL season with the Detroit Red Wings.

He scored 21 goals and 60 points in 151 games over three NHL seasons with the Blackhawks and Red Wings. Lalande was described as a very good playmaker. Although his penalty minute totals do not hint at it, he was also known as a tough player who never backed down from anybody.

Full Hec Lalande biography

1970s All Decade Team: Defense

Last week we looked at the Montreal Canadiens' Big Three defenseman from the 1970s - Serge Savard, Larry Robinson and Guy Lapointe.

While we discussed how no other team in history may have been so blessed to have three defensemen as greats as the 1970s Habs, my follow up question today is could all three make a 1970s All Decade team?

Assuming a traditional roster of 18 skaters and 2 goalies, that means only 6 or maybe 7 spots would be open to defensemen. But there are 8 serious candidates.

• Bobby Orr - D'uh
• Brad Park - Generally considered to be the best of his era not named Orr.
• Denis Potvin - the dominant defenseman of the second half of the decade, won three Norris trophies.
• Borje Salming - Greatly influential player proved Europeans could play in National Hockey League
• J.C. Tremblay - Top defenseman in WHA
• Larry Robinson - Won 2 Norris trophies, only dman not named Orr or Potvin to do so in 1970s.
• Serge Savard - The straw that stirred the drink in Montreal
• Guy Lapointe - wondrous offensive defenseman.

From there there is quite a drop off in talent, with the likes of Ian Turnbull, Carol Vadnais, Rod Seiling, Dave Burrows, Keith Magnuson, Jim Schoenfeld, Jerry Korab and Dick Redmond highlighting the second tier of defensemen. Lars-Erik Sjoberg, Pat Stapleton and Paul Shmyr were amongst the best in the WHA, while Russian stars Alexander Ragulin and Valeri Vasiliev should also be noted.

So out of our eight defense candidates for the 1970s All Decade team, who makes the cut? Orr, Park and Potvin are no-brainers. Robinson and Savard bring presence, physicality and defense to the table, so they should be included. That leaves the 6th spot between Salming, Lapointe and Tremblay.

As much as it would be a shame to cut any two of that group of three, I'd have to give the edge to Salming. Lapointe and Tremblay were wonderful offensive defensemen, but Salming's legacy as the NHL's European pioneer is just too great. He has to be included.

The 1970s All Decade Team: Defense includes:

Bobby Orr - Brad Park
Borje Salming - Denis Potvin
Larry Robinson - Serge Savard

Who do you think should be on the 1970s All Decade Team? Contact me via email or on Twitter @HockeyLegends.

Tune in tomorrow when we look at the 1970s All Decade Team: Goaltenders.

WHA Hall of Fame

Did you know the WHA has a Hall of Fame?

It's true. It's actually mostly an online entity. You can't go see it. But, if you're lucky, it will come to your former WHA city near you.

World Hockey Association Hall of Fame founder and Indianapolis based filmmaker Tim Gassen is behind the whole project. He created a WHA Hall of Fame advisory board who meet to discuss enshrinement of former WHA greats.

This summer Gassen has gotten out and taken the WHA Hall of Fame to the people.

They visited Hartford where 5000 people gathered for the Hartford Whalers Fan Fest. Gordie, Mark and Marty Howe were all on hand as they, along with deceased wife/mother Colleen, were inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Then it was off to Winnipeg, for the reunion and induction of the Jets' famous Hot Line - Bobby Hull, Ulf Nilsson and Anders Hedberg. Gassen also premiered his newest film - Remembering the WHA Jets.

Later this month the group heads to Cleveland to celebrate Andre Lacroix Hall of Fame Day. Lacroix is the WHA's all time leading scorer. Pat Stapleton and Kim Clackson are among those expected to attend.

Earlier this summer the group travelled to New Jersey where they partook in the famous MeiGray Jersey Expo.

The Bronzed Brett

Brett Hull was one of the greatest goal scorers hockey has ever seen, earning the nickname The Golden Brett. The St. Louis Blues will honor him by turning him into bronze.

