Ten Questions With Ulf Nilsson

 I had the great opportunity to chat with Winnipeg Jets legend Ulf Nilsson. A very candid Nilsson agreed to be interviewed for Greatest Hockey Legends.com. Here's the full interview:

Question: Growing up in Sweden, who were your hockey idols? Did you have any Canadian idols or NHL idols?

Answer: My idols were some Swedish soccer and hockey stars and of course some of the great CCCP stars and particularly Anatoli Firsov!

Question: When you decided to come to North America, did you have any concerns about this strange new league called the WHA? Did you have any offers from the NHL? What made you decide to join the Winnipeg Jets?

Answer: I had an offer from Buffalo Sabres, the team in the NHL which owned my rights. In those days there were no drafting of European players. Lars Erik Sjöberg, Anders Hedberg and I talked a lot at training camp for the WC -74 in Helsinki about our future. We agreed to all sign with Winnipeg for two reasons: one to have an impact on the style of play, would have been difficult on my own in Buffalo. The second reason was to be able to play with one of the greatest players of all time Bobby Hull, which proved to be one of my best decisions of my life. It’s fun to hear Glen Sather saying he formed his Oilers after the old Jets and the Montreal Canadiens. I believe we had a great impact on the hockey played today in North America.

Question: You arrived in North America just one year after Borje Salming. You stepped in and scored 120, one of four consecutive seasons with at least 114 points. You starred with Bobby Hull. But here in North America it is Borje Salming who gets the credit as the Swedish and
European trailblazer in North America. Don't you think you and Anders Hedberg deserve a better legacy in North America?

Answer: Yes, I think we should be in the Hockey Hall of Fame, because of the things we did in Winnipeg!

Question: What was it like to play with Bobby Hull? How did he treat you?

Answer: Fantastic, we clicked from day one and Bobby had a simple philosophy “You work hard in practice, and then the game will be easy”.

Question: How important was Lars-Erik Sjoberg to the Jets success?

Answer: Very important, he was one of the best defensemen of all-time.

Question: Is there a Swedish player from your generation who could have come
over to North America and found great success, but never did?

Answer: Several players would have been great in the right environment, we were lucky to be 3 good players and with the support of Bobby Hull and a management that left us alone.

Question: Who was the best player you played against, be it NHL, WHA or internationally?

I played with Bobby Hull, I did not play against Bobby Orr, Gordie Howe, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux in their prime. My career fell just between those four great North American players. I played against some great CCCP players, most of the people don’t remember the real big red machine. Those five I played against were, Gusev, Vasiliev, Michalov, Petrov and Charlamov!

Question: Why was it tougher to find success in the NHL when you joined the Rangers in 1978?

Answer: My first year before I broke my ankle in February was great. I took so much physical abuse during my 4 years in Winnipeg so I did not have anything left in my body. I believe that was the reason!

Question: How close are you with Anders Hedberg today? How about Bobby Hull?

Answer: Anders and I see each other fairly often, we both are living in Stockholm and unfortunately I don’t see Bobby, but when I see him it’s almost like yesterday!

Question: Can you tell our readers what Ulf Nilsson has been up to since leaving
the ice as a player?

Answer: I moved back to Sweden in 1999 after 25 years in North America, since April of 2001 I’m a partner in Qbrick AB www.qbrick.com, we are the leading hosting company in Scandinavia when it comes to streaming media. I travel 5-6 times a years to visit my 3 children who are all living in the New York area.

This Day In Hockey History: Jan 31st

1920 - Quebec's Joe Malone set an NHL record with seven goals in a 10-6 win against Toronto.

1923 - Canadiens beat Hamilton 5-4 in Montreal, in the first penalty-free game played in NHL history.

1968 - George Konik became first Penguins player to be awarded a penalty shot, and he scored a goal against Glenn Hall at St. Louis. But Pittsburgh lost 9-4 to the Blues.

1991 - Vancouver General Manager Pat Quinn took over as head coach of the Canucks, replacing Bob McCammon.

Happy Birthday to Camille Henry, Mikhail Grabovski, Rick Dudley, Bobby Dollas, Bob Turner, Tyler Seguin, Curt Brackenbury and Eddie Mio.

Wayne Gretzky Trivia

* In the mid-1980s, Wayne Gretzky and this goaltender played a game of table-top hockey in a commercial promoting Gillette razors. It was the first time a North American company used a Soviet athlete to promote its products.

* This player was Wayne Gretzky's boyhood idol.

* Wayne Gretzky scored on 155 different goaltenders. He scored against this netminder 29 times, the most of any of his victims.

* Besides Wayne Gretzky, only one other teenager has scored 50 goals in a National Hockey League season.

* Wayne Gretzky scored 583 goals with the Edmonton Oilers, and 246 with the Los Angeles Kings. Only two other players have scored at least 200 goals with two different franchises. Player One and Player Two.

* In the 1990s, Wayne Gretzky scored 1020 points, the most of any player. This player was second with 926 points.

* In 1977-78, Wayne Gretzky scored 182 points in his only season in major junior hockey. He finished second that year in scoring to this fellow future NHL star.

This Day In Hockey History: Jan 30th

Greg Polis with Bobby Orr

1932 - Toronto broke a 3-3 tie with three overtime goals, to beat the Rangers 6-3 at Toronto. In those days, overtime was an extra 10 minute period, not "sudden death".

1937 - New York Americans' Nels Stewart became the NHL's All-Time goal scoring leader, when he picked up his 270th career goal to surpass Howie Morenz, as the Americans beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-0. Alfie Moore got the shutout.

1960 - Dean Prentice scored the 5,000th goal in New York Rangers history, as the Rangers lost 3-2 to the Maple Leafs at Toronto.

1969 - Pittsburgh Penguins acquired Bryan Watson, George Swarbrick and Tracy Pratt from the Oakland Seals in exchange for Earl Ingarfield, Gene Ubriaco and Dick Mattiussi.

1973 - Penguins' star Greg Polis scored twice and was named MVP of the 1973 NHL All Star Game at Madison Square Garden in NY, where the East beat the West 5-4.

1979 - Philadelphia Flyers fired coach Bob McCammon, and named Pat Quinn as his replacement

1990 - L.A.'s Wayne Gretzky set an NHL record by scoring his 100th point of the season for the 11th straight season; the milestone came with an assist in a 5-2 win over the visiting New Jersey Devils.

Happy Birthday to Trent Klatt, Steve Heinze, Chris Simon, Alexander Khavanov, Larry Carriere, Dan Hinote, Lucas Sbisa, Jonathon Blum and Danielle Goyette.

The Reverend Pat Quinn?

Can you imagine Pat Quinn as a priest? Not with that famous Irish temper!

But apparently this was once a serious consideration of the famous NHL player turned coach. This according to the new book St. Michael's College: 100 Years of Pucks and Prayers.

Quinn tells the book's authors Kevin Shea, Larry Colle and Paul Patskou that he felt the calling of God after graduating grade 8. He visited a seminary in Niagara Falls to get a better idea of what all was involved. The young Quinn was not ready for the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, but most of all he was not going to give up athletics.

Quinn's local minister arranged for Quinn to go the St. Michael's College in Toronto. It is an all boys, Roman Catholic private high school with a great sports program, most notably in hockey. Famous alumni include Ted Lindsay, Frank Mahovlich, Dave Keon, Red Kelly, Gerry Cheevers, Joe Primeau, and Tim Horton. In more modern times Eric Lindros, Kevin Dineen and Andrew Cogliano have gone to that school.

