Jasa playing career

He was able to play for the OHL's Brampton Battalion as an underaged player for the 1998–99 season because it was his hometown team; he averaged over a point per game. He was then required to enter the OHL Priority Draft and was selected by the Mississauga Ice Dogs in the team's opening season (1999–00). Spezza became the third player to represent Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship as a 16-year-old, after Wayne Gretzky and Eric Lindros. This feat was also accomplished the same year by defenceman Jay Bouwmeester and Sidney Crosby in 2004. Splitting the next year with the Ice Dogs and Windsor Spitfires, Spezza scored his OHL-career-high 86 points in 66 games.

Prior to the 2001 Entry Draft, Spezza was noted as a highly regarded prospect, and won two top prospect awards.[5] He was drafted second overall after the Atlanta Thrashers' pick for the left-winger Ilya Kovalchuk. His pick originally belonged to the New York Islanders, but was traded to Ottawa along with Zdeno Chara and Bill Muckalt for Alexei Yashin.

After one more OHL season with the Belleville Bulls and some time in the AHL playoffs with the Grand Rapids Griffins, Spezza started his professional career in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Binghamton Senators for the 2002–03 season.
Source

Article NHL board unanimously approves Edmonton Oilers & Tampa Bay Lightning sales

NEW YORK -- The NHL board of governors unanimously approved the sale of the Edmonton Oilers to Canadian billionaire Daryl Katz, and the purchase of the Tampa Bay Lightning by a group of investors led by Hollywood producer Oren Koules and former player Len Barrie.

Both deals were approved Wednesday at the board of governors meeting in New York in advance of this weekend's NHL draft in Ottawa.

Katz, the owner of the Rexall Drug Store chain, agreed in February to buy 100 percent of shares owned by the 34-member Edmonton Investors Group for nearly $200 million. He offered to pay about $22,000 for each of the 7,492 shares -- a deal that represented twice the original purchase price.

"I am very pleased to have received the Board of Governors' unanimous approval," Katz said in a statement. "We look forward to closing the transaction on or before June 30th and gearing up for the coming season."

Koules' OK Hockey group also reached a deal in February to buy the Lightning for $206 million and existing debt from by Michigan-based Palace Sports & Entertainment.

That group, led by Detroit Pistons owner Bill Davidson, bought the Lightning in 1999 and helped transform the club from a perennial loser into a franchise that won the Stanley Cup in 2004.

"Bill Davidson, for a variety of reasons, hasn't been able to be in Tampa for a while," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. "Having really made that franchise as stable as it's ever been, having brought a Stanley Cup championship to the Tampa Bay region, I think he felt it was time to provide for the future of the franchise."

Barrie spent time with four NHL teams during a seven-year career that also included stints in the minor leagues and in Europe.

"We are thrilled that the National Hockey League and its Governors offered its unanimous affirmation," Koules said in a statement. "Len Barrie, myself and our other partners look forward to jumping in with both feet, ensuring Tampa Bay it will have a team to be proud of on and off the ice for years to come.

"We intend to focus on the 2008-09 season immediately."

The Lightning's sale is expected to close by the end of the month, which is when general manager Jay Feaster will meet with the new owners to begin addressing the team's most immediate need: finding a new coach to replace John Tortorella, who was fired last month. Feaster, who was attending the NHL draft in Ottawa, said another issue is the status of star forward Vincent Lecavalier, who is entering the final year of his contract.

The Lightning have the No. 1 pick in the draft, which opens Friday night.

The board also endorsed three rules changes that had been recommended by the league's general managers and approved by the competition committee.

The first faceoff following the assessment of a penalty will take place in the offensive zone as will faceoffs after a puck caroms out of play off the post or crossbar. The NHL is not ready to adopt "no-touch icing" but instead has amended the rule to make it illegal for puck-chasers trying to prevent icing to hit another player.

"Any contact between opposing players while pursuing the puck on an icing must be for the sole purpose of playing the puck and not for eliminating the opponent from playing the puck," the league said in a statement. "Unnecessary or dangerous contact could result in penalties being assessed to the offending player."

"We think that will go a long way to reducing the likelihood of any possible injuries," Bettman said.

Katz had made five offers to buy the Oilers during a 10-month period, starting with a bid of $145 million. The increasing bids for the team split the EIG in half, one side that wanted to sell and another group of six owners who tried to come up with an offer to match.

