I'll be honest in saying that there aren't a lot of books that I've read where the complete history of a team is both described and brought to life through pictures. For some teams, their histories would occupy volumes of books as there would be all sorts of key moments in those franchises' histories. For others, the stories would be shorter, but there still would be big moments. For a franchise like the Pittsburgh Penguins, they have reached the highest of highs and the lowest of lows in their history, and one man has been following this team since 1983. In knowing this, Teebz's Book Club is proud to review The Pittsburgh Penguins: An Illustrated Timeline written by Dave Molinari and published by Reedy Press. Molinari's new book pulls the key moments from the Penguins' history by describing those moments and illustrating them with pictures from a number of sources to compile what might be the best historical look at the Penguins franchise since its start in 1967.
From his biography on the Reed Press site, "Dave Molinari has covered the Pittsburgh Penguins for more than four decades, primarily for The Pittsburgh Press from 1983 through 1992 and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from 1993 until mid-2019. He is a native of Western Pennsylvania and was the 2009 recipient of the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award, which is tantamount to induction into the writers' wing of the Hockey Hall of Fame. He is the only Pittsburgh-based writer to be so honored." Molinari is a Penn State graduate, and wrote for the DK Pittsburgh Sports site before moving to be the Penguins beat writer for Pittsburgh Hockey Now. Dave and his wife, Debbie, have three children - Kelsey, Jeremy, and Jessica - and live in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania. He can be followed on Twitter through @MolinariPGH.
Being that the Penguins got started in 1967 and Dave Molinari started covering them in 1983, there are definitely a number of moments early in the franchise's existence where Molinari wasn't present. What makes The Pittsburgh Penguins: An Illustrated Timeline so good is that Molinari went back and used newspaper and photo archives to bring forth those key moments in the team's history. Among some of the key early moments in team history are the Pittsburgh Penguins' first game, the team's first win, and the first hat trick in franchise history.
Where The Pittsburgh Penguins: An Illustrated Timeline really shines in this writer's opinon is the titled illustrated timeline in that the pictures in this book are worth the price alone. Molinari chose photos that some may have seen, but many photos are ones that fans living outside the greater Pittsburgh area have not seen. Being a lifelong Penguins fan, I thought I would recognize a number of the images in The Pittsburgh Penguins: An Illustrated Timeline, but reading the book quickly became an effort to get to the next page to see what Molinari wrote and the images that illustrated his chosen moments.
Make no mistake that Dave Molinari's writing in The Pittsburgh Penguins: An Illustrated Timeline is still among the best sportswriting in North America, and some of the chosen quotations from Penguins players that Molinari uses in his descriptions of key moments are priceless. One such quotation came from Kevin Stevens who had thoughts about Darius Kasparaitis's Game Seven overtime goal against the Buffalo Sabres on May 10, 2001. Molinari writes,
"'I haven't seen [Kasparaitis] score a goal in practice, never mind in a game,' left winger Kevin Stevens said. 'If I had to pick one guy, he'd be the least [likely] to score.' Fair, on all counts, but none of that mattered when Kasparaitis joined a rush and took a pass from Robert Lang before throwing a shot past the glove of Sabres goalie Dominik Hasek to end the series. 'We're here and we're celebrating, so it means somebody scored,' Kasparaitis said. 'Guys started hugging me, so it means I did it.'"
For the record, that was the only goal that Kasparaitis scored in that postseason run by the Penguins, and it was just the fourth goal he scored in 94 games that season. Clearly, Kevin Stevens knew what he was talking about when it came to Kasparaitis's scoring talents!
Jokes aside, there are incredible write-ups for each of the 159 moments that Dave Molinari aside, and a lot of them contain history, quotations, and statistics that may not be known to even the most die-hard Penguins fans. The pictures do a great job in bringing Molinari's descriptions to life, and the number of exceptional photos of players like Andy Bathgate, Syl Apps, Jean Pronovost, Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Sidney Crosby, and Evgeni Malkin makes me realize how blessed the Penguins have been when it comes to having exceptional talent wear the skating penguin on their chests.
Overall, The Pittsburgh Penguins: An Illustrated Timeline is a very easy read thanks to Dave Molinari's writing style. There's nothing overly wordy in his descriptions, and the short write-ups allow one to flip pages quickly while absorbing all of the information and visual morsels that the book has to offer on its 162 pages. Because of Molinari's easy-to-read descriptions, the vivid imagery used throughout the book, and the number of historical moments chosen by Molinari that brought the Pittsburgh Penguins to where they are today, it's an easy decision to bestow The Pittsburgh Penguins: An Illustrated Timeline with the Teebz's Book Club Seal of Approval!
The Pittsburgh Penguins: An Illustrated Timeline was released on August 15, 2025, so you can find it on bookstore shelves and, possibly, library shelves right now. While it might seem premature to mention this on Halloween, this book would be a perfect Christmas gift for your hockey fan and is a must-read for any Penguins fan! The material contained within the covers is easy-to-read and highly knowledgeable, and the one-page historical moments make it easy to work one's way through the book. As such, The Pittsburgh Penguins: An Illustrated Timeline by Dave Molinari is recommended for all hockey fans, and I highly recommend adding it to your bookshelf!
The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is getting ready for a big Halloween night with candy, World Series baseball, and some spooky music. Tonight, however, none of that applies as our hosts get to chat with a man who has earned awards of distinction in his field while getting to cover some of the biggest moments in a franchise's history. It isn't often we get to meet and chat with a man who has served his community and local NHL franchise for as long and as brilliantly as our guest has, but we'll meet him tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!
Tonight, Teebz and Jason are proud, honoured, privileged, humbled, and pleased to welcome 2009 Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award-winning journalist Dave Molinari to the show! Dave has done an incredible job covering the Pittsburgh Penguins with daily articles in the The Pittsburgh Press from 1983 through 1992 and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from 1993 until mid-2019, and we'll chat with him about his new book, The Pittsburgh Penguins: An Illustrated Timeline published by Reedy Press. Among the topics tonight will be how Pittsburgh got an NHL team with a big assist to an NFL owner, bankrupties and the threat of the Penguins moving, the 1984 NHL Entry Draft and whether the Penguins tanked for Lemieux, the veteran superstars that former GM Craig Patrick was able to acquire, the first Winter Classic, the Crosby-era Penguins, and more! We are excited to chat with Dave as we get all the insider info from the man who followed the team for nearly 40 years tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!
If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The UMFM website's streaming player works well if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store. It's a solid app.
If you have questions, you can email all show queries and comments to hockeyshow@umfm.com! Tweet me anytime with questions you may have by hitting me up at @TeebzHBIC on Twitter! I'm here to listen to you, so make your voice heard! And because both Teebz and Jason are on the butterfly app where things are less noisy, you can find Teebz here and Jason here on Bluesky!
