Home/Sports/The Hockey News/April 29, 2013/In This Issue
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013IN T.O. IT HURTS SO GOODTHE ENTITY THAT CALLS itself Leafs Nation would make for a fascinating anthropological study, one that scientifically explains the inverse relationship between the massive performance failures of the club it supports and the massive loyalty it consistently exhibits. It’s as if an entire fan base is afflicted with Stockholm Syndrome and has fallen in love with its captors, dependent on the franchise for its feelings no matter how meager things have become.And make no mistake, followers of the Leafs have led a threadbare existence. Read the evidence and weep (or laugh): since they last won the Stanley Cup, as part of a six-team NHL in 1967, Toronto hasn’t returned to the final. The only other current franchises that haven’t appeared in the final are Columbus, Winnipeg, Phoenix, Minnesota and Nashville,…2 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013Ask Adam?QUESTION: When was the last time a goalie won the Calder Trophy? Robin Lehner has been posting good numbers. Do you think he could win it?Chris Burke, Kanata, Ont.ANSWER: You needn’t look back far at all to see a goalie claiming rookie of the year: Columbus’ Steve Mason won it in 2008-09, Boston’s Andrew Raycroft won it in 2003-04 and Evgeni Nabokov (at 25) won it in 2000-01. The problem with Lehner is the lack of consistent work he’s received in Ottawa. Craig Anderson and the now-traded Ben Bishop played more than the young Swede. That’s ultimately why a skater will win it.QUESTION: Do you think it was a bad move for Pittsburgh to make those big trades? The team was already doing well without Jarome Iginla, Douglas Murray and…2 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013CIS WRAP UPMake it four Canadian Interuniversity Sport titles in the past seven years for the University of New Brunswick men’s team after second-seeded UNB beat the Saint Mary’s Huskies 2-0 for its fifth University Cup. Former NHL goalie Daniel LaCosta made 17 saves for the shutout.Led by team captain CHRIS CULLIGAN, the Varsity Reds went 3-0 in the six-team tourney, outscoring opponents 13-4. Tyler Carroll was named MVP, with four goals in three games. – BYRON HACKETTTHE MONTREAL CARABINS defeated the defending champion University of Calgary Dinos for the 2013 CIS women’s title.The championship is the first for the Carabins’ women’s program and the first CIS school banner for the Universite de Montreal since it brought back its athletics program in 1995. Captain Kim Deschenes received MVP honors, scoring two goals…1 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013Great GREYBEARDSWe won’t bet on it, but a pair of all-time greats might ice their NHL careers at season’s end. Jaromir Jagr and Teemu Selanne, 10th and 11th in career goals, are surefire Hall of Famers who have terrorized opposing goalies. Selanne electrified the NHL in his 1992 rookie season, two years after the mullet-clad Jagr, who took a three-season hiatus from 2008-09 to 2010-11 to play in the KHL. Since Jagr came into the league, no NHLer has more points. Since Selanne debuted, none has more goals.In honor of their two decades of dominance, we’ve compiled a comparison of Jagr and Selanne, the greatest Czech and Finn to ever play in the NHL.TEEMU SELANNE> Drafted: 10th, 1988 (Winnipeg)> Age: 42> Pos: Right wingerIndividual achievements:> Stanley Cup (Anaheim, 2007)> Calder Trophy…1 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013PAY DAY FOR NCAA UFA CROPTHIS YEAR’S GROUP OF U.S. COLLEGE FREE AGENTS LACKED A top-end talent in the Justin Schultz mold, but the depth of the field led to recruiting battles for the services of several undrafted collegians, including three highly regarded D-men.This year’s big catch was Western Michigan’s Danny DeKeyser, a 6-foot-3 mobile, stay-at-home defenseman who signed a two-year NHL deal with Detroit Mar.ch 29. “He’s not a flashy player who will wow you with an end-to-end rush, but he’s a solid shutdown defender with some jam who skates very well,” said one NHL scout. “He shouldn’t be too far away from an NHL position.”DeKeyser’s 49 points in 118 CCHA career games, and career-low 15 points this season, are strong indicators the Michigan native won’t be asked to play an offensive role. “Offense…3 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013Skate or DIETChicken and pasta seems to comprise 90 percent of a hockey player’s meal