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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.
HOCKEY’S POINT GUARD
The Detroit Red Wings were down 3-0 in the second round of the 2011 playoffs against San Jose, when captain Nicklas Lidstrom made the sort of play only he could make. Getting his body in front of a Henrik Zetterberg feed, Lidstrom swatted the puck goalward out of mid-air. It one-hopped the ice and jumped into the roof of the net behind startled Sharks goalie Antti Niemi. The power play goal helped propel the Wings to their first win of the series and push the Sharks all the way to a deciding seventh game. It’s that hand-eye coordination that helped make Lidstrom the choice as the NHL’s best power play point man. No player in the league keeps more pucks in at the blueline than Lidstrom, whose knack for picking pucks out…
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…
MORE THAN JUST A KID
SIDNEY CROSBY AGE 24 BORN COLE HARBOUR, N.S. HT 5-11 WT 200 TEAM PITTSBURGH NHL SEASONS 6 DRAFT 1ST, 2005 SidneyCrosby’s being out of sight for the last half of 2010-11 naturally caused people to go out of their minds sizing up wannabes for the game’s best player. Forget that Alex Ovechkin has two Hart trophies while Crosby has just one. Yes, Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos has 96 goals over the past two seasons, but it could just be the greatest short sample since Jimmy Carson. The Sedin twins? Well, if you put the two together you get just one superstar. And never mind Evgeni Malkin won the Art Ross in 2008-09 by outscoring Crosby by 10 points. People who ride the stagecoach in Pittsburgh know which player is driving and which one is riding shotgun. No, Crosby remains the best player in…
WILD ABOUT HITTING
CAL CLUTTERBUCK AGE 23 BORN WELLAND, ONT. HT 5-11 WT 213 TEAM MINNESOTA NHL SEASONS 3 DRAFT 72ND, 2006 The quintessential Cal Clutterbuck moment came in November. Like a bowling ball rolling down the alley, Clutter-buck took out two Columbus Blue Jackets with one hit before finding a loose puck and scoring the winning goal in a 3-2 Minnesota victory. He buried the puck as Jan Hejda and Jakub Voracek were busy shaking off the cobwebs, causing then-coach Todd Richards to quip, “He took out the five and seven pin on one play.” It was a vintage play for the Wild’s wrecking machine, who at 23 has led the NHL in hits in all three of his seasons. Night after night, Clutterbuck, who at 5-foot-11 is built like a bull, throws his weight around, finishing each and every check. “I just don’t…
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