It's time to gut the NHL's Department of Player Safety and Start Over

I'm going to keep this one short and sweet but my blood is boiling. Tom Wilson, noted goon and a guy who continues to cross the line without proper repercussion, pulls a Todd-Bertuzzi like temper-tantrum last night and attacks two defenseless players, first pummeling Pavel Buchnevich in the back of the head while he was down on the ice and then followed that up by pulling Artemi Panarin's hair, sweeping his legs out from under him and slamming his head (without a helmet) into the ice. This is not the 1970s, this behaviour has absolutely no place in the game of hockey I don't care what team you cheer for.

And yet, a $5000 fine is all he got. 

FIVE THOUSAND DOLLAR FINE???

For a repeat offender, a guy who was suspended 7 games for this garbage head shot on Brandon Carlo exactly two months ago today

What the hell are we doing here? Why does the Department of Player Safety even exist if it doesn't care about the safety of their players first and foremost? George Parros and his entire crew should be absolutely ashamed and embarrassed for what they have done to the sport of hockey and this is the last straw. The NHL needs to clean house, fire the entire department top to bottom, and start fresh with second-party impartial observers who don't care about the "integrity of the game" and simply care about the safety of their players. While we're at it, replace all these NHL refs who care more about puffing their egos and game management then they do about calling the game as it should be.

This is not beer league hockey, this is the best league on the planet. Tom Wilson deserves to be suspended for the rest of the regular season + playoffs, a stern message that might finally get him to clean his act up, and yet he walks away with a measly $5000 fine (a guy who makes $5.16 million a season!). This is not hockey folks, and if you aren't as outraged as I am then you aren't paying attention.

I ask the NHL this final question, why have a rulebook to begin with if you aren't going to call the game as it should be and protect your players as they deserve to be protected???

Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff

Forman Faceoff 2021 NHL Trade Deadline Tracker

 

2021 Trade Deadline Tally:

# of Trades....................................17
# of Players Traded.......................26
# of Draft Picks Traded.................19

A look at all the trades in the NHL from January 1st, 2021 through the Trade Deadline on April 12th, 2020:

Trade Rating Breakdown:
Blockbuster Trade = *****
Impact Trade = ****
Depth Trade = ***
Veteran Trade = **
Minor deal = *

Notes:

-Dallas Stars claim D Sami Vatanen off waivers

-Ottawa Senators claim D Victor Mete off waivers

-Los Angeles Kings sign F Alex Iafallo to a 4-year, $16 million extension ($4 million cap hit)

-Philadelphia Flyers sign F Scott Laughton to a 5-year, $15 million extension ($3 million cap hit)

-There was just 17 trades today with 26 players being dealt, the lowest number of players traded since the 2000 trade deadline (23 players)

40. Washington Capitals Acquire: F Anthony Mantha

      Detroit Red Wings Acquire: F Jakub Vrana, F Richard Panik, 2021 1st-Round Pick, 2022 2nd-Round Pick
Analysis: Just after the 3pm deadline we have the biggest trade of the day! The Capitals receive the 26-year old sniper Mantha in return for forwards Jakub Vrana (25) and Richard Panik (30), a 1st round pick in this year's draft and a 2nd round pick in 2022 
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: *****

39. Vancouver Canucks Acquire: D Madison Bowey, 2021 5th-Round Pick

      Chicago BlackhawksAcquire: 2021 4th-Round Pick
Analysis: The Canucks add a depth defenseman in the 25-year old Bowey in exchange for a 5th round pick in 
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: ***

38. Winnipeg Jets Acquire: D Jordie Benn

      Philadelphia Flyers Acquire: 2021 6th-Round Pick
Analysis: The Jets add a veteraen defenseman 33-year old Benn in exchange for a 6th round pick in this year's draft
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: **

37. Anaheim Ducks Acquire: D Haydn Fleury

      Carolina Hurricanes Acquire: D Jani Hakanpaa, 6th-Round Pick
Analysis: The Ducks add a promising young defenseman in the 24-year old Fleury in exchange for veteran defenseman Jani Hakanpaa (29) and a 6th round pick in 
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: ***

36. Washington Capitals Acquire: F Michael Raffl

      Philadelphia Flyers Acquire: F Alexander Barbanov
Analysis: The Capitals add a depth forward in the 32-year old veteran Raffl in exchange for a 5th round pick in 
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: ***

35. Toronto Maple Leafs Acquire: F Antti Suomela

      San Jose Sharks Acquire: F Alexander Barbanov
Analysis: The Leafs and Sharks swap depth forwards with the 27-year old Suomela going to Toronto and the 26-year old Barbanov going to San Jose
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: ***

34. Nashville Predators Acquire: D Erik Gudbranson

      Anaheim Ducks Acquire: D Brandon Fortunato, 2023 7th-Round Pick
Analysis: The Predators add a veteran defenseman in the 29-year old Gudbranson in exchange for the 24-year old prospect Fortunato and a 7th round pick in 2023
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: **

33. Toronto Maple Leafs Acquire: D Ben Hutton

      Anaheim Ducks Acquire: 2022 5th-Round Pick
Analysis: The Leafs add a depth defenseman in the 27-year old Hutton in exchange for a 5th round pick in 2022
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: ***

32. Montreal Canadiens Acquire: D Erik Gustafsson

      Philadelphia Flyers Acquire: 2022 7th-Round Pick
Analysis: The Canadiens add a depth defenseman in the 29-year old Gustafsson in exchange for a 7th round pick in 2022 (the Flyers also retain 50% of his salary)
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: ***

