Author: Andrew Wisneski
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10 greatest College Hockey America freshman seasons
The women’s-only College Hockey America is the smallest of all NCAA Division I conferences, with six member teams. That limited membership has hardly deterred prospective quality recruits, however, as evidenced by the number of impressive women’s College Hockey America freshman seasons. Among the six teams, the two in Western Pennsylvania have especially stood out with their ability to attract high-end…
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Steve Mears living his dream with ‘the greatest job in the world’
Steve Mears was in a unique sort of awe when he frequented the old Pittsburgh Civic Arena. Attending a hockey game as a child did not stand out because of the players, as it does for most young fans. Instead of focusing on the ice, he was looking up towards the ceiling, realizing he was…
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10 greatest Women’s Hockey East freshman seasons
The Women’s Hockey East Association has an impressive track record in the women’s hockey world. Over its first 15 years of operation, its member teams have produced 19 U.S. Olympians, numerous others in other countries and a number of impact NWHL and CWHL players. The list of Olympians is likely going to grow in the…
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10 greatest jerseys from inaugural seasons
With NHL expansion officially in effect via the Vegas Golden Knights, there is another set of new jerseys on the market. In the half-century since the league started growing from the Original Six teams, a number of franchises have debuted wearing sharp jerseys. The Adidas era, which surely had influence on the Vegas team’s inaugural threads, marks…
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The best actor from every Atlantic Hockey school
Editor’s note: This is the final installment of a six-part series in which a Pucks and Rec writer will select the top contemporary entertainment alum from each school in a Division I hockey conference. The 11 institutions that comprise the Atlantic Hockey Conference, plus the two women’s CHA schools not represented in other rankings make up…
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The 10 greatest final picks in NHL Draft history
As is customary, the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins had the “honor” of selecting the last player in the 2017 NHL Draft. That selection was Will Reilly, a 20-year-old defender currently playing at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. It appears that Reilly will not let his draft selection slot decide his future. As he told Sean Leahy of…
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10 greatest Las Vegas Thunder, Wranglers players
This week, Las Vegas is assembling its first NHL roster. Through the expansion draft, the Vegas Golden Knights will acquire a group of players who will become the faces of the next chapter of professional hockey in the city. Since 1993, there has been professional hockey in Las Vegas in some form for all but six years. Between…
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10 greatest achievements by the first NHL expansion class
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the NHL’s first modern expansion class. That class consisted of the St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia Flyers, Minnesota North Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, Los Angeles Kings and California Seals. Throughout those 50 years, these franchises have accomplished many impressive feats. This includes 22 Stanley Cup Final appearances and nine championships. Some teams…
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10 greatest Bay Area-Cleveland Barons connections
For the third straight year, the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers are playing against each other in the NBA Final. Given the frequent play, the players on the two teams are very familiar with each other by now. The historic sports connections between the Bay Area of California and Cleveland, however, are not limited to this…
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Hockey has taken Fredrik Olofsson ‘a lot of places’
Frequent travel and relocation are a way of life for Fredrik Olofsson. In some cases, he moved from place to place with his family. In other instances, he moved by himself to play hockey. Either way, these experiences have allowed him to enjoy trying new things and experiencing different parts of the world, which he now actively seeks in…