Canucks Add to Wounded Red Wings' Pain

(NEWSER) - This year's NHL Hall of Fame class is a stellar one, TSN reports. All three forwards inducted—Brett Hull, Steve Yzerman, and Luc Robitaille—are among the top 10 scorers in pro hockey history. Brian Leetch, meanwhile, was a two-time winner of the Norris Trophy, awarded to the league’s top defenseman. Also to be inducted in November is Lou Lamoriello, who as general manager built three Stanley Cup winners for New Jersey. More»

Unretired hockey star makes solid start to comeback at 43

(NEWSER) - Four-time Stanley Cup winner Claude Lemieux took to the ice for the San Jose Sharks yesterday after nearly 6 years in retirement, and Mark Purdy of the Mercury News is cautiously optimistic. The 43-year-old, who's been a pro for longer than several of his new teammates have been alive, "was solid. That's one of the finest compliments you can pay a professional athlete," Purdy writes. More»

Chicago falls to Detroit on iconic home turf

(NEWSER) - Two of the NHL's oldest franchises got together for some old-school outdoors hockey today, with the Detroit Red Wings beating the Chicago Blackhawks 6-4, the Chicago Tribune reports. The league's second annual Winter Classic, staged in a converted Wrigley Field, threw the players plenty of curveballs, from chilly temperatures to last-minute ice repair. “Holy Cow. It’s Cold,” one sign read, a nod to Cubs announcer Harry Caray. More»

10 reasons for fans outside of Canada to focus on hockey

(NEWSER) - That time is upon us again: the season in which we ignore most of what's going on in the NHL. But this year it might behoove sports fans to pay attention, writes Maxim. Here's why:

• Detroit needs some good news, right? The champs got even stronger.
• Finally, all of the 'Original Six' teams are strong again. Yes, even the Blackhawks. Look out for Montreal, celebrating its 100th birthday.

Detroit's Stanley Cup didn't simply come from mining European talent

(NEWSER) - Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom and Finals MVP Henrik Zetterberg both learned their hockey skills in Sweden, but it's not Detroit's strategy of drawing European talent that secured them this year's Stanley Cup. The team's success, writes Scot Burnside for ESPN, is due to management's willingness to gamble on older mainstays of the Hockeytown franchise. More»