What Hockeyville Really Means

Hockeyville is in Terrace. Hockey Night In Canada will be broadcasting from the Terrace Sportsplex, keeping tabs on the senior Terrace River Kings playoff match against the Hazelton Wolverines. Be sure to tune in to Hockey Night In Canada Saturday night and see why Terrace is Hockeyville!

Kirk McLean and Cassie Campbell are in town. Businesses and schools are all busy decorating, and main street is closing to vehicle traffic so that we can play street hockey games. Hopefully the chilling rains subside, because this is one the biggest weekends the town of Terrace has ever seen.

What Hockeyville Really Means

I have noticed some people are a bit critical about Hockeyville. "Not everyone likes hockey," mumble these piddling grumps who can not see past their own stuck-up-in-the-air noses.

But Hockeyville is not really about hockey. It's about town spirit. It's about promoting our town. And it's about the youth of Terrace, the future of community.

When was the last time we saw Terrace get so involved in a community event? This dwarfs Riverboat Days or the Farmer's Market or celebrating that three day stretch of hot weather we occasionally get in the summer time.

And how is it a bad thing to have Terrace promoted before an audience of at least 1 million people, likely much more? If 1%, or 10,000, of these people say hey let's go check out that Terrace place some time in the next couple of years, that is amazing free advertising. 10,000 people staying at hotels, lodges or campgrounds, eating at local restaurants, buying fishing licenses and gear. . . spending money in our community. How can you not support that?

Achieving Dreams and Giving Hope

And then there is the youth. Kirk McLean and especially Cassie Campbell were amazing, holding seminars on and off ice, sharing with kids the stories and moments of glory days, and telling them how it is possible for every kid in town to achieve similar dreams. Not necessarily hockey dreams, but any dreams. With their inspiration and guidance, maybe years from Terrace will boast a Prime Minister, an astronaut or a NHL star. Or maybe some will stay home, and become doctors or teachers, entrepreneurs and coaches right here in Terrace.

It is important for the youth to have dreams and just as important to know that yes they can achieve them. That's what Hockeyville is really about.

Shoebox Memories - Terrace is Hockeyville Edition.

My favorite hockey card from the 1989-90 season was not that of Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux or Trevor Linden. It was Jeff Sharples' rookie card.

Jeff who?

"Sharps" was the local kid who made it big, at least for a time. Terrace, a.k.a. Hockeyville 2009, had our very own up and coming NHL star!

I was just starting grade 7 when Sharples broke into the league and impressed as a rookie defenseman in 1987-88. He made the jump directly from junior to the Detroit Red Wings who had drafted him 29th overall in 1985.

Detroit’s coach at the time was Jacques Demers who, especially at this time, preferred to use veteran players, especially on the blue line. But Sharples came in and had himself a heck of a training camp and made the team. He played in 56 games scoring 10 goals and 35 points while accumulating 42 PIMs.

The one game in particular that I remember was the first time Detroit played on Hockey Night in Canada that season. Of course, there was no satellite TV channels carrying every game back then, so I had to patiently wait for the first time the Red Wings played the Toronto Maple Leafs to watch Sharples play.

I don’t remember the exact game, or many of the details. But I will always remember legendary play by play commentator Bob Cole applauding the young rookie, saying he has a bright future in the league. I also will remember Sharples shrugging off a thunderous body check from Leafs’ banger Wendel Clark.

Sharples would suffer through a horrendous sophomore jinx, and never really recovered. He was traded to Edmonton as a part of the big Jimmy Carson/Adam Graves trade, and then was soon off to New Jersey. He never had chance to play in either city. Instead he was destined for a long but respectable career in the minor leagues.

In Terrace, Sharples' name is as synonymous with the 1983 Terrace midget reps as it with any NHL team. That 1983 team made it all the way to the national midget championship - then called the Air Canada Cup, now known as the Telus Cup. That team featured Sharples on defense, an exciting but tiny Terry Zaporzan up front, and two other players who went on to the big leagues: Dale Kushner at forward and Wade Flaherty in net.

It was no easy road for Kushner. He was never drafted by the NHL, and had to fight and claw his way to a minor league contract with the New York Islanders. A strong over-aged junior season 1987 really helped him. The veteran helped Medicine Hat with the Memorial Cup. Trevor Linden was just a rookie with the Tigers back then.

Kushner was then invited to the Islanders camp, working his butt off to impress enough to get a minor league contract. Kushner never stopped working over the next 3 seasons, finally earning a 2 game cup of coffee with the Islanders in 1989-90.

The Philadelphia Flyers were also impressed with the big left winger. They signed him as a free agent in 1990-91, and Kushner made the team. He played in 63 games, scoring 7 goals and 18 points and picking up an unfriendly 195 PIMs playing with teammates like Rick Tocchet, Scott Mellanby and Mike Ricci.

As the weak Flyers team continued their rebuild, they organizational depth would soon improve. Kushner would get into 19 more big league games, but was destined to return to the minor leagues.

Then there was Flats, Wade Flaherty, perhaps the most notably Terracite to make it to the NHL.

Flaherty was a goalie who just never quite got the break he needed in the NHL, yet he somehow managed to keep popping up in the league. Over the years Flaherty has seen as many minor league cities as he has pucks, but he has managed to enjoy some time in the NHL, too. Flaherty has played in 121 games, but has spent more time sitting on the bench as an NHL back up netminder. Flaherty was hoping to achieve a childhood dream by joining the Vancouver Canucks organization in the 2004-05 season. However a season long labour dispute followed by complicated waiver rules have conspired to keep “Flats” toiling for the Canucks farm team, the Manitoba Moose. He' just finished playing in China, of all places, and has announced his retirement to become a goaltending coach for the Chicago Blackhawks.

You may also want to read two articles I wrote for a local airline. One is about hockey players from other communities from northwest BC. The other looks at Ron Homenuke, the only northwest BC player to ever play for the Vancouver Canucks.

Flats

It's too bad Wade Flaherty can not be here in Terrace for Hockeyville.

"Flats" is the most famous NHL graduate from Terrace. The goalie played in 120 NHL games, backing up many more. His professional career lasted 2 decades, coming to an end this week.

Flaherty, who has seen more minor league cities than hockey pucks, returned home from China, of all places. This past week he officially retired, accepting a job with the Chicago Blackhawks as the organization's goaltending development coach.

There was a great article in the National Post about Flats' time in China and his career.

A Great Ambassador

Today's Greatest Hockey Legend is none other than Cassie Campbell.

The former captain of multiple Canadian gold medal Olympic and World Championship womens teams is truly one of the best ambassadors for all of hockey. She truly played hockey for the love of the game and the love of her country, and she continues to pass on these ideals to girls and boys right across the country and even the globe.

Cassie Campbell and the rest of her Hockey Night In Canada film crew are coming to my hometown today. Regular readers of mine already know that Terrace, BC was the first of five finalists announced in the 2009 Kraft Hockeyville contest.

Be sure to read my Cassie Campbell biography and my review of Cassie Campbell's book.

Captain Kirk Was Out Of This World

You will get no arguments from me that Roberto Luongo, the Vancouver Canucks team captain, is the best goalie in franchise history.

But until he can deliver a memorable playoff a la 1994, my favorite Canucks goalie will remain Captain Kirk, Kirk McLean.

McLean was a wonderful stand-up goalie, amongst the last of a dying and now all but extinct breed. He was so calm and collected I remember referring to him as the Willowdale Cucumber.

Who can forget the series against Calgary, especially the famous save. He turned aside Dallas and Toronto, before appearing on the grandest stage in all of hockey: the Stanley Cup finals at Madison Square Gardens.

