I wasn't a big on video games as a kid, but I loved hockey in almost an unhealthy way. 

I didn't play any of the NHL games growing up because we didn't have an Xbox 360 or a PlayStation 3, mainly because my sister and I were more interested in our Nintendo Wii. 

Since that console entered our household in Christmas of 2007, we could not get enough of it. Three years later, Christmas 2010, the biggest ask on my list to Santa was a copy of EA NHL Slapshot. 

It was the first EA NHL game released specifically for the Wii and had a plastic hockey stick you'd put the Wii remote and nunchuck into when you played. I'm not exaggerating when I say I was glued to this game.

It wasn't complex, which was the nice part. You just really picked what mode you wanted to play the game on, either PeeWee to Pro, Stanley Cup Final, Season or just play now. That's what I wanted out of the game, merely just to pick it up and play with no pressure. 

The peak of my playing time came in middle school. I played occasionally in high school and would rediscover the game from time to time while home from college or visiting my family.

Having a little more free time recently, I asked my parents to bring the family Wii and the game to Nashville. In addition to re-experiencing the joy of the NHL Slapshot, I thought it would be fitting to play a season as the 2009-10 Nashville Predators. 

To the best of my abilities, I'm going to try to detail the journey of this team from puck drop to a potential Stanley Cup Championship. 

Disclaimer: I am not a God at this game. Even as a kid, I was still playing on the "pro" mode, which is still the third-highest setting. Now, I'm playing this season on the "All-Star" mode, which is the second-highest setting. I want to enjoy this experience too, so playing this game on "Superstar" would not be enjoyable at all. I'm also playing three-minute periods 

Another disclaimer: I'm also going to try to record one game per story. The cord that connects the Wii to the TV is broken, so there's no color (for now). Again, I'm probably a little above average at this game, so please don't judge me. If you see jump cuts it means I was swearing and had to cut it out cause I doubt The Hockey News wants videos of me cussing at a 15 year old game.  

Roster 

*Numbers included are players EA rating 

Shea Weber, D, 84

Jason Arnott, C, 84 

JP Dumont, RW, 83 

David Legwand, C, 82 

Steve Sullivan, LW, 82 

Ryan Suter, D, 82 

Pekka Rinne, G, 82 

Dan Ellis, G, 81 

Dan Hamhuis, D, 81

Martin Erat, RW, 81 

Patric Hornqvist, RW, 80

Denis Grebeshkov, D, 79 

Joel Ward, RW, 78

Colin Wilson, C, 78 

Jordan Tootoo, RW, 77 

Cody Franson, D, 77 

Marcel Goc, C, 77 

Jerred Smithson, C, 76 

Francis Bouillon, D, 76

Dustin Boyd, C, 76 

Kevin Klein, D, 75 

Nick Spaling, C, 74 

Wade Belak, RW, 74 

Gm. 1: Nashville 2, Dallas 1 OT 

The season got off to a rocky start when I selected the wrong mode for my remote. I accidentally said I was playing with the "stick" when I wasn't, so every time I lifted the Wii remote, the game thought I was taking a slapshot. 

It was a blessing in disguise as Dan Hamhuis scored off a slap shot from the point to give the Predators a 1-0 lead in the first. 

Things didn't really heat up until the third period when Brendan Morrow put away a pass from Brad Richards to tie the game, 1-1, with less than a minute left in the third period. However, Dallas couldn't stay disciplined as Trevor Daley took a elbowing penalty with 27 seconds left.

Nashville couldn't get it done in regulation, but started overtime on the power play. Since the game thought every shot I took was a slapshot, the Predators couldn't convert. 

However, a pass from Shea Weber allowed Patric Hornqvist to split the defenseman to put the puck past Marty Turco for the game-winning goal and a 2-1 season-opening victory. 

Gm. 2: Nashville 4, Colorado 1 

The offense opened up a bit for the Predators home opener. 

