If you were arguably one of the greatest American-born forwards in NHL history, would you decide to hang up your sweater with on offer from the Detroit Red Wings still on the table? For Mike Modano, the off-season decision hasn’t been an easy one. After being informed by the Stars at the conclusion of the 2010 season that the club would be moving on without him, the 40-year-old Modano can’t seem to decide if he has the energy and the mental fortitude to endure what would be his 21st NHL season. As the all-time goal scoring and points leader amongst American-born players, Modano was unhappy with his relegation to the third line last year, ultimately resulting in Dallas general manager Joe Nieuwendyk’s decision to not sign the center.

Prior to the end of last season, Modano had hinted that 2010 would be his final season in the NHL, but with only 14 goals and 30 points, the seven-time All-Star finished the season with the lowest offensive numbers of his career. Obviously, all professional athletes would like to go out on top, but none of them want to leave on a sour note. With that being said, many are now wondering if Modano is now channeling Brett Favre in portraying the aged, self-pitying curmudgeon of the NHL. After meeting with Red Wings management last week, Modano has told reporters in multiple interviews that his decision will either be HockeyTown or retirement. If this is true, then why the feigned sense of drama?

Obviously, whenever the question of retirement comes up it is a huge decision. But Modano has had time to ponder it since May, if not earlier when you consider that the Dallas Stars didn’t have a prayer of making the playoffs last season. Furthermore, since Modano wasn’t happy with his new role in Dallas, what makes him think that the same role would be any better in Detroit. All reports indicate Modano would be used as a third-line center and occasionally on the second power play unit. Although Modano has said he would only play in Detroit, the Wings can only offer him around $1 million, but a team like Minnesota, a team with more cap room and the city where Modano began his career, could potentially offer him more. The bottom line is that the NHL off-season is still young and I anticipate that Favrono will drag this charade out as long as possible.

There are presently 41 members that belong to the NHL’s exclusive 500-goal club. There haven’t been any additional joiners in the past couple of years nor is there anybody new on the immediate horizon, about to crack the barrier. That makes it a good time to pause and celebrate some of the accomplishments of these famed hockey superstars.

As you might expect, not only have this select few attained the ultimate, lofty benchmark of twine-bulging glory, they’ve also done some pretty extraordinary other things. Scoring 500 regular-season goals in the best hockey league in the world is a highly significant achievement in itself. Along the road to 500, these guys have also accumulated some amazing distinctions that help define their spectacular careers.

Below are the top 41 goal scorers in NHL history presented in reverse chronological order by date when they scored their 500^th goal. If you are an avid hockey fan, chances are you already know something distinctive about these guys. It’s the additional anecdote placed next to their names that may raise an eyebrow. You talk about records that will never be broken. I’d be really surprised if anybody ever duplicated some of the feats you’ll find here. If you like hockey trivia, you’ll love some of these. Although, many of these triumphs are well beyond mere trivial in status. You decide.

April 6, 2008

During the 1996-97 season, Keith Tkachuk (41) took the most ever penalty minutes by a player who led the league in goals. Although he managed to score 52 goals and take the goal-scoring title, he also picked up 228 minutes in penalties. That’s the equivalent of 3.8 games passing time in the penalty box, most ever in one season by a goal-scoring leader.

November 10, 2007

You might already know that Jeremy Roenick (40) is one of only four American-born players to score 500 goals in the NHL. Another more significant note is related to how some of these 41 great players also helped fellow members of the 500-goal club attain their milestones. Long before he scored number 500 himself in 2007, Roenick assisted on Michel Goulet’s 500^th. The two were Blackhawk teammates in 1992. 

March 13, 2007

Mike Modano (39) is the all-time goal-scoring and points leader in the NHL amongst American-born players, regular season and playoffs. On April 12, 1994, Mike Modano and Brendan Shanahan became the only two opposing players in NHL history to score their 50^th goal of the season in the same game. Odd!

January 26, 2007

Mark Recchi (38) is currently 9^th in all-time regular season games played in the NHL (1,571) and he’s signed to play with the Bruins again next season. By next year, he could be in the top 5. Who knows, the way the youthful, 42 year-old Recchi is still playing, Gordie Howe’s 1,767 NHL games played is suddenly not the untouchable record we thought no one else would ever even approach.