What an incredible game one he had, turning aside chance after chance, stunning the MSG faithful as the Canucks stole game one in overtime.

1994 is amongst my most cherished hockey memories. So much so that I had artist Brent Zaharia customize some McFarlane hockey figures to honour my heroes: McLean, Trevor Linden and Pavel Bure.

I proudly display this on the hutch above my work desk, often looking up at it when I need inspiration to write.

And that is not even the centerpiece of my 1994 tribute in my house. Right above my fireplace in my living room is a beautiful framed lithograph from the Canucks 25th anniversary, featuring the same trio.

So why am I going on about 1994 memories so much today? Because today Kirk McLean is coming to my hometown, along with Cassie Campbell and the Hockey Night In Canada crew, filming for Kraft Hockeyville 2009!

Will I get a chance to meet them? Who knows, although I am not one to thrust myself upon anyone. I will be more than happy to attend the Terrace River Kings playoff game on Saturday and watch each from the shadows. And as I do, I will think of the 1994 playoffs, and the 2002 and 2006 Olympics in the case of Campbell. I will reminisce and say thank you.

Hexy

I found this magazine on eBay. I had all but forgotten about the old Great Goalies series of magazines. I know I bought quite a few as a kid.

I do not specifically remember this issue though. But I certainly remember Ron Hextall and how exciting he was to watch back in the late 1980s. He stopped pucks, scored goals, and, at that time, may have been the baddest of the Broad Street Bullies.

Although victims like Kent Nilsson and Chris Chelios may disagree, Ron Hextall was a great goalie. He is today's Greatest Hockey Legend.

Mark Johnson To Coach USA Women's 2010 Olympic Team

It would not take a miracle for the American women's hockey team to upend Canada on home ice at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. They are Canada's equal in the world of women's hockey.

But that did not stop Team USA from hiring a coach who is very familiar with Olympic miracles.

Mark Johnson was named head coach of the Team USA women's national team today.

Although Johnson played 11 seasons and nearly 700 games in the National Hockey League, he is best known for two things: a) he was a star player on the 1980 "Miracle On Ice" American squad that unthinkably upset the Soviets en route to Olympic gold, and b) he is the son of Badger Bob Johnson, American and NHL coaching icon.

The younger Johnson has followed in his dad's coaching footsteps, returning to the University of Wisconsin where he has coached the Badgers' women's team since 2002, winning back to back collegiate championships in 2006 and 2007.

Johnson previously coached the Americans to the 2007 world championships silver medal, as well as the gold medal at the women's U-18 championships earlier this month.

Interestingly, Johnson was by no means the obvious choice.

The Americans won the 2008 World Championships, including two wins over Canada, with Ohio coach Jackie Barto.

Katey Stone, head coach at Harvard, led the Americans to victory over Canada at the Four Nations Cup back in November, as well as to the inaugural women's under-18 championship.

It is good to see the women's game is in such good shape south of the border.

The Thinker

There is an old hockey adage that goes something like this: "A team is only as good as its goalie."

Ken Dryden ranks among the greatest goaltenders not only in Montreal Canadiens history, but in hockey history. Dryden follows in the Habs footsteps of Georges Vezina, George Hainsworth, Bill Durnan, Jacques Plante, Gump Worsley and followed by Patrick Roy as great goalies to wear the "CH."

Today's Greatest Hockey Legend is Ken Dryden.

Economic Hard Times Good For Hockey Fans?

I enjoyed Roy MacGregor's Globe and Mail column, as always, yesterday:

If today's undeniable recession becomes, as some pessimists are predicting, tomorrow's Second Great Depression, it is worth remembering what the last great financial choke did to the NHL's breathing.

Philadelphia had to give up its franchise in the early 1930s. Ottawa withdrew for a season, then came back and moved to St. Louis to play as the Eagles before collapsing in the mid-1930s. The Montreal Maroons withdrew in June of 1938. The New York Americans survived the Dirty Thirties but had to be taken over by the league just before the team's demise following the 1941-42 season.

That, incidentally, left the Original Six teams – Montreal, Toronto, Boston, New York, Chicago and Detroit.

To many, the glory years of hockey.

Sometimes a market correction isn't necessarily a bad thing.

When it comes to the world economic crisis and it's impact on the National Hockey League, there seems to be two generally agreed upon truths.

1. The Phoenix Coyotes are on the verge of bankruptcy, while Nashville, Tampa Bay, Atlanta, and Florida, and perhaps others, have serious financial concerns.

2. Because most sponsorship, television and ticket monies were collected before the world's stock markets collapsed, the world economic crisis will not really be felt by the NHL until next season.

That is bad news for the NHL, and the aforementioned troubled franchises in particular.

Contraction is every fan's dream. Get rid of some weak teams, have an exciting dispersal draft, and see a better product with deeper and better teams all around compared to the bloated league we have now. But Bettman will never allow this to happen to his legacy.

And, even though teams like Toronto and New York Rangers would not mind, buying back 4 franchises and closing up shop would cost somewhere around $200 million per team, or $800 million altogether. That's a hard sell, especially in this market. A tough sell even to the NHL's billionaire owners who, via revenue sharing and propping the Coyotes up completely, are currently giving away as much as $100 million a season to weak franchises and getting nothing in return.

Instead we are likely to series of relocations, and, in the case of Phoenix, possibly a franchise failure. None of which can be great for Gary Bettman's legacy. After all, he was behind placing teams in these weak hockey markets. Yet, as discussed before, Bettman seems to have learned nothing and seems hell bent on shackling hockey with more sunbelt teams, likely Kansas City and possibly Las Vegas.

How is that good for hockey?

Mr. Hockey Fights On

I wanted to share an interesting but dispiriting article about Gordie Howe.

Charlie Gillis over at MacLean's magazine looks at the rough times Gordie Howe has been going through in the years since he has essentially lost his wife to the evils of dementia. His business advisers, Del Reddy and Aaron Howard, have been fleecing Howe and his charity of an alleged $338,000 US.

Now the framework of this story is not exactly new. But this is the most detailed account I have seen of the saga. Reddy and Howard bullied the 80 year old Howe, but the family stayed the course with their advisers because the dastardly duo were hand picked by Mrs. Howe before she lost control of her mind due to Pick's Disease.

But Gillis has brought to light this interesting fact: Gordie Howe has not been part of the Vancouver Giants ownership group since 2005, although we were all led to believe he a very proud minority partner.

Then there was the Vancouver Giants deal. According to the Howe’s suit, Reddy in 2005 told Gordie that Power Play was having financial difficulties, and needed to raise cash to help pay for Colleen’s care. Ron Toigo, the majority owner of the Western Hockey League team, told Maclean’s Reddy approached him with the same story, and set up a deal for Howe to sell his five per cent share back to the other owners. The sale netted Howe US$200,000, court documents show. But the Howes contend that Gordie was not in financial distress at all. Reddy and Howard made the move, the suit alleged, to enhance Power Play’s bottom line so they could collect bonuses and “other financial rewards” due to them if Power Play did well.

Unbelievable.

Now it needs to be acknowledged that all of these facts and accusations are all alleged, and of course Reddy and Howard have a much different side to the story. The two sides settled out of court, largely because the Howe family felt Gordie was not mentally fit to withstand a messy courtroom fight. His memory is not what it used to be.

All in all, another sad story for Mr. Hockey. And that's not even taking into account his asshole neighbors.

Bonnie Prince Charlie

Charlie Gardiner was Chicago's first hockey superstar. He led them to the top of the league and eventually their first Stanley Cup in 1934 and put hockey on the map in the Windy City.

The great Howie Morenz once claimed "Bonnie Prince Charlie" was the toughest goalie to score upon.

