Stories

The Straight Edge: Contraction is the answer

The Straight Edge: Contraction is the answer

by Ryan Kennedy - November 6, 2009 12:13 PM EST

Instead of moving a failing franchise to a new market, why not just scrap it altogether to make the league better?
If the capitalist disasters that have dominated the world headlines in the past year have taught us anything, it’s that no business is above the bottom line.


The Straight Edge: Slow starts a reminder of disastrous 1974-75 Capitals

The Straight Edge: Slow starts a reminder of disastrous 1974-75 Capitals

by Ryan Kennedy - October 30, 2009 1:37 PM EDT

Toronto's sluggish October has been pretty bad, but is it as bad as the worst team in NHL history?
Nearly a month into the season, the Toronto Maple Leafs have collected one win through 10 games, putting them on pace to tie what is regarded to be the worst NHL team of the modern era, the 1974-75 Washington Capitals.


The Straight Edge: Going back to Buffalo

The Straight Edge: Going back to Buffalo

by Ryan Kennedy - October 23, 2009 10:25 AM EDT

An annual pilgrimage to a Sabres game provides a feeling you can't appreciate via TV. And a full belly.
BUFFALO – Growing up in Toronto, you get a very specific vision of the closest American city to the south, thanks in large part to the local feeds of American network TV stations.


The Straight Edge: Hasek ready for Olympic return

The Straight Edge: Hasek ready for Olympic return

by Ryan Kennedy - October 16, 2009 12:10 PM EDT

The Czech's savior in 1998, The Dominator could find himself between the pipes – and in the heads of opponents – in Vancouver.
When NHLers dream of the Olympics, he’s the face that quickly turns the scenario into a nightmare. And while he’s 44 years old and playing back home in the Czech Republic, legendary goaltender Dominik Hasek has a very real shot at playing at the upcoming Winter Games in Vancouver.


The Straight Edge: TV is dead to me

The Straight Edge: TV is dead to me

by Ryan Kennedy - October 9, 2009 12:06 PM EDT

This winter, Ryan Kennedy is ditching traditional television and going online to get his hockey fix from a variety of leagues.
I’m going rogue, folks. Television, in its traditional cable-based form, is dead to me. This shouldn’t have been too hard to see coming, though; most shows on TV right now are horrible and, here’s the key – the good ones can be downloaded for free off of official broadcaster websites.


The Straight Edge: Stastny becomes face of young Avs

The Straight Edge: Stastny becomes face of young Avs

by Ryan Kennedy - September 18, 2009 11:55 AM EDT

As Colorado moves in a new direction, a younger generation, led by Paul Stastny, will be counted on to lead the team.
All 30 NHL teams go into the season with the goal of winning. For some, it’s winning the Stanley Cup. With others, it’s simply winning enough games to be respectable and grow as a squadron in the process.


The Straight Edge: The if-less predictions

The Straight Edge: The if-less predictions

by Ryan Kennedy - September 11, 2009 11:46 AM EDT

Pre-season prognostications are often built on what-ifs, but this rundown simply counts the facts.
It’s an important time of year for pundits, bloggers and other media types. Predicting the NHL standings can put your name in lights (or at least hyperlinks), should you choose to make a bold prediction.


The Straight Edge: Gustavsson seeking monster success in the NHL

The Straight Edge: Gustavsson seeking monster success in the NHL

by Ryan Kennedy - September 4, 2009 1:39 PM EDT

When players come to the NHL from Europe, goalies tend to thrive, while skaters rarely live up to the hype.
When I spoke with Jonas ‘The Monster’ Gustavsson in late August, the young Swedish netminder – charged with bolstering the Toronto Maple Leafs crease – was still new to the city.


The Straight Edge: Eating healthy an important step to the NHL

The Straight Edge: Eating healthy an important step to the NHL

by Ryan Kennedy - August 28, 2009 11:49 AM EDT

It's not all about weight-lifting and cardio. For a prospect to be ready for the NHL, he must also learn how to manage a healthy diet.
Even though there has been a recent trend of players jumping straight from junior to the NHL, it hasn’t been a simple coronation in most cases.


The Straight Edge: Potential junior powerhouses

The Straight Edge: Potential junior powerhouses

by Ryan Kennedy - August 21, 2009 12:45 PM EDT

Yes, the NHL season is fast approaching, but the CHL campaign is on the horizon, too, and we're just as excited about that. And for good reason.
The beauty of junior hockey is every season starts with new prospects and the chance to achieve glory; last year’s nightmare opponent probably saw its best players head off to the NHL – or at least the American League – where they are nonetheless no longer a concern.


The Straight Edge: Fun with the one-and-dones

The Straight Edge: Fun with the one-and-dones

by Ryan Kennedy - August 14, 2009 10:44 AM EDT

We take a look back at some of hockey's most (in)famous franchises that lasted only one season or less.
Poring over sweaters and leagues for our ultimate jersey tournament, I got a little reflective over the teams that didn’t quite make it through the summer.


The Straight Edge: ‘Die, Chara, die’

The Straight Edge: ‘Die, Chara, die’

by Ryan Kennedy - August 7, 2009 12:01 PM EDT

One Montreal-based clothing company is bridging the sometimes cavernous gap between hockey and hip.
For regular readers of TheHockeyNews.com, it’s probably becoming obvious that my tastes outside of hockey tend to be a bit out of the mainstream.


Player/Injury News - Up to the Minute NHL Updates This Week - Subscribe Now

Who should start in goal for Russia at the Olympics?






THN Newsletter - Sign Up Now

“I was coming in to take the boards away and had some good jump. He bobbled the puck at the last second and I don’t think he saw me coming at all. It was a shoulder right in his chest. He’s eight feet tall, so it’s not like you could hit him in the head.”

- Ottawa's Chris Neil about a hit he threw on Tampa's Victor Hedman Thursday night, causing Hedman to leave the game.

MOBILE.THN.COM - Get hockey on the go

Our Partners