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January 11, 2010
The Hockey News has been providing the most comprehensive coverage of the world of hockey since 1947. In each issue, you'll find news, features and opinions about the NHL and leagues across North America and the world.
THIRD LINE
DSKATE TALL and carry a big stick has been Willie Mitchell’s credo throughout his NHL career. And as is the case with Buford Pusser, you really don’t want to mess with him. Mitchell uses the longest stick allowed by the league at 63 inches and he’s not afraid to use it…to take the puck off your stick. Last year, when then-Calgary coach Mike Keenan accused Mitchell of using a stick that exceeded the NHL’s length limit, the blueliner added shaft and skated out for warm-ups with a nine-foot stick. He should’ve taken it as a compliment, because Keenan’s complaints were a testament to Mitchell’s effectiveness. Often what Mitchell does when facing a 1-on-1 rush is keep his stick in close to his body and when the forward closes the gap, he…
St. Louis
WHEN JOHN Davidson left the TV booth to take over the Blues in 2006, fans were ecstatic. The team’s first round pick in 1973, who played two seasons in net with the Blues, Davidson had instant credibility and his “build from within” plan was widely supported. They’re still behind Davidson, but as he enters his fifth year in charge, fans are ready to see results. The team made an inspired run to the playoffs last season, but 2009-10 hasn’t lived up to billing. Can Davidson lean on his four years of experience and make a move to put the Blues back in contention? He has stockpiled prospects, so perhaps it’s time to package a few of them in a blockbuster deal.…
MIKE BABCOCK
No coach in the NHL led his team to multiple Stanley Cup championships this decade, but nobody came as excruciatingly close to doing so as Mike Babcock. Aside from winning the Cup in 2008 with Detroit, Babcock guided Anaheim to within one game of a Cup title in 2003 – and the Red Wings to the same fate in 2009. The owner of only one losing season since he became a coach in the NHL in 2002-03 – and four straight 50-plus win campaigns since the lockout – Babcock had a .643 winning percentage (300-140-76) as of mid-December. WINS 299 CUPS 1…
FIRST LINE
CWE ALL KNOW Joe Sakic was one of the classiest players ever to play in the NHL. He proved that beyond a doubt when, after accepting the Stanley Cup from commissioner Gary Bettman in 2001, he immediately handed it off to Ray Bourque. But to focus too much on Sakic’s off-ice qualities would give short shrift to just how good he was over the course of the decade. And even though Sakic scored more than 1,000 of his 1,641 career points during the 1990s, his level of play in the 21st century was remarkable. Joe Thornton scored a ton more points and shared No. 19 with Sakic, but Thornton’s playoff pedigree was sorely lacking when stacked up against Sakic’s performance. And remember, it was a bad back – and to a…
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