Quinn immediately became a football star at St. Mikes, but he was never able to play for the Majors hockey team. Quinn was already on the amateur protection list of the Detroit Red Wings, while St. Michael's was affiliated with the Toronto Maple Leafs. In the old days junior teams were often sponsored directly by the NHL teams.

Quinn's desire to play hockey meant he had to leave the school, returning home to Hamilton.

This is just one of many great stories inside the new book from HB Fenn: St. Michael's College: 100 Years of Pucks and Prayers. You can read my full review at HockeyBookReviews.com.

This Day In Hockey History: Jan 29th

1928 - The Finnish National Team played its first official hockey game, losing 8-1 to Sweden.

1971 - Buffalo rookie Gilbert Perreault recorded his first career hat trick, and the first in Sabres team history, in a 4-2 win over the Seals at Oakland.

1974 - St. Louis Blues' Garry Unger scored a shorthanded goal at 7:54 of the third period to lead the West Division All-Stars to a 6-4 victory over the East, in the All Star Game at Chicago Stadium. Unger captured the game's MVP award.

1977 - The Blizzard of '77 left many of the Sabres trapped in Buffalo. Only 14 players made it up to Montreal, but they managed to tie the Canadiens, 3-3.

1991 - Chicago obtained Tony McKegney from the Quebec Nordiques in exchange for goalie Jacques Cloutier.

1993 - Detroit traded Jimmy Carson (along with Gary Shuchuk and Marc Potvin) to the L.A. Kings in exchange for Paul Coffey, Jim Hiller, and Sylvain Couturier.

Happy Birthday to Dominik Hasek, Pat Quinn Mike Foligno, Billy Harris, Doug Risebrough, Joe Primeau, Bob Murdoch, Tim Gleason, Glen Cochrane, Paulin Bordeleau, Kevin Shattenkirk, Joe Contini, Tom Wandell, Sean Burke, Jason Doig, Larry Pleau, Ed Kastelic, Scott Parker, Marc Potvin and Wayne Stephenson.

The First Rule Of Business

The first rule of business is always make your customers happy.

Tim Horton knew that. That's part of the reason why there is no bigger business success story in Canada than his donut/coffee chain that has become as much a part of the national fabric as hockey itself.

Tim Horton also knew a thing or two about hockey, especially the physical element of it. There were few who could thump an oncoming forward with as much physicality and efficiency as Horton.

Horton was once asked who was the hardest hitter in the league. He answered Boston Bruins pint sized defenseman Leo Boivin.

I was contacted yesterday by daily reader Bob Sohm. He wrote "I still visit the site daily it's great, but how about a profile of HOF'er, master of the hip and body check Leo Boivin."

Taking a page from Tim Horton's book of business success, I made sure to give my reader exactly what he wanted. Here's a complete profile of Leo Boivin.

And to hopefully impress my customers beyond expectations, I'm throwing in a couple of Timbits in for free. Make that "Leo"bits. Here's profiles on two more guys named Leo - Leo Reise Jr, and Leo "The Gazelle" Gravelle.

Three for the price of one, Bob!

Patrick Marleau's Historic Start

San Jose Sharks' forward Patrick Marleau is off to a historic start.

Marleau has scored two goals in each of the Shark's first four games. In doing so he has accomplished something no player has since the inaugural season of the NHL.

Marleau is the first player to start the season with back-to-back-to-back-to-back multi-goal games since Cy Denneny of the Ottawa Senators in 1917-18, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

ESB also reports that the last player to have a scoring streak like this, regardless of when in the season it occurred, was Alexander Mogilny. The Buffalo forward had five consecutive multi-goal games in the 1992-93 season.

This Day In Hockey History: Jan 26th

1921 - Corb Denneny scored six goals to lead the Toronto St. Patricks to a 10-3 win against the Hamilton Tigers in Toronto.

1936 - Chicago traded Howie Morenz to the NY Rangers in exchange for Glenn Brydson.

1961 - Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky born in Brantford, Ontario.

1971 - Pittsburgh Penguins acquired center Syl Apps Jr. and Sheldon Kannegiesser from the NY Rangers in exchange for left winger Glen Sather.

1982 - New York Islanders set a team record for fastest four goals. Tonelli, Trottier (twice) and Duane Sutter combined for four goals within a span of 1:38 during a 9-2 win against Pittsburgh at Nassau Coliseum.

1991 - Chicago's Doug Wilson scored the only hat trick of his NHL career in a 5-1 win against Toronto

1991 - Gerard Gauthier became the fifth linseman in NHL history to reach the 1,500 games-officiated mark.

1993 - San Jose coach George Kingston set an NHL "record" for fastest 100 losses, when the Sharks lost in L.A. 7-1. Kingston lost his first 100 NHL games in just 130 tries during the Sharks' first two NHL seasons.

1995 - Michel Goulet announced his retirement from hockey, following his 15 year NHL career with the Quebec Nordiques and Chicago.

1997 - Mario Lemieux tied an NHL record with four goals in the third period as Pittsburgh won 5-2 at Montreal. It was the 39th hat trick of Lemieux' career, and his 13th career four-goal game, tying the NHL record shared by Gretzky and Bossy.

2000 - St. Louis' Stephane Richer scored his 400th career NHL goal in the Blues 4-1 win over the Senators, at Ottawa.

Happy Birthday to Wayne Gretzky, Dale McCourt, Glen Skov, Frank Nighbor, Fred Barrett, Vic Lynn, Ivan Hlinka, Mark Taylor, Amos Arbour, Alf Skinner, Louis Leblance and Daniel "The Bandit" Berthiaume.

Iron Mike: The Mike Keenan Story

Hockey Stats Are Like Bikinis

There has been an interesting debate going around lately.

It has to do with hockey statistics. More specifically it has to do with the desire to better understand hockey and hockey players through the exploration of new statistics.

In baseball, it is called Sabermetrics. Jason Gregor of OilersNation argues trying to bring Sabermetrics to hockey is impossible and pointless. Dirk Hoag, the noted statistics guru from On The Forecheck, takes offense to Gregor's stance.

I have never been much of a statistics guy. That's why you don't see much statistical analysis on my site.

Instead, I have always been a big fan of players whose contributions are not quantifiable on any score sheet. Players like Rod Langway or Bob Gainey. They may have never had big offensive seasons like Bernie Nicholls or Denis Maruk, but no one would dare suggest that they are the better players, would they?

While I think Gregor is ultimately right in that hockey is not easily quantifiable, I really appreciate people like Hoag that are trying to help us appreciate hockey at an even better understanding.

All of this reminds of something I recently heard Marty Turco say: "Statistics are like bikinis, they only show so much."

Sometimes they make someone look a whole lot better than they really are, too.

Dave Keon Book Coming From Author Dave Bidini

From Dave Bidini's literary agent:

Canada Reads and Toronto Book Awards finalist, National Post columnist and Bidiniband frontman, Dave Bidini's KEON AND ME: MY SEARCH FOR THE LOST SOUL OF THE LEAFS, a memoir of the writer at 11 as well as a search for his childhood sporting hero, Canada English rights to Associate Publisher of Penguin Canada Nick Garrison for Fall 2013 by Samantha Haywood.

Here's the full press release

A History Of The Pacific Coast Hockey Association

Author Craig Bowlsby rushed me a copy of his new book Empire of Ice. The Rise and Fall of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association, 1911-1926. I've barely made a dent in this 400 page text but I have to tell you about it. This is a fantastic book for those interested in some real hockey history.

