Recently by Cassie Campbell-Pascall
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Hockey
Cassie Campbell Pascall answers your Five Questions
Have a hockey question for Cassie Campbell-Pascall of Hockey Night in Canada? Here's where you can begin your dialogue. Send a question here and Cassie just might provide you with the answer. Here are the questions for this week.
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Hockey
Answering your 5 questions
Once every couple of weeks Cassie Campbell of Hockey Night in Canada will answer your questions. All you have to do is send them here. Wait for a few weeks and you just might have your questions answered. Here is what we mean.
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Hockey
Kings have found leader in Richards
LA Kings fans are in for a treat when one Michael Richards hits the ice later this week. He brings so much needed leadership, as well as a history of winning and a ton of skill as well. I think Richards will help the Kings and some of their younger players, especially in the absence of Ryan Smyth.
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Hockey
Jets coach Claude Noel focused on team building
It's just over a week before the NHL regular-season hits the ice, and Winnipeg Jets head coach Claude Noel - like the rest of the league's coaches - is working hard preparing his team this season.
Team chemistry is one of Noel's priorities and the Jets got a taste of it on their extended road trip to St. John's to play in the Kraft Hockeyville game against the Ottawa Senators Monday.
Before, I get more into the Jets season, I want to say thank you to all the great hockey fans in Newfoundland!
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Hockey
Newfoundland, get ready for Hockeyville
Conception Bay South, N.L., became the sixth Kraft Hockeyville champion and this year's celebrations are bigger and better than ever.
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Hockey
Pressure? What pressure?
I was lucky enough to do the first round between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Pittsburgh Penguins for Hockey Night in Canada. I'll admit I picked the Penguins in seven, and as is well known by now I was wrong.
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Hockey
Hockey culture change starts at grassroots level
I took part this week in the launch of the ThinkFirst SMART HOCKEY video
that was put out with the support of Scotiabank and Reebok-CCM. It is
an amazing initiative that is expected to help educate parents, coaches
and players about how to make the game safer.
The video was launched in March, as it is Brain Awareness Month. It was
perfect timing, considering everything that has been going on in the NHL
when it comes to concussions. The fact of the matter is that
unfortunately concussions are not just an NHL problem or a hockey
problem, but a sport problem.
While at this conference I was asked by a reporter "How do we change the
culture of hockey?" Many people believe that the culture won't change
unless the NHL changes. I do think the NHL has a role, but I truly
believe changing the culture of hockey has to start at the minor hockey
level and specifically with the adults.
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Hockey
Bylsma deserves Jack Adams mention, Kovalev could use boost
It was just 117 days after moving from head coach in the AHL to head coach in the NHL that Dan Bylsma won a Stanley Cup. Many didn't give him the credit he deserved, stating that any coach can be part of a winning team in Pittsburgh with the talent they have down the middle with the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal.
However, what he is accomplishing now without those three players for large chunks of the season arguably puts him in the conversation for the Jack Adams Trophy as coach of the year.
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Hockey
The Kid is alright
It's been an amazing few years for young rookie forward Jeff Skinner from the Carolina Hurricanes.
From scoring 77 goals in junior with the Kitchener Rangers, becoming the youngest player ever to make an NHL All-Star game appearance and finding himself atop the NHL rookie scoring race for the majority of this season, it would be easy to watch a young hockey player get a little big headed with so much quick success. But that will not happen with Skinner.
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Hockey
2010 helped grow women's hockey
A year ago, just prior to the 2010 Olympics, I was so excited for my sport of women's hockey.
It was my first trip to the Olympics as an observer and I must admit I
was nervous. I even had to have a little talk with myself to make sure I
was ready to go as a retired athlete.
I was also hopeful it was going to be the best Games ever for women's
hockey, especially in regards to our most pressing issue: parity. To be
honest, when it ended I was frightened for the future of women's hockey,
but at the same time so proud of it!
