It’s here, it’s finally here

 Never let a good idea get untold . . . again? Well, it’s a damn good idea. With that in mind, after discovering Sportsnet’s National Hockey League regular season primer sitting on my laptop earlier this morning, my interest and ability to pilfer were fully engaged. In essence, the crew

Blue is the colour of Toronto

 It’s here. The first installment of ‘real’ hockey; hockey that matters. It’s happening and gets started Tuesday night as Vegas hosts Seattle, where-and-when the Knights unveil their Stanley Cup banner, Pittsburgh entertains Chicago where Crosby and new-Crosby face each other, and Nashville is at Tampa in the first entry into

Ottawa Fan Should Be Thinking: ‘Pinto-Shminto’

 Folks will tell you to try and appreciate what you have, as opposed to what you don’t. You’ve heard of it I’m sure: Gratitude. So try laying down this wisdom on a hockey fanatic. Go ahead, try it. In most cases it doesn’t go very far . . . a

Senators Relishing the Pressure?

 The elevation from doormat to Golden Boy couldn’t have happened quicker. Last year, two years ago (. . . three years ago, four years ago, five years ago . . .) when asked about the pending fate and fortunes of the Ottawa Senators, hockey panellists would kind of look awkwardly

NHL Quiz Show

 What’s up this week? Well, I’ll tell you what’s up this week: questions and answers that potentially could carry great relevance to a 2023-34 National Hockey League season, which opens in less than one month. That’s what’s up. The one caveat here – as it tends to be since we

Newsflash: Penguins are old! (Stop the presses!)

 Terry Marcotte, a cherished Ottawa personality while with CTV News, produced a weekly segment for the local channel a few years back highlighting the accomplishments of senior citizens in the sporting community. Too bad Terry didn’t stick around for another few years cause he could have filled a month of

Subtraction not in Dorion’s vocabulary anymore

 “The final mystery is oneself.” — Oscar Wilde Brainy quotes aside, if this is in fact the start of the final frontier for Ottawa Senators’ General Manager Pierre Dorion, even his toughest critics would have to admit that this is a guy who knows himself. As a self-identifier, Dorion must

Dad’s love for hockey never wavered

 There were plenty of things to admire about my dad. A steady and - when-required - stern hand as father to three animated, overly clever and bedlam-seeking boys; dedicated engineer for seemingly thousands of decades at Domtar; solid provider; incredibly wise man with finances; supportive when needed; not-so-supportive when justified;

DeBrincat takeaway – fans disenchanted with deal

 Based on what we’ve seen and read from the fan base in the past 12 hours, Ottawa Fan is not quite starting the work week on their happy feet. What happened was Ottawa Senators General Manager Pierre Dorion traded away sniper Alex DeBrincat to the Detroit Red Wings and wise-man

Ottawa’s pipes are calling, while Leafs are done wilting

 Photo: Courtesy Columbus Dispatch The draft is done and the meat-and-guts of free agency – for the most part – in the National Hockey League is over and out. Some outstanding storylines emerged from an intense week of study and action. It’s never a dull time, league-wide, so let’s dip

When late June becomes a hockey hornet nest

 No hockey on the ice. No problem. As TSN’s Gino Reda pointed out (roughly) Monday night: ‘Welcome to the busiest week of the hockey season.’ Trades, NHL entry draft, free agency, rumours, rumblings and another painfully awkward NHL awards show . . . it’s all here for the taking. Good

Wait is over: Andlauer agrees in principle to buy Senators

 Next step - NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and the league executive board. This after news broke late Tuesday that Toronto-based billionaire Michael Andlauer has purchased the Ottawa Senators for a price estimated at $1 billion US. The ‘in-principle’ deal means the agreement is now in the hands of the NHL’s

Helping others makes Ottawa’s Higgins a true hall-of-famer

 Here he is folks, Tim Higgins - Ottawa 67’s star, eventual first-round NHL draft pick (10th-overall, Chicago), roommate of Bob Probert’s (easily the most important detail), player of 706 regular-season games and another 65 playoff clashes, and yes, he is on his way to the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame.

NHL’s Eastern Conference: change is in the air

 It’s been the ignition switch triggering many a discussion since the salary cap came into play 17 years ago – the days of dynasties in the National Hockey League are done. The Montreal Canadiens of the 1970s, NY Islanders and Edmonton Oilers of the 1980s dominated hockey at its grandest

Let me get this straight – Ottawa is, um, fun?

 If Ottawa is indeed the town that fun forgot, no one stepped up to tell the local hockey community to keep the noise down after sunset. That was pretty evident Tuesday night at the usually vacant, silent-as-a-library (shh!) Canadian Tire Centre during the Ottawa Senators’ home opener. A sell-out? Come

Time to make hay, Ottawa

 The year 2017 seems like, well, a very long time ago. And in hockey speak, it really was. Five ‘very long’ seasons. To not be even competing for a playoff spot post-Christmas for that amount of time, year after year, is inexcusable, right? But there you are Ottawa Fan. And

Keep your eyes on these guys.

 Being a ‘person of interest’ isn’t likely a good thing when relating it to the police. Being the same in this column could be good . . .  or it could be bad. Let’s put it this way, and either way, the 10 guys (close to home) listed and detailed

Canada, who ya’ got?

 Want 6/7th of the country after your scalp? Put together a ranking – top to bottom – of Canadian NHL clubs. So, with that in mind . . . here we go. And for the first time in many a year, the disgruntlement won’t be zinging out of Eastern Ontario.

Senators working the steps, upwards

 Labour Day has come and gone, and for those tiring of summer, the CFL, MLB, tennis, golf and over-long visits from your in-laws, hockey’s about to make its return. As does your charming narrator from over in this corner. Good to be back at Ottawa Life for – what is

Pierre’s Summer of Love

 It is officially off-season for the National Hockey League. For the journalists who cover the circuit pretty well every day from a stretch linking September to early July, this time of year signals a blessed six-to-seven week break. (Having stated that, said journalists are never far from their phones in

Wacky day ends with Ottawa’s offence jacked up

 Let me get this straight, did Matt Murray just do what he seemingly hasn’t been able to do since he landed in Ottawa? That’d be, making a key save? It certainly looked that way following a somewhat crazy morning then afternoon leading up to Thursday night’s NHL entry draft. To

NHL draft won’t be the next Haul of Fame

 Nineteen years ago this summer the National Hockey League conjured something quite remarkable – the absolute best draft in modern-day history. The year was 2003 - for those who have problems with math - and not only was that first round a bonanza but the following rounds proved rich with

On Avs, Alfie and St. Nick

 Various blips in need of a blast in this week’s special National Hockey League roundup. Lots to cover off as hockey melts the ice on another season and has already fired up a jump-start towards the next. Enjoy. Avs Trump a Dynasty It was bound to happen. In fact, I

Downtown arena for Senators takes major step forward

 It’s still remains a few years from reaching fruition but the long-time dream of Ottawa Senator fans to see their team head downtown took a big step forward Thursday morning. The National Capital Commission reached a memorandum of understanding with the Senators and a group of interested parties looking to

Calling it: Bolts are done

 And now, ladies and gentlemen, we have a series. Or . . . do we? Tampa’s muscular 6-2 win Monday night against Colorado brought the defending champions back to within a game in the Stanley Cup finale, which now sits 2-1 for the Avs. I really don’t enjoy playing the