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  1. oilfieldhockey
    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.
  2. oilfieldhockey
    Before I get into the rankings, I just want to make clear that some of the listings of the rivalries don’t have as much heat as they used to but some are at the height of the peak and still ongoing. What some of the rivalries in the list do have though is a climax and why they have a climax is because of some game changing event that built animosity between the two teams. Some of the teams are rivals because there was much hype built by the imagination of media, hockey fans and analysts alike that turned their thoughts into a spoken idea just because they want to see how a certain match up would turn out because of the starpower involved between two teams. Some rivalries come and go, others stay established but one thing that rivalries have in common is that they’re not just battles, its a war. A war is not a war without a reason. A war without a reason is just a battle to come out on top of your competitor. Battles are primitive compared to war because war is much more complex. There are many more elements to war such as supremacy, hate, dominance, establishment, motivation and so on. To better understand how these elements translate into hockey, its because the players on the team have a sheer desire to gain geographical establishment against the opponents closest to them. Sometimes an event fuels the fire so revenge becomes an element. A player on the other the team may have landed a cheap shot on another player on your team and the team on the victims side wants revenge on the team and specifically that player so they want to establish their presence by roughing up the players on the other team. One of the most important reasons of why teams are rivals is because they to want to win the championship and be on top of the league, that is the ultimate establishment in hockey. Whether its for the Stanley Cup in the NHL or the Memorial Cup in the CHL, the goal is the same by every team and its to win the ultimate prize.
    Wars start for different reasons but one thing about war is that war….war…never changes.
    10: San Jose Sharks vs. Los Angeles Kings

    Peak Years: 2009 to present
    Why: Both teams are loaded with weapons and clutch playoff performers and it makes an excellent rivalry to battle for glory in California. Very close and very heated playoff match ups in recent years. Overall both teams are equally exciting to watch from a fan’s perspective plus it the leading example of hockey promotion in the Southern United States.
    Notable Events: 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs quarter finals game 6, Joe Thornton of the Sharks scores the overtime goal to advance his Sharks to the 2nd round of the playoffs after an epic series. In 2013 the same 2 teams face in the Stanley Cup semi-finals and it went all the way to game 7. Goaltender Jonathon Quick was on fire as he backstopped the Sharks powerful offensive force and narrowly won in a very close battle to advance to the Western Conference finals as they officially got their revenge against the Sharks after their 2011 playoff match.
    Geographical Proximity: Close (547.5 km apart)
    Who’s On Top: I’ll give this one to the L.A. Kings because of they’re Stanley Cup victory in 2012 and they’ve been slightly more successful than San Jose in the playoffs in the past 3 years.

    9. Ottawa Senators vs. Buffalo Sabres

    Peak Years: 2005 to 2008
    Why: Very important playoff matches plus very intense regular season matches and which one of them ended in a full team brawl.
    Notable Events: There have been numerous playoff matches between the 2 teams over the years. There was one 1997 and 2006 but the biggest playoff matchup was in 2007 because of the events in the regular season leading up to it. On February 22nd, 2007 in what appeared to be just an ordinary regular season match up turned into an ugly full team brawl which was started by late hit by Sens’ Chris Neil on Sabres’ forward Chris Drury and it escalated into a major brawl on the ice. It was Sens goalie Ray Emery who stole the show as he faced Martin Biron and Andrew Peters in the brawl and came out on top on both bouts. Later that season they faced off in the Eastern Conference finals and the Sens won in 5 games as Daniel Alfredsson scored the series clinching goal to advance to the Stanley Cup final.
    Geographical Proximity: Close (542.8km apart)
    Who’s On Top: Ottawa takes the cake because they have overall had more success between them in Buffalo in the last 15 years plus they came out on top in that very heated 2007 season between the 2 teams due to the epic brawl.

    8. Edmonton Oilers vs. Calgary Flames

    Peak Years: Late 1980′s but still an intense rivalry to date.
    Why: It’s the battle of Alberta and it’s always a treat to watch these 2 teams play each other regardless if they’re playoff teams or not. Edmonton always known for their speed and skill prowess and Calgary is famous for their grit and hard work ethic.
    Notable Events: 1990 was the last time the Stanley Cup was rewarded in Alberta as Calgary and Edmonton won the cup 7 times between the 2 in 1984 to 1990. Since then there hasn’t been too much to remark about these teams. They both had minimal playoffs success since then but they have a faithful fan base to support both teams. This rivalry would of been ranked much higher if they would of made the playoffs more often.
    Geographical Proximity: Close (298.3 km apart)
    Who’s On Top: Based on the last 20 years, it’s hard to say because they have both been on some bad slumps in the past 5 years. Calgary does have the better record going head to head so I guess they’ll take it even though they’re not known as a winning team right now.

    7. Detroit Red Wings vs. Chicago Blackhawks

    Peak Years: Always intense no matter what
    Why: These teams have been facing each other for over 8 decades so that’s a long time to build a natural hate for each other plus each city ports a great lake so it just made an ideal setting to have a rivalry.
    Notable Events: There hasn’t been much going on in recent history as far as playoff matches are concerned until the 2013 season where they met in the Western Conference semi-finals where it went to game 7. Detroit had a 3-1 series lead until Chicago stormed back and the final 3 games of the series to complete an amazing comeback to take the series 4-3. Brent Seabrook scored in overtime in game 7 to secure the last western conference final spot.
    Geographical Proximity: Close (453.3 km apart)
    Who’s On Top: Both teams have been very successful in the last 20 years with Detroit winning 4 Stanley Cups and Chicago winning 2 themselves. Detroit has made the playoffs every year in the past 20 years so Detroit is the undeniable winner here.

    6. Colorado Avalanche vs. Detroit Red Wings

    Peak Years: 1996 to 2003
    Why: Both teams were very good in the mid to late 1990′s and at that time it was between thee 2 teams that fought for top spot in the west.
    Notable Events: An already fierce rivalry heated 10 fold when In Game 6 of the 1996 Western Conference Finals, Avalanche right winger Claude Lemieux, checked Red Wings center Kris Draper from behind, driving Draper’s face into the boards. The Avs won the series and eventually the Stanley Cup but a year later in the regular the season the same two teams faced each and it turned into an all out brawl as Patrick Roy skated out of his net to defend his teammate while he was getting pummeled with punches on the ice. Both teams had a deep hate for each other until their respective teams started to change its rosters around in 2003 which was when Patrick Roy retired.
    Geographical Proximity: Far (2041.1 km)
    Who’s On Top: Despite Colorado beating Detroit when the incident with Lemieux and Draper occurred, the Red Wings won 2 consecutive Stanley Cups after that and haven’t looked back. While Colorado went through a rebuilding stage starting in 2008, the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup that year and kept trucking along so it’s a matter of competitiveness in the long run and Detroit won in that department.

    5. Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers

    Peak Years: Always was intense but from 2008 to present is at its all time peak.
    Why: Both teams are in the same division, they both meet in the playoffs on many occasions and the games between the two teams are mostly high-scoring, exciting and also have also known to have unexpected events occur.
    Notable Events: There have been many duels in the playoffs between these 2 teams but none better than the 2012 Eastern Conference quarter finals. The teams combined for an NHL-record 45 goals in the first four games as well as combining for 309 penalty minutes throughout the fight-filled six-game series. Many NHL players and media personalities commented that it was the most engaging series they had seen in a long time. Some even call it the “Greatest series of all-time”
    Geographical Proximity: Close (490.5 km apart)
    Who’s On Top: Pittsburgh won the Stanley Cup in 2009 after beating Philly in the Eastern Conference final but Philadelphia against Pittsburgh head to head won more playoff series and more regular season games than Pittsburgh so in essence I’m giving the decision to Philadelphia.

    4. Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Ottawa Senators

    Peak Years: Always very intense during regular season but between 2000 and 2004 is where they played very spirited playoff hockey
    Why: It’s the Battle of Ontario and it’s always a great occasion to watch these 2 teams duke it out plus it’s at the center of the hockey universe.
    Notable Events: In 2002–03, the rivalry hit an all-time high when Tucker attacked the Senators’ Chris Neil, who was sitting on the bench. This resulted in numerous players exchanging punches before order was restored. Tucker, Neil and Shane Hnidy all received fighting majors and game misconducts for the same incident. After the game, Tucker claimed Neil spit on him, an allegation which Neil denied. Another incident in the regular season fueled the rivalry even more. On January 6, 2004, the Maple Leafs were playing a game against the Nashville Predators, when Leaf captain Mats Sundin’s stick broke on an attempted shot at the blue line and he threw it away in disgust. Instead of hitting the glass, the stick went over and into the crowd. The NHL reacted by giving him a one-game suspension. Ottawa and Toronto matched up in the playoffs for the fourth time in five years in 2003–04 and this was the last time they faced in the playoffs. Alfredsson guaranteed a victory after the Leafs took game 5. He delivered on his promise in game 6, but Ottawa goaltender Patrick Lalime turned in a lacklustre performance in the series finale, allowing the Leafs to beat the Senators in the series. After the series the Senators traded Lalime to the St. Louis Blues, and Ottawa head coach Jacques Martin was fired.
    Geographical Proximity: Close (542.4 km apart)
    Who’s On Top: Ottawa won more regular season games against the Leafs but Toronto has won far more playoff games so I’m giving the nod to Toronto.

    3. Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Washington Capitals

    Peak Years: 2005 to present
    Why: At first it was just a showcase between Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby but then both teams got really good at the same team and then the playoff rivalry started to heat up. It’s a lot more important right now since both teams are now in the same division plus Ovechkin and Crosby are in the prime of their careers It’s the best modern era rivalry to date.
    Notable Events: These 2 teams have met in the playoffs 8 times since 1994. The 2009 Eastern Conference semi-finals is considered the best series to date in which the Capitals took a 2-0 series lead before letting it go to be downed in 7 games, ending with a 6-2 Game 7 loss at the Verizon Center. The two teams faced off at the 2011 NHL Winter Classic hosted in Pittsburgh at Heinz Field, with the Capitals emerging victorious 3-1 that was the game where Sidney Crosby took a vicious elbow to the head in which he received a concussion. He was out for at least a year before returning in late 2012-2013 season.
    Geographical Proximity: Close (389.6 km apart)
    Who’s On Top: The Penguins won 7 out of 8 playoff series since 1994 so The Pens take the rivalry victory, no question about it.

    2. Montreal Canadiens vs Boston Bruins

    Peak Years: In the past 20 years, the peak would have to be between 2002 and 2004 but had significant rivalry history between 1965 and 1979.
    Why: These 2 teams had more playoff games played against each other than any other match up. They’ve been playing against each other since the 1920′s so it’s fair to say just a little bit of a rivalry had formed since then (That was sarcastic btw).
    Notable Events: In 2002, Montreal upsets Boston as Habs goaltender Jose Theodore backstopped them to victory in game 6 as he made the “corkscrew on the ice blocker save” in which he’s so famous for. In 2004, the Bruins lost their first playoff series after having a 3–1 series lead, and it was the first time that the Canadiens had won a series in seven games after trailing 3–1. In 2011, Boston did win the Eastern Conference quarter finals against the Habs which eventually led them to winning the Stanley Cup during those playoffs.
    Geographical Proximity: Close (497.2 km apart)
    Who’s On Top: This is not even close. Montreal won 24 of 33 playoff series and and they are 347-269-103 in the regular season against the Bruins so it’s easy to say the Habs got this.

    1. Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Montreal Canadiens

    Peak Years: Every year is a peak year when these legendary and historic foes go at it.
    Why: Such a silly question to ask a hockey fan why this is such a good rivalry. For those who don’t it’s because its what made hockey so popular in Canadian culture. No other rivalry has as much meaning as this one. It doesn’t matter if it’s a regular season game or a Eastern Conference final game 7, this has deep roots and there would be no NHL or CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada if it weren’t for these clubs. Notably, the Canadiens and the Maple Leafs have won the most Stanley Cups in the NHL, with 24 and 13, respectively. As a result of their success, they have the two largest fanbases in the entire league – both teams have an influx of visiting fans in their home arenas when they play each other.
    Notable Events: Surprisingly, these teams have not met in the playoffs since 1979 but have met 15 times before that dating back to the first meeting in 1917. So in the last 20 years, nothing much has happened. Despite that there have been many entertaining regular season games between the 2 teams.
    Geographical Proximity: Close (543.2 km apart)
    Who’s On Top: Montreal narrowly edge Toronto in playoff series victories 8-7 and they also won more regular season games than the Leafs as well so Montreal comes up on top.