December 22, 2006

On Feb 5, 1994, 30 Peter Bondra (37) scored the fastest ever four consecutive goals. He fired a total of five that night, but four of them came in just 4:12. Explosive! Daren Puppa of Tampa Bay was the goalie. He never knew what hit him. Think about it, a goal per minute for four straight minutes. Not even Gretzky could do that playing pond hockey.

November 26, 2006

Before he was 23 years old, Teemu Selanne (36) completed a goal-scoring feat that will never be broken. But you say, “records are made to be broken” and “never say never.” Nevertheless, I’m pretty certain nobody in our lifetimes will duplicate the “Finnish Flash’s” 76 goals by a rookie in 1992-93. In that season, Selanne scored 20 goals in March, most ever by anyone in a calendar month.

October 14, 2006

Mats Sundin (35) scored his 500^th goal in October, 2006 and I doubt anyone will ever duplicate the dramatic circumstances surrounding his triumphant goal. Sundin scored in overtime, shorthanded as he completed a hat trick. Regrettably, he is one of only four members of the 500-goal association to never have played in a Stanley Cup final series, let alone win a Cup.

November 8, 2005

Pierre Turgeon (34) was still only 17 years old when he was drafted 1^st overall in 1987. Although he scored his 500^th NHL goal in 2005, he too became an unofficial member of hockey’s elite scoring fraternity when he assisted on Brett Hull’s 500^th goal in 1996.

February 4, 2003

Even if he never comes back, Jaromir Jagr (33) enjoyed a very full NHL career. His list of personal and team accomplishments make for a near complete hockey resume, including his 646 regular season goals. Did you know that in the 7 games he played between October 16 and November 4, 1999, Jagr either scored or assisted on every single goal his Penguins scored? (7G, 8A) That’s ridiculous!

January 17, 2003

Apart from scoring 500, Joe Nieuwendyk (32) also belongs to another exclusive goal scoring club. He’s one of only five players in NHL history to score 50+ goals in their rookie season. In that 1987-88 season, Nieuwendyk scored 31 of his 51 goals (60.8%) on the power-play, most ever by a 50-goal scorer. Joe was a winner almost everywhere he went. He won three Stanley Cups with three different teams in three different decades.

December 11, 2002

Joe Sakic (31) holds an NHL record that should belong to him exclusively for many, many years. Sakic scored 8 overtime game-winning goals in the playoffs. Outstanding! Next closest is Maurice “Rocket Richard” who held the record at 6 for nearly half a century until Sakic passed him. This record alone is a powerful testament to Joe Sakic’s greatness with the game on the line.

March 23, 2002

Prolific goal scorers love to put the puck in the net and they’re ready to strike at any time.   Brendan Shanahan (30) is one of only two NHL players in history to record a hat trick in two separate season opening games. The 2^nd time was on opening night, October 4, 2001 when he completed his trio of goals in overtime while the Red Wings were shorthanded. After one game, he was on pace to score 246! 

January 2, 2002

We all know how valuable Hall-of-Famer Ron Francis (29) was almost everywhere he played. His 1,731 games are 3^rd most ever. There are a few members of the 500-goal club that never had a 50 goal season. Oddly, Ron Francis never even had a 40-goal season. His total career goals are most ever by a player who never scored 40 in any one season. In fact, his highest output was just 32 goals in 1989-90. It was thanks to his consistency and durability that he was able to score 549 goals in his long, illustrious career.

March 22, 2000

Pat Verbeek (28) scored 522 regular-season goals over 20 seasons in the NHL. Imagine how many he might have scored if he didn’t spend the equivalent of 48 games in the penalty box. His 2,905 PIMs are the most by a 500-goal scorer. The “Little Ball of Hate” had one of his thumbs cutoff in an off-season farming accident early in his career. His father found it, wrapped it up and brought it to the hospital where it was successfully sown back on. And Verbeek still went on to score over 500 goals. Incredible!

January 7, 1999

Like most 500-goal scorers, “Lucky” Luc Robitaille (27), has a well-stocked trophy cabinet and owns many NHL and L.A. King franchise records. Including Robitaille, the 2002 Detroit Red Wings won a Stanley Cup with four 500-goal scorers on the team, most ever. Regular season overtime was reinstated in 1983 and in 1989, Luc Robitaille became the first player to take a penalty shot in regular season overtime. He didn’t score.

March 15, 1997

Dave Andreychuk (26) is the NHL’s all-time leader with 274 power-play goals. He won a Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2004, but it was a while in waiting in his NHL career. Andreychuk played 1,759 regular season and playoff games before winning Cup, more than anyone, ever. At age 40 years, 7 months, he was the oldest player ever to make his Stanley Cup Final debut. Dave Andreychuk scored 640 goals and yes, he has a Cup ring.

