Joe Sakic Joe Sakic is a Canadian professional ice hockey center forward who has played his entire National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche franchise. In his 18-year tenure, Sakic has won two Stanley Cups, various NHL trophies and has been voted into 13 NHL All-Star Games. He is regarded as one of the strongest team leaders to ever play in the league, and has been able to motivate his team throughout his entire career to play at a winning level. Over the course of his career, Sakic has been one of the most productive forwards in the game, having twice scored fifty goals and earning at least 100 points in six different seasons. His wrist shot, considered to be one of the best in the NHL, has been the source of much of his production. (more...) Nottingham Panthers The Nottingham Panthers are an ice hockey club based in Nottingham, England. They are currently members of the Elite Ice Hockey League. The modern-day Nottingham Panthers were formed in 1980, and were named after a club of the same name that existed between 1946 and 1960. During the 2006–07 season the Panthers celebrated the sixtieth anniversary of ice hockey's arrival in the city. They play their home games at the National Ice Centre just east of Nottingham city centre. Until 2000 the team played at the Ice Stadium which stood on the same site as their current home. The Panthers are one of the most financially stable and best supported ice hockey clubs in the United Kingdom. They have played at the highest level of British ice hockey throughout their history and are the only team who were founder members of the British Hockey League's Premier Division in 1983 who continue to hold membership of the top flight league. The Panthers are the reigning playoff champions having defeated the Cardiff Devils on penalty shots in the 2007 final. (more...) New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League. The Devils have won the Stanley Cup three times, in 1995, 2000, and 2003. The club was founded in Kansas City, Missouri in 1974, moved to Denver, Colorado after only two seasons, and then settled in New Jersey in 1982. Under current general manager Ray Shero, the Devils have missed the playoffs 2 seasons in a row. The Devils have played in the Prudential Centre since 2007-08. They have rivalries with their trans-Hudson neighbor, the New York Rangers, and with the Philadelphia Flyers, as either the Devils or Flyers have won the Atlantic Division (1998-2013 Atlantic) title 12 out of 15 times. (more...) Howie Morenz Howie Morenz (June 21, 1902 – March 8, 1937) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played centre for the Montreal Canadiens (in two stints), the Chicago Black Hawks, and the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Prior to joining the NHL, Morenz excelled in the junior Ontario Hockey Association, winning the Memorial Cup, the championship for junior ice hockey in Canada. Once in the NHL, he became one of the most dominant players in the league, setting several league scoring records. Considered one of the first stars of the NHL, Morenz played fourteen seasons in the league. He was a member of a Stanley Cup winning team three times, all with the Canadiens. Morenz consistently finished near the top of league scoring, placing in the top ten leading scorers ten times in his fourteen seasons. For seven straight seasons, Morenz led the Canadiens in both goals scored and points. Three times in his career Morenz was named the most valuable player of the league, and he led the league in goals scored once and points scored twice. He was named to the NHL All-Star Team three times. Morenz died from complications of a broken leg, an injury he suffered in a game. After his death, the Canadiens removed his jersey number from circulation, the first time the team had done so. When the Hockey Hall of Fame opened in 1945, Morenz was one of the original twelve inductees. In 1950 the Canadian Press named Morenz the best ice hockey player of the first half of the twentieth century. (more...) Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup (French: La Coupe Stanley), awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) champion, is the most coveted ice hockey club championship trophy in the world. It is commonly referred to as "The Cup", "The Holy Grail", or facetiously (chiefly by sportswriters) as "Lord Stanley's Mug". The Stanley Cup is surrounded by numerous legends and traditions, the oldest of which is the celebratory drinking of champagne out of the Cup by the winning team. Unlike the trophies awarded by the other three major professional sports leagues of North America, a new Stanley Cup is not made each year; Cup winners keep it until a new champion is crowned. It is the only trophy in professional sports that has the name of all the winning players, coaches, management, and club staff engraved on it. (more...) Trevor Linden Trevor Linden, OBC (born April 11, 1970, in Medicine Hat, Alberta) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played centre and right wing with four different teams: the Vancouver Canucks (in two stints), New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, and Washington Capitals. Before joining the