Today's Greatest Hockey Legend is Chicago goaltending great Charlie Gardiner.

Terrace Is Hockeyville! My Hometown Makes Final Five

Wow! Terrace, BC, my hometown, was named as the first of the five finalists in Hockeyville 2009!

We managed to outvote La Broquerie, Manitoba by a total vote count of 383000 to 360000!

Watch next weekend as Cassie Campbell and the CBC crew will be here filming a special about Terrace.

Thanks to all of my readers who casted votes, especially you out of towners!

My Favorite NHL All Star Game Memory It's Not What You Might Think

Like many hockey fans of the past 30 or 40 years, my favorite memory of the National Hockey League All Star Game came in 1983. That, of course, was the game where Wayne Gretzky stole the show, scoring 4 goals in the third period, establishing yet another NHL record while giving the Campbell Conference a win.

But I will always remember differently than everyone else.

The game was played in Uniondale, New York, home of the defending Stanley Cup champions New York Islanders. We did not know it just then, but the Islanders and Gretzky's Edmonton Oilers were about to collide in the next couple of years.

Growing up in western Canada, I had plenty of chances to witness Gretzky's greatness first hand. Yet, at least in my 8 year old interpretation, the brash Islanders were unimpressive. They were then the three time defending Stanley Cup champs, and Gretzky was a chump until he could beat them.

Maybe that's why I viewed this night as such a great night. Here is Gretzky, my hero, going into the enemy's building. He scores 4 goals in the final period of what was a close game after two periods, giving the Campbell Conference a convincing 9-3 win. Gretzky's greatness was now undeniable, even to those damn New York Islanders.

And I missed it all.

My family was in Vancouver at the time. My brother was staying in Children's Hospital, and my mom was staying there with him. My dad and I were staying at a hotel. It was my first trip to the big city.

I really wanted to watch the All Star Game. I may have seen earlier All Star Games, but I do not specifically remember. This one was special though, and I did not want to miss it.

When the game began we were in my brother's hospital room. There were 3 other sick kids in their, all of them quite ill. I monopolized the only TV and I guess was making too much noise cheering on my heroes. My Dad decided to take me back to the hotel, grab some dinner, and we'd watch the game.

Well this was no easy task. We are from a small town in Northern BC, where at the time we may have had 3, maybe 4 intersections with stop lights. Vancouver was a million times bigger. It was pretty easy to get lost there.

My Mom tried giving us the instructions back to the hotel. She was usually the navigator, but this time my Dad and I were on our own. I inherited the navigator role, something I think I did quite well. Except we turned north instead of south on whatever street we were supposed to turn down. I insisted I was right, and for some crazy reason my Dad believed me. We must have driven for a good 30 or maybe 45 minutes before realizing we were going the wrong way. We finally turned around, neither of us quite sure if we would ever find the hotel.

I did not mind. I had never seen such a big city. All the lights. All the cars. All the people. It was amazing. For a kid from a small rural town, this was like going to a whole new world.

We finally found the hotel. My dad got us dinner and we went to our room. Starving, I began devouring my burger. I had completely forgotten about the All Star Game until my Dad turned on the TV. The dying seconds of the third period were counting down, with the announcers raving about the performance Gretzky had just put on. I had missed it all!

Somehow I did not mind. It was one of the best nights of my young life, and for once it had nothing to do with Wayne Gretzky.

Hockey Digest Archives Online

Do you remember the old days when we had several hockey magazines to flip through at the local drug store or convenience shop?

There was titles like Hockey Illustrated and Goal. I always liked Canadian Hockey Magazine. Of course, The Hockey News has always been around.

And then there was Hockey Digest. I always liked Hockey Digest, especially their "Who's Better?" segments, often written with the controversial pen of Stan Fischler. I rarely agreed with "The Maven," (I still rarely do) but I sure enjoyed reading the magazine.

Hockey Digest lasted longer than all of the other magazines, with the exception of The Hockey News of course. I assume Hockey Digest is no longer in print because I haven't seen it on shelves anywhere in BC for at least 3 years now. The specialty magazine marketplace is awfully tough nowadays, losing much of it's readership to online sources.

Fortunately, some of Hockey Digest's archives are available online, and much of it for free.

FindArticles.com is a good research tool. Much like Sports Illustrated's SI Vault, articles are archived and indexed in searchable and text form, making it wonderful for researchers to work with.

In no time at all I found articles ranging from praising a young and yet undrafted Alexander Ovechkin to Reed Larson being named to the 1978 All Star Game to Don Beaupre's heroics in the 1981 playoffs to a tribute to Herb Brooks.

You can even read my only article ever published in Hockey Digest: Secrets of the Summit Series.

It's funny how back in the day I did not give Hockey Digest enough attention. I sure miss it now.

Cancelled Books and Collectible Magazines

Over at HockeyBookReviews.com I take a look at two new collectible magazines about the Montreal Canadiens centennial.

The Hockey News brings us A Century of Montreal Canadiens, while Sports Illustrated offers The Canadiens Century. One is a hit, one is a miss. Find out which one is which.

Also, and I might add not surprisingly, two January book releases have been postponed indefinitely. Tough Guys by former NHLer Jim Kyte and the re-issue of Lions In Winter are both on hold. The folks at Red Deer Press assured me the Tough Guys book is still very much in their plans. Wiley had no comment at all on the future of Lions in Winter.

World Cup In February?

Could the 2011 World Cup of Hockey take place in February, in place of the annual NHL All Star Game?

Maybe, if Glenn Healy gets his way. This from Damian Cox:

If the NHL Players Association has its way, we may soon see the end of the NHL All-Star Game as an annual event.

The union, you see, has a grander plan, one in which an annual break in the NHL season would take place every February, and depending on the year it would be filled by the Olympics, a World Cup, an all-star game or perhaps a spectacular hockey convention.

I like that idea. The article goes on to the say that NHL does not, at least not yet. They would prefer not to close up shop every February, risking their million dollar assets to injury right before the lucrative playoffs.

Hockey would certainly have the spotlight in February, post-NFL and pre-MLB seasons. There is a far greater chance Americans would buy in February rather than September. And a top level international event would certainly wet everyone's appetite for the Stanley Cup playoffs.

And it could possibly replace the lethargic All Star Game, which painfully exists mostly as a schmooze for the sponsors and high rollers in the league.

January and February tend to be hockey's dog days, and this could be the NHL fan's ultimate cure. Don't laugh. Canadian fans already turn their attention to the world juniors every Christmas to take in great hockey and a patriotic moment. Now the rest of the world can, too.

Vancouver Is In A Fog

Vancouver has really struggled of late. They have seen their firm grip on a playoff spot disappear as they have lost their last 6 games, and 8 of their last 9.

You could say Vancouver is in a fog. Here's the photographic proof:

This is downtown Vancouver, your 2010 Olympic city, literally in a fog. This pic was taken on Monday at 6:30 AM from Cypress Mountain, a popular nearby ski destination.

It is a fascinating and creepy photo I just had to share.

Steve Mason's Historic Campaign

The season Columbus' Steve Mason is having is putting him on pace to have one of the greatest campaigns ever by a rookie goaltender.

As of Tuesday night he was 17-11-1, giving the lowly Blue Jackets a hope of post-season activity for the first time ever. He is first among all NHL goalies in shutouts (6) and GAA (1.99). His .929 save percentage is tied for third best in the league. Hi

He has to be the leading candidate for Calder trophy, despite another deep crop, and, if he can keep going, maybe even Vezina trophy consideration. Even more amazing is he should also soon get mention when it comes to Hart Trophy balloting as league MVP and Canadian Olympic team consideration as one of the three goaltenders for 2010.