March 14, 1997

Joe Mullen (25) became the first American–born player to score 500 in 1997. Mullen holds the distinction of being the only player in NHL history to have a penalty shot goal disallowed. Huh? Apparently his stick was measured after he scored and it was found to be illegal. NO GOAL! This had never happened before and the rule has since been changed so it will probably never happen again. Bizarre, but all kinds of things can happen when there’s a natural goal scorer around.

December 22, 1996

Brett Hull (24) may have been one of the most outspoken and controversial 500-goal scorers, but he made the Hall-of-Fame nonetheless. It’s somehow fitting that a player who scored 741 NHL goals would score the very last goal of the 20^th century. On December 31, 1999 at 9:30 pm Central Time, Hull tallied his 601^st NHL goal. He scored his 600^th earlier in the same game.

January 31, 1996

There have been 7 rookies in NHL history to put up 100-points or more in their first season. Dale Hawerchuk (23) was the first to do it in 1982. He was also the first 18 year-old to record 100 points in the NHL. Too bad he retired at the relatively young age of 34.

January 17, 1996

Steve Yzerman (22) scored every one of his 692 career goals with the Detroit Red Wings. He was named team captain in 1986 at the age of 21 and served in that capacity for the next 20 years. When he retired, he had been the longest-serving captain of any team in North American major league sports history. That’s loyalty!

November 6, 1995

Among other things, everyone knows that Mark Messier (21) was one of the greatest players to ever play the game. His all-time stats prove it. He’s the only professional athlete to have captained two different championship teams. Yeah, most real hockey fans already know that. Did you know that Messier was the last active player that had played in the 1970s? Also interesting is the fact that to this day, Mark Messier is second only to Gretzky in playoff goals scored 122-109. But his teams missed the playoffs for the last 7 seasons of his career! Just think of what might have been had he finished his playing days in say, Detroit or Ottawa or San Jose or Philadelphia.

October 26, 1995

If we’re going to play “what if”, then there’s no one more suitable to speculate with than Mario Lemieux (20).  For an all-time record holder in so many categories, “The Magnificent One” only played 915 regular season games, a limited number for a superstar of his era. In 1988-89, the Pittsburgh Penguins scored 347 goals. Mario won the scoring title that season with 199 points. That means he was in on 57.3% of Pittsburgh’s total offence. Incredible! He even missed four games due to injury. Yes, 57.3% is an NHL record.

January 8, 1994

It’s about time the NHL recognized Dino Ciccarelli (19) for his extraordinary hockey accomplishments. He is one of the most talented NHL’ers to never win a Stanley Cup. Nevertheless, his 608 regular-season goals put him amongst the all-time leaders. Ciccarelli established a playoff record in 1981 that nobody to date has even come close to. His 14 goals as a rookie helped the Minnesota North Stars advance all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals.

October 17, 1992

Riding shotgun for Wayne Gretzky all those years didn’t exactly hinder Jari Kurri’s (18)  production. Kurri scored 71 goals in 1984-85, the most ever by someone who didn’t win the goal-scoring title. He continued to do quite well, thank-you, after Gretzky’s departure to L.A. and ended his NHL career with 601 goals. Jari Kurri (not Gretzky) holds the record for the most ever playoff goals for one team. Between 1981 and 1990, Kurri potted 92 post-season goals for the Edmonton Oilers.

February 16, 1992

A severe concussion forced Michel Goulet’s (17) into early retirement in 1994 but not before this natural-born sniper had amassed 548 NHL goals. In 1983-84, 16 of Goulet’s 56 goals or 28.6% were game winners, most ever by a 50-goal scorer. To put this amazing statistic into appreciative perspective, the next best that season was Wayne Gretzky. He had 87 goals but only 11 were game winners.

October 14, 1991

Mike Gartner (16) is one of only six players in NHL history to score more than 700 goals. He’s the only player ever to bag 30 or more in one season with 5 different teams and holds the record for the most 30-goal seasons (17). Gartner never won the Stanley Cup nor did he ever even play in a Cup Final. He never won any major NHL award, never won a scoring title, and was never named to the postseason All-Star Team. All he did was score and score consistently. It got him into the Hall of Fame.