The Blues will unveil a statue of Hull outside of the Scotttrade Center prior to the season opener in October. The Blues have previously honored Bernie Federko and Al MacInnis with statues.

Theo Fleury's Number Retired

Arguably the greatest player in the long history of the Moose Jaw Warriors, Theo Fleury finally had his number retired by the club recently:

It’s been more than two decades since the little sparkplug’s dynamic junior career with the Moose Jaw Warriors came to a close.

Friday night, Theoren Fleury was finally honoured by his former club, inducted into the Warriors’ Hall of Fame along with Scott Thomas — a guy who totalled 56 points in three seasons with the WHL team.

It’s been 22 years. What took so long?

The Calgary Sun article by Steve McFarlane goes on to ask when will the Calgary Flames honour Fleury, too? Read the full story.

Nordiques Nation Alive And Well

Hockey fans in Quebec longing for their long lost Nordiques have started a new online fan club - Nordiques Nation.

Within two hours 2,000 people had signed up. The group grew to 13,000 people by the 24 hour mark! According to their last tweet @nordiquesnation was up to 18,000 members.

The website is in French only at this stage, but take a look and join the Nordiques Nation.

In the mean time, here's a look at some of the Quebec Nordiques legends I have profiled here on the site:

Joel Baillargeon
Serge Bernier
Dan Bouchard
Richard Brodeur (WHA)
Real Cloutier
Gaetan Duchesne  
Bryan Fogarty
Peter Forsberg
Paul Gillis
Mario Gosselin
Michel Goulet
Dale Hunter    
Francois Lacombe (WHA)
Curtis Leschyshyn
Tony McKegney
Wilf Paiement
Walt Poddubny
Ken Quinney
Normand Rochefort
Anton Stastny
Marian Stastny
Peter Stastny  
Marc Tardif (WHA)
J.C. Tremblay (WHA)
Ron Tugnutt
Craig Wolanin

Ken Dryden's Comments On Larry Robinson

No one benefitted more from The Big Three on Montreal's defense than goaltender Ken Dryden. Just look at his ridiculous career record - 258 wins, 57 losses, and 74 ties. 57 losses in 8 NHL seasons!

I turned to Dryden's epic book, The Game for insight on Serge Savard, Guy Lapointe and Larry Robinson.

Dryden touches on Savard and Lapointe throughout the book, especially Lapointe's love of practical jokes. He is careful not to compare his three teammates too closely. But he does go out of his way to heap tons of praise in the direction of Robinson.

"More than just an outstanding player, Robinson became a presence. It had to do with being so big, so strong, so tough, so agile, that no one knew how good he was and no one wanted to find out. He had a numbing reputation, an imperial manner, and the goods to back them up, a game rooted in defense, opportunities on offense, limited, economic and dominant.

"He was the rare player whose effect on a game was far greater than any statistical or concrete contribution he might make. When he came onto the ice, the attitude of the play seemed to change. Standing in back of him, I could feel it. I could see it, change, growing more restrained, more respectful, as if it was waiting for him, to see what he would do.

"Nowhere was this more evident, or more important, than against the Flyers or the Bruins. They held him in such awe, treating him with an embarrassing, almost fawning, respect, that they seemed even to abandon their style of play when he was around, and with it any hope of winning."

Feelin' 7 Up!

Hockey History In The Summertime

This week I thought I'd highlight a few of the better hockey history blogs online. If you have or know of a good hockey history blog, please share it with me via email or on Twitter @HockeyLegends

The dean of hockey historians has to be the prolific author Brian McFarlane. Did you know he has a website, too? It Happened In Hockey is somewhat irregularly updated, but full of great stories and reading to keep you busy for a while.

Tom Hawthorn of The Globe And Mail is one of my favorite writers..His blog features all of his stories including a lot of non hockey pieces. But searching through the archives for his hockey history features, generally obituaries and memories of players long gone, is truly a treasure hunt. His recent story about Larry Kwong is must read material for any hockey history buff.

Huddle Up!

