The past year hosted an Olympic Games and World Cup, but in Canada it was all about one player.
No more Sid the Kid.
After an amazing 2010, during which he delighted an entire nation with his hockey majesty, Sidney Crosby is definitely Sid the Man.
Crosby started the year as the captain of the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins and while his club was unable to defend its title it didn't stop him from elevating his status as the best hockey player in the world. With all due respect to Alexander Ovechkin, whom many considered to be neck-and-neck with Crosby in the debate over who is No. 1, the kid (oops) from Cole Harbour, NS, proved beyond a shadow of a doubt he has what it takes to come through at crunch time.
It is this ability that separates him from his nearest rivals. It was never more evident than in overtime of the gold medal game in men's Olympic hockey when Crosby took a pass from teammate Jarome Iginla and in one quick motion brought an entire nation to its collective feet.
Ovechkin, meanwhile, had a miserable year. Russia was also expected to do well iat the Olympics, but once again disappointed, failing to win a medal. Shortly thereafter, his Washington Capitals were bounced from the playoffs in the opening round by the upstart Montreal Canadiens and the Cup favourites were gone.
Crosby carried over his early 2010 success into the new season; putting more distance between himself and Ovechkin. In fact, some have proposed Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos has replaced Ovechkin as Crosby's nearest rival in the race for the best player in the world.
Truthfully, it is a one horse race.
Crosby and Stamkos were in a tight race for the Art Ross Trophy until Sid pulled away courtesy of a 25-game point scoring streak. Crosby managed 26 goals and 24 assists during the streak.
What's next for Crosby? Can't wait to see.
DONALD FEHR
After years of upheaval, the NHL Players' Association signed a heavy hitter in Donald Fehr to lead it back to respectability.
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Poll
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Under Fehr, do you think the NHL & NHLPA can avoid another stoppage in 2012?
Fehr, 62, was the executive director for Major League Baseball Players' Association from 1986-2009 and has a reputation as a fair, but no-nonsense labour boss who will lead the NHLPA in the next collective bargaining agreement talks.
The current CBA expires Sept. 15, 2012.
Although it would seem unlikely that hockey could withstand another lockout, that's what people thought prior to the lockout of 2004-05. It is worth noting Fehr led major league baseball players through the 1994-95 strike and cancellation of the World Series. He stands up for what he believes in and players follow his lead.
As it stands, the CBA that was established to control the wild spending habits of seemingly uncontrollable general managers is not working. The salary cap has gone up each year (meaning revenues have also gone up) which leads to the spending floor also rising. Small market teams are now forced to spend more than they did prior to the CBA. Also, some teams (Rangers with Wade Redden and Edmonton with Sheldon Souray) have been forced to send bona fide NHL players to the minors because of cap concerns which means lesser qualified players have taken their place in the NHL. How can that be a good thing for the league?
Since the NHL lockout season and dismissal of executive director Bob Goodenow, the NHLPA has gone through two replacements in his position: Ted Saskin and Paul Kelly. Neither established himself as a worthy leader of the union or worthwhile opponent for NHL commissioner Gary Bettman for the next CBA battle.
Fehr is a very worthy opponent.
LOU LAMORIELLO
Take everything you know about Lou Lamoriello, his history of team building and the New Jersey Devils rich history of winning and throw it out the window. Those days are over.
It all started with the Devils swapping players, prospects and draft picks last season to acquire gifted winger Ilya Kovalchuk from the Atlanta Thrashers for what they hoped would be a long and fruitful playoff run. Kovalchuk is a supremely talented individual, to be sure, but nothing about him or his game suggested he'd be a fit in New Jersey.
It has been a disaster.
The Devils were knocked out in the opening round of the playoffs. To make matters worse, the Devils signed the unrestricted free agent to an unprecedented 17-year contract that was summarily rejected by the NHL as circumventing the spirit of the CBA. The Devils were fined $3 million and will have to relinquish two high draft picks in the next four years. They ultimately settled on a 15-year contract for $100 million and Kovalchuk continues to be a bust.
And that's not all.
The Devils hired, then fired, longtime Devil John MacLean as its coach and have re-hired Jacques Lemaire to replace him. The once mighty Devils, known for their trustworthy defensive play, are the NHL's worst team. They are small, can't score and face the reality of not making the playoffs for the first time since 1995-96.
It is not known for sure if Lamoriello was behind the acquisition and re-signing of Kovalchuk or if it was a directive from ownership. Most people believe Lamoriello would never put one player ahead of the group. Regardless, his name is attached to the deals. How will he dig his organization out of this mess?
BRIAN BURKE
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| Burke made the move for a new captain in 2010. |
It has been a horrible year for the high-profile president and general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Personally, Burke's 21-year-old son, Brandon, died in a car accident in early February.
Professionally, Burke's team continues to underachieve -- despite his greatest efforts.
Burke arrived in November 2008 with an opportunity for a slow, but steady rebuild. Die-hard Leaf fans were sick and tired of decades of false promises and losing and were certainly primed to wait for this club build through the draft, the way successful organizations have done recently.
But Burke was impatient or too egotistical to take the slow road to paradise. Instead, he dealt away two first-round draft picks and a second-rounder to acquire young sniper Phil Kessel from the Boston Bruins. It was an awful trade that set the organization back years.
Burke's expensive free agent signings on defence, Mike Komisarek and Francois Beauchemin, have failed to pay dividends and his other big move, the acquisition of young defender Dion Phaneuf, whom he named team captain prior to this season, has been met with mixed results. Did we mention he traded for an old, expensive and broken down goaltender, too?
All in all, the Maple Leafs are no closer to capturing their first Stanley Cup since 1967 and it could be argued, they are father away than ever.
PATRICK KANE
The budding Chicago Blackhawks superstar was the butt of many a joke after he was arrested following an early morning squabble with a Buffalo taxi driver, but it was Kane who got the last laugh when he scored the overtime goal that gave his team its first Stanley Cup since 1960-61.
The Calder Trophy winner from 2007-08 was able to put the experience behind him and was a driving force behind Team USA's advancement to the gold medal game of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver where he scored three goals and five points (he was plus-4) in six games.
Kane led the Blackhawks in scoring during the regular season and then finished in NHL playoff scoring with 10 goals and 28 points in 22 games. It was a season of highlights (after Taxi-gate, of course), but none was bigger than his sharp-angle goal June 9 that gave his Hawks the Cup.
The funny thing is Kane may have been the only one to see the puck go in at the time. He was celebrating while his teammates stared at him in confusion or disbelief. That said, every Chicago Blackhawks fan who has suffered, and not always in silence, for years will never forget the night that Kane was able to end the drought.