    To read the article in full version with video and user polls, click on the link provided
    Oilfield Hockey Blog
    Have a great day!
  3. oilfieldhockey
    Marian Hossa carrying the puck
    Top 5 NHL Players Who Can Switch Positions And Be Good At It
    We have seen hockey players switch their playing positions before but it only happens once in a blue moon. I have put together a list of the top five NHL players that can switch their playing position and will play good if not better than before.
    This list comprises of only realistic possibilities and there are no superstar NHL players on the list. The highest caliber of player ability in the list is at an elite level and there is a big difference between that and superstar status. There are no switches between goaltenders and players as it is improbable it might ever happen.
    Brent Burns of the San Jose Sharks.
    Height: 6' 5'' Weight: 230 lbs Handedness: Right.
    Transition: Defense to right-wing.
    Brent Burns has great offensive ability and he knows how to use it on an odd man rush. He likes to skate in deep in the offensive zone if there is an opening and he will likely shoot if he has a good chance to score. He is a good defenseman but i think he is a better power forward on the right-wing than he is at defence because of his speed and drive to the net. He has great size and he is physical which is good for screening the opposing goalie in front of the net. He has a long reach as well which means he can protect the puck down low in the offensive zone. He is likely to score 25 to 30 goals if he plays in the right situation on the wing side. He has a very long reach and he has the right set of skills to play as a power forward.
    Ryan Kesler of the Vancouver Canucks.
    Height: 6' 2'' Weight: 195 lbs Handedness: Right
    Transition: Center to defense.
    Ryan Kesler is one of the best two-way forwards in the game today. He kills penalties, disrupts breakouts, finishes his checks and he does it all in great speed. Speaking of speed, he can carry the puck end to end like no other player and he will create a scoring chance almost every time. He is often used as a point man in the power play especially favouring the left side which on his part is most effective for one-timers since he's right-handed. Since he is so effective at his defensive game, why not have him play defense full-time. Defenseman are the players who rush the puck up ice most often, why not have him carry the puck as a defenseman and if he breaks through the defence, he has a scoring chance. Since Kesler is so good at one-timers from the point, why not have him take one-timers where one-timers mostly happen, which is the point and the point is occupied by the defenseman.
    He is very physical and he has good positioning and that makes him fit to cover the defensive zone. He has won many one on one battles as a forward facing large defenseman. So if he can win one on one battles along the boards in the offensive zone, it would make more sense to have him play defense so he can win more one on one battles in the defensive zone against smaller players instead of fighting tougher brutes at the other end. Ryan Kesler would make a great defenseman if he gets the opportunity.
    Paul Gaustad of the Nashville Predators.
    Height: 6' 5'' Weight: 225 lbs Handedness: Left
    Transition: Center to defense.
    Paul Gaustad is a two-way center just like Ryan Kesler without the great speed and offensive ability. Gaustad has great size and a mean streak that can be effective if you're a defenseman. I see Gaustad as a sound defensive specialist who can shut down opposing forwards effectively. He has always been a checking line center who can score 20 to 30 points a season and he has been consistent with his stats year after year. He needs a change very soon in his career if we wants a chance at a lucrative contract and switching to defense is most likely the answer.
    Dennis Wideman of the Calgary Flames.
    Height: 6' 0'' Weight: 200 lbs Handedness: Right
    Transition: Defense to wing.
    Dennis Wideman is a very underrated player. He consistently produces points almost every season and he doesn't get noticed enough for his achievements on the ice. Wideman can very well adapt himself to play as a winger because he can skate, pass and score and he is not lanky like most other defenseman. He is one of the few defenseman who actually take part often in the shootout and he delivers when he gets an opportunuity. He see's the ice very well and can execute his strategy with success. I think he can play either wing due to his versatility but I don't think he would make a good center. His speed is more valuable at the wing and he can make plays so he will most likely be effective down low in the offensive zone or the half boards. If he plays forward, he will most likely get 55 to 65 points and still be effective in the defensive zone.
    Marian Hossa of the Chicago Blackhawks.
    Height: 6' 1'' Weight: 210 lbs Handedness: Left
    Transition: Right wing to center.
    Marian Hossa stands out like a sports car on a highway and he impresses viewers with his dazzling puck handling abilities and dualing against players and goalies with his fancy stick work. He doesn't have the hardest shot but he is very precise and can usually pick his spots easily. He is agile, quick and plays a good two-way game and those are the main reasons why he can play center. I see him being just like Pavel Datsyuk in the way he takes away pucks and makes defenseman look foolish with his dangling ability. If Hossa ever plays center, I can see him do what he does best except he will do it more often which is intercept a pass and take it up the ice to create a scoring chance. Hossa will be more prominent in the defensive end as a center because he has a better chance of recovering the puck than he is at the right wing. The main skill he would need to work on is face-offs and with his quick hands, he should not have a big problem doing that.
    I thank you for reading my articles and you can read more by visiting http://www.oilfieldhockey.net/ and don't forget to subscribe for the latest articles posted.
  4. oilfieldhockey
    The 3rd jersey is a great alternative when the standard home or road jersey starts to fade in novelty and is also a great marketing tool to promote diversification and tradition as the reason why certain 3rd jerseys are made is to bring their historical colours back to life. Of course the 3rd jerseys are brought in to try and make a
    The predecessor to the current LA Kings. These jerseys were retired in 2011 to make way the new and improved ‘back in black’ sweaters

    So do you think it’s an improvement? Management sure thought so and now we begin the count down of my top 5 best looking NHL 3rd jerseys. All of these jersey were picked based on originality, visual stimulus and/or resemblance of the past and culture. Enjoy!!
    5. San Jose Sharks Alternate Jersey

    4. Ottawa Senators Alternate Jersey

    3. New York Rangers Alternate Jersey

    2. Toronto Maple Leafs Alternate Jersey

    1. St. Louis Blues Alternate Jersey

    The St. Louis Blues alternate jersey was number 1 on my list because the circle badge with the Blues logo inside it adds character and establishment plus in the background of the crest is the famous ‘Gateway Arch’ which is the worlds tallest arch and is the pride in architectural structure in St. Louis, Missouri.
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  5. oilfieldhockey
    Another year, another round of hype surrounding Stanley Cup contenders and their hockey fans. This is the time when more players finish their checks which translate to games that average 80+ hits a game instead of 30-40. Pleasant surprises and disappoints are bound to happen, it does every year. Who would of thought Vegas would go to the Stanley Cups Finals last season against a cup thirsty Ovechkin and his Washington Capitals squad. One thing is for sure; Washington isn’t cup thirsty anymore. Meanwhile, the Blues, Sharks, Jets, Preds, Golden Knights and Blue Jackets are in the hunt for their first one still (Jackets only team in the east). Can’t wait until June to see how this plays out!
    CALGARY FLAMES (P1) VS COLORADO AVALANCHE (WC2)
    ADVANTAGES:
    Offence: Flames Defence: Flames Powerplay: Avalanche Penalty Kill: Flames Goaltending: Avalanche X-FACTOR:
    Flames: Matthew Tkachuk Avalanche: Semyon Varlamov This will be a high-flying, run-and-gun series as speed and opportunity will be key for both teams for all of the games they play. The Avs are definitely an underdog but if Varlamov stands on his head, he’ll downright steal games from the Flames. Matthew Tkachuk can be a difference maker if he gets under the skin of Avs star players Nathan Mackinnon and Mikko Rantanen. This will NOT be a boring series and don’t expect a lot of structure in either team’s games which, by the way, will drive coaches crazy.
    THE VERDICT:
    The Flames will win this series in 6 games NASHVILLE PREDATORS (C1) VS DALLAS STARS (WC1)
    ADVANTAGES:
    Offence: Predators Defence: Stars Powerplay: Stars Penalty Kill: Stars Goaltending: Stars X-FACTOR:
    Predators: Roman Josi Stars: Jamie Benn It looks odd that the Stars have the advantage in almost category but they only had a slight edge in GA and PK than Nashville, who’ve been very good defensively as well. A lot of credit to the great defensive numbers the Stars have posted is because of Ben Bishop who has been outstanding all season.
    There are a few concerns with Nashville heading into the playoffs this season. Their powerplay is dead last in the league (12.94%) plus their trade acquisitions, Wayne Simmonds and Mikael Granlund have not been playing well since joining the Preds. Roman Josi is the captain of the team and needs to jump start their powerplay and his squad if they want to succeed as they’ve been flat during the late season stretch.
    The Stars have been playing clutch hockey during the stretch and have won important hockey teams against other teams vying for a playoff spot and they look very poised to do well as a darkhorse. Bishop has been their MVP posting great numbers (GAA: 1.98, Sv%: .934) all season long despite playing in front of an inexperienced defensive core. Their top scorers are scoring although their secondary scoring needs to step up a bit as the Stars are near the bottom in goals scored (29th in the league). The key will be Jamie Benn making big plays in clutch situations as that is where he thrives.
    THE VERDICT:
    The Stars will win this series in 6 games SAN JOSE SHARKS (P2) VS VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS (P3)
    ADVANTAGES:
    Offence: Sharks Defence: Golden Knights Powerplay: Sharks Penalty Kill: Golden Knights Goaltending: Golden Knights X-FACTOR:
    Sharks: Brent Burns Golden Knights: Marc-Andre Fleury The Sharks and Golden Knights have become sort of a riddle that is like an enigma. During the month of March, the Golden Knights and Sharks have played great during the first half while they stunk during the last half of the month. Both teams come into the playoffs struggling but the small break between now and game 1 of their series will bring a new perspective into light.
    The Golden Knights have a great play-by-committee system where they use their depth to their advantage in exposing their opponents weaknesses in causing turnovers during their transition game. How the Sharks break out of their defensive zone (Mostly talking about Brent Burns) will be important and can’t afford any mistakes in that area. This is where the Sharks need to be clean if they want to win.
    While the Golden Knights play a great transition game, they will still have trouble with the amount of depth the Sharks have with their scorers. The Sharks have a top 9 up front that can downright snipe at will if given the opportunity. This is where Fleury will be tested and if he can fend them off he’ll steal some games for VGK.
    For the Sharks to have the best chance to win, they need to work a great powerplay and play a puck possession game down low. Luckily that is their strength but it’s going to take everything they have to beat Fleury. They need traffic in front of him in addition to taking good shots on him.
    THE VERDICT:
    Overall, this series will see a lot of strategy from both teams as the coaches will takeover the structure of the game. In the end, this will go to the Sharks in 7 games but man that was a tough choice.
    WINNIPEG JETS (C2) VS ST. LOUIS BLUES (C3)
    ADVANTAGES:
    Offence: Jets Defence: Blues Powerplay: Jets Penalty Kill: Blues Goaltending: Blues X-FACTOR:
    Jets: Patrik Laine Blues: Jordan Binnington You have to give the Blues huge credit for making an incredible comeback and saving their season. That is thanks to rookie goaltender, Jordan Binnington. He has been playing some unreal hockey down the stretch during the second half of the season and he is the MVP of this revived Blues squad. How he handles playoff hockey should come as some concern as expectations and ability to elevate your game are of most importance. His task won’t be easy on an offensively loaded Jets squad who have been playing mediocre hockey as of late but have won some key games against tough opponents during the stretch.
    The Jets boast one of the best offensive teams in the league and can score in many ways. The big issue is their penalty kill and discipline which sharply declined late in the season but luckily they have some time to work on those kinks before they kick off their series. Patrik Laine needs to get it going if the Jets want any hope on getting Binnington off his game. Will Laine start scoring again? The answer is yes.
    The Jets are a much bigger team than the Blues but it isn’t clear how much the Jets want to use their size and play a gritty game against the Blues. It is recommended that they play a more physical game against them as they players who can lay the body if they really want to. The Blues need to use their hockey I.Q. and quick feet if they want to catch Winnipeg taking some undisciplined penalties against them. That’ll be key as Winnipeg hasn’t had a good PK in quite some time.
    THE VERDICT:
    A lot in this series will depend on who can carry momentum the most and who can set the tone the earliest. Whoever is leading by game 3 will likely carry this series to the finish line. Jets in 5 games.
  6. oilfieldhockey
    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!!!
  7. oilfieldhockey
    As the current NHL season initiates, there is always excitement, anticipation and most of all questions that lurk through the minds of many hopeful hockey fans that wish greatness for their favourite clubs. Many also wonder who the showcase rookie is going to be and which player is poised for a breakthrough campaign. But the most truly hyped question of the season is ‘which team is going to the Stanley Cup.’ Hockey fans are very smart, they catch on to the latest news quickly and definitely know their team and their players right down to their favourite player’s preferred golf ball and length of their hockey stick. Many know who won the Maurice Rocket Richard last season (Alex Ovechkin) and of course they know who the Stanley Cup winner was last season (Chicago Blackhawks) but hindsight is 100% factual and what’s done is done. Now we have a new year ahead of us and already a few teams by professional hockey analysts have been named top contenders. Everybody has a different view on who should win and why but before anybody talks trash about my choices, you should give me and the other commenters some constructive criticism as spam and primitive feedback won’t get you positive results.
    My Darkhorse Favourite

    The Ottawa Senators
    The Sens have made image altering changes such as naming Jason Spezza captain after long-time patron Daniel Alfredsson left in the summer. General Manager Bryan Murray did a good job at acquiring Bobby Ryan from the Anaheim Ducks to quickly void Alfredsson’s spot on the club. The skill upfront is very much effective with Milan Michalek and Kyle Turris providing sufficient secondary scoring. Erik Karlsson is an offensive machine from the blueline and the depth on defense is solid with Chris Phillips and Jared Cowen making a solid shutdown tandem. Goaltender Craig Anderson has the ability to be the game decider in close games as his play is rock solid the majority of the time. The only thing that could be stopping them from hoisting Lord Stanley’s Cup is the lack of depth on both the forward lines and backend. There isn’t too many spare players that can step in effectively who can take over for an injured regular that can play on a consistent basis. Other than that, they should make the playoffs and make a serious run for the cup but they’re not clear cut favourites, just an underdog hopeful.
    The Perennial Performer

    The Detroit Red Wings
    Ask and you shall receive as the Detroit Red Wings have been asking the NHL for years to move into the eastern conference and finally they get what they want. They will now play Original Six teams more often, endure a far easier travel schedule and develop new rivalries with teams they were used to facing just once a year in the past. With new competition came immediate improvements as GM Ken Holland signed Stephen Weiss and Daniel Alfredsson as free agents to support superstars Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. Their farm team, the Grand Rapids Griffins won the Calder Cup last year with young rising forwards Gustav Nyquist, Joakim Andersson and Brendan Smith who played with Detroit for a few games last season helping the Rapids win the Calder. Now they are primed for a breakout and unlike in the years past they now have a legitimate chance to keep full time roster spots because they are now on a bit of a youth shift plus they will thrive on a puck possession team like Detroit. The big question will be if goaltender Jimmy Howard has what it takes to lead his team deep into the playoffs and be consistent all the way.
    Another Perennial Performer

