The Top 10 Rookies... So Far

Who's #1 might surprise you

It's going to be a much tighter race all year long for the Calder Trophy than a lot of people I think expected... at least so far that's exactly the way it's shaping up. Here's the rundown from the good folks at Hockey Futures.

The new rules have enabled talented rookies to make an impact at every position, making the 2006 Calder Trophy race one of the most intriguing aspects of the season. Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin have both lived up to the preseason hype that surrounded them and should be the frontrunners the entire year. However, several other youngsters are making the most of playing time with NHL clubs and have made surprising contributions.

Find out who their Top 10 picks were >>> here.

I picked Ovechkin to win it a few weeks back and I'm stickin with that choice. That boy flat out has... "skills" ...special otherworldly kind of hockey skills if you ask me BUT Sid is obviously proving to be no slouch either and I think this race is going to be a exciting and close one till the very end. Just another one of the many hockey blessings for us to savor during this season of the pro game's rebirth.

The league of course has their own idea about who's been the #1 rookie so far.

Longboard Hockey



Basically it's underground Hockey games played on skateboards. The concept and sub-culture surrounding it seems to have originated in Vancouver.

Bricin Lyons grabs his board, passes the can and then smashes into another player. He's in a secret, underground location, where he and his team are practicing for the world's only longboarding hockey league.

Longboarding, if you didn't know, is like skateboarding, except the board is, well, longer. Hockey played while riding longboards is a fast, tough game.

Well, it's definitely a post-modern mutation of our grand sport... that's for sure ...BUT it's a mutation that if you ask me I'd say is a pretty freakin coool one. oddmanrush supports it's inclusion in the next summer X games competition.

Hockey Tech

Real-time digital puck info delivered to your... wrist watch ? Yep, really, no kidding, it's coming soon for all the hockey geeks out there that need to be always connected to their sport.

...Chris Lodwig... a program manager for the SPOT team. I have been tasked with working on the hockey channel. I'm really happy to say things are going well and it looks like we will be releasing hockey during the 2005-2006 season. We are finishing up the development effort and will begin testing the channel soon.

If your curious here's a thread with more about it.

Finally, I'd like to close todays post with a reading from the Hanson Bros. infrequently asked questions page.

Do you see yourself as role models?
Louie - Pensacola, FL

We do our best to put a smile on every face we meet, but if they don't smile, we nail 'em with the foil!

Yes indeed, words to live by.