Best of 2010: 50 Moments That Defined Hockey in 2010
It's hard to believe there's only one week left in 2010.
And as the year winds down over the last nine days, it's also time, as it always is at this time of the year, to reflect on the past and look ahead to the future. And when it comes to the NHL, what a year it was. There was a fantastic Olympic tournament, one of the better Stanley Cup playoffs of all-time and the influx of young talent.
There were also moments throughout the calendar year that made us stop, made us cringe, made us cry and made us wonder.
So with that in mind, here are the 50 moments that defined hockey in 2010.
Moments 50-46
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50. Linus Omark's Shootout Goal. Appealing, exciting, drove the old-school hockey world crazy. All from a spin move that Denis Savard perfected.
49. Matt Carkner's Supposed Blood Flick. Seems to sum up the last few months in Canada's Capital Region.
48. James Wisniewski's Lewd Gesture. More often than not, if it's in the NHL and involves a sex joke, Sean Avery's somehow involved.
47. Chris Botta Banned From Islanders' Press Box. One of the few journalists covering the Islanders gets banned for being honest. And I'm not talking about Howie Rose.
46. Islanders' Losing Streak. The only thing separating the 2010-11 Islanders to those awful late-'90s teams are Tommy Salo and the Gordon's Fisherman jerseys.
Moments 45-41
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45. Dion Phaneuf Traded to Toronto. The first desperate act of a desperate GM. The fact Calgary got nothing for him didn't help either.
44. The Flames' Demise. The look of utter shock and confusion on the TSN panel when news broke of Olli Jokinen returning to Calgary might be one of the images of the year.
43. Dan Ellis' Wild Ride. Between being the victim of Omark's goal and being bullied off of Twitter, it hasn't been a good couple of months.
42. Ron Maclean/Gary Bettman Interview. Maclean accomplished something no one would ever think could happen: create sympathy for Bettman.
41. American Invasion. Eleven Americans drafted in the first round of the NHL Draft, including two California kids.
Moments 40-36
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40. Rick Rypien's Fan Interaction. The closest the NHL has ever gotten to a Malice at the Palace situation. Of course, it didn't turn out to be much.
39. All-Star Game Changes. Credit to the NHL for re-making the All-Star Game. It can't be worse than North America vs. the World, can it?
38. NHL Offseason R&D Camp. The biggest thing to come out of the camp is Ken Holland's overtime plan that could do away with the shootout.
37. Winter Classic. It still hasn't lost its luster, at least not yet.
36. It's Raining Eggos. The now infamous waffle toss at the Air Canada Centre is the first real signs of frustration and protest from inside Leaf Nation.
.png?w=256 "Playoff Winners and Losers")
Moments 35-31
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35. The KHL. The Russian League is still around, but all of a sudden, it's not the huge threat to the NHL everyone thought it was.
34. Mike Richards vs P.K. Subban. Richards' words at the Canadiens' rookie started a firestorm and had the hockey establishment rallying for Subban to be brought down a peg.
33. The Russian Collapse in Vancouver. Russia was supposed to be a favorite at the Olympics. Instead, they bowed out and heads rolled as a result.
32. Chris Pronger's Puck Theft. Pronger's mental agitation just added fuel to a very entertaining final.
31. Steve Yzerman Hired in Tampa Bay. With Yzerman at the helm, there's actually a plan in place for the first time since before the Koules/Barrie era.
Moments 30-26
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30. Drew Doughty Nominated for Norris Trophy. The second-youngest player ever to be nominated for the award was the topping on a breakout season.
29. Changing of the Guards. Dallas is just one of the teams who either have or are looking for new owners. Surprisingly, Jim Balsillie is nowhere to be found.
28. The Rise of Carey Price. In May, he was the failed prospect and Public Enemy No. 1 in Montreal. In December, he's doing triple low-fives with Subban and fans are chanting his name.
27. Dany Heatley's Return to Ottawa. Fan protests aside, was a clear cut example why Heatley has been much better off without Ottawa than Ottawa has been without Heatley.
26. Proposed Comcast/NBC Merger. The rightsholders to the NHL's expiring TV deals are expected to put a lot more money into the league.
