Kolzig retires after 14 NHL seasons

Olaf Kolzig

After 14 seasons, veteran goaltender Olaf Kolzig announced his retirement today from the National Hockey League. Kolzig, 39, a two-time NHL All-Star, former Vezina Trophy winner and received the King Clancy Memorial Trophy appeared in a total of 719 NHL games, 711 of those with the Washington Capitals. His 303 career wins rank him 21st all-time among goaltending wins leaders. Olaf also posted a career 2.71 GAA along with a .906 save percentage and 35 shutouts.

Reported by The NHL on Sept 23, 2009

Game 7 Showdown in Motown

News from the race for the Stanley Cup

Champaign Cup

Game 7 Showdown in Motown:
The Pens Force a Game 7 Battle with the Wings

After a disappointing performance in Game 5 the Penguins brought it on to win Game 6 last night and forced the series into a Game 7 showdown. While the Pens are the underdogs no doubt, the young team is growing up before our eyes and charging a heated battle against the defending champs. The Wings will have the hometown advantage, playing the final hockey game at Joe Louis Arena – where it all comes down to seasoned champs vs. hungry young blood this Friday night… when we will see who inherits the prized hockey trophy that is The Stanley Cup.

Hockey trophy traditions

News from the NHL

Hockey trophy traditions…

In the long journey to claim the ultimate hockey trophy, The Stanley Cup (aka Lord Stanley’s Mug, among others), many regular season games must be won, and playoff games and conference games.  And as the triumphant teams advance to the finals they are presented with the conference trophies. And so what do these jubilant players usually do when they are presented with those hockey trophies? Well, they make sure they don’t touch the thing!

Yep, all sports have their superstitions. In the NHL its all about “look but don’t touch”; as the common lore has it that the only hockey trophy worth touching is THE hockey trophy. Once you’ve won The Cup, go ahead and touch all you want – but until then, keep your hands to yourself!

So when Penguins captain Sidney Crosby grabbed a firm hold of the Prince of Wales trophy (grinning for photographers) it was a total taboo to most people. For Crosby it was just the opposite. Last year the Penquins didn’t touch it, and they lost to the Red Wings regardless, so what good did being superstitious do? Nothing in his book, so he just went for the grab and enjoyed the moment with his team players that did the same. Take that!

Mountain sculpture hockey trophies: the peak of perfection

Trophy news from Crown Awards

Hockey Trophies

Mountain sculpture hockey trophies: the peak of perfection

For an award as monumental as the winning goal, choose the mountain sculpture hockey trophy from Crown Awards. Featuring an antique finished figurine which is  embedded on a beveled-cut polished resin marble, the trophy itself is a testament to the great heights that athletes go to fortify victory.

NHL Calder Trophy Finalists Named

Trophy news from the NHL

Hockey Trophies

NHL Calder Trophy Finalists Named

In the NHL the conclusion of the regular season brings with it more than the battle for the Stanley Cup. It also ushers in the awards season, with trophies going to the “best of” NHL athletes and coaches. This past Wednesday the League announced the three finalists for the 2008-09 Calder Memorial Trophy; awarded “to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition”. The prestigious hockey trophy will go to either Steve Mason, Columbus Blue Jackets; Bobby Ryan, Anaheim Ducks; or Kris Versteeg, Chicago Blackhawks.

From now through May 4th the NHL will announce the names of the three  finalists for each of its major hockey trophies and awards:
James Norris Memorial Trophy (top defenseman), Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (skill/sportsmanship), Vezina Trophy (top goaltender), Frank J. Selke Trophy (top defensive forward), Hart Memorial Trophy (MVP), Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy (perseverance and dedication to hockey), Jack Adams Award (Coach of the Year), and the NHL Foundation Player Award (contributions to charitable causes).

Rangers clinch a playoff spot and hopefully the ultimate hockey trophy

Trophy news from New York

hockey trophies

Rangers clinch a playoff spot and
hopefully the ultimate hockey trophy

New York defeated Philadelphia last night to gain a playoff spot in the showdown for the most acclaimed of hockey trophies; the Stanley Cup. “The first thing is to get in the playoffs”, said coach John Tortorella. Mission accomplished – with their 2-1 win over the Flyers the Rangers’ path towards their victory trophy is upon them. The Stanley Cup tournament begins next week and the Blueshirts are back to battle it out. Bring the trophy back to New York boys!

Malkin, Penguins skate way past Stars

Trophy news from the Pittsburgh  Tribune-Review…

Malkin, Penguins skate way past Stars

hockey trophies

If recent history repeats itself and the current NHL standings hold, the league will crown a new MVP in June — Penguins center Evgeni Malkin.

