All World Hockey by T. Michael Travers

  Often, when you find a brother combination in pro hockey, one is really good and the other one tries hard. An exception was the outstanding Hull brothers ... Bobby and Dennis. They came from a family of eleven, from Pointe Anne, Ontario. Just FYI ... I've lived in Ontario all my life but have no idea where Pointe Anne is. Bobby became the Golden Jet and sadly passed away in 2023. His resume is remarkable and you can view the tribute I wrote about him on my blog. Don't Lie to Me - Your Bobby Hull? His brother, Dennis, was his teammate with the Chicago Black Hawks for 8 seasons. Dennis was a beast. Bigger than his brother with an equally lethal slapshot. He'd finish his 14 NHL seasons with more than 300 goals. He enjoyed seasons of 40, 39, 30 and 29 goals. A beast. He was also a force in The Summit ... the 1972 Canada - Russia tournament. But, this isn't about Dennis the hockey player ... it's about Dennis the Entertainer. Followi

  Old Timer Hockey definition: ... hockey played by old people who've been in the game from pee wee on up and the definition also includes seasoned NHL players who couldn't get away from it and continue to lace em up. It's a very unusual dynamic. Former football players don't play Old Timer Football and former baseball players don't play Old Timer Baseball (I know, there are a few exceptions) but mostly, hockey is a game that can be enjoyed by hockey hosers into their nineties. I know, because I've played with them. According to a study at the Harvard Medical School, the camaraderie and the friendships and the locker room nonsense amongst teammates can actually be more important to one's health than the sports exercise. This is a long way around for me to introduce 4 of my teammates. Before doing so, let me say this post is different than my others in that it is a very personal tribute to four friends. So please indulge me as I honor them.  All four play

I'm not a wagon guy ... that is ... jumping on and off Leaf I successes and failures during the regular season. When they win,  a fist pump is in order ... when they lose, it's good to have a short memory.   I'm a Leaf fan through and through.  If it seems like you may have read some of the attached information before, you have. The Leaf problems, many of which are repeaters have lingered for 56 years.  As members of Leaf  Nation, we've got to protect our mental health. We've had to try to forget some of the really stupid, insulting decisions that have been made on behalf of our team. Does the selection of Ken Dryden as Leaf president in 1997 ring a bell? Ken Dryden! I know, that one doesn't even sound possible. But, I've uncovered lots of other roadblocks to the Leafs' Cup success. And, this time around, I won't demand that Brendan Shanahan pull on a Leaf jersey and get out there on the ice. This is not a short read because there's lots of stuf