    The San Jose Sharks
    Call it as you may but the San Jose Sharks are the most consistent out of any team making the playoffs and getting somewhere with passion and determination. The top six forward group as a whole is the deadliest in the league with captain Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski, Brent Burns, Logan Couture and Martin Havlat forming a small offensive army. The backend isn’t too shabby either Dan Boyle and Marc-Edourd Vlasic being the main cog on the blueline as Justin Braun and Jason Demers are developing into solid defenceman. Finnish goaltender Antti Niemi was stellar last season for San Jose and was nominated for the Vezina Trophy. Some argued that the Sharks played better than the LA Kings in last year’s western conference semi-finals and that they could of took the Chicago Blackhawks to game 7 in the finals and even beat them to advance to the Stanley Cup finals if it wasn’t for Jonathon Quick and his amazing goaltending performance for the Kings. This year there are no excuses, they have a great team and must dominate in the playoffs to shut critics up.
    The Powerhouse Pick
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/89/Pittsburgh_Penguins_Logo_1967-1968.svg/500px-Pittsburgh_Penguins_Logo_1967-1968.svg.png
    The Pittsburgh Penguins
    When you look up ‘star power’ in the dictionary, you’ll see the Pittsburgh Penguins logo right beside it. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are the NHL’s best dynamic duo and always show up when it counts. The Pens are overall a great skating and skilled hockey team that show a winning attitude that exudes itself every time you see them play. Last year they were schooled by the Boston Bruins as they were the more ambitious and determined team. Marc Andre Fleury was average at best in the playoffs as that led to Tomas Vokoun starting the last few playoff games. Fleury needs to be more mentally sound in order for Pittsburgh to the Stanley Cup finals since 2009 other than that they have it all. Speed, skill, hockey IQ, hockey sense, structure and depth is what you describe Pittsburgh when they’re at their best. Their powerplay is unmatchable and the penalty killing is tight checking and aggressive which means penalties mean a lot whether they draw one or take one. Either way they find a way to win and that is their best asset of all.
    The Defending Champions
    http://www.sportandcinema.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Chicago_Blackhawks_Logo.gif
    The Chicago Blackhawks
    This team was unbelievable last season. They set a NHL record for most consecutive wins in the regular season with 24 and they dominated every team that stood in the way of their inevitable destiny of a heroic Stanley Cup victory. It was a season to remember as this group of players had something special going on as they showed no weakness at any aspect of their game. When they won the Stanley Cup in 2010 they lost a major chunk of go-to guys as Andrew Ladd, Dustin Byfuglien and Kris Versteeg were forced to be traded because of salary cap issues. This time the financial records and contracts are more organized so that they can keep the players that helped the club win it all last year. They signed Bryan Bickell to a multi year deal as he was clutch in important moments in the playoffs as he shined playing on a line with Jonathon Toews and Patrick Kane. Corey Crawford had a breakthrough year with his fantastic winning percentage and goals against average as he became a huge part in their cup victory. They are the favourites to win the western conference again as they don’t have to face Detroit in divisional matches because of their move to the eastern conference. If you think the Stanley Cup hangover is going to be an issue for this club, think again.
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  8. oilfieldhockey
    October 1st, 2018 marks a big day in the Islanders world as another Adidas alternate jersey was beautifully delivered to the world. I want to be the first to show you how the elements of this jersey design come together (in this case, deconstructed) with meaning and significance.
     
    The jersey itself is very simple in design, but the colours blend nicely together. The overall body of the jersey was inspired by the 2014 Stadium Series jersey the Islanders released in their first two outdoor games against the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers.
     
    As soon as the video of the unveiling of the jersey was released on the official New York Islanders Twitter feed, it became noticeable right away that the primary logo was broken into three key pieces and placed on important areas of the sweater.
     

     
    3 key areas of importance:
    -The “NY” abbreviations
    -The “Islanders” lettering
    -The geographic image of Long Island itself
     
     

    THE “NY” STAYS FRONT AND CENTER:
    The “NY” is a direct adoption from the Islanders primary logo. The only difference is that the “Y” is flat on the bottom instead of leaving it on a sharper angle. The four orange strips that were previously on the shaft, are now on the blade of the “Y”. The strips represent the four Stanley Cup championships the Islanders won in 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983.
     

    ON THE NECK OF LONG ISLAND:
    The image of Long Island, familiar to the one seen on the primary logo, is now tucked on the inside portion of the neck. Utilizing the neck has been a popular amongst teams in recent years as each team is trying to offer a bit of extra insignia to the overall complexion of their outlook. The only difference between this sketch of Long Island compared to the one seen on the main logo is that it’s now blue instead of orange. It’s blue so that it offsets the white and orange trim in a crisp fashion.

    “ISLANDERS” LETTERING NOW ON BACK OF NECK:
    If you can’t tell already, this sweater strongly favours the neck. The “Islanders” lettering is the last adoption from the main logo. It has a different font than the one on the main logo but it had to be bolder in order to stand out since its such a small detail. The inscription sits nicely along on the brim and once again the font is blue to offset the white and orange trim on the collar.
     
    For more articles, predictions and more... visit https://oilfieldjerseys.com/ today!
  9. oilfieldhockey
    With the official 2012-2013 NHL season starting a whopping 4 months late because of legal, union and disclaimer issues fans miraculously got the best available outcome from a labour dispute, a shortened season. 48 games played by each club isn’t that bad and it’s enough games for teams to make a statement and there were plenty in a short amount of time.

    2013: Year of the Win Streak
    This is not an official title but I figured it was fitting because a few teams had some great regular season success most notably the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins. The Blackhawks broke the record for most consecutive games without losing in regulation with 24 straight games (exactly half of this season) with either a win or overtime loss. That beats the previous record of 15 games that was set by the 2007 Anaheim Ducks who actually won the Stanley Cup that year. Later on the Pittsburgh Penguins tried beating their own record of most consecutive wins with 17 recorded in 1993 but they came just shy by winning 15 in a row which is still pretty darn impressive. Another notable streak was the hard working Columbus Blue Jackets’ 12 game point streak where they went 8-0-4 in March and that’s what made this playoff race one of the most interesting in a long time against Minnesota and divisional rival Detroit Red Wings. Another team that had a poor start but strong finish is the Washington Capitals who looked liked they were down and out decided to play some great hockey by winning 8 games in a row to secure the Southeast division and a much needed playoff birth. A couple of win streaks that need to be noted are the Vancouver Canucks’ 6 game win streak and the Anaheim Ducks’ 12 game point streak. Even though these records are great achievements, they mean absolutely nothing when playoffs come around.
    Special teams mean a lot in determining an outcome in a game and if you’re good on the powerplay, you want to draw a lot of penalties and if you’re a good penalty killing team, you can gain great momentum after a successful kill but no team wants to kill penalties even though some teams are good at it.
    I want to highlight the teams with good special teams so I am going to start with the powerplay and the team with the best PP were the Washington Capitals with 26.8%. The other top five teams in that department were the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Anaheim Ducks and Montreal Canadiens. The top penalty killing team this season were the Ottawa Senators with an 88% success rate. The other top PK teams are the Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers.
    Best Players And Goaltenders
    There have been a ton of unsung and heroic goaltending performances this season and it is a fact that those teams the goalies played for wouldn’t be where they are without them. The best goaltending performance I have seen this season is from Craig Anderson. He is no doubt the Ottawa Senators most valued player and they wouldn’t of made the playoffs without him. His save percentage is .941 which is a league high plus he boasts the league’s best goals against average of 1.69. His winning record is just 12-9-2 but that’s because his team in front of him have been struggling to score goals. Another surprising goaltending performance I found amazing was Sergei Bobrovsky from the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was the reason why his team’s playoff surge even started and he kept the resilient Blue Jackets alive every game he played in net. He only allowed an average of 2 goals a game and his save percentage was very high with an .932. Another great goaltending campaign was by Vezina trophy nominated Antti Niemi. He was tied with Niklas Backstrom for the league in wins with 24 and a lot of those wins came when he was the first star in all the Shark’s games. Unlike the other goaltenders I mentioned before, Niemi has a wealth of playoff experience and he knows what it takes to win because he has won the Stanley Cup before. A few more honourable mentions with unsung goaltending are Victor Fasth from the Anaheim Ducks, Braden Holty from the Washington Capitals and Tuuka Rask from the Boston Bruins. Meanwhile superstars Carey Price and Henrik Lundqvist still had pretty good seasons.
    Unlike the unexpected goaltending performances we’ve seen, the player scoring race is what most people thought it would be. Not too many surprises here except the new record that was broken this year and that was by Tampa Bay’s very own Martin St. Louis for being the oldest player to win the scoring title at age 37. He scored 60 points in 48 games as he barely edged his sharpshooter teammate Steven Stamkos and a rejuvenated (and happily engaged to a famous tennis player) Alex Ovechkin who was 3rd in points and he led the league in goals with 32 and with most of them coming late in the season when Washington dominated as they made the playoffs as a 3rd seed. Sidney Crosby was 4th in points but he easily would of taken the point scoring title if it wasn’t for injuries. John Tavares, Taylor Hall, Nazem Kadri and Derek Stepan all enjoyed great breakthrough seasons as they nearly averaged a point a game. Players who rebounded nicely were Thomas Vanek, Mike Rebeiro, Ryan Getzlaf, Niklas Backstrom, Patrick Kane, Eric Staal and Alex Semin. Players on a slow decline are Henrik and Daniel Sedin, Joe Thornton, Brad Richards, Mike Richards, Jerome Iginla and Patrick Marleau.
    For defence, scoring was led by P.K Subban with 38 points in 42 games, Kris Letang with 38 points in 35 games and Ryan Suter with 32 points in 48 games. Scoring was very good by defence this season with many of them going above half a point a game. 25 defenceman went above half a point a game while playing a good chunk of the year. As for the defensive aspect of the game, the better shutdown pairings this season were by Francois Beauchemin and Sheldon Souray who played most of the year together, Kris Letang and Paul Martin were a great pairing, Jason Garrison did great for the Canucks and the entire Chicago Blackhawks top 6 was very good. Another honourable mention was Anton Stralman and Ryan Mcdonaugh as a good shutdown pair for the New York Rangers.
    Shea Weber had a tough year as he didn’t thrive like he used to with Ryan Suter as his defensive partner.
    I won’t go too far with disappointments but I got to say that the Philadelphia Flyers, Carolina Hurricanes, Tampa Bay, Buffalo and Edmonton could of done better as I thought they were good enough teams to reach a playoff berth even though Philadelphia and Edmonton had very good special teams and Tampa Bay had players winning scoring titles. Last but not least the team with the worst powerplay were the Winnipeg Jets and the team with the worst penalty kill were the Florida Panthers.
    So that sums it up. That was your basic outline of how this year went but I won’t get any further than this because it would take many, many days write every little last detail down and I won’t bore you into reading all that but you can always come back to read more articles at the Oilfield Hockey Blog.
  10. oilfieldhockey
    It is only fitting that the Toronto Maple Leafs play the Philadelphia Flyers wearing their St. Pats jerseys at a time of year when St. Patrick’s Day comes across people’s thoughts.
     
    The entire design of the jersey is inspired by the jersey the Toronto St. Pats wore between 1922 and 1925.
     
    This season, the Leafs will wear their St. Pats jerseys twice. Once on March 15th versus the Flyers and the day after facing the Senators.
     

     
    Things look pretty similar to the uniform the team wore in 2017, just carried over to the Adidas Adizero cut from the old Reebok Edge style discontinued by the league following that season, this includes the same unique numbering style on the back of the jerseys which saw the numbers placed on large blocks to fight against visibility issues with the horizontal stripe.
    POSITIVES
    The green and white mix along the entire jersey is clean The felt white blocks along the back give the jersey a true retro look The oval felt blotch with the St. Pats word mark makes it look original CRITIQUES
    None  
    For the best NHL fan gear on the market, visit oilfieldjerseys.com today!
  11. oilfieldhockey
    So earlier this week, the Tampa Bay Lightning made an unpredictable announcement by unveiling their brand new Stealth jersey. As they made their announcement, the Lightning wore those jerseys for their home game against the St. Louis Blues. The announcement come of as rather casual with no trumpets, no confetti and no hype whatsoever. It was almost as if the Lightning wanted a quiet unveiling because of the “stealthy” nature of the jersey.
     

    GREAT SALES STATS
    A very important indicator stemming from releasing the jersey is that the official Tampa Bay Lightning shop in Amalie Arena sold over 500 jerseys in 24 hours after the unveiling. That easily breaks the $100k CAD mark in merchandise sales. That is highly abnormal considering that the official shop usually sells around 80 jerseys in a day when the Lightning play at home. Take note that these are sales numbers from a non-traditional hockey market. That’s quite special.
    OUR TAKE
    The jersey is very simple and clean. You have to admire that this type of approach to designing a jersey like this is rarely done and very bold. Black goes well with the Tampa logo and overall scheme. A stealth jersey isn’t a stealth jersey unless it’s black because that is the colour of night, hence the new hashtag #disruptthenight. It makes sense.
    The secondary addition of grey along the sleeves is a good idea but instead of a pixelated transition from grey to black, a simple grey stripe would of sufficed.
    POSITIVES:
    Stealth branding is well connected to the theme of the jersey Very bold and clean look The grey adds a great addition to the sleeve The number and lettering kits offer a nice fade and are unique The “storm grey” shoulder patches match the stealth theme CRITIQUES:
    The pixelation from grey to black along the sleeve is an odd feature Missed opportunity to add a hint of blue along the sleeves  
    For authentic NHL merchandise, visit https://oilfieldjerseys.com/ today!
  12. oilfieldhockey
    There is a common theme with most of the NHL 3rd jersey releases in 2018. They're nostalgic and simple. Many of the 3rd jerseys were alterations of the previous Stadium Series jerseys worn by some of the teams. Others, were completely new with a resemblance of Deja Vu infused in the sweater. It's definitely familiar, except now Adidas is branded onto the jersey where as before, it was Reebok's duty.
     