And he's just 20. And even more impressive, he's doing this all with Columbus.

He is having one of the most impressive rookie goaltending seasons in the history of the game. If he can keep this up, his first year will be compared to the likes of Tom Barrasso, Tony Esposito, Ken Dryden, Terry Sawchuk and Frank Brimsek.

Ruin Bruins Night In Toronto

The Boston Bruins travel to Toronto to play the Maple Leafs tonight.

This is an old newspaper ad made up by Toronto Maple Leafs publicity writers back in the 1930s, some 6 or 7 decades before Photoshop.

Reckless horsemen Hap Day, Busher Jackson, King Clancy, Red Horner and Charlier Conacher ride in the Ruin-Bruin Derby, welcoming the Boston Bruins to town. Baldy Cotton, Andy Blair, Hec Kilrea, Alex Levinsky, Bill Thoms and Charlie Sands are also shown.

Greatest Hockey Legends.com 2.0

Welcome to GreatestHockeyLegends.com 2.0!

I am busy giving GHL a much needed upgrade. For the next few hours you may experience a few speed bumps, but hopefully everything will be smooth.

I definitely want to hear from you - thoughts on the new look, informing me of bugs etc. E-mail me at teamcanada72@gmail.com

This will be a work in progress, with my team by team satellite sites slow to follow over the coming days.

The Best Hockey Names Of All Time

Some hockey players were destined to play hockey. Just look at these great names: Darren Rumble, Jeff Beukeboom, Bart Crashley, and even though he never got anywhere near the NHL, Jim Winstanley.

Other names just do not sound like hockey names at all. Bubba Berenzweig should be a linebacker. Cal Clutterback should be a NASCAR driver. Mike Camalleri should be an appetizer. Vern Fiddler does fit in nicely in Nashville.

Then there are the downright odd. Radek Bonk. Dave Inkpen. Bruce Shoebottom. Glen Featherstone. Hnat Dominichelli.

Then there's the names with, to put it nicely, references to things other than hockey - Pokey Reddick. Ron Tugnutt. Corey Pecker. Alexander Semin.

Larry Playfair did not. Kari Takko was once trade for Bruce Bell in the long forgotten Takko-Bell trade. Merlin Malinowski was a magician - he disappeared from the league pretty quickly. Yutaka Fukufuji sounds like someone insulting their Japanese neighbor.

European names have often left us North American's with twisted tongues, especially those Finnish players.. How about Reijo Ruotsalainen or Pekka Rautakallio. Or how about brothers Saku and Mikko Koivu, or Jarkko and Tuomo Ruutu?

Then there are the Russians. Valeri Zelepukin, Darius Kasparaitis, Sergei Krivokarasov or my favorite, Zinetula Bilyaletdinov.

Native hockey players also have provided us with some memorable names: Robin BigSnake. Jordin Tootoo. Colton Yellowhorn. Fred Sasakamoose. Wacey Rabbitt.

And Quebec too, from Guillaume Latendresse to Gaston Gingras, from "the Flower" Guy Lafleur to Rene Boileau, which the New York Americans marketing staff roughly translated as "Rainy Drinkwater."

Old time hockey players have had some great names - Cooney Weiland, Sprague and Odie Cleghorn, Cy and Corb Denneny, Mush March, Red Green, Ebbie Goodfellow, and Sailor Herberts.

Here's my top ten favorite hockey names of all time:

Per Djoos - This Swede's name is pronounced Pear Juice

Hakan Loob - It sounds like someone spitting. Heck of a player though.

Miroslav Satan - I don't care how it's pronounced - this guy is demonic

Bill Quackenbush - This Hall of Famer should have played for Anaheim

Ulcers McCool - One McCool name.

"Izzy" Goodenough - He wasn't, but great name.

Zarley Zalapski - ZZ tops the list.

Here's hoping Bear Trapp one day makes the NHL. No kidding, he's an actual player. He'll likely only get into a NHL rink by purchasing a ticket like you or me, but here's hoping he makes it to the bigs.

Terrace is Hockeyville - The Big Thank You!

Thank you the overwhelming support in voting my hometown as Hockeyville.

And overwhelming is definitely the word.

I received nearly 2200 emails from voters (thank God for email filters), with more still coming in. From the few I've looked through everyone has voted dozens and even 100s of times. Quite few even claim 1000s votes, which I could never comprehend.

Response was far greater than expected. Needless to say I can never get through 2200 emails and decipher a winner based strictly on the honor system. So here's what I'm going to do:

On Tuesday night there are 8 games on the NHL schedule. I am going to take the total goals scored that night and multiply that by 16, the jersey number of every Terrace resident's favorite Canuck Trevor Linden. I will then match up that number with the matching email based on sequential arrival of messages.

That emailer will win the Kraft Hockey Card prize pack consisting of four Edmonton Oilers cards including a Wayne Gretzky card.

The random winners of the other three cards are as follows:

Russ Courtnall card - Paul Roders
Sergio Momesso card - Beverly Rooke
Jim Peplinski card - James Cavalheiro

I will be in touch with the winners shortly....

UPDATE: The winner of the four Oilers cards is Don Riley of Grande Prairie, Alberta. The neat thing is Don lived in Kitimat, just down the road from Terrace, for a couple of years in the 1980s.

HHOF Worthy - Joe Nieuwendyk?

Joe Nieuwendyk was one of my favorite players. So it should come as no surprise that I will argue that Joe Nieuwendyk should one day be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Joe Nieuwendyk was a winner. He won three Stanley Cup championships with three different teams - Calgary, Dallas and New Jersey. Plus he won an Olympic gold medal with Team Canada in 2002.

In 1999 he was so important to Dallas' Stanley Cup championship that he was named as the Conn Smythe trophy winner - about as prestigious of an individual award a hockey player can earn.

That was not his only major award either. In 1988 he won the Calder trophy as best NHL rookie, and in 1995 he won the King Clancy award for his leadership on and off the ice.

Statistically speaking his numbers are also worthy. 564 goals and 1126 points in 1257 games once upon a time guaranteed a player inclusion in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Nowadays a new standard is trying to be established, given the much higher scoring era of the 1980s and early 1990s.

Surprisingly, Nieuwendyk's career statistics could be a sticking point for some Hall voters. Injuries really slowed him, although he always remained a clutch player. He did not average a point per game. And his career totals lands him in a group of 1980s/1990s players who had similar statistics but are debatable Hall of Famers - players like Dino Ciccarelli (608 goals), Dave Andreychuk (640 goals), and a host of players who squeaked into the 500 goal club.

Nieuwendyk's advantages are his championships, his awards, and his impeccable reputation in the community - something the Hall of Fame definitely takes into consideration.

Knowledgeable hockey fans know that Nieuwendyk was one of those guys who brought more to the rink than any statistic can quantify. That might seem odd to say given Nieuwy spent much of his career primarily as a top marksman, but he was a complete player. Aside from chronic back injuries, he had no real weakness in his game. And he brought a lot to the organization off the ice, both in terms of dressing room leadership and community involvement.

When will Nieuwendyk get into the Hockey Hall of Fame? He is not eligible until 2010. Assuming the 2009 class goes as predicted - Steve Yzerman, Luc Robitaille, Brian Leetch and Brett Hull - Nieuwendyk will find himself in consideration with other first time nominees Eric Lindros, Peter Bondra, and Pierre Turgeon, as well as backlog of previously passed over stars such as Ciccarelli, Andreychuk, Pavel Bure, Adam Oates, Brian Bellows, Doug Gilmour, Tom Barrasso, Mike Richter, Alexander Mogilny and Phil Housley, amongst others.

