FanHouse

What We're Thankful For

Kevin Schultz — 2009-11-26T10:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Devils, Islanders, NHL Fans

Thanksgiving is a holiday where we get together with family and friends to celebrate all that is important in our lives. We here at NHL FanHouse will be doing that today but before we get to the turkey, we decided to get together and talk about something else that is important in all of our lives -- hockey.

For starters, we're thankful that we get to follow hockey all day long and that you take the time to read what we've got to say. But there's a lot more that we love about the "coolest game on ice" that plays such a big role in each of our lives.

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AHL Announces Outdoor Game

Kevin Schultz — 2009-11-24T14:15:00 00:00

by Kevin Schultz

Filed under: Minor League Hockey

Following the success of the NHL's outdoor game the past two years, the AHL has decided that it will get in on the act this winter.

Today, the league announced that it will be holding its own version of the Winter Classic on February 20th. The Mirabito Outdoor Classic will pit the Syracuse Crunch against the Binghamton Senators on the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, New York.

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Knuckle Puck: Why Don't We Know What Refs Intend to Do?

Kevin Schultz — 2009-11-21T12:45:00 00:00

by Kevin Schultz

Filed under: Ducks, Flames, Maple Leafs, NHL Videos, NHL Discipline

Each and every Saturday this season I'll be taking a look at the random happenings and absurdities that occur in the world of hockey. Feel free to suggest stories, complain or otherwise babble at me via electronic mail.

Seriously. What's with you hockey fans, teams and players? Why don't you know what refs are thinking about doing? Why don't you know what they intend to do? More importantly, you should know why the ref is intending to do what he hasn't done yet but will since he intends to do what he's about to do.

Confused? So am I, and so is the majority of the hockey world.

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Hockey Fan in Need of a Team Asks Web to Play Matchmaker

Kevin Schultz — 2009-11-20T12:00:00 00:00

by Kevin Schultz

Filed under: NHL Fans, NHL Media Watch

The NHL has always been at the forefront of the major American sports leagues when it comes to the internet. The league streams most of its games online through its GameCenter Live application and has openly embraced bloggers and websites like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Given all of that, maybe it's no coincidence that an internet savvy sports fan has chosen these same websites with which to embark on an NHL social media experiment.

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Stamkos' Submission for Goal of the Year

Kevin Schultz — 2009-11-20T01:25:00 00:00

by Kevin Schultz

Filed under: Ducks, Lightning, NHL Videos

One of the main reasons for the success of the Tampa Bay Lightning over the last month or so has been the coming of age of 2008 first overall pick Steven Stamkos. The Bolts are 6-2-4 in their last 12 and Stamkos, who leads the team in goals and points -- yes, ahead of Vinny Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis -- has 10 goals and four assists over that span. Even more impressive, he has accounted for 28% of the team's total goals scored.

Thursday night, Stamkos scored a spectacular goal that is reminiscent of John Tavares' goal from last year's World Junior Championships. Tavares knocked a rebound up in the air with his stick and then swatted it in for an impressive goal. As the saying goes, like 2009 first overall pick, like 2008 first overall pick.

The Lightning were down 3-1 in Anaheim during the second when Lecavalier fed a wide open Stamkos from behind the net. Netminder Jonas Hiller stops Stamkos' initial shot attempt but as Stamkos falls down, he bats the puck in over Hiller's right shoulder. At that point, all the Ducks netminder and defenders can do is stand in awe. And so will you when you check out the video, which is posted after the jump.

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Rick Nash's One-Legged Shootout Goal

Kevin Schultz — 2009-11-14T12:45:00 00:00

by Kevin Schultz

Filed under: Blue Jackets, Ducks, NHL Videos

On Wednesday night, the Columbus Blue Jackets were embarrassed on their home ice with a 9-1 loss against the Detroit Red Wings. On Friday night, the team bounced back when the Anaheim Ducks came to town and won, 3-2.

Thanks to Rick Nash, they also received the all important style points. Nash broke out a new move in the third round of the shootout against Ducks netminder J-S Giguere.

With the Blue Jackets up 1-0 in the shootout, Nash had a chance to put the game away if he could beat Giguere. Well, not only did he beat him, but he did it on one leg. Literally. Video after the jump.

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Knuckle Puck: Area Sports Fans Ask for New Hockey Joke

Kevin Schultz — 2009-11-14T08:00:00 00:00

by Kevin Schultz

Filed under: NHL Media Watch, College Hockey

Each and every Saturday this season I'll be taking a look at the random happenings and absurdities that occur in the world of hockey. Feel free to suggest stories, complain or otherwise babble at me via electronic mail.

