To carry you over until the NHL returns, Europe offers two options available today.  The contracted KHL kicked off it's 10th season earlier this week, with last year's finalists opening the schedule. en.khl.ru And the Champions Hockey League starts today.  The term champions is a misnomer, it is the new description for what was formerly knonw as the Eurpoean Trophy. 32 teams, some with long histories, from 12 different countries. Both the KHL and CHL have multiple streaming options.

Sam Carchidi on the passing of Ilkka Sinisalo Ilkka Sinisalo, a smooth-skating forward who was part of some of the Flyers' top offensive teams in the 1980s, died peacefully with his family by his side in Finland on Wednesday morning, the team announced. Mr. Sinisalo, 58, battled prostate cancer for several years. "Ilkka was a true friend and loyal member of the Flyers," Paul Holmgren, the club's president, said in a statement. "He gave a great deal of his time, effort and talents to the organization in several capacities, as a player and long-time scout, to bring this franchise success on and off the ice. "Most important to all that knew him, he was a great person, a loving husband, father and grandfather. His presence and friendship will be deeply missed by all that knew him." More

The Champions Hockey Tournamnet opens today in multiple European cities. (fromerly known as the European Trophy, which was a fairer respesentation since all these teams are not champions) 48 teams, representing some of the oldest hockey clubs in the world, from 12 different leagues. With Liiga and the SHL accounting for 16 entrants. There are a number of way to stream the events, The CHL gamecentre being the most official. https://www.championshockeyleague.net/gamecentre

While much of the North American hockey news discusses off ice stories, Europe is alive with action. The KHL kicked off its eight season on Monday the 24th with the opening day tradition of last year's finalists, remeeting to kick off the new season.  CSKA took a 4 to 4 OT win over defending champion SKA. There are four games on schedule today.   en.khl.ru is the English language KHL site. You can probably stream most games via onhockey.tv The rest of Europe is participating in the Champions Hockey League (the morphed version of the European Hockey Trophy) https://www.championshockeyleague.net/ Twelve different leagues/countries are represented, with plenty of games this weekend, and multiple ways to stream. https://www.championshockeyleague.net/

Twenty years ago yesterday, the legnedary Anatoly Tarasov passed from the hockey world.     Facebook post... The Bing translation. 20 years ago the death of legendary Anatoliy Vladimirovich Tarasov. His contribution to the development of the domestic School of hockey is so huge that, so far, Tarasova remember and the players themselves, and of course, trainers. Under the direction of Anatoly Vladimirovich USSR national team nine times and won the World Championships (1963-1971) three times and became the champion of the Olympic Games (1964, 1968, 1972). From the New York Times, 20 years ago.

This link will allow you to view the vistory parade for the Hawks. Or watch it below...  

An annual post of Spring.  Championships from around the world 2015. The KHL Champion, SKA  

From an era where goaltenders seemed more fee spirited than the current versions. Don McLeod passed away a week ago today at the age of 68. It could be argued, he was the first of the stickhandling goalies, the Calgary Sun article  describes meoires of Smokey. Don 'Smokey' McLeod remembered by former teammates McLeod, who hailed from Trail, B.C., thus the nickname, won the Memorial Cup with the Edmonton Oil Kings in 1966, defeating Bobby Orr and the Oshawa Generals in the best-of-seven series. He turned pro with the Detroit Red Wings organization, finally stepping into the NHL in 1970-71 before being claimed by the Philadelphia Flyers after that season and spending one year split between the big leagues and the minors. He jumped to the WHA for its inaugural season, 1972-73, and the following year led the Houston Aeros, who featured Gordie Howe, to the Avco Cup championship, a year in which he was named the league’s top goalie and to the loop’s all-star team. “One thing I know for sure is you don’t win a championship without a hot goalie, and he was darn good for our hockey club when we needed him,” said Mark Howe, Gordie’s son and a hall of famer who was part of the Aeros team as an 18-year-old rookie. more from Randy Spartak