The Fifth Liners

Brendan Shanahan's rebuild of the Toronto Maple Leafs took another turn today as it was announced that Lou Lamoriello has been hired as new team GM. Having held the same post at the New Jersey Devils since 1987, Lamoriello is certainly experienced. Under his reign, the Devils took home three Stanley Cups from 1995 to 2003. However, will his lack of progress since then hinder Toronto's chances? The first thought we have to contend with is that is Lamoriello jumping from one sinking ship to another which has already sunk? His 28 years in New Jersey brought about some great results, he was the first GM in the NHL to bring across Soviet players into North America. Also he brought about 21 play-off appearances and nine division titles, for his efforts Lamoriello was inducted to the NHL Hall of Fame in 2012. Asides from the roll of honor, there are some minor facts to be considered, such as the fact that from 2010 onwards, New Jersey has only made one trip to the play-offs. Alt...

Once more fans of the Edmonton Oilers, will be celebrating as their side have received first overall pick in the NHL Draft Lottery! Seems Connor McDavid will be spending some cold winters over in Alberta in years to come! Buffalo Sabres were no doubt disappointed to land the second overall pick, but will no doubt take consolation that this will probably mean Jack Eichel will be in the state of New York! In what could be one of the biggest depth quality drafts, it could well mean that each team has some great talent for the future. My only real doubt with this decision is that Edmonton has had its fair share of number one picks in the last few years, and still nothing has come of it! People paint McDavid as if he is the next Sidney Crosby of hockey, I just worry that this team is the wrong fit for his talents? Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins are starting to show the leadership qualities required for the Oilers- but Nail Yakupov has only shown glimpses of what he is capable o...

Well today's NHL Trade Deadline didn't quite prove to be the Maple Leafs dominated affair that many expected. Princess Dion Phaneuf, Jonathan Bernier and Phil Kessel still remaining in Ontario (at least for now) so it appears Leafs fans will have to wait until summer time for any big changes. But there were still some interesting moves that could well shake up the mix come play off time. Keith Yandle ( Arizona Coyotes to New York Rangers ) At long last Keith Yandle is no longer playing desert hockey and moving to the Big Apple is the shot in the arm his career needs. A long time star of a continually dying franchise, Yandle has shown so much promise for nothing. The Rangers are keen to end their cup drought and grabbing a great blue liner like Yandle is key to that success. John Moore and Anthony Duclar have made the move across in place of this man- which is pretty fair quality for the Rangers to be giving back. We will see if this move pays off come play off time. Ant...

Today it was announced that Martin Brodeur has finally called time on his 21 year career in the NHL after a short spell at St Louis Blues. To say he has had an extraordinary career would be putting things lightly! In 2009, he officially surpassed Patrick Roy to become the most winning goaltender in NHL history and finishes with a remarkable record 691 wins and 125 shutouts are most in NHL history. Brodeur was an integral part of the New Jersey Devils Stanley Cup triumphs in 1995, 2000 and 2003, and was also a part of two Canadian Olympic gold medal winning teams in Salt Lake City in 2002 and on home turf in Vancouver in 2010! Brodeur was the league leader in wins nine different times, shutouts over five times, and remarkably he led the league in games played six times, which included playing in 70 or more games in 10 consecutive seasons from 1997-98 to 2007-08. His great skills were also reflected in his 10 NHL All Star appearances, four Vezina Trophies, and not to mention winning t...

Over this weekend we saw an interesting experiment which seemed to go down very well with fans of the great sport of Hockey as we saw the Coors Light Stadium Series get under way with the Anaheim Ducks humiliating the LA Kings on their home turf as they won 3-0 win Dodger Stadium! Seems despite have Cee Lo Green among others as the warm up act, the Kings became yet another victim to the currently unstoppable Ducks side! The New York Rangers tie against the New Jersey Devils at Yankee Stadium proved to a far more entertaining affair as the Broadway Blues came out on top 7-3, which included come back from 3-1 down mid way through the first period, but thanks to a first star performance from Mats Zuccarello they clawed their way back into contention. Up next is the next New York instalment as the Ranger welcome fellow local rivals the New York Islanders on January 29th. But after that we have the potentially thrilling showdown between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Pittsburgh...

At 41 years old, NHL great Jaromir Jagr shows no signs of slowing down and his selection in the Czech Republic Olympic team just demonstrates his versatility and after leading his side to the gold medal in the 1998 Nagano Olympics, you can count chickens that he will be one leading stars in this tournament proving that age comes before beauty! Recently while playing for New Jersey, Jagr has now surpassed Steve Yzerman to go seventh overall in the all time goals scored within incredible an 687, his plus his 1391 NHL games played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, New York Rangers, Dallas Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins and recently New Jersey Devils make him the face of modern experience ! At this rate it wouldn't be a shock to see him included in 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, Korea! Here is tribute to the great man!

