From the Press Box: Time to Shine

It's a great time to be a hockey fan right now. Playoffs are underway or wrapping up across the country, the excitement is palpable and minor hockey players are leaving it all on the ice for the chance for one more game.

From the Press Box: Back to Reality

We had to settle for bronze and silver this year, which hurts after Canada’s world domination on the hockey rink has pretty much become a staple of the Winter Olympics. 

From the Press Box: Peak Season

Officially, there have been 41 World Junior tournaments, plus another three if you count the 1974 to 1976 tourneys. HockeyNow has been there now for the last 19, 20 counting this year. I was a massive fan much earlier but like most of us, it wasn’t until TSN along with Hockey Canada and the IIHF took the event to another level that the tournament became a staple must-watch event for me.

From The Press Box: Season Best

Is there anything better as a kid than waking up on Christmas morning to find new hockey gear under the tree? For me and I’m sure pretty much every young hockey player out there, getting a new stick, socks, skates or pads was one of the best parts of the holiday – even if Santa had a tendency to choose things you had to grow into.

From the Press Box: Full Season

Things are ramping up, both on the ice and for us at HockeyNow. We have so many special things coming up soon and we can’t wait to share them with you. We’ve just released our lists of nominees for our third annual Fans’ Choice Awards. 

From the Press Box: A Buzz In The Air

Just like that, the puck is dropping or about to drop on regular seasons across the country. With that comes a fresh pool of talent to shake up predictions, and of course some great new content in print and online from yours truly.

From the Press Box: Gearing Up

There’s something in the air. With tryouts and preseason action underway across the country, we’re finally days away from the regular season officially beginning. 

From the Press Box: Winning Formula

If you’re a frequent reader of HockeyNow, I’m sure you’ve seen one version or another of our description of the Minor Hockey Player of the Year award, namely that it is given to players who “best exemplify sportsmanship, leadership, hockey ability and performance, and school and community participation.”

From the Press Box: At the top of their game

Back in 2015, when he was a CIH Academy minor midget/midget player and Windsor Spitfires second overall draft pick, Gabe Vilardi was named the HockeyNow Minor Hockey Player of the Year. And now, just two years later, he’s coming off an incredible Memorial Cup performance and preparing for a life changing draft day.

From the Press Box: Highlight Reel Performances

Earlier in the season, it seemed an almost sure thing that the Otters, Sea Dogs and Pats would be joining the Spitfires in Windsor to compete for the 99th edition of the MasterCard Memorial Cup

From the Press Box: Peak Time

As we all know, March is huge in hockey and once again, there have been a ton of great stories coming out of the game this month. We’ve seen champions crowned in university and female NCAA hockey, plus some stellar games and upsets in the final playoff and provincial rounds of minor and school leagues. 

From the Press Box: Just Getting Started

Once again, we went from counting down the days to the puck dropping in the fall, to wondering where the time went as the regular season winds down. 

From the Press Box: Looking Ahead

January is here again and we’re well into another great season of hockey. HockeyNow just wrapped up a busy few weeks of World Junior coverage. If you need a WJC fix between now and December, check out our website to relive it all, from exhibition to heartbreaking final.

From the Press Box: Opening Doors

Hockey as a stepping stone, eh? When I was a kid, all I wanted to do was play. It didn’t matter if it was street hockey, one-on-one in the carport or ball hockey at school, I just wanted to play.

From the Press Box: In Full Swing