“As my good friend, I hope he wins it, but it’s too early to say,” defenseman Sergei Gonchar said Sunday of Malkin, who scored his team-leading 29th goal and padded his league-best total to 92 with two assists in the Penguins’ 4-1 victory against the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center.

“Hopefully he does. He’s become a big star.”

Malkin is trying to become the fourth Penguin and only the third Russian to win the Hart Trophy, annually awarded to the player “adjudged to be most valuable to his team” by select members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

Leading the Penguins to the playoffs would boost his credentials, especially if he claims the Art Ross Trophy that would accompany his first scoring title.

“I’m not thinking about (those hockey trophies),” Malkin said yesterday.

His good friend and teammate Max Talbot has thought about them, and …

“He deserves (them),” Talbot said. “He’s been a tremendous clutch player for us this year.”

Interim coach Dan Bylsma said Malkin’s chosen leadership style requires up-close viewing to appreciate.

“On TV … it’s not evident how he wants to take control of the game, raise his level up,” Bylsma said. “You can see at times when he grabs the puck and wants to go – he can go, and it’s tough to take it off him.”

Payton Liske Named Finalist For 2009 Marcel-Robert Trophy

Trophy news from St. John, NB….

Payton Liske Named Finalist For 2009 Marcel-Robert Trophy

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League has announced that Saint John Sea Dogs forward Payton Liske has been named a finalist for the 2009 Marcel-Robert Trophy, awarded annually to the league’s top academic player.

The remaining finalists for this prestigious award are Guillaume Goulet of Baie-Comeau, Dominic Jalbert of Chicoutimi, Drummondville’s Danny Massé, and Shawinigan’s Pierre-Alexandre Vandall.

Late Don Sanderson honoured with Junior A hockey trophy

Hockey news from Whitby, Ontario…….

Late Don Sanderson honoured with Junior A hockey trophy

hockey trophy

The senior league hockey player who died following a on-ice altercation last month, sparking a national debate about fighting’s place in the sport, has had an Ontario Junior A trophy renamed in his honour.

Mike Sanderson, Don’s father, presented The Don Sanderson Cup to the Whitby Fury on Thursday.

Formerly known as the Durham Cup, the trophy will be awarded each year to the winner of a regular season round-robin tournament between the Fury, Pickering Panthers and Ajax Attack of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League.

“It’s an honour (the clubs) have done that,” said Mike Sanderson of the renaming of the trophy. “You can’t put it into words the outpouring of support we have had from the hockey community and it is something that is going to help Donald’s name live on forever.”

Don Sanderson was in his rookie year with the Whitby Dunlops of the Ontario Hockey Senior A League. The 21-year-old Sanderson passed away in January, three weeks after falling to the ice during a fight on Dec. 12, 2008.

Since the accident, the Sanderson family has found it difficult to watch high-calibre hockey games.

“What is hard is that we haven’t really had a chance to grieve yet, on a personal basis,” he said. “It has been a month since his funeral and we haven’t gone a day or two without something coming up or something being said about it.”

His death sparked a nationwide debate over whether fighting should still have a place in the game.

“We don’t watch a hockey game the same now,” Sanderson said. “It is kind of hard to watch a game now with everything that has gone on.”

Originally posted in the Canadian Press.

Annadale disappointed at replay decision

Trophy news from Belfast, Ireland….

Annadale disappointed at replay decision

hockey trophy

The Irish Hockey League game between Cookstown and Annadale, which was abandoned due to weather conditions last month, will be replayed in its entirety.

The Irish Hockey Association has made this ruling after consultations with their legal eagles following an appeal from Annadale who were 4-1 up going into the last quarter and looking set to collect three points for a win and a bonus point for the win being three goals or more. Anndale’s protest hinged on the fact that the IHL rules mirror those of the European Hockey League, which permit games to re-start at the point of any abandonment.

The IHA’s stance was that the EHL rules were set for tournament conditions when all the teams were at the same venue, and so could easily be resumed, whereas this couldn’t be done under the IHL set-up where games are played over different weekends and at different venues.

Annadale naturally are disappointed at the decision, and know that it will be difficult to return to Cookstown at a later date and achieve the same outcome. But they are not expected to take the issue any further. Cookstown, on the other hand, welcome the ruling.

Meanwhile the men’s Irish Hockey Trophy final could well be an all-Ulster affair.

The Branch is guaranteed one finalist after Civil Service and Antrim were paired in the semi-final draw, and there’s every chance Senior One leaders North Down will make it too after being drawn at home against Catholic Institute.

Originally posted in the Belfast Telegraph.