from Mike Zeisberger of the Toronto Sun,

Everywhere you looked, the pulse of the NHL’s 100th anniversary was alive and well and vibrant. Stars of today and yesterday and yesteryear were sprinkled throughout, mingling with fans, telling tall tales and embracing the game they all love.

If ever there was a weekend of name dropping, this was it.

And if ever there was a time when that was OK, this was it.

Because for a three-day span in which the name of the area surrounding the Staples Center was changed to “Hockeywood” -- which was spelled out in front of the arena in similar large white-blocked letters as the famed HOLLYWOOD sign -- we all were transformed into 12 year olds, embracing this festival of hockey heroes that spanned generations.

As Wayne Gretzky articulately put it: “For these few special days, we’re all kids.”

Well done, National Hockey League.

As much as we’ve found legitimate reasons to criticize and carve you over the years, this 100th birthday party truly was an experience the sport has never seen before, And, maybe when all is said and done, will never see again.

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