The 2012-2013 season was supposed to start tonight. Instead, the league is in a labor dispute with the Player's Association which has led to a lockout, and subsequent work stoppage. As a result, the first two weeks of the season, totaling 82 games, has been cancelled. What a shame. After rebuilding a league that was pushed to the brink of extinction in 2006, the owners and players simply cannot find a common ground to get a deal in place and start the season on time. The fans will always come ... Read More
Sidney Crosby talks NHL Lockout, training and more
While Pittsburgh Penguins fans would love to see superstar Sidney Crosby back on the ice for a full 82-game season this year, it doesn't look like that's going to happen.This time around it has nothing to do with Crosby's health, but instead it is the current NHL lockout that is keeping the Penguins' captain and his teammates of the ice.Similar to his teammates, Crosby is itching to get in game action, but that's not on the agenda right now as the players remain locked out by the league."You ... Read More
Pascal Dupuis Staying Busy During Lockout
Wednesday night, the Detroit Red Wings were supposed to visit the Consol Energy Arena for preseason action, but due to the NHL lockout, that's not going to happen. The longer this lockout drags out, the more it effects players in different ways. Guys like Evgeni Malkin can find a place to play and if an agreement isn't reached soon, we could see the likes of Kris Letang, Marc-Andre Fleury and others find a team to play for in the very near future. However, that's not an option for every ... Read More
Catching Up with the Penguins Kris Letang
With the NHL lockout in full effect, there hasn't been much news surrounding the Pittsburgh Penguins lately. As of now, there is no end in sight and the Winter Classic is now in jeopardy as sources told ESPN's Scott Burnside that if a deal isn't reached by November, that commissioner Gary Bettman is prepared to pull the plug on what is dear to him.However, while the lockout has already affected the preseason, as all exhibition games through September have been cancelled, that hasn't stopped ... Read More
Who Needs Owners?
This story is why hockey players are my favorite athletes of any sport. While embroiled in a bitter lockout with no end in sight, several players took matters into their own hands. Players like Evgeni Malkin, Sergei Gonchar, Tyler Seguin and more have gone overseas to play in various leagues. However, a few French-Canadians decided that wasn’t good enough. So they just started their own league. Headed up by former Penguin Max Talbot and NY Islander Bruno Gervais, a group of NHLers are ... Read More
Malkin Returns as Metallurg Falls 4-3 in OT
Evgeni Malkin tallied an assist in a losing effort as Metallurg Magnitogorsk fell 4-3 to Salavat Yulaev. It was Malkin's first game in the KHL since the 2005-2006 season when he tallied 47 points in 46 games as a 19 year old. At the time, the Penguins had already called "Geno's" name on draft day, but since the NHL suffered a season-long lockout, the Russian stayed home. It wasn't until the end of 2006 when Malkin appeared at Mario Lemieux's doorstep looking to join the Penguins. With ... Read More
NHL Lockout Begins
Despite multiple negotiations between the Player's Association and the league, the NHL is officially locked out until a new CBA is reached, effective Sunday at midnight. For the NHL, this will mark the fourth work stoppage in the last twenty years, a feat that could effectively make the league extinct. There are several issues being debated between the two sides with the biggest being the wide difference in revenue sharing to the players. The owners proposed a plan to cut HRR (or Hockey ... Read More
The Imminent Lockout
I really did not want to write this, but forces far beyond my power are forcing me to do so. Unless a miraculous deal comes down before Sunday, the NHL will begin its lockout next week. There were a few grumblings about things potentially being closer, and then the legend Bob McKenzie at TSN dropped some knowledge in this tweet: “You can get bogged down with the #s, but all you need to know is NHLPA says won’t take an actual decrease to $ spent on salaries, and the NHL is asking for an ... Read More
Top Five Player Stories for the Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins have a lot of questions to answer heading into what will hopefully be a 2012-2013 season. As stated last week, there's concern over whether or not they are still the best team in the Eastern Conference. Subsequently, there are some run-off stories to this team with each player carrying their own headlines for 2012. Here are the top five player stories: Evgeni Malkin "Geno" proved his offseason training/rehab regimen last year was no joke, tallying 109 points and ... Read More
Are the Penguins Still the Beast of the East?
Since the Pittsburgh Penguins raised the cup at Joe Louis Arena three seasons ago, many have speculated that their talent has made them the elite class of the Eastern Conference. Even when Sidney Crosby was still dealing with concussion issues last summer, the majority of sports writers, fans, and critics picked them to be the Stanley Cup champions at the conclusion of the 2011-2012 season. But, for the third season in a row, the cup went to another team, with two of those playoff seasons ... Read More