31. Florida Panthers Acquire: F Sam Bennett

      Calgary Flames Acquire: F Emil Heineman, 2022 2nd-Round Pick
Analysis: The Panthers add a solid playoff performer in the 24-year old Bennett in exchange for the 19-year old prospect Heineman and a 2nd round pick in 2022 
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: ****

30. Colorado Avalanche Acquire: F Carl Soderberg

      Chicago Blackhawks Acquire: F Ryder Rolston, F Josh Dickinson
Analysis: The Avs continue the re-acquisition party bringing back 35-year old Carl Soderberg in return for prospects Ryder Rolston (19) and Josh Dickinson (23)
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: ***

29. Vegas Golden Knights Acquire: F Mattias Janmark, 

      Chicago Blackhawks Acquire: 2021 2nd-Round Pick, 2022 3rd-Round Pick

      San Jose Sharks Acquire: 2022 5th-Round Pick
Analysis: The Golden Knights add a solid two-way player in the 28-year old Janmark and a 5th round pick in 2022 in exchange for a 2nd round pick in this year's draft and a 3rd round pick in 2022. The 5th round pick is then sent to San Jose who is paying part of Janmark's salary
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: ***

28. Tampa Bay Lightning Acquire: D Fredrik Claesson

      San Jose Sharks Acquire: G Magnus Chrona
Analysis: Minor-league deal
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: **

27. Edmonton Oilers Acquire: D Dmitry Kulikov

      New Jersey Devils Acquire: 2021 4th-Round Pick (conditional)
Analysis: The Oilers add a depth defenseman in the 30-year old veteran Kulikov for a conditional 4th round pick in this year's draft, which becomes a 3rd in the Oilers win 1 playoff round
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: ***

26. Chicago Blackhawks Acquire: F Adam Gaudette 

      Vancouver Canucks Acquire: F Matthew Highmore
Analysis: The Canucks and Blackhawks swap young forwards with the 24-year old Gaudette going to Chicago and the 25-year old Highmore going to Vancouver
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: ***

25. Boston Bruins Acquire: F Taylor Hall, F Curtis Lazar

      Buffalo Sabres Acquire: F Anders Bjork, 2021 2nd-Round Pick
Analysis: This is a fantastic deal for the Bruins on the eve of the NHL trade deadline, as they receive the former MVP Hall (29) and a depth forward in Lazar (26) in exchange for Bjork (24) and a 2nd round pick in this year's draft. This seems like a big buy-low scenario with the Bruins really not giving up much at all in getting one of the deadline's most coveted players

Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: ****

24. Pittsburgh Penguins Acquire: F Jeff Carter

      Los Angeles Kings Acquire: 2022 3rd-Round Pick (conditional), 2023 4th-Round Pick (conditional)
Analysis: End of an era as the Kings send the 2-time Stanley Cup Champion and long-time forward Carter (36) to the Penguins in exchange for two conditional draft picks
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: ****

23. New York Islanders Acquire: D Braydon Coburn

      Ottawa Senators Acquire: 2022 7th-Round Pick
Analysis: The Islanders add a veteran defenseman in the 36-year old Coburn in exchange for a 7th round pick in 2022
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: **

22. Boston Bruins Acquire: D Mike Reilly

      Ottawa Senators Acquire: 2022 3rd-Round Pick
Analysis: The Bruins add a depth defenseman in the 27-year old Reilly in exchange for a 3rd round pick in 2022
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: ***

21. Toronto Maple Leafs Acquire: G David Rittich

      Calgary Flames Acquire: 2022 3rd-Round Pick

Analysis: The Leafs add a nice depth goalie piece in the 28-year old Rittich in exchange for a 3rd round pick in 2022. With Frederik Andersen on LTIR, Rittich will be an important player down the stretch for the Leafs
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: ***

20. Toronto Maple Leafs Acquire: F Nick Foligno, F Stefan Noesen

      Columbus Blue Jackets Acquire: 2021 1st-Round Pick, 2022 4th-Round Pick

      San Jose Sharks Acquire: 2021 4th-Round Pick
Analysis: The Blue Jackets trade their longtime Captain Nick Foligno (33) to the Leafs in exchange for a 1st round pick in this year's draft and a 4th round pick next year. The Leafs also acquired the 28-year old Noesen in the deal for a 4th round pick in this year's draft
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: ****

19. Montreal Canadiens: D Jon Merrill

      Detroit Red Wings Acquire: F Hayden Verbeek, 2021 5th-Round Pick
Analysis: The Canadiens add a depth defenseman in the 29-ear old Merrill in exchange for prospect Hayden Verbeek (23) and a 5th round pick in this year's draft
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: ***

18. New Jersey Devils Acquire: D Jonas Siegenthaler

      Washington Capitals Acquire: 2021 3rd-Round Pick
Analysis: The Devils acquire the 23-year old defenseman in return for a 3rd round pick in this year's draft
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: ***

17. Tampa Bay Lightning Acquire: D David Savard

      Columbus Blue Jackets Acquire: 2021 1st-Round Pick, 2022 3rd-Round Pick

      Detroit Red Wings Acquire: 2021 4th-Round Pick
Analysis: The Lightning acquire a solid depth defenseman in the 30-year old Savard in exchange for a package of draft picks going to the Blue Jackets/Red Wings
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: ****

16. Florida Panthers Acquire: D Brandon Montour

      Buffalo Sabres Acquire: 2021 3rd-Round Pick
Analysis: The Panthers add a nice depth defenseman in the 27-year old Montour in exchange for a 3rd round pick in this year's draft
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: ***