Buy The Book: Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com

This book does have a bit of a niche audience. Many of today's fans have never heard of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association. Or the Patrick brothers, and their immense legacy on the hockey world to this very day. Heck, a lot of fans don't even realize that Vancouver really has won a Stanley Cup. So has Seattle, and Victoria for that matter, too.

As a hockey history nut with a particular interest in hockey's development in Western Canada and in the Patrick family, I can attest that this book is impressive. I knew it was thick at over 400 pages (including 70 black and white photos) but I did not really know quite what to expect. I feared it would be dry and academic, like some of the writing on this topic before, but I was dead wrong. This is a wonderfully written book. It is a history text book - the most comprehensive history text book of the PCHA ever written. But storytelling is very much a part of Bowlsby's presentation, making this book a wonderful surprise that I can't put down.

Seeing that this book is essentially self published I wanted to get the word out there as quick as possible. I have not read the entire book yet, but it certainly passes my first glance test with flying colours. Simply put - I can't put it down. Perhaps it is in part because I have always had a curious fascination with the PCHA and the Patrick brothers in particular. There have been other books on the topic but none have captured my attention like this one has. I think that is largely due to the author's writing but more importantly his passion. You can tell early on that this is a labour of love for Bowlsby and he instantly gains respect from the reader.

For modern fans who are unaware of the defunct PCHA and it's incredible legacy on hockey to this very day, here's a bit of background courtesy of the book's press release:

The PCHA rose and fell like the Roman Empire, but left its own mark on history. Now fans can re-live how the Patrick Brothers invented modern hockey, and brought the highest level of the game to the Pacific Coast, and to the world.

This legendary league has never, until now, been comprehensively recorded. Craig H. Bowlsby has unearthed much new information. He has debunked common misconceptions, and even solved many mysteries. Empire of Ice chronicles the rise of the PCHA to the pinnacle of its success, and then to its final, bizarre plummet. All the league’s exciting Stanley Cup struggles are described in detail, as well as the trials, experiments and scandals of the regular seasons. This brings to new light the techniques and exploits of the great hockey stars of both West and East.

Cyclone Taylor, Frank and Lester Patrick, Hugh Lehman, Moose Johnson, Frank Nighbor, Eddie Gerard, Nels Stewart, and many others, are spotlighted.

The PCHA also created the first American teams to fight for the Stanley Cup, and the stories of Seattle, Portland and Spokane are fascinating ones. As well, fans can read how the teams of both the NHL and the Prairies clashed with the Pacific Coast in search of the Stanley Cup. There is much new information about Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Quebec, Saskatoon, Regina, Calgary, and Edmonton.

A cornucopia of statistics is provided for those who relish in-depth comparisons. For all the drama, and for one of the freshest views of hockey history ever published—read on!

Bottom line - this is an excellent and comprehensive hockey history book. The book will probably fly under the radar to some degree as it does not have a major publishing marketing machine behind it. Do not overlook this book.

Buy The Book: Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com

You can also order the book through the author's email – epic@intergate.ca or through Ebay as a fixed price item. It’s also available at all Black Bond book stores, Hager’s Books, MaCleod’s books, Munro’s Books in Victoria and Aquila Books in Calgary.

YouTube Gem: Foster Hewitt Talks Hockey History in 1978

I can't believe this video has only 200 views. Great interview with the legendary Foster Hewitt:

Who's Better: Snoopy or Bobby Hull?

Click to enlarge.

Here's the video scouting report:

Johnny Bower: Hands Of Stone

After dodging bullets on the battlefields of Europe, dodging frozen hockey pucks as a long time goaltender must have been a piece of cake for Johnny Bower. 

That being said it was amazing he was ever able to pursue hockey even at a recreational level. Johnny developed an acute form of arthritis in his hands, a condition which led to his discharge from the army.

"I used to think I'd never be able to hold a goal stick again."

Later on he said "When I was with the Leafs, I'd finish a game, and my stick hand would be locked right up like a claw. Some nights, it was so stiff and sore, it'd take me an hour just to get it open and working."

Despite the battles with arthritis, Johnny became one of the swiftest and most graceful goaltenders ever to play the game. Here's the full Johnny Bower biography.

This Day In Hockey History: Jan 20th

1984 - Vancouver's Dave "Tiger" Williams scored his first career hat trick in the Canucks' 6-6 tie against the Jets, at Winnipeg.

1989 - Mario Lemieux became just the second player in NHL history to score 50 goals in less than 50 games. He got #50 in his 44th game of the year, as the Penguins lost 7-3 to the Jets at Winnipeg.

1990 - Los Angeles Kings traded Bernie Nicholls to the New York Rangers in exchange for Tomas Sandstrom and Tony Granato.

1996 - Boston Bruins' defenseman Ray Bourque scored with 38 seconds remaining in regulation to give the East a 5-4 win over the West, in the NHL's 46th All Star Game, played at the new FleetCenter in Boston.

Happy Birthday to Leapin' Louie Fontinato, Chuck Lefley, Inge Hammarstrom, Jamie Hislop, Dick Tarnstrom, Jordy Douglas, Rob Gaudreau, Joe Jerwa, and Josef Melichar.

George Hainsworth: 22 Shutouts in 44 Games

With a 48 game season on deck for the 2013 NHL season, there has been some joking about a goaltender Martin Brodeur or Miikka Kiprusoff played all 48 games for their respective teams. It is unlikely to happen give the 48 games are to be played in 99 days, but it could be interesting to see how many games such workhorse goaltenders get into.

What is even more unlikely is any goaltender having a record anywhere close to George Hainsworth in 1928-29. That year the Montreal Canadiens goaltender played every minute of the 44 game season. Amazingly he had 22 shutouts that season setting a NHL record that will never be beaten even in the 82 game schedule of the modern era.

What is even more amazing than the 22 shutouts in a single season? Hainsworth only won 16 of those 22 games. That's right - six of those shutouts came in 0-0 ties!

The Hall of Fame goaltender posted a puny 0.92 goals against average that season. Even with that and the record 22 shutouts, the Habs only won 22 of their 44 games that season. They were 22-7-15 that year, good enough for 1st place in the Canadian division that season. The Habs would lose to Boston in the semi-finals of the Stanley Cup playoffs that year.

Hainsworth, Montreal's team captain, was named as the Vezina trophy that year. It was his third consecutive such award. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1961.

Read the full George Hainsworthy biography.

It's A Great Day For Hockey

This Day In Hockey History: Jan 19th

1898 - Brown defeated Harvard 6-0 in the first recorded U.S. collegiate hockey game.

1975 - Pittsburgh's rookie defenseman Colin Campbell scored the first goal of his NHL career, in a 3-2 win over the Washington Capitals, in Landover, Maryland.

1984 - Roger Neilson was replaced as head coach of the Vancouver Canucks by GM Harry Neale. He completed his coaching record with Vancouver at 51-61-21 in 133 games. 11 days later Neilson was named coach of the L.A. Kings.

1991 - Vince Damphousse scored 4 goals in an 11-5 Campbell Conference win over the Wales at the NHL All Star Game in Chicago. Wayne Gretzky scored to become the all-time leader in All Star Game Goals (breaking Gordie Howe's record of 10 goals).

1996 - NHL Board of Governors approved the sale of the Winnipeg Jets, officially clearing the way for the team to move to Phoenix, Arizona in time for the 1996-97 season.

