Reading The Tea Leafs: Superstitions of the Toronto variety
JP Nikota
July 12 2012 06:39AM
Not every hockey player is superstitious, but they are almost all creatures of habit. Myself, I have a certain way of taping the knob at the end of my stick, certain types of socks I like to wear under skates, and I almost never wash the shirts I wear under my shoulder pads. There are plenty of other little things I've done over the years on game days, but there are some former Leafs out there that make my own habits look pretty darn tame.
I recently read Andrew Podnieks' Hockey Superstitions, and, from that, have culled a list of former Leafs with some peculiar habits.
Why Not Use IIHF-Sized Rinks?
JP Nikota
July 04 2012 11:37AM
Photo source: hockeyfans.ch
At first blush, this idea made all the sense in the world to me; I felt that it had the potential to fix so many of the NHL's current woes. Maybe the league wouldn't have to be constantly changing rules if it could just increase the ice surface.
I know what you're thinking: this was an unrealistic prescription from the get-go. The NHL would never expand its ice surfaces. Teams would lose important rows of expensive seats, and sight lines might be ruined in the upper bowls. The short-term cost of renovations would be steep, and the long-term loss of revenue from seats would be unpalatable to owners, many of whom are already in tight to keep their teams in the black.
But I'd like to focus on what it might actually do to the game itself, for a moment. I've taken to examining what European statistics I can get, and have enlisted the help of European hockey journalist Risto Pakarinen (@puckarinen).
The Odd Couple Reunited
JP Nikota
July 01 2012 10:25PM
Sharing the burden of a high pressure environement can often bring you closer than you might expect to people you wouldn't normally hang out with. Of course, sometimes, you're lucky enough to meet someone who is actually a decent person in this same situation, and you become something of a Bert & Ernie.
In the case of Nik Antropov and Alexei Ponikarovsky, it was the (probably unfair and impetuous) expectations of Leafs' fans all across the globe that Nik and Poni should turn into superstars that provided the fertile loveground this bromance to blossom. That is, we have to assume that's why they became such friends, since fan pressure gets all the heat for negative things, so why not let it have this one win?
Let's Give Grandpa Cliff Some Credit
JP Nikota
June 26 2012 07:16PM
As Mats Sundin is inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, I think it's only fair that we give a little credit to the man that brought him to Toronto.
More On The Schenn-JvR Deal
JP Nikota
June 24 2012 12:39PM
I have to confess that I've never been much of a Luke Schenn fan. It's perhaps true that if he had been drafted to a more patient team, I'd be telling a different story today, but whether or not the Leafs "rushed" him, I think mf37 is correct in making a connection to Luke Richardson, not Adam Foote.