Lloyd Gilmour Dead At 82

Lloyd Gilmour died a week ago. The long time NHL referee was suffering from Alzheimer's disease. He was 82 years old.

Walter Cordery of the Nanaimo Daily News wrote of memories of Gilmour.

Cordery got a quote from legendary Canucks broadcaster Jim Robson, who remembers Gilmour as an amateur player long before he donned the zebra stripes:

“When he played in Nanaimo and in North Vancouver, he was a tough guy, sometimes amassing as many as 400 minutes in penalties a season. That’s why he could relate to the players, he understood the game.”

Gilmour, born in the Vancouver Island community of Cumberland in 1928, was a prospect in the New York Rangers system. But an off-season logging accident ended his playing career at the age of 19. He was hospitalized for 6 months with back, pelvis, hip, and leg injuries.

He would return to the ice, but this time as a referee, first in the Okanagan Senior league before progressing to the Western Hockey League and then on to the NHL by the early 1960s. When he retired in 1976, he was considered to be the NHL's top referee.

Gilmour retired to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island and opened up his own restaurant. Nanaimo Harbour Lights Restaurant was famous for all the hockey pictures on the wall, but is also known as the place where Diana Krall started singing professionally at age 15.

Brian Stovell, who played bass with Krall that day at the restaurant adorned with pictures of NHL players, said Diana “was very nervous. She was only 15, but Lloyd was fantastic to us. He was a great guy.”

Gilmour became good fishing buddies with Howie Meeker, who has long lived in Parksville, BC, just north of Nanaimo. The long time hockey player and broadcaster shared his memories of Gilmour with Cordery, too:

“He was a good referee who did things his way and was the last of a dying breed when referees could be more independent. Today, the league keeps referees in line but Lloyd was one of the best.”

Gilmour refereed in the NHL for 19 seasons. He also ran an officiating school in Banff, Alberta for many years.

I will always remember Lloyd Gilmour for infamous reasons. He was the referee in the 1976 Super Series clash between CSKA Moscow and the Philadelphia Flyers. That game was greatly controversial, as the Broad Street Bullies were accused of roughing up the Russians. The Russians were so upset at Gilmour at one point they left the ice for 15 minutes and threatened to not complete the game.

Gilmour was also the referee in the 1975 playoff game between the Flyers and the hometown Buffalo Sabres where the heat and humidity created so much fog coming off of the ice the game almost could not be completed.

Ovechkin vs. Kharlamov

One question I would be curious to explore is how highly regarded is Alexander Ovechkin in terms of Russian hockey history?

Obviously he's still got a long ways to go in his career. But I think a strong case can be built to proclaim him as the best Russian player in NHL history.

So how does that rank him amongst the all time Russian greats, many of whom never got to play in the NHL or if they did it was well past their prime?

In particular, how do Russian hockey experts compare him to Valeri Kharlamov, who is considered by many to be the greatest Russian player of all time?

It is a question I am putting out to the public as I begin my search for an answer.

Hockey History In The Summertime

This week I thought I'd highlight a few of the better hockey history blogs online. If you have or know of a good hockey history blog, please share it with me via email or on Twitter @HockeyLegends

My old pal Dennis Kane always has lots of hockey history coverage. He's been sharing his old hockey scrapbooks this summer. This is Dennis Kane at his best. Search his archives for his 1972 Summit Series coverage, too.

Chris Mizzoni's excellent blog Nitzy's Hockey Den is very similar to GreatestHockeyLegends.com in it's features and even writing style. He too has started digging into his den of hockey collectibles and is sharing them with his readers. Fascinating stuff.

And, of course, Robert Lefebvre over at Eyes On The Prize outdoes everybody with his lengthy presentations about Montreal hockey history. It is almost overwhelming how much hockey history you can find on his site.

Les Trois Légendes

Here stand the three greatest Montreal Canadiens of all time - Jean Beliveau, Guy Lafleur, and Rocket Richard.

Well, arguably anyways. We could include Howie Morenz, Henri Richard, Patrick Roy . . . let's just say there are a lot of Montreal Canadiens greats to choose from!

How Cool Is This?!

