As a youngster, everywhere Anthony Cirelli went, he chased around a ball with a small hockey stick, even when he went to his grandparents home for a visit. There were no breaks for him.
When hockey and Antoine Roussel hooked up all those years ago, the young Frenchmen was a goner.
Adam Henrique is three games into his first IIHF World Championship with Canada and he’s loved every second of the thrill of playing for his country.
If the way Jamie McGinn finished the season wasn’t enough evidence that he’s kissed his back woes goodbye, consider his reaction when brother Brock scored in double-overtime to send the Carolina Hurricanes to the second round.
Three seasons ago, as the Barrie Colts toured the highways of the Ontario Hockey League, Kevin Labanc ruled the back of the bus with Michael Webster and Justin Scott.
Every day seems like Christmas when you were raised in a place called the North Pole.
Thirty months ago, Mattias Janmark felt like his right knee was loaded with explosives. He was in pain. He was confused as to why he couldn’t straighten out his leg.
A smile came across the face of Tage Thompson when the New York Islanders swept the Pittsburgh Penguins in their opening-round series of the Stanley Cup playoffs last week.
Sidney Crosby had his family’s basement dryer to perfect his shot, Minnesota Wild defenceman Brad Hunt had his backyard shooting deck.
The hockey landscape is crowded these days with elite-level Swedish defencemen.
Ryan Donato has enjoyed quite the 13-month hockey odyssey.
There is no relation between Adam and Ryan Graves, but they immediately hit it off after the Rangers selected the younger Graves in the fourth round at the 2013 NHL Draft.
Dylan Sikura’s passion for the Chicago Blackhawks took root decades before he was born.
His dad played with Hockey Hall of Famers Wayne Gretzky, Dale Hawerchuk and Mark Howe, but Max Jones still received plenty of advice on becoming an elite-level athlete from his mother.
For some hockey players, the pressure and the ample amount of distractions are too much to play professionally in their hometown.
Every once in a while an incident or a scene will evoke a memory with New York Islanders veteran forward Josh Bailey about his late junior teammate, Mickey Renaud.
Adam Cracknell is back in the show.
In a league that continues to get younger, veteran centre Carl Soderberg keeps improving with age.
The New Year has ushered in some emotional and eventful times for Boston Bruins rugged fourth-line forward Chris Wagner.
Pardon the pun, but the list of players in the NHL this season under 170 pounds is short. The list of defencemen is even shorter.