    Anaheim Ducks
    This modern classic was released for the 25th anniversary season for the Anaheim Ducks and it tried to touch as many parts of the Ducks history as it could.
    Anchored in black, the third jersey features the original "Mighty Ducks" crest with eggplant and jade striping from the Ducks iconic look of its inaugural 1993-94 season. Linking the team's past and present, the jersey incorporates new into old with a touch of the Ducks current orange coloring represented in the crossed hockey sticks of the team's original mark. Anaheim's current jersey number and letter styling is used in the new third sweater, providing a cohesive and integrated look to the team's 2018-19 uniform kits, while the interior collar denotes the franchise's 25th silver season. The first of its kind to subtly incorporate each of the seven colors (Eggplant, Jade, Anaheim Ducks Orange, Anaheim Ducks Gold, Anaheim Ducks Silver, White and Black) the Ducks have worn throughout the club's 25-year tenure, the jersey also features silver as a primary accent color in both the triangle of the crest and yoke, paying tribute to the team's generational milestone.
     

    St. Louis Blues
    This is the exact same jersey the Blues wore in their Winter Classic game versus the Chicago Blackhawks in 2017. These sweaters were the original jerseys that the Blues wore when they became a team in 1967. A great choice for a winter classic.
    The only main difference is the neck. This version bears the silver NHL logo that Adidas has placed on all their jerseys. The inside of the neck also has the St. Louis flag design that has been on the inner portion of all the Blues jerseys since Adidas took over jersey manufacturing for the NHL.
     

    Colorado Avalanche
    Inspired by the logo of the Colorado Rockies hockey team that played in Denver from 1976-82, as well as the state's topography, the Avalanche's third jersey is both a statement of regional pride and hockey history. By fusing the terrain of the Rocky Mountains with elements from the state flag, the crest features the "C" from Colorado's state flag and places it in the center of a triangular mountain design. Additionally, the navy-base jersey has white shoulder yokes to evoke the look of snow-capped mountain peaks, while a shoulder patch of the Colorado state flag sits atop the left shoulder.
     

    Columbus Blue Jackets
    Now on the more modern Adidas jersey cut, the uniform features a main crest which includes a depiction of the 1857 Napoleon Cannon stationed at Nationwide Arena, the cannon in/famous for firing after every Blue Jackets goal at home. The cannon is surrounded by a Civil War medal-inspired ribbon with a star at its base in recognition of Columbus being the state capital of Ohio.
    The logo features the team name on a banner that circles around a cannon – a symbol iconic to the franchise. The Blue Jackets first debuted the cannon in 2007 and fire it off when the home team scores a goal. They have even incorporated the cannon into their goal song, AC/DC’s “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)”.
    All the other details from this jersey’s first go-round have been carried over to the new uniform, the inside collar again says “We Fight, We March!”; the name and number font remains the same as the home and road set. The interior of the jersey has ten embroidered stars which were originally added in recognition of the club’s tenth anniversary from 2009.
     

    Winnipeg Jets
    Going with their lighter “aviator blue”, a secondary colour from the team’s home and road set as the base, it’s the new word mark across the chest that’s the star of this design. This new word mark features “Jets” in a new white script with the “t” crossed using the outline of a fighter jet. This wordmark also becomes the new official team word mark logo, replacing the previous logo introduced in 2011.
    The large white stripes on each arm and around the waist were directly inspired by the jersey the original Winnipeg Jets wore in their final few seasons before moving to Phoenix in 1996.
    There are no shoulder decorations as this jersey is a very simple and low-key design. A nice touch is added to the inside collar, “WE ARE TRUE NORTH”, a nod to the fans who scream out “True North!” during the Canadian National Anthem before each home game.
     

    Calgary Flames
    A throwback to the road red uniform the team first wore as they moved from Atlanta in 1980, Calgary had originally worn this uniform for their first fifteen years, including for two trips to the Stanley Cup Final and a championship in 1989. The design has, of course, been updated to fit on the Adidas jersey style.
    It’s that Stanley Cup anniversary that’s being cited as the reason for the return of this classic uniform (30 years since they last won), the Flames were wearing these road reds in Montreal as they hoisted the Cup for that first and only time in franchise history; in fact, it’s the only time a visiting club ever won the Stanley Cup at the Montreal Forum.
    Like the 1980-94 design, this uniform is red with white and gold striping at the waist and on each sleeve; on the chest is the Flames familiar flaming-C logo in white with gold trim. The Flames had previously brought this uniform back as a “throwback” for their 30th anniversary season in 2009-10 before making it their official alternate uniform for 2010-11 through 2012-13, the uniform was brought back a second time as an alternate uniform for the 2016-17 season.

    San Jose Sharks
    The Sharks are calling it their “Stealth Jersey” becuase it has been "blacked-out". Its colours and re-coloured logos, all traces of orange from their primary logo on the chest has been eliminated aside from the eye of the shark, replaced with black and teal, even the hockey stick is now teal. The team’s classic shark-fin logo returns for the first time in over a decade, also re-coloured. The popular secondary logo graced the shoulder of the Sharks uniforms from their inaugural season in 1991 through 1998 and then returned for their alternate uniform from 2002 to 2007.
    It’s not all about the “stealth” with this new set, there’s also a nod to the San Jose area’s important role in the world of technological advances with the addition of a subtle microchip pattern in between the two teal sleeve stripes; they’re saying the pattern forms a series of “SJ". The incorporation of this microchip pattern is also to establish the Sharks as “the team of the future”.




    Washington Capitals
    Throwing back to the road red uniform the club wore for their first 20-odd seasons, the jersey features the original team logo across the chest in white with a blue hockey stick, and six stars alternating between white-and-blue across the top and five down each sleeve. The collar is white with a white shoulder yoke, at the waist are two large stripes, one blue and one white. Blue pants and red helmets will be worn, the pants also with the star pattern down each side.
    The uniform is the same design the team wore as their alternate uniform during the 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons, even carrying over the incorrect colouring of the WASHINGTON word mark on the logo; during the original run of this uniform design, this element of the logo was actually blue.
    Washington began wearing this uniform style for their expansion season in 1974-75, with a few minor tweaks over the years it was worn through the end of the 1994-95 season before being radically replaced with a blue/black/bronze design featuring an eagle on the chest and diagonal striping. In 2007-08 the Caps returned to a modernized version of their original set and brought back their white version as an alternate uniform in 2011-12; the white alternate was worn for four seasons when it was replaced with a more practical red version allowing the team to wear it for home games.

    New York Islanders
    Creating a new signature look, the alternate jersey features a re-designed "NY" crest, modernized to be more symmetrical. The descending "Y" hockey stick has been shortened and strengthened to give it a more balanced appearance. The four iconic stripes have been moved down to the blade to prominently celebrate the Islanders' historic consecutive Stanley Cup Championships. The jersey includes subtle nods to the team's heritage with a color palette, refined striping system, and orange numbering reminiscent of the team's inaugural 1972-1973 blue sweater. Other subtle details include a graphic of Long Island on the interior neckline, a designation of Long Island pride, and a block-lettered "ISLANDERS" moniker that sits just above the Adidas logo on the exterior neckline.

    Philadelphia Flyers
    The jersey is a direct copy of their 2017 Stadium Series uniform, minus the commemorative patches. The all-black uniform with large orange stripes was already alluded to as being their third jersey during a fan event early in 2018.
    The difference between this jersey and the Stadium Series version is the imprint of "PHILADELPHIA" inside the neck portion of the jersey.
     

    Pittsburgh Penguins
    The new design incorporates elements from the popular 2017 Stadium Series uniform while acknowledging the heritage of gold jerseys worn by Mario Lemieux and the Penguins in the 1980s.
    Creating a signature look for these new thirds, the crest spotlights the standalone skating penguin on a single-toned gold sweater. Mixing the past with the present, the contrasting black sleeves are highlighted with white and gold striping that are inspired from the Penguins' 1984 jerseys, while the letters and numbering mirror the current home and away jerseys. Additional design details include the sleeve numbers being raised to the shoulder of the jersey to mimic the 1980s look.

    Carolina Hurricanes
    The Carolina Hurricanes are advising you take warning to the fact the club has unveiled their new alternate/third uniform, one which updates some old looks worn by the club while also introducing some North Carolina state pride.
    Like their previous one, the Canes use the secondary team colour of black as the base while also modifying the logo on the chest.
    Front-and-centre we see a new hurricane warning flag logo, yes – it’s actually a hurricane warning flag this time – with two flags flying from the stick instead of one, another nod to North Carolina hidden in-between the two flags.
    The shoulder yoke is now a storm grey with a red trim and includes two “ghosted out” tonal grey logos – the Hurricanes primary logo on the right shoulder and the state flag of North Carolina on the left shoulder.
    Throughout the uniform we see several red stripes, all of which include a heathered pattern.
     

    Arizona Coyotes
    Like some sort of mythical bird whose name I just cannot recall, the Phoenix Coyotes original Kachina uniforms have returned.
    Banking on a wave of 90’s nostalgia, the Arizona Coyotes introduced their new throwback third uniforms tonight at their NHL Draft party. The uniform was worn originally for the Coyotes first seven seasons following their relocation from Winnipeg in 1996 before it was replaced in the fall of 2003 as the current logo made it’s debut.
    The uniform is a fairly faithful reproduction of the original Coyotes uniform, even nailing the unique striping pattern around the waist, sleeves, and at the collar. Both logos are back, the coyote on the chest as well as the moon mark on the shoulder, albeit updated to no longer read “Phoenix” instead leaving it blank above "Coyotes", due to the name change the team underwent in 2014.

    New Jersey Devils
    The New Jersey Devils this afternoon announced and unveiled a heritage uniform which the club will wear during the 2018-19 season.
    Based off of the Devils red and green home uniform worn during the club’s first ten seasons in New Jersey, the uniform is white with red shoulders, the shoulders trimmed in white and green, the Devils familiar primary logo on the chest in red and green.
    It may have been slightly re-coloured or even chromified but in their 36 years playing in the Garden State, the New Jersey Devils have never played a game with anything but the “NJ” logo featured prominently on their chests. Not once.

    Edmonton Oilers
    The Edmonton Oilers unveiled their new throwback heritage uniform, their home jersey from two seasons ago… that’s all, the only difference is that it’s now on the Adidas jersey cut. Because it’s not officially classified as an alternate or “third uniform” it’ll only be worn four times this year.
    Edmonton is bringing back the long-buried uniform (sarcasm implied) for the 2018-19 season to help celebrate the 40th anniversary of the team joining the NHL in 1979.
     

    Carolina Hurricanes....(again)
    the Carolina Hurricanes, who previously played as the Hartford Whalers from 1979 through 1997, announced they would wear a Whalers road green throwback uniform for two games in the upcoming 2018/19 season.
    Going with the design the Whalers wore from 1985-89 (and then again for the 1990/91 season), the Hurricanes will be in green from head-to-toe, helmets, pants, socks, gloves all match what the Whalers wore during this era.
    Carolina was able to work in a subtle reference to tie-in with their current identity, a tonal black and blue storm warning flag pattern on the inside collar.
     