15. Colorado Avalanche Acquire: G Devan Dubnyk

      San Jose Sharks Acquire: D Greg Pateryn, 2021 5th-Round Pick
Analysis: With Pavel Francouz likely out for the season, Joe Sakic adds a nice veteran backup in the 34-year old Dubnyk in exchange for Pateryn (who they acquired earlier this season) and a 5th round pick in this year's draft
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: ***

14. Colorado Avalanche Acquire: D Patrik Nemeth

      Detroit Red Wings Acquire: 2022 4th-Round Pick
Analysis: The Avs re-acquire the 29-year old defenseman Nemeth after letting him go to free agency in 2019. Nemeth will be a nice depth defenseman for the Avs heading into the playoffs
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: ***

13. Toronto Maple Leafs Acquire: F Riley Nash

      Columbus Blue Jackets Acquire: 2022 7th-Round Pick (conditional)
Analysis: The Leafs add a nice defensive specialist in the 31-year old Nash, who's out 4-6 weeks with a sprained knee and will return for the playoffs. If Nash plays in 25% of the Leafs playoff games, the 7th round pick becomes a 6th
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: ***

12. Chicago Blackhawks Acquire: F Brett Connolly, F Henrik Borgstrom, D Riley Stillman, 2021 7th-Round Pick

      Florida Panthers Acquire: F Lucas Wallmark, D Lucas Carlsson
Analysis: I really like this trade for Stan Bowman and the Hawks, adding a nice veteran piece in the 28-year old Connolly and 2 promising young players Borgstrom (23) and Stillman (23) in exchange for Wallmark (25) and Carlsson (23)
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: ***

11. New York Islanders Acquire: F Kyle Palmieri, F Travis Zajac

      New Jersey Devils Acquire: F AJ Greer, F Mason Jobst, 2021 1st-Round Pick, 2022 4th-Round Pick
Analysis: Lou Lamiorello acquires two of his old running mates from New Jersey in Travis Zajac and Kyle Palmieri in exchange for a 1st round pick, 4th round pick, and two minor-leaguers in Greer and Jobst. This is a really nice depth acquisition for the Islanders after losing their Captain Anders Lee for the season
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: ****

10. Chicago Blackhawks Acquire: F Vinnie Hinostroza

      Florida Panthers Acquire: F Brad Morrison
Analysis: The Blackhawks re-acquire the 27-year old Hinostroza after trading him to Arizona in 2018, and in return the Panthers receive the 24-year old Morrison
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: **

9. Los Angeles Kings Acquire: D Christian Wolanin

    Ottawa Senators Acquire: F Michael Amadio
Analysis: An exchange of depth pieces with the Kings receiving the 26-year old defenseman Wolanin in return for the 24-year old forward Amadio
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: ***

8. Los Angeles Kings Acquire: F Brendan Lemieux

    New York Rangers Acquire: 2021 4th-Round Pick
Analysis: The Kings add the 25-year old Lemieux, one of the most hated players in the NHL, in exchange for a 4th round pick in this year's draft
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: ***

7. Montreal Canadiens Acquire: F Eric Staal

    Buffalo Sabres Acquire: 2021 3rd-Round Pick, 2021 5th-Round Pick
Analysis: The Canadiens add a great veteran center in Eric Staal as they push for the last playoff spot in the Canadian division. With a lack of depth at center, Staal should be a big boost for the Canadiens and has the experience with a Stanley Cup ring
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: ****

6. Anaheim Ducks Acquire: F Alexaner Volkov

    Tampa Bay Lightning Acquire: F Antoine Morand, 2023 7th-Round Pick
Analysis: Minor-league deal
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: **

5. Columbus Blue Jackets Acquire: D Mikko Lehtonen 

    Toronto Maple Leafs Acquire: G Veini Vehvilainen
Analysis: The Leafs add some insurance in net with the 24-year old Vehvilainen and send the offensively-gifted defenseman Lehtonen (who seemed to be the odd man out in Toronto) in return to Columbus. 
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: ***

4. Toronto Maple Leafs Acquire: F Alex Galchenyuk 

    Carolina Hurricanes Acquire: F Egor Korshkov, D David Warsofsky
Analysis: The Hurricanes immediately flipped Galchenyuk to the Leafs in return for two minor-leaguers in Korshkov/Warsofsky. This marks Galchenyuk's 7th team since 2018 (Montreal, Arizona, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Ottawa, Carolina, Toronto).  
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: ***

3. Carolina Hurricanes Acquire: F Cedric Paquette, F Alex Galchenyuk

    Ottawa Senators Acquire: F Ryan Dzingel
Analysis: The Senators re-acquire Dzingel after shipping him out at the trade deadline two years prior and send two depth players in Paquette and Galchenyuk to the Hurricanes in return
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: ***

2. Winnipeg Jets Acquire: F Pierre-Luc Dubois

    Columbus Blue Jackets: F Patrik Laine, F Jack Roslovic, 2022 3rd-Round Pick

Analysis: Despite happening a few months before the trade deadline this is likely the biggest trade of the 2021 NHL season, with Dubois heading to Winnipeg in return Laine and Roslovic. After years of rumours the Jets finally trade the former 2nd overall pick in Laine and a pretty good young player in Roslovic to acquire a strong two-way center in Dubois. This is one of those trades where it may take a few years to see how it fully pans out
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: *****

1. Colorado Avalanche Acquire: D Greg Pateryn

    Minnesota Wild Acquire: D Ian Cole
Analysis: The Avs make room for 19-year old Bowen Byram by shipping Cole out to Minnesota and gives the Avs some cap space shedding Cole's $4.25 million cap it. Cole will be a depth player for the Wild and Pateryn bound for the AHL
Forman Faceoff Trade Rating: **

30 Day Yoga Challenge - Thoughts and Observations

I just completed a 30-Day Yoga Challenge for the month of March and felt like sharing my thoughts on how this practice has helped me immensely and why I think anyone dealing with concussion/post-concussion issues should be taking up yoga.