NHL in 1988, Linden captained the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League (WHL) to consecutive Memorial Cup championships. In addition to appearing in two NHL All-Star games, Linden was a member of the 1998 Canadian Olympic team and participated in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey. A respected leader in the NHL, Linden was named captain of the Canucks at age 21, one of the youngest players ever to hold such a role. (more...) Paul Stastny Paul Stastny (born December 27, 1985, in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada) is a Canadian-American professional ice hockey center of Slovak descent who plays for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL). Stastny began his junior career with the River City Lancers of the United States Hockey League before moving to the University of Denver Pioneers in 2004. He stayed there for two seasons, winning the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship in the first. He signed a contract with the Avalanche before the 2006–07 NHL season, scored 78 points in 82 games in his rookie season and was nominated for the Calder Memorial Trophy. In 2007–08 he was named to his first NHL All-Star Game, but did not play because of an appendicectomy. Stastny is the son of Hockey Hall of Famer Peter Stastny, who played for the Avalanche franchise when it was still the Quebec Nordiques. (more...) Dominik Hasek Dominik Hašek (born January 29, 1965) is a retired professional ice hockey goaltender. In his 15-season NHL career, he has also played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, and the Ottawa Senators. During his years in Buffalo, he became one of the league's finest goaltenders, earning him the nickname "The Dominator." His strong play has been credited with establishing European goaltenders in a league widely dominated by North Americans. Hašek is considered an unorthodox goaltender, with a distinct style that has labeled him a "flopper." He is best known for his concentration, foot speed, flexibility, and unconventional saves, such as covering the puck with his blocker rather than his trapper. His puckhandling is considered to be his biggest weakness. During the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, he led the Czech national ice hockey team to its first and only Olympic gold medal. (more...) Eric Brewer Eric Brewer (born April 17, 1979) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who has served as captain for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL) since February 2008. He is an NHL All-Star and Olympic gold medalist. Drafted in the first round, fifth overall by the New York Islanders in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, Brewer has spent parts of his nine-year NHL career with the New York Islanders, the Edmonton Oilers, and the Blues. Brewer has represented Canada at eight International Ice Hockey Federation-sanctioned events, winning three Ice Hockey World Championships gold medals and one World Cup of Hockey gold medal. He won his Olympic gold medal during the 2002 Winter Olympics. For this accomplishment, he was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame with his British Columbian teammates in 2003. (more...) History of the National Hockey League (1942–1967) The Great Depression and World War II reduced the league to six teams, known as the "Original Six" by 1942. Maurice Richard became the first player to score 50 goals in a season in 1944–45, and ten years later, Richard was suspended for assaulting a linesman, leading to the Richard Riot. Gordie Howe made his debut in 1946, and retired 35 seasons later as the NHL's all-time leader in goals and points. Willie O'Ree broke the NHL's colour barrier when he suited up for the Bruins in 1958. In 1959, Jacques Plante became the first goaltender to regularly use a mask for protection. (more...) Georges Vezina Georges Vézina (January 21, 1887 – March 27, 1926) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played seven seasons in the National Hockey Association (NHA) and nine in the National Hockey League (NHL), all with the Montreal Canadiens. After being signed by the Canadiens in 1910, Vézina played in 327 consecutive regular season and a further 39 playoff games, before leaving early during a game in 1925 due to illness. Vézina was diagnosed with tuberculosis, and died on March 27, 1926. The only goaltender to play for the Canadiens between 1910 and 1925, Vézina helped the team win the Stanley Cup in 1916 and 1924, while reaching the Stanley Cup Finals three more times. Vézina allowed the fewest goals against in the league seven times in his career: four times in the NHA and three times in the NHL. In 1918, Vézina became the first NHL goaltender to both record a shutout and earn an assist on a goal. At the start of the 1926–27 NHL season, the Canadiens donated the Vezina Trophy to the NHL as an award to the goaltender who allowed the fewest goals during the season. Since 1981, the award has been given to the most outstanding goaltender as determined by a vote of NHL general managers. In Vézina's hometown of Chicoutimi, the sports arena is named the Centre Georges-Vézina in honour of Vézina. When the Hockey Hall