Canucks Vancouver
Sharks San Jose
Flames Calgary
Avalanche Colorado
Coyotes Arizona
Golden Knights Vegas
Wild Minnesota
Red Wings Detroit
Blues St. Louis
Blackhawks Chicago
Blue Jackets Columbus
Hurricanes Carolina
Jets Winnipeg
Predators Nashville
Ducks Anaheim
Oilers Edmonton
Sabres Buffalo
Rangers New York
Bruins Boston
Panthers Florida
Senators Ottawa
Lightning Tampa Bay
Capitals Washington
Islanders New York
Devils New Jersey
Maple Leafs Toronto
Flyers Philadelphia
Penguins Pittsburgh
Stars Dallas
Kraken Seattle
Kings Los Angeles
Paul Kukla
Kukla's Korner
12
Reads
0
Comments
Hockey Notes Galore
Bits and pieces from Matt Porter of the Boston Globe,
- China, playing in a bracket with the US, Canada, and Germany, will surely finish last. The Dragons, currently ranked 32nd in the world, have finished no higher than 15th at the IIHF Worlds (and that was in 1982). The roster is mostly players from the KHL’s Chinese entry, Kunlun Red Star. Several North Americans are on the team, including former Bruins farmhand Jeremy Smith, ex-Boston University Terrier Brandon Yip, and defenseman Jake Chelios.
The latter, an undrafted Michigan State alum, spent five years mostly in the AHL (Carolina and Detroit organizations). He was born in Chicago in March 1991, a month before his dad’s team, the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Blackhawks, were upset by the Cinderella North Stars in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Chris Chelios, also from Chicago, is a four-time Olympian, three of those tournaments as Captain America. He is of Greek heritage.
“Obviously, his first choice would be to represent the US,” Chris Chelios said of his son. “He loves hockey. That was the only way for him to continue to play, to go to Germany or Russia or China. He appreciates the opportunity. He’s playing in the Olympics.”
- Quite a week for Brad Marchand, who remained on a tear and had some of the best quips heard.
On his prodigious proboscis taking a vicious high stick from Washington’s Nic Dowd: “I’m just happy it wasn’t my teeth. I can deal with a broken nose, but missing these beautiful teeth of mine, that would have hurt.”
On the worst “injury” he ever thought he had, from blocking an Alex Ovechkin slapper: “The draw went directly to Ovi and I stepped out and he took a one-timer right into my foot. I was hobbled to the bench and I was yelling for the trainers: ‘It’s broken, it’s broken! I can’t move, it’s 100 percent broken!’ My whole foot just went numb. I thought it was at the time. I don’t think I missed a shift. I got back and I mean, it hurt, but it must have just hit a nerve or something. Guys gave it to me for that one for a while.”
- The Oilers entered the weekend 3 points out of a playoff spot (18-14-2). No wonder Connor McDavid was all but offering to pick up Evander Kane from the airport.
General manager Ken Holland turned heads around the league when, during a news conference, he balked at trading a first-round pick for a rental.
“I think the answer is in that locker room,” Holland said. “Why would I trade a first-round pick or one of our top prospects to have somebody give us a little bit of a boost, then next year we have a press conference and you’re asking me about secondary scoring again . . . the depth has to be built internally.”
Popular Articles