AGRI Biz

In this past Olympics, Switzerland shocked many people, almost defeating both the United States and Canada en route to a medal-less showing. However, as much as surprises and underdogs are great, Switzerland is not quite a hockey factory. In fact, quite the opposite. The only impact NHL player who hails from Switzerland is Mark Streit of the New York Islanders. That may all change in a few months, when Nino Niederreiter ...

Jumping from a 47-game schedule to a 72-game schedule is a huge jump for a young player. Ryan Johansen, who played the 2008-09 season in the British Columbia Hockey League, had a difficult time making that adjustment. "Around December he looked fatigued," Portland Winterhawks coach Mike Johnston said in an interview with NHL.com . "He looked like he was waiting for that Christmas break because he needed to recharge his batteries." However, ...

  Originally posted at Resurfacing the Ice Ever since Sidney Crosby was picked first overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) has struggled to consistently deliver top-notch talent to the NHL. The trend will not end this year, but a few great prospects are still coming out of Eastern Canada. Brandon Gormley, the 6-foot-2, 187-pound defenseman from the Moncton Wildcats, is the top-rated Quebec League ...

Originally posted at Resurfacing the Ice Injuries are a funny thing. Sometimes they kill a player’s draft stock, sending them pummeling down the boards of most NHL teams. However, other times, they simply leaves scouts wanting more, as if it were a tease. Brett Connolly seems to be in the latter category. Having an incredible rookie season, Connolly, a member of the Prince George Cougars, became the first 16-year-old WHL rookie to score 30 ...

Every year, there is that one can’t-miss prospect that hockey fans want their teams to tank the season for. Son-of-a-gun, there may be three of those this year. But Taylor Hall of the Windsor Spitfires is arguably the best of those three players. Ranked number two in NHL Central Scouting’s midterm draft rankings, Hall has dominated the OHL since he arrived on the Major Junior scene, yet has been in the shadow ...

1. Mike Babcock, Detroit Red Wings   Babcock has only missed the playoffs twice since his coaching career started in 1991 (once in the WHL and once with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim). He has been named a finalist for the Jack Adams Trophy, has been to the NHL’s final four at four different times, has made the Stanley Cup final three times and has won a Stanley Cup. He also ...

So let’s see. At number one on the NHL’s scouting list, we have a light center with great leadership, incredible drive, a huge amount of talent, a powerful wrist shot, and beautiful passing abilities. Sounds a little like Joe Sakic, no? Don’t get me wrong, Tyler Seguin is no Joe Sakic, but he may be able to have the same impact that Burnaby Joe did in his time with the Quebec/Colorado ...

Everyone is raving about Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin for this year's upcoming NHL Entry Draft, taking place in Los Angeles, California in June. But what people seem to forget is that there are over 200 more players that will be drafted in addition to Hall and Seguin. Does anyone truly know the names of the other top prospects for this year's draft? Here is a list of the top five draft-eligible ...

Eastern Conference Playoffs No. 4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. No. 5 Ottawa Senators Regular season  PIT: 47-28-7, 101 pts    OTT:44-32-6, 94 pts Head-to-head: 2-2 Leading scorers PIT: Sidney Crosby, 109 pts    OTT: Daniel Alfredsson, 71 pts   Offense Sidney Crosby won a share of the Maurice Richard Trophy with 51 points and was tied for second in the league with 109 points. Evgeni Malkin, in a shortened year, had 77 points in 67 games. Six players on the Penguins had ...

Originally posted at Resurfacing the Ice If I told you that I wanted to use my second-round draft pick to take a somewhat good player with diabetes who may never play a game in the NHL, what would you tell me? You would tell me I’m crazy, right? That is exactly what the Flyers did when they chose Bobby Clarke in the 1969 NHL Entry Draft. Robert Earle Clarke, as he was named at ...