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Category: Hockey-Related-Stories

Video- Remembering Walter Gretzky

by Paul on 03/05/21 at 04:18 AM ET
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added 8:28am, Statement from Gary Bettman is below.

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Walter Gretzky Passes Away At Age 82

by Paul on 03/05/21 at 03:21 AM ET
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from the CP at Sportsnet,

Walter Gretzky, the ultimate Canadian hockey dad who taught and nurtured the Great One, has died. He was 82.

The father of Wayne Gretzky became a name himself, a constant in Wayne's world. As Wayne's star ascended, Walter remained a blue-collar symbol of a devoted hockey parent in a country filled with them.

Wayne Gretzky confirmed his father's death on Thursday night with a social media post.

``It's with deep sadness that Janet and I share the news of the passing of my dad,'' said Wayne. ``He bravely battled Parkinson's and other health issues these last few years, but he never let it get him down.

``For me, he was the reason I fell in love with the game of hockey. He inspired me to be the best I could be not just in the game of hockey, but in life.''

continued

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Afternoon Line- Tony McKegney

by Paul on 02/19/21 at 03:13 PM ET
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One house seemed perfect for me and my wife, Sue. We were all set to move, until the homeowner told us there was a problem: They didn't want to rent to us once they found out we were a biracial couple.

The subtext of the situation was clear: Because I'm a Black man, there were certain things the homeowner felt like I couldn't or shouldn't do. And I know they weren't alone in their thoughts. Previously, in the early '80s, one of my team's assistant coaches advised me to start dating a Black woman instead of Sue for similarly ignorant and bigoted reasons.

I ignored that coach, of course. And it wasn't hard to find a different place to live in St. Louis, which is a wonderful city that I've always enjoyed. But the homeowner's and the coach's comments were unwelcomed reminders that people were constantly viewing me through the lens of my race -- even when I just wanted to be a home renter, or a hockey player.

-former NHL player Tony McKegney.  More from McKegney in a special piece he wrote for NHL.com last week.

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Hmmm

by Paul on 12/15/20 at 11:04 AM ET
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Helping Mark Parrish

by Paul on 12/10/20 at 08:47 AM ET
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from Michael Russo of The Athletic,

It’s 9:45 a.m. on March 10, and Brian Lawton’s pounding on the door of Room 332 at the Residence Inn in Secaucus, N.J.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Nothing.

Then, louder, and still no answer.

Lawton’s panicking now.

The night before, Lawton had knocked on the same door, and just like now, no answer. He called the room. No answer. He texted and texted. No reply … until just before 10 p.m. when Mark Parrish, his fellow NHL Network analyst, finally texted back.

Parrish vowed then that he was fine, merely tired. He was going to bed early and the two would have breakfast the next morning to talk things out.

Lawton was worried. He had an uncomfortable, heated conversation with Parrish hours earlier.

continued (paid subscription)

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Someone Is Expected To Pay At Least $1M For Wayne Gretzky’s Rookie Card

by Paul on 12/06/20 at 08:45 AM ET
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from Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star,

Wayne Gretzky is about to set another record.

A mint condition 1979 O-Pee-Chee Gretzky rookie card is expected to become hockey’s first $1-million (U.S.) collectible card, if all goes according to the plan of Heritage Auctions.

“We're really excited to have the king of hockey cards,” said Chris Ivy, Heritage’s Dallas-based director of sports. “The timing is phenomenal as far as the people that are interested in this type of thing and the current market. And Gretzky is the greatest of all time for his sport.”

continued

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Hockey And COVID

by Paul on 12/05/20 at 06:34 PM ET
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from Ariana Eunjung Cha and Karin Brulliardof the Washington Post,

Ice hockey is an anomaly. Scientists are studying hockey-related outbreaks hoping to find clues about the ideal conditions in which the coronavirus thrives — and how to stop it. Experts speculate that ice rinks may trap the virus around head level in a rink that, by design, restricts airflow, temperature and humidity.