- Hockey Inspiration from the words of a child There isn't really a day that goes by where I don't have something come across my desk that involves hockey. Whether it's a new book, an article about the game or simply something technical that someone is trying to promote or get my thoughts on, it all comes my way. All of it is usually good, but today I have to tell you about an article that is truly inspiring.
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Hockey
Kesler's play makes him one of the best
I was really excited to sit down and watch
the Philadelphia Flyers when they visited the Vancouver Canucks over the
holiday season. I mean, they are two of the strongest teams when it comes to
depth at centre and I was curious to see how the two teams would match up.
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Hockey
Hockey and the holiday season: a family tradition
Not everyone likes this time of year. Some are suffering through tough financial times and others are mourning the loss of someone close to them, and it's tough.
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Hockey
No room for Lidstrom in top five
It was day four after my baby was born in November and I found myself
watching Hockey Night in Canada. In fact I have watched more hockey than
I anticipated after giving birth to my first child. She will either
grow up playing or absolutely despising the game, because she has
already seen too much! Either way, we are all happy in the Pascall home.
- Hockey James and Granato part of long list to be honoured There is a long list of female hockey pioneers who will be inducted in to the Hockey Hall of Fame down the road.
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Hockey
Women's hockey and what's been done since Vancouver
The process of growing the women's game to make it truly international is continuing.
From Nov. 8-9 in Zurich, a second meeting will take with the best international minds in the game coming together to brainstorm how to take the game to the next level.
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Hockey
Flames starting to find stride
The Calgary Flames are finally finding their team identity and finally gelling as a team and it is showing with their recent success on the ice. Here are a few thoughts on their recent success.
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Hockey
Sweet goalie coaches, sour Souray
When I saw the early positive impact that Roland Melanson has had on Roberto Luongo's game in Vancouver, I became curious. Jamie McLennan, who is currently the goalie coach with the Calgary Flames, put things in perspective: "The key to the relationship between goalie and goalie coach is trust."
- Hockey Getzlaf deserving of captaincy There is no question in my mind that Ryan Getzlaf is the best choice to take over the captaincy in Anaheim after the retirement of Scott Niedermayer.
- Hockey Fun stories that didn't make it to air For a second weekend in a row on the job on Hockey Night in Canada, I was lucky enough to be part of another Original Six match up.
- Hockey Hockeyville helps rebuild community spirit Kraft Hockeyville's greatest impact is helping to rebuild and maintain old arenas that have been the foundation and spirit of the communities they are in.
- Hockey Give the Sedins the respect they deserve They have been called the Sedin sisters on occasion and I'm sure a few other 'nicknames' too, but let's face it, Daniel and Henrik Sedin are both true superstars in the NHL.
- Hockey Boston and Montreal rivalry never gets old It was an exciting game in Montreal this past weekend as the Boston Bruins were in town.
- Hockey Canadian women deserve praise for gold Be proud of Canada’s women’s hockey team – and their Olympic gold medal in Vancouver.
- Hockey Giordano the beneficiary of Phaneuf's departure There is no question the Calgary Flames had to do something as their season was going nowhere. From contending for the Northwest Division title to now out of a playoff spot, one of the core four had to go. It wasn't going to be their captain, Jarome Iginla, or their best player, goalie Miikka Kiprusoff, so it was between defencemen Robyn Regehr and Dion Phaneuf. In my opinion, Phaneuf was not an issue in the dressing room, but his trade happened because general manager Darryl Sutter could get more assets for his team than he could by trading Regehr. I am sure that Sutter didn't want to trade either player, but was left with no choice based on his team's performance.
- Hockey Timing of Hurricanes captaincy switch puzzling On Wednesday, the Carolina Hurricanes announced that their new captain will be Eric Staal and that Rod Brind’Amour will be their alternate. I have no issue by any means with Eric Staal being named the captain. He’s a great player and obvious choice. He is the face of the franchise with a long-term contract and his on-ice ability speaks for itself. I recognize this is part of the rebuilding process which has to happen in Carolina. And what better way for Staal to learn about leadership when the ship has pretty much sunk?!
