Earlier this month, THW's Mike Coll…
Pittsburgh PenguinsIn James van Riemsdyk’s first NHL season, he and the Philadelphia Flyers made it to the Stanley Cup Finals. Now in his first season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, they are in line to qualify for the postseason for the first time since before the 2005 lockout. Imagine for a minute that the Leafs win ...
Since Ron Hextall, being a goalie for the Philadelphia Flyers has been a “kiss of death”. Much of the Flyers faithful have been pegging the team’s misfortunes on the shoulders of the man between the pipes, Ilya Bryzgalov. It’s pretty simple to do given Bryzgalov carries with him a $51 million dollar price tag. A ...
When Philadelphia Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette joined the team in 2009, it was a welcome change for the often inconsistent franchise. Previous coach John Stevens left the team in a bit of disarray for Laviolette – who had led the Carolina Hurricanes to their first Stanley Cup four years earlier – though there was ...
Hockey is one of the most physical games on the planet, as a result you are bound to see physical contacts between players. Whether it is with a thunderous hip check or a shattering body check, certain players know how to knock skaters on the ice a la Scott Stevens. Consequently, when these players are on the ...
Five years ago, the Philadelphia Flyers were in search of a top-tier defenseman who could not only score but also had the ability to carry the workload on the blue line. The Flyers – who were coming off the worst season in franchise history – completed a trade with Nashville for Kimmo Timonen and soon ...
At just 23 years of age, Luke Schenn has yet to prove he’s an elite NHL defenseman. Drafted fifth overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2008, he was hyped as the next big thing on the blue line – the type of player that a franchise could build its future around – but that ...
The first round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft featured no fewer than 11 defensemen, most of whom have achieved some measure of success at the NHL level over the past 4 years. From a Senators perspective, this particular draft class yielded Erik Karlsson, the reigning Norris Trophy winner and a risen star who will ...
Success and failure are greatly overrated. But failure gives you a whole lot more to talk about— Hildegard Knef Hope springs eternal. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. No matter what quasi-hackneyed quotation one chooses to believe when starting a new venture, a cold dose of reality will hit many of the participants at ...
Based on how well he played during his rookie season, it’s hard to believe that Jake Gardiner could top his first year performance in 2012-13, but he will.
With few unrestricted free agents catching the eye of Toronto Maple Leafs president and general manager Brian Burke, it has been a lazy summer in Toronto. Thus far, Burke managed to pull the trigger on a deal which brought forward James van Riemsdyk to the blue and white in return for defenseman Luke Schenn. Burke ...