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  13. oilfieldhockey
    These are hockey’s most triumphant winners in their own style. They exude confidence, push others around them harder and they dig deep when the team needs them to be clutch. Some of these talented people get to the top by either leading by example, taking charge at key moments or just simply by having a strong character. One trait that they all have in common is they are true motivators and they leave an everlasting impression. My top five choices for most inspiring hockey people is based on the magnitude of their significance in beating the odds, captivating audiences and the level of compete they had to get where they were at.
    5. Josh Harding
    Josh Harding is the current back-up goaltender for the Minnesota Wild and is considered one of the best at that echelon. He is a fighter and he never had it easy in his pro career at the NHL level. At first he had to compete with the talented Finnish goaltender Niklas Backstrom which was always interesting to watch since both Harding and Backstrom have the desire to succeed. He never got the starting job for the Wild and when that wasn’t bad enough it got worse when was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in September 2012. In his first game back post-diagnosis, Harding stopped all 24 shots he faced in a 1-0 shutout win over the Dallas Stars. During the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs against the President’s Trophy winning Chicago Blackhawks as the 8th seed, Niklas Backstrom injured himself during warm ups before Game 1. Harding would replace him in a 2-1 overtime loss stopping 35 shots, which brought praise not only from his teammates but also from players on the Blackhawks for his incredible play despite still being affected by Multiple sclerosis. The Minnesota Wild however would lose the series 4-1, but Harding would win the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in recognition of his efforts. He still plays for them Wild to this very day.
    4. Phil Kessel
    Phil Kessel is one of those players that just keep on trying no matter how bad his situation gets. Prudence is the very definition to describe him and after all he is a Rabbit in the Chinese Zodiac and Prudency is one of their staple trademarks. He is a player who oozes skill and isn’t afraid to show off his deking abilities. He also has a laser of a wrist shot and combine that with his unmatched speed you got one heck of a fireworks display. He played for the Minnesota Golden Gophers in his junior years and was drafted 5th overall by the Boston Bruins in 2006. He immediately made the team as a rookie upon being drafted as an 19 year old but unfortunately on December 11, 2006, his family announced that he had testicular cancer. It was scary news at first because this made his future in hockey uncertain but incredibly he made a swift recovery after just five days of having this cancer. He had surgery to treat the illness which required some time off playing for the Bruins but returned after missing just 11 games and that is something that is difficult to deal with as a young rookie. He finished his season off with 29 points in 70 games and won the Bill Masterton Trophy for his short but courageous battle against testicular cancer.
    On September 18, 2009, Kessel was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a first round pick in 2010 (Tyler Seguin was selected 2nd overall), 2011 (Dougie Hamilton was selected 8th overall) and a 2nd rounder in 2010 (Jared Knight was selected 32nd overall). He was surpised and happy when he learned he was traded to Toronto but that came at a price. He was heavily scrutinized and was expected to perform with high expectations every night and with facing his former team Boston 6 times a year, he struggled to be consistent with his scoring and as a result he tallied only 55 points that season.
    For 9 straight seasons the Maple Leafs failed to make the playoffs between 2003 and 2012 until they broke out as the 5th seed in 2013 and it just so happens they were facing a very physical and heavily structured Boston Bruins squad. Kessel never had great success facing his former team but what was expected to be a clear cut series sweep for the Bruins, turned into a dramatic 7 game back and forth action-packed affair. Kessel solved the Bruins at the right time as he racked 4 goals and 2 assists in 7 games so all in all he defeated the critics and performed as a key player at the right time after 3 years of failing to help Toronto make the playoffs.
    3. Steve Sullivan
    Steve Sullivan is one of those small but skilled players that nobody believed into him having a career in the NHL. It didn’t look promising from the start when got drafted as low as 233rd overall in 1994 by the New Jersey Devils. He did make the team 1995 and started coming into form as a speedy winger with an accurate shot and got an opportunity with the Chicago Blackhawks in the year 2000 to step up and became a regular goal-scorer for the team and capitalized on it. He established himself as a tier 2 point-scorer and proved the critics wrong by not letting his 5′ 8”, 160 lb frame slow him down.
    He was traded to the Nashville Predators in 2004 and carried on where he left off scoring more often in Nashville than he did for the Blackhawks. Unfortunately in 2007 he faced a severe back injury and not only was he out for the remainder of the 2006-07 season, he was sidelined for the entire 2007-08 season and half of the 2008-09 season. That equates to about almost 2 years of being injured. He returned for the last half of the 2008-09 season and tallied 32 points in 41 games which is impressive considering he rarely skated in those 2 years he was out. Needless to say he won the Bill Masterton Trophy for his long-awaited triumphant return to the NHL after fully recovering from his jury after being away for so long.
    2. Saku Koivu
    Saku Koivu was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in 1993 as the 21st overall selection. He plays the centre position and is a two-way playmaker with great offensive instincts. He first played for the Canadiens in 1995 as a rookie and played well enough to be named the first European captain of the club at the start of the 1999-2000 season. Koivu received some very bad news on September 6, 2001 when the doctors diagnosed him with Burkitt’s lymphoma. He was expected to be out for the entire 2001-2002 season plus facing uncertainty whether he would play again but remarkably on the 80th game of the regular season for the Canadiens, Koivu shockingly dressed for the game in Montreal. It was a surprise to everyone especially with the severity of the cancer. Upon entering onto the ice, Koivu received a standing ovation for 8 full minutes while fans were screaming his name relentlessly. He helped the Canadiens into getting a playoff spot and was a catalyst in upsetting the Boston Bruins in 6 games in the quarter-finals that season. Koivu continued his inspirational play with setting a new career high in the following 2002-2003 season with 71 points (21 goals, 50 assists). He also won the Bill Masterton Trophy that year for his perseverance and dedication.
    After being captain of the Canadiens for 10 years Koivu decides to play out his contract to sign with the Anaheim Ducks in 2009. On January 22, 2011 Koivu returned to Montreal for the first time as an opponent of the Canadiens and was welcomed with a standing ovation as the fans there loved him when he served as captain for his tenure with the club.
    Koivu deserves great respect for his dedication to the game and determination to help his team out when it mattered. No matter who you are, you can’t say anything negative about him; he is a class act and an inspiring leader.
    1. Mario Lemieux
    Mario Lemieux isn’t number 1 on my list because he is the best player out of my choices for this article. It’s because of what he went through to became the best and win. Lemieux was always considered a talented prodigy of hockey. Being the uncontested 1st overall pick in 1984, he went on to have many spectacular seasons throughout the 1980′s but it wasn’t until 1991 when he won his first Stanley Cup championship. He also captained the Pens to another Cup the year after in 1992 establishing the Pittsburgh Penguins as a dynasty. He also scored an unbelievable career high of 199 points in 1989. After accomplishing so much, his life suddenly took a turn for the worst when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1993 and underwent numerous radiation treatments and even had some of those treatment sessions on the same day he had to play for the Penguins. That wasn’t all he had to face as he went through many surgeries for his back as he injured it twice in 2 years between 1994 and 1995. He even took a leave of absence because of the fatigue that settled into him after many radiation treatments and understandably so. He did return in 1996 and miraculously played at the level he was competing at before his diagnosis of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Eventually his body couldn’t take any more stress as he decided to hang the skates in 1997 and was immediately inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
    Shocking rumors were brewing as there were hints of Lemieux attempting a comeback in the year 2000. He did comeback after rehabilitating himself for 3 years and was the same old scoring machine like he was before notching 76 points in 43 games in his triumphant return helping the Penguins squeak into the 8th seed after everyone thought the Pen’s season would be a write off. Once again, Lemieux wasn’t healthy for long as he sustained a nagging hip injury and kept him in the pressbox for most of the 2001-02 season. He didn’t miss too many games in the 2002-03 season but at the beginning of the 2003-04 season Lemieux suffered Atrial Fibrillation and was out for 71 games for that year. The 2005-06 season would be his last as he did recover from the injury the season before but only to have it occur again in late 2005. On January 24, 2006 Lemieux officially made his second retirement from the NHL and was done for good in his playing career.
    Despite after all of his success when he was healthy, Lemieux just had that desire to play hockey injury after illness after ailment. There was absolutely no quit in this person and to me is the very definition of what determination is in a human being. He will never be forgotten on how he played on the ice and battled off of it. He is the only player to return from retirement after being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and has a very decorated set of achievements and records including 6 Art Ross Trophies, 3 Hart Memorial Trophies, 2 Stanley Cups as a player (1 in 2009 as an owner of the Penguins), 4 Lester B. Pearson Trophies and numerous gold, silver and bronze medals while representing Canada in international hockey.
  14. oilfieldhockey
    The 2016/17 NHL season has seen the unveiling of 8 NHL outdoor jerseys that were worn in-game by NHL players for their respective NHL teams. Most of the jerseys unveiled were inspired by past designs and colours used in the ‘good ole days’. There have been some interesting classic themed jerseys used this year and most of which are supposed to commemorate team history. Since this is the 100th NHL season, the ‘blast from the past’ route for the Winter Classic and Heritage Classic games made the most sense. The Centennial Classic and Stadium Series jerseys had elements of their past but the designs were brand new and never used before.

    Edmonton Oilers 2016 Heritage Classic
    This particular jersey was used prior to the Heritage Classic in Winnipeg when they unveiled it at the 2015 NHL Entry Draft as an alternate. The only reason this jerseys counts on this list is because the Oilers wore it for their outdoor date against the Winnipeg Jets.
    What a lot of fans didn’t know about this jersey is that it was the original jersey of the Oilers franchise. When they were the Alberta Oilers in the WHA back in 1972, they introduced this jersey before they changed it to their current blue jerseys a few years after that.
    The unique lay-over neck design was not a new implementation of the current throwback, it was also introduced as part of the design back in 1972 as well. Everything about this jersey is according to the exact specifications as the throwback in 1972 except for the white strips separating the blue and orange. The vintage jerseys have a thicker white line than the modern throwbacks played during the Heritage Classic. Besides that, this jersey a true classic.

    Alberta Oilers original from 1972

    Winnipeg Jets 2016 Heritage Classic
    The Jets, just like the Oilers, were part of the WHA until they both absorbed by the NHL. The first generation Jets were inaugurated one year after the Oilers were in 1973. These jerseys are now a fan favourite in Winnipeg after they were worn during their Heritage Classic matinee against the Oilers on October 23rd, 2016. There are 2 exceptions that the new throwback is different from the one introduced in 1973. First, the blue used in the modern throwbacks is a darker navy blue compared to the lighter royal blue from the original sweater. Second, the neck tie from the new jersey is a cross-layover just like the Oilers jersey. The original had a thin cut V-neck.

    Winnipeg Jets original from 1973
     

    St. Louis Blues 2017 Winter Classic
    The original from 1968 surged back to life after it was unveiled for the 2017 Winter Classic in St. Louis. This jersey proved to be very popular among fans and it immediately replaced the other alternate jersey St. Louis wore since 2008. The round fibre-collar neck added to the true authenticity of the throwback. It’s a simple design that stands out because of the bright colours and that’s why it’s a hit. The main difference between this jersey and the original is the thinner white strip on the new throwback as opposed to the thick white stripes from the original. Thinning out the white is a common theme to the reintroduced throwbacks because it shows off the main colours more.
    St. Louis was never part of the Winter Classic until this season and they needed this badly as other rival teams like Chicago and Detroit were already part of several outdoor games already. After the success St. Louis experienced with this Winter Classic, there is strong indication that they will be part of another outdoor game in a few years from now.

    St. Louis Blues original from 1968

    Chicago Blackhawks 2017 Winter Classic
    The Blackhawks are back at it once again with the Winter Classic jerseys. This is Chicago’s 4th consecutive outdoor appearance and it’s 5th overall. They now have a ton of different outdoor jersey designs and it’s a collection that deserves an honour of it’s own. This is also the 3rd straight year that Chicago has went with a white uniform after making their first two appearances in black.
    For this jersey, the Hawks modified the throwback from 1958. They made some adjustments with the minor details of the jersey. First, they made the red and black stripes on the waist bigger and they placed the bottom black stripe on the very bottom instead of letting it overhang on top of the white base. Second, they took the “C” from the arm portion of the sweater and completely changed it. All aspects of the secondary logo were changed including the tomahawk ax and ax head portions.  The justification for this is because the Hawks already used the original “C” secondary logo in the 2015 Winter Classic jersey and they didn’t want to use it again. They did however use the same main logo from the 1958 original as opposed to before when they used their current logo which is a big positive.
    This jersey, similar to the original, is not a true replication of the older version but it still looks great nonetheless.

    Comparison between the old and the ‘old new’

    Detroit Red Wings 2017 Centennial Classic
    This jersey is a very simple design with one significant detail about it; The silver stripes on the arm. Engraved on each silver stripe are the years the Red Wings won Stanley Cups. The years listed on the right sleeve are 1936, 1937, 1943, 1950 and 1952. The years listed on the left sleeve are 1954, 1955, 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2008. Why the stripes are silver is because its supposed to resemble the Stanley Cup. The four red stripes on both sleeves are a tribute to the original Detroit Cougars, which prominently displayed stripes in their jersey designs.

    Toronto Maple Leafs 2017 Centennial Classic
    Just like their Centennial opponents, The Detroit Red Wings, The Leafs unveiled a simple but fresh design. There is a lot of depth when it comes to the symbolism represented with this jersey. Naturally, it pays homage to the past. The words ‘Honour, Pride and Courage’ stitched into the back of the neck of the sweater, similar to the team’s new sweaters, are taken from a famous Conn Smythe quote and represents the values the franchise strives to represent. The horizontal singular band of white across the body of the sweater is reminiscent of the Toronto St. Pats sweater worn from 1922 to 1925.

    Philadelphia Flyers 2017 Stadium Series
    Although this jersey is a new design, all of the elements taken from it are meshed from the past.
    The new jersey stands as a contemporary homage to the unique characteristics of 50 years of the Flyers uniform – a bold design for a passionate city. The primary colour of the uniform is black, fiercely showcasing the traditional winged-P on the chest. The single dominant orange bands are a reinterpretation of the singular bands of color on the team’s current home and away uniforms. In addition, these bands of colour are complemented by a contrast color name-plate, which is a signature design feature of the Flyers’ NHL uniform.

    Pittsburgh Penguins 2017 Stadium Series
    This is probably the most standout outdoor NHL jersey that has ever been unveiled. There are so many features this jersey has that makes it unique and there is no other like it. This jersey is mean’t to look industrial because Pittsburgh is also known as “Steel City.” The captaincy patches have the gold triangle around it and that golden triangle is normally behind the logo but instead they have it integrated with the “A” and “C” captaincy patches.
    The most attention-grabbing feature is the giant patch on the left sleeve touting “City of Champions” in big silver letters. This is the largest secondary patch that was ever featured on a NHL jersey. Inside the patch there are four gold stars, marking the Penguins’ Stanley Cup championships, with crossed hockey sticks all inside a keystone shape — for the Keystone State.
    The overall body of the jersey is representative of the first alternate jersey ever used in the NHL and that honour belonged to the Penguins. Those jerseys were worn between 1982 to 1985.
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  15. oilfieldhockey
    The Chicago Blackhawks have participated in the most NHL outdoor games with five appearances including it’s 4th straight in as many years. The Blackhawks showcased two very bold black jerseys in their first 2 appearances in 2009 and 2014. For the last 3 outdoor showings, the Hawks have featured sleek white jerseys in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
    If you’re a Hawks fan that loves collecting all their jerseys, this post is dedicated for you!

    Chicago Blackhawks 2009 Winter Classic
    Worn on January 1st, 2009 in Wrigley Field – Chicago, Illinois
      This jersey was a great first choice to use for an outdoor game for the Hawks. The jersey used for this Winter Classic date with the Detroit Red Wings was the throwback retro uniform Chicago used in the ‘Original Six’ days during the 1936-37 NHL season. This particular jersey design is very bold for a classic uniform as the engraved “Blackhawks Chicago” circled around the vintage Hawks logo show a sense of branding, honour and pride about it. The black base combined with the red and beige stripes add to the boldness of this uniform plus it suits the iconic center logo very well.

