The Hockey News

A year later, Lombardi back on ice

Calgary Flames center Matthew Lombardi made a successful return in late March, scoring for the Lowell Lock Monsters in his first game since sustaining a serious concussion in last year’s NHL playoffs. Lombardi was sidelined almost 11 months after taking an elbow from Detroit’s Derian Hatcher during a playoff game May 3. The hit was a painful end to a fine season in which the young center from Montreal scored 16 goals as an NHL rookie. “This summer was the lowest point,” Lombardi told the Lowell Sun. “I thought after the season I would be good. But then I just never got better.’ Lombardi’s first outing, an AHL game against the Springfield Falcons, came March 20, two days after his 23rd birthday. Led by Calgary teammate Chuck Kobasew, Eric Staal of Carolina and Colin…

Following Leafs wasn’t always fun

We’re glad Stan Fischler has such fond memories of growing up as a Toronto Maple Leafs fan in the 1940s. Same goes for those who got to watch Stanley Cup parades down Yonge Street in the 1950s and 60s. However, some of us weren’t so fortunate. Some of us grew up in the 1970s and ’80s, when the Blue & White were to winning as Anna Nicole Smith is to good taste. Back then, the Leafs weren’t the hockey purgatory many make them out to be. Hockey’s very own Bizarro World was what they were, featuring self-immolating heroes, a meddling, commie-huntin’, rip-snortin’ runaway train of an owner, and trades so heartbreakingly awful, Sally Struthers offered to host charity telethons for them. In almost every measure of a franchise-from drafts to deals to alumni…

Golden Bears rally for championship

Ben Thomson scored the tying and winning goals to lead the Alberta Golden Bears to a thrilling 4-3 victory over the Saskatchewan Huskies in the Canadian University final. The top-ranked Golden Bears trailed the Huskies 3-1 in the third period before rallying for their 11th national title. After Richard Hamula scored to narrow the gap to one goal, Thomson blasted a 46-foot slapshot past Saskatchewan goalie Thomas Vicars with 23 seconds remaining. Thomson was again the hero in overtime with a goal at the 5:27 mark. “We could have given up in the third period, but we stayed with it,” Thomson told the Globe and Mail. “It breaks your heart,” said Saskatchewan coach Dave Adolph. “He found a square inch that was just a little bigger than the puck with 23 seconds remaining.” CANADIAN WOMEN…