Tonight, Teebz and Jason chat with journalist Dave Molinari about his new book, The Pittsburgh Penguins: An Illustrated Timeline, 1967 expansion, relocation threats, superstar players, working the beat, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!
Admittedly, I am not Australian nor would I ever pass for one. And while no one would mistake me for an Australian, I feel like I would fit in quite nicely at an AIHL game. Being that I'm already a Melbourne Mustangs fan, I'm probably not welcome in most arenas across the Australian continent, but I'm a loyal fan. The only problem is that the AIHL is on hiatus until next spring, so it's time to dive back into the other league in Australia! The AWIHL hits the ice next week, and the Australian women's league should be a lot of fun this season with a new team and new talent across the league!
The Melbourne Ice will travel to Adelaide to meet the Rush to open the season at 4:15pm AT (Australian Time) to kick things off on November 8, but all six teams will play on that day including the newest squad in the league, the Melbourne Ducks! The Ducks are going to be interesting to watch as they have sisters who play together on the team, a former Notre Dame Hounds netminder on the roster, a 41 year-old right-winger, and a number of young players who have risen through the ranks in Melbourne's hockey programs.
Here's the first team photo of the Melbourne Ducks from their website as they get set to play their first season in the AWIHL!
There is a player whose progress will be followed closely this season. That's Jordan Kulbida of the Adelaide Rush, and, if her name sounds familiar, it's because she's a former Regina Cougars forward! The 26 year-old Saskatoon native finished second in league scoring last season with 20 goals and 30 points in 16 games, and she's looking for another big season as she tries to guide the Rush to an AWIHL title!
She'll be joined by Nesbitt, Manitoba's Rylee Martin who played four seasons at Midland University in the ACHA where the former Westman Wildcats forward improved her scoring total in each of the four years. The 22 year-old averaged nine goals and ten assists per season over her final three seasons with Midland University, and those were huge improvements from her time at the AAA level in the MFHL where had 13 points in three seasons. Can she score in Australia? We'll find out!
The Perth Inferno re-signed Katherine Bailey for this season. Bailey played three seasons at the University of Guelph where the 29 year-old defender had 32 points in 66 games. Kimberly, BC's Aspen Cooper moves to Perth after spending last season alongside former Minot State teammate Jordan Kulbida. Cooper had six goals and 13 assists in 16 games last season, so she and Bailey could be a good one-two punch from the Inferno blue line if they can bring the scoring.
Kamloops, BC's Jaymie MacKenzie also re-signed with Perth for her third season where the 25 year-old forward recorded 16 points in 32 games with the Inferno. And the second Kamloops native, 27 year-old Lilly McLellan, is back for her fourth season with the Inferno where the 27 year-old defender has totalled two goals and five points in 34 games. Neither Mackenzie nor McLellan played university hockey, but they seem to be solid additions to the Perth Inferno roster!
32 year-old Sarah Edney will suit up for the Sydney Sirens this season for her fourth campaign in Australia. The Mississauga native has been dominant since arriving after her time with the NWHL's Buffalo Beauts, scoring 48 goals and 49 points in 36 games including 20 goals and 28 points last season. She'll be joined by Edmonton's Kelsie Lang who returns for her second season with the Sirens after six goals and 20 points last season. The 31 year-old, former University of Calgary Dinos defender turned in some excellent two-way play last season.
As mentioned above, the Ducks have 41 year-old Lucy Paddington on their roster who last played in the AWIHL with the Melbourne Ice back in 2015-16 when she had four goals and 14 points. The sister act includes 31 year-old defender Georgia Carson and 27 year-old netminder Jenelle Carson. Georgia also last played for the Ice in 2018-19 where she had a goal and threee assists while Jenelle was with the Ice in 2023-24 where she went 3-1-0 in four games with a 3.50 GAA and a .903 save percentage. The Ducks boast no Canadians on their roster, but the newest team in the AWIHL looks like fun!
The only team without a roster to be found thus far is the Brisbane Lightning. I imagine this will change over the next week, but we'll see what the league comes up with for opening day on November 8.
The schedule for the AWIHL can be found here, and my hope is that someone is streaming these games. I stayed up and watched a number of AIHL games last season and it was awesome, so I'm hoping the Australian women get the same exposure. With Hockey Australia improving on the world's stage, having more players interested in the domestic league will help the growth of that program.
I'll be watching the Canadians listed above this season, and we'll see if the Melbourne Ice can pull off the three-peat. American sniper Elizabeth Scala is back with the Perth Inferno to try and win her third scoring title to make it four consecutive scoring titles for a Perth Inferno player, and Perth's Sasha King is looking for her third-straight season with nine wins between the pipes. It should be a fun AWIHL season in 2025-26, and it starts next Saturday on November 8!
It isn't often that a player with NHL experience finds himself accepting a contract offer from an ECHL team, but we've seen a few players turn what some believe to be a "last-ditch effort" to make their way back to the NHL into a long-term residence with their new team. Goaltender Zane McIntyre is in that situation now as he signed a standard player's contract today with the Tahoe Knight Monsters after Jordan Papirny was recalled by the AHL's Henderson Silver Knights. McIntyre's return to North America after a year in Germany might have led some teams to look past his name when looking for goaltending help, but McIntyre has never been afraid to work hard to earn his spot on the roster. The Knight Monsters will offer that.
Zane McIntyre hasn't spent a lot of time on NHL ice surfaces, and his eight-game totals of a 3.97 GAA and an .858 save percentage aren't entirely accurate of the type of goalie McIntyre is. He was excellent in the NCAA with North Dakota where he played 92 games, posting a 2.10 GAA and a .926 save percentage are slightly elevated when looking at his body of work, but it's clear that he can stop pucks.
His AHL numbers are what should be considered, and we can point to his 153-97-45 record as the first reason he might be a good signing for Tahoe. He has only posted a losing record in one of his nine seasons in the AHL, and that was in 2022-23 with the Iowa Wild. Statistically, that has been his worst season in the AHL across the board, so his consistency between the pipes when it comes to winning should be what's highlighted here. He wins hockey games at the AHL level.
His 2.61 GAA and .908 save percentage at the AHL should have had a few teams calling his agent about a potential AHL job, but that didn't happen. McIntyre went 15-12-0 with the Straubing Tigers in the DEL last season, and his 2.67 GAA wasn't far off his AHL numbers. However, his .889 save percentage was down from what he posted in the AHL, and it was the third-straight season where he didn't crack the .900 level for save percentage. That could be due to how the Iowa Wild play, but his work in the DEL turned in the same results.