2000 - Rookie goalie Evgeni Nabokov made 39 saves in his first NHL start for his first career shutout, and Patrick Roy earned his 47th career shutout as San Jose tied 0-0 at Colorado. Avalanche ran their home unbeaten streak to 10 games (8-0-2).

Happy Birthday to Busher Jackson, Sylvain Cote, Thomas Vanek, Ian Laperriere, Ed Kea, Izzy Goodenough, Gary Bromley, Billy Caroll, Mike Komisarek and Dunc Munro.

Hockey's Most Electrifying Player?

I have seen Mario Lemieux, Wayne Gretzky and Pavel Bure, but the most electrifying player I've ever watched play hockey has to be Denis Savard:


Savard was one of the quickest players in the league, with tremendous one step acceleration. He was so fun to watch as he'd dart in and out of danger, rapidly change directions, and even perfect the "Savardian Spin-a-rama" in which he'd do a full 360 degree turn while carrying the puck to protect it from checkers. His great skating was complimented nicely by his incredibly soft hands. He could stickhandle through an entire team and was an excellent playmaker. He was also a very good shooter, particularly with his laser-like wrist shot. He was also known for taking bad angle shots. He was a puny player in terms of size but he had a solid center of gravity that made him tough to knock off the puck if you were lucky enough to catch him.

Savard would put all of those qualities together and leave defensemen dizzy and fans amazed!

"Denis is one of those players who is not only a great hockey player but a player with charisma," explained Bob Pulford, the long time general manager of the Chicago Blackhawks. "He's got that quality that keeps people coming out see him play."

Here's more on Denis Savard

This Day In Hockey History: Jan 18th

1945 - 7,687 fans waited in their seats at the Detroit Olympia as weather made the NY Rangers three hours late for their game. The Red Wings beat the Rangers 7-3 in a game that began at 11:15 PM and ended at 12:56 AM.

1958 - Boston's Willie O'Ree skated onto the ice at Montreal and became the first player of African descent to appear in an NHL game.

1967 - For the first time in NHL history the All-Star game was held at mid-season. The Stanley Cup Champion Montreal Canadiens beat the All Stars 3-0 at the Forum. John Ferguson scored twice for the Canadiens.

1992 - MVP Brett Hull scored two goals and added an assist to lead the Campbell Conference to a 10-6 win over the Wales Conference in the NHL All Star Game at Philadelphia. It was the first penalty free game in All Star history.

1997 - Mark Recchi and Owen Nolan scored hat tricks as the East beat the West 11-7, in the All Star Game in San Jose. Adam Oates had 2 assists to set a career All-Star record with 12. Gretzky & Lemieux eached scored their 20th point, another record.

2001 - New York's Mike Richter picked up his 267th career victory to become the winningest goaltender in team history (passing Ed Giacomin), when the Rangers beat the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1 in overtime.

Happy Birthday to Mark Messier, Syl Apps Sr., Brian Gionta, Ruslan Fedotenko, Andrew McBain, Jere Gillis, Mike Blaisdell, Dean Kennedy, Jason Labarbera and Alex Pietrangelo.

Doug Jarvis: Secret Weapon

Montreal coach Scotty Bowman kept pestering management for a particular player in the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft.

He was not the biggest name available, not by a long shot. He was not even a projected first round pick. He was not even that well liked by Montreal's own scouts.

He was Doug Jarvis.

Jarvis would go on to become the NHL's ultimate iron man, a defensive center extraordinaire and a key member of 4 Stanley Cup championships. But scouts thought he was too small and had little offensive upside. He was a long shot to make the NHL.

Scotty Bowman knew better. He trusted his instincts, and his source. It was Peterborough Petes junior coach Roger Nielson who tipped Scotty off about Jarvis, claiming he was hockey's best faceoff man. Not the best in junior hockey, but the best in all of the world.

While Bowman kept pestering the Habs to draft Jarvis, Montreal GM Sam Pollock never did. He passed on him to select Robin Sadler, Pierre Mondou and Brian Engblom. Toronto would claim him in the second round with the 24th pick.

Bowman's pestering did pay off in the long run though. 23 days later Pollock and the Leafs agreed to a trade whereby prospect defenseman Greg Hubick would join the Leafs in exchange for Jarvis.

No one could have expected what would happen next. In September Jarvis wowed everyone in his first NHL training camp. He was going to be one of the last cuts of camp as the Canadiens had every intention of letting him develop in the minor leagues as per norm in Montreal those days. But a late training camp injury to star center Jacques Lemaire allowed Jarvis to start the season with the big team.

It turned out to be the first of 560 consecutive games Jarvis would play in a Habs jersey.

With his incredible faceoff ability and mature defensive game, Jarvis quickly found a home centering fellow defensive standout Bob Gainey and veteran Jim Roberts. They would be a top checking line and ace penalty killers. They were key contributors to Montreal's 4 consecutive Stanley Cup championships to close out the 1970s.

Read the full Doug Jarvis biography here

This Day In Hockey History: Jan 17th

1956 - Detroit Red Wings obtained Lorne Ferguson and Murray Costello from Boston in trade for Real Chevrefils and Jerry Toppazzini.

1959 - Detroit's Gordie Howe saw action as a defenseman in game at Toronto because of injuries to other Wings defensemen. Howe also played at right wing in the game, a 2-1 loss to the Maple Leafs.

1974 - Pittsburgh Penguins traded defenseman Bryan Watson and Greg Polis to St. Louis, in exchange for Steve Durbano, Ab DeMarco, and Bob Kelly.

1987 - Quebec Nordiques traded Brent Ashton, Gilbert Delorme, and Mark Kumpel to Detroit in exchange for the Red Wings' John Ogrodnick, Basil McRae, and Doug Shedden.

1991 - Andy Van Hellemond set an NHL record for most games worked by a referee when he appeared in his 1,173rd regular season game as the St. Louis Blues hosted Montreal. Van Hellemond broke the record set by Dave Newell.

1996 - Detroit's Steve Yzerman became the 22nd player in NHL history to score 500 career goals as the Red Wings won 3-2 over the Avalanche, at Joe Louis Arena. Yzerman also joined Gordie Howe as the only players to score 500 goals with Detroit.

1998 - Philadelphia Flyers acquired Alexandre Daigle from Ottawa, in exchange for Vaclav Prospal, Pat Falloon and a 1998 draft pick.

1999 - Florida Panthers acquired Pavel Bure, Bret Hedican, Brad Ference and a conditional third-round draft pick from the Vancouver Canucks, in exchange for Dave Gagner, Ed Jovanovski, Mike Brown, goaltender Kevin Weekes and a first-round draft pick.

Happy Birthday to Jacques Plante, Jeremy Roenick, Sylvain Turgeon, Derek Plante, Aaron Ward, Pep Kelly, Milan Kraft, Viktor Stalberg and Leo Bourgeault.

Ottawa's Frank Finnigan's Heart Was With Toronto

Twitter's @NHLhistorygirl sent me the following Ottawa Citizen article from 1988. It was written by none other than the great Roy MacGregor. I know I'm not supposed to reproduce this article like this, but it is so good that I simply must share it. Enjoy!

FEARLESS FRANK'S HEART BEATS FOR MAPLE LEAFS

If it were not for the hair _ snow white and thick as ermine _ you'd swear he could still play in the National Hockey League.

Fearless Frank Finnigan has his right leg over his head, pumping it back and forth in a demonstration of how the doctors once scattered a blood clot that threatened to bench him forever.

The Shawville Express bounces to his feet, one foot shooting out in a demonstration of the way Eddie Shore took the skates out from under Ace Bailey on a December night 55 years ago and all but killed him.

