Making a list of the top-10 greatest players will always be difficult, especially for a team with plenty of greats like the Los Angeles Kings. To put this together, I’ve taken into account their on-ice impact, including their production and overall play, and their off-ice impact. It’s also important to remember that some players who
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Montreal Canadiens rookie Cole Caufield looks like a new man under interim head coach Martin St. Louis. Well, at least a new version of the old Caufield, who took the NHL by relative surprise, when he became a key component on the team during the Habs’ 2021 run to the Stanley Cup Final. Caufield’s impressive
It may seem cut and dry who the top defenseman in Pittsburgh Penguins history is, but the players leading up to it have made a case for themselves. While the Penguins’ franchise isn’t a gold mine of elite, long-term defenders, they have had some luxuries over their 53-year history. Before we go any further, a
Lorne “Gump” Worsley, born and raised in Montreal, was the last NHL goalie to play without a mask. “My face is my mask,” he would say, refusing to don facial protection. He acquired the nickname Gump as a youngster due to his facial resemblance to Andy Gump, a cartoon character of the time. The Origins
On Feb. 6, 1990, Brett Hull scored his 50th goal of the season, to become part of the first father-son combo to each score 50 goals in an NHL season. We thought we pull this nugget out of The Hockey Writers’ vault. Originally put together by former THW contributor Bill Schoeninger and published on Feb. 9,
In June 1990, the Edmonton Oilers were on top of the world. They had just won their fifth Stanley Cup in seven years, after beating the Boston Bruins 4-1 in the best-of-seven championship series. Goaltender Bill Ranford received the Conn Smythe Trophy, and captain Mark Messier was presented with the Hart Memorial Trophy. Life was
The 10th installment in this series has arrived after previously looking at how the Minnesota Wild did in their first nine drafts. If you missed any of them or want a refresher, you can find those recaps below: After making the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time, the Wild finished the 2008-09 NHL season with
When the Edmonton Oilers acquired Duncan Keith from the Chicago Blackhawks in 2021, many felt the team overpaid for a player well past his prime. The Oilers traded young defenseman Caleb Jones and a conditional 2022 draft pick for Keith and minor-league player Tim Soderlund, with no salary retention on his $5.5 million cap hit.
Numbers, stats, and figures are an integral part of the hockey viewing experience. The game is rife with scoring slumps, hot streaks, losing skids, and dynastic stretches of winning. The thing is, not all streaks are created equal. Sometimes remarkable individual accolades take center stage as one particular player lights the league on fire. During
The 2021 NHL Entry Draft was exciting for teams around the league as each organization had a chance to fill its cupboards with more promising prospects. That includes the Minnesota Wild, who walked out of this year’s draft with seven new prospects. The Wild had two first-round picks at this year’s draft, selecting Lulea HF
The 2007 NHL Entry Draft in Columbus is notable for a number of reasons. It was an American-heavy draft, the first-ever in which U.S. born players went first and second overall — Patrick Kane to the Chicago Blackhawks and James van Riemsdyk to the Philadelphia Flyers, respectively — and second-ever in which 10 Americans were
76 goals in a rookie season. It’s a total hard to wrap one’s head around. Everyone has a sports record locked in their mind that will live with them forever. For many, it’s the number of goals “Finnish Flash” Teemu Selanne potted in his 1992-93 rookie campaign for the Winnipeg Jets that stands on top.
Have you ever wondered if there are hockey leagues that rival the NHL in terms of talent, viewership, and fan-base? Well, if you have, then this segment should be just for you. It is widely known that players from around the world flock to the NHL for a chance to win Lord Stanley’s Cup and
Over eight years ago, in late March of 2013, Calgary Flames fans were heartbroken to see not only their best leader, but one of the best leaders in NHL history in Jarome Iginla get traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The move didn’t come as much of a shock, as his contract was set to expire
Rod Gilbert and the New York Rangers were a perfect match. It’s been over half a century since Gilbert made his debut at the old Madison Square Garden (located on Eighth Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets), yet many of the franchise records he set during his tenure still stand. But it almost didn’t happen.
It was five years ago that former Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin shocked the hockey world and traded fan-favorite defenseman P.K. Subban to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Shea Weber. The trade immediately split the Canadiens fanbase into two sides: one that despised the trade, the other that loved it. On the one
Hockey fans who were old enough probably remember where they were on Mar. 23, 1994. Wayne Gretzky, known as The Great One, took a pass from longtime teammate Marty McSorely and fired a snapshot past Kirk McLean to become the league’s all-time scorer with 802 goals. The historical moment was Gretzky’s 13th career goal against
The New York Rangers have produced a lot of memorable moments for fans over the last decade. Whether it be during the regular season or postseason, there have been situations that will be enshrined in our brains for a lifetime. Looking back at the top five goals of the past 10 seasons, they all have