NORDIC AMERICAN

THE COLORADO AVALANCHE’S GREATEST PLAYER EVER, JOE SAKIC, WAS RECENTLY INDUCTED INTO THE HOCKEY HALL OF FAME. SAKIC WAS A TWO-TIME STANLEY CUP CHAMPION AND ONE OF THE MOST RESPECTED FIGURES OF HIS ERA, A PLAYER WHO SAW THE BOTTOM OF THE NHL BARREL WHEN HE JOINED THE THEN-QUEBEC NORDIQUES IN 1988-89 AND HELPED TAKE THE RELOCATED TEAM TO THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN LESS THAN A DECADE LATER IN DENVER. During Sakic’s reign, the Avalanche were a consistent bunch of winners, only finishing worse than second in the division once (2006-07). Since his retirement two years later, they have made the playoffs just once, losing in the first round to San Jose in a series they had a chance to take control of. That the Avalanche even made the post-season…

Gear Goodies

Brain Gain For Better Game

When it comes to on-ice training, most players think of cardio drills, power play formations and tape-to-tape passing. Dr. David Tinjust and Apexk Inc. – which have worked with Maxime Talbot, Ondrej Pavelec and Martin Havlat – have created a practice plan targeted at developing a different aspect of athletic ability. The Apexk device is a brain-training technology meant for use directly on the field of play, designed to mold athletes’ minds to react quicker. “The main objective of the technology is to train the brain to bring the athletes to an ideal brain profile called the ‘meta-profile,’” Tinjust said. “Wayne Gretzky and Michael Jordan are meta-athletes. ‘Meta’ is the kind of athlete that is perfectly balanced between decision-making, reaction time and skill.” The device is set up on the ice and…

Casted

Jonathan Quick already has a Stanley Cup and a Conn Smythe Trophy, but he’s now reached the big time with his own action figure. McFarlane Toys released an exclusive six-inch figure of the Los Angeles Kings netminder in a glove-save pose, with a scale replica Stanley Cup included. They are available in the U.S. through the McFarlane Online Store (store.spawn.com) for $15.95 and Grosnor Distribution Inc. (www.grosnor.com) in Canada. Fans in L.A. can buy them at Kings games when the lockout ends.…