4 Most Successful Coaches In Los Angeles Kings History

4 Most Successful Coaches In Los Angeles Kings History: Since joining the National Hockey League for the 1967-68 season, the Los Angeles Kings have been a team that has enjoyed regular season success but has had issues in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Still without a Stanley Cup victory to date, the Kings made it to the finals just once.

Over the past two seasons, Terry Murray has been the latest Los Angeles Head Coach to provide the city with a promising team. In 2009-10, the Kings finished with 101 points and the following season they totalled 98. In each post season, however, the Kings were knocked off in the first round. What follows are the coaches of three similar seasons as the past two and the one season where regular season success was hard to come by but the team excelled in the playoffs.

The Shocking Top Rookie Card of the 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee Series! (After Gretzky)

Okay, the 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee hockey card series is known for one thing – the Wayne Gretzky rookie card. Sure, the set also features the final cards of Gordie Howe and Bobby Hull, but they’re just not in the same league as the Gretzky hockey card. Fact is, it just wasn’t a great set at all for rookies, other than the Great One.

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The Shocking Top Rookie Card of the 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee Series! (After Gretzky)

AHL’s Hershey Bears Blue Line Bolstered By Ontario Hockey League Duo

As usual, the Hershey Bears are storming through the American Hockey League season, taking no prisoners. The Bears are currently in first atop the Eastern Conference and second overall in the 30 team league behind only the Oklahoma City Barons. Helping out on the blue line are two grads of the Ontario Hockey League. These are the only two representatives of the OHL on the Hershey roster, a surprise when you consider there is only one non-North American born player on the club.

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AHL’s Hershey Bears Blue Line Bolstered By Ontario Hockey League Duo

The Plymouth, Detroit, Windsor, Hartford, Carolina Coaching Connection

There would seem to be pretty tight criteria in becoming a coach of the Ontario Hockey League’s Plymouth Whalers. It would seem that once a candidate gets the job, he is most likely being groomed for a bigger job at a specific location in the National Hockey League.

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The Plymouth, Detroit, Windsor, Hartford, Carolina Coaching Connection

6 Hershey Bears to Win The Les Cunningham Award as AHL MVP

In the American Hockey League, the Les Cunningham Award has been given each year to the league’s most valuable player since the 1947-48 season. The Hershey Bears, the league’s oldest franchise, have had six players win the Cunningham Award.

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6 Hershey Bears to Win The Les Cunningham Award as AHL MVP

Five Members of the Hockey Hall of Fame That Started Out in the OHL

Even those who aren’t hockey fans have heard the names Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky or Steve Yzerman. Like any other professional sport, hockey has its iconic heroes. What might not be known is that a great number of hockey’s superstars started out playing junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League. What follows is five greats that played in the OHL and went on to NHL careers worthy of a place in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

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Five Members of the Hockey Hall of Fame That Started Out in the OHL

Two Ontario Hockey League Grads on Székesfehérvár of Austria’s EBEL

Thank god for the cut & paste function on word processors! If I had to type out Székesfehérvár more than once, this article would never happen. Don’t even bother trying to pronounce it…

Székesfehérvár is one of eleven teams in Austria’s Erste Bank Eishockey Liga (EBEL). Like four other teams in the league, Székesfehérvár is not actually located in Austria. Located 65 km southwest of Budapest, Székesfehérvár is the only Hungary based team in the EBEL.

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Two Ontario Hockey League Grads on Székesfehérvár of Austria’s EBEL

Cardboard Cameos Abound in the 1963-64 Topps Hockey Series

The 1963-64 hockey card season was the last collectors would see of Parkhurst. The 1963-64 Topps series remains one of the most affordable of the pre O-Pee-Chee era. The interesting thing about the Topps cards is the generic action picture that takes up about a quarter of the front of the cards. The whole set becomes a collection of cardboard cameos, with three Hockey Hall of Fame stars standing out, in particular.

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Cardboard Cameos Abound in the 1963-64 Topps Hockey Series

1979-80 O-Pee-Chee Hockey Cards - Beyond Wayne Gretzky

1979-80 O-Pee-Chee Hockey Cards - Beyond Wayne Gretzky:

The 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee hockey card series is forever known as the set that includes the Wayne Gretzky rookie card. Although not the most valuable hockey card in the history of the hobby, considering when it was produced and in what great numbers, the Gretzky card, at $800, is one of the most coveted treasures among collectors.

4 Plymouth Whalers Grads Making an Impression on the NHL

The Plymouth Whalers Ontario Hockey League franchise has produced some great players since beginning play in 1990-91. Currently, there are four Whalers grads making a big impression on the National Hockey League.

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4 Plymouth Whalers Grads Making an Impression on the NHL

5 OHL Grads On Team Canada At 2012 Spengler Cup

It’s nearly Spengler Cup time again. Overshadowed each holiday season by the IIHF World Juniors, the Spengler does boast some high calibre hockey. The tournament, held each season in Davos, Switzerland, starts on December 26 and features six teams this season. Participating this year will be Canada, HC Davos, Kloten Flyers (Switzerland), Dinamo Riga (KHL), HC Vitkovice (Czech Republic) and EHC Wolfsburg Grizzly Adams (Germany).