Practice Name: Yoga with Adriene

Website: https://yogawithadriene.com/

Challenge: Breath - A 30 Day Yoga Challenge

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpWa4LtKe4c&list=PLui6Eyny-UzzJ4NSTesh4xRWg4ZWNz5s4&ab_channel=YogaWithAdriene

Notes:

-This was the second time I had tried yoga in my life, the first was back in 2019 when I was recovering from my 4th concussion. I actually took a yoga class specific for people recovering from concussions but unfortunately at the time my symptoms were too difficult for me to give it 100% and even though I learned a lot from the practice, it was hard to sink my teeth into

-Doing yoga in the comfort of your own home and your own speed/pace is fantastic and makes it easy to get into a routine

-The easiest part was committing to doing the 30 days from the beginning. There was never any wavering, doubt, or wanted to skip a day

-Setting a specific time to practice (ideally first thing in the morning) is instrumental. I found myself being more productive and also less brain fog first thing in the morning after practicing yoga

-On the productive note, the month I started this challenge I also increased my average reading capacity. As an avid reader, I normally read about 5-6 books a month, and I read 10 books this March

-Doing yoga eliminates a lot of my post-concussion symptoms that I used to struggle with first thing in the morning: migraines, stiff neck/back, lack of energy, brain fog

-The great part about the 30-day challenge was each day was different and provided new challenges/obstacles while also re-enforcing things already learnt

-After the 30-day challenge I'm feeling as good physically as I have in 5+ years since my major (3rd) concussion in 2016. Specifically strength in my quads and arms/shoulders, as well as my general flexibility, are the biggest areas of improvement

-The two most important things I learned from the challenge were the importance of training/timing your breath and how proper posture is crucial

-I have continued my journey by starting another 30-day challenge for April

For anyone out there that has wanted to try yoga but always hesitated, I've been there and I sympathize. But I really encourage anyone in this position to push your boundaries and give it a try, especially if you are dealing with symptoms from concussions

Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff

To the Flyers Media Member who Mocked Carter Hart's Mental Health. Why?

Why?

I've had enough of journalists or media members in sports fabricating stories out of nothing in relation to personal health issues, all in an attempt for clicks. Where is the integrity? The ethics? The morals? It's 2021, and I can't believe that we need to keep having these conversations, but here we are.

Why do I write this blog post? A Flyers beat writer named Sam Carchidi decided to write an "article" about how Carter Hart split with his long-time Sports Psychologist despite having no factual evidence or confirmed source to back it up

All in an attempt to smear Hart's image, the 22-year old goaltender in just his 3rd NHL season, because he's having a tough year in Philadelphia (a city known as "goaltender graveyard" among fans in the NHL). He then shamelessly shared it on twitter (3 separate times!) with "Source" as the tagline, as if this was a major story that every news outlet needs to hear. I'm going to keep this short and simple, but personal health matters have no business being shared as news in sports, in any way shape or form. Whether that's Steve Simmons making up a story about Phil Kessel eating hot dogs or sharing that Auston Matthews had covid before the team did, or this Flyers reporter mocking Hart's mental health, this has to stop. Athletes are people just like every fan and journalist, they are entitled to the privacy that we all have with our personal lives. Being a professional athlete and making millions of dollars doesn't just make it acceptable to treat them like this.

Carter Hart is an exceptional goalie and he doesn't deserve this treatment. Period.

End of Rant

Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff

365 Days of Reading

March 13, 2020: The day after the entire world was shut down due to the coronavirus, and it also happened to be my 29th birthday. I remember at the time thinking what it would be like a year from now and it's crazy that it has been that long already. After learning that my work had closed down and sports leagues cancelled, I really had no idea what to do with myself. Add in my challenges with post-concussion syndrome, I was lost but knew I wanted to be able to sink my teeth into something that was manageable. One of my hobbies since I've stopped playing hockey was reading hockey books, so I challenged myself to read 30 books in the next year, one for every year of my life up to my 30th birthday today. I hit that goal...and them some, reading 71 hockey books in the past 365 days. Here is a list of all 71 books, my 1-5 star rating I gave for each book, and my top 10 favourite books from the group:

List of Books Read:

1. Hockey Towns: The Untold Stories from the Heart of Canada (2015) - by Ron MacLean with Kirstie McLellan Day (* * * *)

2. Fighting Back: The Chris Nilan Story (2013) - by Chris Nilan (* * * * *)

3. Go to the Net: Eight Goals That Changed the Game (2005) - by Al Strachan (* * * * *)

4. Shift Work (2015)- by Tie Domi (* * * * *)

5. Tough Guy: My Life on the Edge (2010) - by Bob Probert with Kirstie McLellan Day (* * * * *)

6. The Greatest Hockey Stories Ever Told (2004) - by Bryant Urstadt (* * * *)

7. Cujo: The Untold Story of My Life on and Off the Ice (2018) - by Curtis Joseph with Kirstie McLellan Day (* * * * *)

8. JR: The Fast, Crazy Life of Hockey's Most Outspoken and Most Colourful Personality (2013) - by Jeremy Roenick with Kevin Allen (* * * *)

