INSIDE HOCKEY

After years of floundering amongst the bottom feeders of the NHL, the Coyotes look to once again make it back to the playoffs.  The question now remains of whether on ice success will translate into off ice success in Phoenix?

After beating Switzerland 6-1 on Sunday, Team Canada and the United States will battle it out for the WJC championships in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Canada will try to become the only country ever to win the gold medal six years in a row.

As expected, Canada was easily able to defeat Latvia 16-0 in their first game of the tournament. Over the next few weeks, Canada will now continue on their quest towards winning a sixth straight World Junior gold medal.

Although it has been over a decade since hockey has last been at the Forum, the hockey shrine still has a place in the city of Montreal. A trip inside the now-named Pepsi Forum will allow some hockey historians to build a greater appreciation of the past.

The 2009 edition of the Forbes NHL rankings have the Leafs holding top spot yet again. While there are reasons for optimism in the NHL offices, there are also areas of concern as well. A winning product would definitely go a long way in helping some of the many NHL markets that continue to struggle off the ice.

In his latest book, Gretzky’s Tears, writer Stephen Brunt of the Globe and Mail outlines the impact of the Gretzky trade in both Canada and the United States.

A recent meeting in New York City has fuelled speculation for a return of NHL hockey to Quebec City. While fans in La Belle Province have reason to be optimistic, there are nonetheless many obstacles that stand in the way of the Nordiques coming back to the NHL.

For the first time in his career, Scott Gomez will be wearing a Montreal Canadiens sweater to start the season. A pivotal year in the career of Gomez, he faces the scrutiny involved with playing in Montreal and more...

The NHL’s Staal brothers are quickly developing a reputation as one of the most famous families in hockey. While Eric, Marc and Jordan have already made their presence felt on the professional ranks, the youngest Staal brother Jared may also do the same in the coming years ahead.

Outside the consensus top three for the draft in Montreal (John Tavares, Victor Hedman, and Matt Duchene), there are a number of other players to watch out for. Ashok Parmar takes a closer look at some other top prospects in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

After recently asking for a trade from Ottawa, Dany Heatley may have very well played his final game as a Senator. Only time will tell what the market value will dictate for a star player like Heatley who has made it public that he no longer wishes to play for his current organization.

Saturday May 16 marked the premier screening of Timothy Gassen’s “Gretzky, Indy and the W.H.A.” at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. Everyone left the show happy as the documentary provides some rare footage of Wayne Gretzky in his short stint as an Indianapolis Racer.

After 15 seasons in the NHL, Markus Naslund has decided to call it a career. His long and productive history with the Canucks franchise should allow the organization to honor him by raising his number alongside both Trevor Linden and Stan Smyl in Vancouver.

Historically, the Toronto region has continually shown a strong passion towards the Maple Leafs. Outside of the NHL however, the Greater Toronto Area has struggled in supporting both junior and AHL hockey. So is it really the center of the hockey universe?