So what can be taken away from this analysis?
Well, the 33 year-old is likely looking for place where he can take one more run at an AHL job, and getting started in the Vegas Golden Knights' system isn't a bad idea. Adin Hill is currently out week-to-week in Vegas, and Carl Lindbom is backing up Akira Schmid. The radioactive Carter Hart has yet to see a puck this season, so he's not anywhere close to being NHL-ready, and both Cameron Whitehead and Jesper Vikman are playing in Henderson. With Jordan Papirny being recalled by Henderson today, that left goaltender Zach Borgiel with the Knight Monsters as their lone netminder, and he has yet to log a second in the crease at any level of hockey professionally.
In short, Tahoe needed a netminder that had some experience, and Zane McIntyre certainly has that covered. We'll see how McIntyre fares in the ECHL behind the Knight Monsters' defence, but Tahoe is hoping he can catch fire quickly to help the Knight Monsters climb the standings in the ECHL's Mountain Division. I'm guessing his first test will be tomorrow against the division-leading Idaho Steelheads, so McIntyre will get thrown into the fire almost immediately.
There's no telling how long Zane McIntyre will be around the Tahoe Knight Monsters moving forward, but his two-game ECHL totals will have more games added to it after he signed in Nevada today. He is 0-1-0 in those two games with the Atlanta Gladiators dating back to the 2016-17 season, so we'll see if the Grand Forks native can come up big and turn into the McIntyre Monster for the Knight Monsters!
This isn't going to be a profoundly-deep update for anyone who may be wanting them, but I've been doing a few updates on the ol' blog for things that needed some attention. Despite this blog getting close to the 6650-article mark, today will have no talk about the future of this site or what I may be planning to do. To be completely honest, I really haven't given it much thought, but I was clicking through a few of the menu options and I noticed that there were things that needed updating. That's the purpose of this article, so let's get updating!
At the menu bar across the top, there's a radio section where I have sections for each of the NHL, AHL, and ECHL in terms of radio stations that carry each of those teams' games from those respective leagues. I hadn't gone through those pages in a while, but I click on both the NHL and ECHL pages and noticed there were two teams missing from the league lists for radio stations. Updates were made.
The Utah Mammoths were missing from the NHL list of radio stations, and I still had the Arizona Coyotes on the list. Obviously, that can't stand on HBIC if I have any self-respect, so Arizona was removed and Utah was added. Here are those details for your listening pleasure.
If you've not seen those pages for radio station I made, I do have three options for radio stations as there are times where some stations won't carry games, other times where internet streams are wonky, and occasions where some sites that host the streams are offline. So while it appears that KZNS 1280AM is listed three times, it's actually three different sites that carry the stream.
Of course, that led me to the ECHL page where there was a brand-new expansion team that took the ice this season in the Greensboro Gargoyles, and they too have official radio partners for their games. I'll be honest in that I have yet to listen to a Gargoyles game, but here are your radio options if you want to listen to Gargoyles hockey!
Before anyone jumps all over me for the banner colours, can I just say how much I dislike black in the banner colours? I know Utah has it above, but that literally is one of three colours they have in their official branding. Greensboro, meanwhile, had a few different colours outside of black, so the purple "Greensboro Grape" and darker-yellow "Greensboro Gold" were the two colours I chose.
Moving off the radio streams, Teebz's Library found under the menu options at the top will also undergo a number of additions as I have cracked the spines on a pile of books this month. Some of them were required reading as we have guests who want to talk about new books coming up on The Hockey Show, but others are ones I've been wanting to read for a while. Keep your eyes on Teebz's Library and this blog for more book reviews on great hockey books!
Speaking of those books, the drop-down list on the right menu is now gone for hockey books. Everything will be contained within Teebz's Library, and I went over the entire list I had there to ensure that I hadn't missed any books. I may start looking at the NHLPA Charities I have listed over there as I have no idea if any of those have shut down their operations, but that might be something for a future update article. I should also review the Hockey Blogs section too!
I may start adding a few new sounds to the Soundboard under the menu at the top because we use those sounds on The Hockey Show, but the statistics on the back-end of this site say a lot of people land there. I'll admit there are some goofy and funny things on there, but I need to go through those sounds and figure out if they fit for what we use them. Either way, that's another future update as well.
We'll see what else gets updated on this blog in future weeks. I'm not saying that this blog will continue on forever, but there are things planned into November for now. If events keep sliding across my desk that look and sound intriguing, I'll likely keep writing. For now, these were things that needed to be updated, so keep an eye on this blog!
It's had to believe that some teams will have played more than one-quarter of their seasons after this week, but that's how Canada West hockey works. With the UBC Thunderbirds taking a week off to prepare for next week's games, the remaining eight teams trying to hunt down the conference leaders were in action as games were played in three of the four provinces. We even had Calgary and Alberta tangle on CBC as six of nine Canada West cities had games played in those rinks. Who won, who lost, and who had solid weekends? Let's find out on this week's edition of The Rundown!
FRIDAY: You may be wondering why I always start The Rundown with the Calgary Dinos. It's my reward for them actually making highlight reels and posting them to YouTube. If you want your team to be top billing on the The Rundown, start asking your school's athletics department to give the same the effort that the Dinos' athletics department does. I'm grateful they do this and it helps me have a little fun rather than writing boring scoring recaps, so they've earned this spot all season long. Want that to change? Make highlight reels.
The fact that they're leading the East Division and battling their longtime rivals in the Pandas this week also helps as they looked to keep the good times rolling. Alberta, meanwhile, was looking to erase a two-game losing streak and start a winning streak of their own over their interprovincial rivals as they hunt down UBC in the standings!
Dinos goals: Hannah Reagh (2), April Klarenbach (2)
Dinos assists: Evelyn Lawrence (3), Alex Spence (3), Jada Johns (3), Evelyn Lawrence (4)
Dinos netminder: Amelia Awad (23/24)
Result: 2-1 victory for Calgary over Alberta.
SATURDAY: After the Dinos pushed their home record to 3-1-0 on the season with a win over the Pandas, they took their show on the road to Edmonton for the back-half of the two-game set. The Dinos were looking for the sweep to stay ahead of the pack of teams chansing them, but the Pandas also play well at home where they are 2-0-0. After uncharacteristically dropping a third-straight game, the Pandas were looking for a big effort for their CBC debut on Saturday which can be watched here if you'd like to watch this game.
Pandas goals: Holly Magnus (1), Sara Kazeil (2), Annie King (2)
Pandas assists: Jadynn Morden (2), Ryann Perrett (2), Natalie Kieser (2)
Pandas netminder: Mackenzie Dojahn (20/20)
Result: 3-0 victory for Alberta over Calgary.