     
    Chicago Blackhawks 2014 Stadium Series
    Worn on March 1st, 2014 in Soldier Field – Chicago, Illinois
    The Blackhawks 2014 NHL Stadium Series jersey is the reintroduction of Chicago’s first alternate jersey that debuted in 1996. Eventually, they were retired after 2011. Three years later, the Hawks brought back the black alternates with very subtle changes to match with the Stadium Series theme.
    These NHL Stadium Series uniforms utilize colors within the teams’ existing color palates. Each jersey features chrome-treated logo designs that are unique to the NHL Stadium Series and inspired from the chrome details in the NHL shield, bringing a dynamic and modern perspective to conventional team identities. The chrome crest was developed using new technology that fuses print and embroidery and allows logos to be displayed as a high-resolution image incorporated into the crest. This technology also reduces the weight of the crest, resulting in a lightweight jersey to help improve athlete performance.
    Numbering on the back of the jersey is enlarged and sleeve numbers are angled to improve visibility in outdoor venues.
    Overall, this is a great jersey, especially for the young fans. Not too many jerseys based from old school designs blend in very well with any new school tweaking but this uniform was done just right.

    Chicago Blackhawks 2015 Winter Classic
    Worn on January 1st, 2015 in Nationals Park – Washington, D.C.
    Inspired by the 1957 jersey worn by the Chicago Blackhawks, the white Winter Classic jersey features a lace-up collar and secondary logos on each sleeve; the secondary logos overlap the top two stripes on the sleeve rather than the traditional shoulder placement. The vintage logo in the 1957 jersey will not used. Instead, the current logo will be used to add a dash of modern to it even though the current logo has been used since 1964.
    Another detail about the jersey is on the inside portion of the neck it inscribes “2015 NHL Winter Classic” in white letters. Besides that small detail and the placement of the secondary logos, this sweater looks just like the current road jerseys used today.

    Chicago Blackhawks 2016 Stadium Series
    Worn on February 21st, 2016 in TCF Bank Stadium – Minneapolis, Minnesota
    The white NHL Stadium Series jersey pays homage to Chicago, featuring four, six-pointed red stars on the white collar, which are derived from the City of Chicago’s flag and were incorporated as a symbol of regional fan pride. Additionally, the black shoulder yoke serves as a visual representation of the city’s nickname, the “City of Big Shoulders.” The team’s secondary logos overlap the top three stripes on the sleeve rather than the traditional shoulder placement.
    The stripes, letters and numbers were purposely made bigger to match the Stadium Series theme plus it improves visibility in outdoor venues.

    Chicago Blackhawks 2017 Winter Classic
    Worn on January 2nd, 2017 in Busch Stadium – St. Louis, Missouri
    Very similar to the 2015 Winter Classic sweater, the 2017 Winter Classic jersey was also inspired by the 1957 original. This time they used the vintage logo instead of the current one plus the secondary logo is more modern than the one used in 2015.
    This sweater is not only inspired by the 1957 originals, it was also inspired by the playing era of legends Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull. The uniform stands as an homage to the legends of the past while preserving the classic aesthetic of the franchise by using details from uniforms of the late 1950s and early 1960s.
    Just like all of the other white uniforms used in the outdoor games, the Hawks once again used single-layer black lettering because black is the perfect contrasting colour to the white body of the uniform.
    THE 2016/17 NHL OUTDOOR JERSEY CLASS – ALL ABOUT LEGACY
     
     
  16. oilfieldhockey
    The Detroit Red Wings are an iconic franchise with a terrific history. For 25 consecutive years, the Wings have made the playoffs and during that time, they have vaulted an already outstanding legacy to a brand new height of glory in the 1990’s and 2000’s. During their incredible playoff streak, the Wings have won 4 Stanley Cups and have participated in 4 outdoor games. The Wings have made appearances in 2009, 2014, 2016 and 2017 and have accumulated a 2-0-2 record in those games with both overtime losses coming to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
     

    Detroit Red Wings 2009 Winter Classic
    Worn on January 1st, 2009 in Wrigley Field – Chicago, Illinois
    This vintage style jersey is simple and light with no complexity whatsoever. When it comes to throwbacks, you don’t want to change the simplicity much except for the material that makes lifts the jersey’s visual appeal.
    The white-based jerseys are a throwback to those worn circa 1926-27, including an old-school logo on the chest with a current ‘winged wheel’ on the shoulders. The Old English ‘D’ served as the hockey team’s very first logo and is widely recognized as a symbol for Detroit and its sports teams, a true for the city.

    Detroit Red Wings 2014 Winter Classic
    Worn on January 1st, 2014 in Michigan Stadium – Ann Arbor Michigan
    Detroit wore the iconic red and antique white uniforms featuring a striping pattern and arch Detroit wordmark inspired by the late-1920s Detroit Cougars. The front crest on the jersey featured an early iteration of the winged wheel from the late 1930s Red Wings.
    There’s even a touch of the early 1980s Red Wings with the custom Detroit wordmark and the number system. Both are exclusive to the typeface worn by the Red Wings from 30 years ago.
    The captaincy marking has been moved to a diamond shape on the left sleeve, which is a very non-traditional move. It’s also against league rules, but the league gave them special permission, as they did for the Sabres. It also looks great but only for the one-time use of the sweater.

    Detroit Red Wings 2016 Stadium Series
    Worn on February 27th, 2016 in Coors Field – Denver Colorado
    Just like every other Stadium Series jersey, it blends modern twists with details that exhibit vintage qualities and this sweater is no different. It’s loaded with secondary details plus there is a story with every feature that was designed on the jersey.
    The coloration of the uniform is primarily red, with simplified white accents, creating a bold, striking stadium scale visual while staying true to the color identity of the franchise. The crest features a redesigned “D” logo, updated in its design style to connect more directly with the iconic modern day Winged Wheel logo. The single white diagonal stripe across the chest celebrates the iconic stripe of this storied Original Six franchise. Its diagonal placement is inspired by modern automotive aesthetics, and is a tribute to the automotive industry that has been a foundation of the city of Detroit. Stadium size numbers on the sleeves and back have been redesigned to better connect with the modern font style of the new “D” crest. The nameplate lettering is arched, as a way of connecting to the design of the team’s current nameplate lettering. On the inside of the neck it inscribes “Est. 1926”, the year the Detroit Red Wings were founded. The white “Red Wings” inscription on the outside portion of the neck adds a nice touch of character to the jersey.

    Detroit Red Wings 2017 Centennial Classic
    Worn on January 1st, 2017 in BMO Field – Toronto, Ontario
    As part of the theme of the Centennial Classic, the features and designs of the Red Wings were based on the legacy that the franchise has built to honour the NHL’s 100th birthday.
    This jersey is a very simple design with one significant detail about it; The silver stripes on the arm. Engraved on each silver stripe are the years the Red Wings won Stanley Cups. The years listed on the right sleeve are 1936, 1937, 1943, 1950 and 1952. The years listed on the left sleeve are 1954, 1955, 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2008. Why the stripes are silver is because its supposed to resemble the Stanley Cup. The four red stripes on both sleeves are a tribute to the original Detroit Cougars, which prominently displayed stripes in their jersey designs.
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    LEGACY OF THE CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS OUTDOOR UNIFORM…SO FAR
    THE 2016/17 NHL OUTDOOR JERSEY CLASS – ALL ABOUT LEGACY
  17. oilfieldhockey
    #1 TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
    There isn’t a team with as much top end talent backed with great depth as much as the Lightning. Their forwards are fast, skilled and very opportunistic, especially with Kucherov and Stamkos leading the way up front. They were first in scoring with 296 goals last season. That was the highest amount of goals recorded in a regular season since the Washington Capitals filled 318 pucks in the net during the 09-10 season.
    Their defense is filled with workhorses as Hedman, Sergachev and newly acquired McDonagh are in for a full season. They can each run the powerplay and cover their man in the defensive end very well. Most teams are lucky to have just one of those guys as good as they are. Tampa has three. That will be very scary for opponents to deal with.
    Great goaltending from Vasilevskiy will once again vault this team over the top. He was outstanding for the Lightning last season and is likely going to do work his magic again this year.
    Overall Tampa will be one of the best teams in the league with a very dangerous team up and down the roster. Their weakness is the penalty kill as they just averaged 76% last season and was a direct result as to why they lost the very few games they did lose last season. Other than that, they’ll be a deadly team all season long.
     

    #2 TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
    Fans have been gushing over the John Tavares signing in early July of this year. Why not? This is a great times to be a Leafs fan. The turn around of the team started with great management as Brendan Shanahan, Lou Lamoriello and Head Coach Mike Babcock turned water into wine with their consulting, drafting and signings they’ve made in the last three seasons. Rookie GM Kyle Dubas made a great first impression by landing the big fish in John Tavares. Dubas hasn’t even been GM for a month and he already signed him for 8 seasons on contract to play for the Buds.
    Toronto is a team that boasts a great top 6 forward cast with Matthews, Tavares, Nylander, Marner, Kadri and Marleau as the main scoring weapons up front. With a group like that, you’ll have a solid chance of getting 3+ goals per game average and score one out of every four powerplays (25%) which will most likely make you a top 3 scoring team in the league.
    On paper, their defense doesn’t have a bonafide powerplay quarterback or even a defensive stalwart but they’re still alright as they averaged over 80% on the penalty kill. They were slightly above average in goals allowed (232 GA, 12th in league) which is still good considering the weapons they boast up front. Having a goaltender like Frederick Anderson saving your butt combined with Mike Babcock’s excellent coaching will boost the team’s defensive prowess too.
    Overall, you’ll see the Leafs in high scoring games, they’ll be fun to watch, but they will need an additional defenseman at the trade deadline. They will get their man next Spring if they want to push for a deep playoff run.

    #3 FLORIDA PANTHERS
    Ok, so this a gamble and some of you will say I’m crazy for writing this but there is a lot to like about the Florida Panthers being a playoff team this year. My reasoning is that the Panthers young nucleus of Ekblad, Barkov, Dadonov, Huberdeau and Bjugstad still have the best years ahead of them. I wouldn’t be surprised if Huberdeau, Barkov and Trochek all had 80 point seasons and they are talented enough to make it happen. They made a terrific late season push last year and were just one point away from making the playoffs.
    Florida doesn’t have a ton of depth but they do have Borgstrom and Tippett on the verge of making the team and if they do, they’ll have a chance to make a great impression on the checking line and even special teams as well.
    Goaltending is a bit uncertain as Luongo is getting up there in age and James Reimer still needs to post better numbers to be a solid #1 goaltender. It’ll be interesting to see how this pans out.
    The Panthers are not known to be strong starters but they tend to play better late in the season. That’s the best time to watch them play.

    #4 BOSTON BRUINS
    There is no doubt that everything worked out for Boston last season. They were scoring, defended well, plus they were converting powerplays and killing penalties at a high-caliber rate. Sometimes, I wonder about Boston because they’ve had some great seasons with the same core of players. Sometimes, they’ve had some mediocre years where they’ve finished 9th in the conference two years in a row. Finishing 9th is really bad because it not only means you’re not in the playoffs, you don’t get a high draft pick either.
    Boston is still a really good team and they definitely do have talent but I think they over-achieved last season. We might see a correction in their stats. Marchand is a slippery player and hard to play against but it wouldn’t amaze me if he drops 10-15 points. Same goes with Pastranak and Chara. I can see the team trending sideways or even down because of how much better teams like Florida is getting plus with division rivals Tampa Bay and Toronto making strides in the off-season.
    Boston will be at least be a wild card team but their path to the playoffs will be inconsistent especially if Rask has a few off games but overall, it shouldn’t be anything to worry about.

    #5 BUFFALO SABRES
    The Sabres will not focus on making the playoffs this year, they will focus on development. What’s positive about the Sabres is that unlike the other teams not making the playoffs in the Atlantic Division, they’re trending up, not down. Buffalo boasts the best prospect pool in the league with Rasmus Dahlen, Casey Mittelstadt, Alex Nylander and Brendan Guhle all projecting to make the team next season.
    The Sabres already have Eichel, Reinhart and Ristolainen on the team showing great play and excitement but the issue will be how they will gel playing with new players making the cut.
    I believe they’ll have a great nucleus in the future. They might surprise with a couple winning streaks this year, especially once the kids find their way playing in the NHL. They’ll show a huge improvement between now and April of 2019 but they’ll be golfing after that time.

    #6 OTTAWA SENATORS
    Let’s not talk about last season. That’s a topic for another day. This prediction is made assuming Erik Karlsson is finally out and it was a sad ending for him in Ottawa. They still have some good players in Stone, Duchene plus up-and-comer Chabot but the atmosphere in the locker room needs to be addressed. There are still controversies and issues that haven’t been settled since last season and that can affect the team this season. Some more moves on the roster will have to be made in order to clear the air to start fresh and no team needs it more than the Sens.
    Despite their shortcomings on the current roster, Ottawa does have a few good prospects. Brady Tkachuk is their top gun that can make camp this year as well as Logan Brown. There are spots available so look for them to make an impression right out of the gate.
    The Sens might be in for another fiasco if the garden hose is still kinked but I think it’ll be a little bit more stable this season, but just a little.