February 13, 1990

Bryan Trottier (15) was a core player of the Islanders dynasty of the early 1980’s. He accumulated a ton of team and individual silverware in his career. There are a couple of incredible details in Trottier’s career that stand out and make him one of the best clutch players of all time. Between 1980 and ’82, Trottier recorded at least one point in 27 consecutive playoff games over three playoff seasons. Think about that for a second. It’s truly astounding! His closest rival in this category was Wayne Gretzky @ 19. Trottier also stands alone as the only player in NHL history to record 6 points in one period. (3G, 3A) – Dec 23, 1978. Nobody before and nobody since has done it.

March 21, 1989

Lanny McDonald (14) scored exactly 500 goals in the NHL. One particularly spectacular season contributed handsomely to his final goal total. In 1982-83, McDonald scored 66 times, 2^nd only to Gretzky. Amazingly, Lanny did not reach 100 points that season. Earlier in his career, more specifically on Apr 17, 1977, Lanny became the first player to score 4 goals in a playoff game in a losing cause. His Leafs lost 6-5 to the Flyers. McDonald’s sweater #9 was the first to be retired by the Calgary Flames.

November 22, 1986

There are many secondary records that Wayne Gretzky (13) doesn’t own. The rest are his. It only took “The Great One” 575 games to reach the 500-goal milestone. He was just 25 years old. One Gretzky record stands out and demonstrates just how much of an offensive factor he really was. Get this: Of all the 500-goal scorers to date, Gretzky scored the fewest power-play goals, as a percentage of his grand total. He scored 894 goals and 204 were with a man advantage. That’s just 22.8%, the lowest margin of all 500 goal men. Gretzky didn’t need the power-play to prove he was great.

 March 9, 1986

In 1970-71 Gilbert Perreault (12) of the Buffalo Sabres smashed a 45 year-old record when he fired 38 goals, most ever by a rookie. Nels Stewart had scored 34 in 1925-26. Perreault’s rookie record didn’t last long. The following season, Perreault assisted on most of the goals by his rookie line mate, Rick Martin who set a new record when he scored 44. The record has since been surpassed. The magnificence of Perreault’s 1970-71 season has faded – slightly.

January 2, 1986

Mike Bossy (11) was drafted 15^th overall in 1977. He was passed over twice by the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Rangers and once by ten other teams. The Islanders landed a gem. It took 36 years to duplicate but in 1980-81, Bossy became the 2^nd player behind Rocket Richard to score 50 goals in 50 games. His fine accomplishments include a record of nine consecutive 50-goal seasons. He scored 573 goals but only played 10 NHL seasons. One fabulous record Mike Bossy holds to himself came in the 1983 Conference Finals against Boston. Bossy scored the game-winning goal in all four games the Islanders won. No one else has ever scored all four game-winners in a best-of seven series.

December 20, 1983

Guy Lafleur (10) became the 10^th player to score 500 goals in the NHL. He was the 16^th Canadiens’ player to win a scoring championship in 1977-78. Don’t tell your kids, but Lafleur’s career took off after three seasons when he began playing without a helmet. Of Guy Lafleur’s 560 career goals, 97 or 17.3% were game winners, a margin higher than any other 500-goal scorer.

December 14, 1982

Marcel Dionne (9) has a long list of accomplishments to his credit, including Hall-of-Fame induction in 1992. His 731 goals rank 4^th all-time. Dionne was the NHL’s first free agent in 1975. The concept was without precedent at the time so the NHL intervened and demanded compensation for Detroit, the team that lost his services. In 1980-81 Marcel Dionne centered the L.A. Kings’ “Triple Crown” line with Dave Taylor and Charlie Simmer. They became the first threesome to all have a 100-point season.

February 27, 1977

Stan Mikita (8) won four scoring titles between 1964 and 1968. In 1964-65 Mikita set a record that has never been broken. His 154 penalty minutes were the most ever by a scoring champion. Then Mikita experienced some kind of mystical transformation. He also won a scoring title in 1966-67 but had only 12 PIM’s, also a record. The same guy has both the record for the most and the least penalty minutes by a scoring champion. How weird is that?

October 30, 1975

Johnny Bucyk (7) might be the 500-goal club’s all-time most perseverant member. He scored two goals during the 1959 playoffs and then endured a long Bruins’ playoff drought until he finally scored again in 1969 in Lord Stanley’s post-season. Nevertheless, he finished his Hall-of-Fame career with a very respectable total of 41 playoff goals to go along with his 556 regular-season goals. At 35 years old, Bucyk notched his first 50-goal season in 1970-71. He remains the oldest ever player to score 50.