FRIDAY: We'll jump to the other rink in Calgary as the Mount Royal Cougars welcomed the Manitoba Bisons back to Calgary where they played the week before. Manitoba went 0-2 against the Dinos, so they were looking to even out that City-of-Calgary record with a solid weekend over the Cougars. Mount Royal was looking to keep pace with their crosstown rivals in the standings, so they had their sights set on a sweep at home to push their winning streak to five games!
Bisons goals: Sara Harbus (1), Norah Collins (1)
Bisons assists: Louise Fergusson (2), Aimee Patrick (2), Aimee Patrick (3), Brenna Nicol (3)
Bisons netminder: Cypress Classen (19/22)
Result: 3-2 overtime victory for Mount Royal over Manitoba.
SATURDAY: After a tightly-contested game one night earlier, both the Cougars and Bisons reconvened for the second game where both sides wanted to keep the defensive play sharp, but continue to press for goals. The Bisons needed more than a single point for this weekend's efforts if they wanted to stay in the race, but the Cougars weren't going to be interested in helping them.
Cougars goals: Kiana McNinch (1), Allee Gerrard (2), Keyana Bert (2), Julia Duke (3)
Cougars assists: Sydney Benko (2), Breanne Comte (1), Jori Hansen-Young (3), Lyvia Butz (2), Jerzey Watteyne (1)
Cougars netminder: Scout Anderson (21/21)
Result: 4-0 victory for Mount Royal over Manitoba.
FRIDAY: For the first time in a long time, the MacEwan Griffins and the Trinity Western Spartans would compete as interdivisional rivals! Trinity Western had recorded all four of their wins in extra time, but they didn't care how they won as long as they won. MacEwan entered the weekend with the same number of regulation wins as Trinity Western - zero - but they needed to find the back of the net in Langley if they hoped to change that number.
Result: 5-0 victory for Trinity Western over MacEwan.
SATURDAY: It goes without saying that no team likes to have a big number put up on them, so I expected the MacEwan Griffins to come into Saturday's game with a little fire in their skates. Of course, Trinity Western isn't going to let MacEwan fill their net without a solid effort of their own, so this game had all the makings of being a solid battle in the trenches as both teams finished off their weekend set.
Griffins goals: Claire Hobbs (1), Sydney Jack (1)
Griffins assists: Marley Howes (1), Robin Short (2)
Griffins netminder: Lindsey Johnson (36/37)
Result: 2-1 victory for MacEwan over Trinity Western.
FRIDAY: Somehow, the two games played in the easternmost cities this week were the last games to get going on both days, but the Saskatchewan Huskies headed south to Regina for a date with the Cougars on Friday. One point separated these two teams in the standings, so this series could have a big effect on how they finish in the standings at the end of the series. Of course, there's bragging rights and pride on the line whenever these two interprovincial rivals square off for a weekend series, so this series should be a beauty!
Huskies goals: Peppi Virtanen (1)
Huskies assists: Kahlen Wisener (2)
Huskies netminder: Emma Backman (17/17) in 63:12
Result: 1-0 overtime victory for Saskatchewan over Regina.
SATURDAY: The Huskies returned home having drawn first blood in the Battle of the Rectangular Province. With the overtime win, these teams were officially tied in the standings, so Saturday's game would push one of them ahead of the other. Regina wouldn't be happy going into enemy territory having been shutout on home ice, so I expected a good push from Regina in the second game. Saskatchewan, after starting the season 0-1-2 on home ice, wanted to pick up a big win at Merlis Belsher Place and wrap up a series sweep over their rivals.
Huskies goals: Bronwyn Boucher (2)
Huskies assists: Kendra Zuchotzki (2), Sara Kendall (2)
Huskies netminder: Colby Wilson (19/23)
Don't even ask about divisions. I'm not interested in that setup. It's one conference, nine teams, and we'll see who is best in the west.
CANADA WEST WOMEN'S HOCKEY
School
Record
Points
GF
GA
Streak
Next
UBC
6-0-0-0
12
18
5
W6
@ REG
Mount Royal
4-2-2-0
12
17
10
W5
BYE
Calgary
5-3-0-0
10
15
12
L1
vs MAC
Trinity Western
1-3-4-0
10
20
16
L1
@ ALB
Alberta
3-3-0-2
8
16
17
W1
vs TWU
Regina
2-1-1-2
8
12
8
W1
vs UBC
Saskatchewan
1-2-1-2
6
8
13
L1
@ MAN
Manitoba
0-3-1-2
4
9
20
L5
vs SAS
MacEwan
1-6-0-1
3
7
21
W1
@ CAL
Honour Roll
Each week on The Rundown, I highlight the best performances from the weekend's games. It won't always be the top scorer or the best goalie, but I'll have a reason for who gets picked each week. I don't usually pick two players, but his week's Honour Roll candidates are players who had yet to see the ice in games this season before jumping in and helping their teams to big wins. They didn't do it by scoring, but were unbeatable in their creases. This week's Honour Roll candidates are Saskatchewan's Emma Backman and Alberta's Mackenzie Dojahn who both pitched shutouts in their first starts!
With the Huskies having three netminders, battling for ice time will be difficult. Both Colby Wilson and Clara Juca are solid netminders, but Emma Backman played well in a lot of tough games last season for a rebuilding Saskatchewan team. Fast-forward to this season where the competition for time in the crease is tough, but Backman practices hard and shows up ready to play every day. That kind of preparation had her set for the start in Regina where she stonewalled the Cougars through 60 minutes before teammate Peppi Virtanen finally ended the game in overtime. Backman made 17 saves behind a solid Huskies defence to blank Regina on Friday through 63 minutes of play, and that's how Emma Backman adds her name to the list!
Out in Edmonton, the Pandas have the same predicament where both Grace Glover and Misty Rey have been holding the fort for now, but Mackenzie Dojahn was an impressive 4-0-0 last season with two shutouts. Clearly, Dojahn can play, but her ice time has been limited so far this season. On Saturday, Dojahn got the nod against one of the East Division's best teams and she put on a show, stopping 20 shots behind a very stingy Alberta defence. A handful of Dojahn saves were of the "how did she stop that?" variety, and her first shutout this season and third shutout in five games in her Canada West career is how Mackenzie Dojahn adds her name to the list!
Again, I normally don't pick two players for the Homour Roll, but both Emma Backman and Mackenzie Dojahn come to practice and work hard, hit the gym and put their reps in, show up in the classroom and keep their GPAs high, and they stay ready for the next time their names are called. Both of them got that opportunity this weekend, and both showed up in a big way to help their team pick up points while allowing their opposition nothing. That's how Saskatchewan's Emma Backman and Alberta's Mackenzie Dojahn make the list!