Earlier today, a group of local sports fans led a petition for originality from sports media humorists*. Standing outside a local bar the group spoke to reporters with local citizen Michael Davidson representing the group, which was composed of about 10 18-to-35-year-old males and females. The group of fans say that they are "upset" and "distraught" by blogs, websites and sports media who continue to make the same joke about hockey each year.

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Pink Slip Index: Complications in Carolina

Kevin Schultz — 2009-11-13T12:00:00 00:00

by Kevin Schultz

Filed under: Blues, Ducks, Flyers, Hurricanes, Lightning, Maple Leafs, Panthers, Wild, NHL Coaching

In the NHL, coach firings are as common as parking tickets in New York City. Throughout the NHL season I'll be taking a bi-weekly look at five coaches who are the most likely to get fired. Be advised your local coach may be axed at any moment. Consider this fair warning.

Things have changed quite a bit since our last look at coaches with warm cushions. For one, the Lightning are making me look bad at 3-1-3 since the last installment. The Leafs have won a few games and things have gone from bad to an Alexander Daigle brand of awful for the Hurricanes. We'll take a look at all of that and more after the jump.

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Canes Sign Manny Legace to Fill Net

Kevin Schultz — 2009-11-09T11:07:00 00:00

by Kevin Schultz

Filed under: Hurricanes, NHL Free Agency, NHL Injuries

When Cam Ward went down with a grisly injury on Saturday night a bad season got much, much worse for the Carolina Hurricanes. Their star netminder got cut by a skate early in the first period and had to be taken to the hospital. As of Sunday night Ward was still in a Columbus hospital and the team expects that he will miss at least 3-4 weeks.

With the goaltending duties left to former sixth round pick and journeyman backup Michael Leighton, GM Jim Rutherford moved quickly to get some goaltending help. For now, that help comes in the form of 36-year-old veteran Manny Legace.

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Knuckle Puck: What's Wrong With Vaccinating National Treasures?

Kevin Schultz — 2009-11-07T11:30:00 00:00

by Kevin Schultz

Filed under: Flames, Senators, NHL Fans, NHL Economics

Each and every Saturday this season I'll be taking a look at the random happenings and absurdities that occur in the world of hockey. Feel free to suggest stories, complain or otherwise babble at me via electronic mail.

There's something to be said for Canadians and their level-headedness at least as it compares to us Americans. They always seem so much calmer. But during the past week our neighbors to the North have been in an uproar about Calgary Flames Flu Vaccination Crisis 2009. Sure, they're rightfully up in arms in Alberta that the Flames and their peeps received shots before some of the neediest people in the province but that almost seems like a trivial matter compared to what's going on down here.

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A Look at NHL's October Attendance

Kevin Schultz — 2009-11-04T17:22:00 00:00

by Kevin Schultz

Filed under: NHL Fans, NHL Economics

The first month of the NHL season is behind us, and I'm taking a look back at the early returns on attendance numbers for October. According to ESPN, the numbers aren't that peachy for the NHL. Only nine teams had an average attendance higher than their average attendance last season. On the flip side, 18 teams are down, including five which are down more than 10 percent from their 2008-09 averages. Of course, looking at stats for only one month is a small sample size, but I still think these numbers give us a look at some of the early trends around the league.

After the jump are the full numbers for the entire league.

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Knuckle Puck: Michael Jackson and the Skivvy Shootout Imitators

Kevin Schultz — 2009-10-31T12:00:00 00:00

by Kevin Schultz

Filed under: Lightning, Maple Leafs, Minor League Hockey, Junior Hockey

Each and every Saturday this season I'll be taking a look at the random happenings and absurdities that occur in the world of hockey. Feel free to suggest stories, complain or otherwise babble at me via electronic mail.

You've got to love the spirit of minor league hockey. The promotional departments for the teams love to give fitting tributes to things that usually have a tenuous relation -- if any -- to their teams, sport and locales. I'm not criticizing, simply stating an observation. The latest team to host a promotional night chosen from their Wheel-O-Random Promotions (I hear all minor league teams keep one snugly in the back of the marketing office for when the mood strikes them) is the ECHL's Bakersfield Condors.

The team hosted King of Pop Tribute Night on Friday complete with Michael Jackson jerseys and players wearing one white glove. And don't worry, the media was naturally all over the clever puns.

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The Pink Slip Index: Which Coach Will Be First to Go?

Kevin Schultz — 2009-10-30T10:00:00 00:00

by Kevin Schultz

Filed under: Ducks, Flyers, Lightning, Maple Leafs, Panthers, NHL Coaching

In the NHL, coach firings are as common as parking tickets in New York City. Throughout the NHL season I'll be taking a bi-weekly look at five coaches who are the most likely to get fired. Be advised your local coach may be axed at any moment. Consider this fair warning.