intake, but a growing number of athletes are finding that the latter’s wheat-based composition is slowing them down. Duchene went on a gluten-free diet over the summer and immediately saw improvements to his health. “He started June 1,” O’Brien said. “By June 30, he was already getting a lot of comments about his face looking leaner and his skin looking healthier.” Along with eschewing wheat products, Duchene was encouraged to consume more fish oils and organic coconut – “good” fats. Coconut oil, for example, breaks down sugars in the body in a quick and efficient manner. “We wanted to repair his damaged gut,” O’Brien said.Two summers ago, Washington’s Karl Alzner and Jay Beagle tried going gluten free…1 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013DEFEAT ON HIS WINGSTHE TAG OF A BREAKTHROUGH SEASON GENERALLY means a player’s career has officially taken off. So why, after finishing third in scoring last year with 93 points, has Claude Giroux’s flight been forced to make an emergency landing?Those who observe the Philadelphia Flyers on a regular basis can come up with more reasons than a rink full of warmup pucks.If a poll were taken, these theories would lead the list:1. Naming Giroux captain before the start of a season with so many question marks on the roster might have been premature, considering the numerous stress and distraction factors.2. The decision not to aggressively attempt to retain Jaromir Jagr – Giroux’s linemate, mentor and security blanket – has had an effect on the 25-year-old centerman’s confidence.3. Losing his left winger, Scott…3 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013THIS ‘B’ IS MORE THAN JUST A BUGBRAD MARCHAND WON’T TRY TO CONVINCE anyone he’s a saint and nothing like the little devil he’s portrayed as outside Boston. He’s not going to argue that every penalty minute, suspension (two) and fine (one) has been assessed unjustly. He also won’t deny he’s never deserved any of his scoldings or lectures from on-ice officials, coaches, even teammates.At one point in his career, the most important part of Marchand’s game was his knack for bugging people. He did so through deeds like incessant forechecks, dogged puck battles and well-placed words. It was a means to an end for the 5-foot-9, 183-pound left winger, the end being an opportunity to use his offensive skills on a full-time basis. “I wasn’t going to come in and crack the Bruins’ lineup just by…3 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013THE CLOUDS WILL LIFTWHEN MATT CARLE CHOSE TO SIGN with the Tampa Bay Lightning as an unrestricted free agent last summer, the veteran defenseman didn’t envision a team blessed with the talents of Steven Stamkos and Martin St-Louis missing the playoffs.But Tampa has underachieved, fired coach Guy Boucher and will likely be out of the playoffs for the second straight year by season’s end. But if you’re thinking Carle wants a do-over on his choice to leave the Philadelphia Flyers and sign a six-year, $33-million contract with the Bolts, think again. “No regrets,” Carle said. “I enjoyed Philadelphia, but I believed in the guys in this room when I signed here and still do. All teams face adversity.”With prized youngster Victor Hedman still learning the game at age 22, Carle stepped into the…3 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013THREE STRIKES BUT NOT OUTA CAREER-THREATENING INJURY, A GOAL drought and then a pay cut.Mason Raymond was grateful to recover from a vertebrae compression fracture sustained in Game 6 of the 2011 Stanley Cup final, but the Vancouver Canucks winger had but 10 goals in 55 games last season and was taken to arbitration in the summer. The result was a $325,000 shave and a chip on his shoulder after receiving a one-year deal for $2.3 million.Instead of sulking, Raymond regained his stride, shot and confidence. A week before the trade deadline, the 27-year-old was tied for the team lead in goals with nine on a makeshift speed line with Jordan Schroeder and Jannik Hansen. “I wanted to come in, play good hockey, be a good player and leave it at that,” Raymond said.