Can he be honoured in his very first go around? That has been a rare feat in recent years, highly reserved for the true superstars. However I suspect Nieuwendyk just might do it in 2010, possibly inducted with good friend Doug Gilmour at the same time.

Last Day To Vote For Hockeyville

Don't forget people, today is the last day to vote for Hockeyville. My hometown of Terrace, BC is in the final ten, and I'm trying to drum up enough out of town votes to get us into the final five! So if you like my site, and don't have any vested interest in any of the other communities, go to CBC's website and vote Terrace Is Hockeyville!

An update on the Kraft Hockey Cards I'm giving away. I never expected so many emails. Although I am not completely certain, I think I'm pushing 2000 entries. I will never be able to get through all of the emails to thank everyone for voting personally, so thank you!

The World Cup Of Hockey Returns

In 1976 it was introduced as the Canada Cup. Darryl Sittler scored the heroic goal. The Czechs surprised us, beating the Soviets to the finals against Canada. And Bobby Orr had his swan song.

In 1981 the Soviets stormed back with vengeance, humiliating Canada 8-1 in the championship game.

In 1984, Paul Coffey and Mike Bossy teamed up to salvage a poor Canadian tournament to beat the Russians and take the championship series against Sweden.

In 1987 we witnessed the greatest hockey ever played. . . "Gretzky... to Lemieux...." Need I say more?

In 1991 Eric Lindros debuted, and the Americans emerged as the new threat. Yet Canada would still win what would prove to be the final Canada Cup.

In 1996 there were new countries, a new trophy and a new name - The World Cup of Hockey. Games were played across Europe and North America. The Americans completed their journey to the top, and knocked off Canada to win.

In 2004 the World Cup returned, but beneath the shadows of the stormy CBA clouds. On the eve of what prove to be a lost NHL season, Canada regained supremacy.

The Canada Cup/World Cup of Hockey had always been played with great irregularity. So it comes as no surprise the tournament has been on hiatus since 2004.

But now comes word that the World Cup of Hockey will return in 2011. ESPN's Scott Burnside broke the news, saying that the NHL and NHLPA have agreed how to divvy up the revenues and expenses of the event.

I definitely have an interest in the World Cup of Hockey. After all, I helped write the book on the tournament's history.

I have mixed feelings on it's return. Both sides have slighted it with it's irregularity so much that it has tarnished the event. Though I think the September event has provided some great hockey in the past, it is small in stature compared to the Olympics. And even a die hard like myself would like to enjoy more time in the summer's sun.

If they want to bring this back, fine, then do it. But do it right, and stop screwing it up. They need to commit to this regularly, every 4 years, preferably between Olympic games.

Of course the future of the Olympic participation is in the air. NHLPA director Paul Kelly told Hockey Night In Canada on Saturday night that the players are overwhelmingly in favor of returning to the Olympics, no matter where they are held. The NHL has never had an official position on future Olympics, although it is widely accepted that the owners no longer want to continue.

I find it interesting how in the past the players cried that there was just too much hockey for the top players from each country. The top players had a long NHL season and with the Olympics, they did not want to see precious weeks of their summer time eaten up the World Cup. It's funny how their position has changed now that the new CBA is structured to give them a better say in improving NHL revenues, and therefore their own salaries.

Which might also explain why the players have welcomed the plan to continue opening the NHL regular season in Europe for the forseeable future. The two sides hope to send 6 teams to Europe to open the 2009-2010 season, and 8 teams for 2010-2011.

With no guarantee of future World Cups beyond 2011, this is clearly a cash grab by all involved. They can hide behind their stances of growing the international game. If there was any truth to that at all, they would be announcing NHL participation at the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, and beyond.

Shoebox Memories: Bob Hess

My shoebox of random hockey cards has me remembering Bob Hess. This is his 1977-78 OPC hockey card, card #394 in the set.

Bob Hess couldn't live up to the lofty expectations placed on his young shoulders. Then again, when you are compared to Bobby Orr, not many can.

St. Louis coach Garry Young predicted Hess would be another Orr after evaluating his rookie NHL season.

"You really can't compare anyone with Orr," he said. " But when you see what this kid is doing at 19, you have to feel he'll be another Orr by the time he's 25."

Well, you probably do not have to be told Bob Hess did not live up the coach's unrealistic expectations. Here's a more comprehensive look at the career of Bob Hess.

Shoebox Memories: Lee Fogolin

This week I went to the magical shoebox of random hockey cards and pulled out card #104 from the 1982-83 OPC set, Lee Fogolin.

While I have written a brand new Lee Fogolin biography for this occasion, I also wanted to point out a neat story about Lee Fogolin from veteran writer Red Fisher.

It turns out Fisher, the veteran Montreal reporter, was the man who convinced Edmonton Oilers GM Glen Sather to select Fogolin in the special player draft when the Oilers and 3 other WHA teams joined the NHL in 1979.

Sather asked Fisher of his opinion on the available talent and Fisher replied:

"From what I can see, I'd have to say the best of the bunch is this one. I'm surprised Buffalo made him available."

"Lee Fogolin?" Sather asked, sounding quite surprised.

"He's a good, steady defenceman. Comes to play every night. A tough kid. If I were you, he'd be the first one I'd take."

Sather took Fogolin second, a wise choice. He would captain the team before giving the C to Wayne Gretzky, and was an important veteran presence on the young team that would quickly develop into a Stanley Cup dynasty.

Sather was so appreciative of Fisher's recommendation that he promised Fisher a Stanley Cup ring when they won the Stanley Cup.

Fisher got his Edmonton Oilers Stanley Cup ring in 1984.

Click here for the full Red Fisher article.

Kyle, Eddolls Specialized In Stopping Rocket

Rocket Richard was said to be the greatest player from the blue line in. No one could score goals like him, especially when the game was on the line or in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Richard played against some great defensemen in his day. Red Kelly. Bill Quackenbush. Black Jack Stewart. Fernie Flaman. Bill Gadsby. Gus Mortson. Bob Goldham. Yet try as they might they had great troubles stopping him.

So who were the most effective defensemen against the Rocket?

In his book Now Back to You Dick: Two Lifetimes in Hockey, retired broadcaster/Montreal Canadiens expert Dick Irvin inexplicably described Guy Kyle and Frankie Eddolls as one of the rare NHL defenseman that gave the great Maurice "the Rocket" Richard great difficulty.

"The two defensemen The Rocket found the toughest to get around in those days were Frankie Eddolls, an ex-Canadien then with the Rangers, and Gus Kyle, a former Mountie who left the force to play pro hockey," wrote Irvin.

That always piqued my interest, since neither were household names. Who were these two guys that history has forgotten? Find out now, read all about Gus Kyle and Frankie Eddolls, the two newest biographies here at GreatestHockeyLegends.com.

Free Kraft Cards If You Vote Terrace Is Hockeyville

In the 1986-87 hockey season, Kraft gave away some of the most beautiful hockey cards you will ever see inside packages of Kraft Dinner. I believe they were only available in Canada, with 10 cards from the 7 Canadian teams of the time, including Winnipeg and Quebec.

Here's a look at four of the cards from the Edmonton Oilers set:

I am going to give these four cards away. Here's how you can win them.

My small northern BC town is one of the finalists for Hockeyville. Terrace is Hockeyville needs your votes. We do not have the population to ensure our own bid, so I am asking for out of town support.

I need you to go to www.cbc.ca/sports/hockeyville and vote for Terrace many, many times! Once you do, email me at teamcanada72@gmail.com, and tell me how many times you voted for Terrace is Hockeyville! We will have to on the honor system here, but the person who I believe actually voted the most times for Terrace Is Hockeyville will get these four cards pictured above.