A Steve Sullivan wrister put Nashville up 1-0 late in the first period. Marcel Goc scored off a Shea Weber pass in the second period to bump the lead to 2-0. 

Colorado had a push back in the second period, and Peter Muller got ahead of the defense and beat Pekka Rinne to cut the lead in half, 2-1. 

However, Nashville responded quickly. Jason Arnott had the puck poked away by an Avalanche defenseman, but he was able to get the puck back and score to give the Predators a two-goal lead back, 3-1. 

Erat put the game on ice in the third period, walking across the slot and backhanding it into the net for a 4-1 lead. Arnott and Colin Wilson got the assists. 

We could also be without defenseman Kevin Klein for a bit as he left this game injured. 

Gm. 3: Nashville 3, Buffalo 1 

The Predators get off to a slow start in the first period, but find their offense early on in the second. 

After two glorious opportunities, one of which you can hear me yell my frustration, David Legwand catches a long pass from Denis Grebeshkov up the middle of the ice. Legwand creates some space at the top of the right circle and goes bar down for a 1-0 lead. 

Nashville could've had a lead going into the locker room, but I checked out. With 0.7 seconds left, Derek Roy put in a rebound off a Thomas Vanek shot to tie the game. Jump cut in the video cause I swore. 

The Predators got the lead back in the third as Shea Weber scored, with assists from Ryan Suter and Marcel Goc. In the final minute, inbetween the tops of the circles, Steve Sullivan scored and beat Ryan Miller on the crossbar to cement a 3-1 win. 

Gm. 4: Nashville 4, Edmonton 2 

This is where I'm realizing I may need to up the skill level, simulate games or give myself a stipulation. 

A little over two minutes into the game, the Oilers strike first as Alex Hemsky pulls the defense to the left side of the ice, leaving Dustin Penner wide open for the goal and a 1-0 Edmonton lead. 

Nashville responds with a breakaway goal from David Legwand off a pass from Dan Hamhuis on the left side. Before the period is over, Steve Sullivan backhands it in for Nashville's first lead of the night, 2-1. 

The Predators kept their foot on the gas in the second period as Legwand scored his second goal of the night off a Hamhuis shot, 3-1. In the final two minutes of the period, Colin Wilson broke free and scored on a breakaway to bump the lead to 4-1. 

Edmonton got one last lick in as Tom Gilbert scored on a breakaway due to one of the Predators players missing a check for a 4-2 final. 

You had to be there to know that it actually happened – two tragedies at one Rangers training camp in Kitchener, Ontario. The pair of overlooked stories are here for you to read right now.

The Maven was there – September 13, 1968 – and saw it all. Fred Shero, then the club's Buffalo Bisons AHL minor league coach, had launched the morning workout.

Both Rangers and minor leaguers began a leisurely skate in a wide circle at center ice. One of them was Wayne Larkin, 29, a solid minor league forward who figured this would be his last chance to crack the Rangers lineup; longshot as it was.

Another longshot was a goalie out of Ohio University who, logically speaking, had no business being there. After all, when would a kid from Brooklyn ever make it as a Ranger goalie? Never, that's when!

But this handsome lad from the Manhattan Beach roller hockey ranks was there nonetheless. His name was Al Albert, kid brother of Marv Albert who would emerge as one of the greatest sportscasters in the world. Tagging along was the youngest Albert, Steve, who someday also would make very positive broadcast as well as literary history.

Then, it happened.

One of the skaters collapsed to the ice for no apparent reason. "Who's the joker?" someone wondered, figuring there was a prankster in the skating circle.

But the hulk, Wayne Larkin, didn't move. Coach Bernie Geoffrion, watching from the stands, sensed big trouble and dashed to the ice on a beeline to the fallen forward.

We watched in collective anguish as Geoffrion repeatedly pounded Larkin's chest, desperate to keep him alive. Meanwhile the S.O.S. had gone out and soon an ambulance arrived and Larkin was moved to a hospital. 