…3 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013BUCKING BRONCO ON THE FORECHECKYOU CAN’T SWING A DEAD CAT IN the American hockey community right now without hitting someone excited about Mike McCarron’s potential.The big-bodied right winger, a key cog of the well-oiled machine that is the U.S. National Team Development Program, has been demanding attention all season. “The development trajectory has been very, very high,” said U.S. under-18 bench boss Don Granato. “He evolves week-to-week. After a week of practices, us coaches look at each other and go, ‘How much better can he get?’”McCarron, 18, is 6-foot-5 and 228 pounds. By the end of March, he had compiled 27 points and 196 penalty minutes in 54 games for the under-18 team over two seasons.NHL Central Scouting considers McCarron first round material for this June’s NHL draft, recently upgrading the Western Michigan University-bound…3 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013SWEDES ON TOP1. ELIAS LINDHOLMBRYNASTwo-way center is a character kid who works the corners and earned power play time on the big squad.2. ROBERT HAGGMODOBig defenseman can play a rugged shutdown role, but also has some pretty good hops when rushing up ice3. ALEXANDER WENNBERGDJURGARDENAlways seems to be in the right place to score and never stops working. Key contributor despite age.4. JACOB DE LA ROSELEKSANDCrash-and-banger with great size not intimidated by older competition. Helped team to promotion.5. ANDRE BURAKOWSKYMALMOSon of former Sens player Robert Burakowsky had tough year, but brings tremendous offensive upside.6. LUCAS WALLMARKSKELLEFTEASwift playmaker was loaned to Karlskrona for relegation tourney where he thrived as setup man.…1 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013THE UNHAPPINESS OF MILLION$LEGEND HAS IT THAT EVERY TRAINING camp, Gordie Howe would sit down with Detroit Red Wings GM Jack Adams and sign a deal that gave him a modest little raise and a free Red Wings jacket. Now that’s a contract that sucked.A 12-year deal worth $64 million where you make $62 million in the first 10 years and in exchange for playing in one of North America’s most beautiful cities? Maybe not so much. But that’s what Roberto Luongo thinks. He thinks his contract sucks. He actually said that on trade deadline day when that very contract prevented him from being traded by the Vancouver Canucks.Does that make Luongo an ingrate? No, not exactly. Out of touch? Oh yeah. Insensitive, both to the common man and the hundreds of players…4 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013THN INBOXNEED SAVE KEEPINGI am 44 and have played goal since I was eight and made it up to the Jr. A level. I totally agree with what James Reimer had to say in the “Protection vs. Production” story (Inside Hockey, April 15). Stick technology, player size and overall game speed have advanced so much that goalies need more protection, not less. I would not be as concerned with the height of pads, but rather the width – and that’s been addressed in recent years.Robert K. Varga, Burlington, Ont.CONTACT US:letters@thehockeynews.com/thehockeynews/+thehockeynewsCREASE IS SACREDWhy in the world are defenders allowed to be completely in the crease to deflect shots or stop pucks from going over the goal line? I thought the crease was a “goalie only” zone? Why have it if players are…2 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013RENTAL MARKET GETS SOFTERACQUIRING A RENTAL PLAYER at the trade deadline is always a gamble. He could be the asset to help a team secure a Stanley Cup, but often the price paid for a rental dwarfs the results.Hall of Famer Ray Bourque, considered to be the most successful rental player in recent memory, actually wasn’t one. Colorado acquired Bourque, a pending unrestricted free agent, along with veteran left winger Dave Andreychuk in exchange for Brian Rolston, Sammy Pahlsson, defenseman Martin Grenier and a first round pick in March of 2000. Bourque and the Avalanche failed in their first attempt at winning a Cup, but he re-signed that summer and was part of their 2001 title. But what if Bourque hadn’t remained in Colorado and either retired or signed elsewhere?With league-wide parity growing…3 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013WE’RE TALKING ’BOUT PRACTICE?IN A CONDENSED SEASON, ONE OF the most difficult challenges for players is how to push themselves without overexerting, how to bend and not break.Many players are wary of how much they are putting their bodies through. And coaches are, too, which is why their trying to keep their players from fatigue and injury by limiting onice workouts. “Practices have changed a lot,” Boston Bruins defenseman Dennis Seidenberg said. “I can’t remember the last hard drill or long practise we had. And you can’t, because you have to stay sharp for the game. If you practise too