9. One Night Only: Conversations with the NHL's One-Game Wonders (2016) - by Ken Reid (* * * * *)

10. In the Bin: Reckless and Rude Stories from the Penalty Boxes of the NHL (1998) - by Lloyd Freeberg (* * * *)

11. If the Cup Could Talk (2000) - by Michael Ulmer (* * * * *)

12. Breaking the Ice: The Black Experience in Professional Hockey (2003) - by Cecil Harris (* * * * *)

13. More Bad Boys (1995) - by Stan Fischler (* * * *)

14. Blood Feuds: Hockey's Best-Ever Rivalries (2010) - by Ryan Kennedy (* * * *)

15. Messier: Steel on Ice (1999) - by Rick Carpinello (* * * *)

16. The Rebel League: The Short and Unruly Life of the World Hockey Association (2004) - by Ed Willes (* * * * *)

17. Nine Lessons I Learned from my Father (2017) - by Murray Howe (* * * * *)

18. Home Game (1989) - by Ken Dryden (* * * *)

19. The Fundies: The Essential Hockey Guide from on the Bench (2019) - by Olly Postanin and Jacob Ardown (*)

20. Keon and Me: My Search for the Lost Soul of the Leafs (2013) - by Dave Bidini (* * * *)

21. Goalies: Legends from the NHL's Toughest Job (1994) - by Stan Fischler (* * * *)

22. Captains (1995) - by Michael Ulmer (* * * *)

23. Puck Funnies: Hockey Humour, Hilarity and Hi-Jinx (2009) - by Adam Proteau (* * * *)

24. We are the Champions: The Greatest Hockey Teams of All Time (2010) - by Edward Fraser (* * * *)

25. The Rivarly: Leafs vs. Canadiens (1991) - by Stan Fischler (* * * *)

26. A Guy Like Me: Fighting to Make the Cut (2016) - by John Scott (* * * * *)

27. Why is the Stanley Cup in Mario Lemieux's Swimming Pool?: How Winners Celebrate with the World's Most Famous Cup (2000) - by Kevin Allen (* * * * *)

28. Tiger: A Hockey Story (1984) - by James Lawton (* * * *)

29. Legendary Stanley Cup Stories (2008) - by Brian McFarlane (* * * * *)

30. Strange But True Hockey Stories (1972) - by Howard Liss (* * * *)

31. Hockey's Young Guns: 25 Inside Stories on Making it to the Big Leagues (2007) - by Ryan Dixon and Ryan Kennedy (* * * *)

32. Journeyman (2012) - by Sean Pronger (* * * *)

33.The Top 60 Since 1967: The Best Players of the Post-Expasion Era (2007) - by Ken Campbell and Adam Proteau (* * * *)

34. Searching for Bobby Orr (2006) - by Stephen Brunt (* * * * *)

35. Lanny (1987) - by Lanny McDonald with Steve Simmons (* * * * *)

36. When the Final Buzzer Sounds: NHL Greats Share Their Stories of Hardship and Triumph (2000) - by Charles Wilkins and Colleen/Gordie Howe (* * * *)

37. Best of the Original Six (2004) - by Brian McFarlane (* * * * *)

38. The Pursuit of Hockeyness: 99 Things Every Hockey Fan Needs to do in Their Lifetime (2009) - by Sam McCaig (* * *)

39. Clancy: The King's Story (1997) - by Brian McFarlane (* * * *)

40. Calling the Shots: Ups and Downs and Rebounds, My Life in the Great Game of Hockey (2017) - by Kelly Hrudey with Kirstie McLellan Day (* * * * *)

41. Gretzky's Tears: Hockey, Canada, and the Day Everything Changed (2009) - by Stephen Brunt (* * * *)

42. One to Remember: Stories from 39 Members of the NHL's One Goal Club (2020) - by Ken Reid (* * * * *)

43. We Want Fish Sticks: The Bizarre and Infamous Rebranding of the New York Islanders (2018) - by Nicholas Hirshon (* * * * *)

44. Jordin Tootoo: The High's and Lows in the Journey of the First Inuk to Play in the NHL (2010) - by Melanie Florence (* * *)

45. Jarome Iginla: How the NHL's First Black Captain Gives Back (2010) - by Nicole Mortillaro (* * *)

46. Heaven and Hell in the NHL (1982) - by Punch Imlach with Scott Young (* * * *)

47. Beauties: Hockey's Greatest Untold Stories (2020) - by James Duthie (* * * * *)

48. The Making of a Miracle: The Untold Story of the Captain of the 1980 Gold-Medal Winning U.S. Olympic Hockey Team (2020) - by Mike Eruzione with Neal Boudette (* * * *)

49. Burkie's Law: A Life in Hockey (2020) - by Brian Burke (* * * *)

50. The Rookie: A Season with Sidney Crosby and the New NHL (2006) - by Shawna Richer (* * * *)

51. Fred Shero: A Kaleidoscopic View of the Philadelphia Flyers' Coach (1977) - by Rhoda Rappeport (* * * * *)

52. The Game (1983) - by Ken Dryden (* * * * *)

53. Gordie: A Hockey Legend (1994) - by Roy MacSkimming (* * * * *)

54. Shooting From the Lip (Second Edition): Hockey's Best Quotes and Quips (2014) - by Chris McDonell (* * *)

55. My Greatest Day: 50 People, 50 Great Moments (2008) - by Scott Morrison (* * * *)

56. The Ultimate Book of Hockey Lists (2008) - by Sam McCaig (* * * *)

57. Hockey Stars of 1972 (1972) - by Stan Fischler (* * * *)

58. Everyday Hockey Heroes, Volume II: More Inspiring Stories About Our Great Game (2020) - by Bob McKenzie and Jim Lang (* * * * *)

