By Chris Turcotte So a funny thing happened on a recent Wednesday evening. It was funny for a few minutes and then it ended up causing me a lot of grief and wasted time. I was mad, like really, really mad. I’m all for a practical joke, anyone that knows me, knows that I have […]
This time it’s personal, Leafs
By Jim Henshaw The word Fan derives from fanatic. Because when you are a fan of a particular sports team, a true fan, you live and die with them, relish their victories and endure their defeats. Yes, they often disappoint, even embarrass. But that’s the trade off that comes with the commitment. And in those […]
Tortorella’s Heritage Clunker
By Mark Leiren-Young Vancouver Canucks Coach John Tortorella really does have a sense of history. On Sunday he successfully reminded everyone of the days when it was embarrassing to cheer for the Canucks. And anyone who thought Torts couldn’t do anything tackier than try to fight another coach was proven wrong when he benched goalie […]
The NHL is back, but I won’t be
By Montreal Simon A couple of my friends came over this evening to watch the Habs-Leafs game on my big screen TV. And they were surprised to find out that I hadn’t been planning to watch it, until they turned up. And that I wasn’t the least bit excited that the season had finally started. […]
Gary Bettman’s new NHL — the No Hockey League
By Mark Leiren-Young I’ve figured out Gary Bettman’s grand master plan for the NHL. He’s decided to run it without players. No players means no games. No games means no overhead, no pesky salaries, no arena rentals, no worrying whether superstars get concussed, no superstars, and, best of all, no hockey. Now Bettman can focus […]
Pavel Bure: Love at first shot
By Mark Leiren-Young When Pavel Bure sat down in the stands beside me, my brain vanished as if he’d snapped it away with his lightning fast wrist shot. This was training camp, 1992, just after he won the Calder Cup for Rookie of the Year, becoming the first Canuck ever to win an NHL Award. […]
The Pacioretty effect
By David Bitonti Hockey has been a huge part of my family for generations. When I was a kid, back in the ‘80s, every Saturday evening after my brother and I played our own minor league game, we’d all pile up in the living room to watch the Montreal Canadiens on the CBC French-language affiliate […]
