Team USA in a Precarious Position at World Championships
After a poor showing against Slovakia which resulted in a 2-4 loss, Team USA bounced back to win its next two games, beating Belarus 5-3 and Kazakhstan 3-2 in overtime. As of May 11th, the Americans currently sit 3rd in the Helsinki group and will have to finish in the top four of the group [...]
“Russian Problem” Analysis Surrounding Radulov & Kostitsyn Falls Flat
Regardless of whether they return to the lineup in Game 5 or ever this season, the Russian Left Winger Alexander Radulov and the Belarussian Left Winger Andrei Kostitsyn have cemented the decline of the NHL’s Russian contingent into obscurity. Or at least that’s the thesis being pushed by some of the hockey media’s most serious [...]
Team USA Off to Strong Start at IIHF World Championships
At the beginning of the IIHF World Championships, co-hosted this year by Sweden and Finland, Team USA appeared to have one of its strongest teams of recent memory. However, with that said, many people were still left wondering whether the United States had the firepower to compete with the likes of Canada, Russia and Sweden. [...]
Jets Making Impact at the Men’s WHC
Not all of the Winnipeg Jets are on the golf course this May. As we speak, there are four members of the team that are overseas, three of which made their country’s final rosters for the 2012 IIHF Men’s World Hockey Championship in Stockholm, Sweden and Helsinki, Finland. As well, Zach Bogosian, Dustin Byfuglien and [...]
Russian Stereotype Highlighted by Some, Reflected by Few
I recently read an article from James Mirtle on the dwindling Russian influence in the NHL, which over the last few years has been evident. Some argue it is because of the lucrative contracts Russian oilmen can afford to hand out to the nation’s elite, keeping them in the Kontinental Hockey League. Mirtle, though, takes [...]
2012 NHL Draft Rankings: The Next Ones Top 120
The 2012 NHL Entry Draft takes place on June 22-23 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvia. Hockey’s version of Christmas is less than two months away. *** Click here for the Live Updated NHL 2012 Draft Preview Guide – The Next Ones - your quintessential draft resource featuring: Exclusive Draft Rankings Mock Drafts Detailed prospect profiles in The Next Ones format Team [...]
WHL 2012 Bantam Draft Top 30
The 2012 WHL Bantam draft is set to go Thursday, May 3rd inCalgary,Alberta. About the WHL Bantam Draft (WHL.ca) “The bantam draft allows for the orderly transfer of players to WHL Protected Player Lists (PPL) from the bantam ranks (13-14 year-olds). The WHL Bantam Draft is an annual outing, in which the Club’s of [...]
Previewing the United States’ 2012 World Hockey Championship Team
When the NHL season ends for players, either because of missing the playoffs or from an abrupt exit from them, many turn their attention to the IIHF World Championships. Of course, most would prefer to be battling for the Stanley Cup, but playing in the World Championships provides not only solid experience for a possible Olympic [...]
Martin Frk – The Next Ones: NHL 2012 Draft Prospect Profile – Frk-ing good!
Martin Frk THW Close-Up: Date of birth: October 5th, 1993 Place of birth: Karlov Vary, Czech Republic Ht: 6-0 Wt: 200 Shoots: Left Position: Right wing NHL Draft Eligibility: 2012 *** Click here for the live updated NHL 2012 Draft Preview Guide – The Next Ones - your quintessential draft resource. *** After a great rookie season during which [...]
Edmonton Oilers Top 10 Prospects Not Named Nugent-Hopkins
The Edmonton Oilers have an impressive stable of young talent at the NHL already, one of the most exciting collections of young players in the league, and a group soon to be added to at the draft table in June. What gets lost sometimes in all that hype is that they also boast some top end prospects still to [...]
Previewing Canada’s 2012 World Hockey Championship Team
Every spring, the main goal of National Hockey League players is to win the Stanley Cup. However, when that dream finishes for the year some of the best players no longer competing for the Cup are given the opportunity to represent their country at the IIHF World Championship. While it isn’t the championship of preference [...]
International Spotlight: Kristian Nervik Nilsen
Norway may not be a veritable hockey superpower at the moment but, despite that, they are still a very proud nation. Players in that country are improving every year and they are finding themselves on the upswing in all levels, both professional and junior. There is obvious camaraderie among several players, not just because many [...]
Gagarin Cup Finals to be decided in Game Seven
Back and forth they go. We win one, you win one. We win two, you win two. And back and forth they go. The first six games of the Gagarin Cup finals between Dynamo Moscow and Avangard have been decided by a total of eight goals, with five one goal games. Game Seven is tonight [...]
International Spotlight: Villehart Kuusamo
4713. The number of miles Villehart Kuusamo traveled from Ylitornio, Finland, to Salt Lake City, Utah. As astonishing as that number is, it is even more remarkable to think that there are less people in Ylitornio than the amount of miles in between those two destinations. It is, indeed, quite the trek, and it was [...]
The ZSC Lions Win Swiss NLA Championship In Dramatic Fashion
The ZSC Lions have won the Swiss Championship in a frantic finish to the playoff final series, taking Game 7 against SC Bern with a Steve McCarthy goal 3 seconds before the end of regulation for a famous 2-1 victory and securing the Zurich club’s first championship since 2008. The series started evenly with Bern winning [...]
April 17, 2012Read More