For three hours Fearless Frank laughs and winks and jumps about his daughter Joan's Aylmer living room like a man a third his age _ whatever his age really is.

The record books say 85 this summer. His son, Frank Jr., says 87 this summer.

No matter, the Shawville Express has lived and died already a half dozen times over the past 10 days.

But such is the fate of the oldest, perhaps the last, Toronto Maple Leaf fan on earth.

Fearless Frank Finnigan played right wing for the Leafs for four seasons during the 1930s, played for the Leafs when they won the 1932 Stanley Cup, and is still True Blue loyal more than a half-century later.

That's partly through default, since all the other teams he loved to play for _ the Stanley Cup-winning Ottawa Senators among them _ are no longer around at all, let alone barely kicking like the Toronto Maple Leafs.

It will soon be 75 years since a 13-year-old Frank Finnigan picked up $10 in Quyon for a game against the cross-river Ontario rival, Fitzroy Harbour.

From up the Ottawa River it was down to the city for a professional career that included, even, the University of Ottawa hockey team, where the Grade 9 graduate was paid to play and told to let on he was studying for what he likes to call ''my degree in business administration.''

''They rolled a piece of paper into a typewriter, typed out a sentence and I sat down and copied it, one finger, and that was that.''

But hardly that for hockey: on to senior, on to the Senators, on to Toronto, St. Louis, a second stint in Toronto. An entire life spent in hockey.

And from Frank Finnigan's point of view _ as intense from the easy chair as he ever was on the bench _ an awful lot has changed in the meantime.

Like strategy. All this talk about set plays and Jacques Demers outcoaching John Brophy and matching lineups _ good God!

''You had a coach or a manager,'' Fearless Frank Finnigan says of the days when he first came to Ottawa to play with Nighbour and Clancy and Denneny and the other greats, ''but what did he know? You didn't change the lines too often, I'll tell you.''

Like line changes, for that matter. Sometimes Fearless Frank Finnigan will barely cough once in front of his television set before a player he's trying to figure out is booting it for the bench.

''Don't you think a fellow has got to be on for three or four minutes to find himself?'' he asks. ''You can be on for two minutes and not even touch the puck.''

Like hitting to hurt. ''I hit with my rear. Maybe take the wind out of a fellow, that was it. I never used my stick on anybody, never carried my stick high.''

That doesn't mean Frank Finnigan stayed out of the way. You don't pick up a nickname like ''Fearless'' for nothing. And there are still some around who remember how Frank Finnigan decked Sprague Cleghorn with a single punch _ ''a lucky punch'' _ after the vicious Cleghorn had cut several of his teammates.

No, he means the stickwork and the interference. "The hooking is terrible,'' in Frank Finnigan's opinion.

''I think they'll have to make the rinks bigger. Maybe another 20 feet longer and 20 feet wider, something that will give the average-sized fellows _ the good hockey players, I mean _ a chance against all their clutching and everything.

''You know, if you had all the games the same as the Russians play, you'd have a pretty good league. They play the way it should be played.''

But why then, would a man with such a background, such knowledge and such concerns for the game of hockey be found night after night these past two weeks living and dying with the Toronto Maple Leafs?

''I can't do anything about it,'' he laughs, tapping his chest. ''That's where my heart is.''

-- Joe's note: Finnigan passed away on Christmas Day, 1991. He had spent the last couple years of his life helping out a consortium of businessmen trying to bring back the Ottawa Senators to the NHL. They were successful but the team did not start playing until the 1992-93 season, several months after Finnigan's death.

The new Ottawa Senators retired Finnigan's #8 jersey 58 years after he last wore it. That marks the longest wait any hockey player has ever had to wait for his jersey to be retired!

This Day In Hockey History: Jan 16th

1936 - Bert Connoly scored the first penalty shot goal in New York Rangers history, and Dave Kerr recorded his 20th career shutout to give the Rangers a 1-0 win at Toronto.

1960 - Gordie Howe scored a goal and an assist in his 888th career game to become the NHL's all time leading scorer, with 947 points. He passed Montreal's Maurice Richard as the Red Wings beat Chicago 3-1 in Detroit.

1966 - Chicago's Bobby Hull scored four times (his 17th career hat trick) to become the first player in team history to score 300 goals.

1970 - The new Buffalo team (still without a team) named George "Punch" Imlach as the first General Manager and first Coach of their new franchise. The announcement came nine months before the team's first NHL game.

1982 - Edmonton's rookie goalie Grant Fuhr saw his 23-game unbeaten streak end with a 7-1 Oilers' loss in Toronto. Fuhr's 15-0-8 streak had begun on Oct. 21, 1981, after a loss in his first career NHL game.

1991 - Washington traded Peter Zezel and Bob Rouse to Toronto in exchange for Al Iafrate.

Happy Birthday to Frank Zamboni, Brenden Morrow, Matt Duchene, Lou Angotti, Stephen Leach, John Sorrell, Jamie Lundmark, Jason Ward, Scot Kleinendorst, Petteri Nokelainen and Kurt Sauer

Remembering Bill Masterton

Since 1968, the National Hockey League hands out the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to the game of hockey. But very few fans know who Bill Masterton was.

Bill "Bat" Masterton only played 38 NHL games, collecting just 4 goals and 12 points with the expansion Minnesota North Stars back in the 1967-68 season. Unfortunately, BIl Masterton is a legend of hockey.

Born in Winnipeg but an American citizen, Masterton was in some ways ahead of his time. He starred in the NCAA, leading the Denver Pioneers to championships in 1960 and '61. In that final year, he scored an amazing 80 points in 32 games. Even so, a college player making the NHL was almost unheard of until the 1980s.

Masterton was one of 21 players named to the NCAA's 50th anniversary team in 1997. After graduation, Masterton played in the minor leagues for a few years and also obtained a master's degree from Denver. That led to a job in Minneapolis with Honeywell, a manufacturer of civil and military avionics and other aerospace products.

Remember this was the days of the Original Six, where the only thing scarcer than NHL jobs was good money. There were no million dollar contracts back then, so the steady income must have looked mighty appealing. Though Masterton was on the fast track in business, he still wanted to play hockey.

Masterton played for two more years with St. Paul of the USHL and spent a year on the U.S. national team. And when the NHL doubled in size in 1967 and expanded to Minneapolis, the 28 year old Masterton achieved his dream of playing in the National Hockey League. Almost a hometown hero, he even scored the first goal in franchise history.

On January 13th, 1968, the North Stars were playing the Oakland Seals. Early in the game Masterton led a solo rush into Oakland territory where he was greeted unceremoniously by Seals' defensemen Larry Cahan and Ron Harris. Both defenders nailed the smaller Masterton with very hard though clean body check. Masterton fell to the ice, hitting his helmetless head on the ice, instantly knocking him out cold.

Masterton never regained consciousness. For more than 30 hours doctors managed to keep him alive using respirators but the massive internal brain injuries were too immense. Early in the morning of January 15th, 1968, Masterton died.

Following the tragedy, the NHL governors in cooperation with the NHL Writers Association created the Bill Masterton Memorial trophy. It goes to a player who best exemplifies the qualities of sportsmanship and love of the game.

In the early years of this trophies existence, the silverware was given out to veteran players who got little recognition throughout their careers. In more recent years it is given out to players who have had to battle hardships due primarily to injury or illness and have successfully returned to the game of hockey.