long and do wrong things, you’re going to over-train yourself and it’s not going to help.”With teams playing 48 games in 99 days, rest is the priority and practice time is at a…2 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013SOPHOMORE ROOKIESJonathan Huberdeau, Cory Conacher, Justin Schultz and other NHL rookies will remain freshmen next season in the trading card world. The NHLPA, in consultation with card companies, disallowed this season’s rookies from being in 2012-13 card sets, which meant the freshman class is limited to players like Chris Kreider, who debuted after the 2012 All-Star Game. “We had to move forward and build products accordingly,” said Karvin Cheung, Product Development Director at Panini America.After the 2004-05 lockout, 2005-06 featured a double dose of rookies, including Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby. Next season’s sets will be similar, said Chris Carlin, Upper Deck’s Sports Marketing Manager. “It is lining up to be a very deep class with a bevy of standout players.”…1 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013SUTER’S CRITICS EAT CROWMIKE YEO, MINNESOTA’S SECOND-YEAR coach, tried to convince Darryl Sydor to turn the dial, but the Wild assistant couldn’t help himself. He likes listening to sports radio and early in the season and nearly drove off the road a few times when he heard Ryan Suter being sliced and diced by the talking heads behind the mic.“I wanted to call up and be like, ‘Uh, this is Bob from Woodbury. Are you stupid?’” Sydor says, using a fake voice. “I look back and I’ve been in the same situation where I’ve gone to a new team and everything’s new. We all knew down deep in the guts of the whole thing that it takes time.“But Ryan’s a levelheaded guy. He’s just like a duck. Water off the back. It doesn’t…6 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013LEAP YEARDALLAS EAKINS WAS CONCERNED. Really worried, actually, enough to keep him tossing and turning at night, punching his pillow and staring at the ceiling. The can’t-miss kid who was supposed to be an NHL star wasn’t even doing much in the American League and Eakins was running out of tricks and head games to motivate him. Eakins was almost resigned to the fact that the kid was going to be one of those players who was never going to change, that he’d move on to another organization and muddle along or go to Europe.People would probably lose their jobs over it and everyone would always wonder where things went wrong, all because the kid never saw the light. And it was all happening on his watch. “It’s almost like somebody…15 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013ISLES’ LONG WAIT IS ALMOST OVERTHE RESIDUAL GRIME THAT ACCUMUlates after years of losing, mismanagement and bad luck has discolored everything the New York Islanders have done in recent years. For every step there was a misstep, for every building block, a buckled beam. In this shortened season, however, the prognosis for the Isles looks different. They’re still not close to the cream of the NHL’s crop as they were in the heyday of Denis Potvin, Mike Bossy and Billy Smith, but they’re no longer a laughingstock.It starts on Long Island with franchise center John Tavares, who was on a point-per-game pace for the second straight year and is still just 22 years old, but it doesn’t end with him. He and the rest of the Islanders were challenging for a playoff spot as of…3 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013OLD DOG, NEW TRICKEVEN AS HE APPROACHED HIS 41ST birthday, Martin Brodeur was still the Devils’ difference-makerBrodeur hasn’t changed over the years, but he has made some concessions to age. During the playoffs last year, he ended a long-standing policy of talking to the media on the morning of games and has continued that this season. “I’ve always been good about (doing interviews on game days),” Brodeur said. “I just felt last year when I decided not to do it, the reason was a negative vibe I was getting after morning skates.