of Fame opened in 1945, Vézina was one of the original twelve inductees. (more...) Ice hockey at the Olympic GamesIce hockey tournaments have been staged at the Olympic Games since 1920. The men's tournament was introduced at the 1920 Summer Olympics and was transferred permanently to the Winter Olympic Games programme in 1924. The women's tournament was first held at the 1998 Winter Olympics. The Olympic Games were originally intended for amateur athletes, and until 1998, the players of the National Hockey League (NHL) and other men's professional leagues were not allowed to compete. From 1924 to 1988, the tournament started with a round-robin series of games and ended with the medal round. Medals were awarded based on points accumulated during that round. The games of the tournament follow the rules of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), which differ slightly from the rules used in the NHL. The tournament follows the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) rules on performance enhancing drugs and the IIHF maintains a Registered Testing Pool, a list of top players who are subjected to random in-competition and out-of-competition drug tests. Several players have tested positive for banned substances since the 1972 Winter Olympics. In July 1992, the IOC voted to approve women's hockey as an Olympic event; it was first held at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano. The United States won the first tournament in 1998, while Canada won in 2002 and 2006. (more...) Tiny ThompsonTiny Thompson (May 31, 1903 – February 9, 1981) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He played 12 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL), first for the Boston Bruins, and later for the Detroit Red Wings. A four-time Vezina Trophy winner, Thompson was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1959. He was a member of one Stanley Cup-winning team, as a rookie in the 1928–29 season with the Boston Bruins. At the start of the 1938–39 season, after ten full seasons with Boston, he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings, where he completed the season, and played another full one before retiring. During his NHL career, he recorded 81 shutouts, the sixth highest of any goaltender. After retiring from playing, he coached lower-league teams before becoming a noted professional scout. Thompson helped popularize the technique of catching the puck as a method of making a save. A competent puckhandler, he was the first goaltender in the NHL to record an assist by passing the puck with his stick to a fellow player. (more...) Fighting in ice hockey Fighting in ice hockey is an established aspect of the sport with a long history involving many levels of amateur and professional play and including some notable individual fights. Although a target of criticism, it is a considerable draw for the sport and is for many fans the primary reason to attend games. Fighting is usually the role of one or more enforcers on a given hockey team and is governed by a complex system of unwritten rules that players, coaches, officials, and the media refer to as "the code". Some fights are spontaneous and others are premeditated by the participants. While officials tolerate fighting during hockey games, they impose a variety of penalties on players who engage in fights. Broadly speaking, fighting exists in organized ice hockey to protect star players, who are generally discouraged by their coaches from fighting because of fear of injury, to deter opposing players from overly rough play, and to create a sense of solidarity among teammates. (more...) Wayne Gretzky Wayne Gretzky is a former professional ice hockey player and is currently part-owner of the Phoenix Coyotes. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is regarded as the best player of his era and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by sportswriters, coaches, and fans. Along with his many awards and achievements, he is the only player to ever have his playing number, 99, officially retired across the entire National Hockey League. Gretzky set 40 regular season records, 15 playoff records, 6 All-Star records, and won four Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers. He won more MVP awards (9) and scoring titles (10) than any player in NHL history. He was the only player to total over 200 points in a season, accomplishing the feat 4 times. He retired from playing in 1999, becoming Executive Director for the Canadian national men's hockey team during the 2002 Winter Olympics. He became part-owner of the Phoenix Coyotes in 2000, and their head coach following the 2004-05 NHL lockout. (more...) Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional men's ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the Calgary Tigers (1921–26) and Calgary Cowboys (1975–77). The Flames arrived in the city of Calgary in 1980 after spending their first eight seasons in Atlanta, Georgia, as the Atlanta Flames. The Flames spent their first three seasons playing in the Stampede Corral before moving into their current home arena, the Olympic Saddledome (now Pengrowth Saddledome), in 1983. In 1986, the Flames became the first Calgary team since the Tigers in 1924 to compete for the Stanley Cup. In 1989, the Flames captured the Cup for the first time. Calgary is one of two NHL franchises in Alberta, with the other being the Edmonton Oilers. The cities' proximity has led to a famous rivalry, known as the Battle of Alberta. (more...) Martin BrodeurMartin Brodeur (born May 6, 1972, in Montreal, Quebec) is a professional ice hockey goaltender who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the New Jersey Devils. In his 13-year tenure, he has led the team to three Stanley Cup championships and has taken them to the playoffs all but once. He holds more than thirty Devils franchise records, and assuming he remains healthy to play at least two more seasons, he is on pace to surpass Patrick Roy's career records for wins, games played and minutes played, as well as Terry Sawchuk's record for career shutouts, and Patrick Roy's record for career playoff shutouts. Brodeur has been among the NHL's most consistent goaltenders over the past decade, winning at least 35 games each of the last ten seasons as well as being the only goalie in NHL history with six 40-win seasons. He is a three-time Vezina Trophy winner, a four-time Jennings Trophy winner, a nine-time NHL All Star, and one of only two NHL goaltenders to have scored goals in the regular season and the playoffs. (more...) Hockey Hall of Fame The Hockey Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it contains exhibits that feature interactive displays, players, teams, NHL records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup. The Hall of Fame was first established in 1943 thanks to the efforts of James T. Sutherland and was originally located in Kingston, Ontario. The first class of honourees was officially inducted in 1945, before the Hall of Fame had a permanent location. It was moved to Toronto in 1958 after the NHL withdrew its support of Kingston and its first permanent building opened at the Exhibition Place in 1961. In 1993, the Hall was outgrowing its location and was relocated to a former Bank of Montreal building in downtown Toronto, where it is currently located. As of 2007, 238 players, 96 builders and 14 on-ice officials have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. (more...) Jacques Plante Jacques Plante (born January 17, 1929 in Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel, Quebec; died February 27, 1986 in Sierre, Switzerland) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He played for the Montreal Canadiens from 1953 to 1963, winning the Stanley Cup six times, of which five were all in a row. He first retired in 1965, yet he returned to play for the expansion St. Louis Blues in 1968. He was later traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1970, and to the Boston Bruins in 1973. He joined the World Hockey Association first as a coach and general manager for the Quebec Nordiques, then goaltender for the Edmonton Oilers. He finally retired from playing in 1975. Plante is considered one of the most important innovators in hockey. His most recognizable contribution is the goalie mask; he was not the first one to use it in a regular National Hockey League (NHL) game, as Clint Benedict use a crude leather one in 1929, but he was the first to use it on a regular basis. Plante was the first goaltender to regularly play the puck outside of his crease, thus aiding his defenceman. He also popularized the notion of goaltenders instructing his players from behind, as the goaltender usually has the best view of the game. Plante was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1978. He died in Geneva, on February 27, 1986, after succumbing to a heart attack; he was already dying of stomach cancer. He was buried in Sierre. (more...) Ray Emery Ray Emery (born September 28, 1982 in Hamilton, Ontario) is an ice hockey goaltender, currently playing for the Ottawa Senators of the NHL. He has been awarded multiple honours, with the majority while playing in numerous minor leagues. Emery is recognized for getting into numerous on-ice altercations, a rarity for an ice hockey goaltender. Emery has been involved in one such incident in the NHL, against two Buffalo players, Martin Biron and Andrew Peters in a line brawl during the 2006-07 NHL season. Emery has played in numerous leagues, including the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), American Hockey League (AHL) and the National Hockey League (NHL). He was chosen 99th overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. He spent three seasons in the AHL. During the 2006–07 season, Emery was the starting goaltender for the Ottawa Senators in their run to the Stanley Cup finals. (more...) Calgary HitmenThe Calgary Hitmen are a major junior ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The Hitmen play in the Western Hockey League (WHL). They play their home games at the Pengrowth Saddledome. Their name is derived from local-born professional wrestler Bret "The Hitman" Hart, a founding owner. Established in 1994, the team has been owned by the Calgary Flames hockey club since 1997. They are the third WHL team to represent Calgary, preceded by the Centennials and Wranglers. The Hitmen have finished