Leafs need to re-sign Kulemin

Those following this site know my views on Nikolai Kulemin. He developed nicely this past season, a player who could be a bit physical, was...

So far, Hawk forward Marian Hossa is no Eddie Litzenberger (4 Cups in 4 years), but that can change

Marian Hossa has been a wonderfully talented player in the NHL for many years, dating back to his young years with the Ottawa Senators. Le...

Last night’s 6-5 game a bit like the 1973 finals, Game 5- when Chicago beat Montreal 8-7

I can’t honestly say I was expecting the score we saw in Game 1 last night, but both teams came out rested and maybe we shouldn’t be surpr...

Dave Nonis staying on helps the Leafs

Since the early 1990s, two NHL organizations stand out as ‘best in class’: the New Jersey Devils and the Detroit Red Wings. Lou Lamoriello ...

Ex-Leaf executive Ken Dryden and that damn crossbar: 1971 finals Montreal and Chicago

Before I start today’s post, I should add a couple of thoughts to yesterday’s column about similarities between the current Blackhawk team...

2010 Black Hawks like the 1961 Black Hawks?

The Chicago Black Hawks, on the heels of their four-game San Jose Sharks walkover, are poised to win their first Stanley Cup since 1961. ...

Gustavsson shines; It’s not quite like 1968, but Czech Republic beats the Russians again -- on guts

It may not be on quite the same scale as soccer’s World Cup, but we best not try to tell anyone who hails from the Czech Republic who car...

Tough day for Leaf youngsters at the Worlds

Saturday was a difficult day for the young and would-be future Maple Leafs at the World Championships in Germany. The gutsy and determined ...

Before Bobby Orr there was Doug Harvey—also the NHL’s first modern-day “player-coach”

I’ve posted many times in this space about Bobby Orr, who, it’s fair to say, revolutionized the way defensemen (at least some) felt they we...

San Jose Sharks: another summer of questions is just around the corner

Thirty teams start the long, arduous hockey season in October, many of them elite teams, true Cup contenders. Getting this far is not easy...

Leafs looking to sign German defenseman

I’ve been focused on the play of certain young Maple Leafs (Kulemin, Gunnarsson, Gustavsson and Hanson) at the ongoing World Championships b...

Maple Leaf legend Doug Gilmour versus Detroit’s Steve Yzerman: very different roads, even now

Two guys who played in the same era had very different playing styles but both can claim spectacular overall career results: Doug Gilmour an...

Kudos to Germany; Edmonton Oilers may benefit most from World Championships; key Leafs advance

While devoted Team Canada enthusiasts were pulling for Canada to overcome a very youthful (though talented) roster to make it to the fina...

Maple Leaf legend Doug Gilmour versus Detroit’s Steve Yzerman: very different roads, even now

Two guys who played in the same era had very different playing styles but both can claim spectacular overall career results: Doug Gilmour a...

More on the Maple Leafs at the World Championships

Some Maple Leaf nuggets from the World Championships in Germany after Tuesday’s action:  Jonas Gustavsson didn’t play in Sweden’s last qu...

Kulemin contributing at the Worlds; Gustavsson makes a statement; NHL playoff notebook

From a Leaf perspective I’m most interested, as I mentioned in a post last week, to see how Nikolai Kulemin does as the World Championshi...

Maple Leaf (and Red Wing) great Red Kelly’s last rush in Game 6 of the ’67 Cup final

When Punch Imlach was building the Leafs into a legitimate Cup contender in the late 1950s, he believed they were one big centerman away fr...

Does the Hab resurgence give genuine hope to Leaf fans—or is it a mirage?

The unexpected playoff success of the Habs may be just another case of a team “getting hot” at the right time. Both Calgary and Edmonton, ...

The Rocket’s red glare: Current Habs doing Montreal’s legacy proud; why it means more to Canadiens fans

Yet another improbable comeback by the Habs, this time against Pittsburgh, can’t help but make me appreciate the remarkable legacy of “Le...

The Roberto Luongo dilemma

Before Game four of the Vancouver-Chicago series, I posted that it was time-if Luongo really wanted to be considered an elite NHL goaltender...