59. So You Think You're a Philadelphia Flyers Fan? Stars, Stats, Records, and Memories for True Diehards (2018) - by Skip Clayton (* * *)

60. So You Think You're a Detroit Red Wings Fan? Stars, Stats, Records, and Memories for True Diehards (2019) - by Pat Gass (* * *)

61. Boy on Ice: The Life and Death of Derek Boogaard (2014) - by John Branch (* * * * *)

62. In the Crease: Goaltenders Look at Life in the NHL (1995) - by Dick Irvin Jr. (* * * * *)

63. The Montreal Canadiens: 100 Years of Glory (2008) - by D'Arcy Jenish (* * * * *)

64. Coach: The Pat Burns Story (2012) - by Rosie Dimanno (* * * *)

65. Hockey Superstitions: From Playoff Beards to Crossed Sticks and Lucky Socks (2010) - by Andrew Podnieks (* * * *)

66. Before the Lights Go Out: A Season Inside a Game on the Brink (2019) - by Sean Fitz-Gerald (* * * *)

67. The Greatest Game: The Montreal Canadiens, the Red Army, and the Night That Saved Hockey (2010) - by Todd Denault (* * * * *)

68. The Leafs: An Anecdotal History of the Toronto Maple Leafs (1994) - by Jack Batten (* * * *)

69. All Roads Lead to Hockey: Reports from Norther Canada to the Mexican Border (2004) - by Bill Boyd (* * * *)

70. Hockey Towns: Stories of Small Town Hockey in Canada (1998) - by Bill Boyd (* * * *)

71. Hockey's Most Amazing Records: +125 More Jaw-Dropping All-Time Feats (2011) - by Edward Fraser (* * * *)

Top 10 Books Read in the Past 365 Days: 

1. Beauties: Hockey's Greatest Untold Stories (2020) - by James Duthie

2. Fighting Back: The Chris Nilan Story (2013) - by Chris Nilan

3. Breaking the Ice: The Black Experience in Professional Hockey (2003) - by Cecil Harris

4. Boy on Ice: The Life and Death of Derek Boogaard (2014) - by John Branch

5. The Greatest Game: The Montreal Canadiens, the Red Army, and the Night That Saved Hockey (2010) - by Todd Denault

6. Fred Shero: A Kaleidoscopic View of the Philadelphia Flyers' Coach (1977) - by Rhoda Rappeport

7. The Game (1983) - by Ken Dryden

8. One Night Only: Conversations with the NHL's One-Game Wonders (2016) - by Ken Reid

9. The Rebel League: The Short and Unruly Life of the World Hockey Association (2004) - by Ed Willes

10. We Want Fish Sticks: The Bizarre and Infamous Rebranding of the New York Islanders (2018) - by Nicholas Hirshon

Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff

Hockey Media and the Toxic Culture of Second-Chances

Tony DeAngelo

Mitchell Miller 

Mike Babcock

The first guy listed here dropped several racial slurs in junior against teammates and opponents and was suspended multiple times. Despite this he was still drafted to the NHL, continued to be a problem there and ultimately he was traded twice early in his career because of behaviour issues. Most recently he was a prominent Trump supporter pushing election fraud and covid-denying garbage for months on social media, including creating a burner account to chirp back at fans. He was finally kicked off the team for getting in a fight with teammate Alexandar Georgiev, with the Rangers indicating they were fine with his social media activity still.

The second guy listed was drafted by the Arizona Coyotes this past fall despite years of bullying and racially abusing a kid at his school, one who was developmentally challenged, and frankly some of the details are absolutely sickening as listed here:

The third guy listed was one of the most prominent coaches in the entire hockey world and yet has been a manipulative jerk for years now, as detailed by his former player Johan Franzen and the way Babcock ridiculed his concussion and mental health issues. Add on the story of Babcock making a then-rookie Mitch Marner create a list ranking the players effort defensively on the team and then shared said list with the entire team. This is a guy who's made a career out of being an absolute asshole.

And yet here we are folks!

Countless articles, interviews, social media posts and more in the past few months dedicated to rehabilitating the image of these three men who don't deserve a second chance. Heck Mike Babcock was just hired as the Head Coach of the University of Saskatchewan! The question remains: why is hockey media so fixated on giving these people a second chance?

Words and actions have consequences, being good at a sport does not just give you free pass to do and say whatever you want, and it seems like a whole part of the hockey media or "old school" hockey culture just can't seem to grasp that concept. And yet I look at a guy like Josh Ho-Sang, the kid slept through his alarm in his first rookie camp with the Islanders, was sent home and has been labelled a problem kid and never given a second chance since. If you aren't paying attention to the double standards here then you aren't aware of what's going on. 

The bottom line to me is this; the media coddling and making these abusers seem like the victim has to stop. NOW.

END OF RANT

Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff

The Forman Faceoff 2020/2021 NHL Season Preview and Predictions

What a strange, strange year 2020 has been. Truly in every way. With the unprecedented health crisis in the Coronavirus, we've seen the pause of the 2019/20 season in March, the return in September with the Bubble Playoffs, to now a 56-game shortened-season starting January 13th, fresh with new division re-alignments! With that being said, it's time to breakdown the 2020/21 season looking at the four new divisions, how I think the standings will be come playoff time, predictions for major trophies/awards and finally a Stanley Cup champion prediction. Enjoy!