The hockey-related cases have been especially striking, epidemiologists have said, because clubs followed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention limits on gathering size and had numerous social distancing measures in place. In retrospect, one mistake by some clubs was that until recently masks had been required on ice for only the two players doing the initial faceoff for the puck — although many players wore clear face shields, which theoretically should have a similar effect.

“We’re watching hockey very carefully because it’s the first major sport that’s been played indoors predominantly and also during the winter months,” said Ryan Demmer, an epidemiologist at the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health.

more

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Videos- The Boston Gardens In Table Hockey Form

by Paul on 11/27/20 at 02:22 AM ET
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from Darcy Seaton of CTV News,

Trent Buhler is crazy about his Boston Bruins… and a fan of old sports venues.

“I’ve been to some of the old greats but I never actually got to Boston until it was gone,” said Buhler.

That led to a project he started more than two years ago.

Buhler decided to turn a table hockey game into a replica of one the NHL’s most famous arenas – the iconic Boston Garden.

“It borders on insanity for sure but it's definitely a labour of love,” said Buhler,” I basically looked at a lot of photos and watched a lot of game footage and pulled stuff that I remembered and recognized.”

continued

Below, watch the accompanying video from CTV and also a more in-depth video with Buhler

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2020 HHOF Class Will Be Honored Next Year

by Paul on 10/30/20 at 10:31 AM ET
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TORONTO (October 30, 2020) – Lanny McDonald, Chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame, announced today that there will be no Honoured Membership elections in 2021 while confirming that the inductees elected in 2020 will be honoured as a stand-alone class during the Hall’s 2021 Induction Weekend/Celebration (scheduled for November 12-15, 2021). The decision was made at a Board of Directors meeting held yesterday via teleconference.

At meetings held virtually on June 23/24, 2020, the Hockey Hall of Fame Selection Committee elected six new Honoured Members, namely Marian Hossa, Jarome Iginla, Kevin Lowe, Kim St-Pierre and Doug Wilson in the Player Category, and Ken Holland in the Builder Category.  In a release dated August 10, 2020, the 2020 Induction Weekend/Celebration was officially postponed due to continuing consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The magic of the induction weekend from the perspective of the new inductees is participating in several days of close interaction with family, friends, former teammates, fellow legends and fans,” said McDonald.  “On that premise, the Board felt that this was the right decision to bestow upon the Class of 2020 the recognition and lifetime experience they so richly deserve in all ways consistent with past induction classes.”

In other Board matters, David Branch, Brian Burke, Marc de Foy, Mike Gartner, Anders Hedberg and Pierre McGuire were re-appointed to the Selection Committee each for a further three-year term expiring December 31, 2024.

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This Was Tom Webster

by Paul on 10/11/20 at 07:33 AM ET
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from Gare Joyce of Sportsnet,

Tom Webster was, if not a shy man, then at least an unassuming one, almost painfully self-effacing around those who didn’t know him well. That’s rare in the hockey business that is, like the game, built on confidence and the bluster of people too eager to exaggerate their influence. So it shouldn’t have been a surprise that his death in April wasn’t big news in the media, that #Webbie and #RIPHawkeye never trended. Across the NHL, players, coaches, scouts and executives mourned his passing in a way that escaped notice, at least in part because the COVID-19 lockdown deprived them of the opportunity to attend his funeral.

A lot of famous names would have made it out to pay respects and celebrate his half-century in the game. Many Tom Webster stories would have been shared. I have a few of my own but I’m going to go with just one here.

Back in February 2008, I headed down to Windsor with a very sad assignment: to cover the Spitfires’ first game after the sudden death of their captain, Mickey Renaud, at the age of 19. An outgoing, charismatic kid, a genuine live wire, Renaud had grown up in Windsor and seemed to know everyone in town. He drew his last breath when he was sitting down to breakfast with a couple of younger teammates. An autopsy would reveal an undiagnosed heart condition. A few games were cancelled in the wake of Renaud’s death. When the team again took the ice, against Belleville on a Thursday night, there was a ceremony before the game that no one in attendance would forget.

continued

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