They gave up their efforts a week before the deal with Katz was accepted.

"A transition toward a single owner, who is passionate about the game, passionate about Edmonton, and passionate about the Oilers, who is committed to getting a new arena built ... this was an appropriate time for the franchise to move forward and reorganize its ownership structure," Bettman said. "This is a real positive for the Oilers."

It's been a good week for the Oilers, who received the news Tuesday that former star forward Glenn Anderson was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame.

"This is a step in the process, the final step being the closing of the deal," Oilers president Patrick LaForge said. "In our case there are 34 sellers, so 34 deals. There is no real hurdle for that, it's just extra paper work and legal things. It'll all get done on or before June 30."

Katz intends to keep the Oilers in Edmonton and has had discussions with the city of Edmonton for a deal that would keep the team there long term. He has promised to pay up to $100 million for a new arena, build a practice facility for the team, and raise the payroll to the limit of the salary cap which is expected to be about $56 next season.

"I don't think there has been a high level of anxiety," LaForge said. "I think people would like to get out of the business pages and get into the sports pages again with these headlines.

"Daryl Katz is an Edmonton guy. He grew up there and he's been a fan since the club was put together. He's Edmonton Oilers through and through. He bought them for a reason."

The Katz Group owns the Rexall brand, which holds the building naming rights for the Oilers' home arena, and other drugstore chains. In 2003, the Katz Group signed a 10-year deal for the naming rights at a cost believed to be $20 million.

In other news, Anaheim Ducks general manager Brian Burke wants to hear from Scott Niedermayer by the weekend if the veteran defenseman intends to return to the team or retire. Burke declined comment on growing speculation that he might leave the Ducks for a position with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Atlanta Thrashers general manager Don Waddell said his short list of coaching candidates is down to two people, and he hopes to have his replacement behind the bench hired within days.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

Chicago Wolves, Calder Cup Champions

Alpha Wolves: Chicago reclaims Calder Cup

ROSEMONT, Ill. … Jason Krog’s four-point night included his second hat trick of the postseason and propelled the Chicago Wolves to the American Hockey League’s 2008 Calder Cup championship with a 5-2 win over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins before 9,808 fans at Allstate Arena on Tuesday night.

The Wolves, top development team of the National Hockey League’s Atlanta Thrashers, defeated the Penguins four games to two to win their second AHL title and first since 2002.

Krog capped a magical season by winning the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the most valuable player of the 2008 Calder Cup Playoffs, finishing with 12 goals and a league record-tying 26 assists for 38 points in 24 playoff games. Krog, who won his first championship after reaching the Calder Cup Finals with Bridgeport in 2002 and the Stanley Cup Finals with Anaheim in 2003, was also named the AHL MVP in the regular season after leading the league in goals (39), assists (73) and points (112) in 80 games played.

2007 AHL Rookie of the Year Brett Sterling and 2007 AHL All-Rookie defenseman Nathan Oystrick also scored for the Wolves in Game 6, and Ondrej Pavelec made 25 saves to become the third goaltender in AHL history to win 16 games in a single postseason.

John Anderson becomes the 12th head coach to win more than one Calder Cup championship, leading Chicago to its second title in seven seasons since joining the AHL. The Wolves won the West Division with a record of 53-22-2-3 (111 points) during the regular season, then got past the Milwaukee Admirals (4-2), Rockford IceHogs (4-3) and Toronto Marlies (4-1) before defeating the Penguins in the Finals.

Chicago’s victory brings the curtain down on the AHL’s 72nd season. In operation since 1936, the AHL continues to serve as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League teams. More than 84 percent of today’s players are American Hockey League graduates, and this season marked the seventh consecutive year in which more than 6 million fans attended AHL games across North America.

Source: Calder Cup.com

Source

Balls Of Crystal

Some claim that the most exciting time in hockey, is during a period where the ice has long melted away. The Entry Draft and the Free Agent Frenzy that soon follows, provides fans the only realistic time to speculate a plethora of player movement around the League. And even those that have witnessed their teams plummet to the basement, hope is back within reach.

Here are a few things I would like all of you to be on the look out for.