25. Granato and James Get the Call
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In the history of the Hockey Hall of Fame, there had never been any women players inducted into the Great Hall.
The key word being had.
That changed this year, when two of the most iconic players in the women's game got the Call to the Hall. Cammi Granato and Angela James were the faces of their sports in their respective countries (Granato in the U.S., James in Canada) and were the two most dominant players in their eras as well. James didn't get her Olympic moment like Granato did in Nagano, but she did pave the way for names like Campbell and Wickenheiser.
Their appearance in this picture was long overdue.
24. Americans Win World Juniors
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The World Junior Championships in Canada is a National Event. It's a chance to see the players who have stood out in Junior hockey and the ones who will be NHL Draft Picks very soon. Some of the best players in the world have suited up for Canada at the WJC.
So when Canada trotted out another dominant squad at last year's WJC, playing in Canada nonetheless, it was a given that Canada would win yet another Gold Medal. But in an epic Championship Game, the Americans won in overtime to take the Gold in enemy territory. It was a huge win for U.S. Hockey and for the team itself, which included current Duck and first-round pick Cam Fowler.
23. Colin Campbell's E-Mails
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In the grand scheme of things, Campbell's e-mails aren't a big deal. But when you're Senior Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations for the NHL and the e-mails are questioning calls against his son and calling a current player a "faker," then it's a bigger deal.
And when the story was hot, Campbell's e-mails were the NHL equivalent of the Pentagon Papers. The e-mail, questioning calls made against Gregory Campbell and calling Marc Savard a faker, gave fuel to the conspiracy theorists thinking the NHL is out to get their team. Eventually it all calmed down, but Campbell's credibility took a hit.
22. Donald Fehr Takes Over the NHLPA
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Ever since the lockout, the NHLPA's powers that be have been an absolute mess. The Players' Association has been riddled by infighting and hostile takeovers. But with Fehr officially coming on board, things are definitely different.
He brings a solid, unifying voice to the table. He won't back down from a challenge and is willing to fight for his side. He showed that with baseball. Of course, we all remember how that ended though, and the League can't take another lockout.
21. Steven Stamkos Wins the Rocket Richard
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For a long time, the outsider's view of the NHL was that it's Crosby, Ovechkin and a lot of other guys. But 2010 will forever be remembered as the year of the young star, where a bevy of young stars stepped out of the shadows and entered the sports world.
Perhaps no player did so more than Stamkos, who went from a decent rookie season to becoming one of the most dangerous offensive players in the game. He split the Richard trophy with Crosby as the League's leading goal scorer and did so without the supporting cast of Crosby. Stamkos' torrid start to this season just proved he's one of the best players in the game.
20. The Concussion Problem
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The concussion problem is not just an issue in the NFL; it also become a major problem in the NHL last year. The Marc Savard concussion brought a spotlight to the issue, but it had been talked about previously thanks to David Booth and Jonathan Toews suffering concussions.
The NHL's history of uneven discipline on hits hasn't made it any less of an issue.
19. Nordiques Nation Invades the Island
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The call to bring a team back to Canada from the Sun Belt has only grown louder in recent years, especially in Quebec, where the city is planning to build a brand new arena. So 1,100 devoted fans of the old Nordiques decided to drive down to Uniondale, Long Island.
The goal: to attend the Atlanta-New York Islanders games, two teams who have been involved in relocation talks to make their voices heard.
The ploy got media attention: The Nordiques fans had their voices heard, and the Islanders were just happy to sell 1,100 tickets.
18. Chicago's Salary Cuts
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With the Blackhawks rise to the top, came the salary problems that come with success. And since the Blackhawks were already pressed to the salary cap as is, hard decisions were upcoming after Chicago won the Stanley Cup.
Because of that, large portions of the team were traded off or released after the season, including Dustin Byfuglien and Andrew Ladd to Atlanta.
17. Paul Bissonette's Twitter
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Most people won't remember Bissonette for his work on the ice (hence this picture of him as a Penguin). But in the NHL world, he's become a star. Not as Paul Bissonette, Phoenix Coyotes enforcer.