December 22, 1974

Phil Esposito (6) was the first player to record a 100-point season and later, was the first to score 70 goals in a season. Led by Esposito during the 1970-71 season, the “Big Bad Bruins” broke all kinds of team and individual records. Still, the most unbelievable record Esposito set that season was his 550 shots on goal. Nobody since has even come close. The only other player to come within 100 of the record has been Alexander Ovechkin.

March 21, 1973

The “Big M” Frank Mahovlich (5) was the 3^rd all-time great to reach the 500 plateau as a member of the Montreal Canadiens. Midway through the 1970-71 season, he was traded from Detroit to Montreal as the Red Wings were experiencing the biggest ever (40) one-season decline in points by an NHL team. Meanwhile, Mahovlich went on to lead the 1971 playoffs in scoring and helped the Canadiens win another Stanley Cup. Mahovlich never had a 50-goal season but he was the first to score 40 goals in one season with three different teams. In 1973, he won the Cup again with the Canadiens who iced 11 future Hall-of-Famers, the most ever.

February 11, 1971

The most extraordinary achievement in Jean Beliveau’s (4) outstanding NHL career is that he managed to get his name engraved on the Stanley Cup 17 times, 10 as a player and 7 more as a Montreal Canadiens’ executive. “Le Gros Bill” captained five Stanley Cup champions, more than anybody else. He played in the Stanley Cup Finals 12 times, a shared record. On January 23, 1956, Jean Beliveau became the first hockey player to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

February 21, 1970

There were five 50-goal seasons during the 1960’s and Bobby Hull (3) had four of them. Enough said!  In fact, he was the first player to score more than 50 goals in one season. As a rookie in 1957, Bobby “The Golden Jet” Hull was on the ice playing in just his 5^th NHL game when Maurice Richard scored his 500^th career goal. Bobby Hull didn’t score his first of 610 NHL goals until 2 games later.

March 14, 1962

Gordie Howe’s (2) career longevity is well documented. He’s the only player to have competed in the NHL in five decades from the 1940’s to the ‘80’s. By 1961, he had become the first to play 1,000 games. Howe never had a 50-goal season. His 801 goals were spread out over a long time. He won six scoring titles, but perhaps more remarkably, he finished in the top 10 in scoring for 20 consecutive seasons. In his time, Gordie Howe broke and held many records. Think about this one for a second; between 1965 and 1968 “Mr. Hockey” was both the all-time leader in playoff points and penalty minutes. Tough? You bet!

October 19, 1957

The legend of Maurice “Rocket” Richard (1) only gets greater as time passes. Richard set the first standard by which goal scorers where measured when he scored 50 goals in the 50-game schedule of 1944-45. Nobody has ever had more desire to score than the Rocket.  He is one of only two members of the 500-goal club (the other is Mario Lemieux.) to score five goals in one playoff game. Before 1944, no one had even scored 10 goals in one playoff season. Richard scored 12 in 9 games. He’s the only player in NHL history to win a playoff goal-scoring title in five different seasons.

Long before Maurice Richard became the first player to score 500 goals in the NHL in 1957, and even before he became the NHL’s all-time scoring leader in 1952, Richard was honored with a special tribute night at the Montreal Forum. On Feb 17, 1951, in front of a record crowd of 15,780 fans, he was showered with over $6,000 worth of gifts, a small fortune in those days. The event was like nothing ever before in hockey. It took place between the first and second periods and was carried Canada-wide by CBC radio. According to an issue of The Hockey News dated at the time, gifts included a new car (1951 DeSoto), an electric sewing machine, a huge liquor cabinet, a 200- piece kitchen ware set, a vacuum cleaner, expensive silverware, a combination radio, a special trophy to honor his greatness, shares in a publicly-owned golf course and a giant refrigerator.

Who said the off season was boring?  I promise I will not mention Ilya Kovalchuk.

Will Antti Niemi be a Blackhawk next season? (Flickr)

Anyone else hear that Antti Niemi had a press conference today?  No?   The Blackhawks Stanley Cup winning goaltender held a press conference in Helsink, Finland at 1:30 local time.  What was his big news?  Well according to Juha Hiitelä (Finnish sports writer who can be found on Twitter @jhiitela ) Niemi did not mention anything about the status with his contract negotiations. However! Neimi did announce that he has no idea when he will have the Stanley Cup this summer but he will take it to sauna.