So it was my birthday on August 16th. No, I won't tell you how old I am but I do share my birthday with Bob McKenzie, Carey Price, Ed Olczyk, Cliff Fletcher and Mark Messier's old fling - Madonna.

Check out what my girlfriend's daughter Kylie made for me:

The best part is the old 1994 colors. I may be the only Canucks fan who actually misses those colors.

I will have to find a special place to hang this painting. Perhaps beside the sketch her sister Kelsey made for me at Christmas time:

Thanks girls! And thanks to Charmaine for the Henrik Sedin jersey and all the McFarlane figures.

Breaking News: Guy Lafleur Acquitted

CBC has all the details coming . . .

Quebec's highest court has acquitted former NHL hockey star Guy Lafleur, earlier convicted of giving contradictory testimony at his son's sexual assault and forcible confinement trial.

More to come soon . . .
 

Used Bookstore Treasures

I love going to used bookstores. Surprisingly, I have never come across either of my own books at any used bookstores. I took that as great news - everyone wants to keep my books!

I was able to find a copy of World Cup of Hockey in Russell Books in Victoria when I was on vacation this summer. It was a nice surprise:

If you are ever in Victoria be sure to check out both Russell Books on Fort Street and Snowden's on Johnson Street. Also head out to Sidney for 12 other bookstores in all within walking distance of each other. Just go early. Most close early.

Hockey History In The Summertime

This week I thought I'd highlight a few of the better hockey history blogs online. If you have or know of a good hockey history blog, please share it with me via email or on Twitter @HockeyLegends

It really is a small world sometimes.

Ardent hockey history fans will be familiar with George and Darill Fosty. The brothers are known in hockey circles for their research into black hockey history (they wrote the book Black Ice: The Lost History of the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes, 1895-1925) and into hockey's origins (they also wrote Splendid Is the Sun: The 5,000 Year History of Hockey).

These guys are hockey history big shots. And they actually grew up in my tiny little isolated home town, playing hockey in the local arena when it was more or less brand new!

Their newest project is an online venture called BoxScoreNews.com, where they serve as editors as well as writers. Multiple sports are covered, although you all know I only read the hockey section.

The current event coverage needs beefing up, though I'm sure that will come during the season. In the meantime there's some great hockey history articles to be read here, including

• Ice Wars: The 1972 Summit Series
• Red Storm: Russian Hockey History 1898-1954
• Eddie Shore: Old Time Hockey Determination
• The Changing Face Of Hockey

Be sure to check out BoxScoreNews.com.

Tomas Kaberle - The Next Red Kelly?

Jeff Domet at CBC Sports has an interesting idea:

Is it crazy to think that Kaberle can transform from an all-star defencemen into a top-line centre in the National Hockey League, and quickly?

It's been done before.

Hockey Hall of Famer Red Kelly was an all-star defenceman for Detroit in the 1950s, winning four Stanley Cups for the Red Wings. Once Kelly arrived in Toronto in the 1960s, Maple Leaf GM/head coach Punch Imlach asked him to switch to centre.

Like Kelly, Kaberle is a great playmaker, who has stellar vision on the ice. Kaberle is also an underrated skater who could keep up with the speedy Kessel.

Kelly recalls the day he made the switch:

After I signed (with the Leafs), I told Punch (Imlach), 'I've been off skates for ten days or so. I'd hate to make a mistake out there and cause a goal,' and Punch said, 'Red, how would you feel about playing centre?' I said, 'Great! No problem.' I didn't care where I played as long as I was playing hockey. He said, 'If we're going to win the Stanley Cup, we 're going to have to go through Montreal. I need somebody to check Beliveau.' He said, 'How would you feel if I started you against Beliveau?' I just said, 'Fine. Great. Love it!'"

The fact that Kelly so seamlessly made the transition was an amazing feat. I've long said any player who can play both forward and defense at a high level is personal favorite of mine. To be able to understand the game, think the game and master the game from two very different vantage points is a true rarity.

