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The Best of Everything in Hockey
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.
BARON OF BLUELINERS
Ask a good number of young blueline prospects who their NHL mentor is and the answer will be Nicklas Lidstrom. In some cases the style of play fits, in others you’re left to wonder if they just gave the answer they thought they were supposed to give. Either way it’s a pretty big compliment for the sublime Swede – youngsters know that to play like Lidstrom is to welcome success. A stalwart in Detroit for nearly 20 years now, Lidstrom’s trophy case is well-stocked, with the 2011 Norris making it seven for the Red Wings rearguard. But it’s astonishing to think that if hockey hadn’t worked out for Lidstrom, his educational background was telecommunications. Meaning, that if he hadn’t become the best European hockey player ever and the second-best defenseman behind…
THE THIRD DEFENSEMAN
Like most NHL goal-tenders, Martin Brodeur had practised shooting the puck the length of the ice into an empty net many times. But it took skill, precision and nerve to pull it off in the Stanley Cup playoffs against the Montreal Canadiens on April 17, 1997. After stopping a wrap-around shot behind his goal, Brodeur skated out from the side of the net and shot the puck over several players and beyond the red line before it went in. That was his most memorable moment of stickhandling, but it was just one of many (search YouTube for the 75-foot pass beyond Zdeno Chara of the Bruins that sent David Clarkson on a breakaway to score against Boston’s Tim Thomas on March 15, 2010). When he is long gone, people will ask how…
MEMORIES SO SWEET
The Best of Everything in Hockey, Part I, was published in 2003. Geoff Sanderson was anointed the best player ever for the Columbus Blue Jackets, as was Cliff Ronning for the Nashville Predators and Scott Mellanby for the Florida Panthers. Barry Trotz was named the coach for the Predators’ all-time all-star team. One question: Who’s coaching their second all-star team? You’ve read an entire magazine about the best every NHL team has to offer. Here are a few that didn’t make the cut, a personal list gleaned over almost a quarter of a century covering the game at the NHL level: Place to run in the NHL: The Seawall in Vancouver, with a nod to Central Park in New York City and Mount Royal in Montreal. There’s something about the warm ocean…
PERFECTION IN PLANNING
DALLAS STARS | 1998-99 There was talent on the 1999 Stanley Cup champions, but even more impressive, there were characters. “What was great about that team was it was something interesting every day,” said Craig Ludwig. “We could have fights in practice, just dig at each other in the locker room and then have a party that same night. But no matter what happened, we all showed up ready to play.” In building the Stars, GM Bob Gainey made some impressive decisions. After trading for Joe Nieuwendyk (in exchange for prospect Jarome Iginla), he took a chance on two defensemen who weren’t fitting in with their current teams. Darryl Sydor had lost all confidence in Los Angeles, while Sergei Zubov didn’t understand what Mario Lemieux wanted in Pittsburgh. But what Gainey and assistant…
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