three times with the best record in the WHL, and have qualified for the playoffs every season since 1998. In 1999, they became the first Calgary team to win the President's Cup as league champions, and the first to represent Calgary in the Memorial Cup since the Calgary Canadians won the national junior title in 1926. The Hitmen hold numerous WHL attendance records, and in 2004–05 became the first team in the Canadian Hockey League to average 10,000 fans per game. Twenty-seven former Hitmen players have gone on to play in the National Hockey League (NHL). (more...) History of the National Hockey League (1917–1942) The history of the National Hockey League began with the demise of its predecessor league, the National Hockey Association (NHA), in 1917. After unsuccessfully resolving disputes with Eddie Livingstone, owner of the Toronto Blueshirts, executives of the three other NHA franchises suspended the NHA, and formed the National Hockey League (NHL), replacing the Livingstone team with a temporary team in Toronto, the Arenas. The NHL's first quarter-century saw the league compete against two rival major leagues—the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and Western Canada Hockey League—for players and the Stanley Cup. The NHL first expanded into the United States in 1924 with the founding of the Boston Bruins, and by 1926 consisted of ten teams in Ontario, Quebec, the Great Lakes region, and the Northeastern United States. At the same time, the NHL emerged as the only major league and the sole competitor for the Stanley Cup; in 1947, the NHL completed a deal with the Stanley Cup trustees to gain full control of the Cup. The NHL's footprint spread across Canada as Foster Hewitt's radio broadcasts were heard coast-to-coast starting in 1933. (more...) Luc Bourdon Luc Bourdon (February 16, 1987 – May 29, 2008) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL) and their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, from 2006 until 2008. After overcoming childhood arthritis, he was selected third overall in the 2003 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) draft and played for the Val-d'Or Foreurs, Moncton Wildcats and Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, spending four seasons in the QMJHL. The Canucks drafted Bourdon with their first selection, tenth overall, in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. Noted as a strong defenceman who could contribute on offence, Bourdon represented Canada in three international tournaments, winning two gold medals at the IIHF World U20 Championship and a silver medal at the IIHF World U18 Championship. Bourdon died at the age of 21 near his hometown of Shippagan, New Brunswick, when his motorcycle collided with a tractor trailer. (more...) History of the National Hockey League (1967–1992) The Original Six era ended in 1967 when the NHL doubled in size by adding six new expansion teams. The six existing teams were formed into the newly created East Division, while the new expansion teams were formed into the West Division. The NHL continued to expand, adding another six teams, to total 18 by 1974. This continued expansion was partially brought about by the NHL's attempts to compete with the World Hockey Association, which operated from 1972 until 1979 and sought to compete with the NHL for markets and players. Bobby Hull was the most famous player to defect to the rival league, signing a $2.75 million contract with the Winnipeg Jets. The NHL became involved in international play in the mid-1970s, starting with the Summit Series in 1972 which pitted the top Canadian players of the NHL against the top players in the Soviet Union, which was won by Canada with four wins, three losses, and a tie. Eventually, Soviet-Bloc players streamed into the NHL with the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989. (more...) Jarome Iginla Jarome Iginla (born July 1, 1977) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). A five-time NHL All-Star, he is the Flames' all-time leader in goals, points, and games played. Named the Flames captain at the start of the 2003–04 season, Iginla has been called the first black captain in NHL history. He has represented Canada internationally on numerous occasions, helping Team Canada to its first Olympic gold medal in 50 years at the 2002 Winter Olympics. As a junior, Iginla was a member of two Memorial Cup-winning teams with the Kamloops Blazers, and was named the Western Hockey League's Player of the Year in 1996. He was selected 11th overall by the Dallas Stars in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, but was later traded to Calgary and has played his entire professional career with the Flames. He led the NHL in goals and points in 2001–02, and won the Lester B. Pearson Award as its most valuable player as voted by the players. In 2003–04, Iginla led the league in goals for the second time and captained the Flames to the Stanley Cup Finals, leading the league in playoff scoring. Iginla scored 50 goals in a season for a second time in 2007–08. Known for his polite and generous nature, Iginla participates in numerous community events, and donates $2,000 to charity for each goal he scores. (more...) |