Steve Albert, who had been sitting in the stands with brother Marv and coach Geoffrion, never forgot the scene. Now – a good 57 years later – he recalled the incident in his book, "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Broadcast Booth."

The Larkin episode is the only un-funny thing in 278 pages of one of the best sports books I ever read. 

One of the funniest – as in strange – was the sight of brother Al on the same ice as Hall of Fame Ranger goalie Ed Giacomin.

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"It was quite a rush to see Al wearing a Rangers uniform, skating around with all those players (Rod Gilbert, Jean Ratelle, plus)," wrote author Steve. "My brother was a local kid from Brooklyn, which was unheard of; him being there with the NHL guys."

It was a rush for The Maven as well and, quite frankly, I feared for Al's life once Vic Hadfield unloaded one of his 100 mph shots. I tried imagining whether Middle Brother Al was as nervous for his life as I was.

What I saw was un-real. It was as if Al Albert was doing a 100 percent impersonation of an NHL goalie. Stoic as the Statue of Liberty, he turned away shot after shot and, better still, he made it look as if he was a Jewish Giacomin.

Geoffrion was stunned to the very core. When the workout ended, he pumped Al's hand and blurted "You, you, you, you good!"

(In his book, humorist Steve quipped: "To this day, Al has never washed that hand!")

But it wasn't that Al Albert impressed that one day. He did it again – and again. Meanwhile, The Maven is musing what a fantastic story this is gonna be. I dreamed up a potential headline: BROOKLYN KID BEATS OUT GIACOMIN FOR RANGERS JOB.

Then came the crusher. While imagining the possibility of more wonderful Al Albert stories,  I searched for my new hero and when I found him, I was crushed by what I saw and  heard.

There was Al, closing his suitcase, getting ready to leave. "What's this about?"  I wondered.

Then, he spilled the beans. The Vietnam War was on and he had been drafted by Uncle Sam. "Sorry, but I gotta report to Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri," he said

Or, as Stevie put it in his book: "The dream was over. He got to wear that Rangers uniform for only a few days."

EPILOGUE: Following his Army stint, Al was invited by Rangers GM Emile Francis to play for the Rangers farm team in Toledo. But something had come over Al during his GI experience.

"Al realized that an NHL career would be more likely in the broadcast booth," Steve concluded in his book.

And so it was and I can vouch for that. For one season Al was play-by-play guy for the 

New Jersey Devils and guess who was his sidekick? Me, The Maven.

Need I tell you – on a stack of pucks if necessary – that I believed Al Albert was as good a hockey play-by-play guy as Marv of whom there was  never anyone better as a Rangers voice.

Here's yet another "Can You Believe?" During the 1979-80 season I worked alongside Steve Albert who expertly handled 

Islanders play-by-play – in the first year of the Dynasty.  A WORD OF GRATITUDE: Thank you Alida and Max Albert. It was all in the kids' genes!

This has been the busiest summer of Pat Verbeek’s four offseasons as the general manager of the Anaheim Ducks. He gave the roster a significant facelift, shipping out long-time pieces Trevor Zegras and John Gibson while acquiring four players set to fill important roles on the depth chart.

Along with new faces on the ice, a largely new coaching staff will play a crucial role in the upcoming and pivotal season for the Ducks franchise. Verbeek’s contract is coming to an end, and playoffs have been the stated mandate from both Verbeek and ownership alike.

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Focusing on the depth chart, Chris Kreider, Mikael Granlund, Ryan Poehling, and Petr Mrazek are all expected to elevate and insulate the Ducks’ young core while impacting games on a nightly basis in their designated roles.

Chris Kreider

Chris Kreider (34), along with former New York Rangers captain and current Ducks defenseman Jacob Trouba, was part of a widely publicized and now notorious memo from Rangers GM Chris Drury stating the pair's availability for trade.

