The Top Feel-Good Storylines of the 2014-15 NHL Season

As sports fans, part of our emotional investment in the games we watch and the teams we love involves the triumph of the human spirit.

We're all more than familiar with the agony of defeat, but we keep watching not just to see the great plays and the big wins but also to experience those feel-good stories that make us warm and fuzzy inside.

Sometimes, those feel-good stories even happen on teams outside our natural allegiances—and we embrace them anyway.

Here are six situations from the 2014-15 NHL season that couldn't help but make us smile.

6. Kimmo Timonen Returns for One Last Run at the Cup

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What We've Seen

Blood clots are dangerous scourge to professional athletes that have become more frequently diagnosed in recent years, according to the Canadian Press (via CBC).

Blood clots ended goaltender Tomas Vokoun's career in 2013. Forward Pascal Dupuis' hockey future is in jeopardy since he was sidelined for the same reason last November. The web stretches beyond hockey—NBA star Chris Bosh was shut down for the season in February after receiving a similar diagnosis.

After 39-year-old defenseman Kimmo Timonen was diagnosed with potentially life-threatening blood clots last summer, he made the decision to pursue treatment with an eye toward returning to hockey in order to "retire with my skates on, not my shoes."

Why It Resonates with Fans

The Philadelphia Flyers generously honored Timonen's wishes to end his career on a high note when they traded him to the Chicago Blackhawks on February 27 in exchange for draft picks.

Not only will Timonen have a chance to end his career on his own terms, but he'll also have a real opportunity to compete for the Stanley Cup as part of a true contender.

Will It Last? 

Timonen turns 40 on March 18, so his time in Chicago will almost certainly be limited to this single playoff run. It remains to be seen whether or not he can help the 'Hawks return to the top of the heap in June.

5. Florida Panthers Push for Postseason Position

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What We've Seen

Ridiculed for years for their organizational ineptness and tiny fanbase in South Florida, the Panthers have begun to claw their way back to respectability.

With general manager Dale Tallon and new owner Vincent Viola at the rudder, the Panthers have supplemented their collection of high draft picks from recent seasons with an effective mix of talented veterans like goaltender Roberto Luongo and superstar Jaromir Jagr, plus character players like captain Willie Mitchell.

The quick development of 2015 draft-lottery prize Aaron Ekblad had the Panthers knocking on the door of a playoff spot and drawing crowds as large as 17,387 for a February 26 game against the Chicago Blackhawks before an injury to Luongo on March 3 halted the team's forward momentum.

Why It Resonates with Fans

Some cynics still root for franchise failure in South Florida, in hopes that the team will eventually relocate to a more enthusiastic hockey market. But as long as NHL players and executives enjoy escaping the wintery confines of Canada and the Eastern U.S. for a February road trip to Florida, sun-belt franchises will continue to get the benefit of the doubt from the league.

After finishing 29th in 2013-14, the Panthers have made a serious bid this season to be treated with respect. With all their young talent and big personalities like Luongo on board, they're also a fun team to watch.

Will It Last? 

Last time the Panthers teased respectability, they finished first in the Southeast Division and pushed the New Jersey Devils to seven games in their first-round playoff series in 2011-12 before falling back to the bottom of the league standings the following season.

It's too soon to say whether the good times in Florida will last, but for the moment, the team's foundation seems as solid as it has ever been.

4. "The Hamburglar" Serves Up Playoff Possibilities in Ottawa

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What We've Seen

With backup goaltender Robin Lehner faltering while starter Craig Anderson was sidelined by a hand injury, the Ottawa Senators called up 27-year-old journeyman Andrew Hammond from their AHL affiliate in Binghamton.

Hammond had been signed by the Senators as a depth goaltender after four years at Bowling Green University and had one NHL appearance to his credit before this year's call-up.

He has turned heads by posting a 7-0-1 record in nine appearances since mid-February and reviving Ottawa's hopes of squeaking into the postseason.

Why It Resonates with Fans

Everybody loves an underdog. As a middling minor leaguer, Hammond's chance of success with an underachieving Senators team was low, so it was inspiring to see him roll through his team's tough California road trip and post shutouts against the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings.

Hammond further cemented his status by arriving with a ready-made nickname. "I don’t think too many people expected a goalie battle between Quick and the Hamburglar tonight," he told Lisa Dillman of the Los Angeles Times after the Sens shut out the Kings 1-0 on Feb. 26.  

Will It Last? 