As BizNasty 2.0, super tweeter and hater of the Plymouth Prowler.
On Twitter, Bissonette's become somewhat of a rockstar, and he's done it by being able to break through the conservativeness and low profile that's ingrained in hockey culture, especially in North America. He's never afraid to speak his mind as a result. And if nothing else, he's forced the NHL to examine a social media policy.
16. 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs
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The Stanley Cup Playoffs are always appointment television. It's hockey at its absolute finest. But this year's playoffs went far and above what we'd ever seen before. The first round was absolute chaos, while the second round was absolutely phenomenal.
All the while, the action across the board left some media members wondering if perhaps, at least in 2010, the Stanley Cup Playoffs had passed the NBA Playoffs. While the NBA is still lightyears ahead of the NHL in popularity, the League is making major strides in the U.S.
And that's always news.
15. 24/7 Penguins-Capitals
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More often than not, when HBO decides to do something, it's usually a hit. They hit with Hard Knocks and some other programs. But everyone wondered how the very conservative world of the NHL would work when HBO announced "24/7 Penguins-Capitals: Road to the Winter Classic."
We should learn never to doubt HBO.
Not only has the show become a phenomenon after one episode, but it's attracting new viewers across the board. Not to mention the sports world has found a coach on film who curses more than Rex Ryan.
14. Jaroslav Halak's Playoffs to Remember
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Halak was a backup goaltender who was platooning the starting job with Price before the 2010 Playoffs. But every year, there's one goaltender who stands on his head and carries him team to something more.
In 2010, that goalie was Halak.
Halak was a revelation in the Playoffs, carrying the Canadiens to the Conference Final for the first time since 1993 and becoming a folk hero in Montreal in the process. There were cries of outrage when he was dealt to St. Louis, but Halak has played well in St. Louis and Carey Price is finally living up to his billing in Montreal.
Of course the biggest benefit from this was Halak's name turned into a verb.
13. Auger-Gate
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If anyone had a guess as to which pest would be at the heart of a possible conspiracy involving NHL officials, Sean Avery would be the first name that comes to mind. Yet, it was Burrows who started a firestorm that started with a conversation.
Allegedly angry about embellishing a penalty, official Stephane Auger came up to Burrows before a Canucks game in January and, according to Burrows, said he would get him back. What ensued was a litany of questionable calls to Burrows including one that led to a goal that cost the Canucks the game. Burrows went to the media afterwards and started a week-long firestorm that questioned the integrity of the officials.
12. Matt Cooke's Hit On Marc Savard
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Marc Savard's career and life changed on that fateful March day when Matt Cooke caught him with the blindside hit of all blindside hits. Savard was out until the Playoffs and then missed the first two months of this season with post-concussion syndrome and depression.
Meanwhile, the hit sparked a firestorm about the safety and rules of the game and eventually led to a new rule on blindside hits to the head. That was the aftermath, something Savard's still dealing with.
11. The Shootout That Launched a Cup Run
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For most of the season, the Flyers had underachieved, and it cost former coach John Stevens his job. But the Flyers still had a chance to make the postseason on the season's final day. All they needed to do was beat the Rangers, who were tied for the last spot. The winner went on, the loser went home.
What transpired was one of the most nail-biting regular-season games I've ever witnessed. As if it was scripted out, it went down to a shootout. And needing a goal to keep the shootout going, Olli Jokinen was stopped by Brian Boucher to win the game and send Philadelphia to the Playoffs and eventually to Game 6 of the Cup Final.
10. Boston's Collapse
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That Flyers' run almost ended in the second round, as the Bruins took a 3-0 series lead and looked dominating in the process, even coming back to tie Game 4 in the waning moments. Somehow, Simon Gagne was able to redirect the puck past Tuukka Rask to win Game 4 in overtime.
What resulted next were three straight wins, including a Game 7 win in Boston to seal the series. Philadelphia was on its way to the Eastern Conference Finals; the Bruins were the third team to ever blow a 3-0 series lead in league history.
9. Coyotes in Flux
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This time last year, the Coyotes were an absolute mess. It was a franchise in flux without an owner in a building with no fans and Canadian ownership groups ready to bring the team back across the boarder. Yet despite all the chaos, the Coyotes put together the best season in franchise history, doing it with an all-world goaltender and a stout defensive system.