Past winners include Mario Lemieux (cancer, back injuries), Tony Granato (emergency brain surgery, not hockey related), Tim Kerr (repeated shoulder and knee operations), Gord Kluzak (repeated knee operations) and Gary Roberts (serious spinal/neck injury).

Even Masterton's shocking death only slowly began to push forward the movement toward mandatory helmet use that finally was adopted in 1979 -- only for incoming players. The era of bareheaded players finally ended in 1997 with the retirement of the last grandfathered holdout, Craig MacTavish.

Masterton's retired uniform number 19 is among those on a banner that hangs from the ceiling at American Airlines Center, though Masterton never played for Dallas' Stars.

Also see: Toronto Star Investigation: What Really Killed Bill Masterton
NorthStarsHockey.com Tribute To Bill Masterton

This Day In Hockey History: Jan 15th

1936 - Boston Bruins purchased Bill "Flash" Hollett from Toronto for $16,000.

1936 - Chicago Black Hawks acquired All-Star Earl Seibert from the Rangers, in exchange for Art Coulter.

1950 - Red Wings' rookie goalie Terry Sawchuk recorded his first career NHL shutout as Detroit beat the Rangers 1-0.

1968 - Minnesota North Stars forward Bill Masterton died two days after suffering a head injury in a game against the Oakland Seals. It was the only death as a result of a game injury in the history of the National Hockey League.

1979 - Tim Young scored five goals (including his first career hat trick) and added an assist to lead the Minnesota North Stars to an 8-1 win against the Rangers, at New York.

1986 - Montreal's rookie goaltender Patrick Roy recorded his first career NHL shutout, a 4-0 win against the Winnipeg Jets, at the Forum.

1990 - Washington Capitals fired coach Brian Murray (who had been their head coach since Nov. 1981) and replaced him with his brother Terry, who had been coaching in the minors.

1998 - Florida Panthers acquired Dino Ciccarelli and Jeff Norton from Tampa Bay, in exchange for Jody Hull and Mark Fitzpatrick.

Happy Birthday to Lord Frederick Stanley of Preston, Hobey Baker, Willie Huber, Adam Burt, Alexander Korolyuk, Brett Lebda, and Randy Holt.

Ray Ferraro Quick With The Stick And With The Wit

Late Sunday night former NHLer turned TSN hockey analyst Ray Ferraro (and Mr. Cammi Granato) was generous enough to spend some time answering fans' questions. He took the time to answer my question:

None that year...lol “@hockeylegends: Question @rayferrarotsn - you scored 108 goals in the WHL, who was toughest goalie for you to beat?”
— Ray Ferraro (@rayferrarotsn) January 14, 2013

Ferraro scored 108 goals with the Brandon Wheat Kings in the WHL in 1983-84. I kind of expected him to give a shout out to Ken Wregget of Lethbridge, maybe one of Pokey Reddick or Bill Ranford in New West, Darcy Wakaluk in Kelowna, or throw a bone towards fellow broadcaster Daryl Reaugh of Kamloops. Those were the only WHL goalies that season who went on to the NHL.

Wayne Maki And The Terrible Stick Swinging Incident

Wayne Maki will always be known for this ugly incident on the ice:



Born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Wayne joined older brother Ron "Chico" Maki with the Chicago Black Hawks in the 1967–1968 season.

In 1969 he was claimed by the St. Louis Blues. In a preseason game on September 21, 1969, Maki and Boston Bruins defenceman "Terrible" Ted Green engaged in a violent stick-swinging fight. Broadcasting legend Dan Kelly described the incident as “one of the most horrifying, most violent exchanges I’ve ever seen in hockey.”

After narrowly avoiding an angry strike by Green, Maki retaliated with his own stick and hit Green in the head. Green suffered a fractured skull and a brain injury.

“I could see right away that Green was badly hurt,” Kelly told Brian McFarlane. “When he tried to get up, his face was contorted and his legs began to buckle under him. It was dreadful. I almost became physically ill watching him struggle because I knew this was very, very serious. I remember it like it happened yesterday.”

Assault charges were laid against Green and Maki. The NHL suspended and fined both players. Maki was suspended for 30 days and Green for 13 games “if and when he returns to hockey." Green missed the entire 1969-70 season, but did return to action and played for nearly another decade.

Perhaps disturbed by the incident Maki never stuck with the Blues that season. The Vancouver Canucks claimed Maki in the 1970 NHL Expansion Draft. The wingman was an early hit in Vancouver, being among the team's scoring leaders in each of the club's first two seasons.

Maki's career came to a sudden halt in December 1972 when he was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumour. He died later that season, on May 12, 1974. He was only 29 years old.

The Canucks took Maki's #11 jersey out of circulation ever since, though Mark Messier wore the number when he joined the team in 1997. No player has worn #11 since Messier's departure in 2000

In 246 games played Wayne Maki scored 57 goals, 79 assists, 136 points, and 184 penalty minutes in regular season play. In 2 post-season games played, he added 1 goal and 2 penalty minutes.

Head Strong - According to Brian McFarlane, Boston boss Milt Schmidt was so disturbed by the incident that he tried to force his Bruins all to wear helmets starting the next day. Here's how McFarlane tells the story:

Shortly after the Green-Maki incident, Boston coach Milt Schmidt purchased two dozen helmets and issued them to his players. When he showed up for practice the following day, none of the Bruins were wearing them. He ordered them to don the headgear or get off the ice. The players turned to look at Bobby Orr. Head down, Orr skated slowly off the ice, followed by his teammates. Schmidt decided not to make an issue of it and the helmets were stored away.

This Day In Hockey History: Jan 14th

1943 - Montreal's Alex Smart became the first NHL rookie to score a hat trick in his first NHL game.

1954 - Rangers' rookie goaltender Johnny Bower recorded his first NHL shutout as New York won 2-0 over the Chicago Black Hawks.

1956 - Bruins' Claude Pronovost became the 9th NHL goaltender to record a shutout in his first career game as Boston won 2-0 at Montreal. It was the only shutout of Pronovost's career, who finished with a record of 1-0-0.

1988 - Denis Potvin became the first defenseman in NHL history (and the 66th player overall) to score 300 career goals, when he scored in the Islanders' 8-5 win over the visiting Quebec Nordiques.

Happy Birthday to Babe Siebert, Sergei Nemchinov, Nick Boynton, Mark Pederson, Alan May, Bob Essensa and Fred Boimistruck.

Bates Battaglia On The Amazing Race

Former NHL player Bates Battaglia will be on the upcoming season of The Amazing Race - bit.ly/Xv3urE
— HockeyLegends (@HockeyLegends) January 13, 2013

Lessons From 1995

48 games in 99 days. In a word - wow!

How should NHL teams handle the shortened season?

Cliff Ronning, Kirk McLean and Pat Quinn weighed in on the subject recently:

"Every game meant a lot," Ronning said Sunday. "You get on a losing streak and you are in trouble. Especially early in the season. It's important to have a good start."

""The challenge for the goaltenders is getting into the swing of things," McLean said. "I think the players keep themselves in pretty good shape, the body contact is the toughest part of positional play. But for goalies, you get into scrimmages with the guys for two or three months and you can pick up bad habits. It's a lot tougher to get game-ready if you haven't been playing elsewhere."

Pat Quinn believes conditioning is the real key.

"There is no game as demanding on conditioning as the sport of hockey. That becomes so important. And that's what will be pretty obvious as we get going here again, because lesser ability teams with decent conditioning could get a jump and in that short schedule all of a sudden you are losing games you'd expect to win, you are losing to teams you'd expect to beat and then comes that mental aside of the game, that pressure that some people don't respond well to."

