http://www.thehockeynews.com The Hockey News has been providing the most comprehensive coverage of the world of hockey since 1947. en 2007 Medias Transcontinental Sat, 17 May 2008 01:50:43 -0400 60 http://thehockeynews.com/imgs/design/logo_thn_print.gif http://thehockeynews.com/ http://thehockeynews.com/articles/15886-Screen-Shots-Welcome-to-Toronto-the-NHLs-confusion-capital.html 2008-05-08 14:34:41 Screen Shots At Wednesday’s press conference announcing Paul Maurice’s dismissal as coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the prevailing sentiment interim GM Cliff Fletcher attempted to sell to the media and general public was simple: all systems are normal and the team’s legion of fans shouldn’t worry themselves sick over the laborious process of putting a new management team in place. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/15719-Screen-Shots-Old-dogs-new-tricks.html 2008-05-01 14:44:10 Screen Shots Ninety-nine percent of the time, the lessons of professional sports are lessons in humility. Hostage to the whims of chance, unexpected bounces and bad breaks to begin with, athletes don’t even have the consolation of knowing years of experience are guaranteed to bring them that much closer to their ultimate goal. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/15523-Screen-Shots-Breaking-up-is-hard-to-do.html 2008-04-24 15:19:33 Screen Shots Dear 2007-08 Edition Of The Washington Capitals, This might be the toughest breakup letter I’ve ever written. But my affections for you and the way you’ve played the game were on the verge of rising to bunny-boiling heights, so in a way, I guess it’s a good thing the officials put the screws to you in Game 7 of your first round series against Philadelphia. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/15322-Screen-Shots-Shake-the-monkey.html 2008-04-17 13:22:05 Screen Shots After Joe Thornton scored the game-winning goal late in the third Tuesday to pull his San Jose Sharks to a 2-2 draw in their Western Conference quarterfinal series against Calgary, you could sense the proverbial monkey preparing to pack up and leap off his sizeable back. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/15070-Screen-Shots-Predictions-for-the-first-round-of-the-NHL-playoffs.html 2008-04-09 15:24:33 Screen Shots Attempting to precisely predict any sports team’s fate, either in the regular season or in the playoffs, is like trying to shove a noodle up a tiger in the middle of Times Square: it’s theoretically possible, but more likely than not, you’re going to get mauled for the world to see. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/14900-Screen-Shots-Once-mighty-Senators-a-shell-of-their-former-selves.html 2008-04-03 15:20:06 Screen Shots “Your home is regarded as a model home, your life as a model life. But all this splendor, and you along with it... it's just as though it were built upon a shifting quagmire. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/14682-Screen-Shots-Not-everyones-season-has-storybook-ending.html 2008-03-27 14:52:08 Screen Shots Hollywood movies and human nature have conditioned most of us to hope, if not outright expect, our stories to have happy endings. However, as a few NHL franchises just learned, reality doesn’t grant nearly that many wishes. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/14500-Screen-Shots-NHL-needs-term-limit-for-chief-disciplinarian.html 2008-03-20 13:04:15 Screen Shots With the possible exception of Gary Bettman’s call-screener on his XM satellite radio show, Colin Campbell has the toughest gig in all of hockey. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/14284-Screen-Shots-Where-is-hockeys-Muhammad-Ali.html 2008-03-13 14:16:19 Screen Shots I found this column by Washington-based writer Greg Wyshynski fascinating, because it quotes a bona fide NHL star weighing in on a topic considered absolutely radioactive in hockey circles: politics. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/14074-Screen-Shots-Refs-arent-perfect-get-over-it.html 2008-03-06 13:26:40 Screen Shots One of the staples of “lifestyle” TV these days is the “oh, you think you can do better?” programs in which some cocky husband, after bragging about how easy it is to be a housewife, is made to care for his kids and house; then flops around cluelessly for the viewing audience’s enjoyment. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/13892-Screen-Shots-Trade-deadline-winners-and-wieners.html 2008-02-28 13:27:55 Screen Shots The concept of selecting winners and losers coming out of the NHL trade deadline has never exactly excited me. By now, most hockey fans are well aware that it takes not hours, but years, to adequately judge the short-and-long-term effects of any transaction. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/13682-Screen-Shots-Bigger-battles-to-fight-than-goalie-equipment.html 2008-02-21 14:52:11 Screen Shots National Hockey League goaltenders are many things: Soap opera actress-level quirky; prone to bruising; better-than-average TV analysts. What they are not – despite the Shrekkensian braying that took place at the NHL GM meetings in Naples, Fla. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/13494-Screen-Shots-From-rookie-to-rich-eliminating-the-second-contract.html 2008-02-14 14:46:28 Screen Shots In a conference call with reporters Wednesday, Anaheim Ducks GM Brian Burke got it only half-right when he said, in reference to Kevin Lowe’s multiple offer sheets to restricted free agents during the NHL’s last off-season: “What (Lowe) did last summer was eliminate the second contract in the NHL. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/13302-Screen-Shots-Dangers-of-concussions-go-beyond-immediate-symptoms.html 2008-02-07 13:57:18 Screen Shots Any NHL player who has ever suffered a concussion should have been watching the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s always-superb Fifth Estate program Tuesday night. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/13124-Screen-Shots-Guy-Lafleur-deserves-better.html 2008-01-31 14:36:29 Screen Shots First, a confession: when I was a kid, Guy Lafleur was my favorite NHLer. So I’m not about to pretend the rest of this column isn’t at all influenced by the wonderful memories he created for millions of other hockey fans who appreciated him as I did. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/12946-Screen-Shots-NHL-should-market-more-of-its-stars.html 2008-01-24 14:23:22 Screen Shots When I heard Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby would miss the All-Star Game (and many more games after that) with a severe ankle sprain, I actually felt sorry for the folks at the NHL. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/12878-Screen-Shots-My-utopian-NHL.html 2008-01-21 23:30:45 Screen Shots During a recent interview with Paul Kelly – which can be found HERE – the NHLPA’s newly crowned executive director said he was not a fan of continual tinkering with the game. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/12750-Screen-Shots-Burke-will-shop-Edmonton-draft-pick.html 2008-01-17 13:23:20 Screen Shots News and views you(se) can use with your crews: • Some might argue that unless another NHL GM loses his sanity and overwhelms Anaheim’s Brian Burke with a trade offer nobody in their right mind would reject, there’s not a hope in hell Burke trades the first round pick he received from Edmonton in exchange for Dustin Penner. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/12371-Screen-Shots-Thursdays-with-Paul-Kelly-Part-2.html 2008-01-03 12:41:30 Screen Shots Although he was just six weeks into his new job as executive director of the National Hockey League Players’ Association, Paul Kelly already was in the midst of a whirlwind fall introductory tour that would see him visit all 30 teams by New Year’s Day. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/12196-Screen-Shots-Thursdays-with-Paul-Kelly-Part-1.html 2007-12-27 11:10:02 Screen Shots Although he was just six weeks into his new job as executive director of the National Hockey League Players’ Association, Paul Kelly already was in the midst of a whirlwind fall introductory tour that would see him visit all 30 teams by New Year’s Day. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/12081-Screen-Shots-Everyones-an-idealist-Part-2.html 2007-12-20 14:30:31 Screen Shots Let’s continue this week with the second half of our look at the delusions suffered in NHL circles, and the wakeup calls required for each pipe dream (Pt. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/11897-Screen-Shots-Everyones-an-idealist.html 2007-12-13 13:36:24 Screen Shots Denial is all the rage in the NHL these days. The league denies it has any real problems on or off the ice to solve; GMs guiding wobbly franchises deny the need to make any drastic changes to their rosters; and goaltenders deny they could survive so much as a deflected wrist shot without the protection of gargantuan-sized equipment. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/11685-Screen-Shots-Players-blood-on-leagues-hands.html 2007-12-06 13:59:18 Screen Shots Ream out the Philadelphia Flyers organization for their seemingly weekly parade of suspendable on-ice actions if you must. But I’m not laying all of the blame – or even the majority of it – at the feet of Ed Snider, Paul Holmgren, John Stevens or any particular twit who pulls a Black and Orange jersey over their head before committing a dangerous offense during a game. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/11472-Screen-Shots-Leafs-need-singular-vision-at-the-top.html 2007-11-29 13:13:48 Screen Shots Sometimes the hockey gods serve up analogies that are far too easy for simple-minded sportswriters to pick up on. Such was the case Tuesday at the Air Canada Centre, where not even the Zamboni driver could do his job without embarrassing the Toronto Maple Leafs. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/11288-Screen-Shots-What-the-NHL-should-be-thankful-for.html 2007-11-22 12:44:55 Screen Shots Of all the holidays out there, Thanksgiving is my favorite. Compared to Christmas and Valentine’s Day, the crass commercialism involved is at a relative low; it’s usually the last multi-day break you get before heavy snowfall turns the grand majority of drivers everywhere into even bigger twits than they are when the weather is ideal; and turkey is the dietary staple it should be every day. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/11096-Screen-Shots-NHL-GMs-need-to-learn-to-say-goodbye.html 2007-11-15 13:20:40 Screen Shots Desire is a powerful, wonderful and occasionally dangerous thing. It can keep some people motivated to realize a lifelong dream; it can deliver others to heights they never previously imagined; and, as demonstrated by dozens of American Idol episodes, it also can cause many to hold tight to those dreams, even when they don’t possess the tools to achieve them. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10861-Screen-Shots-Senators-deserve-respect.html 2007-11-08 12:21:54 Screen Shots Already this season, the NHL has been beset by a swarm of on-and-off-ice predicaments that assuredly won’t make the end-of-year highlight DVD. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10585-Screen-Shots-Good-bad-and-ugly.html 2007-11-01 11:44:03 Screen Shots As every player on a sub-par NHL team is saying these days, it’s still early in the season and there’s still a lot of hockey yet to be played. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10093-Screen-Shots-Channel-skating.html 2007-10-25 00:37:00 Screen Shots I admit it – I'm a TV junkie. The Wire, The Shield, Nanny 911, America's Next Top Model, Battlestar Galactica, The Office, America's Top Wire-Wearing Nanny At The Office – you name the show, and I can probably provide full episode recaps off the top of my head. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10092-Screen-Shots-Chelios-takes-aim.html 2007-10-17 00:15:00 Screen Shots Over the course of his storied NHL career, Chris Chelios has not only rocked opponents with his physical play on the ice, but also with his words off it. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10091-Screen-Shots-NHL-badly-needs-a-guiding-light.html 2007-10-11 00:35:00 Screen Shots If you're like me, you believe all groups or organizations are reflections of, or reactions to, the society in which they function. And if we share such a philosophy, you're not surprised that, just as a certain world superpower's citizenry wonders and worries about the merits and consequences of its present-day political leadership, the NHL's fans see Gary Bettman at the league's helm and reach for the depression suppressants. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10090-Screen-Shots-The-final-picks.html 2007-10-04 00:35:00 Screen Shots With my NHL division previews and predictions now archived for all to laugh at and lampoon over the coming decades (see them HERE), the only start-of-season task that remains is posting my overall conference picks. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10089-Screen-Shots-Division-diagnostics-Pt-6.html 2007-09-27 00:39:00 Screen Shots At long last, we've reached the end of my division-by-division previews of the regular season's eventual division standings read the others HERE) Next week, we'll finish up with my 1-to-30 picks, including my 16 playoff teams. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10088-Screen-Shots-Division-Diagnostics-Pt-5.html 2007-09-20 23:47:00 Screen Shots Four division-by-division previews down, two to go. (Click HERE to see the rest) The Southeast gets analyzed next week; the following Thursday, we'll roll out the final pre-season predictions, including my playoff picks. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10087-Screen-Shots-Division-Diagnostics-Pt-4.html 2007-09-13 00:31:00 Screen Shots We're into the home stretch with my division-by-division previews of how each grouping of teams will finish at the end of the regular season. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10086-Screen-Shots-Division-Diagnostics-Pt-3.html 2007-09-06 00:55:00 Screen Shots A look at my projected divisional standings for the coming NHL season hits the halfway point with the Northeast this week. (Atlantic Division breakdown can be found HERE, and the Central is HERE. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10085-Screen-Shots-Blues-rapid-return.html 2007-08-23 00:26:00 Screen Shots It's hard to believe that, less than 18 months after stumbling to their worst record in 27 years and third-worst in franchise history, the St. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10084-Screen-Shots-Division-Diagnostics-Pt-2.html 2007-08-16 00:08:00 Screen Shots A look at each of the divisional standings continues this week with the Central Division. (Atlantic Division breakdown can be found HERE.) I'll be on holidays until after the Labor Day weekend, but we'll get right back on the horse once I'm finished and cover the final four throughout September. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10083-Screen-Shots-Division-Diagnostics-Pt-1.html 2007-08-09 11:43:00 Screen Shots “Where did the summer go?” is a question you'll hear quite often in the next few weeks. Any hockey fan knows the appropriate response to that question comes in the form of another one: “Who cares?” Not me, that's who. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10082-Screen-Shots-Blues-bounce-back.html 2007-08-07 12:00:00 Screen Shots It's hard to believe that, less than 18 months after stumbling to their worst record in 27 years and third-worst in franchise history, the St. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10081-Screen-Shots-Opportunity-Knocks-for-NHLPA.html 2007-08-02 10:30:00 Screen Shots Salvaging a sullied image is one mother of a mission. It matters not whether you're Mariah Carey post-breakdown, R. Kelly post-shakedown, or Hugh Grant post-Divine Brown – thanks to the omnipotent powers of the Internet and the undeniable joys of schadenfreude, your moments of weakness and wretched strategies never will be too far from memory. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10077-Screen-Shots-NHL-in-Vegas-a-major-gamble.html 2007-07-26 00:49:00 Screen Shots You hear reports that ridiculously successful TV/movie producer Jerry Bruckheimer isn't far away from becoming an NHL owner and you think Gary Bettman's luck is taking a turn for the better. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10080-Screen-Shots-Money-poorly-spent.html 2007-07-19 16:02:00 Screen Shots It's lower-bucket season in the NHL's free agent market, the traditional time of year when GMs ask the question: “How much will I have to overpay Anson Carter/Jeff Friesen/Janne Niinimaa to make the salary cap floor?” At this point, though, it isn't likely too many teams will be foolish enough to throw a ton of money or term at the guys who still are desirous – remember that old Three's Company joke? No? God, I'm aging – of officially contracted employment. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10079-Screen-Shots-Random-thoughts.html 2007-07-12 11:06:00 Screen Shots Once a year, I like to clear out my list of thoughts, observations and musings on not only the hockey world, but life in general. And with a week's holiday less than two weeks away, it's about that time. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10078-Screen-Shots-Flyers-Cup-ready-Not-quite-yet.html 2007-07-05 00:33:00 Screen Shots Based on the tornado of hype that's been rolling through the Philadelphia area the last couple weeks, one presumes the Philadelphia Flyers have been pre-approved to hoist the Stanley Cup next spring. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10076-Screen-Shots-Got-em-need-em.html 2007-06-28 00:59:00 Screen Shots Rather than provide a list of the top free-agents out there – you're not going to believe this, but Chris Drury, Scott Gomez and Sheldon Souray are among the best available – here's a quick rundown of what each of the 30 teams need, as well as some potential targets. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10075-Screen-Shots-Stand-aside.html 2007-06-21 00:14:00 Screen Shots The entry draft was a day away, yet the main topic of conversation among many in the hockey world was the soon-to-be sold Nashville Predators – and the fascinating sidebar stories that have arisen since Jim Balsillie began silently storming the NHL's gate. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10074-Screen-Shots-Hockey-belongs-to-everyone.html 2007-06-14 00:30:00 Screen Shots Taken on its own, the comment recently made by Anaheim Ducks owner Henry Samueli seems relatively harmless. “Sorry, Canada!” Samueli told the assembled throng at Anaheim's Stanley Cup celebration. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10073-Screen-Shots-Feelgood-Ducks-downright-awesome.html 2007-06-07 23:14:00 Screen Shots In a February 28, 2006 Proteau Type article for The Hockey News, this is a snippet of what I wrote about the then-Mighty Anaheim Ducks: “It's hard not to like what the Ducks have done this year. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10072-Screen-Shots-Caring-and-sharing.html 2007-05-31 00:54:00 Screen Shots Items That Wouldn't Fit Into My Daily Blog, Vol. 1: • You hear it all the time in hockey circles: Who really cares about the never-ending drama at the NHL Players' Association? Well, I do, for more than a few reasons. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10071-Screen-Shots-NHL-in-the-dark-with-NBC-TV-deal.html 2007-05-24 00:46:00 Screen Shots Imagine you're a young movie director eager to show off your work to the world. You struggle for months and months to put together a vision that will establish you as a film force to be reckoned with – and when it's time for the premiere, you spare no expense in finding the biggest theater in the best location. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10070-Screen-Shots-Sens-the-template-for-success.html 2007-05-17 00:35:00 Screen Shots For the better part of the last two years, the chic, sleek Buffalo Sabres have been held up by many as the NHL's model franchise. However, during the same period, the Sabres have twice been held up at the Conference final – and this year in particular, they've collapsed as swiftly and painfully as Bobby Orr's knees. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10069-Screen-Shots-Winds-of-change.html 2007-05-10 00:45:00 Screen Shots News and views – OK, mostly views – as the NHL Conference finals draw near: • Had an interesting discussion with a former NHL head coach a couple days ago. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10068-Screen-Shots-These-things-I-know.html 2007-05-03 00:36:00 Screen Shots It's true that you learn something new every day. Why, not too long ago, I learned that mocking an awkward white guy “raising the roof” is fine if you're doing it in front of a co-worker – but if someone else at your office who doesn't know you happens to pass by at the same time, those geeky arm motions lose their irony real quick-like. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10067-Screen-Shots-Bleeding-Blue-White-in-Hollywood.html 2007-04-26 00:40:00 Screen Shots Rather than take the latest stab at defining what went wrong with the Toronto Maple Leafs' 2006-07 season, We hand over the butcher knife to major-league Leafs fan – and, with all due respect to Jason Bateman, the real star of Arrested Development – Will Arnett: The Leafs won't win the Stanley Cup for the 40th straight season. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10066-Screen-Shots-Blaming-referees-a-losers-game.html 2007-04-19 00:59:00 Screen Shots There's nothing better than a good, blind referee. – Bobby Heenan, legendary former pro wrestling manager I used to be convinced all sports fans really wanted from their officials was a fair shake. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10065-Screen-Shots-Forward-thinking.html 2007-04-12 00:35:00 Screen Shots Dollars to donuts says the Carolina Hurricanes and Edmonton Oilers can't bear to watch a second of the first round of the NHL post-season. Less than a year after their playoff dominance, it must kill both groups of players to sit on the sidelines and watch with the rest of us schmucks. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10064-Screen-Shots-Its-a-parity-party.html 2007-04-05 00:59:00 Screen Shots For my money, the best commercial ever made is one that airs each year when schoolchildren return from their summer break, featuring overjoyed parents running and dancing (as their children mope) inside a business supply store – with Christmas cornerstone “It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year” serving as a soundtrack. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10063-Screen-Shots-Lockout-took-toll-on-Blues-Legace.html 2007-03-29 00:03:00 Screen Shots Manny Legace is happy to be back playing hockey. He wants to make that perfectly clear. But the Blues goalie also hasn't forgotten the hard lessons learned by the NHL Players' Association during the lockout. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10062-Screen-Shots-Looking-back-at-looking-forward.html 2007-03-22 00:59:00 Screen Shots When reflecting on their past successes and mistakes, many people find it easy to brag about the former while minimizing and rationalizing the latter. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10061-Screen-Shots-Womens-game-still-struggling.html 2007-03-15 00:39:00 Screen Shots For those of us who follow professional women's hockey, the last week has been perfectly indicative of the one-step-forward, three-leaps-back world in which the greatest female players on ice exist. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10060-Screen-Shots-A-painful-reminder.html 2007-03-08 00:44:00 Screen Shots If former NHLer Steve Moore came across as bitter during his interview Wednesday night on CBC – the 28-year-old's first in the three years since Todd Bertuzzi took his career away – I can't blame him in the least. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10059-Screen-Shots-Bye-Lowe-sell-high.html 2007-02-28 00:59:00 Screen Shots To accurately describe the winners and losers coming out of Tuesday's trade deadline, you have to slot them into two sub-categories: teams in playoff contention, and teams building for future seasons. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10058-Screen-Shots-Sharks-Wilson-building-a-beast.html 2007-02-22 11:24:00 Screen Shots In a recent, highly informal poll of some veteran NHL observers, I asked who the best GM is in the game today. Naturally, Brian Burke's name came up quite often, as did Lou Lamoriello's and Jim Rutherford's. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10057-Screen-Shots-Outside-looking-in.html 2007-02-15 00:41:00 Screen Shots More than a few Screen Shots readers have inquired as to my thoughts on which teams currently fighting for a playoff spot will actually wind up qualifying for one. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10056-Screen-Shots-Same-ol-sad-story-for-Hawks-Bruins.html 2007-02-08 00:59:00 Screen Shots One of the best quotes I've ever squeezed out a pro athlete came in an NBA dressing room. The player was former Toronto Raptor Keon Clark, who shares some of the same philosophies as Willie Nelson and Cheech & Chong, if you know what I mean - and I think you do. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10055-Screen-Shots-Whats-the-dealy-yo.html 2007-02-01 00:30:00 Screen Shots The NHL trade deadline is less than four weeks away, which means you'll be reading, hearing about and laughing out loud at many rumored deals. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10054-Screen-Shots-Timely-notes-on-the-AllStar-Game.html 2007-01-25 00:17:00 Screen Shots Last time I watched an NHL All-Star Game, I had to do a running diary just to stay awake. So rather than take any chances, I'm doing the same this year. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10053-Screen-Shots-Putting-passion-back-in-the-NHLs-AllStar-Game.html 2007-01-18 00:59:00 Screen Shots At the risk of sounding like a braggart – and, considering what I'm earning for it, trust me, I'm not – I do a fair amount of radio and TV shows. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10052-Screen-Shots-Midseason-marks.html 2007-01-12 00:24:00 Screen Shots Here's the second half of Screen Shots' mid-season review. (The Western Conference recap can be found HERE). Atlanta Star Pupils: The “Three Sticks Mafia” (Ilya Kovalchuk, Marian Hossa, Slava Kozlov). http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10051-Screen-Shots-Western-Conference-midseason-grades.html 2007-01-11 00:59:00 Screen Shots With every team but the Bruins at or past the official halfway point of the season, it's time to take a look back at the efforts of all 30 teams so far. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10050-Screen-Shots-The-Professor-is-no-castaway.html 2006-12-28 00:13:00 Screen Shots Since their inception seven years ago, the Atlanta Thrashers have flown under the radar of most NHL fans. This season, though, they've earned respect and attention while stampeding over opponents on a nightly basis. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10049-Screen-Shots-Playing-hard-for-family-and-friends.html 2006-12-21 00:51:00 Screen Shots It was Tuesday and I had just arrived home from the morning skate before the Toronto Maple Leafs hosted the Florida Panthers later that night. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10048-Screen-Shots-Miracles-on-ice.html 2006-12-14 00:02:00 Screen Shots When Blue Jackets owner John McConnell hired Ken Hitchcock to replace Gerard Gallant as head coach in late November, the least he hoped for was for the team to improve on its . http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10047-Screen-Shots-Time-for-action.html 2006-12-07 00:46:00 Screen Shots With the holiday season fast approaching, I'm trying as hard as ever to demonstrate goodwill toward my fellow men. But the fellows who own and run the NHL are making that task very, very difficult. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10046-Screen-Shots-On-the-downswing.html 2006-11-30 00:22:00 Screen Shots The Penguins placed John LeClair on waivers Thursday, making it all but official the veteran left winger's days in Pittsburgh are few. That is, if another team is desperate enough to claim him. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10045-Screen-Shots-Im-listening.html 2006-11-23 00:55:00 Screen Shots I'm overdue for a reader-response column, so this is it, with one difference: this time around, I'm also addressing responses to my daily blog. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10044-Screen-ShotsEuro-captains-undervalued.html 2006-11-16 00:43:00 Screen Shots When Daniel Alfredsson's slapshot was redirected by Senators teammate Peter Schaefer for the game-winning goal over Buffalo Wednesday night, the wattage on the smile of Ottawa's captain could have lit up a small metropolitan city. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10043-Screen-Shots-Are-we-missing-something.html 2006-11-02 00:00:00 Screen Shots This article was initially published in the Oct. 31st edition of The Hockey News. I've received some terrific responses to it so far, but I'd love to hear what the e-world thinks. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10042-Screen-Shots-October-provides-lots-of-surprises.html 2006-10-26 00:40:00 Screen Shots I've had just about enough of the “surprise!” generation – you know, the twits who think Punk'd is the new 60 Minutes, or the yahoos who believe shaving obscene words into their sleeping friends' eyebrows is the ideal way you show affection to someone. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10041-Screen-Shots-Philly-has-trouble-getting-airborne.html 2006-10-19 00:13:00 Screen Shots You can say many things about Bob Clarke's Philadelphia Flyers over the years, but you can never say they've made for dull reading. It usually takes Clarke & Co. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10040-Screen-Shots-The-tender-trap.html 2006-10-12 00:13:00 Screen Shots It wasn't long ago that goalies were the whipping boys for all that ailed the National Hockey League. Clad in often comically-oversized equipment, they'd had it especially good for especially long, and their feast was everyone else's famine. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10039-Screen-Shots-Western-predictions.html 2006-10-02 00:35:00 Screen Shots Here are our picks for the Western Conference this season. (Eastern picks can be found HERE.) Remember, all of our selections are made for entertainment purposes only, kind of like those fantasy pools you and 1,500 of your closest friends gather together for each fall. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10038-Screen-Shots-Eastern-predictions.html 2006-09-24 00:59:00 Screen Shots It's time for yet another annual installment of Screen Shots' pre-season predictions (Eastern Conference this week, Western Conference next week). http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10037-Screen-Shots-Prepare-for-the-predictions.html 2006-09-17 00:04:00 Screen Shots One of the most overused of many modern music clichés can be found at the start of a popular song, when the rapper or singer estimates that the audience “ain't ready for” whatever schlock they're hawking. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10036-Screen-Shots-Laughter-is-the-best-medicine.html 2006-09-11 00:32:00 Screen Shots It may be more difficult for our American friends to locate, but Bon Cop, Bad Cop (or if you're more DonCherrylingual than bilingual, Good Cop, Bad Cop) provides moviegoers with a surprising and welcome twist on the mismatched buddy cop formula, with added treats for hockey fans. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10035-Screen-Shots-Offseason-analysis-Part-6.html 2006-09-08 00:48:00 Screen Shots Screen Shots' effort to discern each NHL team's potentially good from its possibly bad, and its possibly bad from its worst-case scenario ugly, concludes with an appraisal of the final five teams in the east. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10034-Screen-Shots-Offseason-analysis-Part-5.html 2006-09-06 00:01:00 Screen Shots Screen Shots' effort to discern each NHL team's potentially good from its possibly bad, and its possibly bad from its worst-case scenario ugly, continues with an appraisal (five teams per day, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of this week) of the Eastern Conference's off-season transactions. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10033-Screen-Shots-Offseason-analysis-Part-4.html 2006-09-04 00:00:00 Screen Shots Screen Shots' effort to discern each NHL team's potentially good from its possibly bad, and its possibly bad from its worst-case scenario ugly, continues with an appraisal (five teams per day, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of this week) of the Eastern Conference's off-season transactions. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10032-Screen-Shots-Offseason-analysis-Part-3.html 2006-09-01 00:12:00 Screen Shots Some people become depressed when they see the sticky-hot summer come to an end. In hockey circles, we refer to them as “idiots.” Honestly, what's not to love about the joys only Labor Day can bring? Cool breezes in the evening, children safely locked away in classrooms in the day, and best of all, the unmitigated optimism found in fans of every NHL team. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10031-Screen-Shots-Offseason-analysis-Part-2.html 2006-08-30 00:59:00 Screen Shots Some people become depressed when they see the sticky-hot summer come to an end. In hockey circles, we refer to them as “idiots.” Honestly, what's not to love about the joys only Labor Day can bring? Cool breezes in the evening, children safely locked away in classrooms in the day, and best of all, the unmitigated optimism found in fans of every NHL team. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10030-Screen-Shots-Offseason-analysis-Part-1.html 2006-08-28 00:08:00 Screen Shots Some people become depressed when they see the sticky-hot summer come to an end. In hockey circles, we refer to them as “idiots.” Honestly, what's not to love about the joys only Labor Day can bring? Cool breezes in the evening, children safely locked away in classrooms in the day, and best of all, the unmitigated optimism found in fans of every NHL team. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10029-Screen-Shots-Frost-to-face-the-fire.html 2006-08-22 00:52:00 Screen Shots So, ex-NHL player agent David Frost will face charges of tampering with the lives of young men and women. It's about time. It's about time the former coach is forced to defend what he's done. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10028-Screen-Shots-CBCs-loss-a-costly-proposition.html 2006-08-14 00:53:00 Screen Shots As was made completely clear during the 2004-05 lockout, the NHL's strategic business decisions can affect a considerable and varied group of people – including thousands not under the direct employ of Gary Bettman or Ted Saskin. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10027-Screen-Shots-Ban-the-BS.html 2006-07-23 00:13:00 Screen Shots After Year One of its R n' R (Reclamation n' Restoration) Project, the NHL's once-dilapidated house has been rescued from the wrecker's ball. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10026-Screen-Shots-Mucklers-misconception.html 2006-07-17 00:00:00 Screen Shots Ottawa isn't just Canada's capital. It's Canada's capital of complaints, the place where the country's lobbyists, legalists, and lobbyists-for-legalists surround the national parliament to detail (a) the myriad manners by which the people they represent have been slighted; and (b) the costly balms they want applied to soothe their clients' painful rashes. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10025-Screen-Shots-bUbnabashed-bFbinancial-bAbnalysis.html 2006-07-02 18:12:00 Screen Shots Last summer, 34 NHLers signed free agent contracts on the first day of unrestricted free agency. One year later, that number rose to 40. So much for fiscal restraint. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10024-Screen-Shots-NHL-needs-Mark-Cuban.html 2006-06-28 00:48:00 Screen Shots Here's the first thing that ran through our mind after we heard Mark Cuban wants a piece of the NHL's action: For goodness sake, Gary Bettman, don't cough up the puck on this one. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10023-Screen-Shots-An-open-memo-to-writers-editors.html 2006-06-25 00:14:00 Screen Shots To: Sportswriters and Sports Editors Subject: The NHL playoffs, and your vigorous efforts to ignore them Dear colleagues, Put down your Blackberries, Bluetooths and divergent diversions for a while, and permit me to address a serious and widespread illness among our ranks. http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10022-Screen-Shots-Asked-answered.html 2006-06-12 00:00:00 Screen Shots The Stanley Cup playoffs are almost done, so we thought it appropriate to gaze into the future and answer a few questions facing the NHL and its teams next season.