Where Goon meets Glitz, from the Ice to the Armchair, balanced and objective hockey analysis and reporting.
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Denver Barkey: A Potential Case Study in Height Being Too Emphasized by Scouts?
This opinion piece serves as an extension of both some of my evaluations in my Toronto article that was published yesterday and other discussions had on this site and amongst the Black Stitch Hockey circle. The 95th overall selection in round three by the Philadelphia Flyers of C Denver Barkey of the OHL’s London Knights… Read more
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Winnipeg Jets: The Last Page of the First Chapter
The Winnipeg Jets 22-23 season was a roller coaster experience that ended sooner than their fans, players, and front office would have liked. As usual, goalie Connor Hellebuyck was sensational behind a forward group that was plagued by inconsistency and injury, especially in the back half of the season. As the man behind the bench,… Read more
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Toronto Maple Leafs: Savor the Pretty Colors Before They Fall Off the Tree
[Editor-in-chief’s note: The bulk of this article was written on the day that it was announced that Toronto Maple Leafs’ prospect and 2020 15th overall selection Rodion Amirov passed away by his agent, Dan Milstein. While of course it may prompt questions of what might have been, I am electing not to include this event… Read more
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Vegas Golden Knights: The Cost of Hockey Immortality
The Vegas Golden Knights completed the most challenging gauntlet in sports in 22-23 by capturing the Stanley Cup. George McPhee and his team deserved to enjoy their championship summer before facing the cost of their conquest. Vegas will now pay the price, in terms of roster talent going into 23-24. On the positive side, the… Read more
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Tampa Bay Lightning: A Small Glimmer of Hope Among a Storm of Inevitable Goodbyes
Tampa Bay has had it good in recent memory, to say the least. From 2014-15 onward, they have made four Finals appearances, won two Stanley Cups, and a Presidents’ Trophy in a statistically Earth-shattering regular season (we’ll just… gloss over what happened that postseason, it’s irrelevant for the purpose of this conversation and you probably… Read more
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Viktors Hatuļevs: A Largely Forgotten, But Important and Mysterious Piece of Eastern Bloc Hockey History
To some, it is a point of curiosity that, twice in the past decade, the Philadelphia Flyers drafted a Russian player at seventh overall, with Ivan Provorov having been taken at this spot in 2015 and Matvei Michkov in 2023. There is something of a checkered history there with it seemingly been rare for players… Read more