- Hockey Hockey players using Pilates to fight injury When I retired from competitive hockey I took almost the entire summer off from regular hockey training. Now I wasn’t just sitting on the couch, but I never got on a stationary bike or do squats or other typical hockey exercises. Basically, I did everything I could do to get away from the everyday training of being a hockey player while at the same time trying to keep in some sort of shape! One of the best moves I made after retiring was to start doing Pilates. I wish I had learned earlier about the benefit Pilates would have on my body.
- Hockey Rookies, Sabres big surprises of the first half With the holiday season under wraps, the world junior hockey championship over, and all the surprises from New Year’s Eve now just stories, I thought I would come up with my own list of surprises from the first half of the NHL season.
- Hockey Babcock keeping Red Wings competitive With Steve Yzerman picking his team for the 2010 Olympics, I finally figured out what I'm going to write about this week. I'll admit I was at a loss but after watching Detroit lose to Columbus on Monday night, strangely this idea came to me. Mike Babcock has to be a candidate for coach of the year!
- Hockey Didn't make world junior team? Don't worry. I absolutely love the world junior tournament during the holiday season. However, there's one part I don’t particularly love - when we have to see the kids getting cut. You can tell their hearts are shattered, and that for most of these players, it’s the first time they’ve faced major adversity in their young hockey careers. But, to those kids who have been released from Team Canada, don’t worry. Here's a list of top 10 NHL players who never made the Canadian world junior team, but who’ve gone on to have solid NHL careers.
- Hockey Top 3 bargains in the NHL this year Just because I’m a girl doesn’t mean I like to shop. In fact, I hate it. I have to know exactly what I want when I take off to the mall. Quick, easy, and painless is my shopping motto! However, I do like a good bargain. Here are my Top 3 bargains in the NHL this year …
- Hockey To loan or not to loan? Team Canada’s world junior camp roster of 36 players was announced this week and unlike last year at this time, there is no help coming from the NHL.
- Hockey Many reasons to cheer for Cammalleri I tend to do a lot of Montreal Canadiens games during the Hockey Night in Canada season. I recognize how lucky I am to be in that arena to do a hockey game. I can barely hear Ron MacLean during the start of the broadcast as the fans cheer from the moment they arrive until the moment they leave. Sure, sometimes they are hard on their players, but for the most part the building is always electric. So too is Michael Cammalleri.
- Hockey Shanahan a leader on and off the ice There will be no issue for the Hockey Hall of Fame when Brendan Shanahan becomes eligible. It will be a sure thing. I first met Brendan while training for the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, Japan. In fact, it was a few months before and we were launching the first-ever Maple Frosted Wheaties for General Mills. I’ll admit it, the cereal was average and was a take off from the American version of Wheaties, but the experience of the photo shoot was incredible.
- Hockey Yzerman's job is just beginning Steve Yzerman was on our Hockey Night in Canada Sirius Satellite Radio show Tuesday and it was great to hear him talk about how everywhere he goes in Canada people have their opinions on who should be on our country’s Olympic team and who shouldn’t be. For the most part though, he told us that generally people in this country are simply wishing him luck. Typically Canadian and I love it!
- Hockey A few good men step up for Canadian women's hockey With the Olympic Games in Vancouver coming up in just over 100 days, I wanted to take the opportunity to recognize some great supporters of women’s hockey - a group of businessmen who have made a difference in the lives of 26 Canadian players.
- Hockey Kobasew trade could mean many things for Bruins When I heard the news that Chuck Kobasew was traded I was perplexed. Not a major trade, but still one that surprised me. He has struggled this season, like his team so far, but has been a big piece on the third line along with Patrice Bergeron and Mark Recchi.