Temporary Housing
Announced on the Pandas' website earlier this week, visitors to Clare Drake Arena - "the arena where dreams go to die" - will get a one-season reprieve from that situation as the Pandas and Golden Bears announced that they'll play the 2026-27 season at the Silent Ice Center in Nisku while Clare Drake Arena undergoes maintenance. For those wondering, the Silent Ice Center sits 30 minutes south of Clare Drake Arena and the university if one follows the Calgary Trail south.
As the release states, "Silent Ice Center features two NHL-sized ice surfaces, with the primary rink holding 1,800 spectators, and includes loge seats, sky boxes, and four private suites" and it will also serve as the practice facility for both the Pandas and Golden Bears. It marks the first time in 66 years that University of Alberta hockey will play outside of Clare Drake Arena, so the new venue has big shoes to fill.
The Pandas and Golden Bears will look to make the Silent Ice Center in Nisku as unfriendly for visiting teams while the legendary Clare Drake Arena undergoes a facelift starting in the spring of 2026.
Three-Point System Needed?
We're one month into the season, and it seems pretty clear that the parity in the conference is making two-point wins almost moot. I say that because the ideal situation would be a three-point system where regulation wins earn teams three points and extra-time wins earn teams two points in the standings. You might be asking how this would make the standings look of we moved to that system, so here are those details up to this point in the season.
Tiebreakers would be broken by the number of regulation wins that a team has earned as one of the criteria rather than lumping all of the wins togather. As you can see, Alberta is rewarded for winning in regulation time as compared to Trinity Western who has more total wins, but needed four of those in extra time. Winning in 60 minutes should be worth more than winning in 65 minutes, so it might serve Canada West well to go back to this scenario. At the very least, the three-point system rewards teams who win in regulation time.
Power Outage
After this weekend's games, there isn't a single team that's above 16% on its power-play success rate. Trinity Western has been the most successful with six goals on 36 power-play opportunities, but having no teams that score at a 20% rate means that most games feature a lot of oh-fer power-play units. That's not where this conference should be when it has as many elite scorers as it boasts.
I have made the case over and over that special teams are important, but it seems that the defence is outshining the offence in this conference right now. That always seems to be the case early in the season, so it's not something to be overly-worried about at this point. We'll see if things start getting better as more video work is done as the season progresses, but some work is needed.
The one number that four teams should worry about are their single-digit power-play success rates. Regina, Manitoba, Alberta, and MacEwan all sit below 10% right now, and three of four of those teams are the lowest-scoring teams in the conference. Special teams matter when it comes to taking pressure off even-strength scoring, so I'd be planning some extra power-play time in practices this week.
Better With Four?
On the flip side, that also means that penalty killers are doing their jobs well. As it stands, all nine teams are above 85% success in killing off penalties their teams take, so this is a testament to the stingy defences seen across this conference. I'm not suggesting that teams opt to play five-on-four in the defensive zone, but the penalty-killing units on all nine teams are doing a heck of job so far!
Scary Night Of Fun
CBC Sports will feature the Halloween game between the Saskatchewan Huskies and Manitoba Bisons next week which should be good background fodder if you're handing out candy to costumed tykes that night. I'll be doing the same for the kids in HBIC HQ's neighbourhood, so I won't be in attendance that night. Perhaps I'll make the trek down to the rink on Saturday.
I'm not sure how many people or kids are planning on going to the scheduled games on Halloween night, but my hope is that all the teams have some indoor candy gathering set up for kids of all ages who attend the games. If Canada West teams want the community to support them, they need to be part of the community. Give people a smile by scanning their tickets and handing them some candy on the way in. It might pay off bigger than one expects!
The Last Word
I get that neither Canada West nor the athletics departments for the nine teams are funding any efforts for social media outside of what is required by Canada West's rules. The fact that those rules state that regular-season recaps of games aren't even required is a big reason why I feel like giving up on this entire ruse and letting the awareness for this conference die. After all, if they don't care, why should I?
I look down south and there are scoring plays on virtually all social media channels, there's chatter about the game on those social media channels, and there are highlights from each game made by those schools' athletics departments. This isn't a hard thing to do, but it requires an active social media presence. All of the Canada West teams have a presence on Instagram, but more and more are abandoning the likes of Twitter and Facebook while channels like Bluesky and YouTube aren't even being touched. Having one social media outlet is the antithesis of brand reach and brand awareness.
I know that there are at least a dozen teams at each school that want the same exposure for its athletes when it comes to what is being described, but it seems like this won't change anytime soon. So I ask you, readers, if you're coming here for Canada West women's hockey news and I am not associated with any teams or the conference, how much information are you missing? Were you aware that the Regina Cougars, for example, played their Breast Cancer Awareness Game on Friday? Did you even know the Cougars had a game like that?
I try to bring all the news and information across about what's happening in Canada West women's hockey, but I'm an outsider. I apologize if I miss something, but things get missed when teams only post on one social media channel. Maybe that works if you only follow Canada West teams on Instagram, but I suspect that most people follow other accounts as well. As such, the brand reach and brand awareness of most teams is pretty small across western Canada.
As Oscar Wilde said, "There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." Indeed.
Everything was looking good for the Montreal Canadiens as they started the season. They had their star players under contract and willing to put in the effort to win games, they had a revamped blueline with all sorts of talents on it, and their goaltending was solid while being underrated. Head coach Martin St. Louis even smiled a few times during the preseason, but, all jokes aside, it seemed like the Canadiens had all their weapons armed and ready to go as they hunted down a playoff spot this season. Everything seemed to be going well, that is, until their high-priced sniper found himself suffering with pain back on October 17, prompting the Canadiens to put him on the shelf with a "day-to-day" ailment.
The news comes today as Laine will now be "sidelined for 12-16 weeks after appearing in just five games, earning only one point, registering only six shots on net, and accumulating a minus-three rating". All summer, Laine was in Montreal working on his game, spending time in the gym, and skating multiple times per week. This injury now comes one month after Martin St. Louis said of his sniper, "With the amount of work he's put in this summer, we might see the best version of Patty Laine" which clearly was premature.
At some point, you have to think that Patrik Laine catches a break. Every time it seems like he's closer to being 100% healthy and focused on hockey, he ends up with an injury that keeps him out for an extended period of time. Lots of players have had their careers affected by injuries, of course, but for a goal scorer of Laine's pedigree, this isn't going to help him, the Canadiens, or his negotiations with any other team if he hits free agency this summer.