Yup.  That was the press conference.

Yesterday the Detroit Red Wings organization flew in Mike Modano to have a lunch meeting to discuss the idea that he join his hometown team.  Modano a Westland, Michigan native has spent his entire career with the (North)Stars organization.  This is, up until they told him that his services were no longer needed.  Ouch.  After the lunch meeting Red Wings GM Ken Holland along with Head Coach Mike Babcock took Modano to a Detroit Tigers game.  (Hey, I am looking for a job, someone want to fly me in and take me to lunch and a sporting event on their tab? – just thought I’d ask).

According to newly appointed head of Pro Hockey Talk on NBC’s Joe Yerdon: Chris McCosky reported:

“There isn’t any other team,” said Modano, standing outside Tigers and Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch’s suite at Comerica Park Tuesday night. “It will be here or I’m not playing. I think it’s narrowed to that.”

Who says we give Modano a one hour special to announce his plans once he decides what he is doing?

It is summer.  This heat wave is making sure the entire East Coast doesn’t forget that.  So that means it is time for Hockey School!!!

Do you or do you know someone that wants to attend a Sniper Hockey Camp? What about if I told you you could do so with NHL sniper Cam Janssen (Yeah I had that same thought when I first read that too). 

For real though St. Louis Blues forward Cam Janssen is putting on a camp July 26-29. For more details check out the website: http://www.brulehockey.com/SummerCamps/snipercamp.html 

Bob Prober was drafted in 1983 by the Detroit Red Wings along with Steve Yzerman and Joey Kocur. Detroit would never be the same. (Image from Flickr).

Bob Probert.

On July 5th Probert was rushed to a Windsor hospital after having chest pains and collapsing while on his boat on Lake St. Clair.  To those wishing to pay their last respect so a man that was as widely loved with hockey fans as he was feared the services will be open to the public.

From MyFoxDetroit.com:

Visitation is Wednesday from 7 – 9 p.m. and again Thursday from 2 – 5 p.m. at the Families First Funeral Home in Windsor. The funeral is Friday at 10 a.m. at the Christian Fellowship Church in Windsor.

Families First Funeral Home & Tribute Center
3260 Dougall Avenue
Windsor, ON N9E1S6
(519) 969-5841

Windsor Christian Fellowship
4490 7th Concession
Windsor, ON N9A 6J3

#10 – Ed Belfour – Eddie the Eagle

Eagles personify majesty and grace, and the play of goaltender Ed Belfour certainly earned him this clever nickname. A staple for years with Chicago, Dallas and Toronto, Eddie the Eagle finished his NHL career with 484 wins and 24,750 saves. Belfour also has the hardware to back it up; he is a four time William M. Jennings Trophy winner (awarded to goaltenders who have played 25+ games for the team with the fewest goals scored against), a two-time Vezina Trophy winner (awarded to the best goaltender in the NHL), first in 1991 and again in 1993, and the 1991 Calder Memorial Trophy winner (rookie of the year). He also nabbed the Stanley Cup with the Stars in 1998, putting on an epic 53 save-performance (not to mention triple over-time game) in Game 6 against the Buffalo Sabres and his former Chi-town back-up, Dominik Hasek.

#9 – Derek Boogaard – The Boogie Man

Currently with the New York Rangers, Derek Boogaard earned his handle with the Minnesota Wild by being… well, frightening. He is considered one of the most intimidating players in the NHL (even in NHL player polls) and his hits can be devastating (anyone remember the Boogaard-Fedoruk tussle?). This guy is so into his job as a heavy weight that he, along with his brother Aaron, has his own camp for fighting- The Derek and Aaron Boogaard Fighting Camp for children ages 12-18. The 6’8” winger is an enforcer to say the least, and he plays his part well: the Boogie Man has racked up an impressive 544 penalty minutes in five NHL seasons. Just scary.

