A Week of Turnarounds
It has been a strange week in the sporting world to say the least, and although i realize this is primarily a hockey blog, I feel it appropriate this week to also incorporate some football. Two separate incidents, both on the same day, but with a similar storyline, definitely out of the ordinary. I am talking of course of the curious cases of Rickey Foley and Eric Belanger, two athletes in different sports but both in the news for essentially a “turnaround” of sorts.
Does the Captain’s ‘C’ Still Mean Anything in Today’s NHL?
I was a captain once. In a ball hockey league. We won a couple trophies. I was far from the best player. In fact, over a 5 year career I only managed 13 goals (and the team I played on averaged 13 a game). But my teammates decided they liked my work ethic. And it was an honour, even if all it really meant was I wore a letter and was the guy who had to fill out the line-up sheet.
Recently we’ve seen news about captains at the NHL level. Roberto Luongo resigned his captaincy in Vancouver. One-time captain Mike Modano will play his first game for a franchise not named ‘Stars’ when he suits up for the Wings this fall. After 2 seasons without one, the Toronto Maple Leafs named Dion Phaneuf as captain. Ethan Moreau was waived by the Oilers.
I am a traditionalist. I do like that a team has a captain. But, in today’s NHL, I wonder if the captain’s ‘C’ holds meaning any longer.
Devil of a Mess in New Jersey
Image by davidkosmos via Flickr
This week we learned the punishment for going against the establishment, and it was harsh indeed. The continuing saga of Ilya Kovalchuk took yet another turn on Monday when the NHL announced they would fine the New Jersey Devils $3 million plus revoke their 2011 3rd round pick and a future 1st round pick which has to be taken from one of the next 4 years.
Prospects of Canucks Prospects
Image by Getty Images via @daylife
Since the day he was drafted we have been sold on Cody Hodgson as the second coming of Trevor Linden. With yet another training camp starting up, we now learn of yet another injury to the young supposed phenom. My question is is this kid as good as we are being lead to believe or is it all just a smokescreen?
2011 Stanley Cup Contenders – Western Conference
Image via Wikipedia
During this last off-season, the NHL has seen a large quantity of quality players migrate to potential cup-contending teams. The Western Conference has seen more than its fair share of trades and interesting decisions made by GM’s. But these decisions have lead to some teams standing out above the others, as potential candidates for winning the Stanley Cup. Here are three teams from the Western Conference that seem to have the best chance of hoisting the Cup at the end of this season.
Is the Vancouver Canucks Captaincy Really a Big Issue?
Image via Wikipedia
It is a debate that has been ongoing since the beginning of time. How important is a captain to a sports team? Every sport has a designated captain, but do we know who they are? Can you name the captain of the Toronto Blue Jays? The Dallas Cowboys? The Boston Celtics? Hockey is the only sport which emphasises the captaincy of a team, and in many cases it is a non issue.
New Sabres Away Jersey for 2010-2011
The Buffalo Sabres will have new home, away, and alternate jersey designs for the upcoming 2010-2011 NHL hockey season. They will be officially revealed on September 18, but the design of the new Sabres away jersey has been leaked and we have a picture of it.
“The Sweater” – Classic Animated Short Film by Sheldon Cohen
If you don’t understand the power of the hockey jersey all you have to do is watch “The Sweater” (sometimes called “The Hockey Sweater”), a classic animated short film by Sheldon Cohen, based on the book by Roch Carrier.
