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

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

Hey Tampa, this wasn’t supposed to happen

 Cap-shmap. So here we are in the era of the great equalizer, aka the National Hockey League salary cap. In a very great way, the salary cap was intended more for restriction than anything else. To be more precise – restrictive to any kind of dynasty. In no way whatsoever

Hockey rolls on!

 Been there, done that must count for a lot given the lack of love the New York Rangers are getting heading into the Eastern Conference final. Across the board, hockey prognosticators are throwing their affection at the two-time Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning. At NHL.com, some of the best

Battle of Alberta won’t help Canada’s odds

 PHOTO: NHL.COM At first there were three, then there were two. Soon there will be one. The percentages for a Canadian-style NHL championship have been sliced-and-diced down to a mere 25 per cent, regardless of what happens in the upcoming Round 2 of the playoffs. Canada’s last remaining hopes –

Year-end awards a mixed bag for Senators

 Pack up your things and head for the hills for the summer. The season, for the Ottawa Senators is done. And how about that season? Some advances to be sure, a few disappointments and a lot of ifs and buts. We’ve created a few categories here – as opposed to

Sens deadline dealing generates mixed reviews

 A keeper for the keeper, a step backward, a definite head-scratcher, a collective ‘thank the heavens’ and a big yawn. Yes it was exceedingly busy for the Ottawa Senators on the National Hockey League’s trade deadline day. The question though, was it a particularly productive one? That’ll be debated in

Senators’ neighbours going through angst of their own

 As Ottawa’s Senators continue a season swimming (and sinking at times) in unpredictability, the guys next door and across the street are drafting their own stories. Ottawa’s greatest rivals, for the uninitiated, are of course the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs. As the two most recognized teams in

Senators vying for better grades in second half

 Give or take a few days or games or COVID breaks, the National Hockey League hits the halfway point during a very intriguing season. In Ottawa, this season was hailed as the end of the rebuild. While the phrase wasn’t exactly plastered on the facing of the Canadian Tire Centre,

Leafs house in disrepair

 ABOVE: Sheldon Keefe, head coach of the Leafs. (courtesyNHL.com) Supposing you bought a house and decided to invest millions of dollars into upgrades. A few months into renovations you discovered there were enormous cracks in the foundation and all that money you’d shot into the home were wasted. Then supposing you decided

Grades improving; this student has potential

 I remember those dreaded days: Getting the sealed envelope with my school’s emblem adorning the front. “Please bring this home for your parents to look at (‘pick apart,’ you mean) and have them sign it and bring it promptly back to your home-room teacher.” The cringe-worthy report card. Twice a

The NHL is back! And what a start to the season it was for the Sens

 Ottawa launched their 2020-21 NHL season with a gift to fans who waited 310 long days to see them play, defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-3 on Friday night. The convincing win was no small feat, as the majority of NHL analysts had pegged the Maple Leafs as the top

Dorion strikes potential gold in NHL off-season

 Touch ‘em all Pierre, you’ll never hit a bigger home run. We’ll see, but early indications indicate Ottawa Senators’ General Manager Pierre Dorion swung for the fences the past two weeks and connected big time. (Hence the bit-of-a-stretch comparable to Tom Cheek’s famous call of Toronto Blue Jay slugger Joe

Report cards come a little – too – early

 We are supposed to be gunning for a playoff season just around the corner. We’re supposed to be talking about who’s going to win the goal-scoring race, Auston Matthews, Alex Ovechkin or David Pastrnak. We’re supposed to be talking about MVP and whether the unexpected Leon Draisaitl can accomplish the

Few certainties in the Senators’ picture

 Anticipation, anticipation Is makin' me late Is keepin' me waitin' Carly Simon   Pretty cheesy lede, eh? Point being, in Ottawa playing the anticipation game is a daily occurrence, whether you’re a fan of the Senators or a finger-crossing rider on LRT. Things are seemingly never a certainty around these

Making the grade – your Ottawa Senators

 A new year, and for a change, the Ottawa Senators head in with a modicum of hope. Couldn’t say that on the brink of 2019, or 2018. Been a while, eh? Face it, the farm is filled with potential plums and if you’ve been watching the world junior tourney, there