INSIDEHOCKEY

Nowhere To Go But Up

There’s never a good time to get bad news. But imagine Artem Anisimov’s reaction in mid-July when his basking in paradise was interrupted with word of a life change back home. On Day 3 of his honeymoon at a resort in Fiji – where coconut trees line beaches against an ultramarine ocean – Anisimov’s cell phone buzzed just as he and his bride sat down for an al fresco breakfast. “My phone just exploded,” Anisimov said. “And my agent called just as I started to look at the messages. Kind of an interesting call to get during your honeymoon, yes.” Anisimov was part of the NHL’s summer blockbuster between the Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Rangers, a deal long in the making that sent seven-time 30-goal scorer and captain Rick Nash…

The Instigator

BEHIND the Paint

WHEN YOUR NAME IS NOTORIOUS, sometimes you just have to embrace it. That’s what Dallas Stars goaltender Richard Bachman did with his new mask. Trading off the fact his handle is the same one author Stephen King used as a pen name, the real Bachman had famous mask artist Dave Gunnarsson – who called it the scariest mask he’s ever created – design him a new cage based on the film version of The Shining starring Jack Nicholson. It has an eerie feel and if you look closely at the star you’ll find the same carpet design found in the Overlook Hotel.…