The Ducks parted with prospect Carey Terrance and a 2025 third-round pick (Artyom Gonchar) to acquire Kreider and a 2025 fourth-round pick (Elijah Neuenschwander).

Following his three best seasons from a goalscoring perspective from 2022 through 2024, where he totaled 52, 36, and 39 goals, respectively, he only managed 22 goals in 2024-25 and added just eight assists for 30 points in 68 games, his lowest points-per-game average in his 13-year NHL career.

Much of his poor season may be attributed to a slew of injuries, including back spasms, a broken hand, and a bout with vertigo; injuries he admittedly shouldn’t have attempted to play through.

Kreider’s speed, tenacity, and net front skill are all components that the Ducks have lacked during the latter stages of their rebuild, and he seems like a seamless fit anywhere on the left side of the Ducks' top nine.

He has two years remaining on his contract, which carries a $6.5 million AAV and a 15-team NMC.

Mikael Granlund

After failing to make a splash during the 2024 free agency period, the Ducks signed Mikael Granlund (33) to a three-year contract, carrying an AAV of $7 million and a full no-trade clause in year one that decreases to a 15-team NTC in year two and a ten-team NTC in year three.

One of Granlund’s most notable strengths is his versatility. He can play up and down the lineup, in every forward position, and features often on both special teams units.

He’s eclipsed the 60-point mark in three of the last four seasons despite playing for four different organizations, including scoring 105 (27-78=105) points in 121 games for a lowly San Jose Sharks team from 2023 to 2025.

Though analytics call into question his defensive prowess, he is a 200-foot contributor who displays disruptive and proper defensive tendencies while providing above-average hockey IQ and creativity on the offensive end.

Ryan Poehling

Perhaps the most controversial trade of Verbeek’s tenure in the Ducks' front office was trading Trevor Zegras to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Ryan Poehling (26), a 2025 second-round pick (Eric Nilson), and a 2026 fourth-round pick.

Poehling fits the role and the Ducks' need for a prototypical bottom-six center. He’s struggled to replicate the offensive production at the NHL level that made him a successful NCAA player a St. Cloud State University and AHL player for the Laval Rocket.

He’s a straight-line, defensively impactful, forechecking center who kills penalties and has shown a higher degree of transition offense than his archetype would dictate. 2024-25, his fourth full season in the NHL, yielded his highest offensive output, as he scored 31 points (12-19=31) in 68 games for the Flyers.

Poehling’s contract has one year remaining at a $1.9 million AAV, after which, he will become a UFA.

Petr Mrazek

Petr Mrazek (33) was acquired along with a 2027 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-round pick in exchange for John Gibson.

The Ducks have made the awaited transition and handed their crease over to one of the best young goaltenders in the NHL, Lukas Dostal. Gibson’s departure, after two seasons of deploying a tandem, meant the team needed a viable backup for Dostal.

They have Ville Husso on the roster as well, but he’s proven more volatile than once hoped or expected, so the team now has insurance in the form of Mrazek, an unquestionable NHL-caliber goaltender.

To this point in his career, Mrazek has played for five NHL organizations in his 11 years in the league. He’s won 184 games and has started 397, posting a career .906 SV% and 26 shutouts.

His performances have been unpredictable in the past few seasons, but the hope is that in a role where he’s the clear and designated backup to a fellow Czech countryman (Dostal), he will capitalize on the opportunity to find consistency in a contract year.

Mrazek has one year remaining on his deal that carries an AAV of $4.25 million.

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Russian defenseman Nikolai Goldobin, 29, has been claimed off KHL waivers by SKA St. Petersburg, the KHL website announced on Monday. He had been waived by Spartak Moscow, the club for which he’d played the past two seasons.

Born in Moscow, Goldobin went overseas at age 16 to play junior hockey for the OHL’s Sarnia Sting. He became a first-round pick of the San Jose Sharks in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, selected 27th overall.