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5 OHL Grads On Team Canada At 2012 Spengler Cup

1940-41 O-Pee-Chee: The Last Set Before The Hockey Card Dark Ages

In 1940, Canada was fully involved in World War II. O-Pee-Chee had produced a hockey card series on a fairly regular basis throughout the 1930′s. For 1940-41, O-Pee-Chee would produce their last series until 1968-69. The hockey card market would enter its ‘dark ages’ when no major sets were produced until Parkhurst came along for 1951-52.

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1940-41 O-Pee-Chee: The Last Set Before The Hockey Card Dark Ages

What if Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux Never Played in the NHL?

There’s no question that the National Hockey League’s record books are dominated by Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. Between the two, they own the top 12 single season performances in total assists, the top 13 point totals and three of the top four goal totals. What if neither had existed? What would the record books look like today?

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What if Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux Never Played in the NHL?

The OHL's Plymouth Whalers at the Robertson Cup

Since joining the Ontario Hockey League in 1990-91 as the Detroit Compuware Ambassadors, the Plymouth Whalers franchise has enjoyed more than their fair share of playoff success. Twice when they were known as the Detroit Junior Red Wings and three times as the Plymouth Whalers, the franchise has made it through to the Robertson Cup finals. On two occasions, the team won it all to earn a berth at the Memorial Cup tournament.

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The OHL's Plymouth Whalers at the Robertson Cup

Plymouth Whalers Alumni – Where Are They In 2011-12?

The Plymouth Whalers franchise dates back to the 1990-91 Ontario Hockey League season. The began as the Detroit Compuware Ambassadors, transforming to the Junior Red Wings before becoming the Whalers. The team really is ‘America’s Team’ in the OHL, having gone to the Robertson Cup finals three times since 2000 and winning once. The Whalers went to the 2007 Memorial Cup, losing to the host Vancouver Giants in the semi-finals. The Giants went on to be crowned Memorial Cup champions.

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Plymouth Whalers Alumni – Where Are They In 2011-12?

3 30-Something Ontario Hockey League Alumni on DEL’s Iserlohn Roosters

With the exception of 2007-08, when they were ousted in the Quarter-Finals, the Iserlohn Roosters of Germany’s Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) have failed to make the post-season in each season since 2000-01. Things don’t look much brighter in 2011-12 with the team struggling in eleventh position in the fourteen team league. On the team are three hockey veterans and alumni of the Ontario Hockey League. All three played in the 1990′s. One actually started at the end of the 1980′s.

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3 30-Something Ontario Hockey League Alumni on DEL’s Iserlohn Roosters

4 Must Read Articles About Hockey Cards!

4 Must Read Articles About Hockey Cards!
(Well… Maybe not must read!)
Here’s a few decent articles on Hockey Cards that I have posted at Factoidz and Hubpages. Click and take a look…
Is Your $1000 Wayne Gretzky Rookie Card A Fake?
As with any collectible of value, eventually fakes will begin to circulate. The most valuable hockey card today is an O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky rookie card. It is valued at up to $1500 in mint condition. The highest price it has ever fetched to date is $80,000. Of course, there are many fakes out there. Read more

4 Must Read Articles About Hockey Cards!

Memorial Cup Champions From The OHL From The 70′s, 80′s, 90′s and 00′s

Over the past four decades, from 1970 to 2009, 13 teams from the Ontario Hockey League have gone on to become Memorial Cup champions. In the first decade, the league was represented by four champs and each of the following three, three OHL teams won the top prize.

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Memorial Cup Champions From The OHL From The 70′s, 80′s, 90′s and 00′s

Mike Danton is one of 4 (Possibly 5) OHL Grads on Orli Znojmo of Austria’s EBEL

Since the name ‘International Hockey League’ is no longer in use in North America, Austria’s elite Erste Bank Eishockey Liga might think about changing their name to just that. The eleven team EBEL is truly an international hockey league. Just six of the eleven teams are based in Austria for 2011-12. There are two teams in Slovenia and one each in Hungary, Croatia and the Czech Republic. Halfway through the 54 game regular season schedule, the team is currently tied for ninth in the EBEL.

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Mike Danton is one of 4 (Possibly 5) OHL Grads on Orli Znojmo of Austria’s EBEL

10 Must-Have Bobby Orr Hockey Cards

After a stellar four year junior career with the OHA’s Oshawa Generals from 1962-63 to 1965-66, Bobby Orr took his revolutionary style of offensive minded defensive play to the National Hockey League. He lasted just ten years with the Boston Bruins and 26 games over two seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks before injuries cut his NHL career short. Yet, Bobby Orr is still considered, to this day, to be one of, if not the, greatest defenseman to play the game of hockey.