North Division:

1. Vancouver Canucks

2. Toronto Maple Leafs

3. Winnipeg Jets

4. Calgary Flames

5. Edmonton Oilers

6. Montreal Canadiens

7. Ottawa Senators

West Division

1. Colorado Avalanche

2. Vegas Golden Knights

3. St. Louis Blues

4. Arizona Coyotes

5. Minnesota Wild

6. Anaheim Ducks

7. Los Angeles Kings

8. San Jose Sharks

Central Division

1. Tampa Bay Lightning

2. Carolina Hurricanes

3. Dallas Stars

4. Columbus Blue Jackets

5. Nashville Predators

6. Chicago Blackhawks

7. Florida Panthers

8. Detroit Red Wings

East Division

1. Philadelphia Flyers

2. New York Islanders

3. Boston Bruins

4. Washington Capitals

5. Pittsburgh Penguins

6. New York Rangers

7. Buffalo Sabres

8. New Jersey Devils

With the new division re-alignments, each team will only face those within their respective division and thus the top 4 seeds in each division will make the playoffs (1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3). This means that the Conference Finals will be made up of the last team standing in each of the four divisions, and they will then re-seed based on regular-season standings (and not traditional Eastern/Western Conference Finals). Here are my Conference Finals predictions:

North Division: Toronto Maple Leafs (#4 seed)

West Division: Colorado Avalanche (#2 seed)

Central Division: Tampa Bay Lightning (#1 seed)

East Division: Philadelphia Flyers (#3 seed)

Conference Finals 1: #1 Tampa Bay Lightning defeat #4 Toronto Maple Leafs (4-2)

Conference Finals 2: #2 Colorado Avalanche defeat #3 Philadelphia Flyers (4-2)

Stanley Cup Finals: #2 Colorado Avalanche defeat #1 Tampa Bay Lightning (4-3)

NHL Awards Predictions:

Hart Memorial Trophy - Nathan MacKinnon (Runner-up Connor McDavid/Sidney Crosby)

Art Ross Trophy - Connor McDavid (Runner-up: Nathan MacKinnon/Patrick Kane)

Rocket Richard Trophy - Alex Ovechkin (Runner-up: Auston Matthews/Nathan MacKinnon)

Vezina Trophy - Andrei Vasilevskiy (Runner-up: Carter Hart/Robin Lehner)

James Norris Memorial Trophy - Victor Hedman (Runner-up: Cale Makar/Alex Pietrangelo)

Calder Memorial Trophy - Kirill Kaprizov (Runner-up: Alexis Lafreniere/Igor Shesterkin)

Lady Byng Trophy - Ryan O'Reilly (Runner-up: Aleksander Barkov/Nathan MacKinnon)

Frank J. Selke Trophy - Ryan O'Reilly (Runner-up: Patrice Bergeron/Sean Couturier)

Mark Messier Leadership Award - Claude Giroux (Runner-up: Steven Stamkos/John Tavares)

Ted Lindsay Award - Connor McDavid (Runner-up: Nathan MacKinnon/Sidney Crosby)

NHL GM of the Year - Joe Sakic (Runner-up: Chuck Fletcher/Kyle Dubas)

Jack Adams Trophy - Rod Brind'Amour (Runner-up: Jared Bednar/Jon Cooper)

Presidents Trophy - Tampa Bay Lightning

Stanley Cup Champions - Colorado Avalanche

Conn Smythe Trophy - Nathan MacKinnon

The 2020/2021 (technically just 2021) NHL season begins January 13th! 

Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff

The Forman Files - My Top 10 Favourite Hockey Books

For those who know me I've always been an avid reader, particularly anything that has to do with hockey. Back in 2017 during my concussion recovery, I started reading more as one of the few activities I could manage, and was particularly drawn to autobiographies of current and former hockey players. Flash forward just over 3 years later, and I just hit the #100 mark of hockey books read, including 47 during March-November of this year (thank you pandemic!). Because of this accomplishment, I wanted to take a look back at my 10 favourite books and why these are must reads for all hockey fans out there. Enjoy!

1. Crossing the Line

"The outrageous story of a hockey original" seems like a suitable tagline for this book, but that wouldn't even do justice to explain the legend of Derek Michael Sanderson. In an absolute must-read book, Sanderson gives you a first-hand view of his wild life on and off the ice that made him one of the most polarizing figures in professional sports history. Whether it's his stories about Bobby Orr and the Bruins, his brief stint as the world's richest athlete in the WHA, or his bar partnership with Joe Namath, it's one of those books that you will pick up and can't put down. It remains my favourite hockey book and it's the first one I recommend to anyone asking.

Author: Derek Sanderson (with Kevin Shea)

Pages: 400

Year Published: 2012

2. Behind the Bench: Inside the Minds of Hockey's Greatest Coaches

This was the first hockey book I read during my recovery, and it's the book that really re-ignited my passion for reading. Author Craig Custance does such a brilliant job putting us in the minds of some of the best coaches in NHL history, each one listed in the book has their own story/habits that makes this book impossible to put down. The concept has Craig sitting down with these coaches and watching an old important game that they coached (often for the 1st time for that coach) and watching them analyze the game and simultaneously asking them questions (ex/ Mike Babcock watching the Gold Medal Game from the 2010 Olympics and taking notes/yelling at the TV like was on the bench!). Any big hockey fan will enjoy the brilliance of this book and I can't recommend it enough.

