NHL Free Agency conjures Questions in Need of Answers

 By mid-afternoon on an unusually bright and sunny Canada Day (doesn’t it always rain on July 1st?), the National Hockey League was zipping along quite nicely as the free agency period opened with a slew of deals and decisions. The price tag was enormous as teams spent more than $1

Ottawa Hits its (Ull)mark, Draft Day Approaches and the Cup Comes Through Big Time

 It’s June 25th – you know, the heart of summer – and hockey continues to roll. The winter-ish sport enjoyed one of its busiest days during the past 24 hours with ramifications locally and across the continent. Let’s have a look.   BEST FINAL IN YEARS ENDS IN HIGH DRAMA?

Florida Panthers – Inevitable or What?

 So unlikeable. So abrasive. So damn good. There’s absolutely nothing ‘so-so’ associated with this year’s Florida Panthers who stepped to within a pair of wins from a franchise-first Stanley Cup triumph after Monday night’s 4-1 win over a game Edmonton Oilers hockey team. Yup, the Oilers were very game in
Ottawa Senators GM Steve Staios

‘Summer of Steve’ well underway

 Like the result or not, Step 1 in the Ottawa Senator ‘rebuild’ was accomplished lickety-split. The hiring of Travis Green just last week, while certainly not universally lauded, quickly took care of some much-needed business during what promises to be a busy off-season. Quite simply, there’s lots-to-do in Ottawa as

Who’s Your Dance Partner, Edmonton, Vancouver or Winnipeg?

 No need to haul out your best Clarence Darrow suit-and-tie to walk away from the lectern as a winner in this debate: Which Canadian territory holds superiority over the other – the NHL’s West or the NHL’s East? It’s as obvious as an Alberta slaughterhouse. Carrying the league’s hottest team

Who’s tops in an all-Canadian division?

 Last week in this very corner the thought was that an all-Canadian team realignment in the National Hockey League should not only be instituted this coming season but should also be a permanent thing. Great idea? Well, I thought so. To further the discussion, this week’s gripper deals with a

The transition from terrible to contender may be closer than you think

 NBC analyst Pierre McGuire believes the Ottawa Senators will be a Stanley Cup contender in the next 2-3 years. The veteran broadcaster made the comments this past week on Ottawa sports radio. While ownership and management continue to rub their collective hands in glee and proclaim the Senators will soon

Leafs top Canadian club list

 Brian Burke has always remained an interesting hockey icon. Pull-no-punches, tell it like it is. That’s Burkie. He’s a quote machine too. When he was dismissed by the Maple Leafs a few years back, here’s what he quipped: “There's sometimes when you get fired and you see the vultures circling and

Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour is coming to Ottawa this weekend

 Calling all hockey lovers. Ron MacLean and Tara Slone are rolling into town with the Sportsnet Mobile Studio — It's going to a weekend full of hockey fun!  Presented by Scotiabank and Hyundai, the Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour is arriving in Ottawa on February 7, 2020. MacLean and Slone will be

Leafs still a work in progress, without the work

 Photo courtesy of NHLI via Getty Images Boston’s Patrice Bergeron pretty much nailed it after his Bruins took the Toronto Maple Leafs to the woodshed Saturday night in a wild 4-1 win in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Bergeron – post-game – talked about “compete” and “determination.” His team had it;

Toronto adds while Ottawa – apparently – set to subtract

 Photo courtesy NHLI via Getty Images So, how was your weekend? If you’re the Toronto Maple Leafs, not too bad. With the signing of John Tavares, the Leafs might not be a certainty for a Stanley Cup, but they’ve sure put themselves in a solid position to compete for the

Ottawa Senators sinking like the Titanic

 I remember the day clearly. When polishing up the season synopsis of the Ottawa Senators on the ice (back in early April), the thought that this was definitively the worst year in franchise history was right there, smack-dab on the page. Justifiable. The team that came within a Chris Kunitz

What’s next?

 SENATORS: A Week in Review is a weekly column looking back at the week in Ottawa Senators hockey written by OLMSports Dave Gross. Feature photo Courtesy Andre Ringuette NHLI via Getty Images Your guess is as good as mine. The question being, what can you expect to occur in Game 6 Tuesday night at

SENATORS: A Week in Review – November 28-December 4, 2016

 SENATORS: A Week in Review is a weekly column looking back at the week in Ottawa Senators hockey written by #OLMSports Dave Gross. Images from NHL.com. As the legendary Ric "Nature Boy" Flair would bark: "What's causing all this!!??" After all, there has to be some reasoning behind the Ottawa Senators startling

Can Logan Brown Help Ottawa Reach the Playoffs this Season?

 "Ottawa Senators v Minnesota Wild" (CC BY 2.0) by danielthornton Last month, the Ottawa Senators made the bold move to trade up with the New Jersey Devils, a decision that ultimately allowed them to acquire Windsor Spitfires star Logan Brown. The centre was one of the very best players in

Four Amazing Canadians that Make us Proud

 Not all symbols of national greatness come in the form of the tallest skyscraper, a country's economic standing or its position in global rankings. Sometimes national greatness is achieved by something as small as one individual. Canada has many reasons to be proud of its celebrities, and here are just a few

Breaking New Ground with Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2016

 Photo courtesy of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.  Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame is proud to announce the seven astounding athletes that will be receiving the country’s highest sporting honour. These inductees have not only made a huge impact in their field of sport, but have utilized their influence in making

Art Competition Announced for Stanley Cup Memorial

 The Stanley Cup will soon find its home in Ottawa, or at least a monument dedicated to the trophy will. The Lord Stanley Memorial Monument Inc., has announced a public art competition to design and build the memorial which will be donated to the City of Ottawa and revealed in

Ottawa Life Guide to the Sens

 Photo courtesy of Wikimedia commons. Whether you are new to town or have just decided that this year you are going to join the slew of hockey fans inhabiting Ottawa’s pubs, bars or other fine drinking establishments, there are a few things you should know about the capital’s NHL team. The modern

Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame Profile: Jean Béliveau

 Jean Béliveau, Athlete, Ice Hockey Jean Béliveau is one of the most genuine hockey heroes in Canadian history. Béliveau led by example both on and off the ice, separating him from other professional players, A fast skater, master stickhandler and outstanding playmaker, Béliveau could have easily let success get to

Does Canada Need Bill C-290?

 Photo courtesy of Jamie In Bytown. The Super Bowl, the Stanley Cup and now the World Cup are progressing before our very eyes, but residents of Canada will know all too well they are unable to wager single stake selections on any of the sporting events this summer. This is

Montreal flying the flag for Canada in the NHL

 Canadian NHL teams have, for many years, maintained a proud tradition of having a strong presence in the Stanley Cup Play-Offs. Although America considerably outweigh Canada in the number of ice hockey teams that participate in the National Hockey League, there is considerable quality North of the border which regularly