It was a little more common in the olden days (think Dit Clapper, Ebbie Goodfellow, Goldie Prodgers, Cowboy Tom Anderson), but in the modern era Kelly is joined by the likes of Mark Howe, Doug Mohns, Jimmy Roberts, and Reg Fleming. Wendel Clark was drafted as a defenseman but played in the NHL as a winger.

There is a long list of goons who really could not play much at either position but they were just there to fight. The best of that list was probably Marty McSorley who became a pretty good defenseman with Los Angeles.

Most recently we've the likes Mathieu Dandenault, Brent Burns and Dustin Byfuglien swing back and forth. Sergei Fedorov, Sami Kapanen and Phil Housley are among those who experimented out of position, but only briefly. There is a long list of others in this category, but all were too brief to be considered as masters of both ends of the ice.

I have no idea whether Tomas Kaberle would be able to make the transition. I would certainly be interested in watching him progress. Imagine that - I might actually look forward to CBC's force-feeding of Leafs games this year!

Bobby Orr Was Such A Doll

Check out this Bobby Orr doll from 1975:

You could even buy different outfits for Bobby. Here's his bathrobe. Or is it a smoking jacket?

There were 12 different outfits you could have bought, including a skiing outfit, a tennis outfit, some sort of Luke Skywalker-like outfit and a couple of outfits that would have made Don Cherry so proud:

Bobby Orr & Bert And Ernie

Yesterday we looked at a photo of Bobby Orr meeting Andre The Giant.

Today we have a photo of Bobby meeting three bigger legends, bigger even than Andre:

Orr seems to be posing with some sort of Ice Capades crew, including Cookie Monster and Bert and Ernie!

Larger Than Life: Bobby Orr Meets Andre The Giant

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.

Here's some another photo of Andre with Bobby Orr.

Bob Probert Book Coming

I've got all the details on the upcoming Bob Probert book, including statements from the publisher HarperCollins Canada, over at HockeyBookReviews.com.

How About Some Lemonade

Boy, it sure is getting hot here again. I sure could use some lemonade.

Who's Better? Bobby Hull vs. Gordie Howe

Here's an old Hockey Illustrated magazine from December 1966. The cover story blares "Who is the Greatest? Bobby Hull or Gordie Howe?" It was an argument that would go on for 10 more years as the two superstars greatly impacted the hockey world until the late 1970s.

Nowadays we compare Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby in the very same light. There are some interesting comparables.

Ovechkin and Hull, both left wingers, and the flashiest and most flamboyant artists of the ice. They are not just great hockey players, able to score fantastic goals almost at will. They are entertainers. The NHL should never charge full price for a seat for one of their games, because you will rarely be sitting down with either of these two guys on the ice. They will have you either on the edge of your seat or standing in amazement all game long.

Howe and Crosby are similar, too, though not as conveniently so for this exercise. While I can already see comparing Ovechkin to Hull, I would not put Crosby in the same mention as Mr. Hockey yet. But still their styles of games in that while they are not necessarily spectacular, they are efficient, complete and above all they are winners. They get the job done. Their greatness is perhaps not immediately noticeable, but to the trained eye they are perfect hockey players in every aspect of the game.

So who's better? Hull or Howe? History almost unfailingly gives Gordie the edge, probably because he had so much success in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Who was more entertaining? The Golden Jet, hands down.

Will we have the same comments about Ovechkin and Crosby ten years from now? I think we already are. Whoever has the most post-season success will determine who was better in history's eyes.

Gretzky Traded!

It's hard to believe that 22 years ago that headline screamed across the world, changing it forever. On this day in 1988 Wayne Gretzky was traded from Edmonton to Los Angeles.


Also See: Alternative Trades: Yzerman? Linden? Leetch?

I remember the day well. I refused to listen to the radio when I first heard it. Still lost in an age of innocence, trading the greatest player in the game was impossible, or at least so I thought. Everyone thought that.

The Oilers had just won their fourth Cup in five years and Gretzky was 27, coming off a year where he put up 40 goals and 149 points in 64 regular season games and 12 goals, 43 points in 19 playoff games. The local radio must have been playing a terrible prank.