Goldobin spent most of the 2014-15 season playing in Finland for HIFK Helsinki before signing with the Sharks late in the season and moving to the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda.

Between 2015 and 2019, Goldobin played 125 NHL games for the Sharks and Vancouver Canucks, recording 46 points and 24 penalty minutes. In February 2017, he was traded from San Jose to Vancouver for Danish winger Jannik Hansen.

Ex-Canuck Nikita Tryamkin Signs 3-Year Contract Extension In KHL Russian defenseman Nikita Tryamkin, 30, has signed a three-year contract extension with Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg that will run through the end of the 2027-28 season, the KHL club announced recently.

Goldobin has spent the past five seasons in the KHL playing for CSKA Moscow, Metallurg Magnitogorsk and Spartak, recording 277 points in 339 regular-season and playoff games.

A perennial powerhouse in the KHL, last season SKA finished a disappointing seventh in the Western Conference and was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs despite a star-studded lineup that included Ivan Demidov, Alexander Nikishin, Mikhail Grigorenko, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Arseni Gritsyuk, Nikita Zaitsev and Tony DeAngelo.

Heading into 2025-26, only Zaitsev remains from that group. The team has replaced coach Roman Rotenberg with Igor Larionov and added center Igor Larionov Jr. and North Americans Rocco Grimaldi Trevor Murphy, Brennan Menell and Joey Blandisi, who have some NHL experience.

Alexander Burmistrov & Adam Clendening Latest To Sign With Chinese KHL Team Ever since a major rebranding a week ago, the Shanghai Dragons have hired a high-profile head coach and signed 14 new players, including several ex-NHLers. On Saturday, five new signings were announced, including Russian center Alexander Burmistrov and the re-signing of American defenseman Adam Clendening. Rocco Grimaldi Will Play For Igor Larionov In KHL American forward Rocco Grimaldi, 32, has signed a two-year contract with SKA St. Petersburg, the KHL announced on Wednesday.

A few days ago, former Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price was honoured when a statue of the netminder in action, carved in wood with a chainsaw, was gifted to the city of Williams Lake by the district of Chetwynd.

The work of art, titled “The Goalie,” depicts the Habs goaltender in action with his glove hand extended. The unveiling took place at the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex. While Price himself was unable to attend, his parents, Linda and Jerry Price, were in attendance to speak on his behalf.

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Through his father, the Canadiens’ winningest goaltender said that for someone who doesn’t like to be the center of attention, it feels funny to have a statue of themselves, but also expressed how proud he was to be from the Cariboo Chilcotin and acknowledged the fact that the people helped to shape the man he became.

Chief Kukpi7 Willie Sellers, who was also in attendance, mentioned that watching Price play in the finals when he was in junior hockey was one of his fondest hockey memories. He also credits Price for inspiring him to pick up the pads again, even if it wasn’t at the same level as the Canadiens’ netminder.

Jeffrey Samudsocky of JMS Wood Sculpture is the artist who gave life to the statue, and this is one of the many statues that the District of Chetwynd has donated to other communities as a recognition of their partnership and to encourage collaboration.

There’s no denying that Price has been an inspiration to many First Nation youth during his NHL career, not only because of his performance on the ice but also because of the way he handled adversity. He fought his way through many injuries and setbacks to come back to play and wasn’t afraid to seek help from the NHL and NHLPA Player Assistance program when he felt he needed it because of substance abuse.

Unfortunately, after overcoming all that and winning the Bill Masterton Trophy, the all-star netminder only went on to play five more NHL games, winning the last one of his career, a 10-2 triumph over a watered-down version of the Florida Panthers who were resting some players in the previous game of the regular season.

Carey Price has been immortalized with a chainsaw-carved wood statue in Williams Lake, BC where he played minor hockey 🔥👏

(via @WLTribune) pic.twitter.com/mRBPlUSRIx

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) August 17, 2025

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