But Ronning offers some interesting insight on the topic, too.

Ronning remained in Vancouver during the 1994-95 lockout and trained with some other players. But he said he focused on the wrong things.

"I was doing a lot of weightlifting and thinking that by gaining eight more pounds it was going to help me," Ronning said. "But in the end the way I play I would have been better off to have good stamina and endurance. I know it definitely took me a while to get back into the swing of things."

Meanwhile out in Carolina, Hurricanes assistant coach John MacLean recalls playing back in 1995 with the Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils. Luke Decock reports:

As the NHL prepares to play another shortened season, after losing three months of games to its third lockout in 18 years, MacLean may be the Carolina Hurricanes’ secret weapon. The former Devils coach was Kirk Muller’s first hire behind the bench when Muller took over the Hurricanes last fall, and he knows better than just about anyone what it takes to conquer these unusual circumstances.

To that end, Devils coach Jacques Lemaire rotated several players among his third and fourth lines, trying to keep as many players fresh and as much energy on the ice as possible. It helped that the Devils, at that time, had many future stars in that group, including Bill Guerin, Brian Rolston and Sergei Brylin.

It seems to me the keys to the season will depth and pacing. A great start would be nice but not necessary. You can not have a hot and cold streaky team. Teams have to remain even keeled and consistent throughout the campaign, and with a little luck from the injury gods they should be in thick of the playoff hunt. Teams have to keep in mind that this season more than any other really is just about qualifying for the playoffs. They need not worries about accusations of regression or anything else, because this season features a lot of different dynamics.

Fedorov Back On The Ice?

From The Voice of Russia:

Fedorov, who has not played a game since leaving Metallurg Magnitogorsk at the end of last season, is currently plying his trade as CSKA’s general manager.

“We’ve talked to him about it [returning to ice rink],” the R-Sport news agency quotes Butsaev as saying. According to Butsaev, Fedorov has been training recently and is now in “excellent condition.”

Here's the full story.

This Day In Hockey History: Jan 13th

1926 - Babe Ruth dropped the puck for a ceremonial face off in New York, but when the game started the Montreal Canadiens beat the New York Americans 2-1, before a crowd of over 10,000 fans.

1960 - Gordie Howe tied Maurice Richard as the NHL's all-time scoring leader, when his goal in a 5-2 loss to Chicago gave him 945 career points. Richard had an assist the next night, then Howe went ahead for good (until 1989) three days later.

1971 - In one of hockey's biggest trades, the Montreal Canadiens obtained Frank Mahovlich from Detroit, in exchange for Bill Collins, Guy Charron and Mickey Redmond.

1983 - Murray Oliver took over as the Minnesota North Stars' coach, replacing Glen Sonmor. It was the second time in a year that Oliver replaced Sonmor as North Stars' coach.

1985 - Playing in his 436th career game, Wayne Gretzky scored his 400th career NHL goal and added two assists in a 5-4 Oilers' win over the Sabres at Buffalo.

1993 - Edmonton Oilers traded Bernie Nicholls to New Jersey in exchange for Kevin Todd and Zdeno Ciger.

2004 - Tom Fitzgerald and Gary Roberts became the first teammates in NHL history to play in their 1,000th NHL game in the same night as the Maple Leafs won 4-1 against the visiting Calgary Flames. Fitzgerald scored a goal in the game.

Happy Birthday to Art Ross, Kelly Hrudey, Nikolai Khabibulin, Cesare Maniago, Mike Palmateer, Jack Johnson, Marc Staal, Sergei Brylin, Mike Rupp, Adrien Plavsic, Allen Pederson, Kyle Clifford and Tyler Bouck.

This Day In Hockey History: Jan 12th

1918 - Montreal's Joe Malone scored five times (to become the first 20 goal scorer in NHL history) as the Canadiens won 9-4 over Ottawa.

1939 - Toronto's Syl Apps scored four goals for his first NHL hat trick, as the Maple Leafs won 9-4 over the Canadiens at Montreal.

1954 - New York Rangers announced that Murray ("Muzz") Patrick would take over as coach of the team, beginning the following night against Detroit. Patrick was brought in to succeed Frank Boucher, who remained as General Manager.

1981 - Montreal Canadiens became the first NHL team to have four different goaltenders get shutouts in one season, when rookie Richard Sevigny picked up the first of his NHL career in a 5-0 win over Edmonton, at the Forum.

1991 - The Montreal Canadiens traded Gerald Diduck to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Vancouver's fourth round choice in the 1991 Entry Draft. Montreal later used the pick to select Vladimir Vujtek.

2004 - Boston Bruins retired Cam Neely's #8 sweater before a 4-3 win over the visiting Buffalo Sabres.

Happy Birthday to Tim Horton, Marian Hossa, Ulf Dahlen, Curt Fraser, Niklas Kronwall, Claude Giroux, Nikolai Borschevsky, Espen Knutsen, Hap Emms, Dave Ritchie and Jocelyn Thibault

Jack Walker: Hockey's Original Defensive Forward

Jack Walker, veteran center-ice player with Detroit Cougars during the past season, has been judged the most popular player on the Detroit team, which is not surprising.

Walker, like Frank Nighbor of the champion Senators, is a type of player that plays the puck and not the man. Like Nighbor, he is poke-check expert, and also like the famous Senator star, he is a clean-living athlete and a credit to the game in which he has been a prominent figure for fifteen years.

Hockey owes much to players like Jack Walker.

Those wonderful words were written about Jack Walker by the Ottawa Citizen back in 1927. By then Walker was in the twilight of his career. He was in just his second NHL season, but long before that he established himself as one the best hockey players in the world.

Walker's calling card was his defensive game. He was a great skater and the brainiest player of his day. In the days when forward passing was greatly restricted, Walker like to prey on attackers in the neutral zone. He is often cited as the creator of the poke-check, though in reality it was more of a sweeping hook. He essentially created a one man neutral zone trap. And it worked to near perfection.

There was no Frank Selke trophy for top defensive forward in hockey back then. But they should have created one in honour of "the Old Fox," Jack Walker. He sacrificed his own offensive totals to excel at the team game. He was rewarded with seven championships, including three Stanley Cups.

Frank Nighbor perfected Walker's defensive strategies, and perhaps got more credit but only because he plied his trade in the National Hockey League. Walker only played in 80 NHL games over 2 seasons, scoring just 5 goals.  But he was one of hockey's most valuable players and all stars in the NHA (Toronto Blue Shirts) and PCHA/WCHL (Seattle Metropolitans and Victoria Cougars) before that. Three times (with three different teams and in three different leagues) he was instrumental in winning the Stanley Cup.

In 1960 Jack Walker was rightfully included in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

This Day In Hockey History: Jan 11th

1948 - Montreal's captain Toe Blake hit the boards in New York, and suffered a double fracture of his ankle, putting an end to his NHL playing career and the Canadiens' famous "Punch Line". Canadiens lost 3-1 to the Rangers.

1953 - Rookie Gump Worsley, filling in for injured Chuck Rayner, recorded his first NHL shutout to lead the Rangers to a 7-0 win over Montreal in New York.

1976 - Philadelphia Flyers beat the touring Soviet Army team 4-1 at the Spectrum. Wayne Stephenson was the winning goalie. It was the first win by an NHL team over the Soviet Army team.

1983 - Edmonton's Pat Hughes set an NHL record for fastest two shorthanded goals (25 seconds) - at 15:18 and 15:43 of the second period in a 7-5 win at St. Louis. Hughes became the first player to break a Gretzky record.

