RIP Rick Rypien
Winnipeg Jets center Rick Rypien was found dead in his Coleman, Alberta, home Monday afternoon, and reports say that it was a suicide. He was 27-years-old and the second NHL…
Hockey
Ten indisputable facts about Canada (Part Two: Culture)
To commemorate Canada Day, I decided it would be useful to clear up some common myths people have about Canada and its culture. I thought it might be especially helpful…
Sports—tribalism in full cry
The now infamous Vancouver hockey riot has done a pretty good job of smearing the city's reputation around the globe. Shocking as it was, it wasn't entirely surprising. Rioting seems…
NYT: Flaws in the Canuck Character?
Did you notice any Canadians yesterday wrestling "with questions about possible flaws in the national character after a riot in Vancouver?"I didn't (and isn't that a bit of a racially…
Rioting in the streets of Vancouver
I don’t know what to say. I am almost speechless. Almost. This was shameful. No. Excuses. Whatsoever. Congrats to the Bruins. And as a sidebar, I really hope that, when…
‘Nucks or Bruins? Does Orr trump all?
For me, this is more complicated than it seems. I grew up just outside Parry Sound, Ontario – the birthplace and hometown of Bobby Orr – the best player EVAH!…
A Proposal for a Canadian National Hockey League (CNHL)
I post these thoughts as I wait in an airport watching everyone gear up for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup. I’m not a hockey fan. I think I’m one…
Watch: The Legacy of Brendan Burke
The CBC's The Fifth Estate recently rebroadcasted the stellar 2010 documentary, The Legacy of Brendan Burke, which tells the story of the life and death of the youngest son of…
What else? – The Jets!
Way back in the before time, when I was a young’un, in my circle of friends there was an arrogant little shit by the name of Scott Browntree. In addition…
Hooray for Winnipeg!!!!
About time! Now let’s see about getting a team back to Québec City and another one for Ontario and maybe the Maritimes! Bettman? Your great experiment is a failure! I…
Some improvement.
My hockey skills improve … slightly. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1sTRwxX2YQ That is J playing centre..
How stuff works
Former Premier (and wanna-be subsidized hockey team owner) Danny Williams tells the CBC why he should get favourable treatment and a wad of cash from an unspecified government kitty for…
Tim Hudak vs. Canadian teams
Not quite as serious as my previous postings.
Watch: Sean Avery endorses marriage equality with video
"I’m Sean Avery, and I’m a New Yorker for marriage equality. I treat everyone the way I expect to be treated, and that applies to marriage."After New York Rangers left…
Voter engagement. (or Week 2 wrap-up)
Last week, just before the beginning of my second- and third-year Canadian history courses, I played the following Rick Mercer clip: Youth voting has plummetted over the past couple of…
Ignatieff: I hear a statesman
This piece by Jane Taber of the Globe and Mail harangues Michael Ignatieff for his lack of specifics, but I think he sounds pretty reasonable here: There was no mention…
Yeah, but howz your hockey?
Needs work. .
Kaberle The Great
It’s hard enough to see a great player leave your organization for another club, but its even harder to see a great person leave even more. Tomas Kaberle, the long…
The Truth About Fighting in Hockey
Lets break it down into 2 scenarios. 1) You are playing street hockey with a bunch of guys, and all of a sudden a fight breaks out. Fighter A punches…