CrashingTheGoalie

by Ron Spence

The 1958-59 Canucks were one of the franchise’s weaker squads.
Note their records the years before and after:
 
The Canucks won the Lester Patrick Cup – as the Western Hockey League’s best team – in 1957-58 and again in 1959-60. 
During the 1958-59 season, the Seattle Totems – down the I-5 – were the champs.

The ‘Nucks’ roster included [...]

[Read more →]

by Ron Spence
Yesterday’s All-star Game showcased the NHL’s best goalie talent. 
These players wouldn’t want, however, last weekend’s stats merged in with their regular season’s numbers. 
Montreal’s Carey Price, for example, let in 9 goals on 25 shots. 
An all-star game is totally different – as we all know – from a regular NHL contest. 
 

And yet, the NHL compares [...]

[Read more →]

by Ron Spence
Patrick Kane was talking tough.
Ottawa’s Nick Foligno had tried to run him and Kane brought up his stick into Foligno’s mouth.
Later, Kane – who drew a four-minute double minor – claimed that the blood-soaked Senator had taken runs at him on back-to-back shifts.
This was part of a trend, Kane was finding, during his second [...]

[Read more →]

by Ron Spence
What a difference a century makes.
In 1909, there was no: National Hockey League, Montreal Canadiens, forward passing, or paid players. 
New Mexico, Arizona, Hawaii, and Alaska weren’t yet U.S. states, so the Coyotes wouldn’t  have been an American team and Sarah Palin couldn’t run for the U.S. Vice Presidency.
But, there was a Stanley Cup.
The [...]

[Read more →]

by Ron Spence
This quick study was prompted by the fact that 3 of the NHL’s Top Ten goalies – so far this season – were drafted by the Sharks, and with very low picks.
I decided to look at the Top 30 goalies – in wins – a week ago.
I am not claiming that they are [...]

[Read more →]

by Ron Spence
NHL salaries have changed since the 1920s, and so have the contracts.
Below are NHL contracts from 1926, 1962, and 2006.
The first contract was between Howie Morenz and the Montreal Canadiens:

The second contract was signed by Harry Howell when he was playing for the New York Rangers.

The third contract was between the Pittsburgh Penguins [...]

[Read more →]

by Ron Spence
The NHL expanded into the United States during the mid-1920s. First, the Bruins started playing in Boston, and then the Americans in New York and the Pirates in Pittsburgh. Franchises also opened in Chicago and Detroit in 1926. 
To see how popular the sport was becoming, all you had to do was look at the [...]

[Read more →]

by Ron Spence
If the Stanley Cup finals were being held in Vancouver, and GM Place was sold out, would you buy a reduced priced ticket to watch the game from the rafters?
Of course you would.
*************************************************************
Shibe Park opened in 1909, and as you can see from the pictures below, there weren’t enough seats for the Philly [...]

[Read more →]

by Ron Spence
We all know that Roberto Luongo wasn’t the first NHL goalie to be named his team’s captain.
There were six who preceded him.
I am writing this to explain the different circumstances of the previous half dozen being selected as captains.
The first NHL goalie captain was John Ross Roach of the Toronto St. [...]

[Read more →]

by Ron Spence
As is apparent from earlier posts, I have a real interest in the time around 1910. I did my first blog on Shibe Park and then a second on the inaugural Indy 500.
And, there’s one picture that I could never throw away.
It’s of the young fellow below, who played for the Philadelphia Athletics.
And, [...]

[Read more →]