The great state of New Jersey maybe have brought us the music of Bruce Springsteen but right now the New Jersey Devils are starting to dwindle! After a glorious period from 1995 to 2003 which included 3 cup wins, the Devils have only been the finals once since in 2012 when they lost in six games to the LA Kings. Last season they finished only 11th in the Eastern conference and the seasons only real highlight was Martin Brodeur being selected for the new NHL 14 cover! Problem with this team is the key elements that them such a threat are either long gone or about to leave, missing are the days of the tough defensive pair of Scott Stevens and Scott Neidermeyer. Right now NJ doesn't have that back line that makes a difference and with Brodeur now 40 and seemingly on the verge of ending his great career, it seems that their fail safe options are thinning out! So should this team look to the future? Well right those options are looking scarce, kid wonder Zach Parise bolted to Minnes...

Former NHL forward Jason Arnott has called time on a glorious 18 year career that has taken in the Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars, Nashville Predators, Washington Capitals to most notably the New Jersey Devils. He last played for St Louis in 2011/12, but has not played since. He did sign a contract with the New York Rangers in January this year but was not cleared by the team doctors. Since being drafted 7th overall in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, he has gone on to record 417 goals and 938 points in 1,244 career games. The highlight of his career was a Stanley Cup win in 2000 with the Devils where he score d the championship clinching goal in game 6 against Dallas! Upon announcing his retirement, Arnott said in a statement "I would like to thank everyone who helped me throughout my NHL career, including my family, friends, teammates and fans. Playing in the NHL was my dream and I am very proud and appreciative of the fact I was able to play at the highest level for 19 years wit...

All eyes were on Cory Schneider last night as he made his hotly anticipated return to the Rogers Arena with his new side the New Jersey Devils against the team that traded him the Vancouver Canucks . But it was the British Columbia side who got the last laugh as the secured a 3-2 overtime win to push their current purple patch under John Tortorella to 3 wins in a row! NHL veteran Jaromir Jagr got the ball rolling for the visitors with just over a minute remaining in the first period with a shot which deflected past Roberto Luongo to put the Devils 1-0 up. Patrick Elias then doubled their advantage seven minutes into the second before Daniel Sedin scored past old team mate Schneider to give Vancouver a lifeline at 2-1. But Alex Edler then capped a remarkable comeback as be brought the scores to a tie game at 2-2 after 14 minutes played. After a scoreless third period, things were pushed to overtime- Canucks fans didnt have to wait long for the result they desired as Mike Santorell...

IThe New York Islanders won an entertaining 4-3 clash against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center last night which was only decided by a narrow shootout. New Devils recruit Damien Brunner (sorry Mike) gave New Jersey the lead with three minutes gone in the period but 1st star of the game Michael Grabner quickly levelled when he seized on a breakaway to score low underneath Martin Brodeur. Into the second period it was another new Devil who gave the home side the lead when Michael Ryder scored a wrap around to flag up his first NJ goal- but again the lead was soon pegged back when Grabner bagged his second after 13 minutes. The Islanders edged in front after only a minute of the third period when Frans Nielsen scored, but this time it was New Jersey who levelled the scores when Damien Brunner scored his second with only three minutes of the third left to bring the scores to 3-3! The shootout went six rounds without any scores, but finally Matt Moulson used some clever t...

New Jersey Devils veteran player Jaromir Jagr has today implied that the 2013-14 season may will bring his glittering career to a close. In a post on his official facebook page, Jagr has stated ""It looks like it will be my last season, so I can't be too risky," If indeed this is true then many hockey fans will be sad to see the 41 year old hang up his skates on a career which has included 1,391 games for Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, New York Rangers, Dallas Stars, Philadelphia Flyers and more recently the Boston Bruins. His career also included a three year stint in the KHL playing for Avangard Omsk before returning to the NHL in 2011. Currently Jagr is 34th on the list of all time games played, 10 in goals and ranks 12th in assists. If at least one team doesnt retire this mans number 68 jersey- there will be widespread shock! Let's make this a fine last year Jaromir- and lets hope this season brings you a third Stanley Cup ring!

The New Jersey Devils are officially under new management as today it was announced this morning that the franchise has been sold to a group headed by investment banker Joshua Harris, whose group Blitzer is also part owner of NBA franchise, the Philadelphia 76ers will be aiming to bring the Stanley Cup back to the Prudential Center after a 10 year absence. Harris has stated that his decision to buy the Devils was down to his families original roots in New Jersey, Scott O'Neill has been hired as team CEO and will oversee the business end of things, current GM Lou Lamoriello will still be retained as the team is seeking to rebuilding after the loss of Ilya Kovalchuk in the post season.

Mike's question this week was "Which Teams do you predict will top each Conference- Will your predictions be affected by the Conference shake up?" (Special thanks to Mrs Laybourne for suggesting this). Well that it is an interesting question as this years realignment could have big effects on each teams performance- ok let's go to work Eastern Conference  At first glance you would say that the Pittsburgh Penguins will be the out and out favourites to top this conference due to their free scoring offense and this year this could well be the case- but their inclusion in the newly formed Metropolitan Division with team such as the New Jersey Devils , New York Rangers , Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers could well prove a hard affair as each team possesses a unique mix of strength and skill and as we saw last year in the playoffs, the Penguins struggled against the Boston Bruins in these conditions.  In the Atlantic Division, the Bruins could well be ...