    #7 DETROIT RED WINGS
    If there was a word that would describe Detroit right now, it would be ‘underwhelming’. Nobody on Detroit was an impact player last season. Forwards like Larkin and Mantha are good, but they are better suited for secondary scoring roles, not top line duties.
    If this team gets one or two studs that can plug and play into the lineup(most likely won’t happen), the whole dynamics of this team will change for the better but it’s wise to go for the rebuilding strategy since Detroit is excellent at drafting. They got Pavel Zadina at the draft this Summer. He’s a pure goal-scorer who can make the team but he won’t a impact right away. Michael Rasmussen is very intriguing as well. He will most likely make the team with a great impression but overall the Wings won’t be taken seriously this season. They don’t have any established elite players at this point in time.
    Give it another year for Detroit be a much better team who can quietly make a massive leap forward if the development of Zadina and Rasmussen goes well.

    #8 MONTREAL CANADIENS
    I wish I could say that the Habs have something going for them but I’m afraid they don’t have much at this point, at least for now. The team on paper looks like it’s rebuilding especially with Pacioretty recently traded to Vegas for Nick Suzuki, Tatar and a 2nd round pick. Looks like a type of trade for a rebuild to start but GM Bergevin says otherwise. He still wants to keep Weber and Price on the club despite the club going on a downward trend. Drouin and Gallagher still had good seasons despite how poorly the team performed but they need a wealth of support around them if they want to improve their numbers.
    If the Habs want to trend upward, they have to focus on developing their current prospects. They have a long list of centers that are in development and that’s an area where they need top get much better at. They do have Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Ryan Poehling aa their top center prospects but they won’t be ready for awhile yet. Now that they have Suzuki, it should be interesting where he slots in if he makes the club. Nikita Scherbak is talented and will challenge for a wing position as well.
    Victor Mete and Noah Juulsen saw some action last season and made an impression to the coaching staff. They’ll have an advantage in training camp because of the experience.
    The Habs have a much better prospect pool than what most people think and they still have decent pieces in place to make a good team down the road but their locker room is filled with distraction. The media always puts a spin on the team’s affairs which makes it difficult to focus on playing hockey. Because of that, they’ll have a rocky season ahead of them.
     
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  18. oilfieldhockey
    #1 WINNIPEG JETS
    It wasn’t a matter of how, it was a matter of when. When the Jets will finally play as a great hockey team. Many years of building a prospect pipeline is finally paying dividends and they are ready to contend for a Stanley Cup for years to come.
    In the most competitive division of the NHL, the Jets have what it takes to be #1 in the Central. Their offense is oozing with speed and skill. They play an aggressive up-tempo game and they have size to win key puck battles in the corners.
    The X-factor for the Jets will be goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, who had an amazing 17/18 season. He had a really good playoff showing as well. Not many goaltenders make the conference finals in their first full season and there isn’t a reason why he can’t do it again.
    The Jets are poised to be a Stanley Cup contender this season and as long as distractions or the injury bug keep away, they’ll have a great chance to go the distance.

    #2 NASHVILLE PREDATORS
    Arguably the most well structured team in the league, the Preds had a disappointing playoff exit against the Jets in the Western conference semi-finals last season. They’ll look to bounce back and if they want to go anywhere in the post season, they’ll most likely have to go through the Jets again. They have the team to do it but they do have to keep themselves in check and make sure they’re prepared to match the up-tempo game the Jets like to play.
    Nashville’s strength by far is their blueline. They have the best defensive core in the entire NHL with Josi, Subban, Ekholm and Ellis rounding their top 4. They all play sound defensive hockey. With Rinne as their goaltender backing the defense, it’s very difficult to score 3 goals in a game against them.
    Their offense is really good but it’s not at the same caliber as their defense and that’ll be their weakness if they start scoring in streaks. Forsberg, Turris, Arvidsson and Johansen are solid contributors offensively but they are not at the same level as the Penguins, Capitals, Leafs, Lightning and Jets when it comes to fire power up-front.
    The Preds will most likely be a playoff team and maybe a Stanley Cup contender if their scoring gets hot at the right time but it’ll be a wait-and-see approach from here on in.

    #3 ST. LOUIS BLUES
    It was a disappointing season for the Blues as they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2011. It’s the Central we’re talking about so it’s tough for every team to get an advantage over their divisional rival. Blues management knows how hard it is to play in the Central so that’s why GM Doug Armstrong acquired Ryan O’Reilly, Tyler Bozak and David Perron in the off-season. That’s a nice score for any team in an off-season, but it’s extra sweet for the Blues because those players play Blues style hockey; a blue-collar, chip-and-chase brand that’s very aggressive on the forecheck.
    The Blues aren’t very good on the powerplay as they ranked 30th in that department last season. That’ll still be a concern when the season starts on October 3rd and will be their biggest weakness. None of the guys they acquired in the off-season are true powerplay specialists but their 5-on-5 game will be a huge plus. They’ll be much better even-strength.
    With a nice rest in the off-season, they’ll have a fresh start to what looks to be a promising campaign for the Blues in the 18/19 NHL season.

    #4 DALLAS STARS
    The Stars are an interesting case to look at because what you think the Stars are known for, their offensive talent, wasn’t their strength last season. The Stars were remarkably ranked 6th in goals allowed last season and that wasn’t expected from them whatsoever, but that was with Ken Hitchcock as coach. He’s retired now so Jim Montgemery will takeover. He’ll have an improved team to coach because Valeri Nichushkin is back with the team and they could have talented defensive prospect Miro Heskanen making an impact right away.
    Ben Bishop was a great goaltender with his first season with the Stars last season but injuries limited him to just 53 starts in 17/18. If he has a full season, he can push the Stars to the playoffs and that’s very achievable.
    The Stars will compete for a wild card spot next season and if their off-season acquisitions can improve their depth, they’ll make some noise this season.

    #5 COLORADO AVALANCHE
    Besides Vegas, the Avs had the best Cinderella story of last season. Mackinnon was a beast and Rantanen played his role as shotgun perfectly for Mackinnon. The Avs had the best comeback season in recent memory after having a dreadful season in 16/17.
    The Avs established themselves as playing very explosive hockey and Mackinnon thrived in that environment. He carried this team to it’s first playoff birth since 2014 and although they were defeated by Nashville, they show promise for the future. Tyson Jost is primed for a breakout season and they’ve added defenceman Ian Cole to shore up their blueline.
    The Avs are in a very good situation with how they are growing and they still have an elite prospect with defenceman Cale Makar primed for the future. As for this season, they’ll build off their success they had last year and will compete for another playoff spot this year.

     
      #6 MINNESOTA WILD   The Wild had a good season last year. They made the playoffs and were contending to advance once again. The problem is more teams in the Central have improved are in the toughest division in the league because of it. The Wild have a good team and have got the most out of Eric Staal and Devan Dubnyk, who performed way above expectations. Good for them but the team didn’t improve at all in the off-season while other teams were making moves. That’ll hurt the Wild this season.
    The Wild aren’t great at any particular part of their game but they’re not terrible either. What’s bad is that they are average in special teams and 5 on 5 play. While that may have worked in the past, it won’t cut it this season. Will a rebuild be in order after next season? Let’s hope for the Wild, that’s not the case.

    #7 CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
    The main core of the team is still in tact as Kane and Toews still play good hockey. Seabrook and Keith had seasons they want to forget but their play was severely hampered because of the lack of depth they used to when they were on top of the hockey world with 3 Stanley Cups in 5 seasons. The depth drops off very fast from their first line and had to use their 2nd, 3rd and 4th lines as a season long tryout camp for their prospects, with most of them not ready to make the leap. Alex DeBrincat was a diamond in the rough and was the only bit of good news the Hawks had all year. He led the Hawks in goals in his rookie season and is looking to build off that.
    If the Hawks want to make an impact this season, Corey Crawford needs to overcome vertigo plus Kane, Toews, Seabrook and Keith need to have monster seasons. In a division like the Central, it isn’t likely.
     
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  19. oilfieldhockey
    #5 – Matthew Barnaby

    The master at getting under peoples’ skin.
    If Matthew Barnaby could fight with his lips, he would be heavyweight champion of the world. He’s quite a bit like Sean Avery except that he has the gift of gab, but not in a positive way. Matthew was famous for his constant chirping against any opponent no matter if it’s tough guys like Tie Domi, Donald Brashear and even Zdeno Chara. The man can certainly talk the talk but can also walk the walk as he would always stand up for himself when he had too. The man had no fear and is very courageous. His constant taunting made him a fan favourite with the New York Rangers.
    He was also famous for his huge smile that players wanted to punch out because everybody knows what kind of filth that comes from his mouth. He is very quick-witted and he constantly used references from movies to his advantage to insult people. For example, he often referred to Lyle Odelein of the New Jersey Devils as “Cornelius”, a character off of Planet of the Apes. He used to also pick on minor league players coming into the NHL by making fun of their low-end paychecks plus he would always tell them that their teams will send them back down to the minors.
    I really wanted to hear more of what Matthew said during his career but apparently most of the language was so offensive, it couldn’t be aired on television.
    #4 – Ilya Bryzgalov

    When you find out the universe is humongous big.
    Ilya Bryzgalov; the entertainer, the jester and the philosopher. He is a man who has an imaginative spark to his personality. People crowd around him just so they would listen to his crazy theories. One of his philosophies is that Siberian Husky’s are like hot blondes because they’re both known for their beauty plus he has an entire theory on comparing outer space to life in general. What makes it funnier is that he has a college degree in philosophy.
    Ilya is most famous for talking about his favourite subject, the universe. He’s always wondering how it’s made and constantly points out how big it is. One interesting note he has on the universe is that he compares how small the world’s problems are compared to the size of the universe. It’s interesting because that analogy matches his personality in the way that he is easy-going, calm and humourous.
    Even when things aren’t going well for him, he doesn’t appear to be angry but he does get sarcastic. Even his sarcasm is funny because he makes himself the butt end of the joke and he is comfortable with it. For example, when Ilya apparently got benched from the Flyers for sleeping during a team meeting, he asked the journalists who reported the story on it to “look at themselves in the mirror” plus he told them that were doing “a great job of reporting.”

    Ilya has a soft side to him. When it came to painting one of his masks, he decided to let his children design his mask when he played for the Edmonton Oilers. On one side, there is a drawing a goalie guarding and on the other side, it appears to be the 2014 Olympic games in Sochi, Russia.
    I really wished he didn’t play such horrible hockey during the twilight of his career, otherwise we would of heard more of Ilya’s philosophies about things in life. He should write a book on it!
    #3 – Alex Ovechkin

    Don’t we love Alex in the all-star games or what?
    When Alex entered the NHL in 2005, we was nothing more than a shadow to the hype that Sidney Crosby brought to the league when he entered with Ovechkin as a rookie. Fans found out right away that there are 3 things that Alex scores; goals, girls and interviews. How it sequenced was a lot like this; When he scored the goals, he scored the interviews. When he scored the interviews, he scored the girls. That cycle repeated until he got engaged to Nastya  Shubskaya in 2015. Before that he lived the ultimate bachelor lifestyle in the off-season. Alex would show up to wild DJ parties in limousines filled with beautiful women and tagging alongside him is fellow countryman Evgeni Malkin. He also loves being a rockstar as he used to play in rock concerts plus he even tried his hand at rapping.
    Around the locker room, Alex is a lot like Ilya Bryzgalov with his care-free attitude but he is more boisterous and playful. His antics make him a favourite on and off the ice with teammates as well as fans. One of the best moments of Alex was him making fun of teammate Alex Semin’s fighting skills using Nintendo Wii remotes. Personally, I laughed a little more than I should have but it was great. Ovechkin once interviewed rival player Sidney Crosby and it was comedic gold. He is also very funny at the receiving end of interviews as he always has out-of-the-box answers to many of his questions from interviewers. He has become more serious in the last couple of seasons but his fun side does pop up from time to time.
    #2 – P.K. Subban

    Welcome to Smashville P.K.!
    He’s living the dream isn’t he huh? P.K. is a very special person. He is very special because he has the most heart and spirit in the game of hockey today. P.K. freely expresses his appreciation of playing in the best hockey league in the world by being himself. He has the most heart because he is one of the most generous donors that Montreal Children’s Hospital has ever had. In 2015, P.K. has pledged $10 million to help sick kids at the hospital. But it’s not like P.K. to just drop a pile of fun coupons and walk away, he actually gets his hands dirty by spending time playing with the kids and getting involved in the community. The kids at the hospital love his enthusiasm, energy plus he makes them laugh which is so important.
    On the ice P.K. brings the spirit to the locker room as he is always getting himself psyched up during warm ups before every game. He is loud, energetic and confident plus his teammates feed off that. P.K. is very emotional and that’s good when you’re winning but has shown emotion in a negative way when things aren’t going well in the past. P.K. hates losing and has expressed frustration in the form of bombastic cursing and throwing Gatorade bottles in the locker room. Analysts have always said that P.K. Subban can drive your team to a win or loss becuase of his play on the ice but that’s only half true. It has everything to do with his emotion.
    Another side of P.K. that most fans like is his personality shown on small t.v. stints. His best performance came when he dressed up in one of Don Cherry’s suits then started to impersonate him in a mock Coach’s Corner segment with George Strombolopoulos. P.K. is very lively, playful and happy-go-lucky when on camera and he is like that because he appreciates his life as an NHL player. He is a standout presence in any locker room you put him in as he is intrinsically motivated as he doesn’t need an outside influence to light his spark. With that personality comes with a dash of swagger and that comes when you’re as confident as P.K. You’ll see that swagger when he celebrates his goals on the ice as he’ll do a majestic celebration after he dishes the puck into the net.
    There will never be a another person like P.K. Fans, teammates and everybody involved in hockey will miss him when he is gone.
    #1 – Jeremy Roenick