“I personally didn’t need to start thinking about it when I went on the ice. I just felt that was the best way for me to get prepared. This year I totally forgot about it, but then I thought, ‘It worked in…3 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013EKMAN-LARSSON AIMS HIGHTHE ONLY STANDARD OF PLAY PHOENIX Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson recognized as a youngster in Sweden was that of fellow countryman Nicklas Lidstrom.Ekman-Larsson wanted to skate and shoot and pass like the Red Wings great and if that package of skills morphed him into an elite defenseman like his idol, that was all right, too. “I want to be, of course, a superstar in this league,” Ekman-Larsson said. “That’s my goal. Maybe not this year or next year, but a couple years from now. I want to improve everything – D-zone, offensive, my shot, my passes, my skating. That’s what I try to do every day, just get better.”In his second full season with the Coyotes, the 21-year-old has done just that, scaling the depth chart to become the team’s…3 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013BACK TO THE FRONTTHE SAN JOSE SHARKS WERE SLIPPING out of the Western Conference playoff picture when Todd McLellan showed a little coaching creativity.With his team struggling to score and defenseman Brent Burns coming back from yet another injury in mid-March, McLellan drew upon their days together in the Minnesota Wild farm system. Burns was drafted as a forward, so why not give him a shot there again?The experiment was an instant success. Soon skating on a line with Joe Thornton and Martin Havlat, Burns racked up five goals and five assists in his first nine games up front. And with Burns in a top-six role, McLellan could then move Joe Pavelski into the third-line center spot he was slotted for from the start.With those moves, the Sharks immediately went on a five-game…3 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013‘EL NINO’ BRAVES CHOPPY WATERSBEFORE HE REALIZES HIS NHL potential, Nino Niederreiter must find consistency in the American League.The New York Islanders first round pick in 2010 is in his first full year in the AHL after a disastrous 2011-12 with the Isles in which he had one point in 55 games and was minus-29.Niederreiter didn’t get a post-lockout camp invite this year and his agent requested a trade because of it, but it appears the Isles knew what they were doing. The 6-foot-2, 207-pound left winger found his touch with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. He led them in goals with 26 and points with 45 through 64 games.He was also named to the Eastern Conference team for the AHL All-Star Classic. “It’s definitely way easier to play hockey when you play more minutes,”…3 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013ONE BAKER, MANY ROLESJAMIE BAKER WAS A HARDWORKING DEFENSE-MINDED CENTER who never felt secure in eight NHL seasons. But he does hold two records: he’s the only NHLer to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators and Quebec Nordiques, and the only one to play his final NHL game in Tokyo, Japan.Not bad for an U.S. collegian who had to overcome a serious injury before he ever played a professional game. In his senior year, Baker broke an ankle and tore ligaments. The doctor told him two things: the bad news was he was done for the year, but the good news was the injury wasn’t career threatening.Baker went on to play 404 NHL games in 10 seasons. And he still cherishes being an American Leaguer playing for Robbie Ftorek in Halifax…3 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013CHIRPS@THEHOCKEYNEWSWHICH DEADLINE DEAL WILL HAVE THE MOST IMPACT?J. Virtanen @Amateur_Hockey: Marian Gaborik to Columbus. Brings a star to a team that’s been missing one since Rick Nash left and gives the team some credibility.Justin Day @50shadezofDay: Jason Pominville to the Wild. He adds a right-handed scoring threat that will be a great addition to their first PP unit.adtrace @adtrace: Funny thing about people touting Pominville deal is Sabres fans were thrilled to get rid of him. Biggest trade? Hardly.Mikey Basile @mikeybasile1: The Preds scoring Filip Forsberg for Martin Erat. Forsberg will make a big impact for them.Chas McNeill @McNeill79: Derick Brassard to the Rangers. Gobs of talent but lacked motivation. Needed change of scenery and new surroundings.Matt Dickinson @Skiptrack: Steve Mason to Philly. It pretty much means Ilya Bryzgalov will…1 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013PICTURE PERFECTA JOYFUL AMANDA KESSEL celebrated the Minnesota Golden Gophers’ record-shattering NCAA title, grateful to share history with her teammates and aware of the ephemeral nature of their achievement.The Patty Kazmaier Award winner as the country’s most prolific player helped the Gophers win their second straight national title, completing a 41-0 season and extending their winning streak to 49 games. The junior winger