#8 – Francis Bouillon – Frank the Tank

Playing for most of his career with the Montreal Canadiens, defenseman Francis Bouillon earned his somewhat ironic nickname by playing with intensity. Standing 5’8”, Montreal fans have also referred to him as “le petit guerrier” which is French for “the little warrior.” Regarded as one of the strongest players in the NHL, Frank the Tank plays physical hockey, which can lead to penalty trouble (421 minutes in his NHL career). He still manages to produce points (113) and more often than not, you can find him blasting howitzer-type shots from the point. Those poor opposing goalies…

#7 – Pavel Bure – The Russian Rocket

Not to be confused with “The Russian Bottle Rocket” (Maxim Afinogenov), Pavel Bure earned his nickname from his blazing fast speed, similar to that of a rocket. The Moscow native spent 12 seasons in the NHL, tallying goals for Vancouver, Florida and the New York Rangers. A former Central Red Army forward, the Russian Rocket took home the Calder Trophy in 1992 and is a two-time winner of the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy (awarded to the player finishing the regular season as the leading goal scorer). He finished his NHL career with 779 points (437g+342a) in 702 games, combining speed and skill to dazzle opposing defenses.

#6 – Alexei Kovalev – AK-27

This is a pretty clever nickname, almost as good as the Little White Russian line in Atlanta, which consists of Bryan Little, Todd White and Salva Kozlov. Kovalev derives his nickname from three things: his initials, his number, and the word-play on the Russian assault rifle (AK-47). His quick puck release has been attributed to that of a bullet, and he often stuns opposing goalies with a barrage of shots. He has 412 goals and 578 assists to date, and a Stanley Cup title (Rangers) under his belt. More often than not, you can find him at the point acting like a one-man firing squad.

Niklas Lidstrom (Maureen Flanders/Flickr)

#5 – Nicklas Lidstrom – Saint Nicklas

Nicklas Lidstrom is the gift that keeps on giving. All 17 of his NHL seasons have been spent in Detroit, and he is the current captain of the Red Wings. He has a Conn Smythe Trophy, is a six-time James Norris Trophy winner (awarded to the leagues best defenseman) and has four Stanley Cup wins. He’s a frequent sight on NHL All-Star game rosters (10 times) and continuously gives Detroit fans exactly what they want: a playoff run. 237 goals, 809 assists… what else would you want for Christmas?

#4 – Dominik Hasek – The Dominator

Dominate [verb]: 1.) to control, govern, or rule by superior authority or power, 2.) To exert a supreme, guiding influence on or over, 3.) To enjoy a commanding, controlling position in. I’d say this last definition suits Dominik Hasek and the role he played in the crease best. Being a Sabres fan, I can remember going to games as a youngster and being terrified, thinking “No way… he’s upside down for God’s sake! He couldn’t possibly stop that shot!” But he did stop that shot, and 20,219 others, and he did it well for 16 NHL seasons. He paved the way for European netminders, winning an impressive SIX Vezina Trophies, three William M. Jennings Trophies, two Lester B. Pearson Trophies, and two Hart Trophies, a rare feat for a netminder. He also has two Stanley Cup wins and brought Gold to the Czech Republic at the 1998 Winter Olympic Games, the country’s first ever Gold medal. 389 wins and 223 losses prove that “The Dominator” earned his alternate name (and continues to with Spartak Moscow of the KHL), and then some.

#3 – Gordie Howe – Mr. Hockey

Gordie Howe has got a lot of nicknames. “Mr. All-Star”, “The Great Gordie”, “The King of Hockey”, “Mr. Elbows” (we’ll get to that in just a minute) and “Mr. Hockey”. All of these names are fitting, but “Mr. Hockey” seems to suit Howe the best. For 25 seasons, Howe laced up with the Detroit Red Wings, and another additional season with the Hartford Whalers, tallying 801 goals and 1,049 assists. He is a six-time Art Ross Trophy winner and a six-time Hart Trophy winner. He has four Stanley Cup titles and possibly the coolest statistical category named after him. “Mr. Elbows” is also the name-sake of “The Gordie Howe hat trick”, which is when a player scores a goal, records an assist, and gets in a fight in one game (Brendan Shanahan is the current “GH hat trick leader” with 17). Howe was also (in a bigger way than I can explain here) responsible for the World Hockey Association, which gave us teams like the Winnipeg Jets and the Quebec Nordiques.

#2 – Wayne Gretzky – The Great One

Just how great do you have to be to have a nickname like “The Great One”? In Gretzky’s case, pretty damn great.  He capped off his 20 year NHL playing-career with 894 goals (1st overall), 1,963 assists (1st) and had a +/- of 518 (4th). “The Great One” also has 73 regular season short-handed goals, and 382 playoff points, good enough for first overall in each category. He is a nine-time Hart Trophy winner (awarded to the played voted most valuable to his team), a 10-time Art Ross Trophy winner (awarded to the player that leadsthe league in scoring at the end of the regular season), a two-time Conn Smythe Trophy winner (awarded to the playoff MVP), a five-time Lady Byng Memorial Trophy winner (awarded to the player that exhibited the best sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct), and a five-time Lester B. Pearson Trophy winner (awarded to the NHL’s outstanding player, judged by members of the NHL Player’s Association). He won multiple medals in international play (Canada Cup, WJC) and has four Stanley Cup titles with the Edmonton Oilers. He remains the only player to ever be inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame immediately after retiring and he also played the role of head coach for four seasons with the Phoenix Coyotes. A nickname well earned if you ask me.

#1 – Nikolai Khabibulin – The Bulin Wall

In my opinion, this is the greatest hockey nickname ever, and I’ll explain why. The NHL has been around for a very long time, 93 years to be exact. A lot has happened in that timeframe, including war and conflicts with other countries, and that comes over to the world of hockey as well. The point I’m trying to make is: do you really think a nickname like “The Bulin Wall,” donned on a RUSSIAN player would have passed in the 1980’s? What about the 1950’s, during the era of McCarthyism and the intense US hatred of Russians? Not likely, and that’s another good reason the Cold War is over. Players from Russia and the Soviet territories could finally come to North America and the NHL now had better relations with the Eastern European market. Nikolai Khabibulin’s nickname both reflects his play (yeah, he’s wall-like with his goaltending abilities, ha-ha-ha), but the fact that it plays on where he comes from, and that fact that it never would have flown in the world of old-time hockey, makes it that much better.

Probert dropping the puck in Western Conference finals game. (Image via Yardbarker)

According to reports coming out of Windsor retired NHL player Bob Probert has passed away.

Probert, who was 45, reportedly collapsed on his boat on Lake St. Clair (between Michigan and Ontario) and was rushed to a Windsor hospital.

He had 3,300 penalty minutes in 935 NHL games split between the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks (1985-2002).

His family has called for a 6 p.m. press conference at the Windsor Regional Hospital to issue a statement.

*** Update: Family has confirmed that long time NHL player Bob Probert passed away this afternoon.  Probert was out on family boat on lake St. Clair with family when he felt chest pains around 2 p.m. and collapsed.  No funeral arrangements have been made as of yet.  Family asks for privacy and says they will update the media within 48 hours.

Jiri Hudler and Chris Osgood (Dinur/Flickr)

As we creep up onto July 1st, many NHL teams will be looking to retool and reshape their roster in order to build upon what they have, or to kick start a rebuilding process. For the Red Wings, the game plan is rather simple: Keep everyone in-house. With limited cap room and a slew of RFA and UFAs to deal with, most of the Red Wings money will be spent on keeping their own players from going elsewhere. Below is the Red Wings salary cap structure heading into this season (hat tip to DetCapC19 for sending this in).

Note: Bold means Free Agent and Red means re-signed UFA.

As we can see here, the Red Wings will have approximately 2 Million dollars in cap space to work with, assuming all of their  free agents sign for what we have them at here (note: the numbers in bold are estimates and could vary either up or down).

The return of forward Jiri Hudler from Russia will act as the Red Wings’ big free agent signing. If Hudler can put up the 60-70 points the Wings believe he can, than he will be an ideal signing at just under 3 million.

With the remaining 2 million the Wings have a few options:

1) Keep that money and use it at the deadline to fix any holes or to load up for a playoff run.

2) Go after a depth defenseman if Andreas Lilja does not resign with the club.

3) Use part of that money to go after a crash and bang type forward (Dallas Drake type) or a 3rd line centerman. Many Red Wings blogs are buzzing about the possibility of Michigan native Mike Modano possibly coming to Detroit, as the Stars have announced that they will not be bringing back their long time franchise player. Modano would fit like a glove in Detroit, potentially centering a 3rd scoring line with Dan Cleary and Jiri Hudler, while helping the Wings on their 2nd PP unit. This may be a bit of a stretch, but the Wings will have the money, a contending team, and the hometown factor working in their favor.

So as we can see here, the Red Wings will not be expected to be large players in the free agent market this year, but rather will be looking to add a piece to their bottom 6 forwards of 6/7 defense pairing. This will not be the typical July 1st of old in Detroit where players such as Marian Hossa, Dominik Hasek, Brett Hull, and Derian Hatcher have all signed on in Hockeytown. Rather, it’ll be a year of keep what we have and hope to god that Ilya Kovalchuk ends up out East.