1. Teams looking to gain cap space.

Those with high profiled trade bait will work hard to get their deals done at the deadline. With the offer sheet scare in the air, GMs will not wish to hold on to their players any longer than they have to. Which may result in falling short of the market value. I'd be very surprised if players such as Jokinen, Marleau, Nylander, Kubina (or McCabe), or possibly RFAs such as Sundin or Jeff Carter make it through the draft weekend untouched. For in order to be set with a plan in place on July 1st, there must be room within the mandated budget.

2. Solidifying the nets.

The Leafs, Panthers and Bruins all made deals to bring in a new starting goaltender during and around last years draft, which may have set a new trend. Could the same prove true this season? If so, moves for Budaj, Roloson, Chris Mason, Niittymaki and UFA Conklin are all possiblities.

3. Finalizing the front office moves.

With word of the Tampa Bay Lightning looking for permission to talk to Coyotes Assistant Coach Rick Tocchet, the fate of Mike Sullivan looks to be in the hands of the Atlanta Thrashers who have yet to fill their head coaching job. While ESPN analyst Barry Melrose appears to have no competition for the head coaching position of the Bolts. And the strange timing of the Kings decision to fire head coach Marc Crawford, might prove to have something to do with the availability of Joel Quenneville. The circus in Toronto, where they have decided to prolong Cliff Fletcher's interim title, have many believing that it directly ties them with the end of Brian Burke's contract in Anaheim. But do not count out the fact that Nashville is in an ownership crisis and that GM David Poile has strong ties to both Fletcher and Ron Wilson. In either event, do not expect Cliff to be sitting in the captain's chair for the entire year.

4. Might they retire?

Last offseason, all eyes were on Anaheim as both Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne while they couldn't make their damn minds up. Don't expect that to happen again this season. Not in Anaheim nor anywhere else.

Players such as Jagr, Straka, Sakic, Sundin, Naslund, Niedermayer, Selanne, Shanahan, Kolzig, etc. may all choose to hang up their skates this season, or at the very least ship off to Europe to play in one of their many leagues. However, I doubt the first 5 mentioned will be going anywhere, other than in some cases, to another franchise. Should any of them choose to not detail their future plans with their respective clubs by July 1st, they may all be waiting at the nearest bus stop.

5. Offer Sheets?

No offer sheets will be made until much later in the free agent swap meat. Considering that only Kevin Lowe tendered such a document (actually two of them) last offseason, it may be a bit presumptuous to think that every RFA out there will be snatched up and brought to a new team against their team's will. But if another GM out there is careless with his cap situation as Brian Burke was last go around, all bets are off. With the Cap raising yet again, the discrepancies between the highest payrolls and the lowest, will push the possibility of an offer sheet to the forefront. Both Pittsburgh and Philadelphia appear to be in the biggest bind right now. However, many things can change between now and late July. What we shouldn't expect to see, is an offer like the one made to Vanek in Buffalo last season. Expect the GMs to wait until they know for certain that their offers cannot be matched. Not without some other player movement being involved.

6. Finally... the draft.

I don't expect to see many surprises in this year's draft. Stamkos will be the first kid called to the stage, followed by a group of defenders mixed in with a Russian forward in there somewhere. Some teams may choose to trade up or down in this draft, as they tend to do every season. But do not look for it to happen among the top 10 overall.

~ LeaferSutherland
Source

Quick Question: Who is Better Off?

Wayne, our ever perky Southern Correspondent, comes to me with a rather hard-to-answer question

---
In a typical Presidential election year, the candidate whose party is out of office always asks the voters, "Are you better off than you were four years ago?"

Four years ago fans were about to face a lockout. Three years ago, we finally got back to playing. But are things any better for fans of certain teams? Of these teams, who's better off (or worse off) today than they were three years ago when the playing field was supposed to be leveled financially?

L.A. Kings
Atlanta Thrashers
Florida Panthers
Columbus Blue Jackets
Phoenix Coyotes
Chicago Blackhawks
St. Louis Blues

Or everyone's favorite:

Toronto Maple Leafs
---

Without having access to the finances of these clubs, it is very hard to comment on if they are truly better off than they were before the lockout

Chicago? They are much better off, simply because "Dollar Bill" Wirtz bit the big one and his spawn 'get it'. The Hawks are on TV (GASP!), have some great young talent, and seem to be getting some buzz in the Windy City.

St. Louis? They were always well off...they have a good fan-base, good corporate sponsorship, and never were in any danger.