became just the fourth player to eclipse 100 points in a season. (Minnesota’s Natalie Darwitz holds the NCAA record with 114 points in 2004-05. Teammate Krissy Wendell had 104 points the same season. Jennifer Botterill of Harvard had 112 points in 2002-03.)Kessel, sister of Toronto Maple Leafs right winger Phil, is expected to return for her senior season after playing in Sochi, Russia, for the 2014 U.S. Olympic…3 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013KNIGHT RIDERMARKHAM, ONT. – Hilary Knight completed a dream season when her Boston-based Canadian Women’s League team won the Clarkson Cup championship in late March. Now she and her American teammates turn their attention to adding an Olympic gold medal at the 2014 games in Sochi, Russia.If they are to do so, though, they’ll need her to be at least as dominant as she was this year. “To win any championship is a great moment,” said Knight, who was named the CWHL’s MVP before her Boston Blades beat the Montreal Stars 5-2 to win the team’s first Clarkson Cup title. “All individual awards in a team sport are really team awards. We like to keep it light and have fun, but we work hard and to be recognized on this stage…1 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013IceCHIPSPenguins become first team in history with a 10-GAME win streak three consecutive seasonsIsles’ Evgeni Nabokov and Flyers’ Ilya Bryzgalov were only goalies to win every game for their teamsFlyers could be only second team since 1967 to have league-leading PP yet miss the playoffs (2006-07 Habs are the other)New York Rangers deadline acquisitions Ryane Clowe, Derick Brassard and John Moore each score in April 3 debut and are in on all six goalsBrampton Battalion play final game before relocating to North Bay: a 1-0 OT loss to Sudbury March 29, eliminating them from OHL playoffs…1 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013REMADE IN THE ROCKIESMATT DUCHENE IS A RENAISsance man. Always has been. Not only is the fourth-year pro a very good hockey player, but he also plays guitar and once designed the jersey for the high school team in his hometown of Haliburton, Ont. Which is to say he knows how to translate things from brain to fingers.But last season, his brain was tripping him up and the rest of his body wasn’t following. The kid who burst onto the NHL scene as an 18-year-old with the Colorado Avalanche in 2009-10 saw his points per game drop, as well as his ice time and his plus-minus. After being named to the all-rookie team and playing in the All-Star Game as a sophomore, Duchene was hit with injuries to his ankle and knee that…10 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013TRADE DEADLINE AWARDSThe NHL trade deadline brings endless rumor-mongering and excitement, but also nostalgia. Most blockbusters mirror famous ones of yesteryear, some of which occurred on deadline day and some that didn’t. With that, the first THN Tradesies analyze this season’s hottest moves and look at how they connect to the talked-about swaps of seasons past.BUTCH GORING AWARDDEREK ROYMissing piece of the puzzleWhen the Islanders acquired Goring from Los Angeles in 1980, New York was in need of secondary scoring and he provided it, helping the Isles to four straight Stanley Cups. Roy comes into Vancouver as a secondary scorer, too, much like he was in Dallas. He gives the Canucks depth down the middle and his nifty playmaking helps reinvigorate a stale offense much too reliant on the Sedin twins’ line.…6 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013MONEY WHERE HIS HORSE ISKAY KYSER’S SONG “HORSES DON’T BET ON PEOPLE,” LEADS the listener to ask, “so why do people bet on horses?” If Toronto Maple Leafs major domo Conn Smythe were around today, his answer would be, “because a nag helped me build my team into a winner.”And so it did, though circuitously. Recall that Smythe bought the NHL’s Toronto St. Patricks in February 1927, changed the team’s name to Maple Leafs and proceeded to rebuild a doddering franchise the next three years.After his club wobbled through 1929-30 ‘The Little Major,’ as Smythe was known for his Second World War exploits, decided an explosive move was necessary. The Leafs had finished fourth in the Canadian Division (17-21-6), but had the makings of a winner if only Smythe could somehow con a top…4 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013PACK UP AND STAYPATRICK WIERCIOCH CAN FINALLY MAKE himself at home in the NHL.The road wasn’t easy for the Ottawa Senators defenseman to get here, but the 22-year-old got the best news he could expect a couple of weeks before the trade deadline when he was told to get a place to live in Ottawa. After spending more than two months in a hotel, it was a relief for Wiercioch.His career has included bumps in road since being drafted 42nd overall in 2008 – including a scary incident on Dec. 9, 2011, when he took a puck in the throat while playing for Binghamton in the AHL – but he’s overcome the obstacles to find his way to the NHL.With injuries to Erik Karlsson and Jared Cowen, Wiercioch has watched his role grow.