Taking Stock Of Rene’s Reign

In his 16 years as president of the International Ice Hockey Federation, Rene Fasel has had his share of successes. I Most notably, the Swiss-born power broker helped usher in the era of NHLers playing at the Winter Olympics, an experiment that has been a boon in celebrating the sport. And he has helped negotiate transfer agreements between IIHF member countries that have expanded the playing field for talented players from all countries. But he still has significant challenges to deal with, including the lack of competitiveness in the women’s game – a problem that caused International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge to warn he may remove it as an Olympic sport – as well as the NHL’s reluctance to send its players to the 2014 Games in Russia. In regard to the…

The Instigator

Would Tomas Tank?

The Florida Panthers’ annual underwhelming play and the fact Tomas Vokoun is a UFA at season’s end have led many to speculate the Cats will be looking to deal their creaseman before the Feb. 28 trade deadline. That, in turn, has led to questions about whether the 34-year-old has the stuff to take a contending team to the top. Because there’s no debating Vokoun can make a bad team respectable, which is what he’s done since he was traded from Nashville to Florida before 2007-08. The Panthers, who haven’t made the playoff since 2000, surrendered the second-most shots per game that year and have allowed the most average rubber against each of the past two seasons. Even with Florida playing a bit more stingy this year, some observers suggest Vokoun, who had a…

Having a Stake in Fish

Most hockey teams attract fans to the stands to turn a profit. One ECHL squad uses them to fund a charity of sorts: itself. The Toledo Walleye, who are affiliated with the NHL’s Red Wings and Blackhawks, are operated by Toledo Arena Sports Inc., a not-for-profit corporation that resuscitated the city’s hockey franchise last season after a two-year hiatus from the league. The Walleye play in the 7,431-seat Huntington Center, a new $98-million arena. The fans ordered a second helping of hockey in 2009, but they’ll have to pay the bill, with all ticket revenue and net proceeds going toward the mortgage on the rink. Fan support is the lifeblood of the team. “Because there’s not one owner of the team, there’s a source of pride in the community,” said Jason Griffin, Toledo’s…