At 27 years old, Laine could have a lot of hockey left in his somewhat-fragile body if he can figure out how to remain healthy. There's no guarantee that those future seasons will be in the Montreal bleu-blanc-et-rouge, but it will likely be in the NHL at a reduced salary compared to the $9.1 million he's earning this season. That being said, if he can find a situation where he can remain healthy, he could end up being a very cost-conscious goal scorer for a team.
For now, there are 12-16 weeks of time for Laine to get as healthy as he can so he can come back and be a player for the Canadiens. Adding a player of Laine's potential is like making a trade deadline acquisition in February, so he has the opportunity to be a big addition to the lineup when he returns if he can hit his stride. He had 20 goals in 52 games last season, and the Canadiens will want that kind of production offensively and a much more focused Laine on the defensive side of the puck when he's cleared to play games again.
Of course, Roman philosopher Seneca is quoted as saying, "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity", and being physically prepared for playing in the NHL would certainly help Laine find a little luck. He'll certainly get opportunities to show he's an elite player, but the recent battles with injuries require some extra attention paid to the preparation part. Luck will follow.
It's here, however, where I'll post the words of Douglas MacArthur: "The best luck of all is the luck you make for yourself."
If hockey was played at any level tonight, I wasn't watching. A bad case of Blue Jays Fever has set in at HBIC Headquarters, and their battle against the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight was the only game I was watching. Call me out for my lack of hockey passion on this one, but Canada's only Major League Baseball team being in the World Series on Canadian soil playing against a team that has been portrayed as "invincible" in the postseason is must-watch television for me. Combine that with the fact that the Jays rocked the Dodgers with a nine-run, twelve-batter inning led by Addison Barger's pinch-hit grand slam above, and it's not hard to understand why a lot of Canadians were checking phones or ignoring hockey altogether on this Friday night. I was one of them.
Normally, I couldn't care less about the World Series as stats have shown that, from 2003-23, "[t]he average World Series winner throughout this time period spent 29% more than average on payroll and earned 22% more than average in revenue." It's hard to outspend teams like the Yankees, Dodgers, and Red Sox, though, so most MLB teams start behind the eight ball every season. As that Reddit post shows, only the 2003 Florida Marlins were the biggest financial underdogs to win the World Series from the time period evaluated. And that World Series win happened more than two decades ago.
Repeat winners in MLB don't happen often for a variety of reasons, but building a winner happens less now than constructing a winner.
As you can see, the only team who didn't make the playoffs from the top-five teams in salaries this season were the New York Mets, and they missed a playoff spot after losing Game 162. In short, they were one game away from making the MLB playoffs along with the other four teams, including the Blue Jays, this season. The teams that construct their rosters by spending big dollars seem to always have a shot at the postseason as the trends prove year after year.
As a guy who lives in what would be considered a miniscule market for Major League Baseball, this is one of those moments where I appreciate that the NHL imposes a hard salary cap on all teams, especially those who play in massive markets like New York, Toronto, and Los Angeles. I know agents dislike it and players would prefer it to be gone to maximize their earning potentials, but it has allowed teams like the Winnipeg Jets to build a competitive team without worrying about being outspent. Parity makes the game better.
Some of you might be saying, "Parity is artifical and doesn't make the game better, Teebz," and I see your point. However, human failings in recognizing talent, awarding bad contracts to non-impact players, and trading players who have yet to hit their full potential aren't problems with the cap system that the NHL has. That existed before there was a cap, and it will continue as long as the NHL operates.
I being up the salary cap, though, because both of these teams have strong hockey ties as the Los Angeles Dodgers are owned by Mark Walter who also owns and operates the PWHL where there is a hard salary cap for teams. The Toronto Blue Jays, of course, are owned by Rogers Communications who also own the largest stake in the Toronto Maple Leafs who operate under a hard salary cap. Both ownership groups are fully aware of how a cap system works in sports.
As Jeff Passan wrote on September 18, 2025 on ESPN, "MLB wants a salary cap, and between now and Dec. 1, 2026, when the current collective bargaining agreement expires, those two words - which owners regard as a necessity and the MLBPA as a profanity - could presage the fate of the 2027 season."
Something about Passan's words have a familiar feel to them.
Passan continued, writing, "MLB's argument for a cap starts with shrinking the economic disparity to foster fairness regardless of market size and revenue. Payroll correlates more strongly with winning in baseball than in any of the capped sports, and this reality alarms league officials."
Look, the NHL can be the example where no one is asking for fairness on the ice, but they are asking for some sensibility when it comes to contracts and free agent talent. We've seen star players in the NHL leave money on the table for a chance to win a championship while other players have cashed out maximum contracts when offered. What's key in all of this is that teams in smaller markets have a shot at retaining talent and adding new talent alongside those teams who play under unlimited revenue streams thanks to their markets.
Passan also nails the fan experience in the salary cap era, stating, "fans don't follow their teams for profit-and-loss statements, and the belief among those in favor of a cap is that lessening financial disparity will improve competitive balance. Certain data points support this idea. Teams with top-10 payrolls reach and win the World Series significantly more often than lesser spenders. Smaller markets - which, in almost every case, likewise carry smaller payrolls - are practically nonexistent at the end of October."
In terms of the MLBPA's stance, Passan also points out that the best team in baseball this season, the Milwaukee Brewers, carried "the 21st-highest payroll in the game". He adds the "Tampa Bay Rays made the World Series in 2020 with the 28th-ranked payroll, and the Cleveland Guardians reached the American League Championship Series last year with the 23rd" and that 16 MLB teams have won the World Series in the last 25 years - more than the "NHL (14), NFL (13) and NBA (12)". Essentially, The MLBPA will tell you that parity exists.
So who do we believe? The NHL has battled through the growing pains of the salary cap to find itself in a fairly good place, but agents and players will tell you that their salaries are still being artificially capped. The owners, meanwhile, will tell you that the league is stronger with less owners claiming bankruptcy and falling into financial danger thanks to the system being used. Fans will tell you that the hockey is great and that games are competitive.
So who should fans believe as we near a potential CBA war? Well, it seems the cap benefits the owners the most when it comes to asset growth. Passan spoke to "one longtime labor lawyer" who told him, "That if the costs are fixed, the franchise values will go up."
Before we light torches and grab pitchforks, though, all of this is simply academic right now. The CBA will expire in 2026, and that's when the positioning will begin on both sides. It seems inevitable, but it sounds like there is a labour war coming in baseball just as it did in hockey, and we might see an entire season lost on the diamonds before play resumes just as it did in hockey. That won't help anyone in or around baseball, but hockey has been more stable as the salary cap era's wrinkles have been smoothed.