1996 - Boston obtained goaltender Bill Ranford from Edmonton, in exchange for Mariusz Czerkawski, Sean Brown and the Bruins' 1st round pick Matthieu Descoteaux) in the 1996 Entry Draft.

Happy Birthday to Dave Kerr, Rob Ramage, Mike Corrigan, Red Hamill, Dave Burrows, Ron Stern, Warren Young, Bobby Sheehan, Rory Fitzpatrick, and Wade Flaherty.

NHL Leaders - Lockout to Lockout

Here is a look at your statistical leaders from 2005 through 2012 - the years between the last two lockouts.

Games Played

Henrik Sedin 574
Jay Bouwmeester 574
Andrew Brunette 568
Joe Thornton 568
Martin St. Louis 567
Olli Jokinen 565
Chris Kelly 565
Antoine Vermette 565
Dustin Brown 564
Jarome Iginla 562

Points

Alex Ovechkin 679
Joe Thornton 657
Sidney Crosby 609
Henrik Sedin 601
Martin St. Louis 593
Ilya Kovalchuk 580
Jarome Iginla 570
Daniel Sedin 567
Pavel Datsyuk 564
Dany Heatley 561

Goals

Alex Ovechkin 339
Ilya Kovalchuk 298
Dany Heatley 269
Jarome Iginla 266
Eric Staal 239
Patrick Marleau 234
Rick Nash 231
Thomas Vanek 230
Marian Hossa 239
Marian Gaborik 238

Assists

Joe Thornton 493
Henrik Sedin 474
Sidney Crosby 386
Martin St. Louis 379
Pavel Datsyuk 377
Daniel Sedin 349
Brad Richards 344
Jason Spezza 343
Alex Ovechkin 340
Ryan Getzlaf 335

Penalty Minutes

Scott Hartnell 932
Dion Phaneuf 736
Zdeno Chara 705
Corey Perry 664
Brendan Morrow 612
Ryan Getzlaf 492
Ryan Kesler 485
Shane Doan 483
Olli Jokinen 473
Mike Richards 468

J.J. Daigneault: Growing Up In Mario's Shadow

J.J. Daigneault grew up in Mario Lemieux's shadow. Literally.

The two were born in Montreal just one week apart, and spent much of their youth and junior hockey careers together (along with defenseman Marc Bergevin, too).

"Mario's always been a great player," said Daigneault. "He knew right from the beginning right where he was going. He was always first in scoring on the team and in the league when I played with him."

Despite playing in front of all those drooling scout, it never really dawned on J.J. that he, too, might be able to make it to the NHL.

"I really didn't think about playing hockey professionally until I was about 16," he said. "The agents come out and they try and get you into it. Then try and get you interested by telling you that you're pretty good and how you might make it to the NHL."

Daigneault, a rushing defenseman in junior was a 5'11" and 180lb defenseman known for his offensive game more so than his physical or defensive game.

"If I wanted to stay on defense, I had to be able to do things that the bigger guys couldn't do. I had to be quick and agile so the big ones couldn't hit me. I had to be able to move the puck."

Daigneault really started catching the scouts' eyes after scoring 26 goals and 84 points in 70 games with Longueuil.

"I had a great year that year playing for Jacques Lemaire," he said. "In the final we played at the Montreal Forum. We played in front of 17,000 people. It's a big thrill to be 17 and play in front of all those people."

"A month after that, I was awarded the Emile "Butch" Bouchard Trophy for best defenseman."

Daigneault jumped to Dave King's Canadian Olympic team in 1984. He spent the season with fellow youngsters like Dave Gagner, Russ Courtnall and Kirk Muller in pursuit of their Olympic dream. Daigneault described his tutelage with the national team as "the best thing for me."

Mario Lemieux was the obvious choice as the top player chosen in the 1984 NHL draft. Nine picks later, his childhood friend Daigneault was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks.

J.J., the youngest of seven children of a Montreal taxi driver, certainly raised a few eyebrows after being drafted. He hobbled to the stage on crutches, as he had to have his knee surgically repaired. It goes down in Canucks history as a rather disheartening moment.

Mario, of course, went on to a career of epic proportions that all players dream of. Daigneault, well he had some more mixed results. Yes, his career spanned 899 career NHL games (plus 99 more in the Stanley Cup playoffs), but he was one of the most travelled players in NHL history.

Let's see if we can keep this all straight. Daigneault played for the Vancouver Canucks (1984–85 – 1985–86), Philadelphia Flyers (1986–87 – 1987–88), Montreal Canadiens (1989–90 – 1995–96), St. Louis Blues (1995–96), Pittsburgh Penguins (1995–96 – 1996–97), Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1996–97 – 1997–98), New York Islanders (1997–98), Nashville Predators (1998–99), Phoenix Coyotes (1998–99 – 1999–2000), and Minnesota Wild (2000–01).

The only player to play with more teams is Mike Sillinger. Daigneault joins Michel Petit and Jim Dowd tied for second for most teams played with.

The Canucks probably rushed Daigneault to the NHL too early. He was a good skater with a good shot. But he tended to over-handle the puck rather than make safe and simple plays, often getting him into trouble. And defensively he had a tough time with the NHL's speed when it came to reading plays defensively.As he matured he began eliminating that from his game. He became a stabilizing defender later in his career, but his lack of size and physicality continued to limit his game.

His best years were spent at home in Montreal where he sipped championship champagne from the Stanley Cup in 1993.

This Day In Hockey History: Jan 10th

1920 - Montreal's Newsy Lalonde scored six goals as the Canadiens beat Toronto St. Pats 14-7, at the Mount Royal Arena in Montreal. The combined 21 goals by both teams was an NHL record.

1935 - New York Americans' Lorne Carr picked up four assists in a 5-5 tie against the visiting Maple Leafs. In the second period, the official scorer awarded four assists on a goal by Toronto's Joe Primeau.

1951 - Maurice Richard scored his 16th career hat trick to bring his career total to 274 and surpass Howie Morenz as the NHL's #2 All-Time leading goal scorer, in the Canadiens' 3-0 win over the Rangers.

1960 - Two and a half months after Jacques Plante made history by becoming the first NHL goalie to permanently wear a mask, Boston's Don Simmons became the second to do so, as he led the Bruins to a 4-0 win (his 13th career shutout) over Toronto.

1972 - Joe Crozier was named head coach of the Buffalo Sabres, after General Manager/Coach "Punch" Imlach suffered a heart attack.

1978 - The Islanders obtained center left-wing Wayne Merrick and defenseman Darcy Regier from the Cleveland Barons in exchange for left wing J. P. Parise and defenseman Jean Potvin.

1989 - Kings' Wayne Gretzky became NHL's all time leading scorer in combined regular season and playoff points, when he ran his combined total to 2,011 points, one more than Gordie Howe's combined total of 2,010. It came in a 5-4 win over Edmonton.

1993 -Bob Kudelski scored the first hat trick in Ottawa Senators "modern" history (and the third of his career), and led the team to a 3-2 win against the Sharks in Ottawa.

1996 - Montreal Canadiens became the first team in NHL history to play 5,000 regular season games; the milestone was a 2-2 tie against the visiting Vancouver Canucks.

Happy Birthday to Frank Mahovlich, George Hay, Randy Mannery, Tom Gilbert, Henrik Tallinder, Danton Cole, Robert Nilsson, John Carlson, Don Metz, Normand Leveille and Stephane Beauregard.