The Short, Nasty Life of Hockey Enforcers

They go by many names, some more flattering than others: goons, enforcers, policemen. Whatever you call these National Hockey League brawlers, they’ve been in the news lately for an unsettling reason. Derek Boogaard, Rick Rypien, and Wade Belak all passed away in recent months. Rypien and …

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Written by Alan Hirsch on Friday September 16, 2011

Hockey's Zen Master

The tough Philadelphia Flyers of the 1970s may have been the "Broad Street Bullies" but their coach was a master of human psychology. Sports Illustrated recently ran an article on the Philadelphia Flyers Stanley Cup teams of the 1970s without so much as mentioning the team’s coach. Granted, …

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Written by Alan Hirsch on Friday June 3, 2011

The Hockey Star Who Vanished

60 years ago, Bill Barilko scored one of the most famous goals in Toronto Maple Leafs history. It was also the last goal the 24-year-old ever scored. It was 60 years ago that the most famous goal in the history of the Toronto Maple Leafs was scored in overtime, to win the Stanley Cup. It was …

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Written by Peter Worthington on Friday April 29, 2011