The run ended in the first round, but the Coyotes saved hockey in Arizona.
8. 2010 NHL Draft
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When the Oilers finished dead last in the NHL in the 2009-2010 season, there was at least one silver lining available: that the Oilers would win the Draft Lottery and the No. 1 overall pick.
They did, and what followed was two months of rabid debate amongst their fan base on whether to take Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin. In the end, the Oilers took Hall, who's already showing signs of being a star on a rapidly improving team. Meanwhile, Seguin went second...to the Bruins, who used Toronto's draft pick to take the center.
7. Brian Burke's Personal Tragedy
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2010 was perhaps the most trying year of Burke's life, and it had nothing to do with hockey. Instead, he had to deal with every parent's worst nightmare when he learned news that his son, Brendan, was tragically killed in a car accident in February.
Burke is still trying to cope with the loss of his son, as profiled in a gut-wrenching and poignant piece in next month's GQ. But through tragedy, Burke has become a champion.
Brendan was one of the first people involved in hockey to publicly announce he was gay. And since that moment, Burke had and has still stood behind his son while still grieving his loss.
6. The Loss of Pat Burns
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You'd be hard-pressed to find a guy more respected and beloved in the hockey world than Pat Burns. So when news broke of his death earlier this year due to cancer, well-wishes poured in from every corner of the hockey community.
At least until someone called to say that Burns in fact wasn't dead—It was Burns.
Unfortunately, Burns finally did lose his long battle with cancer this year. And just as before, the well-wishes poured in for the man who was a tough-as-nails coach who won everywhere he went. For years, the mainstream media has tried to get Burns into the Hall of Fame. There are few other people in the game that deserved it more than him.
5. The Summer of Ilya
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No man captured the hockey world this summer more than the star sniper, who kept teams and an entire league on end. He didn't televise his decision as a free agent, like another free agent did, but the Kovalchuk free-agency saga was almost like a soap opera until he finally decided to return to New Jersey.
That was until the NHL stepped in and said the contract broke the rules of the salary cap. What ensued was a legal mess, complete with arbitrators, fines and investigations of similar deals. Eventually, Kovalchuk returned to New Jersey, but not before a major issue in the next CBA negotiations was raised.
4. The Olympic Tournament
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The NHL in the Olympics has always been somewhat of a hit-and-miss type of deal. But the Vancover Olympics was a Golden Goose for the NHL (no pun intended) with one of the best Olympic tournaments in years.
The U.S.-Canada Gold Medal Game was an international event that was the most watched program in Canadian history, and the success of the Vancouver Olympics opened the door for NHL participation in the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
3. Ryan Miller's Rising Star
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Perhaps no individual player benefited more from the Olympics from an American perspective than Buffalo's Miller.
The Sabres' goalie had one of his better years, helping the Sabres win the Northeast Division. But that was secondary to becoming an American star who stole the spotlight at the Vancouver games, standing on his head to carry the U.S. to the Silver Medal and almost a Gold.
2. Sidney's Golden Goal
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Perhaps more than anything else, when we think about this hockey season, we'll think about the image of Sidney Crosby jumping around Rogers Arena (new GM Place and Canada Hockey Place) after scoring the gold-medal winning goal that sent a nation into frenzy.
You'd be hard-pressed to find better video from this year than the pictures from Robson Street in Vancouver and Front Street in Toronto and across Canada, where fans partied on the streets. The banner moment in a banner year for Sid the Kid.
1. Blackhawks End Cup Drought
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It was only fitting that one of the wilder years in recent memories in the NHL was accented by perhaps the strangest Cup-winning goal of all-time. Blackhawks fans won't remember the looks of bewilderment watching Patrick Kane skate around (because he was the only one at the time who knew he scored), nor will they remember the confused announcers and the less-than-emphatic calls that would've made Joe Buck proud.
Instead, they'll remember the 49 years of frustration that ended on a bad angle shot from close to the goal line and the euphoria that followed, when they slowly realized like everyone else did.
The puck's in. The Blackhawks win.
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