-The year started with tragedy as Sidney Crosby suffered a concussion on the first day of 2011 in the Winter Classic. Crosby would miss eleven months, return for eight games, then find himself shelved again with concussion symptoms. Unfortunately for Crosby and the NHL, concussions highlighted hockey in 2011. To name a few, Chris Pronger, Jeff Skinner, Shea Weber, Mike Richards, Kris Letang, Claude Giroux, Milan Michalek, Marc Staal, Nino Niederreiter, Ryan Miller, and James Reimer all joined Crosby on the IR with concussions. Scary stuff that the NHL must take steps in addressing in 2011.
-2011 also got off to a flying start at the international level with the Russian junior team coming from a seemingly insurmountable deficit to upend the favored Canadian squad days after the calendar turned. Down 3-0 heading into the third, the Russians exploded for five goals in the final frame to stun the Canadians. Lead by Yevgeni Kuznetsov and Vladimir Tarasenko, who are both likely NHL bound in the near future, the happy-go-lucky Russians made their mark, winning their first gold at the WJHC since 2003.
-The Stanley Cup playoffs were a spectacle as usual. 465-year-old Dwayne Roloson carried the Lightning to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Bruins rallied from 2-0 series deficits against Montreal and Vancouver en route to their first Stanley Cup in four decades. It took seven games, but the Canucks finally beat the Blackhawks in the playoffs. Oh, and the playoffs produced this Bobby Ryan goal:
-The Stanley Cup Finals produced the best and the worst in two different cities. The Bruins employed a team concept and won their first Cup since 1972. The Vancouver Canucks failed to claim their first championship, and fans responded by burning down the city, causing millions of dollars of damage and tarnishing the reputation of a well-respected city (Dave Bolland may disagree). But hey, it did give birth to this wonderful photograph, courtesy of Rich Lam:
-The summer came and went and saw all sorts of news. Taking the forefront was the NHL's return to Winnipeg after the Atlanta Spirit sold, and sold out, the Atlanta Thrashers. Jets season tickets sold out in minutes and Thrashers fans were left to grieve. It was a hyperbolic moment for two NHL cities; Winnipeg got the Jets back after a 15 year hiatus and Atlanta was left wondering, again, if NHL hockey would ever return to the deep south.
-The summer was also riddled by tragedy and controversy. The NHL fell under scrutiny and fighting in hockey was called into question when enforcers Derek Boogaard, Rick Rypien, and Wade Belak were all found dead, their deaths linked to problems stemming from living rough-and-tumble lives as NHL enforcers. As if the hockey world wasn't already in mourning, Lokomotiv of the KHL saw their team jet crash and burn, killing 43 people including former NHLers Pavol Demitra, Ruslan Salei, Josef Vasicek, and Brad McCrimmon to name a few. It was a difficult summer for hockey fans, capping a 2011 that was filled with hockey tragedy that went far beyond the rink.
-The beginning of the 2011-2012 season has been a magnificent one. The Minnesota Wild, St. Louis Blues, Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Winnipeg Jets are all relevant again. HBO's 24/7 is again a smash hit, chronicling the Flyers and Rangers en route to the Winter Classic. The NHL signed a $2 billion TV contract. Things are looking up for hockey without a doubt, and hopefully it can carry it's positive gains in 2011 over to 2012.
GOH
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