He had just concluded his rookie season with his hometown Detroit Red Wings and even though he was disappointed that the Wings had just been eliminated in the first round of the 2016 playoffs by Tampa Bay, being a Wing at the ripe old age of 19 was still pretty awesome.
Author: Colin Campbell
Craig Smith coming up big for Nashville in Stanley Cup Final
It’s a dream to play in the NHL—for those kids who join youth hockey, who watched and idolized the feats of Gretzky and Lemeiux, who worked their way up through club teams to high school. Some made it through to junior leagues and the college level. Even fewer make it to play professionally.
Mattias Ekholm developing into fourth elite defenseman for Predators
Mattias Ekholm of the Nashville Predators was not born to be a defenseman. Instead he grew into the role, slowly but surely becoming an elite player at the position at the highest level.
“It’s funny to look back to it how well it turned out,” Ekholm said earlier during the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Swede-heavy Western Conference Final a sign of the times
NASHVILLE — “I have worn his underwear,” Mattias Ekholm was saying after practice. “They are comfy.”
It used to take big meatballs to be a Swede in the National Hockey League, in the days when Fred Stanfield chugged up and down the wing among the NHL’s Original 12. “The more barbaric, archaic times of hockey,” as Anaheim Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle said Wednesday.
Gibson is Heating up, and That’s Good News for the Ducks
John Gibson is getting even better as the pressure mounts, but don’t be surprised by his post-season heroics.
The Nashville Predators deserved to win Game 1 of the Western Conference final, but John Gibson didn’t deserve the loss for Anaheim. In Game 2, Gibson got the victory he had earned and this series is all the more compelling because of it.
Growing up: Larkin putting the ‘A’ in U.S.A
COLOGNE, Ger. – Jimmy Howard couldn’t help but grin when asked about the alternate captain ‘A’ on the shoulder of Dylan Larkins’ jersey at the 2017 IIHF World Championship.
“Well, he’s a vet,” Howard said of Larkin, his 20-year old teammate on the Red Wings and the U.S. men’s national team. “It’s his third time being over here (playing for the U.S.) … he’s got the most games on the team, I think.”
That’s not entirely accurate, but Howard’s not far off.
Bold trades paying off for Predators in playoffs
NASHVILLE — David Poile had to think about it for a moment, because he’s waited for this moment for so long.
Poile just finished watching the Nashville Predators, the team he has been general manager for since their inception in the NHL in 1998-99, reach the Western Conference Final for the first time.
Kyle Turris celebrated OT goal against Rangers with trip to kids banquet
Kyle Turris had no choice but to end Game 5 on Saturday with a game-winning goal. He had a prior engagement to attend.
The Ottawa Senators forward scored the game-winning goal in overtime to beat the New York Rangers and take a 3-2 series in the Eastern Conference Second Round, then, just hours later, Turris was at the end-of-season banquet for the Capital City Condors.
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare passes player of game award to France goalie
Just give Pierre-Edouard Bellemare the good-guy award for the 2017 IIHF World Championship.
The Philadelphia Flyers forward, who is representing France at the tournament, was named the player of the game after its 5-1 upset win against Finland on Sunday. But he rejected the acknowledgment, and a free watch, instead letting France goalie Florian Hardy accept the honor.
