🏒 From The Hockey News website: “With the first month of the 2026-27 NHL regular season nearly completed, Andre Leal breaks down which head coaches have emerged as early favorites for the Jack Adams Award.” What? So soon? The NHL season isn’t even a month old, and we’re already debating which coaches have exceeded expectations nobody has had time to establish? Can we at least wait until every coach has finished chewing his opening-night gum? Some teams are still figuring out their line combinations. Can we at least wait until the first member of the coaching fraternity gets fired?
🏒 James Reimer seems determined to play for every team in the NHL before retiring. Last night marked his debut with his 9th NHL team—this time the New York Rangers. Based on his rough night between the pipes (8 shots, 3 goals, pulled after 20 minutes) he might be closer to a rocking chair than team #10. Even if this is his last hurrah, his jersey collection is a dandy to say the least:
- Toronto Maple Leafs
- San Jose Sharks
- Florida Panthers
- Carolina Hurricanes
- Detroit Red Wings
- Anaheim Ducks
- Buffalo Sabres
- Ottawa Senators
- New York Rangers
🏒 The NHL is forcing all newbies entering the league to wear a neck guard. Increased player safety is obviously the goal. But based on how flimsy these hockey “necklaces” seem to be, we’re not sure they would protect anyone from an invading mosquito, let alone something more dangerous.
🏒 Red Wings owner Chris Ilitch acknowledged fan anger and their “sell the team” chants while defending his removal of Steve Yzerman and the continuing search for a president of hockey operations. Detroit still has an interim GM, an unsigned Simon Edvinsson and a former captain who wants to be traded. Ilitch says the eventual president may appoint a separate GM, which means the organization’s structure itself remains unsettled. To which we continue to ask: how hard can it be dude? Pick someone.
🏒 It seems like just yesterday that hockey contrarians who love to stir the pot were suggesting Patrik Laine should be selected first overall in the 2016 draft ahead of Auston Matthews. Ten years later, while Matthews rings pucks off the crossbar, Laine sits at home waiting for something else to ring—his phone. So far, no takers. And yet, sometime soon, an injury-riddled contender will probably bite the bullet and bring Laine on board despite his disdain for the defensive part of the job. In the end, just as Corey Perry seems to do every spring, Laine will likely come to life in the playoffs and score a key goal that wins a game—or even a series. Count on it.
🏒 In hockey, some things are never discussed, debated or officially introduced. They simply just… happen. Nobody remembers who started them, why they started them or when every other player silently agreed to join in. Consider the post-goal procession. The goal scorer leads his teammates back to the bench like a row of ducks crossing the street, where they conduct a lengthy high-five ceremony with everyone who wasn’t on the ice. Then there’s the universal signal for a possible delay-of-game penalty. The moment a puck sails over the glass, players begin pointing toward the arena roof in an effort to persuade the referees that it went directly out. Often, several players point skyward at once, as though they have just spotted a UFO hovering above centre ice. And, of course, there’s the post-fight ritual. When the combatants are escorted to the penalty box, players on both benches bang their sticks against the boards rapidly—regardless of who won. One team may be congratulating its player for landing six punches. The other side is apparently celebrating that its teammate remained conscious for four of them.
Who started these peculiar traditions? Nobody knows. We all just woke up one morning and hockey players were following each other to the bench, pointing at the ceiling and applauding teammates for getting their face rearranged. And somehow, nobody thought to ask why. Until now: Why?