Anderson is healthy again, but Ottawa has gone 1-1 since his return—needing a shootout to claim two points after letting a 4-1 lead over the Calgary Flames slip away and then dropping a 3-1 decision to the Boston Bruins to drop seven points back in the playoff race.

Sports Club Stats rates Ottawa's postseason chances at just 14.7 percent, but Hammond remains undefeated in regulation as an NHL goaltender. Hammond's story will become legend if coach Dave Cameron is able to ride him all the way to a wild-card spot.

3. Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames Bring Playoff Dreams to Western Canada

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What We've Seen

One year ago, the Vancouver Canucks were in shambles. With the team plummeting down the standings, general manager Mike Gillis was fired on April 8, 2014 with head coach John Tortorella soon to follow on May 1.

One year prior, in March 2013, the Calgary Flames committed to their franchise rebuild when general manager Jay Feaster traded Flames icon Jarome Iginla to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Feaster didn't last long enough to see his rebuild through to completion—he was terminated just nine months later.

While their neighbors in Edmonton continue to struggle to find their way out of the NHL basement, both the Canucks and Flames have quickly turned their franchises around. Currently sitting in second and third, respectively, in the Pacific Division, they're lined up for a Western Canadian first-round playoff matchup while the once-fearsome Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks take an early summer vacation.

Why It Resonates with Fans

In both Calgary and Vancouver, the pain of a Game 7 Stanley Cup loss still resonates. For the Flames, it happened in 2004 against the Tampa Bay Lightning; for the Canucks, it was 2011 against the Boston Bruins.

Though the time frames are different, neither team has won a playoff series since its Stanley Cup Final appearance. A first-round matchup between the Canucks and Flames would reignite a passionate rivalry in Western Canada‚ and one team would be guaranteed to end its streak of futility.

Will It Last? 

Young players have been critical contributors in both Calgary and Vancouver this season, whether it's Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan for the Flames or Bo Horvat for the Vancouver Canucks. Both teams look like they're building solid foundations that will get them back on the winning track in seasons to come.

2. Rick Nash Returns to Elite Scoring Status

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What We've Seen

After underachieving during his first two seasons as a New York Ranger, power forward Rick Nash has regained his scoring touch this season.

The Rangers are perched at the top of the Eastern Conference standing, and Nash is ranked second in the NHL behind Alex Ovechkin, with 39 goals. 

Why It Resonates with Fans

There's nothing better than a redemption story, especially in the form of a player like Nash, who arrived on Broadway with expectations heaped upon his shoulders.

Even as New York reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2014, Rangers fans had plenty of breath left to criticize Nash, who contributed just three goals and 10 points in 25 playoff games.

This season, it's different. Nash leads the Rangers in scoring, and his eight game-winning goals are tied for second in the league—again, behind Ovechkin. 

Will It Last? 

When Nash was looking to be traded out of Columbus, he was often referred to as the "two-time 40-goal scorer Rick Nash," as onlookers wondered whether he'd ever reach those heights again.

With 39 goals in the bank and 16 games left to play in the 2014-15 schedule, Nash looks like he's ready to eclipse those 41 goals he scored in his second NHL season. A fairy-tale ending to the feel-good season would be a year-end push all the way to 50.

1. Tavares, Stamkos, Letang Bounce Back to Elite Status

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What We've Seen

Last season, injuries and illness cut short the seasons of three of the most dynamic young stars in the Eastern Conference. Two-time Maurice Richard Trophy winner Steven Stamkos missed nearly four months of action with a broken leg, defenseman Kris Letang was sidelined for three months by a stroke, and New York Islanders captain John Tavares was knocked out of the last two months of the season after suffering a serious knee injury at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Why It Resonates with Fans

Any time a player deals with a serious health issue, questions arise about whether or not he'll be able to return to play at his previous level—or even how his long-term quality of life will be affected.

All young, strong and outstanding physical specimens, Stamkos, Tavares and Letang have rebounded with superb seasons in 2014-15.

• With a month left in the season, Tavares is the current NHL scoring leader with 72 points and has hit a new career high with 33 goals.
• Stamkos' personal numbers have taken a small dip, but he remains third in the league with 36 goals, while his deep and balanced Tampa Bay Lightning have become one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.
• There was some concern after his stroke that Kris Letang might never play again, but he has come back this season to hit a new career high of 51 points and rank seventh in the NHL in ice time at 25:48 per game.

Will It Last? 

Tavares, Stamkos and Letang are all in the conversation for individual postseason awards. Each will be out to cap off his bounce-back season with a strong performance in the playoffs.

All stats courtesy of NHL.com.