    Ladies look out! (Just kidding, he’s married)
    Fiery, colourful and a true showman. That’s why he is #1 on this list. Jeremy was as great as a hockey player as he was a talker under the spotlight. He used to always establish rapport with fans by greeting them and signing their merchandise with his autograph. He’d do it more than any other player.
    For Roenick, it was an understanding of what it meant to be the fan on the other side. As a child, he attended Hartford Whalers’ games; during one visit, hockey legend Gordie Howe picked up a pile of snow off the ice and threw it over the glass and on top of Roenick’s head; Howe then continued to skate around but looked at Roenick again and winked. Roenick recalled what a lasting effect it had on him and he quoted;
      “I thought that was the coolest thing that ever happened in my whole life, it took three seconds. It was me, Gordie Howe and no one else…That moment stuck with me for years and years and years. It was little, it was small and it took nothing out of his power or time but it resonated with me my whole life. So, as a player, as I got older, I tried to reach out to fans, reach out to kids whether on the ice or on the street or in a restaurant. I try to do little things where I can make the same impression on a young child that Gordie Howe made on me. That’s a gift that was given to me. And I made sure I did it, every, single day. Without the fans, without their support, the NHL would be nothing, the NFL would be nothing, basketball, baseball, you name it right down the line … The two or three seconds you give each day to make sure you appreciate the people who appreciate you, goes a long way.”
      Roenick was candid as he said whatever he felt like on the camera. He talked about his controversial views on the 2005 NHL lockout, made statements about the NHL commissioner and had a public exchange of words with Patrick Roy during the 1996 playoffs, a debate he lost.
      Jeremy loved to gamble and was part of the controversial gambling stunt known as Operation Slapshot which forced Roenick, several NHL players and personnel to give affidavits to New Jersey authorities for allegedly placing bets on hockey games when they were playing and coaching in the NHL.
      After Roenick retired from hockey in 2009, he took on a couple of analyst roles for NBC and he has also appeared on several cameo appearances in different movies and sitcoms. He lives the cameo life and just like every other role Jeremy had in his life, he embraced it and made the best of it.
  20. oilfieldhockey
    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
  21. oilfieldhockey
    The Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks both unveiled their 2019 Winter Classic jerseys on Thursday. As is tradition, the two teams, with the help of Adidas, designed very classic looking uniforms that they’ll wear when they head outdoors for the annual New Year’s Day event, which is set to be played at the iconic Notre Dame Stadium this season.
     
    As the visiting team, the Bruins were first to unveil their sweaters, which are a throwback to the club’s uniforms in the 1930s. They’re not identical to that look, as they have new sleeve striping, but the overall aesthetic is a tribute to that era. One of the most remarkable details about this uniform is that the logo, name and numbers uses a felt material similar to an old school letterman jacket. (Each of the Bruins’ previous two Winter Classic jerseys included felt as well.) If you have “felt the felt” on the Bruin’s previous Winter Classic jerseys before, you know that it feels amazing.
     

     
    The only real reference to Notre Dame comes inside the the collar, where six shamrocks are featured to highlight each year in which the Bruins have won the Stanley Cup. A subtle feature that standouts because of the contrast from the green shamrocks to the overall colour scheme.
     

     

     
    The Chicago jersey will also feature all their championship years inside the neckline, but those years are displayed in between the hashmarks that are typically featured in the end zones of Notre Dame Stadium. This is one of the first features of the jersey that is referenced to American Football of any kind.
     

     
    For more on articles and officially licensed NHL merchandise, visit https://oilfieldjerseys.com/ today!
  22. oilfieldhockey
    The 41 game mark. It’s that time of year where many see where we are in our pools and if any of us made good on our pre-season predictions. Let’s be honest, most of us get pre-season forecasts wrong including many from established hockey news outlets. Since all of the NHL teams have played their first 41 games, we can now finally do this report.
     
    Today we’re talking about who would win the trophy’s if the season ended today and who we think will actually win it at the end of the season. Only season rewards without playoff appearances and reiterating accolades 
    are listed so the Conn Smythe, Lester B. Pearson and Bill Masterton trophys are out.
     
    HART MEMORIAL TROPHY


    The Hart Memorial Trophy is an annual award given to the player judged to be the most valuable to his team. The winner is selected in a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association in all NHL cities at the end of the regular season.
    Winner if season ended today: Johnny Gaudreau 
    Winner at the end of the season: Marc-Andre Fleury
     
    This is the MVP reward. This trophy, in layman’s terms, goes to the player who can carry their team on his back. Last season, Taylor Hall and Nathan Mackinnon were outstanding and were easy choices as the top 2 candidates with Hall eventually winning. This season, there are no standouts. Many players are having terrific seasons offensively which makes it hard to choose a forward. Johnny Gaudreau is an exemption because he is the main offensive cog for the Flames. He is the best at creating and finishing plays for the team plus his linemates play much better with him as a result of their success. If he goes down with an injury for a significant amount of time, the Flames risk losing their division lead and will be sorely missed in the dressing room by his teammates.
     
    Why Marc-Andre Fleury will win the Hart Trophy at the end of the season is because he has the ability to carry an average scoring team to the playoffs. Vegas started the season poorly but have put together a run to get back into playoff contention. That is all thanks to Fleury. Vegas is 14th in scoring and 4th in goals against, but yet, are 3rd in the West. Vegas does not score many goals and they don’t have a game-changer on both the offensive and defensive side of the ice. Fleury needs to be the backbone of this team to get Vegas over the top and into the playoffs. That is achievable.
    CALDER MEMORIAL TROPHY

    An annual award given to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the NHL, selected in a PWHA poll
    Winner if season ended today: Elias Petterson
    Winner at the end of the season: Rasmus Dahlin
     
    Petterson has been the best thing to come to Vancouver since sliced bread. The problem with Petterson is that he is already injury prone. I want to hand the rookie-of-the-year honours to Petterson but he poses a lot of risk in doing so. He’s not very big and has yet to fill out. Dahlin on the other hand has been as steady as they come and he has been a consistent producer for the Sabres. He won rookie of the month honours in November and I don’t doubt that he’ll win another rookie of the month award before seasons end. Dahlin is a safe bet and that’s why he’s the guy to win the Calder.
     
    VEZINA TROPHY

    The Vezina Trophy is an annual award given to the goalkeeper adjudged to be the best at this position as voted by the general managers of all NHL clubs.
    Winner if season ended today: Marc-Andre Fleury
    Winner at the end of the season: Marc-Andre Fleury
     
    No goaltender has gotten close to get as many shutouts or as many wins as Fleury so far this season. He has carried Vegas to a place where they can push for the playoffs once again. Fleury has been so good that Dunkin Donuts is going to need him as a spokesperson because of all of the shutouts (six donuts so far) he’s been getting.
    JAMES NORRIS MEMORIAL TROPHY

    An annual award given to the defenseman who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position.
    Winner if season ended today: Mark Giordano
    Winner at the end of the season: Kris Letang
     
    This was a tough one because there’s a feeling of cognitive dissonance for giving this award to guys who only rack up assists because their star forwards convert the breakout passes into goals. I look at both defensive and offensive stats when it comes to this one and that’s why I chose Mark Giordano (+/- 30, 6G, 34A, 40PTS and 38 HITS 85 BS). Those numbers tell you he’s very well rounded defenceman who can do it all. He’s having a terrific season for the Flames and is on pace for a career best.
     
    Kris Letang, meanwhile, has had an excellent first half for the Penguins after a slow start to their season. With Crosby, Malkin and Kessel playing their best hockey right now, Letang can help jumpstart their offense from the backend much easier now than before. The Penguins have a history of playing great hockey in March and there is no reason why they can’t do it again. Letang is physical and blocks shots at a rate to match the NHL’s best. Another great two way defender who doesn’t get the accolades he deserves.
     
    ART ROSS TROPHY

    The Art Ross Trophy is an annual award given to the player who leads the National Hockey League in scoring points at the end of the regular season.
    Winner if season ended today: Nikita Kucherov
    Winner at the end of the season: Connor McDavid
     
    Regardless if the Oilers make the playoffs or not, one thing is for sure. McJesus will score at will. Now that Brandon Manning is sitting in the Oilers press box, Connor won’t have to worry about him breaking his collarbone like he did in his rookie season (Oh how the tides have turned). On a serious note, if McDavid plays all 82 games, he’ll likely beat his previous career best of 108 points and get 120. He’s on pace 134 right now but that’s stretch, even for a guy like him.
    Kucherov has been on a tear as of late but I think he’ll settle down near the end of the season.
    FRANK J. SELKE TROPHY

    The Frank J. Selke Trophy is an annual award given to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game.
    Winner if season ended today: Sasha Barkov
    Winner at the end of the season: Alex Barkov
     
    If you’re wondering if these are different people, they’re not. And he’s Finnish, not Russian.
    MAURICE ROCKET RICHARD TROPHY

    An annual award given to the NHL’s top goal scorer by the NHL Board of Governors. The winner(s) are determined based on regular-season play.
    Winner if season ended today: Alex Ovechkin
    Winner at the end of the season: Patrik Laine
     
    Ovechkin could be the oldest player to win the Richard trophy at the age 33 unless Patrik Laine stops playing Fortnite until 3.A.M. and actually decides that he wants to score again. That pretty much sums up the situation.
    KING CLANCY TROPHY

    Given to the player who best exemplifies leadership on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.
    Winner if season ended today: Brock Boeser
    Winner at the end of the season: Brock Boeser
     
    It’ll be hard to top Brock Boeser taking the girl with down syndrome out to a prom date which happened before the season started. He’s definitely a sweetheart.
    WILLIAM JENNINGS TROPHY

    An annual award given to the goalkeeper(s) having played a minimum of 25 games for the team with the fewest goals scored against it, selected based on regular-season play.
    Winner if season ended today: Pekka Rinne/Jusse Saros
    Winner at the end of the season: Pekka Rinne/Jusse Saros
     
    Pekka Rinne is an absolute brick **** house in net. Nashville’s defense is near impassable on most nights and there is no sign of them slowing down. Expect Nashville to be the defensive team of the year.
    PRESIDENT’S TROPHY

    An annual award to the club finishing the regular season with the best overall record.
    Winner if season ended today: Tampa Bay Lightning
    Winner at the end of the season: Tampa Bay Lightning
     
    To put in perspective on how dominate the Lightning were in the first half, the Lightning could play at .500 from here on in and still have a better chance at winning the President’s Trophy than the Leafs, Flames and Golden Knights.
     
    For authentic NHL gear, visit https://oilfieldjerseys.com/ for your fan needs today!
     
     
     
  23. oilfieldhockey
    Usually any NHL outdoor game creates a lot of anticipation for fans. The Winter Classics and the Stadium Series are an event almost every fan, regardless of what team you cheer for, take interest in. The one thing that piques the most curiosity on these games is always the grand, jersey reveal.
     
    There’s just one problem:
     
    The Flyers jersey was leaked. Not once, but twice. Also, the Penguins jersey was leaked along with the second time the Flyers jersey was leaked. Ouch! Someone was way too excited to show these off! The leaks soured any excitement fans had left about the official reveal. It was a bad kept secret.


    We got wind of these photos 4 days before the official unveiling and it was reported everywhere amongst Hockey focused Facebook pages and Instagram fan pages.   It is clearly stated that these Stadium Series jerseys are supposed to resemble the “black and yellow construction signs” of Steel City to honour Pittsburgh’s history and all of those bright yellow bridges the city is famous for. What came out was an NFL colour rush jersey which is coincidentally similar to the Pittsburgh Steelers jersey they wore this season. The fade between the yellow and black along the detailed parts of the jersey is a nice touch to modernize the look. The “A Great Day For Hockey” punchline along the neckline is unoriginal for two reasons: 1) The font used for the lettering is the same as the letter font as the name lettering used for the 2017 Stadium Series jerseys. 2) The punchline itself is very generic and doesn’t pay tribute to anything connected with anything Pittsburgh specific at all. The Penguins would of made up for the blandness of the sweater by adding a patch honouring their back-to-back Stanley Cup championships during the 2016 and 2017 cup runs. That is missed opportunity because there isn’t knowing when the Pens will get another chance of participating in an outdoor game.
     

     
    Besides the differing shades of yellow and the striping, there isn’t much of difference between the Steelers Color Rush and Penguins Stadium Series jerseys.
    POSITIVES:
    The fade of the logo is a nice touch Modernization is apparent and distinguishable Letter kits are simple and match the jersey seamlessly CRITIQUES:
    Slanted yellow sleeves makes the overall pattern of the jersey awkward Punchline along neck is generic and cheesy Missed opportunity to utilize patch for back-to-back Stanley Cups (stripes along sleeves don’t count) Looks too much like the Steelers Color Rush jersey  
     
      PHILADELPHIA FLYERS   To go with the theme for the 2019 Stadium Series, the Flyers added a nice fade along the logo cutting out the white between the wing and orange dot in the middle of the logo. It’s clean and the orange and black were utilized the right way. The black name plate is a great touch to with the Flyer’s unique theme of adding offsetting name plates on most off their jersey designs. The black stripes along the sleeves are simple yet welcome feature about the jersey. The “Philly” signature along the neckline is used with an original font and it’s crisp. That feature might be used in future marketing efforts on how to effectively use it as a shoulder patch or along somewhere on the neck for a new jersey in the future.
    POSITIVES:
    Orange and black go well with modern twist on the jersey overall Black stripes along lower sleeve fit in nicely Fade along logo is clean Capitalized opportunity of the off-setting nameplate “Philly” along the neckline is a good touch CRITIQUES:
    A patch or punchline along the neck commemorating the “The City of Brotherly Love” would of been a great add-on since the Flyers are hosting.
  24. oilfieldhockey
    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
  25. oilfieldhockey
    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.
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