ICE HOCKEY - Peter Forsberg is 39 years old today. One of the greatest players ever to grace the game, Forsberg ranks ninth all-time in the NHL in points-per-game and fourth in assists-per-game. He is a member of the Triple Gold Club. In fact, he has won the Olympic Games, the World Championship and the Stanley Cup on more than one occasion.
Shares birthday with: Alexander The Great, Sir Edmund Hillary, Giselle Bündchen
The Kings are the NHL’s champions, but on an individual level Russians reign supreme. For the third time in five years, a Russian hockey star skates away with the Hart Memorial Trophy, the oldest and most prestigious individual award in hockey. After Alexander Ovechkin in 2008 and 2009, now Evgeni Malkin can call himself the Most Valuable Player over the regular season.
ICE HOCKEY - The Los Angeles Kings have won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history, giving the City of Angels its first professional ice hockey championship. This completes the set for LA, which becomes the seventh city to have won professional titles in all four major North American sports at least once.
ICE HOCKEY - Is it over before Game 4 even begins tonight? The right answer is probably yes. In NHL history only three teams have managed to come back from a 3-0 deficit. The Philadelphia Flyers were the most recent team to do it in 2010 against Boston in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. But there is more and there is also advice the Devils should take to heart.
ICE HOCKEY – The New Jersey Devils and the Los Angeles Kings will play in the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals. We have put together a mixed bag of facts on the season finale in the NHL, the most powerful competition in ice hockey.
ICE HOCKEY - This Wednesday, the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Finals will face off and they will feature two teams that overcame the odds to book their place in the final showdown. Based on a regular season ranking involving all teams the New Jersey Devils finished ninth in total points and the Los Angeles Kings finished 13th.
ICE HOCKEY – This year’s final at the World Ice Hockey Championship will not be as common as last year’s, however it will be the seventh final fixture that has been contested twice in the competition. Tonight, Russia will hope to exact revenge on Slovakia, who won their first and only world title at the expense of Russia in 2002.
ICE HOCKEY - The 2012 Ice Hockey World Championship starts on Friday and Team Canada is sending three potential new members to the Triple Gold Club, an elite fellowship of players that have won the Stanley Cup, an Olympic gold medal and a world championship gold. Ryan Getzlaf, Duncan Keith and Corey Perry can complete the set and secure membership of the club.
ICE HOCKEY - Only very few athletes manage to get a statistic named after them. Gordie Howe is such a person and the ‘Gordie Howe hat-trick’ would involve scoring at least once, providing at least one assist and winning one fight in a single match. Howe became a legend of the Detroit Red Wings and a six-time NHL MVP. He was the childhood hero of Wayne Gretzky, who, when he found Howe’s trademark No. 9 unavailable on his first pro team, decided to play with No. 99.
Shares birthday with: René Descartes, Christopher Walken, Angus Young
ICE HOCKEY - In 2011, Bobby Orr was all smiles as his beloved Boston Bruins finally won the Stanley Cup they had last conquered when Orr was still their superstar (1972). Considered by virtually all as the greatest NHL defenseman of all time, considered by some as the outright greatest player of all time. Click here to read his profile on the Infostrada Sports Wall Of Fame.
Shares birthday with: Vera Lynn, Spike Lee, Sting
ICE HOCKEY - In recent years, the NHL has introduced shootouts to eliminate draws and it is clear that some of the league’s players still need some practice at it. We have received this from our friends in the US and kept this on the shelf from last Thursday, just to get your new week in sports started out with a laugh. Click here for the clip.
ICE HOCKEY – How would it feel like to win 11 Stanley Cups (an individual record in North American professional sports) and still be referred to as ‘someone’s brother’? Meet Henri Richard, former star of the Montreal Canadiens and the younger brother of Maurice “The Rocket” Richard. Henri took the nickname “Pocket Rocket”, but his exploits on the ice were colossal. Click here for a tribute to him, born 76 years ago on this day.
Shares birthday with: Gioacchino Rossini, Balthus, Ja-Rule
ICE HOCKEY - They were pummeled by Russia (0-5). They were blanked by Slovakia (0-3). They suffered a few devastating defeats in the group stage. But they got stronger as the tournament went on. Sweden’s men’s ice hockey team became the first team in Olympic history to overcome two defeats to win Olympic gold. In the final, the ‘Tre Kronor’ (Three Crowns) defeated Finland 3-2. The winning goal was scored early in the third period by Niklas Lidström. Click here to watch it. This allowed Lidström and teammate Fredrik Modin to join the Triple Gold Club, an elite group of players that have won an Olympic gold medal, a world championship gold and the NHL’s Stanley Cup.
ICE HOCKEY - Precisely 10 years ago today, Canada ended a 50-year drought as their men’s ice hockey team won the Salt Lake City Winter Games gold medal match against the hosts USA. The NHL talent assembled by the Canadese restored pride in what is considered the homeland of this sport. Click here for a brief summary of the final.
ICE HOCKEY - It should never have happened. It bordered on the unthinkable. It was one of the most inconceivable upsets in the history of the Winter Olympic Games. In 1980, an unfancied group of American college students toppled the seemingly invincible Soviets at a Lake Placid rink. This victory set up an opportunity to win the gold medal in their last final pool phase match against Finland, an opportunity that Team USA seized. Click here for the final minute of the “Miracle On Ice” with commentator Al Michaels asking us: “Do you believe in miracles?”
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