We only have until 9PM EST on Sunday, January 18th to get Terrace into the top five. I will announce the winners of the cards on Monday, January 19th.

Further, I found three other Kraft cards I found. I will give them away randomly to those who do email me with their a minimum 10 votes. The three additional cards depict Sergio Momesso (Montreal), Jim Peplinksi (Calgary) and Russ Courtnall (Toronto).

It's time to vote Terrace for Hockeyville!

Terrace Is Hockeyville!

CBC presents the top ten communities for Kraft Hockeyville 2009 Wednesday night on television.

Terrace, my small hometown in Northern British Columbia, is one of the final ten communities.

You can learn more about the Terrace bid here, here, here and here. You can also learn about my hometown and surrounding areas in this old blog project I never kept up with.

I am really impressed with how the community has come together in our first real bid at Hockeyville. People braved one of the worst snowstorms in years to get out to Lakelse Lake and play in a big game of shinny while CBC was up here. The whole town is decorated in hockey jerseys and such. Even the rare Kermodei Bears (not Spirit Bears, damn it!) are wearing Hockeyville jerseys.

It really is amazing to witness. Terrace has hit hard times long before the world even hinted at economic recessions. The mill shutdown. Mining projects have disappeared over night, as now have nearby aluminum smelter expansion plans. Many people have moved away.

Hockeyville has brought together community spirit like I have not seen in years. It has helped to reinstill pride in Terrace, and hope for the future. A big thank you must go out to the organizers of this impressive bid.

If you are a regular reader of mine, and have no particular affiliation to any of the other cities, you might want to drop a vote or ten for my hometown, Terrace BC - where the bears are white and the fish are red, and everyone loves hockey! Go to www.cbc.ca/sports/hockeyville and vote for Terrace many, many times! Hurry, we only have until Sunday evening to get the votes in.

I will be offering a contest rewarding those who vote for Terrace. More soon.

Changing Population Stats Threaten Canada's Game

There is a pretty interesting article over on the CBC website which looks at how Canada's projected population growth might effect the future of hockey.

Canada is a nation that encourages and even depends upon immigration. Our own population can not sustain our economy, and we need people from other countries to keep up.

But it seems most immigrants are staying away from the Canadian game, preferring traditional sports such as soccer over the foreign and cost-prohibitive hockey.

The article states "By 2017, roughly 20 per cent of Canada's population could be visible minorities —6.3 million to 8.5 million people — with close to half projected to be South Asian or Chinese.

"The numbers are especially important considering recent census figures indicate Canada's pool of youth under-15 is shrinking. With a growing number of visible minorities comprising that pool, it will be essential for minor hockey associations to connect with them to keep afloat."

With Canada's youth population declining, Hockey Canada needs to attract new Canadians to maintain current numbers.

Canada may be on top of the hockey world now, but it will be interesting to see how changing population statistics in Canada and the other hockey nations changes the balance of power in the hockey world.

Throw in the weakening economic picture coupled with the high cost of youth hockey, as well as climate change taking away outdoor ice time away from kids nowadays, and there may well be hard times ahead for Canadian hockey.

First Hockey Book Of 2009

Over at HockeyBookReviews.com I take a look at the first hockey book of 2009 - Seahawk: Confessions Of An Old Hockey Goalie. Dave Bidini raves about this book, so you know it's a good one.

Also, I take an deep look into the future of the E-Book, and how it might change our reading habits as well as the publishing and book selling industries at large.

Did I Read This Right?

Here's something from the Detroit-Dallas game the other night that caught my eye:

Detroit was outshot 49-30 in its 5-4 overtime loss to the Stars. It was the most shots on goal allowed by the Red Wings in one game since Feb. 8, 1991, when they were outshot 49-16 in an 8-4 win over the Islanders.

- Elias Sports Bureau

That game against the Islanders 18 years ago must have been some humdinger of a game. The Wings scored 8 goals on 16 shots, winning easily despite surrendering 49 shots on net?!

Kings Of Hockey

Gary Bettman's actions of late have been downright bizarre. Let's review:

He has all but publicly committed a franchise to the city of Kansas City. Why? Even Bettman can not truly believe putting a franchise in another non-hockey market is the answer to the NHL's economic problems. No, it has more to do with the Anschutz Entertainment Group, who also happen to own the arena in KC. Oh, and they own the Los Angeles Kings. How does that happen?

It gets better. Anschutz also has plans to build an arena just off the Las Vegas strip. And we all know Vegas is another largely rumoured NHL destination for either expansion or franchise relocation.

But in the meantime the arena in Kansas City sits empty. Bettman must have some sort of a deadline to get a team in KC one way or another. He rubber stamped Boots Del Biaggio, an Anschutz lackey, as the new owner of Nashville Predators, with the possible intent of moving the franchise to KC. Not long later we find out Boots was a fraud and will soon be in jail. The non-existent background checking was so flimsy that any normal boss would be fired. Unless of course it was all just pushed through.

Are there not bylaws preventing one NHL owner having his fingers in another franchise's pie?

Even weirder, Bettman denied the a $238 million offer from Blackberry billionaire Jim Balsillie, about the only man who really wants to buy a NHL team. But the NHL denied the sale, and giving it Anschutz's choice for a reported $40-50 million dollars less.

Can you imagine how pissed off all the other NHL owners must have been? Balsillie's offer would have seen franchise equity skyrocket. Franchise equity is where NHL owners make their money. In these tough economic times Balsillie must have looked like a god-send, except maybe to the Anschutz group.

Now we have the Phoenix Coyotes said to be bleeding as much as $35 million a season. Even worse, they are unable to meet various targets to qualify for better revenue sharing. Now the NHL's other teams are said to be advancing significant sums of money to the Coyotes to keep them afloat, as their owner's trucking outfit is in serious financial trouble.

Somehow I suspect Bettman is feverishly trying to figure out how to get the Coyotes to one of Anshutz's rinks, most likely KC, especially since Plan A, Nashville, is not working out.

How much of this mess is the result of Anschutz group pulling the strings will likely never truly be known. But do not kid yourself - the Anschutz group is the most powerful group in hockey today.

Need more proof? Do you wonder why the NHL has so embraced regular season games in Europe? Oh sure, building the game, a thank you to European fans, blah blah blah is all fine and true. But did you know the Anschutz Group owns arenas world wide? Or that games played in London were played in an Anschutz owned arena? Or that games played in Prague and Stockholm were played in arenas which Anschutz sponsors?

Mr. Bettman is employed to look out for the best interests of all 30 NHL franchises, and therefore the best interests of hockey everywhere. Somehow I think the Anschutz group is benefitting here more than anyone.

Ron Ward

Ron Ward, a center who also appeared on defense occasionally, was a wizard with the puck, especially close in. It was said he could shake a defenseman in a phone booth, although he had trouble at the NHL level. Despite several fine offensive seasons in the minor leagues and WHA, Ward was never able to stick in the NHL. This was due partially to his size, or more accurately lack-there-of, but mostly due to his poor skating. One fan described the awkward Ward's skating like "watching a duck walk on ice"

Ward's NHL rights were originally owned by the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team he grew up dreaming about playing with. Ward turned pro in the Leafs minor league system in 1965 with the CHL Tulsa Oilers where he started the season on defense, but by season's end was permanently playing up the middle. By his third year in Tulsa he led the entire Central Hockey League in assists (54) and points (85) en route to being named as The Hockey News minor league player of the year. That year Ron led the Oilers to the CHL championship.

The Leafs moved Ward to the Rochester Americans the following season in an effort to acquired goaltender Bruce Gamble. Ward continued to show well, this time scoring 35 goals and 78 points while being named as the Red Garrett Memorial winner as the AHL's top rookie.