The Canadian teams are doing great, but I would opine that they got hurt a lot by the CBA. We know the Canadian teams make a huge chunk of the league's revenues, so we know that these same clubs have to contribute a huge chunk into the revenue sharing pool.

Who benefits? Atlanta, Florida, Nashville, etc.. Oh, the Leafs are in terrific shape, especially since the Canadian dollar is strong, but they likely would be stronger if we were under the old system and the Leafs could keep every dime they make.

Does anyone else have some theories?

----

Trevor Linden formally announced his retirement today, to little surprise.

I've already done some Linden stuff on this blog, so head on over to FanHouse where I give non-Canucks fans a reason to mourn the's loss.

:(
Source

Picking an NHL team, part 1

So, I'm seriously trying to do this now.
I need to find a team to follow.

Of course, this is a bit harder than the NBA (team in the state), MLB (Roberto Clemente's legacy drove me to the Pirates and I was immersed before realizing the mess that was the ownership) and the NFL (they took a Utah guy, that was enough for me at the time).

Like the Panthers, I again would like to follow a relatively new team in the (less catching up on the history to do). But it's not a must.
I'm going to avoid LA, the 2 NYC teams, and Dallas just because I am.
And Detroit too, because I've seen them compared to the Yankees. I hate the Yankees.
And Boston, because I'm sick of the city. Their NFL team wins because they cheat, the NBA team traded a bunch of nobodies for 2 stars... and the NBA approved (almost as bad as the Pau Gasol to the Lakers trade).

But whatever. We're going to pretend that I didn't say any of the italicized stuff, just to make it easier.

I then looked at the final results of all 30 teams over the past 3 seasons (for example, the Red Wings finished 1st in the Central Division all 3 years, and maid the playoffs all 3 years). I didn't look into Stanley Cup wins at the time, but now I have and can say that they were Detroit (this year), Anaheim (last year) & Carolina (2 years back).

Then, just for fun, I looked at when each team entered the league. The newest teams are the Minnesota Wild & the Columbus Blue Jackets. Not far behind are the Atlanta Thrashers & the Nashville Predators. The San Jose Sharks came around in 1991 (just FYI).

Then I isolated the teams (by name) into 3 groups (which ended up, without planning, at 10 each)... with the help of Wikipedia. And I ranked them (1 through 10) based on their record of the recently completed season (regular season only... no impact from the playoffs). Tie breakers were broken by goals scored v. goals allowed differential. The better the differential (in your favor), the higher you were ranked.

Group #1

1. Canadiens
2. Rangers
3. Flyers
4. Senators
5. Blackhawks
6. Canucks
7. Oilers
8. Blue Jackets
9. Islanders
10. Kings

Group #2

1. Sharks
2. Penguins
3. Ducks
4. Devils
5. Bruins
6. Predators
7. Sabres
8. Panthers
9. Coyotes
10. Thrashers

Group #3

1. Red Wings
2. Wild
3. Stars
4. Avalanche
5. Capitals
6. Flames
7. Hurricanes
8. Maple Leafs
9. Blues
10. Lightning

And finally, I put them in brackets (kinda like the March Madness ones). Each of the 3 groups has 2 "play-in games" (7 v. 10, 8 v. 9). The higher seed of the 2 winners "plays" the #2 seed, while the lower one "plays" the #1 seed. I don't know how exactly I'll pick the winner of each "game"... I'm still working on that.

At the end of all the "games", I'll have 3 teams left (1 winner from each group). I will then pick 1 other team (not sure how), and have the Final Four of it. And at the end, hopefully I'll have a team to root for.

So, the 7 v. 10 & 8 v. 9 games...
Group 1: Oilers v. Kings, Blue Jackets v. Islanders
Group 2: Sabres v. Thrashers, Panthers v. Coyotes
Group 3: Hurricanes v. Lightning, Maple Leafs v. Blues

Group 1 will be easy to decide... LA (Kings) & NY (Islanders) are both out because of the above-mentioned italicized stuff. The other 2 are a bit harder. (In fact, the Oilers will keep going, because their next "game" is versus the other NY team... the Rangers, so that's another easy win.)

I actually might end up passing on the Canada teams too, simply because I live in America and it'd be a bit harder to follow them as closely (even with the internet). Not sure though... I wouldn't mind too much. Not like I'll be able to see much hockey before the Stanley Cup Finals anyways.

So... Sabres or Thrashers?
Panthers or Coyotes?
Hurricanes or Lightning?
Maple Leafs or Blues?