With the Blue Jays winning 11-4 tonight, they're now three ways from a third World Series championship, but it's still a long road to walk. The Dodgers won't roll over after one loss just as the Jays didn't after losing the first two games in the ALCS to Seattle. The good news is that there will be a World Series trophy awarded to one of these two teams this season unlike the last time a dominant Canadian team went into the MLB playoffs in 1994 when labour unrest under forced the World Series to be cancelled. RIP Montreal Expos.
For the next week, I'm going to enjoy this run by the Blue Jays as much as possible. Yes, there will be a war over a baseball salary cap on the horizon, but the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers should provide a solid finish to the 2025 baseball season. If baseball is going to nuke a future season to try and bring some sort of parity among all teams in all markets, both MLB and the MLBPA should be talking to their hockey counterparts about what's good, what's bad, and what still needs to be fixed in hockey's labour situation.
The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back on the UMFM frequency tonight with a lot of stuff to go over from the hockey world. It's pretty remarkable that there's always something going on in hockey around the globe that is significantly news-worthy, but that's how the sport goes. Whether it be Canada, the US, overseas, the NHL, the AHL, or anywhere else, there are stories - both good and not-so-good - that should be brought forth for greater discussion. We have a pile of those stories tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!
Tonight, Teebz and Jason will take a look at a new jersey that was unveiled this week by the Colorado Avalanche while asking a question that might make people uncomfortable. Beyond that, they'll examine the new jerseys for both PWHL Vancouver and Seattle, the Vancouver Canucks do something awesome, a Canadian Olympic hopeful was suspended in the NCAA, there was a big moment in Greensboro, our favorite ECHL team is on a roll, the Saskatchewan Huskies were adding notes to history books, we have a Hall-of-Fame guest joining us next week, and a Hall-of-Fame player finally got onto the ice this past week. In short, it was a busy week in the hockey world, so we'll break down all those stories and teasers tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!
If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The UMFM website's streaming player works well if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store. It's a solid app.
If you have questions, you can email all show queries and comments to hockeyshow@umfm.com! Tweet me anytime with questions you may have by hitting me up at @TeebzHBIC on Twitter! I'm here to listen to you, so make your voice heard! And because both Teebz and Jason are on the butterfly app where things are less noisy, you can find Teebz here and Jason here on Bluesky!
Tonight, Teebz and Jason chat about new jerseys, bad ideas, great efforts, unexpected fighting, big goals, good starts, busy goalies, big guests, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!
Choosing a team name for an expansion franchise usually happens before jerseys are debuted in order to have the franchise's new logo based on the name affixed to said jerseys. As we know, the PWHL didn't do that with their first six franchises, waiting over a year to actually attach names to those teams. The six names chosen still seem rather ridiculous, but the PWHL made it through Year Two as the Minnesota Frost celebrated their second Walter Cup victory over the Ottawa Charge. Knowing two expansion franchises were joining the league this season, it was expected that PWHL would have all the details finalized for these two new teams before unveiling their jerseys.
Except that didn't happen on Tuesday.
The PWHL went ahead and created jerseys in the same style as the other teams wore in Year One for both Seattle and Vancouver, and it appears that they'll play as "PWHL Seattle" and "PWHL Vancouver" this season. Giving these two teams an identity right off the bat apparently was a task too difficult to accomplish despite knowing these teams were joining the league for the 2025-26 season, and it once again pushes a beer-league look on the PWHL as opposed to being the top professional hockey league for women.
I'll address that further below, but here's a side-by-side of PWHL Seattle star Hilary Knight showing off that team's new jerseys.
Why, though, does this team wear off-white? It's not like there is a deep history of women's hockey upon which the team is drawing with these jerseys. It just makes it looks like the team doesn't know how to do its laundry. Trying to create nostalgia artificially is never a good idea, so why can't the Seattle team just wear white? This is a trend that needs to end sooner than later, and it would serve Seattle well to move off their off-white cream colour to normal white.
Knowing that they won't make that change, these Seattle jerseys work fairly well and will set them apart from the other seven teams.
The other team joining the women's circuit this season is PWHL Vancouver, and they brought out their new look yesterday as well.
Initially, these jerseys gave an immediate Winnipeg Blue Bombers vibe from the CFL, but this blue-and-gold combination isn't commonly seen in hockey. There's nothing overly notable about these jerseys, but they work on the idea of being simple - clean striping, good contrasts, and a good colour scheme. In short, those are the required ingredients for a solid jersey. Vancouver should look good this season.
Again, the jerseys aren't the problem here with both Seattle and Vancouver. The PWHL knew these teams were going to be playing this season before even announcing the two new franchises, and they're now going to start the 2025-26 season without identities. It's not like this had to be difficult considering the other six team names and how regrettable those are. There are literally dozens of trendy words that could have been chosen and used for these two teams' identities.
We've seen the ECHL expand year after yar with multiple teams joining at times, and all of those teams began play with team names and identities. If the ECHL can do it as a developmental league for the NHL, the top professional women's league should be able to do it as well. We saw them play an entire season before the original six teams got team names, and now we'll see the new expansion teams play a full season without getting team names. At what point does this league and its eight teams start acting professionally?
Over and over again on this blog, I have written about how important brands are to sports franchises, and the PWHL seems hellbent on going against those ideas. Yes, fans can say, "I'm a PWHL Vancouver fan", but it carries a lot more weight when one says, "I'm a Seattle Tsunamis fan!" That branding and team identity changes the entire statement. I want to cheer for the team, not the corporate identity.
I'll still cheer for the players as they're the reason to watch the PWHL, but the people that are running this league cannot be removed from the decision-making processes fast enough. They deserve credit for getting the league off the ground, but everything that has followed has been beer-league level management. Frankly, the players and the fans supporting this league deserve better.
I'll be honest when I say that watching a city's professional hockey team abandon its market for whatever reasons is hard. I went through it first-hand when the Winnipeg Jets left for the warmer climates of Arizona, and fans in other cities have had that same feeling of loss when their teams left with little they could do to prevent it. Whether it be Atlanta twice, Hartford, Kansas City, Quebec City, Minneapolis/St. Paul, or Phoenix, hockey fans in those cities have experienced that same heartbreak and helplessness. For some, NHL hockey did return in some form, but there's always that feeling that the new team simply can't recreate. Today, however, it seems like the NHL just wants to pour salt on the wounds for hockey fans in two cities based on an unveiling and an announcement.
There's a certain amount of civic pride that accompanies a team when they are the sole professional franchise in town. That's not to say that the city or its citizens can't be proud of other things civically, but it's easy to link sports franchises to cities and people. If I mention I'm from Winnipeg, I usually get a comment about the Jets because people associate the Jets with Winnipeg and automatically assume I'm a fan. That assumption can be wrong sometimes, but I still know enough to be able to hold a conversation about the Jets.