Ward finally got a chance with the Leafs in the 1969-70 season. The Leafs boasted 3 solid centers in Norm Ullman, Dave Keon and Shakey Walton, thus there was little room for the awkward skating minor league star. However Keon and Walton missed many games with injuries during that season, and Ward got into 18 games. Unfortunately he saw very little playing time, and picked up only 1 assist.

Initially Ward was returned to firstly back to the CHL Tulsa Oilers, but was soon re-assigned to Phoenix of the WHL. Phoenix was desperately looking for help to get into the WHL playoffs, and asked the Leafs to help out. Since the Leafs considered Ward past the development stage, they moved him there in order to make room for a new prospect on their main farm teams.

Obviously it wasn't long before Ward was out of the Toronto organization completely. The Vancouver Canucks claimed him in the expansion draft in June of 1970, but Ward spent Canucks first season in the minor leagues with AHL Rochester.

Ward spent his only full NHL season with the Canucks in 1971-72. However he was not used at center ice, but rather placed back on defense. Because of his size he was used sparingly, often just on penalty kills. He scored 2 goals and 4 assists in 71 contests, but wasn't overly happy with his situation.

Ward bolted from the Canucks and the NHL the following season, and signed on with the WHA New York Raiders. Ward exploded in the WHA, scoring 51 goals, 67 assists and 118 points in his first season! He even set a WHA record for most goals in a game (5) on January 4, 1973 vs. the Ottawa Nationals. He would equal the record again on November 30, 1975 vs. the Toronto Toros.

He was never able to come close to those high season numbers again however, as he bounced around the unstable league. He saw time in Vancouver, Los Angeles, Winnipeg and Calgary, but was perhaps best known as a Cleveland Crusader where he had 2 30 goal seasons and was always in the top 3 in scoring.

Ron, who was also a star lacrosse player, retired from pro hockey in 1977. Nowadays he runs a catering service in Cleveland, and coaches high school hockey. At one point he also owned and operated a Dairy Queen franchise in his hometown of Cornwall.

Danny Lawson

Many hockey fans are too young to remember the WHA. Ex-player Pat Hickey had a good comparison between the WHA and the NHL.

"I used to always say the NHL teams had 21 NHL players on their roster and the WHA had anywhere from 12 to 14 NHL quality players on their roster" explained Hickey.

In essence the WHA was seen by many as a glorified minor league. Aside from NHL veterans like Bobby Hull, Gerry Cheevers and Derek Sanderson and many underaged junior stars like Wayne Gretzky many of the WHA's stars were players who couldn't cut it at the NHL level, but blossomed in the WHA. Danny Lawson was one of them.

Danny was a journeyman right winger for 5 NHL seasons before signing with the WHA's Philadelphia (later Vancouver) Blazers. A junior product of the Detroit Red Wings the 5'11" 180lb right winger from Toronto would also play with the Minnesota North Stars and Buffalo Sabres from 1967 to 1972. In that time he was used sparingly at times, scoring 28 goals and 29 assists for 57 points in 219 games.

"Until I got to Buffalo, I really wasn't getting much ice time, Danny said. "At least in Buffalo, I was out there playing. It was as a checker, playing on a line aimed at stopping the other team's big line. For example, I had to play a lot against players like Bobby Hull and Frank Mahovlich."

When he joined the Blazers in 1972 he became an instant WHA hit. Playing along side super-skilled though diminutive Andre Lacroix, another former NHLer who couldn't quite do the same things in NHL as he did in the WHA. Danny became the first WHA player to reach the 50-goal plateau on January 22,1973 in Ottawa and he eventually led the league in goals with 61. He added 45 assists for 106 points. Remember he had only 28 goals and 57 points in over 200 NHL games !

"I always felt I could score goals," Danny explained. "I knew it would be a lot tougher putting the puck in the net in the pros, and for some reason I had my problems scoring when I first got out of junior hockey. Actually, I felt it was a case of the coach and general manager losing their confidence in me as a goal scorer. When people like that lose confidence in you, It's tough to retain confidence in yourself."

"When I first came to Philadelphia with the WHA, I had to weigh a lot of factors. One was that I honestly felt, with the personnel Philly had, It certainly did have a chance to go all the way. That was something I never was lucky enough to be part of since I became a professional," Danny said.

"When I came to Philly, I wasn't strictly relegated to defense. I was out there to score goals, too. So I had to change my entire outlook. I had to get my all-around hockey sense back, not just concentrate on defense."

"Well, once those first few goals started going in, my whole outlook had changed. I was confident again. No longer was I going downhill as a one-way hockey player. What happened to me happens to a lot of hockey players. When I started scoring my confidence had gone sky high."

Danny's production dipped the next season as Lacroix did not accompany Danny and the Blazers to their new home in Vancouver. Danny still managed to score 50 goals without him though.

Danny would play three more years in the WHA, also seeing time with the Calgary Cowboys and the Winnipeg Jets. The glory days were behind him but he was a consistent performer. He never scored less than 30 goals in a single season. in 392 WHA games he scored 218 goals, the 8th highest total in WHA history. He added 204 assists for 422 career points.

Andre Lacroix

While the WHA paled in quality comparisons to the NHL, it has a certain intrigue about it. After all, the WHA raided NHL and junior rosters and boasted names like Bobby Hull, Gordie Howe, Wayne Gretzky, Mike Gartner, Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson among many others.

But it was André Lacroix who may very well be considered the best player during the WHA's 7 year existence.

At 5'8" 175lbs, André was too small for the NHL game. However his immense skill level earned him a full time spot with the Philadelphia Flyers in 1968. André was a shifty skater with good speed. His vision of the ice and playmaking abilities placed him among the game's elite in those two categories. Simply put, André's style of play was Gretzky-like. His stick handling ability was awesome.

A graduate of the Peterborough Petes, the Lauzon, Quebec native scored 85 goals and 154 assists in just 97 games with the Petes. Never drafted by an NHL team, most likely because of his diminutive size, André signed with the AHL's Quebec Aces where he learned to play the professional game. He was on a torrid pace in his second season with the Aces, who were purchased along with all their players by the Philadelphia Flyers in 1967. With 87 points (41+46) in 54 games and an AHL record six hat tricks André was called up by the Flyers to finish the season in the NHL. He scored 6 goals and 8 assists in 18 regular season games. He also appeared in 7 playoff games.

André earned a full time NHL job the following training camp. He would play three full seasons with the Flyers, scoring more than 20 goals in each season. But his size eventually limited him to the role of power play specialist. He centered the team's #1 line in year one. The line was called the French Line, with Jean-Guy Gendron on left wing and first Dick Sarrazin and then Simon Nolet on right wing. The line was small and fast, and André in particular became a fan favorite. However after the team's playoff failure management decided to go in another direction, drafting bigger and stronger players from the western Canadian prairies, building an image that would soon be known as the Broad Street Bullies.

"We had a defensive team then," André remembered. "We were always going for the tie. In fact, we set the NHL record for ties (24) that one year (1969-70). I guess Vic Stasiuk (Philly's coach) just didn't like my style of play. He probably wanted a rough-tough guy and I just wasn't that type of player."

André's role was reduced and then eliminated. André, who obviously didn't fit into the Flyer's "Broad Street Bullies" system, was dealt to Chicago in exchange for gigantic though marginal NHL defenseman Rick Foley. The overweight Foley quickly found his place in the minors.

André Lacroix bombed in the Windy City. He never fit into their system either, and was used sparingly. He scored only 4 goals and 7 assists in 51 games.

