No one ever wants to admit the end is coming, much less is here. Especially when there are signs that it’s still a bit of a ways off, if one knows where to look. There will come a day when the Pittsburgh Penguins will recede into the background, which they haven’t really done since the beginning of the century. The only question is when will the Penguins themselves face that reality? Cold November rain and all that . . .
As the NHL grapples with Salt Lake City’s agitation to crash the party through an expansion team, there are certainly many issues to consider. That is to say that there are discussions between fans and observers online and at the bar. The league itself will still only concern itself with the $1 billion or so it’ll collect in a fee that it doesn’t have to share with the players.
I know, the words “take seriously” and “Vancouver Canucks” having a get together in the same sentence is awkward for everyone. At least everyone outside of Vancouver, as there perhaps is no team that takes itself more seriously than the Canucks, which is what underlies their never decreasing sense of injustice and bias. This is a team and fan base that is sure everyone is out to get them, so much to the point that they have a statue outside their arena immortalizing someone bitching about the refs.
The 2024 NHL All-Star game is this weekend. Every year, there is seemingly a new memorable moment for fans and players to look back on. Last year it was headlined by performances from stars like Connor McDavid, Matthew Tkachuk, and Elias Petterson. Let’s take a look at some of the best moments from NHL All-Star games in years past.