We've made it through the first month of the NHL season and not one coach has gotten fired yet. That's got to be some kind of record. This is the NHL! Coaches are fired for lots of reasons and sometimes no reason at all. How is no team displeased enough to have fired a coach yet? And what have you got to say for yourself, Lou Lamoriello? Why is your finger not on the trigger?

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Canadians Upset Over Green Jerseys

Kevin Schultz — 2009-10-26T10:00:00 00:00

by Kevin Schultz

Filed under: Team Canada, International Hockey, Junior Hockey

Next year, the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships will be held in Regina and Saskatoon, cities in the Saskatchewan province of Canada. To honor the province and their CFL football team, the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Hockey Canada has decided to unveil a green version of the team's jerseys to be worn twice during the tournament.

In a press release, Hockey Canada COO Scott Smith had high praise for the jerseys. "We believe fans in Saskatchewan, and throughout Canada, will rally around the green jerseys prior to and during the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championship," he said.

They're rallying all right, but it's not the kind that Smith had in mind.

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Former Player Criticizes Ron Wilson

Kevin Schultz — 2009-10-25T13:00:00 00:00

by Kevin Schultz

Filed under: Maple Leafs, NHL Media Watch, NHL Coaching

Doesn't that sound like a juicy headline?

It probably does and has probably left you wondering who it was taking on the Toronto coach. Was it Joe Thornton? Maybe Evgeni Nabokov or Olaf Kolzig? Well, the answer is none of the above. The former player who laid into Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Ron Wilson on TSN's Off the Record this week was Jim Thomson.

If you just said 'who?' you're not alone.

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Knuckle Puck: Don Cherry Jerseys, Naked Breakaways and Red Line Love

Kevin Schultz — 2009-10-24T12:30:00 00:00

by Kevin Schultz

Filed under: NHL Fans, Minor League Hockey

Each and every Saturday this season I'll be taking a look at the random happenings and absurdities that occur in the world of hockey. Feel free to suggest stories, complain or otherwise babble at me via electronic mail.

This has been a banner week for Knuckle Puck, easily the wackiest and most interesting since I started this feature about a month ago. I have so much to write about that I don't even know where to start things off. Do I go with the Kingston Frontenacs wearing Don Cherry styled jerseys? Or what about the Lightning getting kinky at practice? Then there are the folks at UniWatch showing some love for the red line, and retailer River City Sports trying to trick Islanders fans into buying Rangers hats. What's a writer to do? Well, for starters, you can follow me through the jump.

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Toronto Star Chooses to Look at Lighter Side of Leafs' Streak

Kevin Schultz — 2009-10-22T10:00:00 00:00

by Kevin Schultz

Filed under: Maple Leafs, NHL Media Watch

Of all the cities in the hockey world, no town's media may be quite as big or as hard on the folks it covers than the one in Toronto. The Toronto Maple Leafs are covered from every angle -- two or three times over -- and every year it seems the Leafs are going to trade for every star player in the NHL. Add to that a very fine microscope that is placed on the players and employees in the organization and, well, we get one of the toughest places to play in the NHL in terms of media attention.

But today, I'd like to take a moment to credit the Toronto Star for taking the time to laugh at itself and the team in a good, ease the pain, therapeutic kind of way after the Leafs' 0-6-1 start to the season.

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Knuckle Puck: Youth Movement Taking Over NHL

Kevin Schultz — 2009-10-17T12:15:00 00:00

by Kevin Schultz

Filed under: Canadiens, NHL Fans, NHL Videos

Each and every Saturday this season I'll be taking a look at the random happenings and absurdities that occur in the world of hockey. This is the first edition. Feel free to suggest stories, complain or otherwise babble at me via electronic mail.

One of the stories to watch this season is the youth movement that is currently taking over the NHL. I'm not talking about Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin. At 22 and 24 respectively, those guys are old news. The kids I'm talking about are a bit younger and dare I say, better.

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It's a YouTube World, Kid

Kevin Schultz — 2009-10-16T10:00:00 00:00

by Kevin Schultz

Filed under: NHL Media Watch, NHL Videos

When was the last time that the evening Sportscenter (I'm not talking about Sportscentre, mind you) led off with a teaser about something that happened in the hockey world?

That's a rhetorical question, since I'd have to do a lot of digging through a lot of film that I don't have access to to find the answer. Maybe it was when the Penguins skated the Cup around Detroit after winning Game 7. Or it could be further back, when Chris Simon stomped on Jarkko Ruutu, possibly?

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2-on-1: Early Season Reactions

Kevin Schultz — 2009-10-12T13:00:00 00:00

by Kevin Schultz

Every Monday during the season, two of our hockey writers will debate one topic. It's the 2-on-1. This week, Chris Botta and Kevin Schultz discuss the top stories of the young NHL season.

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