After listening to the news reports several times over it finally dawned on me that this was indeed true. Then came the teary eyed press conference followed by the Kings jersey unveiling that cemented a whole new reality in the completely shaken hockey world.

Wayne Gretzky had been traded.

It was probably the biggest trade in the history of sports, or certainly tied with the Babe Ruth transaction. The impact of the move was beyond what anyone could imagine, and is still unfolding.

The NHL went Hollywood and has since gone through immense expansion in US sun belt zones. For a while hockey was even cool in the US, something the rest of the western world already knew though they now craved it even more.

Though Canadians love to accuse these virgin US markets of not being able to support the NHL, in reality grassroots hockey in these parts is now starting to blossom. More kids in America, notably in California and other sunny climes, picked up the game, and now some are starting to make a run at their own NHL dreams.

In Canada, the ramifications were also immense. We all lost a little something when they took Gretzky out of the Canadian prairies. In many ways #99 exemplified the Canadian image: Hard-working and talented yet humble and determined. He wasn’t just a hockey player, he was a national treasure.

For many Canadians, the date of August 9th, 1988 marks the date Canada started losing control of hockey, although in reality it was more of an awakening to a long time reality than a beginning.

Hockey quickly became a big business, and the American dollar and entertainment marketplace called the shots. Gretzky was taken. Soon the Stanley Cup would be hoisted in unthinkable cities like Raleigh, Tampa Bay, Dallas and Anaheim. Though it always seemed America remained disinterested in Canada's game, the game was sold out irreversibly starting on the day Canadians learned who Bruce McNall was.

For me personally, the trade helped cement me as a great hockey fan. The trade set up a season full of intrigue every time the Kings played the Oilers. Gretzky and his new team returned to Edmonton on October 20, 1988, and the Great One scored on his first shift. Later that spring, Gretzky and the Kings eliminated the Oilers from the playoffs. On October 15, 1989, Gretzky made his most heroic return visit of all. In front of cheering fans at Northlands Coliseum, he broke Gordie Howe’s NHL all-time points record by scoring his 1,850th and 1,851st point.

Some great memories, indeed. In some ways my awakening allowed me to cherish Gretzky's Hollywood days more so than his younger days when the Oilers were kings. A whole new hockey landscape was created for me. I don't just mean in the old Smythe Division where the Oilers and Kings faced off regularly. I mean it was a complete awakening for me to realize that hockey was a business, and hockey players are businessmen. My innocence may have been lost, and Canada's greatest hero may have flew south, but my love for Canada's game only grew stronger.

Other players involved in the trade:

Jimmy Carson - He was traded for The Great One. Though he had one of the most impressive three year starts in NHL history, he could never live down the trade.

Marty McSorley - Popular Marty McSorley worked hard to shed his goon image and become known as a good player. Then he blew it.

Mike Krushelnyski - When Mike Krushelnyski potted 43 goals in 1984-85, the Oilers thought they finally found a LW to play with Wayne Gretzky.

Martin Gelinas - Martin Gelinas earned a lot of respect for his hard working, honest game. He showed up every night, gave it his all and was a great teammate..

Also see: Whatever Happened To Those Draft Picks?
Also see: They Said It: Quotes From 20 Years Ago
Also see: Hockey In California Pre-Dates Gretzky
Also see: Wayne Gretzky Trivia
Also see: Wayne Gretzky vs. Mario Lemieux

Here is what the rest of the web has to offer:

NHL.com Coverage

Impact on Canada & California
Gretzky's trade to L.A. sent shockwaves through Canada and California.

End of Innocence
How this trade created the cliche: If Gretzky can be traded.....more

Gretzky Recalls Trade
An interview with Wayne Gretzky ... more

A marketing dream
Wayne Gretzky wasn't just "The Great One" on the ice.. ...more

Is this the year?
Will anyone ever touch The Great One's 92 goals in a season? ...more

Gretzky By The Numbers
An in-depth look at his great career. Stats Video

Top Ten Trades Of All Time
A history of blockbuster NHL trades ...more
(Joe's note - hey, where's the King Clancy trade?)

