The Hockey News 2019-20 Yearbook

I WAS AT AN ALL-INCLUSIVE resort once, pampered to the molars, when I experienced a life-affirming moment. During a walk on one of the property’s private roads, my wife and I crossed paths with a line of fellow vacationers who were on a camel ride. They seemed to be having a good enough time. But none was anywhere near as happy as the man who trailed the procession by 30 yards or so, an employee whose job it was to collect dung as the animals dumped it. He was singing and swaying and flashed a wide grin as he passed by. Here we were, trying to get away from the daily grind of our white-collar lives and a grey-colored winter; there he was revelling in scooping poop. The memory sporadically resurfaces,…

Dear readers, The NHL season ahead, as featured in this Yearbook, is almost as exciting as what is coming up from The Hockey News. Our Gold Members will be getting the gift of a lifetime – a lifetime worth of access to our archive of 72 years of back issues of The Hockey News. When I acquired The Hockey News, I discovered there was a room full of bound original copies of The Hockey News dating back to its first issue in 1947. This archive, which has been locked away for more than 70 years, covers most of the history of modern hockey. It is being digitized and will become available later this season to our Gold Members for no additional cost. On top of getting all of the forthcoming issues in both print…

THE LAST TIME THERE were three consecutive first-time Stanley Cup winners was 2004 to 2007 when the Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes and Anaheim Ducks won titles with a full-season lockout in the midst of it. Before that, you have to go back 100 years to 1919-20 to find a three-year run of first-time winners that, coincidentally, was also interrupted. Instead of billionaires battling millionaires, it was a worldwide and deadly flu epidemic that stopped the 1919 Stanley Cup final from happening. The owners and players might want to remember that if they end up bickering with each other over collective-bargaining issues this season. Aside from the fact it could be the last hockey we see for a while, there is a lot to look forward to in 2019-20. Will there…

CHANGE IS A CONSTANT in the NHL, and this season will be no exception. Nearly one quarter of the teams in the league have new coaches, while a handful got new GMs. And almost all the “new” faces will be familiar, having previously held their positions with different teams. On top of that, a score of rule changes arrives on the heels of a controversial Stanley Cup playoffs that exposed some cracks in the system. Will the new directives have their desired effect or just slow the game down? Once the season begins, it won’t take long to find out. RULE CHANGES EXPANDED VIDEO REVIEW: Coaches can now challenge plays in the offensive zone that may involve the puck hitting the netting, being high-sticked to a teammate or hand passes that ultimately lead…

GO TO SCHOOL, KIDS: it will help you get to the NHL. Well, unless you’re incredibly good – then you just go straight from the draft. A growing number of high-end prospects are coming from the NCAA ranks, with four of our Rookie Watch picks logging college experience before turning pro. It could have been five, but Jack Hughes is going right to The Show (though he never made a commitment, which is a bit of a family tradition). While everything is cyclical in hockey, it is interesting to see how many different paths there are these days, and the following players represent many of these routes. From Europe to major junior to Jr. A and Minnesota high school, you can find plenty of influences in the backgrounds of these 10…

I want to share a secret before you read the descriptions and conclusions that I have made on Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres and Miro Heiskanen of the Dallas Stars. As I was scouting these two highly skilled young defensemen, I began to imagine they were both eligible in the same draft. I am the GM of the NHL team with the first pick. My primary objective is to determine which of the two players the team with the second pick prefers. I would then try to make a deal with that team so that I would “pass” on picking their preferred player. In exchange, I would be able to acquire a valuable asset, either a player or another draft pick. My reasoning is simple – I love both…