As was the case in 2004 when the NHL season was scuppered completely, the idea is again being floated that if this season is shot completely that perhaps we should find some way to allow amateurs to compete for old Lord Stanley's beaker. Some would argue this woul taint it but I'm firmly in the …
Category: people and places
2013
When I was younger, I could list off the team that had won the Stanley Cup for every year starting in the early 70's when I was a wee lad. I can't do that anymore without thinking awful hard. Maybe it was easier in the old days because there were a handful of teams …
1975 Hab’s vs. Soviet Red Army Team
I remember it well. I was a kid too young to be out with buddies celebrating but instead was dialed into hockey pretty tight. This wasn't New Year's eve, this was Canada vs. Russia. Here's a great clip from the post-game interview with Howie Meeker interviewing Pete Mahovolich. Gotta love Meeker's lead into one question …
Warm Rink, Cold Rink
I visited my dad this weekend and there is always some wonderful old hockey stories offered up during such visits. This time was no exception. He told me about the old Keene arena that had wooden boards and on winter nights where they had games that drew decent crowds, the inside of the arena would …
The Love Affair That Is A Rink
There is something wonderful about building a rink. It's one of those must-do things in life if you love winter and your kids. I've built (or helped build) many and have come to the conclusion that there is a dual zen for the rink builder in this life - the passion and emotion that bubbles …
Pucks in Snowbanks
There aren't many sports where the central piece of sporting equipment goes missing mid-game, especially in pickup / amateur versions of a game. Footballs, volleyballs, soccer balls and basketballs rarely disappear during a game. Horses don't usually run away during equestrian events and shotputs and javelins don't get tossed that far. However in some sports, the …
Not All Benches Are Created Equal
For anyone of my generation who has been fortunate enough to play into their old-timer years, the passing of these years has almost always offered the chance to play in umpteen rinks of every possible description in umpteen different places. In small towns, big cities, rich private schools, universities and colleges, fairgrounds and even …
The Blowtorch and It’s Place in the Game
George Orwell opined that serious sport "is war minus the shooting". Given that, you have to love and respect any sport that requires the use of a blowtorch in a non-weapon sense. Now those of you who aren't schooled in the game may need to loose the hounds of your imagination to conjure up …
Growing Up Cheering for the Petes
Growing up in Peterborough, home of the Petes, was really a blast if you were a kid who wanted his junior heroes to play in the NHL. That’s because the Pete’s always had a great record at developing young players for the NHL. There were some great local names out of the Peterborough organization who …
Blue
"There was a lot of character in our room. When we got down early in the tournament by losing that first game, we didn't panic. The guys all believed in one another and knew if we just dug down a bit deeper and stuck to our game plan and continued to believe in …
Rink Tales 