Maple Leafs and Blue Jackets: Their Brief History
This summer, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Columbus Blue Jackets will meet in a pre-playoff “qualifying round” for the right to participate in the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. That…
Pete Bauer
The Good & the Bad: The Columbus Blue Jackets Under GM Scott Howson
Scott Howson was hired as the general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets on June 15, 2007. He held the job until being unceremoniously fired on February 12, 2013. He came…
Blue Jackets vs Maple Leafs: Breaking Down the Play-in Series
There are a number of significant similarities between the Columbus Blue Jackets playoff qualification round matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs and last year’s first-round series against the Tampa Bay…
Return to Hockey: Is Your Gear Ready to Go?
For many of us, it’s time to start thinking about getting back to the rink and resuming recreational and youth hockey. Getting your gear back into game shape isn’t as…
Return to Hockey: Youth Hockey Gear Swaps
Despite the Coronavirus pandemic, youth hockey players have continued to grow. And in many cases, they’ve outgrown the hockey equipment they were using just a few months ago. One way…
Return to Hockey: Lessons Learned from Jacksonville
On May 4, the Jacksonville Ice & Sportsplex became the first ice rink in North America to re-open following the shutdown caused by the Coronavirus pandemic. Following the guidance of Florida Governor…
Notre Dame to the NHL: Active Fighting Irish Players
During the 2019-20 season (so far), 15 former University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish hockey players have appeared in NHL games. This season’s experiences ranged from New York Islanders’ captain…
Blue Jackets Have Assets but Lack Cap Space to Add Scoring Help
NHL teams typically improve in two ways: through the draft and development of young players or trading for or acquiring through free agency experienced players who fill specific needs. The…
NHL Reserve Lists and Rosters Explained
Before the NHL Entry Draft and free agent seasons arrive, let’s take a look at some numbers from the NHL/NHLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA): 90, 50, 23, and 20. Reserve Lists and…
NHL Needs to Shorten 2020-21 for a Normal 2021-22
It seems that almost all of us accept that there must be some resolution to the NHL’s 2019-20 season and Stanley Cup Playoffs. (No, Boston Bruins fans, we don’t think…
NHL CBA: Minor Clauses Could Have Impact on Playoff Plans
The Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the NHL and the National Hockey League Players’ Association is an incredibly detailed, occasionally dense, 500-plus page piece of finely crafted legalese. The current…
1st Round Playoff Predictions After a 68-Game Regular Season
In the first part of this series, I posited that the NHL’s regular season should be truncated to 68 games. Why 68? It’s the number of games that every team had…