…3 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013SHOW-ME STATE OF MINDDURING ST. LOUIS BLUES TELECASTS, Chris Stewart is routinely featured during commercial breaks yelling at opponents. And that anger has a wide-ranging effect. “The games when I’m most involved physically and emotionally are the games that I get the best results on the scoresheets,” Stewart said.A year ago, Stewart was not engaged. At 24, he was out of shape and out of sync. After scoring 28 goals in back-to-back seasons, 2011-12 was a colossal disappointment. He finished with 15 goals and 30 points in 79 games. He signed a $3-million “prove it” contract in June. “I wanted to eliminate all doubts and excuses,” he said.Stewart worked with trainer Matt Nichol in the off-season and then played in Germany during the lockout. “I was playing 25-30 minutes a game and really…3 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013RED LIGHT REDHAWKTHOUGH MICHIGAN DEFENSEMAN Jacob Trouba, a Winnipeg Jets first-rounder from 2012, had a fantastic freshman campaign, Miami’s Riley Barber got his team to the Frozen Four tournament and finished second in conference scoring with 39 points in 40 games. So it’s no surprise it was the RedHawk who took home honors as the last CCHA rookie of the year.Barber, who arrived in Ohio with much less fanfare than his Wolverines rival, strafed the college scene for 15 goals and 39 points in 40 games (only teammate Austin Czarnik bested him with 40 points), while also earning a gold medal at the world juniors with Team USA. If the Americans seemed to have a lot of chemistry, they should have: four of the squad’s players were midget hockey teammates with the…4 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013NO DOUBTING DE LA ROSEJACOB DE LA ROSE HAS ONE of the better names in hockey right now, but it does sound a little off when you consider the player that wears it. After all, the left winger hails from the west side of Sweden and his powerful game is much more thorny than it is floral. “It’s actually from France,” he said. “On my dad’s side it’s like, his grandma’s grandma was from there.”De la Rose, 17, was one of the outstanding underagers who helped Sweden to an unexpected silver medal at the world juniors after the squad was robbed of half a dozen of its best players due to injury pre-tournament. A power forward who’s never afraid to get his nose dirty, De La Rose uses his 6-foot-2, 183-pound frame to cause…3 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013MR. PRESIDENT A PHILLY FANATICIT’S 10:00 A.M. AND PETER LUUKKO IS IN SITTING HIS OFFICE AT the Wells Fargo Center, home of the Philadelphia Flyers. He’s surrounded by an array of hockey memorabilia – signed jerseys, hockey trinkets, photos of family members playing the game. He picks up a miniature version of the Prince of Wales Trophy and points to his name inscribed on the base. “I would’ve preferred the big one,” he says, smiling, referring to the 2010 Stanley Cup, which his Philadelphia Flyers lost to the Chicago Blackhawks. “But this one is still nice.”Luukko’s morning rarely begins in the office. He’s often in the building for nearly two hours before he steps foot on the top floor. That’s because he’s playing hockey with the “7:15ers,” a collection of staff and friends who…4 min
The Hockey News|April 29, 2013Jersey HOUNDLogo styles have changed numerous times over the years and though crests have been cartoonish in the past, the current pop culture fascination with graphic novels is yielding some nice returns in sports. Case in point, the United States League’s Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, who updated their horse mascot with excellent results. The team font also got a makeover and the finished product is a slick jersey with attractive colors. As a nod to the past, the RoughRiders maintain an old mark on the shoulder.…1 min
