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November 21, 2011
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.
From Ink To Rink
One common criticism of hockey writers is they’ve never played the game at a high level. The Zurich Lions recently decided to remedy that. The Swiss League team, coached by Stanley Cup-winner Bob Hartley, hosted a pack of local journalists and had the scribes put through a practice led by the former Colorado Avalanche bench boss. A local sponsor came up with the concept. “You could tell that many had never played the game,” said Hartley, who was nevertheless impressed with the reporters’ questions. “They all had full equipment, there were goalies, there were ladies and there were men.” Hartley and three of his players led the practice, which included stations on passing, shooting, cycling and stickhandling. Then, there were three real drills from a typical Lions practice, followed by a shootout…
ROLE-PLAYING ROOKIES
Not every rookie can put up gaudy offensive numbers or stingy save percentages. In fact, excelling at the other parts of the game can be just as valuable. The Tampa Bay Lightning are buzzing about right winger Brett Connolly, who has shown a defensive conscience and a willingness to throw his body around on a line with stars Vincent Lecavalier and Ryan Malone. In New Jersey, first-year defenseman Adam Larsson was leading the Devils ‘D’ in ice time with a staggering 23:43 per game. But one of the most surprising developments of 2011-12 has been the role taken up by Philadelphia Flyers pivot Sean Couturier. A prolific scorer in junior with the Quebec League’s Drummondville Voltigeurs, Couturier has quickly become a stalwart on the Flyers penalty kill. “I’m a player who can…
Dreams Don’t Die
Even in his darkest moments, Tommy Frew’s NHL dream never died. A highly rated teenage prospect out of St. Catharines, Ont., in the early 1990s, Frew had his pro career derailed by age 18 and more than a decade passed before he began his way back. Along the way, he had to deal with more than just an aging body and the perception he was just another can’t-miss prospect who somehow did. He also had to conquer his fears. “The game I loved most was driving me crazy– Tommy Frew Frew was a late bloomer to begin with, not taking up hockey until he was 11, but his skating ability quickly set him apart. By 14, he was playing junior and helping teach younger kids to skate at clinics run by pro skating…
Game Changer
Interesting choice of words Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau used when explaining why Alex O vechkin’s hockey pants were nailed to the bench in the last minute with his team down a goal in a game in early N ovember. Boudreau said he had to go with his gut. It was exactly that part of the coach’s anatomy Ovechkin was disparaging when, responding to not being on the ice when the Caps needed the tying goal, he referred to Boudreau as something that rhymes with “bat puck.” On the surface, it was nothing more than a disgruntled player voicing his displeasure at being placed out of his comfort zone. A fter all, who among us has not muttered under our breath an insult to our boss on the heels of a…
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