"With the Black Hawks, everybody had been there seven or eight years and it was hard to break in," André said.

Following his terrible 1971-72 season, André moved back to Philadelphia, but this time it was with the WHA's Blazers. He became an instant star in the WHA's first season, scoring 50 goals and 74 assists for 124 points - earning him the Hunter Trophy as leading score and the Davidson Trophy as the league's first MVP.

"It never mattered how good you were, confidence was 60 percent of the game. If the coach didn't have the confidence to put you on the ice, you didn't do well."

André set a then-professional record of 106 assists in the 1974-75 season while with the San Diego Mariners. His 106 assists bettered Bobby Orr's 102 assist season of 1970-71. He also added 41 goals to again win the Hunter Trophy.

André played with 5 WHA teams in 7 years, playing 551 games. His 574 assists are a league high, almost 200 more than second place J.C. Tremblay. André's 251 goals ranks 4th all time, giving him a league leading 798 WHA points, ahead of second place Marc Tardif by 132 points, and 160 points more than Bobby Hull.

"For sure, we played wide-open hockey in the WHA but that's what the fans wanted to see," André said years later.

After the collapse of the WHA, André was protected by the New England Whalers as they joined the NHL as the Hartford Whalers. He would only play part of the 1979-80 season, appearing in 29 games and scoring 3 goals and 17 points. That upped his NHL totals to 325 games, 79 goals, 119 assists along with 44 penalty minutes.

While a player André and former Flyers teammate Ed van Impe were partners in a $ 600,000 facility in Radnor,PA (a skating rink) where they held hockey schools, public skating and minor league hockey games.

After his playing career was over he did some color commentary and was the Director of hockey operations at the Oakland Ice Center.

Is Hockey Fixed?

There is a pretty interesting book out there called The Fix: Soccer and Organized Crime.

It looks at how organized crime, particularly Asian gangs, has corrupted the world of soccer at it's highest levels, including European Champions League, Olympic and World Cup matches and tournaments.

Author Declan Hill explains the structure and mechanics of illegal gambling syndicates, what soccer players and referees do or not do to affect the outcome of their games, why relatively rich and high-status athletes would take money to fix games, and how they get referees on their side.

Absolutely amazing stuff. Even more mind-blowing: FIFA, soccer's governing body, does nothing about it, and may even be somehow in cahoots with the criminals. A Russian godfather claims to have been seen sitting in the FIFA president's luxury box during World Cup games.

After reading this book your faith in the purity soccer at every level is completely shaken. You might as well extend that to all of sports. The book also touches on basketball, tennis, cricket, even rowing.

And we all remember disgraced NBA referee Tim Donaghy's ties to gambling, even though the NBA has somehow kept that hushed. To me that is a far bigger deal than baseball's Pete Rose.

Could organized crime be trying to fix hockey matches too?

Do not kid yourself. If organized crime is match-fixing rowing competitions, they are likely interested in a slice of hockey's big money pie. There is corruption in all facets of life, so why would professional hockey be immune?

There has even been some suspicion about mobster involvement. If you are in Canada you may remember a investigative journalism piece about 9 years ago for CBC's The Fifth Estate that looked at how Russian players associating with known members of the Russian mafia, perhaps forced to do so because of mafia extortion attempts. That Fifth Estate documentary was done by, you guessed it, Declan Hill.

I could not find that documentary on YouTube, but I found this Declan Hill written article about the Russian mafia's interest in hockey.

Hill estimates as high as 80% of Russian players have had to deal with the mafia, including Oleg Tverdovsky who had his parents kidnapped and Alexei Zhitnik who was beaten severely. The Mafia also "introduces" themselves to promising junior players as young as 15 or 16, looking to befriend someone they can soon extort.

Their interest in hockey is not restricted to extorting rich NHL players, insists Hill. Extortion is for low level criminals. Game fixing is where the big boys play for big, big money. But beyond that obvious statement Hill offers nothing to suggest any hint of players being bribed to throw games.

Instead, he goes on to say the mafia tend to use sports stars to legitimize themselves in the public's eye. If they are seen chumming around with famous sports stars, that is great for business and reputation, particularly mainstream business.

The Russians, led by Pavel Bure's friend Anzor Kikalishvili, are the only organized criminals publicly associated with hockey, although with the money involved you would have to wonder about North American mobsters, too.

Historically though, mobsters and gambling have never been far from the NHL, especially at the owner level.

Most notable were the Norris family. James Norris Sr, long-time owner of the Detroit Red Wings, and his son Jim Norris, who owned the Chicago Blackhawks, had ties to some of the sleaziest swindlers. In the late 1950s the United States senate even investigated the Norris family's relationships with mafia king pins, most notably Frankie Carbo.

Then there was Big Bill Dwyer, one of biggest bootleggers and mobsters during the prohibition era. He used his illegal monies to buy the New York Americans way back in the 1920s.

Now let's remember these owners are guilty of suspicious association more than anything. We have absolutely no reason to believe these owner's conspired to fix games. They just had ties to the mob.

Even without the mob involved, when there is gambling involved there is a possibility of game fixing. And the NHL has had other owners/administrators who were noted gamblers.

Always quick to defend Jim Norris in particular was none other than Toronto Maple Leafs boss Conn Smythe, one of the most legendary figures in hockey history. He was never afraid to gamble his own money, especially at the race track. He built his empire, the Leafs and Maple Leafs Gardens on winnings.

His understudy, Frank Selke, also shared his hobbies. Selke of course went on to create the Montreal dynasty of the 1950s.

Speaking of the storied Montreal Canadiens, they were largely funded by gambling money from 1921 to 1936. Owners Leo Dandurand, Joe Cattarinch and Louis Letourneau operated a casino in Cleveland, Ohio and were also noted racetrack visitors.

Gambling has also been associated with a few players. Most notable are four players

1. Babe Pratt, Toronto's all star defenseman, gambled on NHL games back in the 1940s. He had his suspension eliminated after just 16 days as there was no proof he placed bets on games involving the Leafs.

2 and 3. Don Gallinger of Boston and Billy Taylor of New York teamed up to gamble on the outcomes of NHL games, including games they were participating in. Both were suspended for life, though they would be pardoned by the NHL some 20 years later.

4. Back in 2006 retired player/Phoenix assistant coach Rick Tocchet he played some role in a crooked New Jersey cop's small time betting scheme. Though taking bets on hockey never occured, Tocchet pled guilty to conspiracy and promoting gambling charges.

And if you believe Dick Beddoes' book Greatest Hockey Stories, Hall of Famers Sweeney Schriner and Teeder Kennedy were also noted gamblers. And some upset fans accused the great Howie Morenz of taking a bribe after Morenz failed to score in a playoff series against the Montreal Maroons in 1928. The disbelieving fans, some of whom undoubtedly lost money on their own bets, could not believe Morenz did not play better.

Again, we have no reason to believe there has ever been any game fixing in hockey. But we also know mobsters have their own definition of power play.

Shoebox Memories: Lindsay Carson

Today I went to my shoebox of hockey cards and drew card #261 of 1983-84 OPC set, Lindsay Carson of the Philadelphia Flyers.

Carson was a good skater and a pop-gun scorer buried on the third and fourth line of the Flyers in the 1980s. In junior he was a scoring star, but not so much in the NHL. He scored 66 goals in his 373 game career, including seasons of 18 and 20 goals.

The game I best remember Lindsay Carson in was against Vancouver in late 1984. The Flyers were making their annual Christmas trip out west, visiting the Canucks on December 28th. The Flyers won, they always win in Vancouver. Carson was the difference on this night, scoring 3 goals in a 7-4 win.

Be sure to read my full Lindsay Carson biography.