Who should "win" in each of the 4 remaining play-in match-ups?
Source

NHL Playoffs: March Of The Penguins From Last Place To Cup Finals In 3 Years

With Sunday's victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference Finals of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Pittsburgh Penguins advanced to the Cup Finals for the first time since 1992. That last time that happened, they won the Stanley Cup. The team should take that as a good sign, as things are finally looking up for the franchise. It was not too long ago, that most people wouldn't expect the Penguins to get this far, let along make the playoffs in the first place.

Three years ago, the Pittsburgh Penguins was like the ugly girl in high school that no one wanted to date. They were perennial bottom feeders, and the once proud franchise played to empty seats at 'the igloo'. To make matters worse, there was a chance that there wouldn't even be a seats at all. With the Penguins having one of the oldest arenas in the league and a lease that gives little revenue, it was economically impossible for them to stay in the 47 year old Mellon Arena for long. But it looked like there wouldn't be a new arena funded by the government, and the two-time Stanley Cup winner was ready to move from Steel Town. To say that Penguins fans expected the Armageddon to happen, was an understatement.

But then the hockey gods heard the cries of the suffering, and sent a savior. A special draft lottery was held subsequently after the.nhl lockout that saw the league become the first in North American history to lose a season, and Wayne Getzky's anointed successor was up for grabs. Since he was a child, Sidney Crosby was predicted to follow in the legend's footsteps and become the one-man super player that only appears once a generation. Imagine then, the joy amongst the Pittsburgh fateful when they were awarded the first pick. Not only was "Sid the Kid" the savior for the league and the Penguins, he was a worthy heir to their own "Super" Mario Lemieux. Hall of Fame member Lemieux was the man that mesmerized the igloo's fans with his inhuman goals done with hands quicker than houdini's. He led the team to two Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992, which made the team relevant to the city for the first time since it's creation in 1967. Lemieux saved the team again in 1999, buying the team after they were on the verge of bankruptcy. In December 2000, he decided to become the first professional owner-athlete and suited up in the black and gold uniform again. He continued to play with ease, but he was aging. Crosby would be his true successor.When Sidney Crosby was unsurprisingly picked first at the entry draft, the 18 year-old pimply kid posed for a portrait with his new team's jersey. He sat down, while a suit & tie-clad Mario stood tall behind him with a muscular hand over Crosby's shoulder. They looked like father & son.

Lemieux played one more year until 2006, before he retired. The Penguins were still performing poorly in the standings, but hope had been renewed by the arrival of hockey's revered son. Eventually, the team added talented Russian Evgeni Malkin and the rest of the young corp finally returned to the playoffs in 2007. That same year, Crosby won the Art Ross Trophy (Most Valuable Player in the regular season) and they were only a few points short of winning the Atlantic Division. But the inexperienced team were clobbered by the eventual Stanley Cup finalist, the Ottawa Senators.

The next season, Crosby was named the youngest captain in.nhl history at only 19 years old. Some critics complained that he was too young, and merely received the position out of his ballyhooed reputation. He responded with scoring 72 points in only 53 games, and the Penguins cliched the Division championship. At the 2008 season's trade deadline, the Penguins decided to go for broke and acquired star sniper Marian Hossa from the Atlanta Thrashers. He had been a vital facet of the Penguins offense in the playoffs, with 19 points through 14 playoff games. The Penguins marched through this year's playoffs like an unstoppable army, going 12-2 to advance to the Finals. For good measure, they swept the Ottawa Senators in the first round, which stopped them from defending their title as top team in the East.

As the Penguins await the winner of the Western Conference Finals and their destined opponent, the city of Pittsburgh is once again abuzz with hockey. The final game on sunday was crammed with 17,132 fans; Mellon Arena only has 16,958 seats. Local city papers reported on how other Pittsburgh pro teams had become obsessed with Cup-fever, as the Steelers' (American Football) coaches and players have been spotted at games lately. Imagine the reaction if a time traveler had went to three years ago and told a hockey fan. The fan would have called the local asylum, and have the man locked up. But truth can be stranger than fiction, and America loves the rag-to-riches underdog story. Only this time, it's a under-bird that's going the distance. Only time will tell if they'll be sipping champagne from the 115-year old sterling silver trophy, but everyone has already seen how powerful a simple hope could be.

