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Jari Kurri featuring Team Finland

Posted by Rob Boudreau Categories: Athletes, Editorial, Front Office, NHL, Olympics

Jari KurriNHL Hall of Famer Jari Kurri is back in the NHL. Sort of. He is attending games in an attempt to evaluate the play of various Finnish skaters. As the general manager of Team Finland, he is responsible for putting together a winning unit to represent his country at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. While Kurri is one of the most successful hockey players of all-time, he certainly has his work cut out for him as GM.

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Florida Panthers announce pair of new owners

Posted by Rob Boudreau Categories: Editorial, Front Office, NHL

Steven ReinprechtCliff Viner and Stu Siegel of Sunrise Sports & Entertainment were announced as co-owners of the Florida Panthers this past Monday. Prior to the announcement, the pair were simply minority owners who wanted to purchase the team from previous owner Alan Cohen, and have said they are committed to setting a vision and direction that will result in accountability, communication, and a winning culture throughout the organization. While they are not intending to make personal changes or interfering in the day-to-day actions of the current front office staff, they have said that they will step in if necessary in order to turn around the Panthers franchise.

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Brendan Shanahan retires at 40

Posted by Rob Boudreau Categories: Athletes, Editorial, NHL

Brendan ShanahanAfter 21 seasons in the National Hockey League, Brendan Shanahan has finally announced his retirement. In a planned move on Tuesday, the 40-year-old winger called it quits on what can only be described as a gloriously successful career. With the 2009 NHL Hall of Fame induction ceremonies out of the headlines, Shanahan’s retirement announcement comes at a perfect time. All focus will be on the eight-time All-Star, and there will certainly be some ceremonies in his honor in Detroit in the coming days, the city where Shanahan brought back three Stanley Cups and where he undoubtedly enjoyed the majority of his success.

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GMs to discuss head shots, but that’s probably it

Posted by Rob Boudreau Categories: Editorial, Front Office, NHL

Mike MilburyThe general managers in the NHL are discussing head shots and honestly, it’s about time. Why there is even discussion about whether or not it’s necessary to implement changes to increase the safety of the players is absurd, but sadly, there are people who exist like Hockey Night in Canada analyst Mike Milbury, who is against changing the game. “Someone is going to die every day. If you don’t want to get hurt, then don’t play the game,” Milbury said.

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NHL.com’s extended family looks inbred

Posted by Rob Boudreau Categories: Athletes, Editorial, NHL

Chris ProngerThe NHL.com network is a fantastic place to get a wealth of information including news, stats, standings, and much more. The network itself is a collection of web sites that includes more than just the main site linked to thirty team locations, each using their own different color scheme to match their team colors. It also is a collection of links to affiliated sites, such as minor league hockey clubs, sponsor web sites, online stores, and, interestingly enough, a handful of “player sites”. Not the least of which belongs to the newly acquired Philadelphia Flyers defenseman, Chris Pronger, simply located at ChrisPronger.com.

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Reality Czech - Hejda’s defense not to be underestimated

Posted by Rob Boudreau Categories: Athletes, Editorial, NHL

Jan HejdaDefense is often underrated on score sheets, as well as on television screens, but ask anybody who plays hockey and they’ll tell you that in order to be successful, you build a team from your end of the rink out to the other. That’s what the Columbus Blue Jackets have been doing for years, and it’s something they scored big with when they signed Czech defenseman Jan Hejda. His play is in no small part contributing to Columbus’ success so far this season. The 31-year-old Hejda came to North America in 2006 and his impact on the NHL has been one of the most underrated impacts that can be measured.

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Manon Rheaume, where are you now?

Posted by Rob Boudreau Categories: Athletes, Editorial, NHL

Manon RheaumeOn September 23, 1992, history was made in the National Hockey League. It was not the kind of history that one typically cares to remember, but it makes a great question in Trivial Pursuit. The Tampa Bay Lightning – then an expansion team trying to make a name for itself – dressed and played the first female player in the NHL. Manon Rheaume played one period as goaltender of the Lightning against the St. Louis Blues. She faced nine shots, letting two of them past her. While it was only an exhibition game, the publicity around the event expectedly rocked the sports world – which is exactly what the Lightning hoped for.

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The land of the lost… For goalies at least

Posted by Rob Boudreau Categories: Editorial, NHL

Martin BrodeurThe National Hockey League’s general managers have been discussing their game lately, making decisions on what changes are working, what needs improving, and what just plain needs to go. Not much is expected to change though, despite growing feelings to eliminate some of the more useless changes to the game, as the majority believe that the entire package of changes have equally contributed to the increased offense that the NHL has been striving to achieve for the last few years. Many of the newly introduced rules have involved eliminating play stoppages unless those were accompanied by a penalty of some kind.

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Leafs stumbling continues as Kessel returns

Posted by Rob Boudreau Categories: Editorial, NHL

Phil KesselPlan the parade route. The Toronto Maple Leafs have five points in their last four games, bringing their season total to a tremendous six. At this pace, they’ll be competing for 14th place in the Eastern Conference in a just a couple short weeks. With a 1-7-4 record this far into the season, the current Leafs find themselves mulling through the worst start in Toronto’s long history. There are many fans in Toronto who cannot remember – or were not alive for – the Leafs’ last Stanley Cup victory in 1967, and it already seems like 2009-10 is not the year of redemption.

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The North American Coyotes

Posted by Rob Boudreau Categories: Editorial, NHL

Jobing.com ArenaThe state of Arizona is not short on competition for the sports dollar, which doesn’t help a team like the Phoenix Coyotes, whose chilly brand of entertainment isn’t what most fans in the desert care for. Sharing Glendale with the Coyotes are the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals. Up the road in the city of Phoenix play the NBA’s Suns, WNBA’s Mercury, and, less straining on the Coyotes woes, MLB’s Arizona Diamondbacks. However, to add baseball’s imprint on the Coyotes revenues is the fact that 14 MLB teams bring in their Spring Training clubs in March for the Arizona Cactus Leagues. Throw college football, NASCAR, and golf into the mix throughout the year and that doesn’t leave a lot of room for the failing Coyotes to continue operating.

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