Edmonton Sun
The Shocking Trade - Terry Jones, (Aug. 3rd, 2008)
Not So Happy Anniversary in Oilerland - (Aug. 9th, 2008)

Edmonton Journal
Don't Ever Call It The "Gretzky Trade:" It Was A Sale - David Staples (Aug 8th, 2008)

Los Angeles Times
Gretzky's Trade To Kings Ice Breaker For NHL - Thomas Bonk (Aug 8th, 2008)

Orange County Register
Why Is This Weekend So Special? Hint: Gretzky - Dan Wood (Aug 9th, 2008)

National Post
It's Like Losing A Son, More Than A Hockey Player - (Aug 9th, 2008)
Just Business - (Aug 9th, 2008)

TSN.ca
20 Years Ago The Gretzky Deal Shocked The World - (Aug 9th, 2008)

SportsNet.caThe Gretzky Trade: 20 Years Later
The Original Reports: A collection of newspaper reports from Aug 9, 1988
The Gretzky Trade: By The Numbers
Gretzky Gallery

ESPN
Residual Effect From Gretzky Trade Still Felt Today - Scott Burnside (Aug. 8th, 2008)

Fox Sports
Twenty Years Later It's Still A Great Trade - Lyle Richardson (Spector)

USA Today
Gretzky Trade Had 'Seismic Impact' - Kevin Allen (Aug. 8th, 2008)

CBS Sportsline
Gretzky Deal Still Resonates Through Hockey - Wes Goldstein (Aug. 8th, 2008)
Gretzky Trade: What happened to.... - Erin Brown (Aug. 8th, 2008)

The Sporting News
The Gretzky Trade At 20: McSorley's Perspective - Craig Custance (Aug. 9th, 2008)

CanWest News Services
Gretzky Forgives And Forgets - Aug 8th, 2008

The Tennessean
Gelinas Recalls Hockey's Biggest Trade - John Glennon (Aug. 8th, 2008)
Gretzky Trade Spurred NHL To Expand Here - John Glennon (Aug. 8th, 2008)

Historical Coverage

CBC (video) - The Shocking Trade (August 9, 1988)

New York Times - The Two Sides of The Gretzky Trade (August 11, 1988)
In Los Angeles: New Day Dawns - - In Edmonton: Future Is On Hold

Sports Illustrated
The Gretzky Trade (Video)
Woe, Canada
- August 22, 1988
A Nation In Mourning
- August 22, 1988
New King Boffo At Box Office
- October 9, 1988
Life Without Gretzky
- December 26, 1988
More Than A Man Can Do
- November 28, 1988
Gretzky Returns Edmonton
- October 31st, 1988

Edmonton SunThe Great Trade - August, 1998 (ten year anniversary)

How The Deal Was Done - Sporting News Staff (Feb 12th, 1989)

Online articles:
Don't Ever Call It The "Gretzky Trade:" It Was A Sale - David Staples
Gretzky Trade Still Shapes Hockey - Eric McErlain
Forgotten Benefit Of Gretzky Trade - Greg Wyshynski
20th Anniversary of "The Trade" - Masiv Blog
Gretzky Broke Non-Crying Promise To Messier - Covered In Oil
20 Years Later And 10 Years Too Young - AOL Fanhouse
Remembering The Gretzky Trade of 1988 - Waiting For Stanley
A Look Back At The Historic Gretzky Trade - Battle of NY
What If Gretzky Had Gone To Detroit - Eric McErlain
It Was Twenty Years Ago - NHL Home Ice
Hey Dad! Gretzky Got Traded - Puck Hog
The Gretzky Deal: 20 Years Later - James Mirtle
There's Just One Nagging Little Thing - Frozen Royalty
It Was Twenty Years Ago Today - Eyes On The Prize
Also From Eyes On The Prize
The Gretzky Trade - Part 1: The Hockey World Stands Still
The Gretzky Trade - Part 2: Getting Analytical
The Gretzky Trade - Part 3: Transaction Breakdowns