As Mike's previous two post pointed out, the NHL will be a very different place come the 2013-14 season with the Eastern and Western conference have undergone a dramatic re-alignment and now it has become far more simplied with the East sporting two separate divisions with the Atlantic and Metropolitan Divisions and the West also having two divisions with the Pacific and Central Division. With new leagues come new rivalrys are long gone are the days of the dull Southwestern Division and sadly Vancouver will not fight for a sixth straight Northwest Division. But what will the big match ups be? Let's take a look in more detail. Atlantic Division  This division promises plenty of thrills with the Detroit Red Wings , Boston Bruins , Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens doing battle for a playoff place- there is no love lost between Leafs and Habs fans and this fixture never fails to entertain. But the clash that will have everyone talking will be when the Ottawa Senators...

41 year old veteran Jaromir Jagr will continue in the NHL for at least another season as yesterday he signed a one year deal with the New Jersey Devils . Last season Jagr played for both the Dallas Stars and the Boston Bruins , whom he helped reach the Stanley Cup final and was considered by many to be one of their best players during the play offs. Even in his ageing years, Jagr continues to be an assets to the teams he turns out for and ever since being drafted 5th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1990 he has scored over 1,688 points in over 1,391 regular season games in a career spanning 19 years for over six differents teams. During his career he has also won back to back Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh in 1991 and 1992. The Devils should feel fortunate to have this man to boost their attack.

Here we looked at the teams in the Western Conference, now let's look at the Eastern. Detroit and Columbus move from west to east and Winnipeg makes the trip the other way. So what does this look like in reality? Metropolitan Division Carolina Hurricanes Columbus Blue Jackets New Jersey Devils New York Islanders New York Rangers Philadelphia Flyers Pittsburgh Penguins Washington Capitals Atlantic Division Boston Bruins Buffalo Sabres Detroit Red Wings Florida Panthers Montreal Canadiens Ottawa Senators Tampa Bay Lightning Toronto Maple Leafs

Its official, Ilya Kovalchuk has signed for SKA St Petersberg in the Kontinental Hockey League on a four year deal! He had previously played for them during the NHL lockout last season during which he had captained the team. The native Russian created shockwaves last week when he announced his retirement from the NHL at just 30 after a successful 12 year stint playing for the Atlanta Thrashers and New Jersey Devils (whom he signed a 15 year for $100 million). But their loss is Russian Hockey's gain and we could well see a high influx of players returning home in the coming years. All the best Ilya! Hopefully one day you will have us round for tea if we're visiting our lovely Russian fans!

No your eyes are not playing tricks on you, because yesterday in a shock move, New Jersey Devils forward Ilya Kovalchuk has announced his retirement from the NHL at the age of just 30! The Russian was only 3 years into a $77 Million 15 year agreement at the Prudential Center but according to Devils GM Lou Lamiorello , Kovalchuk has signed his voluntary retirement papers officially voiding the deal! This opens the door to more speculation as to whether he will return to his native Russia to play in the KHL, Kovalchuk played for SKA St Petersburg during last season’s lockout and has been alleged to have been considering returning home for some time. A 1 st overall pick by the Atlanta Thrashers in 2001, Kovalchuk has amassed an impressive points records in the NHL with over 417 goals and 816 points overall. He was also a winner of the Rocket Richard Scoring Trophy back in 2004 after a 41 goal season. He joined New Jersey in 2010 and has enjoyed the best spell of his career...

Whilst in the midst of a busy workday this saturday just gone, Mike pointed out a fact which is not only fascinating but deeply puzzling, he said "You know a Canadian team hasn't lifted the cup for 20 years?" This is a damn good point and one that ultimately leaves us baffled- but what is the reason for this current drought? Let's have a look in more detail, Cast your mind back to the night of June 9th 1993 where the Montreal Canadiens swept aside a Wayne Gretzky inspired Los Angeles Kings by four games to ones to claim their 24th Stanley Cup win and as Habs Captain Guy Carbonneau hoisted the cup at the Montreal Forum, little did we know that this would the be the last time to date that a Canadian team would be engraved on the trophy!  Since then the cup has been an all American affair and in between these twenty years we have seen four deserved wins by Detroit Red Wings , three Scott Stevens inspired cup wins by the New Jersey Devils and two cup wins each b...

Nathan Mackinnon was selected as the 1st overall pick by the Colorado Avalanche in New Jersey last night, after an impressive season with the Halifax Mooseheads in the Quebec Major Junior League it came as little surprise to many and capped an impressive comeback after a knee injury during the World Junior Championships had threatened to lower his ranking. Young Finnish centre Aleksander Barkov was chosen as the second selection by the Florida Panthers and Mackinnon's Halifax team mate, Jonathan Drouin was picked as the third overall choice by Tampa Bay Lightning . Biggest surprise of the night came when original number one prediction Seth Jones was only selected fourth by the Nashville Predators . Swedish centre Elias Lindholm was the fifth choice for the Carolina Hurricanes while Sean Monahan was added to the Calgary Flames at sixth overall. There was a shake up at  the 9th overall pick as the Vancouver Canucks unexpectedly traded Cory Schneider to the New Jersey...