- Hockey Messier behind Rangers' early success? One of my favorite events that I had the pleasure to go to during the off-season was to speak to the friends and families of the Canadian Olympic skeleton/bobsleigh team in Calgary in August. The association wanted me to speak to the group about the dos and don’ts for families who are going to the Olympic Games to support their family member who is competing at the Games.
- Hockey Get the finger off the panic button Canuck fans It has been a frustrating start to the regular season for Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo. An 0-3 start is not how he, or the team, pictured beginning their year. Having spent some time in Vancouver over the past couple of days, the local fans and media haven't taken too kindly to the Canucks' start and have been using a new buzz phrase for Luongo, calling him “Red Light Roberto." Quite frankly, I find it funny.
- Hockey Loss of goal scoring no sweat for Red Wings If there is any team in the NHL that can lose 28 per cent of its scoring from the previous year and still be successful, it is the Detroit Red Wings. After losing Marian Hossa (40 goals), Mikael Samuelsson (19) and Jiri Hudler (23) for a total of 82 goals to free agency or the KHL, it would look at first glance that the Wings will have trouble to score, but there is still lots of offence on the 2009/2010 roster.
- Hockey Passion for hockey on full display in Terrace, B.C. Kraft Hockeyville 2009 is officially over and it was a fun ride across the country searching for hockey’s most passionate community. There was some tough competition, but I think it was very fitting that Terrace, B.C., won this year’s event. There have been tough times recently for Terrace as it felt the wrath of having two mills close and as a result many people lost their jobs. The community needed a pick-me-up and their passion for hockey was how they received it.
- Hockey Special teams make the difference In the Stanley Cup Playoffs everything is magnified. The battles, the intensity, the pressure, the energy, the excitement, they all rise to a higher level. The swings in momentum that can occur within a shift, a period and a game are often the moments that dictate the outcome of a series. A hot goalie, or a streaky scorer can dominate a series, but there may not be a more important part of the playoffs than special teams. All year teams work diligently to improve their special teams, understanding the importance of scoring a power play goal at a critical time, or killing off a string of penalties to preserve a lead. No series has exemplified that importance more than the Vancouver, St. Louis series.
- Hockey Three players who deserve to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame In December, the International Ice Hockey Hall of Fame inducted a female player for the first time. Three females were inducted and the choices could not have been better. Angela James, Geraldine Heaney and Cammi Granato were selected into the Hall after having terrific international careers. These players were all role models to my generation (and me) and finally they got the recognition that they deserve. And now with the announcement that the Hockey Hall of Fame has changed the rules so that two female players can be added, James, Heaney and Granato lead the group to choose from.
- Hockey Clarkson Cup a reality It truly was a historical moment for women’s hockey. After a two and a half year hiatus because of some unexpected licensing issues, the Clarkson Cup has finally been awarded to a championship team. The Canadian Women’s Hockey League’s Montreal Stars, led by Lisa-Marie Breton and Team Canada standout Caroline Ouellette, defeated the Minnesota Whitecaps of the Western Women’s Hockey League by a score of 3-1.
- Hockey Last stop … Thetford Mines Our last stop on the Kraft Hockeyville Tour 2009 was Thetford Mines, Que. It is a beautiful community about an hour and a half drive southwest of Quebec City. Everywhere you look there are ATVs and Ski-Doos, but there is no question that the number one passion in Thetford is hockey.
- Hockey Hockeyville in Humboldt Stop four of our Kraft Hockeyville 2009 tour has been completed. I have said this in every article and I’ll say it again here. I wouldn’t want to have to vote in this competition. As we travel across the country the stories of each Canadian town continues to amaze me on how passionate we are about hockey. Humboldt was no different as they put on a spectacular show. As much as it was about Hockeyville, it all wasn’t all about hockey. In Humboldt they are passionate about all sport, which is why some of the events included speed skating and ball hockey – it was evident that the expectations of children growing up in Humboldt were to have not only a love of hockey, but also balance in their lives.
