Brendans Archived Writings

This season, six new players will skate out onto the ice with a “C” on their jersey for the first time, and two teams won’t have any captain on the ice at all. Most teams have chosen to name younger captains, like Connor McDavid, or players who have been with their franchise for several years, like Mike Fisher. However, one particular situation is the Florida Panthers new captain Derek MacKenzie. MacKenzie, 35, has had a long career, playing for the Atlanta Thrashers, Columbus Blue Jackets, and now the Florida Panthers. MacKenzie  has been jumping between the AHL and the NHL all though his life. MacKenzie has played 454 NHL games, and 548 AHL games. MacKenzie has been an excellent fourth line player all throughout his career. Mackenzie brings an edge to the table without sacrificing skill. MacKenzie is a very capable leader and has shown flashes of skill, like his diving goal against the Jets last season. MacKenzie, however is most known for his grit, physicality, and pla...

As the Pittsburgh Penguins transition from celebration mode to focus on the 2016-17 season, the seem to be in better shape than any other Stanley Cup Champion in the past 10 years. The Pittsburgh Penguins will be sporting the exact same roster that won them a championship, minus journeyman Ben Lovejoy. The only roster spot that needs filled is the last defenseman, however there are several spots that are vulnerable. The final defensive spot should be filled by Derrick Pouliot. Pouliot was drafted 8 th overall in 2012, and has been one of the Penguins premiere prospects within their system. Pouliot played in 22 games this season. At the start of the season it was thought that he would play a significant role in their defense, however he was scratched most games in favor of Ian Cole, Brian Dumoulin, and late season acquisition Justin Schultz. One spot on the roster that doesn’t remain set in stone, is the right wing on Evgeni Malkin’s line. During the season Malkin’s line w...

Andrew McCutchen looks like his days are numbered and that he will soon have a new address, but where will that be exactly. Sidney Crosby, Ben Rothlisburger, Antonio Brown, and Andrew McCutchen. All superstar players who have made their career in the Steel City. However, it looks like one of these stars is moving out very soon. In a surprising turn of events the Pirates are actively pursuing a trade to send McCutchen out of town. The Pirates hinted at a possible Andrew McCutchen trade in the beginning of their offseason, and now it seems like a forgone conclusion that McCutchen will soon say his goodbyes. According to multiple reports, the Pirates are actively shopping the star centerfielder and will heavily pursue a trade after the winter meetings. It seems that these rumors are true, due to the massive amount of them, and the sources they come form. The question now becomes, Where will McCutchen end up? In a previous article, I wrote that Seattle and Houston would be ide...

The Blue Jackets have become one of the best teams this year and no one has seemed to take notice. As we approach the holiday season, we really start to see the NHL standings become more stagnate and harder to climb for teams currently looking in. Each team in the league right now is looking at their season and thinking how can we continue our success, or what can we change to turn this season around. One team taking the Leage by storm without anyone taking notice is the Columbus Blue Jackets. Its commonly known that in the NHL, there is an unwritten rule that if a team is in a playoff spot by December 1 st , then its likely that they will keep that spot and make the playoffs in April. In 2015 on December 1 st , 12 out of the 16 teams currently in the playoffs, finished and made the playoffs. In 2014 it was 13 out of the 16, and in 2013, it was 13 out of 16. These are 75%, 81%, and 81%, pretty good odds for a very early predictor. This season the NHL is already seeing a divide...

2016 has been an amazing year for the NHL. Hockey has become faster and more fun with ups and downs all year. It is now December we approach the end of 2016, Real Sport is giving out awards for the best games of year. Today we are looking at the Best Games of the 2016.  Each game is ranked by intensity, level of skill, enjoyment, and surprise. The last three Spots came so close that they could be switched around very easily. 10. The 2016 NHL All-Star Game Each year the NHL looks for something new to make the All-Star Game interesting to the fans and bring in viewers. Fortunately for the NHL, the fans gifted them that opportunity with John Scott. Regardless of how badly the NHL handled the situation, it was an amazing show and Scott was able to put up 2 goals, including a breakaway. 9. Jagr Moves into Second Although this may seem like a normal regular season game, Jarmoir Jagr moved into 2 rd place in scoring ahead of Mark Messier with his 1,888 th point. Jagr, the...