Theo Fleury's ill-fated NHL comeback this past summer opened some opportunities for him. By getting his name back in the hockey mainstream, Fleury was successful in promoting his autobiography, which chronicled his career and life in the sport of hockey.
Each and every Saturday this season I'll be taking a look at the random happenings and absurdities that occur in the world of hockey. Feel free to suggest stories, complain or otherwise babble at me via electronic mail.
You've got to love the spirit of minor league hockey. The promotional departments for the teams love to give fitting tributes to things that usually have a tenuous relation -- if any -- to their teams, sport and locales. I'm not criticizing, simply stating an observation. The latest team to host a promotional night chosen from their Wheel-O-Random Promotions (I hear all minor league teams keep one snugly in the back of the marketing office for when the mood strikes them) is the ECHL's Bakersfield Condors.
The team hosted King of Pop Tribute Night on Friday complete with Michael Jackson jerseys and players wearing one white glove. And don't worry, the media was naturally all over the clever puns.
When he's not pursuing his goal of becoming the first overall pick in the 2010 NHL Draft, 17-year-old Kirill Kabanov helps out with renovations on the home of his host family in Moncton, New Brunswick.
"They treat me like a son," Kabanov said of his billets. "I want to help out any way I can. This is my home."
It will likely be for just one year. The super-skilled left wing is a certain top-10 pick in the draft next June. His decision to move from his native Russia to play in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League this season has elevated his already-lofty status in the NHL scouting community.
Next year, the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships will be held in Regina and Saskatoon, cities in the Saskatchewan province of Canada. To honor the province and their CFL football team, the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Hockey Canada has decided to unveil a green version of the team's jerseys to be worn twice during the tournament.
In a press release, Hockey Canada COO Scott Smith had high praise for the jerseys. "We believe fans in Saskatchewan, and throughout Canada, will rally around the green jerseys prior to and during the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championship," he said.
They're rallying all right, but it's not the kind that Smith had in mind.
While in the midst of a youth movement, it appears the Colorado Avalanche have something going. After a disastrous 2008-2009 season that led to what was nearly a full housecleaning in Denver, the organization picked up two bright young players early in the June draft.
Those players -- Matt Duchene and Ryan O'Reilly -- were thought to be big pieces of the future. Instead, the pair represent the club's future, too.
SEATTLE -- This lovely and affluent city seems on the surface to be natural hockey country. Seattle is about 115 miles from Canada, and it's a two-hour drive to Vancouver; it is a sporty, athletic town where people spend a lot of time indoors because of wet weather; and the only pro team in town during the winter now is the NFL since the NBA departed for Oklahoma City.
Plus, this was the first city in the United States to win the Stanley Cup -- the Seattle Metropolitans beat Montreal three games to one in 1917.
But Seattle, the 15th-largest metro area in the country, seldom gets mentioned as a potential NHL location. And there are plenty of arguments against it.
Each and every Saturday this season I'll be taking a look at the random happenings and absurdities that occur in the world of hockey. This is the first edition. Feel free to suggest stories, complain or otherwise babble at me via electronic mail.
Sometimes when naming a child, a parent chooses to give their child a special name. Occasionally, they name their offspring after a parent, a friend or someone else who has been influential in their lives. Other times, well, the child is named after a Canadian junior hockey club in Western Canada. This is one of those times.
Thanks in part to the salary cap, player development is a huge key in today's NHL. With that in mind, FanHouse presents a handy team-by-team guide to the league's top prospects. None of the players listed have played a game in the NHL, and there are also no 2009 draft picks on the list. After the jump, check out the best prospects from the Western Conference.
Thanks in part to the salary cap, player development is a huge key in today's NHL. With that in mind, FanHouse presents a handy team-by-team guide to the league's top prospects. None of the players listed have played a game in the NHL, and there are also no 2009 draft picks on the list. After the jump, check out the best prospects from the Eastern Conference.
Ever dreamed of having your businesses' name on an arena without breaking the bank? Want to leave your mark on a high profile sports team? Well, the Ottawa 67s of the Ontario Hockey League have a deal... Err... Raffle for you!
Taking after the Rochester Rhinos of the United Soccer Leagues, the 67s are raffling off the naming rights to their arena. The main difference aside from the sport the 67s play is that the raffle is only open to companies. So, my dream of having an arena in Southern Canada named after my first born will have to be put on hold.
Theo Fleury's ill-fated NHL comeback this past summer opened some opportunities for him. By getting his name back in the hockey mainstream, Fleury was successful in promoting his autobiography, which chronicled his career and life in the sport of hockey.
Each and every Saturday this season I'll be taking a look at the random happenings and absurdities that occur in the world of hockey. Feel free to suggest stories, complain or otherwise babble at me via electronic mail. 
Next year, the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships will be held in Regina and Saskatoon, cities in the Saskatchewan province of Canada. To honor the province and their CFL football team, the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Hockey Canada has decided to unveil a green version of the team's jerseys to be worn twice during the tournament.
While in the midst of a youth movement, it appears the Colorado Avalanche have something going. After a disastrous 2008-2009 season that led to what was nearly a full housecleaning in Denver, the organization picked up two bright young players early in the June draft.
SEATTLE -- This lovely and affluent city seems on the surface to be natural hockey country. Seattle is about 115 miles from Canada, and it's a two-hour drive to Vancouver; it is a sporty, athletic town where people spend a lot of time indoors because of wet weather; and the only pro team in town during the winter now is the NFL since the NBA departed for Oklahoma City.
Each and every Saturday this season I'll be taking a look at the random happenings and absurdities that occur in the world of hockey. This is the first edition. Feel free to suggest stories, complain or otherwise babble at me via electronic mail. 
Thanks in part to the salary cap, player development is a huge key in today's NHL. With that in mind, FanHouse presents a handy team-by-team guide to the league's top prospects. None of the players listed have played a game in the NHL, and there are also no 2009 draft picks on the list. After the jump, check out the best prospects from the Western Conference.
Thanks in part to the salary cap, player development is a huge key in today's NHL. With that in mind, FanHouse presents a handy team-by-team guide to the league's top prospects. None of the players listed have played a game in the NHL, and there are also no 2009 draft picks on the list. After the jump, check out the best prospects from the Eastern Conference.
Ever dreamed of having your businesses' name on an arena without breaking the bank? Want to leave your mark on a high profile sports team? Well, the Ottawa 67s of the Ontario Hockey League have a deal... Err... Raffle for you! 