- Hockey There are true hockey spirits in the Township of Woolwich I’ve reached the halfway point of my Kraft Hockeyville 2009 tour. So far everything has been fantastic and I wouldn’t want to choose between any of the three communities that I’ve visited so far. It’s really taken me back to the grassroots of hockey, which we sometimes forget about when we get to work in the NHL world or get to an Olympic level. Over the weekend I spent time at the Elmira Arena. Elmira is one of 12 communities in the Township of Woolwich, Ont., which was voted as our third stop on the tour.
- Hockey Kissing cod and loving hockey in Newfoundland I simply love the East Coast of Canada. OK - I love all of Canada, but the East Coast has a special place in my heart. My family is from Prince Edward Island, so that shows my bias, but my visit to Harbour Grace, NL, this past weekend for the Top 5 of Kraft Hockeyville was definitely a highlight for me. The hometown of Daniel Cleary, 2008 Stanley Cup champion, and Jaime Korab, 2006 Olympic curling gold medallist, is a happening place. They have seen a lot of success in that community lately and it’s inspired the youth to believe that anything is possible.
- Hockey Could Balsillie bring Gretzky home? Balsillie could bring Gretzky home. Now wouldn’t that be an ideal title on the front page of every single Canadian newspaper! I think so.
- Hockey Hockey, hospitality and tuques in Terrace, B.C. Let the tour and the fun begin! I have the amazing opportunity of representing Hockey Night in Canada on the Kraft Hockeyville 2009 contest. Each week for the next five weeks, an NHL legend and I get to travel to a different location across Canada to reveal the communities who have made it into the Top 5. This year’s submissions increased 787 per cent from last year and there is no question that the Kraft Hockeyville contest has become a huge event within Canada.
- Hockey Top 10 role players of the first half A ton of attention was paid to the all-star teams in Montreal over this past weekend and rightfully so, but there is another group of players that mean so much to their respective teams - the unsung heroes or role players. They exist on every NHL franchise and are key components to teams in their journey to win championships. They are the guys who never receive much of the attention and are often under valued, but in the dressing room, we all knew how important their contributions are. In fact, a team is never successful without the role players. Here is my list of the top 10 unsung heroes from the first half of the season, in no particular order.
- Hockey All-star game is for the fans - leave it alone It’s this time every year that the debate on who is and who is not on the rosters for the NHL All-Star Game gets so much attention. Let’s face it, the NHL All-Star Game and Weekend are for the fans - pure and simple - and that is why the fans get to vote and get their say on who makes the all-star lineups.
- Hockey What's the next move for the NHL's Canadian teams? Now that the Mats Sundin saga is over and done with, here’s a look at what the NHL's Canadian teams need to do in order to get to the next level. With it so difficult to operate under the salary cap system, moves will be easier said than done.
- Hockey Don't expect to see these 6 NHLers on Canada's world junior team This Wednesday Hockey Canada will be announcing its camp roster for the upcoming world junior hockey championship which will take place in Ottawa beginning Dec 11. The Canadians have until the start of camp to announce additional players to its camp roster and there are eight eligible players who are currently playing in the NHL.
- Hockey Versatile players of the salary-cap era As general managers find themselves getting used to the cap system, there is one trend that is becoming apparent. The role of the all-around player in the NHL.
- Hockey Iginla should be Canada’s Olympic captain Sorry Mike Milbury, I know it’s early, but I have to add my two cents on the 2010 Canadian men’s Olympic team. After all this is what we do in Canada - constantly talk hockey. And don’t forget, we are all born with hockey sticks in our hands!
- Hockey Is more becoming too much? It’s great to see that today’s modern hockey players know how to treat their bodies. Gone are the days when these guys worked off a beer belly during the first weeks of the schedule. Now they are fit and trim. They play hard and train hard. But I think they are actually training too hard.