That brings me to today's unveiling done by the Colorado Avalanche.
The Avalanche have decided to go full 1995 on the league by bringing back nearly-perfect Quebec Nordiques jerseys that they'll wear this season. I say "nearly-perfect" because they still have that sponsor logo on the front which is certainly from this millennium, but the rest of the jersey doesn't have a speck of burgundy or silver on it as the Avalanche will skate as their former namesake seven times.
I am fully aware that the Avalanche moved from Quebec City to Denver in the summer of 1995, but trotting out the Nordiques logo and wearing it like it has history in Denver just feels wrong. The Nordiques only played one game against any Denver-based professional hockey team in its history, and that was the WHA's short-lived Denver Spurs franchise. Just for kicks, the Nordiques won that game by a 5-3 score, and Rejean Houle scored two third-period goals for the Nordiques to lead them to victory. After the Spurs left Denver, the Nordiques didn't play in Denver until they became the Avalanche.
Are the above jerseys gorgeous? Absolutely, and it's one of the reasons why there a groundswell to see the NHL return to Quebec City. As far-fetched as it may seem, they have an NHL-sized rink, the fans there are rabid (especially when Montreal visits), and the uniforms worn by the Nordiques are unquestionably one of the best of all-time. However, the Nordiques belong in Quebec, not in Denver, and I seriously wonder if the NHL or the Colorado Avalanche understand just how much this stings for Quebec Nordiques fans.
I spoke about the meaning of the Nordiques jersey to the Quebecois back in 2020, so let's bring out why this jersey is more than just some polyester sweater. I wrote,
"The history of the Quebec flag shows us that these symbols have a deep meaning to the people of Quebec. The fleur-de-lis symbol originated in Quebec with their ties to France as the European French used the symbol to denote the French monarchy in 12th-century France under Louis VI. It would be under Henry II that Quebec was first settled with a permanent trading post being established in 1608 under Henry IV. From that point on, New France, as Quebec City was originally called, flew the French flag with the fleur-de-lis to show their country's affiliation and dedication to the ruling French monarch in this new land."
I should point out that Denver has zero history or ties to the fleur-de-lis symbolism, so wearing it as a symbol on the Avalanche jersey is misappropriation at the highest level. However, there's more than just the fleur-de-lis symbols that need to be considered. I also wrote,
That flag, seen to the right, is the basis for the entire Nordiques jersey, and it stands to represent the entire province of Quebec. There are no other colours on the jersey outside of the logo except the bleu-et-blanc, and the Nordiques wore it in the WHA and NHL proudly. What isn't obvious, though, is that it also represented any and all Quebecois who believed in a more nationalist, pro-sovereignty identity compared to the Montreal Canadiens who were seen as federalist and established while having an air of arrogance thanks to all the success they had experienced. In more hockey and family terms, the Nordiques were the always-overlooked little brother in the Battle of Quebec, and they wanted nothing more than to make the Canadiens bleed if they were to lose.
Before we get too deep here, I need to highlight the definition of misappropriation. According to Oxford Review, "[c]ultural misappropriation refers to the inappropriate or harmful use of elements from one culture by members of another, often more dominant culture. This typically occurs without understanding, respect, or permission, resulting in exploitation or reinforcing stereotypes. It differs from cultural appreciation, which involves respectful engagement with and learning about a culture."
I know a lot of you reading this are probably thinking that I am overanalyzing this to a an extreme point of view, but ask yourself this: how angry do you think Winnipeg Jets fans would have been had the Phoenix Coyotes introduced a Winnipeg Jets alternate or specialty jersey? Like Quebec City, the Jets were an important part of establishing Winnipeg's presence internationally thanks to the likes of Hull, Hedberg, and Nilsson in the WHA and guys like Hawerchuk and Selanne in the 1980s and 1990s. Jets fans still want the Jets to ditch the RCAF jerseys and go back to the heritage jerseys because of what that logo and jersey meant to them. You can tell Jets fans to get over it, but it's not that easy because it meant so much to people.
However, does the Jets jersey have the same cultural depth of the Nordiques jersey? No, not even close as I outlined above because the Nordiques jersey represented the Quebecois peoples' history, heritage, and culture. While both evoke civic pride, one carries a much deeper meaning which cannot be forgotten in this discussion.
I would imagine it's similar for Hartford Whalers fans when they see the Carolina Hurricanes taking the ice in the classic green uniforms once worn by Howe, Hull, Keon, and Francis. The wound is re-opened, the salt is poured in, and the NHL and the Hurricanes laugh as they make bundles of merchandise money. What might be the biggest slap in the face to Nordiques, Whalers, and WHA fans, though, is the schedule to the left that was posted to social media by the Hurricanes showing that they'll wear the Whalers uniforms three times this season, and two of those three games will see the Avalanche play as the Nordiques. For a league that won't recognize the WHA in any way and for two franchises who have zero attachment to the jerseys they're wearing, this might be one of the most classless decisions ever made with respect to cities and fans who still haven't let go of their favorite NHL teams nor forgiven the NHL for moving them.
There are reasons why the Arizona Coyotes never wore a Jets jersey. There are reasons why the Winnipeg Jets have never worn a Thrashers jersey. There are reasons why the Mammoths will never pull the Kachina jerseys out. We're not going to see the New York Rangers sport Golden Blades jerseys, the Ottawa Senators won't wear Civics jerseys, and the Chicago Blackhawks aren't breaking out Cougars jerseys. The New Jersey Devils wore Kansas City Scouts colours on their Reverse Retro jerseys, but never wore their logo.
The three examples of NHL teams not wearing WHA jerseys from the same city are examples where the WHA jerseys certainly don't fit the theme of those teams, but the first three examples still spark an emotional response from fans whose anger and unhappiness over losing their teams is still relatively fresh. Nordiques and Whalers fans still exist and they're still in that key demographic that the NHL seeks, but the Avalanche and Hurricanes make it seem like the teams in those cities never existed by wearing their logos and jerseys.
The Quebecois people are fiercely proud of their heritage and culture, and that's what is baked into that Nordiques jersey. It's not just some meaningless logo and colour scheme. It's a uniform representing the Quebecois heritage, culture, and people. Misappropriating that to sell a pile of merchandise is grotesque and classless, but when has that stopped the NHL from making a buck?
Stomping all over history is one thing, but not understanding the meaning of a team's iconography and jersey is a new low for the NHL. Am I surprised? Not one bit because the NHL puts commerce ahead of everything else. Not even obvious misappropriation can change that.
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