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World Juniors 2020
The Hockey News’ XL-sized 100-page World Junior Championship Preview tees up the annual holiday classic with in-depth breakdowns of Team Canada and the United States, plus features on Joe Veleno and Cole Caufield. We also key on one prospect to watch for the Swedes, Finns, Russians and Czechs and provide scouting reports on all the squads. On top of our WJC coverage, we have features on the dynamic between Buffalo's new coach and Jack Eichel; Dougie Hamilton; a history of hockey video games; why hitting is disappearing from the NHL; and much more.
One To Watch: VASILY PODKOLZIN
THN’s ODDS FOR GOLD: 5-1 ON A TEAM FULL of 19-year-olds, right winger Vasily Podkolzin managed to stand out as a 17-year-old on Russia’s 2019 world junior squad. The powerful two-way player helped the Russians earn bronze in Vancouver, and the West Coast city has already become near and dear to Podkolzin’s heart thanks to his second trip, when he was taken 10th overall at the 2019 NHL draft by the host Canucks. Now he returns to the world juniors with the benefit of experience on his side. “Mainly I got used to the atmosphere, the electricity,” he said through a translator. “I got used to the physical play, and now it should be much easier for me.” It didn’t look like Podkolzin had many problems in his first go-around at the tournament,…
PIXELS AND PUCKS: A HISTORY OF HOCKEY VIDEO GAMES
THE 1980s COLD, HARD STEEL It is 1988. I am five. I kneel before a large Zenith television, encased in wood panelling, inches away from a black screen, brow furrowed in frustration. It worked yesterday. I thought Dad fixed it. I pop the hood of my Nintendo Entertainment System and yank out the cartridge. I stick my bowl-haircutted head against the console and blow inside it until my lungs are empty. He said it was dust. I jam the game back inside, turn it on and hear the sounds I’ve giddily awaited. First the high-pitched SCHLING! Then the familiar, muffled voice: “Blades…of Steel.” It brings Dad jogging into the room. We grab controllers, choose our teams and go head-to-head for three hours straight. He beats me 10 times in a row. I cry.…
Scouting Report
FROM DARLING TO DISASTER? THE DARLINGS OF LAST year’s WJC, Kazakhstan rode those good vibes to a relegation-round victory over a listless Denmark in Vancouver. But the challenge to stay up in the top rung of the tournament will be even greater in the Czech Republic. The bad news is Kazakhstan has lost its top five scorers from last year’s event, including the team’s two best defensemen. The good news is there were enough underclassmen on the squad that Kazakhstan will have substantial carry-over this time, so there’s a nice dose of experience to draw from. While Kazakhstan had no problem scoring against Denmark, the round robin proved to be more difficult. When facing traditional hockey powers, this program is still overmatched, and Kazakhstan’s most important games this year will be against Slovakia…
The Countdown
NHL LOGOS HOCKEY LOGO CULTURE CAN’T be topped by other major pro sports. Who else gets to stitch big, fat, beautiful team crests on the middle of their uniforms? Logos are relegated to helmets in the NFL and often take on word form on NBA and MLB duds. In soccer, the real estate belongs to ads. We’re fortunate in hockey to get such impressive canvases upon which to display team insignia. We thus should not take logos for granted. In ranking them, we should hold them to a particularly high standard. Anything that looks like a little kid could’ve drawn it in five minutes must be punished, as should a lazy, uninspired design, a.k.a. any logo that simply consists of a word. The Washington Capitals, for instance, rocked a magnificent screaming eagle…