Keith Gretzky was a good hockey player. In 1985 he had 93 points in 66 games for the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League and that summer the Buffalo Sabres selected him in the third round. Two years later he tallied 101 points in 64 games between Windsor and Hamilton. He spent seven seasons…
As the sporting landscape continues to evolve and grow, and female players and teams get more attention — as they should — I hope those players and coaches understand that criticism isn’t sexist. The Women’s World Cup of Soccer kicked off in France this past weekend. For the first time, the tournament has expanded from…
I still hear and read the term “buying free agent years” when people discuss NHL contracts, but I’m not sure it is relevant anymore. It is interesting to note that since a salary cap was put in place after the 2005 lockout, the salaries of NHL players has actually changed significantly. Players don’t have to…
We are days away from the start of the best 17 days of the NHL calendar. Sure, hoisting the Stanley Cup is the ultimate prize, but it only involves two teams in June. Once the Cup is hoisted by either the Blues or Bruins on Wednesday, then all 31 teams become involved again. The draft,…
Tyler Benson burst onto the hockey scene in 2012/2013 when he shattered the AMBHL (Alberta Bantam AAA) scoring title by racking up a ridiculous 57 goals and 146 points in only 33 games for the Southside Athletic Club. He was physically dominant at 14 years of age and not surprisingly went first overall in the…
Edmonton has hosted the NHL draft once. In 1995 the Edmonton Oilers had the sixth overall pick, and fans chanted “Doan, Doan, Doan” trying to encourage Oilers GM Glen Sather and head scout Barry Fraser to choose the 18-year-old from Halkirk, Alberta. It didn’t work, as they selected Steve Kelly instead. Kelly had blazing speed,…
Yesterday, Dave Tippett was announced as the 16th head coach in the history of the Edmonton Oilers. It will also be his 16th year as an NHL head coach, having spent seven years (six seasons due to lockout) in Dallas and eight years with the Coyotes organization. He signed a three-year deal, but he and…
Finally, the Stanley Cup Final begins tonight. The Boston Bruins are in their third final in nine years (won in 2011, lost in 2013), while the St. Louis Blues and their fans have waited 49 years to get back. The Blues made the final in their inaugural season in 1968, and again in 1969 and…
For years we have read or heard the phrase, “sports is my escape from the real world.” For many sports fans watching it, reading about it, writing about it or listening to sports talk radio is a nice reprieve from the office or life in general. It still is that way for many people, and…
The Edmonton Oilers off-season has been quite eventful, and we will see more things shake down very soon.
Ken Holland has been the general manager of the Edmonton Oilers for two weeks and we’ve already seen two major changes in management. Craig MacTavish left to coach in the KHL, while Duane Sutter, VP of Player Personnel, was fired yesterday. He might not be able to replace them immediately, as most teams won’t let…
George Burnett began his head coaching career 30 years ago as he guided the Niagara Falls Thunder to the third round of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs. He spent three years in Niagara and made it to the third round all three years. Then the Oilers hired him to coach their AHL affiliate in Cape…
