Really, could there be a more fitting time for Don Cherry, the hockey media’s most notorious and self-righteous loudmouth, to make his exit? After all, June 4, 2008 will always be remembered as the date when the Detroit Red Wings became the first NHL team to win a Stanley Cup under the leadership of a European-born, European-trained captain in Nicklas Lidstrom. When the Conn Smythe Trophy was captured by Henrik Zetterberg, Sweden’s successor to Peter Forsberg, who led the playoffs this year... Read Full Story

Yes, life has been quiet on the blog lately. I’m in Quebec City, gearing up for the quarter-finals of the 2008 IIHF World Championship. As always, it’s been great fun so far, working with my colleagues Szymon Szemberg, Martin Merk, Risto Pakarinen, Andrew Podnieks, John Sanful, and Jenny Wiedeke. You can view my articles and blog postings at IIHF.com. Related PostsPeter Stastny surveys state of hockeyOriginally published on EuroReport.com in 2000 By Lucas Aykroyd The list of players who... Read Full Story

EASTERN CONFERENCE Montreal Canadiens defeat Boston Bruins in five games: Expect Montreal’s PP to be the difference Pittsburgh Penguins defeat Ottawa Senators in five games: Loss of Alfredsson and Fisher too tough for Sens to overcome Washington Capitals defeat Philadelphia Flyers in six games: Too much Ovie, too much momentum New Jersey Devils defeat New York Rangers in five games: Forget the season series–Devils will crack down defensively WESTERN CONFERENCE Detroit Red Wings defeat... Read Full Story

Playoffs are coming. We don’t want to be distracted by side issues. We’re 100 percent committed to the task at hand. But we still like the Quotes of the Week. “People are going to say what they’re going to say, but when someone steps on you with a skate, I don’t think anyone deserves that.” - Vancouver Canucks forward Ryan Kesler on the notion that his agitating style may have somehow provoked Chris Pronger’s skate attack in a March 12 meeting with the Anaheim Ducks. (Conversely, when a... Read Full Story

Interesting article by the Vancouver Sun’s Iain MacIntyre today, focusing on Canucks defenseman Willie Mitchell and his concern for the environment. Apparently 16 members of the Canucks purchase carbon offsets against the extensive air travel the team undertakes. Here, you can find one Kukla’s Corner commenter’s estimate of the distances travelled by each NHL club approximately one-third of the way through the 2007-08 schedule. From an entertainment perspective, virtually everyone not named... Read Full Story

Maybe the Mexican vibe in Vancouver sent the wrong message to the Nashville Predators during their 6-2 loss to the Canucks on Thursday night. A mariachi band played rinkside to promote Tourism Mexico, and in nearby Yaletown, the Tequila Kitchen restaurant was preparing for its grand opening. But surely come April, defenseman Shea Weber and his teammates don’t want to find themselves golfing in Cancun, a fate that could await them if they continue to squander points in the tight Western... Read Full Story

My fellow IIHF.com columnist Risto Pakarinen has been busy on the podcasting circuit lately, promoting his new book, Off the Post. Listen to his chats with Andrew Findlater and Paul Kukla. Meanwhile, Joe Pelletier of GreatestHockeyLegends.com ventures a little further off the beaten path with articles on Muhammad Ali’s 1983 fight with Dave Semenko and a comparison of two very different artists in Bob Ross and Ron Duguay. And not to be overlooked is this impressively labor-intensive, special... Read Full Story

Michael Peca has two Selke Trophies to his name (1997, 2002) and one trip to the Stanley Cup final (1999). Yet only the most ardent Columbus Blue Jackets fan would believe this 33-year-old center has a chance of getting his name engraved on Lord Stanley’s mug come June. Sure, the Jackets are now just five points shy of the club record established in 2005-06 (74). But merely snagging their first-ever playoff berth in the ultra-tight Western Conference remains a longshot, as they sit in 11th... Read Full Story

Here’s a quick look at the transactions that caught my eye on deadline day: DEAL: Atlanta trades RW Marian Hossa and RW Pascal Dupuis to Pittsburgh for RW Colby Armstrong, C Erik Christensen, C Angelo Esposito and Pittsburgh’s 1st-round pick in the 2008 Entry Draft. VERDICT: Pittsburgh overpaid for the Slovak superstar, who has rarely come through in crunch situations since winning the 1998 Memorial Cup with the Portland Winter Hawks. (That includes the IIHF World Championships and Olympics... Read Full Story

For the inaugural Breakaway Challenge at this year’s NHL All-Star Game skills competition, the league had high hopes for its dipsy-doodling superstars. A best-case scenario last night in Atlanta would have seen Alexander Ovechkin, Ryan Getzlaf, or Pavel Datsyuk deliver a moment of individual brilliance that would have topped Vince Carter leaping over that French guy at the 2000 Olympic basketball tournament. It would have blown away Doug Flutie’s 1984 Hail Mary pass that lifted Boston College... Read Full Story