Author: Craig Custance

Pages: 256

Year Published: 2017

3. The Crazy Game: How I Survived in the Crease and Beyond

I bought this book for $5 at Indigo when I was looking for a different book, and it ended up being one of the best hockey books I've read. Most hockey fans should be familiar with the Malarchuk skate incident where his throat was cut, and I knew that the nature of this book might be a little bit darker then some of the other hockey books I had read, but Clint's story is absolutely eye-opening and it's one that every hockey fan should read. Without going into further detail, some of the other stories in this book might be tough to read but I think that's what makes it such a brilliant book, and the mental health tie-in is something that's crucial for all to read. 

Author: Clint Malarchuk (with Dan Robson)

Pages: 272

Year Published: 2014

4. Facing Wayne Gretzky

Wayne Gretzky has dozens of hockey books about him, and that's fitting for the best player in hockey history, but there's something that "Facing Wayne Gretzky" does that stands above all the rest of them. The book features first-hand stories about the Great One from a diverse group of different people within the hockey world; teammates, opponents, referees, coaches, GMs, owners etc. What was striking to me was not how many stories there were that showed Wayne's brilliance, but the wide range of different stories that show just how good #99 was in every aspect of the game, on and off the ice. It's one of those books that would be great for the younger generation who maybe didn't get to see #99 play in his career.

Author: Brian Kennedy

Pages: 240

Year Published: 2014

5. All The Way: My Life on Ice

As someone who's a huge fan of the World Juniors and has been since I was a kid (Tootoo was one of my first hockey heroes back when he played for Canada in 2003), I was very excited to read this book back when it came out in 2014 (read it before I started officially keeping track). Tootoo tells the story of growing up in Nunavut and the importance of family and community in his life, one that helped shape his hockey career en route becoming the first player of Inuit descent to play an NHL game. He continues to be a huge role model after retiring from the NHL and his story is an important one to read if you haven't already.

Author: Jordin Tootoo (with Stephen Brunt)

Pages: 240

Year Published: 2014

6. Beauties: Hockey's Greatest Untold Stories

The last book I completed to reach #100 also happened to be one of the newest hockey books on the market, and let me tell you Duthie does not disappoint in this instant classic. Both of Duthie's first 2 books are great reads, as he has the ability to mix his own humour with such a strong storytelling capacity. What makes "Beauties" so unique is that the book is full of stories largely untold before; some funny, some about perseverance, others just straight up strange. If you are looking for a holiday gift for a hockey fan this would make an excellent stocking stuffer. 

Author: James Duthie

Pages: 320

Year Published: 2020

7. Fighting Back

As I started to read more and more books on the journey to #100, I found myself particularly drawn to books by enforcers as often times they had the best stories to tell. There are a ton of good fighting stories from Chris "Knuckles" Nilan in this book, but much like in both Derek Sanderson and Clint Malarchuk's books that I mentioned above, it's the stories off the ice in this book that leave you with your jaw wide open. Knuckles Nilan was a popular player in Montreal/New York/Boston, three original six teams, so there are a wide range of hockey fans that would enjoy this book as I did.

Author: Chris Nilan

Pages: 352

Year Published: 2013

8. The Best Seat in the House: Stories from the NHL - Inside the Room, on the Ice..and on the Bench

Jamie "Noodles" McLennan is one of the funniest hockey personalities on TV today, but beyond what you see on TV did you ever wonder how he got his nickname or his sense of humour? In this book Noodles tells the tale of being a long-time NHL backup goaltender and some of the lighter moments he experienced during his 11-year NHL career, and it's the type of book with stories that any NHL fan would love. The name "Best Seat in the House" is perfect as Jamie really makes you feel like you are on an NHL bench with some of his stories.

Author: Jamie McLennan (with Ian Mendes)

Pages: 256

Year Published: 2012

9. The Down Goes Brown History of the NHL: The World's Most Beautiful Sport, the World's Most Ridiculous League

There are 100s of history of the NHL books, a few I've read could have easily made this list, but none do justice the same as author Sean "Down Goes Brown" McIndoe does in this book. McIndoe shares with readers a wide range of crazy, ridiculous, and downright absurd stories about history of the NHL and it's one of those books you just can't put down. It has a bunch of lesser-known hockey stories that even big hockey fans might not know, and without question is one of the best hockey books released within the past few years. I highly, highly recommend this book.

Author: Sean McIndoe

Pages: 272

Year Published: 2018

10. Hockey Confidential

As I'm writing this article, I am currently waiting for Bob's new book to come in the mail (Everyday Hockey Heroes 2, his 4th book). The Bobfather is one of the most famous personalities in all of hockey and I'd highly recommend reading each of his first 3 books (and guessing his 4th when I read it), but Hockey Confidentiality just has so many quality stories and remains one of my favourite books to this day. Bob doesn't have the title of hockey's #1 insider for no reason, and this book is full of great stories that hockey fans of all generations would enjoy. 

Author: Bob McKenzie

Pages: 320

Year Published: 2014

There's probably at least 10 more books that could have made this list, a few notable books that I haven't read yet in my queue in particular (Ken Dryden - The Game, Nicklas Lindstrom - The Pursuit of Perfection, Brian Burke - Burkie's Law). I'll probably follow it up with a second list #11-20 in the near future. For any hockey readers out there, let me know if you have any suggestions for hockey books you enjoyed! 

Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff