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There’s an expectation that all NHL players have to live to their performance on the ice. Then there is some who go the extra mile by building rapport with fans, media and sometimes other players. They are the guys who are perceived to be the masters of charisma; full of antics, charm, grace, flow and style. Each of these players that are listed below are unique in their own way. Some are loud, some are bombastic, they say what they think and they say what they feel. It doesn’t matter how skilled they are on the ice, the players listed in this top 10 leave an impression in our mind that not only stick out, but leaving an everlasting impression as well. This list is comprised of PLAYERS who played in the NHL for about the last 20 or so years dating back to the late 1990’s. Iconic figures like Don Cherry and Brian Burke will be excluded only because they’re more well known for their personality displays off the ice. This article is about new school personalities rather than old school, but don’t get me wrong, old school is great too. The list is rated as a top 10 so that means some players will be honourable mentions if you provide who they are in the comments plus everybody’s opinion of who should be on the list is different. If you don’t agree, vote or comment on your case constructively in the comments section as long as your argument is worth taking into consideration. #10 – Jaromir Jagr The dude still hits it off with young models. Remember when Jaromir slept with that 18 year old model? Most fans know the story behind this but in case you didn’t, I’ll tell you. This chick tried extorting Jaromir for $50,000 by threatening to post the picture you see above on Instagram thinking that it would jeopardize his career. Well unfortunately for her it backfired. Jagr simply said “I don’t care” when confronted with the potential blackmailing. So what the girl did was post the picture on Instagram anyways and all what that did was build Jaromir’s rapport as a legend – a god to some. All what it did for the girl was…well….make herself look like a blackmailing puck-slut. Jaromir is not just 2nd all-time in points by NHL player, he’s also funny, a prankster and overall just a cool guy. People think he has a fountain of youth in his backyard because he still plays tremendous hockey even at 45 years of age. When Jaromir played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, he used to have an insanely huge mullet back when it was popular in the early 1990’s. A lot of players had the mullet back in those days but Jagr wore it best. #9 – Paul Bissonette As Don Cherry would phrase it; “Someone’s hot dogging.” A big dude (6′ 4″, 220 lbs) with a big personality, @BizNasty2point0, as he is known as on Twitter is the type of guy who will give it to you straight. He answers questions during interviews in a raw, thought-provoking fashion that will sometimes shock people and that’s what makes him stick out. He chirps a lot and a good example is when he did an interview for Michael Landsburg in 2011. He called the Edmonton Oilers an AHL team. Of course this was during the Pre-McDavid era when they couldn’t draft or sign free agents for the life of them because, well, Edmonton is too cold play in (cough, cough, Chris Pronger) and they had a management team that was just made up of former Oilers players who had pretty much no knack for managing a hockey team. To add more about Paul, he has a dirty mind plus he loves junk food, alcohol and women. He uses junk food as a mantra to build rapport on his Twitter (Japanese Kit-Kat bars) plus he uses the topic to enrich conversations during interviews. He mostly uses this when he talks to men. When he talks to women he sometimes uses alcohol to keep the conversation going but he’s mostly just outright flirtatious with most girls, even on camera. He always refers women he talks to as “future ex-wives” and sometimes “puck bunnies”. He builds his image up by saying he scores a lot of goals on the ice but in reality he was just a plug that scored 7 career NHL goals in over 202 games played (shots fired!!!). It doesn’t matter though because he scores women more than he does goals and that’s more important in life. Or is it? I don’t know, maybe not when you’re a diehard I suppose. When observing Paul’s hockey profile, I’ve noticed that he was named captain of the Saginaw Spirit during his junior days back in 2003. Players mostly get named captain because they lead by example on the ice. Remember when I said that Paul doesn’t score a lot of goals? Well he didn’t score a lots back then neither. Not even in Junior. He was only 9th in team scoring during the season he was named captain and he was a forward to boot. So the question remains. Why? Simple. It was because of his larger than life personality. In life, a personality that people adore gets you anything you want in life and it was the reason because Paul made it so far in his NHL career. #8 – Sean Avery He does this **** all the time. Believe me. Remember when I was talking Paul Bissonette’s personality and how it was so attractive and magnetic. Well, uhh Sean Avery is not like that. He is the exact opposite. He is mischievous, outspoken and crafty. He is out to become notorious in what he does and has certainly achieved that during his NHL career. Sean has pulled some outrageous stunts over the course of his NHL career including the infamous “sloppy seconds” interview that ultimately got Sean kicked out of the Dallas Stars. What he was trying to do was shift the attention of the upcoming game against the Calgary Flames toward his favour by making Dion Phanuef (Star player for the Flames at the time) a victim of a bombastic comment about his current girlfriend, Elisha Cuthbert, who once dated Sean. Sean said that he was honestly wondering why NHL players were falling in love with his “sloppy seconds” but I think this was just another one of his antics. He was definitely jealous and he tried to use this type of drama to gain an edge. Of course, that interview made headlines around the sports world and it backfired on Avery as he got suspended for 6 games by the NHL because it was beyond trash talking, it was downright piercing. He was eventually kicked off the Dallas Stars for the incident. If you haven’t watched the interview yet, YOU MUST! It is definitely shocking! Sean is not only mischievous off the ice, he’s just as mischievous on it and there is no better way to prove it than to have the NHL make a rule made after you. Avery was screening New Jersey Devils’ goaltender, Martin Brodeur by waving his stick in front of Brodeur’s face during an important NHL playoff game. Nobody has ever screened a goalie like the way Avery did before. Whether you think it was a tactic or an antic it proved to be effective as he scored the goal during that play. Sean has definitely done more than what I described above. He got into a shouting match against Darcy Tucker of the Maple Leafs during a pregame skate when there were no refs on the ice. He also has a history of heckling at fans, posted videos on Snapchat bullying homeless people plus there were rumours of him being engaged to Andy Cohen but that turned to be fake news. There is yet another side to Sean that is very interesting and it’s that he has a flair for fashion. He served as an intern for Vogue Magazine starting in 2008. He has since entered in modeling, acting and business, mostly with restaurants. Sean retired from the NHL in 2012. Despite all of the controversy he has faced throughout his career, there is absolutely no denying that his story is one of a kind and has gone the distance with his controversy. #7 – Roberto Luongo Roberto acting like he’s in space wearing a “Spacey in Space” hoodie Once again, we have a personality that is in no way in comparison to the last. This time we have someone who is a little milder but still makes his presence known, especially on the Twitter. What makes Roberto so great is that he’ll take any situation that is negative, turn it around to make it positive. He lifts the pressure off of himself to make the atmosphere around him lighter. He mostly does this in the locker room but I’m sure he does this everywhere he goes as well. This is something he is very clever at doing plus he does in a very subtle fashion. A great example of one of these situations is when Roberto was in a competition with Cory Schneider for the starting position when they both played for the Vancouver Canucks. Normally this would of been a tense and uneasy situation but instead of being at odds with each other, they both decided to have a little fun with it by making a little comedic stint on TSN by having a friendly competition with each other. It made the situation better for both Cory and Roberto as they have become better friends after the saga. Not to mention the fans enjoyed this too. There is no doubt about one thing and it’s that he is the master of the Twitter. He has posted some cheeky stuff on there that makes you think; “Yepp , Bobby Lou has done it again with the Twitter.” He’s one of the few athletes to have their tweets make the news on multiple occasions but Roberto has done it the best. What makes his Twitter unique is that he has profile picture of a goaltender figure with a question mark on it. It is believed that nobody really knew that Bobby Lou ran the @strombone1 twitter handle at first until people started to catch on. That is great because that adds mystery to his online presence. The common theme with most of his posts is that he makes fun of himself. He is comfortable with making himself the butt end of his jokes and its a hit with fans. He is also a master with emoji’s as he can send out tweets that make a huge impact just by adding a couple of smiley faces. This Tweet is a tremendous example and I’ll explain why: For those that don’t know, this tweet caused a flurry of trade rumours that he has going to be traded to the Florida Panthers. Once again, he loves to add mystery and it’s all because of this simple palm tree emoji. It was only a few hours later that it was confirmed that indeed Roberto was traded to the Florida Panthers. Who knew a palm tree could build so much hype?? Hopefully there will be many more tweets and cheeky antics coming from Bobby Lou in the future as he is far from done from playing in the NHL. #6 – Brent Burns Ladies and gentleman, here is the most badass hockey samurai. A fan favourite in San Jose, Brent Burns is one of those guys who just attracts abundance by his fun-loving, happy-go-lucky personality. He is very loose and relaxed off the ice plus he also plays like that on the ice. He’s an offensive defenceman that plays with a lot of flow in his game and that’s definitely a match to his personality. He is especially famous for his beard, lack of teeth and tattoos he has all over his body. While some might think he is ugly, a lot of people think he is quite masculine because of his physical features. Women love it. Burns is like a dynamic character in a great fiction novel. He started off as a player who was relatively unknown when drafted by Minnesota years ago but when he got traded to San Jose, more of his true colours came out. The more he became famous from his personality, the better he played and his stats show that. It’s as almost as if somebody brought the the best of him when he arrived in Northern California or maybe it was just the culture in the Sharks locker room. Whatever happened, it was for the best. Another interesting note about Brent is that he is an animal lover. He owns everything from dogs, cats, iguanas and snakes. He literally has entire rooms in his off-season home dedicated to just one type of animal. He has an aquarium room, a reptile room and he has many dogs running around his home as well. He loves all of his pets equally. Not only is Brent a fun-loving animal lover. He is also a very generous and charitable person as well. In fact he won the NHL Foundation award in 2015 for all of his charity work that him and his wife has done. He earned that award by supporting the Sharks Foundation, Defending The Blue Line and other charitable causes through his participation in numerous events. Back in 2009 when Brent played for the Wild he even purchased a suite at the Xcel Energy Center in Minnesota so that members of the military can watch the Minnesota Wild games. He is very much a class act who is full of heart. READ MORE: Top 10 – NHL’s Most Remarkable Player Personalities Volume 2

It’s the 100th year anniversary of the NHL and things are looking festive for the 2016/17 NHL season. It’s also the 100th year anniversary of the Toronto Maple Leafs as well as the 50th year anniversary of the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, St. Louis Blues and Los Angeles Kings. As a side note, it’s also the 50th consecutive year that the Maple Leafs haven’t won the Stanley Cup but that’s none of my business. Jokes aside, the 2016/2017 NHL season is the season to celebrate legacies of championship teams and iconic players that left a mark over the years. This particular season will see many teams introduce new home and road jerseys as well as commemorative patches to highlight a symbol of for each respective franchise. The Flyers, Blues and Kings have each introduced 50th year anniversary jerseys and commemorative patches for their home and roads to show fans their place in history. The Pens didn’t get make their 50th anniversary jerseys but they did make old new again by reintroducing their white, black and gold jerseys they used back in the early 90’s when the Penguins were at their glory with Lemieux and Jagr leading the way with back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992. There will also be more outdoor games this season as there will be four altogether for the 2016/17 NHL season. The first game to take place will be the Edmonton Oilers taking on the Winnipeg Jets in their own Heritage Classic game in Winnipeg on Sunday, October 23rd. The game will take place in the Investors Group Field. The second outdoor game will actually be called the ‘Centennial Classic’ for the 100 year anniversary of the NHL and theToronto Maple Leafs so there is no doubt the Leafs will play this game. They will be going against the Detroit Red Wings in a rematch of the 2014 Winter Classic at the Big House 2 years ago. The Leafs beat the Red Wings 3-2 the first time they met outdoors in Detroit but this year, but they’ll playing at BMO Field in Toronto for this year’s New Year’s Day outdoor game on January 1st, 2017. The third outdoor game will take place in Busch Field in St. Louis Missouri as the Blues will host the Chicago Blackhawks for their date on January 2nd, 2017. This game will mark the St. Louis Blues‘ first outdoor game as the Blackhawks will participate in their 5th one. The Blackhawks are always involved in outdoor games for some reason and this year is no different. This game is much more about the Blues becuase it’s their 50th anniversary plus they host the game this year. For the Blackhawks, it’ll just be another outdoor game for them but they always add excitement to these games. The fourth and final outdoor game of the 2016/17 season will be the Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Philadelphia Flyersas they both celebrate their 50th birthday as enemies in the elements. This game will take place in Heinz Field as it’ll be the Pens 4th outdoor game and for the Flyers, it’ll be their 3rd. This is the first time they have faced each other in an outdoor game and it couldn’t have come at a more fitting time. Game will start on February 18th, 2017. There are also a ton of notable events during the 100 year season and they include: NHL Centennial Truck Tour (January – December, 2017; all NHL markets + other local communities) The Centennial will reach and engage each NHL market with a traveling Truck Tour. The Centennial Tour footprint will consist of three main components: a 53-foot museum truck that includes an interactive interior with original video content, exclusive memorabilia, and fan activations; a second 53-foot trailer with giant video screen for viewing parties and stage for player and alumni appearances; and a pop-up synthetic rink for youth hockey games and clinics. The Tour will launch on January 1 at the NHL Centennial Classic™ in Toronto and travel across North America during the year. Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade (Monday, Jan. 2; Pasadena, CA) The League and the Los Angeles Kings – who are celebrating their 50th anniversary – will have a hockey-themed float in the renowned Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade. The float will air during NBC’s Rose Parade coverage leading into the 2017 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic between the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks. 100 Greatest NHL Players and Gala (January, 2017) A blue ribbon panel of distinguished members from across the hockey community – including former and current executives, media members, and NHL alumni – have voted for the 100 Greatest NHL Players in history. Following the initial unveiling of the 100 Greatest Players from the NHL’s early years (1917-1966) at the NHL Centennial Classic™, the remaining players will be unveiled at a special ceremony in Los Angeles during NHL All-Star weekend. Current day all-stars will be joined by the all-time greats in Los Angeles for the largest gathering of NHL stars in one location in League history. Stanley Cup Celebrations (March 15-18, 2017; Ottawa, Ont.) Celebrating the 125th anniversary of the donation of the Stanley Cup by Lord Stanley of Preston, the League will support the Ottawa Senators in collaboration with ‘Canada 150’ with special events commemorating the most revered trophy in all sports. Documentaries (March 2017; November 2017) A Stanley Cup documentary chronicling the rich and unique history of the iconic trophy will be released during the celebrations in Ottawa. Following that, an overarching documentary covering the key moments and milestones in the League’s 100-year history will be released during the League’s 100th birthday celebrations in November. 100 Iconic NHL Moments (Fall, 2017) The most iconic moments – goals, games, the odd and unusual, and seminal events in history will be unveiled in Fall, 2017. NHL Time Capsule (January – December, 2017) Each day, milestones throughout the League’s 100-year history will be shared with fans across all platforms – online, broadcast, and social – with original stories and videos. Fun Fact: The Pittsburgh Penguins had to add another cup to their 50th anniversary logo because of their Stanley Cup victory on June 12, 2016

It’s hard to believe that it’s already been 100 years since the NHL has been breathing life and a lot of rich history has developed since it’s humble inauguration. We saw so much change throughout the NHL’s history, it’s almost mind boggling in a way of what the league went through and how it has evolved during it’s history. Many things have changed in the NHL since day one but the one big department that has been evolved with the game are the jerseys hockey players wear. The material has changed, how they’re made has changed and most interestingly, how the look of each sweater has changed. The three biggest influences on what shapes a jersey’s design is where the team plays, what kind of culture surrounds the team and what they’ve won in the past. It’s a common theme for all of the new jerseys introduced for the 2016/17 NHL season and you can see the relation. An example of influence from location is why the Tampa Bay Lightning called the ‘Lightning’? That is because in the city of Tampa, lightning occurs way way more frequently there than any other city in North America. An example of cultural influence on sweaters is why the Nashville Predators have a shoulder logo that is in a shape of a guitar pic? That is because Nashville is known as Music City. There also piano keyboards distributed on the inside neck line of the sweater to add on to the cultural influence. History probably has the biggest influence on how team sweaters are designed today and there is no better example than the new 2017 Toronto Maple Leafs logo and jersey. If it weren’t for their 13 Stanley Cups, they wouldn’t have 13 stems from the top half of the Leaf on the logo. If it weren’t for their inauguration in 1917, they wouldn’t have 17 veins in total throughout their entire logo. Just check out the chart below and see for yourself. *The only part that you don’t see is on the inside of the neck, there is code that is written on the neck piece and it states “Honour. Pride. Courage.” Even though it’s a small and minor detail, it really inspires a winning attitude and perception about the Leafs. Fans can truly wear these beautiful sweaters with pride, honour and courage. These are going to be their permanent home and road jerseys. Los Angeles Kings 50th Anniversary Jersey A ton of unexpected and hidden symbolism is involved with this jersey and the key parts are: Striping along the arms represents two Stanley Cups Striping along the bottom matches 1967-68, the first on-ice season in Kings history Purple embellishment within the neck containing five Gold Diamonds represents the five decades and pays homage to the club’s historic Purple/Gold years Gold added to the Kings primary logo represents 50 years Special Font with Gold for player names and numbers Gray color is the same as the Dodger Stadium Series Limited Edition of 5,000 The Kings are slated to wear the new jersey for these 14 home games this season (some of these contests are designated as official LA Kings Heritage Nights): October 22, November 5, November 19, November 26, December 10, December 31, January 7, January 14, February 18, February 25, March 4, March 11, March 25 and April 8 (the club’s final regular season home games). The Kings will wear their original Vintage Gold uniforms only one time this season (October 14 as part of the club’s Home Opener) Philadelphia Flyers 50th Anniversary Jersey The Philadelphia Flyers jersey features a logo and colors similar to what the organization has traditionally worn. The big change was gold numbers on the jersey, and gold accents to the crest and the players’ names, in honor of the Flyers’ golden anniversary. The Flyers will wear these jerseys 12 times in 2016-17: – Oct. 20, the home opener against the Anaheim Ducks. – Nov. 2 against the Detroit Red Wings – Nov. 19 against the Tampa Bay Lightning – Nov. 25 against the New York Rangers – Dec. 3 against the Chicago Blackhawks – Dec. 10 against the Dallas Stars – Dec. 21 against the Washington Capitals – Jan. 7 against the Tampa Bay Lightning – Jan. 21 against the New Jersey Devils – Feb. 2 against the Montreal Canadiens – Feb. 4 against the Los Angeles Kings – Feb. 11 against the San Jose Sharks The part that I find most interesting about the jersey is the fact Philadelphia’s biggest rival, the Pittsburgh Penguins, also feature gold in their colour scheme, this new jersey design was predictably met with derision online. Pittsburgh Penguins Classic Jerseys Become New Again The 50th anniversary was not the reason why the Penguins went back to their old jerseysThe Penguins thought it’s be a good omen to use their vintage black jersey for their home games during the 2016 NHL playoffs because after all, they won the Stanley Cup last season. Now that it’s the 100th NHL season, the Pens thought it’d be a good idea to bring back the classic road jersey they used in the 90’s and make it permanent along with the use of the matching home jersey. The black home jersey they use permanently now used to be an alternate jersey for a couple of seasons until they decided to make it permanent this year. These jerseys also symbolize the Pens glory years in the 1991 and 1992 season when they wore these jerseys that brought them back-to-back Stanley Cups. This is an excellent move for the image of the Pittsburgh Penguins and it’ll one that will prove to be popular throughout time. Florida Panthers Permanent Home And Road Jerseys There is no doubt that these jerseys are unique in how the piping is laid out compared to most other NHL jerseys that have been created. The logo has a shield around the newly designed panther to symbolize honour in wearing the jersey. Notice how on the home jerseys, it says “Panthers” on the shield while the road jerseys say “Florida”. The reason for that is because for the road jerseys, “Florida” symbolizes where they come from when they are playing their road games and for the home games it says “Panthers” to symbolize who they are and to let opposong teams know that they are in Panther territory. Did you also notice that the side logo on the arm resembles the Florida State Flag as well as the exact illustration of Florida’s state animal, the Florida Panther. Winnipeg Jets Heritage Classic Jersey Not much to say about the Jets jersey besides the fact that The Jets’ uniform draws inspiration from the championship era of the late 1970s and features a crossover V-neck color and vintage-inspired mesh striping. The crest employs traditional chain stitching to lend a distinct authenticity to the throwback uniform. A pant logo highlights the historical Jets ID set, complete with an era-accurate name and number set. Overall this is an amazing jersey and one that Jets fans need to have in their collection. These are the only jerseys that have been revealed so far and we suspect that the St. Louis Blues and the Pittsburgh Penguins will reveal their 50th anniversary jerseys for their outdoor games this season. The Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings will reveal their winter classic jerseys sometime before their Winter Classic games in January, 2017. Overall, this season will be an exciting time for hockey fans everywhere as the season will be full of major events and celebrations.

The West is best and the East is yeast, right? That’s typically the case when it comes to comparing the Western and Eastern conferences. The West has dominated the East with the Western Conference teams winning the Stanley Cup 5 times in the last 7 seasons. The Western Conference teams in the not-so-distant past have beaten most Eastern Conference teams in the regular season as well. Last season was an exception. The records have indicated the East vs. West battle in the regular season was pretty even. The Eastern teams have improved significantly over the past season and it’s not looking like a tier II hockey league anymore. That means the Western teams can not rely on easily beating the Eastern teams for an easy 2 points anymore. With 2016 being one of the most boring and non-existent off-seasons in recent memory, I’m hoping to take some of the boredom out by offering ridiculous standings predictions some may find far-fetched, and maybe even shocking. Winner of the Pacific Division: San Jose Sharks Last year, the hockey world seen the unexpected resurrection of the San Jose Sharks. Following the traumatic experience of the 2014 reverse sweep against the Los Angeles Kings, the Sharks had a demotivated 2015 campaign. Everybody thought 2016 was going to be much of the same but the Sharks dug deep and found ways to win games towards the middle of the season and have since surprised hockey fans everywhere by beating the Kings, Predators and Blues to become Stanley Cup finalists. The Sharks have kept almost the entire roster from last season and in fact, they added more speed in the lineup by signing Mikkel Boedker to a contract. The reason why the Sharks wanted more speed is because the Penguins used to their speed to win the Stanley Cup against them last year during the Stanley Cup Finals. With Thornton and Marleau entering their contract years, they know it’s their very last shot at winning the Stanley Cup as they both turn 38 next year. This is the season that they’ll be both more motivated than ever as time is ticking closer and closer towards the end of their contracts and eventually, retirement. The good news is that the team they’re on right now is going to be the best in the West because of the arsenal of players supporting them. With Brent Burns, Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture and Marc-Edourd Vlasic rounding out the star cast, the Sharks will be fun and exciting to watch. The Sharks were offensive powerhouses last year ranking 2nd in team scoring and 5th in goals against. Expect similar numbers this season as the team improved by signing Boedker to a multi-year deal. Winner of the Central Division; Chicago Blackhawks Last year, the Hawks exited early from the playoffs as the Blues ousted them in 7 games in the Western Conference Quarter Finals. Patrick Kane was electric last season as he ammased 106 points taking home the Art Ross Trophy in the process. Once again the Hawks dumped salary in the off-season as they got rid of Bickell and Teravainen. That was the bad news. The good news is that they signed Brian Campbell for only $1.5 million and that is a steal considering how well he played for the Florida Panthers last year. The Hawks are perennial contenders for the Stanley Cup and they had the best powerplay last season. They are an extremely skilled, aggressive and fast-paced team that will take advantage of other teams mistakes every time opportunity presents. With above-average goaltending with Corey Crawford and a great defensive core with Keith, Campbell, Seabrook and Hjalmarsson in the mix, they’ll continue to provide exceptional puck-moving ability and scoring support from the back-end to Toews, Kane, Panarin (AKA Bread Man) and Hossa. It’ll be no surprise the Hawks will win a tough central division this year. 3rd in the Western Conference; Los Angeles Kings The Kings are a very big, powerful and physical team. They ranked 1st in hits last season but besides that they didn’t post overwhelmingly great scoring numbers. They’ll miss Lucic for sure because he was one of the very few players to provide physicality the way that he did. The Kings are still a deep team up front with Kopitar, Toffoli and Carter leading the way. If guys like Brown and Gaborik come back from disappointing seasons, the Kings will be a force to be reckoned with. The back-end isn’t too shabby when you got Doughty, Muzzin and Martinez leading the defensive corps. Besides that, the rest of the group of D gets thin. The signing of Tom Gilbert helps marginally. The Kings have to rely on somebody standing out from training camp to make a good impression but if you know anything about the Kings, it’s that they always find a way to make something work. Even if your defensive corp isn’t deep, you still have the most aggressive and acrobatic goaltender in the world in Jonathan Quick backing the Kings up every step of the way. Look forward to the Kings taking complete advantage of a weak Pacific Division and cementing their playoff spot early this season. 4th in the Western Conference; Nashville Predators When you add P.K. Subban to your team, the aura of the locker room is instantly more passionate and emotional. This can be good or bad depending on how it plays out. The Preds may have lost Weber in the trade but getting Subban back in return is better in the long-term. P.K. is a great puck mover just like teammate Roman Josi. He’ll provide speed and physicality as well – a very dynamic player. They’ll most likely be playing in separate pairings to spread the dynamics around. The offense looks good as well with Forsberg, Neal and Johansen leading the way up front. Scoring from the back end will be great as Subban, Josi, Ellis and Ekholm have great puck-moving ability and scoring prowess. This team will be faster and more skilled than a year ago. Speed will serve the Preds well when facing divisional foes with great speed like Chicago and Dallas because they’ll be able to keep up with them. Unlike Chicago and Dallas, the Preds play a more structured and defensive game that will frustrate opposing teams scorers. On a side note, we might see Viktor Arvidsson raise a few eyebrows and have a break out season. At times during the playoffs last season against Anaheim and San Jose, we was the best player on the ice and was an extremely hard worker. You never know if that hard work will pay off this season. The Predators will be the most interesting team to watch early in the season just to see how P.K. Subban will be adjusting to his new team. 5th in the Western Conference; Dallas Stars The Dallas Stars are the most explosive team in the NHL. The fire-power up front is salivating with Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Jason Spezza, Patrick Sharp and John Klingberg leading the charge. Those guys were the reason why they scored the most goals last year. The big concern for the Stars is the defensive corp. They lost Goligoski and Demers to free agency and that is a big deal considering that the Stars don’t have anybody else to replace them from within the system. Oleksiak isn’t ready unless I’m proven wrong but I think he’s a few years away from breaking out. Despite that, they did sign Hamhuis and they might sign Russell still, but the depth on defence is still pretty weak for the Stars. Despite the woes on defence, Dallas still does have good goaltending with Antti Niemi and Kari Lehtonen. They were good as a goaltending pair last year and will be good again this year. Who knows if one of them will be traded for a defenceman. Despite the defensive shortcomings, I’m still pretty confident with this team. As long as they’re on the powerplay and don’t play defence as much, they’ll get a lot of opportunities on the powerplay because of their discipline. They won’t be as good as last season but still good enough to make the playoffs nonetheless. 6th in the Western Conference; Calgary Flames Last season for the Flames was nothing short of atrocious. They were dead last in goals against and penalty kill. Fans had expectations for the Flames last year as they made the playoffs in 2015. Good news for the Flames is that the Pacific Division is still pretty weak in comparison to the Central which means the Flames have the best shot at winning some easy games against the Canucks, Oilers and Coyotes. The Flames have a great infusion of skill upfront and defensive acumen on the back-end. With Gaudreau, Monahan, Bennett and Backlund leading the charge upfront, they’re going to get some grade “A” scoring chances often. The Flames also have some grit as Ferland, Jooris, Frolik, Bouma and possibly Tkachuk rounding out the checking lines. There is a lot to like on the back-end with Giordano, Brodie and Hamilton leading the way with their puck-moving ability and smarts. They’re a very poised group of defenceman and play a very well-rounded game. The main reason why the Flames will make the playoffs this season is because they brought in goaltender, Brian Elliott from the Blues. I know a lot people don’t have faith in the Flames after what happened last year but I do. They’re a good team on paper and I think a lot of the young guns have learned their lessons so expect them to step up in a big way this season. 1st Wild Card Seed; St. Louis Blues If the Blues were in any other division, they’d dominate but they’re in Central Division, and that is tough. The Blues are a very balanced and depth driven team with a lot of grit and sandpaper. The exception to that rule is Vladimir Tarasenko and all he does is snipe pucks top shelf all day long. He’ll be good for 40 goals and 80 points again. The Blues were in the top 10 in everything from goals scored, goals against to special teams last year. Expect the Blues to be great this year but there will be hiccups along the way. Competing with the rest of the Central Division will not be easy and with Alex Pietrangelo being captain, there’ll be some leadership adjustments and growing pains along the way – especially if you lost somebody like David Backes who had exemplary leadership qualities. With Brian Elliot gone, Jake Allen will have to take full-time responsibilities in the crease and I’m not sure if he’ll handle it well. He’s a great goalie but I think he’ll have some work to do in adjusting to his new role as the unquestionable starting goalie. Overall the Blues will do fine but don’t panic if it looks like at certain points that they won’t make the playoffs because they’ll find a way. 2nd Wild Card Seed; Winnipeg Jets A return to the playoffs for the Winnipeg Jets shouldn’t be out of the question. Most people don’t have faith in them but i am one of the few that do. So why is that? That is because the Jets are in the middle of priming their prospect pipeline for a boost to the big leagues. With Patrik Laine, Kyle Connor and Josh Morrisey on the rise, expect some heads to be turned towards their direction. You also have Adam Lowry, Nikolaj Ehlers and Mark Scheiffle still improving and what all that means is that the Jets will establish themselves as a deadly scoring threat when no one else will expect it. As far as defence is concerned, there actually isn’t too much to be concerned with. Byfuglien, Trouba, Myers and Morrisey will most likely round out the top 4 on the back-end and that isn’t too bad. The only knock on them is that they aren’t as fast as other teams defensive corps like to what Nashville, Chicago and St. Louis have. But the good news is that they’re more physical and that can be a big advantage if they’re able to land the hits. Goaltending will be a mystery until the start of the season because Pavelic, Hutchinson and Hellebuyck all have cases to be starting goaltenders for the Jets. We might see an early season trade ensue if one of the goalies doesn’t make the cut because they’re all NHL calibre but you can only have 2 goalies on the starting roster. The Central Division is full of powerful teams but I think the Jets have a great shot to barely squeak into the playoffs. They won’t be as good as Nashville, Dallas or Chicago but Winnipeg has a case to beat them on some nights bounces go their way. You might be slightly shocked as to why I didn’t choose Anaheim to make the playoffs. Every once in awhile, when a great team has made the playoffs for many consecutive years, there is sometimes an off-year. When Anaheim lost it’s 4th consecutive game 7 in the playoffs against Nashville, there was an aura of devastation amongst the entire team. The blame game was played by almost everybody and everything was left on a sour note. With Bruce Boudreau released from his head coaching duties, Randy Carlyle is stepping back in to coach the Ducks for the first time since 2011. I don’t know how that is going to workout because the outcome in Carlyle’s coaching usually goes one of two ways. Either every player buys into the system or they don’t at all. My belief is that they don’t because of how Carlyle left the team last time in 2011. Players weren’t buying in, they weren’t particiapting in Carlyle’s practices and that caused a cancerous type of mood in the locker room. I think old memories between Perry, Getzlaf and Carlyle will come back but not in a good way. They might do well early in the season but bad relationships might form because of the memories and that can cause havoc. It was just like the Montreal Canadiens last year when they collapsed after doing well. It wasn’t just because of Carey Price either, it was because of the bad relationship between Subban, teammates and the coach. I see a scenario just like this play out for the Anaheim Ducks. Here’s how the rest of the Standings might play out: 9th: Anaheim Ducks 10th: Edmonton Oilers 11th: Minnesota Wild 12th: Colorado Avalanche 13th: Arizona Coyotes 14th: Vancouver Canucks Click here for full article with voter poll Click here to read the Eastern Conference Standings and Stanley Cup Predictions

You know it’s that time of year again when there is no other juicy hockey news besides off-season player SCANDALS. But there hasn’t been any of that either. Unlike in years past, there have been no Patrick Kane rape allegations, no Dustin Byfuglien driving his boat wasted, no Jarret Stoll snorting coke on the 3rd line, and no Ryan O’Reilly driving his truck through Tim Horton’s desperate for a double-double. It’s so boring this year! And when there are no player scandals, August and September will have very boring T.V. for most hockey fans. At least the World Cup will will keep the off-season interesting right? Due to off-season inactivity, there is a demanding need for “hockey salvation.” Everything from ball hockey, playing in summer camp, trolling the GGSU Facebook page and even reading little articles on fantasy standings such as this one do offer some sort of satisfaction. The great and terrible aspect about fantasy prediction articles is that it offers bold, fanatical, baseless insight that never pleases anybody and triggers everybody. As a writer, I don’t aim to win some “best blog post of the year” award and I probably never will. I aim to pioneer conversation and that is why I love the comments section. With the 2016/17 NHL season set to begin very soon, all I want to know is, how crazy am I with my own predictions? Winner of the Atlantic Division: Tampa Bay Lightning The only reason why the Lightning didn’t go to the Stanley Cup Finals last season is because they got cocky facing the Pittsburgh Penguins in Games 6 and 7 of the Eastern Conference Final. The team acted like they had the series in the bag and that lack of willpower towards the end of the series came back to bite them in the ass. Regardless, this is the most talented team in the East. The General Manager of the Lightning, Steve Yzerman, has done some amazing work retaining Drouin and Stamkos which is worthy of winning the ‘GM of the year award’ alone. They have a superior offence, dominating defence and great goaltending from big Ben Bishop. Not an overly physical team, The Lightning play a smart and fast brand of hockey that makes it hard for defenders to keep up to. Their Powerplay was weak last season ranking 26th in the league but that won’t be a problem anymore with Stamkos healthy and Drouin playing with a good attitude. There won’t be any holes in the Lightning’s game as long as they focus and keep their eyes on the prize. A sure-fire Stanley Cup favourite in the Eastern Conference. Winner of the Metro Division: Washington Capitals After a very disappointing playoff performance where the Caps got ousted by the Penguins in the second round, the Caps are coming into this season with pretty much the same team. The smartest thing that General Manger, Brian MacLellan did was NOT make any drastic roster moves. Just because you exit the playoffs early doesn’t mean you have to panic and blow up the entire team. The Caps will get their breakthrough but they need to be patient and play it smart. They’re already an offensive powerhouse blessed with a tonne of creativity backed by a very reliable and stable defence. Goaltending is phenomenal too. Holtby is also one of the top goalies in the league so that doesn’t hurt either as they ranked 2nd in goals-against with only 193 goals allowed. Their special teams are also rock solid as they ranked 2nd in PP% and 3rd PK% last season. They play a very balanced game under Head Coach Barry Trotz and he has done an excellent job coaching during his 2-year tenure with the team so far. Hell, he even got Ovechkin to play defence! That is a major accomplishment in itself. As long as this team doesn’t have any locker room distractions, they’ll be sure to keep the mood light as they have fun playing very exciting hockey this season. Playoffs is a 99.99% sure thing for them but the playoffs are the Caps biggest challenge. 3rd in the Eastern Conference: The Pittsburgh Penguins This team made a compelling statement, shutting the haters up when they won the Stanley Cup on June 12th, 2016. Once again, Sidney Crosby and the gang asserted themselves as true winners as they defeated the San Jose Sharks in 6 games during the 2016 Stanley Cup Finals. After a bad start at the beginning of the season, the Pens fired their coach Mike Johnston and replaced him with Mike Sullivan midway through the season. Boy that was the best move GM Jim Rutherford made all season as the Pens started to work much harder on the ice. That hard work showed as they amassed the best team record since December. They also played a more aggressive style of hockey as they got way more odd-man rushes than before. Sully couldn’t have gotten any more out of his players as the PP% and PK% ranked 3rd best by the end of the season after posting disastrous numbers in the first half of the year. What vaulted the Pens to Stanley Cups champions was their speed. They were way faster than the Sharks during the Stanley Cup Finals and as a result, won more foot races than the Sharks. Matt Murray was incredibly solid and poised as he won the #1 goaltending job away from Marc-Andre Fleury as a rookie. Nobody knows if Fleury will be traded but so far nothing has happened yet so stay tuned. The Pens will be making sure there will be no Stanley Cup hangover this season. 4th in the Eastern Conference; Florida Panthers After surprising hockey fans around the globe (Not me, I predicted them to make it in 2015), The Florida Panthers have made the playoffs for the first time since 2012. The aura in Florida is different this time. They now have a bonafide franchise player in Aaron Ekblad, who just locked up a 8 year, $60 million deal. They have a great mix of veterans and youngsters that have great chemistry together. God Emperor Jagr and Strombone1 (Luongo) have been excellent locker room presences. The God Emperor has taught young studs like Barkov, Huberdeau, Smith and Trochek to be better players and all of whom have scored a minimum 20 goals this past season. Losing Kulikov, Gudbranson and Campbell is nothing to scoff at; they’re pretty good defensemen, however, GM Dale Tallon has filled the void by acquiring Keith Yandle, Jason Demers and Jakub Kindl. What’s better? The former group of defensemen that they lost (Campbell, Kulikov, Gudbranson) or the latter group of defensemen who they picked up (Yandle, Demers, Kindl)? The latter is more offensive minded than the former which suits Florida’s playing style well. They like to move the puck up quickly plus Florida isn’t a shot-blocking team so that made defensive defensemen like Gudbranson expendable. The Panthers didn’t have good special teams last season and they still won’t this year but regardless, they’ll still be a good team to watch. 5th in the Eastern Conference; The New York Islanders For the first time since 1993, the New York Islanders have advanced to the second round of the playoffs. They eventually lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in 5 games, however, fortunes are changing on the ice for the Islanders. They’ve had the best roster in many years in 2016 with John Tavares leading the way. He has already proved to be a clutch player scoring overtime and game-tying goals. The Islanders are not an analytics darling but they’re very physical (2nd in team hits), exceptional on special teams (8th in PP% and 4th in PK%) and play a very exciting, run n’ gun brand of hockey. Losing Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielson to free agency is a big blow to the offence. Despite that, they’ve replaced Okposo with Andrew Ladd plus they have guys like Matthew Barzal, Josh Ho Sang and Michael Dal Colle that can make the team as very talented rookies. You also have sleeper picks like Ryan Strome and Josh Bailey who have the ability to surprise as well. Offense shouldn’t be a struggle despite what most pessimists think. On defence, they’ll improve greatly from within as Ryan Pulock and Calvin de Hahn continue to improve their skillset on the back-end. Nick Leddy and Johnny Boychuk are still their go-to-defenders plus they have solid defensive support from Travis Hamonic and Thomas Hickey. As a whole, this group of defenceman will have a great mix of physicality and puck-moving ability which will serve the forwards well. Goaltending will be very stable as Greiss and Halak man the crease. They’ve posted good numbers last season and will continue to do so this season so expect another playoff berth for the Islanders. 6th in the Eastern Conference; The Montreal Canadiens Last season for the Canadiens was a complete and utter disaster of biblical proportions. Having the worst team record since Christmas will definitely land you at the bottom of the standings. They’ve had a terrible season in 2012 but the 2015/16 campaign was far worse because of how it happened. The major X-factor for this season is Carey Price by far. The entire collapse of last season started when Carey Price went down with an injury in early December. The Habs boasted a 1st place record at that time but they eventually fell down to 12th by the end of the season. Not only did Price go down, P.K. Subban was having hissy fits and temper tantrums almost every shift he was on the ice plus the atmosphere in the locker room was absolutely depressing. As long as the Canadiens have a healthy Carey Price, they’ll go places. Trading away P.K. Subban for Shea Weber will prove to be interesting, and the signing of Alex Radulov is also a curious one. The reason why these moves were made is because the Habs have nowhere to go but up and with the type of team they have now, they’re way better off to improve the team on short-term needs instead of long term. Basically what I’m trying to say is YOLO, you got to go for it when you have the chance. I won’t go into the analytics because this team will only go as far as their emotions reveal. With a steady presence like Weber, he’ll be able to settle the locker room down with his poise and equilibrium. He is the exact opposite of P.K. Subban and that’s why they traded for him. Radulov has matured since his party days in Nashville and he knows this is his last shot at making a good impression at the NHL level so expect a compelling push in March as they’ll make the playoffs for the first time in two years. 1st Wild Card Seed; The Ottawa Senators Last season was definitely not like the captivating 2015 campaign which saw Andrew Hammond (The Hamburglar) go on a ridiculous run that vaulted the Senators to the playoffs even after all hope was lost. Last season, we saw an uninspired and lackluster Sens team that has lost its competitive edge against other teams despite remaining physical (3rd in hits). They still had some offense as they ranked 13th in goal scoring last season but everything else about Ottawa’s game outright sucked. They were near the bottom in goals against, penalty killing and powerplay. Erik Karlsson posted terrific numbers as he acquired 82 points in 82 games. Mark Stone and Mike Hoffman were tearing it up offensively but the bad news is that Bobby Ryan and Kyle Turris had disappointing seasons. Curtis Lazar and Cody Ceci have yet to have good seasons but they’re primed for a breakout right now. With Dion Phaneuf and Derrick Brassard now in the mix for a full year, the defence will improve slightly but they won’t be stalwarts on the back end. Anderson and Hammond will bounce back from mediocre seasons as they look to get back in the playoffs. Overall this team will improve from within as they have the skill, work ethic, physicality and big-body presence on the wing so expect a wild card seat from the Senators although this choice is a bit of a gamble. 2nd Wild Card Seed; The Columbus Blue Jackets The choice for the last playoff seed in the Eastern Conference was a hard choice between Carolina and Columbus for me. At the end of the day, I chose Columbus based on defensive improvements from within. It was an absolutely miserable start for the B.J’s last season as they couldn’t recover from their terrible on-ice impression. The defence was non-existent and it was so bad that even mediocre teams like Vancouver and Toronto were having offensive heydeys against them. Last season, Columbus made some changes as they brought in Seth Jones as they shipped Ryan Johansen to Nashville. Columbus had the 9th best offense, but yet, some of the worst defense last season. That will change this year as Ryan Murray, Seth Jones, Jack Johnson and David Savard have a real chance to gel this season. Columbus won’t miss Ryan Johansen too much as Alex Wennberg has come into his own replacing him. The top six forward group has a good mix of grit and skill as Boone Jenner, Nick Foligno, Brandon Saad, Cam Atkinson, Scott Hartnell and Alex Wennberg make up the top forward cast. With John Tortorella as Head Coach, this team will be gritty and defensively active. They will block a lot of shots and play “in your face” type of hockey. With goaltending, Joonas Korpisalo posted good numbers despite the adversity last season so expect him to be the starting goalie unless Bobrovsky can prove himself otherwise. Overall the Blue Jackets will be a team you’ll want to keep an eye on because they can make John Tortorella look very good behind the bench. I believe Tortorella, as controversial as he is, can coach a young hockey team as long as the kids have thick skin. Expect a trip to the playoffs as the Jackets will have improved structure and focus this year. As far as non-playoff teams are concerned, there isn’t much to talk about but I will highlight who will be finishing near the bottom. Here is the list of the teams who will be golfing early this season: 9th: Carolina Hurricanes 10th: Toronto Maple Leafs 11th: Philadelphia Flyers 12th: Detroit Red Wings 13th: New York Rangers 14th: Boston Bruins 15th: Buffalo Sabres 16th: New Jersey Devils As far as the Stanley Cup Finals are concerned, we have the Tampa Bay Lightning edging out the San Jose Sharks in 7 games after the Sharks take a 3-0 series lead only to blow it in the end! I would not blame the entire Sharks team if they retire if a scenario like that would happen but history does repeat itself in mysterious ways, doesn’t it? As far as I can recall, the Sharks did flop a 3-0 series lead before, didn’t they? Click here for full article with video and poll

Hey everybody, As some of us know as hockey fans, we definitely have our favourite team and we definitely have our favourite jersey. How some of us view or make use of our jerseys are sometimes very different from each other. Some of us are very happy with just getting our favourite team’s home jersey with no name on the back. They just show support for the team they’re cheering for. Some of us want the authentic-cut jersey that the players wear on the ice; that’s if you’re a hardcore fan. It doesn’t matter how you wear it, it doesn’t matter when you wear it, all what matters is that you’re doing it for the game that you love and nothing else. Once in awhile, you might see a jersey and think; “Hey, that is an interesting design.” Someone may post a picture of it on the internet and it might get some buzz on social media. Some of you might stop scrolling and take a good look at it and give it a quick like. Some of you may look a little more into it and find out the jerseys are for a charitable cause. Some of these jersey designs are cool and some are downright ridiculous but it’s worth a good chuckle or a jaw-dropping reaction. A lot of these jerseys are made for promotional efforts and auctioned off for charity and that’s just another reason why hockey is one of the greatest sports on Earth. Sometimes though, the cause goes deeper and beyond the colours of the jersey There is definitely cultural symbolism with some of these jerseys. Some of which have caused some controversy. Military Inspired Camouflage Jerseys: A lot of NHL teams are on board with wearing these military inspired jerseys during warm ups to support and recognize the national military. Fans have polarizing views of these jerseys but they’re not meant to promote style, it’s to promote a good cause. Some people have said that these jerseys don’t serve a purpose and don’t help the military BUT if you care about how it helps the military then you have to know where your money is going before you buy military inspired merchandise. The MSE Foundation recently raised $46,000 during a Washington Capitals home game on February 5th, 2016 by auctioning military-inspired Washington Capitals jerseys. The funds acquired are used to help family members of soldiers who serve in the military, soldiers with PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder) and war amputees. The jerseys were autographed and sold during the event. Not only were these jerseys sold to raise funds; equipment such as pucks, helmets, sticks and others were also sold to raise funds for this honourable cause. It’s mostly just at these private auctions where money is raised for these kinds of charities. Most official sports retail outlets that offer military camouflage jerseys are only sold for profit unless otherwise stated that proceeds from each sale goes towards a charity. Some retail outlets do sell these jerseys but some don’t because they don’t want a controversial image of using the military fashion to cash in on a quick profit. It’s not just jerseys where the camouflage design is used, it’s on hats, toques and shirts as well. Soldiers who have served in the military dislike the fact that retail outlets use the military image for profit because its a weak expression of support for the military plus the image of the military is taken advantage of for promotional purposes so corporations can make a profit. *Do you agree with sports merchandisers selling military camouflage jerseys for profit? Here is the link to the comments about the jerseys made from members of the military: Star Wars Themed Jerseys: It’s easy to admit that these jerseys are ‘out-of-the-box’ in terms of jersey design. For Star Wars fans who love hockey, they are some of the most epic jersey designs ever. The Vancouver Giants and Saskatoon Blades of the WHL each had a Star Wars night in honour of the most successful 2015 box office hit; Star Wars – The Force Awakens. Star Wars night for the Saskatoon Blades was held on November 28th, 2015 and the entire Saskatoon Blades team wore these jerseys for their home game against the Edmonton Oil Kings. The jerseys were not just meant to bring nerds to hockey games but it was for charity. The player-worn jerseys were signed by the players and auctioned after the game. Proceeds from the auction went towards the Food Banks of Saskatchewan. The Vancouver Giants had their own version of these beautiful Star Wars jerseys as well but unlike the Blades, the Giants went to the “dark side”. The Giants wore them for their home game on December 4th, 2015 against the Kootenay Ice. Just like what the Blades did, the Giants team also signed these jerseys and auctioned them off for charity. The proceeds went to the Shriners Hospitals for Children. L.A. Dodgers Pride Night Jerseys: *Dustin Brown and Drew Doughty of the L.A. Kings wearing these Dodgers inspired practice jerseys during warm-up. The Los Angeles Kings have a ‘Dodgers Pride Night’ once per season. It’s based from the partnership agreement between the Los Angeles Kings and the Los Angeles Dodgers, a Major League Baseball team. It’s a promotion as much as it is a charitable cause for both major sports teams. Fans that go to this annual event don’t only watch the game but get a L.A. Kings themed baseball and a chance to win prizes at the game. The Dodger’s inspired hockey sweaters that were used for warm up were signed and auctioned after the game. Proceeds went to the Kings Care Foundation. Flint Firebird “Tropics” Jerseys: Based from the 2008 box office hit Semi-Pro, these jerseys were an excerpt from the Flint Tropics, the name of Basketball team in the movie. Since it’s the Flint Firebirds we’re talking about here, wouldn’t it be convenient to have the “Jackie Moon” approved Flint Tropic hockey jerseys for a promotional event? That’s exactly what the Flint Firebirds did as they hosted a “Flint Tropics Night” in Flint, Michigan. The Firebirds hosted the Owen Sound Attack on February 13th, 2016 for the event. It was a big highlight for the Firewoods as they were having an awful season dealing with numerous ownership disputes and a lot of losing games. The jerseys were auctioned off after the game for charity and it was one night the Firebirds and the fans had fun regardless on the outcome of the game. St. Patty Day Hockey Jerseys: Like the military jerseys, the St. Patty Day jerseys are used by many NHL teams for pre-game warm ups but without the controversy. It’s great promo as St. Patty’s day is very popular and if you didn’t guess already the pre-game warm up jerseys are signed and auctioned off for charity by many teams. Whether its an NHL team or some junior league team partaking in this, it’s a very popular event in Canada and the United States. It always produces great results because it’s a great excuse to celebrate Spring and a great reason to order up a few pints of Guinness for yourself and your friends. How could someone hate St. Patrick’s Day?

The trade deadline may not seem very significant at first considering that the NHL has the playoffs, draft and the all-star game. The trade deadline is more important than you may think because the outcome from the moves made by teams during that time can vary in extremes but the only thing that comes to mind as to why teams make key trades at that time. Because it’s the Stanley Cup. The media love to make a big deal out of it and it becomes more of a spectacle of entertainment more than anything and it’s sometimes hilarious watching the analysts making the trade announcements as dramatic as possible. But regardless, I admire they’re passion. The choice between buying and selling at the deadline is easily made if you’re a team that’s contending (buying) and a teams that’s rebuilding (selling). Then you have those bubble teams who are between 7th and 11th place give or take. A team has to be in 8th place or above to make the playoffs. Those teams that are on the bubble make the situation very interesting because the general managers for those teams now have a tough choice between buying and selling. Remarkably, some of the teams that did buy as a bubble team went on to either go to the finals or win the Stanley Cup. It has happened a few times before and sometimes those trade acquisitions at the deadline paid huge dividends. What if those bold trade deadline moves weren’t made? What if a team decided to sell instead? A lot of general managers don’t like to sell if they’re a bubble team because if they decide to take that route, it would most likely mean that the rebuild would extend by 1 to 3 years. There’s always the odd case where there’s a nagging contract issue with a star player. The 2 parties might come at a wits end and no matter what team he’s playing on, most GM’s would opt to trade him to salvage what they can get back from him instead of letting him walk to free agency with nothing in return. Others keep that player in hopes of a deep playoff run but that has it’s own set of risks. For the purposes of this list, we’re focusing on the trades that involved players that made a impact for the rest of that season and performed exceptionally well in the playoffs. Only one team per season will be counted on the list as well. Edmonton Oilers trade their 1st and 3rd round picks to the Minnesota Wild for Dwayne Roloson on March 8th, 2006 When the 2006 Edmonton Oilers had to make the choice between buying and selling at the deadline, GM Kevin Lowe decided to aggressively buy despite the fact that the Oilers were in the middle of the standings. What made this trade so scary is that Roloson was just 6-17-1 with a GAA of 3.00 that season. That record alone is enough drive away most shoppers. But with Lowe taking the chance to acquire him, he made himself look like a genius. While the results didn’t pay off immediately for the rest of the season (8-7-5 record with .905 sv%) with Edmonton barely making the playoffs by taking the last seed. Roloson absolutely put on a tear in the playoffs with him and the Oilers beating the Detroit Red Wings (President’s Trophy Winners) in 6 games of the quarter finals. It shocked the hockey world. Maybe they got lucky? Maybe they were onto something as the Oilers made victims of the San Jose Sharks and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the semi-finals and conference finals respectively. Roloson’s record for the first 3 rounds dramatically improved to 12-5-0 with a GAA of 2.33 and SV% of .927. That is a fantastic record considering how not so great his record was during the season. Unfortunately for Roloson, he got injured in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes and wasn’t able to return to the rest of the series. The Oilers would still go the distance against an aggressive Hurricanes team but ultimately falter in game 7 as the Canes won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. Jussi Markkanen was the designated goaltender for the Oilers for the rest of the series. A lot of people have questioned if the Oilers would have won the Stanley Cup if Roloson didn’t get injured; We unfortunately will never know that fate. The Carolina Hurricanes trade Krystofer Kolanos, Niklas Nordgren, and a 2007 2nd round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Mark Recchi on March 9th, 2006. (Day after Dwayne Roloson trade) Recchi was a great high-scoring winger in the 1990’s and early 2000’s but he was a older player in 2006 and his production wasn’t what it used to be. It was still a great trade for Carolina to make because they didn’t pay that much to acquire him. Regardless, Recchi is a great leader on and off the ice and his leadership was needed to vault the Carolina Hurricanes to win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. Recchi totalled 7 points in 20 regular season games for the Hurricanes as well as contributing 16 points in 25 games and a lot of points came in critical moments during a few of their games which made him a clutch performer. This trade deadline deal is not a prolific or exciting one but the value gained in leadership, delivering in critical moments while not giving any roster players from the trade is a damn good deal for the Canes. The Pittsburgh Penguins trade Erik Christensen, Colby Armstrong, Angelo Esposito and a 1st round pick to the Atlanta Thrashers for Pascal Dupuis and Marian Hossa on February 26th, 2008. There was no doubt at that time that the Pittsburgh Penguins found their glory days again. It was the first time since the early 1990’s that the Penguins had a team that had two franchise players to build around in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. With the Penguins acquiring Hossa, they ensured themselves they were getting a high-calibre two-way sniper. The Pens sure hit the mark in getting Hossa but he suffered an injury in his MCL on his first game as a Pen. Many thought he was going to be out for the rest of the season and the playoffs but luckily he returned to the line-up just a few weeks before the 2007-2008 regular season ended and he looked like he was still in top form as he scored 10 points during the final 12 games of the season. With Hossa returning to the lineup, the Penguins ensured themselves that they were a powerhouse contender for the Stanley Cup. Pascal Dupuis was a great addition in the trade as well because him and Sidney Crosby had excellent chemistry playing together but it was Hossa who stepped up large in the playoffs that year. Hossa shook off the criticism of not performing in big games by registering 26 points including 14 goals in just 20 games during the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs. It wasn’t enough as the Detroit Red Wings out-duelled the Penguins in the Stanley Cup Finals as the Wings won the Stanley Cup in 6 games. The Pens not only won with the services of Hossa, they found long-term chemistry for Sidney Crosby as Pascal Dupuis stayed with the Penguins for the rest of his NHL career. Hossa went on to sign with the Red Wings for one year just after the Stanley Final loss. Ironically, the Red Wings would face the Penguins once again in the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals where the Penguins avenged last years loss by defeating the Red Wings in 7 games. Pascal Dupuis played a pivotal role in helping the Penguins win the cup and once again Hossa was on the losing side but this time with the Detroit Red Wings. Hossa would more than make up for his losses by signing with the Chicago Blackhawks where he has won 3 Stanley Cup championships so far. What the Atlanta Thrashers acquired in the trade with Hossa didn’t materialize into what they were expecting as Christensen and Armstrong didn’t develop into the players that the Thrashers were hoping. Also, highly touted 1st round pick, Angelo Esposito and their 1st round draft choice, Daultan Leveille didn’t even crack the NHL line up as both were considered draft busts just a few years. The Los Angeles Kings traded Matt Frattin, a 2nd round draft pick and a 3rd round draft pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Marian Gaborik on March 5th, 2014. Unlike the 2012 Los Angeles Kings, who were considered underdogs, the 2014 Los Angeles Kings team were a known threat to other NHL teams then. But once again they still surprised many as they dominated in the playoffs. During the 2012 trade deadline, the Kings acquired Jeff Carter from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Jack Johnson and a 1st round pick. It was a genius move by Kings GM Dean Lombardi as the Kings went on to win the Stanley Cup that season despite the fact that were 3 head coaching changes plus they barely made the playoffs as an 8th seed in the western conference. The Jeff Carter trade was a great trade deadline deal for the Kings but the Marian Gaborik trade was a much better deal as he performed way better than Carter in their 2014 championship season plus the Kings gave up less for Gaborik than they did to get Carter. Gaborik came from the Blue Jackets playing just a handful games because he was injured for the rest of the time. Gaborik finished the 2014 regular season with 16 points in 19 games which is pretty good. In the playoffs he was even better as Gaborik absolutely dominated by scoring 14 goals and mustering 22 points in 26 games. Once again, the Kings have won the Stanley Cup for the 2nd time in 3 years. Without Gaborik, I don’t think the Kings would have that kind of run to be honest. This trade was also interesting because the Jeff Carter trade and the Marian Gaborik trade came from the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets both times making themselves look foolish at their expense as the Kings made themselves look like geniuses. Maybe the Kings should get another deal with the Jackets again? The Colorado Avalanche trade Brian Rolston, Martin Grenier, Sammy Pahlsson, and a first-round draft pick to the Boston Bruins for Raymond Bourque and Dave Andreychuk on March 6th, 2000. This was a trade that was led to believe that the Avalanche were going all in for the 1999-2000 season but the fruition of the trade didn’t transpire until the following season. The Avalanche landed Boston’s franchise defenceman of nearly 20 years who many thought was unmovable. Bourque comes in as an outsider but fit into the club right away as he scored 14 points in the final 14 games of the 1999-2000 regular season. The Avs once again were poised for a deep playoff run but in the conference finals against the Dallas Stars, they fell just short but in the meantime Bourque racked up 9 points in 13 playoff games. That’s incredible for a player that was 39 years old at the time. When many thought it was going to be Bourque’s last season before retiring, Bourque signed a one year deal with the Colorado Avalanche in hopes of winning the Stanley Cup. It was an unexpected signing considering how long he has played in the NHL already, but his desire to win was stronger than his ability to say ‘”no” to hockey. The following season, Bourque amassed 59 points in 80 games which is pretty impressive at the age of 40. Bourque established a strong leadership presence in the locker room and became an alternate captain. In the playoffs, Bourque once again made invaluable contributions towards sending the Avs to the 2001 Stanley Cup Final as he still defended well while still accumulating 10 points in 21 games. The Avs ultimately won the Stanley Cup against the reigning 2000 Stanley Cup champions, The New Jersey Devils. A special moment in history was made right after the final moments of the last Stanley Cup Final game of 2001 was played. When NHL commissioner Gary Bettman handed the Stanley Cup to Joe Sakic, Sakic didn’t raise the Cup right away. Instead, he called over Ray Bourque to hoist it. It was a very classy move by Sakic as he knew Bourque waited 20 NHL seasons to win the Cup and he finally got his wish. It was a fairy tale ending to an illustrious and legendary career by none other than Raymond Bourque.

That Minny jersey is indeed a great jersey, I won't deny that. I love hearing people's thoughts on what they're favourite ones are, I think it's great. But there was a lot to choose from. The criteria to make the list was based on resemblance to history, symbolism and creativity. The Minny jersey does have the "North Star" resemblance on the engraved hand-writing of "Minnesota Wild" on the jersey but I thought that part was a little too subtle. The layout and piping is great but I thought the resemblance to the history and symbolism wasn't strong enough but there is no denying that the jersey is a really good design overall. If the jersey had a shoulder patch that was interesting, then it probably would have made it. Thank you for your input! oil

In the past I wrote an article similar to this by listing the top 10 NHL alternate jerseys and there was a rank on them. While it was still interesting, I’m now putting a new twist to this. Now you get to vote what jersey deserves to be on the top. I would love to see a debate on this because I want to know what aspect in an NHL jersey fans value. I’m only talking about the context, the artistic design and how it presents your roots based on what’s on the sweater. Yes, sometimes your favourite player has wore that jersey and you love that jersey because of that fact but this is not what I’m talking about. Is there a hidden, compelling element of the sweater that you can relate to or is there some visual detail or meaning that sticks out in your mind? I will announce what you, the fans have chosen what jersey deserves to be on top on the company Social Media pages in a separate post on Facebook and Twitter: We are only going to present jerseys that have been introduced in the post-lockout era. So after the 2005-06 NHL season. Those wacky 90’s jerseys will be saved for another day. Winter Classic and Stadium Series jerseys will also be saved for another day. The list will not include jerseys that were originally alternate then converted as primary home and road jerseys either. Here is the list of jerseys I am presenting to you and if there is any jersey you want an honourable mention on, let us know in the comment section! San Jose Sharks 25th Anniversary Jersey Introduced in the 2015-16 season, it was only fitting that the Sharks present a jersey that goes back to their roots as it was their 25th anniversary season. To me, this is a very symbolic and iconic jersey. The black alternates they have are awesome as well but this jersey holds a richer history element to it. Anaheim Ducks ‘Orange Eggplant’ Jersey Introduced at the same time as the 25th anniversary San Jose Sharks jersey, the Ducks decided to go back to the history books and incorporate their “Mighty Ducks of Anaheim” eggplant logo. Unlike the Sharks who have went ‘full retro’ with their jersey, the Ducks made a risque move of combining ‘old school’ and ‘mainstream’ and are right now proving to be very popular amongst fans of the Anaheim Ducks but other fans alike who have an interest for the colour design of the jersey. Colorado Avalanche ‘Back To the Rockies’ Jersey Okay you see the pattern here? Once again introduced in 2015, this jersey was designed to relive the Colorado Rockies days between 1976 to 1982. It was also the Colorado Avalanche’s 20th anniversary so once again, lets relive history and put a modern twist to it. The colour scheme is very well laid out with the logo as the big “C” represents the core of the Colorado State flag fused into what appears to be part of the Rocky Mountains. Oh and if you don’t know what the Colorado State flag looks like, just look at the left shoulder patch of the jersey. Edmonton Oilers ‘Alberta Oilers WHA Days’ Jersey Some call it the ‘McDavid Jersey’ because it was revealed when Connor McDavid was 1st overall in the 2015 NHL Draft. This used to be the Alberta Oilers main jersey when they were in the WHA in the 1970’s. Not too many people knew who the Alberta Oilers were until people who saw this jersey and have the history described behind it. What’s so interesting about this jersey is that when that when Connor McDavid wore the jersey for the first time as it was sequenced with the unveiling of the new jersey, it created a sense of hope and optimism. The Oilers were a cultural mess for years as it lead to bad hockey teams with no meaning and no structure. That feeling of hope and optimism especially held true when the Oilers’ newly acquired ‘generational talent’ was drafted onto their team wearing that jersey. Shortly before, there was a new head coach and new general manager coming into the organization that knew how to win. It was also the first hirings from Oilers in a long time where it wasn’t an Edmonton Oiler alumni player from the glory days of the 1980’s taking the helm. For once, it was strictly help from the ‘outside the Oiler family’ that was brought in take charge. The jersey symbolized a new beginning, not reliving the glory days despite the jersey being considered ‘full-retro.’ Calgary Flames ‘Cowboy Prairie’ Jersey Okay cowboy, giddy up. If there is something that resembles what kind of jersey a cowboy would like, this jersey is it. I personally have the EDGE version of this jersey and they are just phenomenal as you appreciate it more in person. It’s not the raw hand writing of the word ‘Calgary’ on the front, it’s the shoulder logo that what intrigued me the most. To me, it looks like a prairie field with a sunset hovering over the Rocky Mountains in the background. You only get that kind of view if you’re looking from East to West only from the Eastern side of the Rockies just west of Calgary. Talk about the depth of thought put into a little, tiny patch shoulder patch. St. Louis Blues ‘Gateway Arch’ Jersey This jersey just makes too much sense. Even though it was introduce in 2008, it’s still a very popular alternate jersey to this day. The ‘Gateway Arch’ is what makes this jersey turn from ordinary to extraordinary as the iconic architectural landmark is super-imposed in the middle of the circular center logo of the jersey. It’s simple but the colour pattern and center logo blends so well with each other. I really think they shouldn’t replace this jersey and keep it as an alternate for a long time. In my mind, nothing much beats it. Pittsburgh Penguins ‘Relive the Glory Days’ Jersey What’s so interesting about this jersey is that this jersey was not inspired by the roots of geological landmarks or Pittsburgh culture, it was about reliving the early glory days of the early 1990’s when Lemieux and Jagr basically dominated the league at that time. Now guys like Crosby, Malkin and Kessel are wearing it in the game and that is totally symbolic of those early 1990’s glory days as we fast forward in time and see what the Penguins are like now. Of course if a jersey is designed to relive the ‘good ol days’ then the jersey has to be a ‘full retro look.’ Carolina Hurricanes ‘Black Storm’ Jersey Okay so the Carolina Hurricanes are not a very popular hockey team, but the jerseys that have been unveiled in the last few years are pretty cool and this alternate ‘Black Storm’ jersey is no exception. Since Carolina is an area where a lot of hurricanes take place, it makes perfect sense as to why they called the Hurricanes. The logo on the front side of the jersey represents a storm warning flag with a hockey etched on the side. Very cool when you think about it because the storm warning flag means you got to watch out for the Hurricanes as they hit the ice. The shoulder logo is a ‘blacked-out version of the primary logo used in their home and road jerseys. Overall the use of the colours and the variations of the logos are blended together very nicely. Nashville Predators “Enhanced Predators” Jersey Although it was discontinued, many people think that this a beautiful jersey. The Primary logo is altered a bit from the primary logos in a way that the enhanced version of this logo on the jersey looks tougher, meaner and more predator like especially with those piercing red eyes and silvered face of the Predator. The shoulder logo looks cool as well as it represents an artistic and actual representation of the archaeological discovery of Sabre-Tooth Tiger skull found near the Nashville area. That is also why the Predators are called the Predators in the first place. Ottawa Senators ‘Big O’ Jersey This was an easy choice to incorporate into the list because of how a design so simple and historical can look this good in the modern NHL era. The primary Home and Road jerseys are sub-par compared this beauty. It represents the days of the Ottawa Senators before the NHL even existed. This look was excerpted from the Ottawa Senators when they existed in the 1880’s, 1890’s, 1900’s and 1910’s. Believe it or not the Sens have a history that dates back BEFORE when the Montreal Canadiens first started but in general, the Ottawa Senators roots are relatively unknown and highly underrated due to the fact the franchise folded in 1934 and reintroduced back in 1992. Not an ‘Original 6’ team because of the folding of the team but the history is still as rich as any other ‘Original 6’ team although some will argue this. The shoulder emblems of the jersey represent a shield design that represents strength and solidarity of a nation as it accommodates English speaking and French speaking fans. One of the shoulder logos is the shield that says “Ottawa Senators” in English and the other is the French version that says “Senateurs D’Ottawa.” So those are the 10 jerseys I have chosen to be on the list but again it is up to YOU decide what’s your favourite and mention a kind of jersey that should be on the list. Looking forward to seeing what the results are. For more articles, announcements and to shop for officially licensed jerseys, visit The Oilfield Hockey Blog now! Cheers hockey fans!!!

It is a principle that I apply full-respect in writing on 3rd party websites such as Hockey Forums to be clean to abide with the rules and regulations that Hockey Forums mandate. To read this article in the full version with pictures, video and fan poll, please go to the link below: Oilfield Hockey Blog: 5 Reasons Why The Stadium Series and Winter Classics are great. 99% of the time that we see NHL games on live-streamed on your mobile device or your television, they take place indoors in an arena where you have the technology to make the perfect ice, great crowd atmosphere. It also provides protection from rain, snow, warm temperatures plus freezing temperatures. But wait. Protection from snow and freezing temperatures? Yea it seems counter intuitive doesn’t it? After all, the game of hockey was first played outside shortly after it was invented. Before the National Hockey League existed games were already played indoors. It was to accommodate the fans, maintain ice conditions, avoid legal troubles and so on. If true hockey fans had it their way, every game would be outside but unfortunately Florida and Carolina almost never get freezing temperatures plus most of the snow will melt in Canada once playoffs start. Basically, reality stinks so we have to improvise. It was decided that hockey needed to go back to it’s roots like how it was first played in the 1800’s on a small patch of ice where a group of geniuses decided it was great idea to slap around a 3 inch chunk of rubber with skinny pieces of lumber while puttering around on steel blades 5mm wide by 2 inches high. And no I’m not being sarcastic, I genuinely think its genius. Pretend we’re going back to 2003, the year before the first NHL outdoor game took place in the modern era and we’re asking ourselves this question: “How do we make outdoor NHL games work?” In order to make it work, conditions have to be met. First off, the weather has to be cold enough. Second, the technology has to be in place for the ice to hold just enough in case the weather gets a little warm. It can only take place in December, January or February because it’s obviously cold in those months. Someone has to make money so the owners need to be convinced that it’s a good idea (Fast forward to 2016, every NHL team wants an outdoor game now). It has be made into a massive, hyped-up event so seats, jerseys and other merchandise will sell out. Fans have to express interest in it but most importantly, there has to be an emotional connection for the fans. I can come up with a million more reasons but you get the drift. As this article is written (February 19th, 2016), both the Stadium Series and the Winter Classics have been insanely successful since the first official Winter Classic in 2008 when Buffalo hosted Pittsburgh. T.V. ratings have been declining slightly for 3 consecutive years but merchandise sales and tickets mostly sell out. Reason #1: Great excuse for goalies to get new gear JUST FOR ONE GAME!! Okay there is a greater purpose why the goalies get the gear made just for the big date. Some of the goalies sign their gear and auction it off to their favourite charities and that’s awesome. Some of them just want to because you only live once (YOLO). The outdoor games have truly inspired some great pad designs and goalie masks as well. Just look at Bryzgalov’s 2012 Winter Classic mask when he played for the Flyers. He has some of the greatest Philly sports icons infused in one mask. I think he designed the mask like that because he wanted his mask to be the center of the universe just for that game but who am I to judge? Reason #2: HBO’s Road To The Winter Classic Series – MUST WATCH!!! If you haven’t watched any of the ‘Road To The Winter Classic’ episodes, you need to because they are that good. If you want to see personality and an in-depth glimpse into the life of NHL players, then look no further than this documentary series because it will enlighten you on how some of these characters are really like in their personal lives. You will see some of these guys at their best, but also, at their worst. Unless you have NHL All-Access or Center-Ice, this won’t amaze you that much but without the Winter Classic, these mini-series wouldn’t exist. Reason #3: The new jerseys introduced for the game. SOME ARE WACKY AND WICKED COOL! It’s hard to believe that there are already 29 jerseys introduced between the Stadium Series and the Winter Classics going back to 2008. Why so many? Using the outdoor games is honestly more of a way to test the market for new designs and concepts for the jerseys. Only a handful of teams wear these new jerseys once a year outside and maybe a couple more times indoors so why not? The 2015 Stadium Series game between Los Angeles and San Jose were especially a new twist on design because nobody is used to seeing a 3-layered ice cream trifle design on a hockey sweater. Too me, they look better once the game happened when players were wearing them on the ice. The Philadelphia Flyers were inspired to bring back their old 1970’s uniforms permanently after they were reintroduced in the 2010 Winter Classic against Boston. It was the same case with the 2008 Winter Classic as Buffalo brought back their own version of their 1970’s jerseys permanently also. Most of these jerseys introduced are great designs with a lot of symbolism and have been getting many positive reviews. Reason #4: Creates unforgettable experiences. For those that have actually attended an NHL outdoor game, congratulations, I hope you had a wonderful time and I am sure it’s an experience you’ll never forget. For those that haven’t including myself, we’ll get our day eventually and I would go to one no matter how cold it is outside. As is tradition for myself and a couple members of my family and friends, we actually celebrate our very own “Winter Classic Day” by having breakfast while watching the game after a long night of partying. I made this tradition within my inner circle and we love it. Can’t wait until next year and hopefully my favourite team (Winnipeg Jets) will get their date. I don’t even care if it’s just a Heritage Classic, I’d still go. Reason #5: Great promotion for the game of hockey. This is perhaps the most ambiguous reason on the list so I’ll explain. As I mentioned in the beginning of the article, the main root of hockey is outside on a frozen patch of ice and how it was first played. It took almost 100 freaking years for somebody to say that maybe a handful of NHL games should be played outside just like the old days when the NHL didn’t exist yet. At first, some of the owners, NHL board members and others thought it was too risky to have an outdoor NHL game at such a big scale. When it was first tried in 2004 between the Edmonton Oilers and the Montreal Canadiens, it received great reception. Almost every fan bared through the -20 degree Celsius temperatures with great enthusiasm. Due to the mess the infamous 2005 NHL lockout created, other priorities took over the league agenda but finally in 2008, the first “official” Winter Classic was hosted in Buffalo as the Sabres hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was wildly successful and everybody wanted a piece of that frozen, outdoor money pie. It was successful because big league hockey finally went back to its “roots”. People loved it because it expressed the fans’ emotional and historical connection to the game. The players felt it was an honour to play outside as well. The merchandising and marketing of the event was very well done and everybody (Most importantly the fans) were happy at the end of the day.