Files from TSN.ca and Penguins.nhl.com were used in this report.

Source

NHL Playoffs: March Of The Penguins From Last Place To Cup Finals In 3 Years

With Sunday's victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference Finals of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Pittsburgh Penguins advanced to the Cup Finals for the first time since 1992. That last time that happened, they won the Stanley Cup. The team should take that as a good sign, as things are finally looking up for the franchise. It was not too long ago, that most people wouldn't expect the Penguins to get this far, let along make the playoffs in the first place.

Three years ago, the Pittsburgh Penguins was like the ugly girl in high school that no one wanted to date. They were perennial bottom feeders, and the once proud franchise played to empty seats at 'the igloo'. To make matters worse, there was a chance that there wouldn't even be a seats at all. With the Penguins having one of the oldest arenas in the league and a lease that gives little revenue, it was economically impossible for them to stay in the 47 year old Mellon Arena for long. But it looked like there wouldn't be a new arena funded by the government, and the two-time Stanley Cup winner was ready to move from Steel Town. To say that Penguins fans expected the Armageddon to happen, was an understatement.

But then the hockey gods heard the cries of the suffering, and sent a savior. A special draft lottery was held subsequently after the.nhl lockout that saw the league become the first in North American history to lose a season, and Wayne Getzky's anointed successor was up for grabs. Since he was a child, Sidney Crosby was predicted to follow in the legend's footsteps and become the one-man super player that only appears once a generation. Imagine then, the joy amongst the Pittsburgh fateful when they were awarded the first pick. Not only was "Sid the Kid" the savior for the league and the Penguins, he was a worthy heir to their own "Super" Mario Lemieux. Hall of Fame member Lemieux was the man that mesmerized the igloo's fans with his inhuman goals done with hands quicker than houdini's. He led the team to two Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992, which made the team relevant to the city for the first time since it's creation in 1967. Lemieux saved the team again in 1999, buying the team after they were on the verge of bankruptcy. In December 2000, he decided to become the first professional owner-athlete and suited up in the black and gold uniform again. He continued to play with ease, but he was aging. Crosby would be his true successor.When Sidney Crosby was unsurprisingly picked first at the entry draft, the 18 year-old pimply kid posed for a portrait with his new team's jersey. He sat down, while a suit & tie-clad Mario stood tall behind him with a muscular hand over Crosby's shoulder. They looked like father & son.

Lemieux played one more year until 2006, before he retired. The Penguins were still performing poorly in the standings, but hope had been renewed by the arrival of hockey's revered son. Eventually, the team added talented Russian Evgeni Malkin and the rest of the young corp finally returned to the playoffs in 2007. That same year, Crosby won the Art Ross Trophy (Most Valuable Player in the regular season) and they were only a few points short of winning the Atlantic Division. But the inexperienced team were clobbered by the eventual Stanley Cup finalist, the Ottawa Senators.

The next season, Crosby was named the youngest captain in.nhl history at only 19 years old. Some critics complained that he was too young, and merely received the position out of his ballyhooed reputation. He responded with scoring 72 points in only 53 games, and the Penguins cliched the Division championship. At the 2008 season's trade deadline, the Penguins decided to go for broke and acquired star sniper Marian Hossa from the Atlanta Thrashers. He had been a vital facet of the Penguins offense in the playoffs, with 19 points through 14 playoff games. The Penguins marched through this year's playoffs like an unstoppable army, going 12-2 to advance to the Finals. For good measure, they swept the Ottawa Senators in the first round, which stopped them from defending their title as top team in the East.

As the Penguins await the winner of the Western Conference Finals and their destined opponent, the city of Pittsburgh is once again abuzz with hockey. The final game on sunday was crammed with 17,132 fans; Mellon Arena only has 16,958 seats. Local city papers reported on how other Pittsburgh pro teams had become obsessed with Cup-fever, as the Steelers' (American Football) coaches and players have been spotted at games lately. Imagine the reaction if a time traveler had went to three years ago and told a hockey fan. The fan would have called the local asylum, and have the man locked up. But truth can be stranger than fiction, and America loves the rag-to-riches underdog story. Only this time, it's a under-bird that's going the distance. Only time will tell if they'll be sipping champagne from the 115-year old sterling silver trophy, but everyone has already seen how powerful a simple hope could be.

Files from TSN.ca and Penguins.nhl.com were used in this report.

Source