hockey
We talk pucks and objects of that kind. We yell, complain, and analyze in the language of hockey fandom. Gretzky can do no wrong.
The Jaw-Dropping Career of Connor McDavid (So Far)
I am a Colorado Avalanche fan. I am also a Connor McDavid fan. These things can happen. When the name Connor McDavid is mentioned, I think about what he's done so far and I just shake my head. I don't do it out of shame, mind you. My head shaking is out of incredulousness. I always ask the one word question: "How?" How is he doing all of this? How is he just racking up points at will? I've said many times, "McDavid's not human." His offense is absolutely and deliciously monstrous. It's insane that he's doing this at such a crazy pace, and just think, he was nearly a Buffalo Sabre.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
2023 Winter Classic Recap
One of many things that pleases me as a hockey fan: all of the other sports have their designated holidays, but it's the NHL who takes over the first day of the calendar year. Beginning in 2008, the NHL featured an outdoor game known as the Winter Classic, which serves as the American equivalent of Canada's Heritage Classic. The game is usually played in northern/midwestern cities for obvious reasons, though the 2020 game between the Dallas Stars and the Nashville Predators was actually played at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Baseball and football stadiums are often used to host the Winter Classic, which takes place on New Year's Day, unless the day falls on Sunday, then it occurs on January 2nd.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
NHL December 2022 Review
2022 is now in the past, and it ended with an amazing December in the NHL season. While the month saw Alex Ovechkin continue to make history and surpass Mr. Hockey himself, Gordie Howe, for 2nd place on the all-time goals list, the Washington Capitals are not the team making the most noise in the Metropolitan Division. Here are the teams who made the biggest impact (positive or negative) in each of the NHL's four divisions (Atlantic, Metropolitan, Central, and Pacific).
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
800 and Counting: The Legendary Career of Alex Ovechkin
One of the major storylines in the NHL in the last few seasons has been Alex Ovechkin's road to goal-scoring immortality. Throughout his career, Ovechkin's received a pair of notable nicknames: "The Great Eight" and "Alexander the Great," both with plenty of merit. Ovechkin's stellar career began in the 2005 NHL Draft, yes, that draft. He was drafted by the Washington Capitals on the same year that some kid named Sidney Crosby was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins. That, alone, is epic.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
And You Thought YOUR Owner Was Bad!: The Twisted Tale of Harold Ballard
Oh boy. You know, a decade ago, I joined Twitter, and a few of my first followers were wrestling fans and fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs. I remember when the Leafs clinched a playoff spot during that lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, and how happy those fans were on Twitter, because it had been nine years since the Leafs qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. I also remember one or two of them telling me about the Leafs under the ownership of Harold Ballard. All I knew back then was that Ballard wasn't a good owner. If only that was all.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
NHL November 2022 Review
This November was quite amazing during the 2022-23 season. As I watched during the past 30 days, I was planning on what teams to feature in this review for the month of November, and the reason for that is simple. As I stated in my October review, the monthly review will contain a story from each of the NHL's four divisions: Atlantic, Metropolitan, Central, and Pacific, and each story centers on a team who I believe made the most noise from each of the divisions, either positively or negatively. The teams are as follows:
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
The Iconic Career of Börje Salming
On November 24, 2022, Börje Salming, one of the most legendary figures in the history of the National Hockey League, passed away at the age of 71. As a diehard hockey fan, I am ashamed to say that my knowledge of this great man is quite small, but I would learn a lot about this amazing player in the last couple of years--especially in the last few weeks. Born Anders Börje Salming in Salmi, Sweden on April 17, 1951, Salming began his hockey career in his native country in 1967, playing three years for Karuna AIF before joining Brynäs IF in 1970, going on to win two championships in 1971 and 1972.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
A Look at the 2011-12 and 2013-14 Los Angeles Kings
When I started getting into hockey at the age of seven, the Los Angeles Kings were the lone local team out here in Southern California. The Kings were part of the "Original Expansion Six"; the six franchises who joined the NHL in 1967 and doubled the size of the league--from six teams to twelve. The Kings joined the league along with the Philadelphia Flyers, the Pittsburgh Penguins, the St. Louis Blues, the Minnesota North Stars, and the defunct Oakland Seals. The team was best known for being the lone American team in the infamous Smythe Division in the 1980s and early 1990s, forming some interesting rivalries with the Alberta teams. 1992-93 saw the Kings (with The Great One himself, Wayne Gretzky) reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time, and it was an interesting run that saw them face nothing but Canadian teams; defeating the Flames (Smythe Semifinals), Canucks (Smythe Final), and Maple Leafs (Campbell Final), only to be defeated by the Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Final.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
25 Years: A Look at the Nashville Predators
It doesn't seem like 25 years since the Nashville Predators joined the NHL. I remember it like it was yesterday; I was 13 years old and in eighth grade when the Predators joined the league. The expansion/relocation wave during the 1990s and early 2000s was very intriguing. NHL franchises were located in markets that no one ever thought would have hockey in them. Two teams in Florida, two more teams in California. Teams moving to Dallas, Denver, and even Phoenix. Now Nashville with a team? Amazing.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
What in the World is Going On with the Columbus Blue Jackets?!
I've always been fascinated by the Columbus Blue Jackets, even before the team officially debuted. It was back in 1998 (the year that the Nashville Predators debuted in the NHL) that I learned about Columbus getting an NHL franchise. That was a pretty fun period for me as a hockey fan, because I had never seen expansion like this in any sport. The Predators debuted in 1998, and a year later, the NHL returned to Atlanta with the Thrashers (they would move to Winnipeg in 2011), and 2000 gave us two teams: the Minnesota Wild (bringing the NHL back to Minnesota for the first time in seven years) and the aforementioned Blue Jackets.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
The Matt Duchene Trade: 5 Years Later
Hard to believe that it's been five years since the famous Matt Duchene trade. I watched the game that featured the trade and even now, I still can't believe what I saw. Even more amazing was the impact left from the deal, which included three teams: the Colorado Avalanche, the Nashville Predators, and the Ottawa Senators. Before I mention that fateful Sunday evening, I have to start this story with the 2016-17 season.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
NHL October 2022 Review
The 2022-23 National Hockey League season got off to a very exciting, interesting, and chaotic start; beginning with a pair of games in the Czech Republic just days before things got started in North America. As usual, 32 teams competing, 31 of them hungry for the Stanley Cup, while one team is looking to repeat. The month of October is setting a very wild tone to the season, and here are some of the teams who made some waves in the opening month.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
