There are so many classic goalie masks, past and present, that it was worthwhile to revisit this topic. Three classic masks above are John Vanbiesbrouck’s Florida Panther helmet (above left), Johnny Bower’s “Bay Window” mask (above right), and Curtis Joseph’s “Cujo” mask. Here are some other great masks and/or helmets: Apparently they play hockey in … Read More
Hockey
Goalie Masks In Hockey
One of the first hockey posts that I did for this blog was a discussion of who was the greatest NHL goaltender of all time, and my choice was Terry Sawchuk, with the main reason being that not only did he dominate his era, but that era was the time when goalies played without masks. … Read More
California Hockey Takes Center Stage
The state of California turned into the center of the hockey universe at the end of June, and not solely because the National Hockey League held its’ annual player draft in the Staples Center in Los Angeles. A secondary story coming out of the draft was the emergence of players drafted who were California natives, … Read More
NHL Draft – Hit or Miss
How much does good scouting and drafting mean to the success of an NHL franchise? Well, it helps to have a high draft choice, judging by recent Stanley Cup champions. The Chicago Black Hawks picked Patrick Kane first overall in 2007, got Jonathan Toews third overall in 2006 and defenseman Brent Seabrook 14th in 2003. … Read More
Chicago Black Hawks – 49 Years Ago
When the Chicago Black Hawks competed for and won hockey’s biggest prize, the Stanley Cup, recently, much was made of the long drought the team had endured since its’ last title, in 1961. I was just starting to get into sports around that year but don’t remember watching much hockey until the mid-’60s when Toronto … Read More
NHL – Black Hawks End Drought
The long wait is finally over for Chicago Black Hawks fans. After a 49 year drought, the Hawks wrapped up the Stanley Cup title when young star Patrick Kane scored in overtime to defeat the game Philadelphia Flyers in game 6 in Philly. The Black Hawks are a surprise champion this year, even though they … Read More
Final Word On The Buffalo Sabres
As the Stanley Cup Finals wind down this week, it’s a good time to take one last look at our local team, the Buffalo Sabres, and try to figure out what they need to do to take the next step and advance in the playoffs next season. Lindy Ruff will be back as coach, and perhaps … Read More
NHL – remembering the Golden Seals
When flamboyant Oakland A’s baseball owner Charles O. Finley decided to expand his sports empire by purchasing the NHL’s Oakland Seals franchise, he immediately transformed the team into the California Golden Seals and outfitted them in uniforms that matched the colors of his highly successful baseball team, right down to white skates to match the … Read More
NHL – Playoff update
The NHL playoffs have been a crazy ride so far this season, especially in the Eastern Conference where the 2 bottom seeds wound up playing for the conference title. The Philadelphia Flyers are amazingly back from the dead and in control of their series with Montreal so far. Since trailing 3-0 in game seven in … Read More
NHL – Flyers Make History
Kudos to the Philadelphia Flyers for battling to overcome an early 3-0 deficit last night to defeat the Boston Bruins 4-3, enabling them to complete a historic, epic comeback in the series. They became only the third team in NHL history to come back from a 3 games to none deficit and win the series. There were 2 factors … Read More