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10 Must-Have Bobby Orr Hockey Cards

3 Memorial Cup Champs From The OHL In The 2000's

Ontario Hockey League teams did in the first decade of the new millennium as they did over the past two decades. OHL teams won the Memorial Cup on three occasions. With 60 teams spread over three leagues competing for the ultimate major junior hockey prize, the odds are pretty high of teams from each league winning three times in a ten year span.

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3 Memorial Cup Champs From The OHL In The 2000's

Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita: The Dynamic Duo That Dominated The NHL In The 1960's

Batman and Robin weren’t the only dynamic duo in the 1960’s. Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita dominated the National Hockey League for the whole ten years that made up the ‘Decade of Love’. Hull and Mikita made sure that the Chicago Black Hawks were represented each and every year in the scoring race. More often than not, one of the two won the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s top point getter.

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Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita: The Dynamic Duo That Dominated The NHL In The 1960's

1974-75 NHL Season By The Numbers

The 1974-75 National Hockey League season featured the Philadelphia Flyers finishing first overall and winning their second Stanley Cup championship in a row. It would be the end of a great run for the Broad Street Bullies as the following season would see the Montreal Canadiens enter their dynasty of four consecutive Stanley Cups.

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1974-75 NHL Season By The Numbers

Philadelphia Flyers Scoring Records

When the Philadelphia Flyers joined the National Hockey League in 1967-68, along with five other teams, it was the St. Louis Blues that were the first of the expansion teams to enjoy playoff success. The Blues went to the Stanley Cup finals in their first three years of existence. However, it was the Flyers that were first to win the Cup in 1973-74. The records for most goals and most assists still stand from those early Broad Street Bullies days. The record for most points was broken nearly two decades later.

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Philadelphia Flyers Scoring Records

Why Is Adam Oates Not In The Hockey Hall Of Fame?

Just as much an injustice as Rogie Vachon not being in the Hockey Hall of Fame is the fact that Adam Oates has been denied. Oates is one of the best set-up men in the history of the game and had an outstanding career despite not winning any major awards or the Stanley Cup.

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Why Is Adam Oates Not In The Hockey Hall Of Fame?

Ontario Hockey League Grads Swap NHL Teams

On Monday, Ontario Hockey League Alumni Mark Fraser and Kurtis Foster were involved in a trade between the NHL’s New Jersey Devils and Anaheim Ducks. Fraser moves to the Ducks and Foster goes to New Jersey. Both are big, stay at home defensemen with Foster having the edge in National Hockey League experience.

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Ontario Hockey League Grads Swap NHL Teams

7 Stars Who Played For The California Golden Seals

The Califonia Golden Seals existed in the National Hockey League for just a short nine year span from 1967-68 to 1975-76. Originally dubbed the Oakland Seals, the team was one of six expansion teams to enter the NHL for the 1967-68 season. Despite the fact that their nine years were nothing more than dismal, several decent players passed through the organization.

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7 Stars Who Played For The California Golden Seals

NHL's Buffalo Sabres by the Numbers

The Buffalo Sabres, the most consistent National Hockey League team in the Toronto Region over the past 40 years, has enjoyed a storied history in a professional ‘small market’. Although the team has never taken home the ultimate prize, the Stanley Cup, every new year is a possibility with the product the Sabres put on the ice. Take a glance at the history of the Buffalo Sabres, by the numbers.

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NHL's Buffalo Sabres by the Numbers

From Falcons to Spirit - The Chronology of an Ontario Hockey League Franchise

The St. Catherines Falcons began play in the Ontario Hockey Association for the 1943-44 season. The team enjoyed moderate success for the four years they were dubbed the Falcons but have no accolades to show for it. The franchise played out of Garden City Arena in St. Catherines which is the same outdated rink that the current Niagara IceDogs call home.

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From Falcons to Spirit - The Chronology of an Ontario Hockey League Franchise

Oreskovic or Oreskovich – It’s All OHL History

I remember being at Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto a few years back and being a little confused during a game between the Marlies and the Rochester Americans. It was Oreskovic versus Oreskovich and I, quite frankly couldn’t remember which one was which.

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Oreskovic or Oreskovich – It’s All OHL History

Hull & Oates: The Individual Scoring Records of the NHL's St. Louis Blues

The St. Louis Blues were one of six teams that entered the National Hockey League for the 1967-68 season, increasing the league in size from six to twelve teams. The team’s individual records for most goals, assists and points were all set in 1990-91 and remain as high marks today.

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Hull & Oates: The Individual Scoring Records of the NHL's St. Louis Blues

The 4 Ontario Teams Victorious at the Memorial Cup in the 1970's

In the 1970’s, the Memorial Cup became strict property of major junior hockey in Canada. Previously, the format had potentially included any ‘Junior A’ team in the country. Four times during the decade, a team from Ontario was victorious at the Memorial Cup tournament. Each year, one team from each of the three major junior leagues in Canada competed for the ultimate prize. Interestingly, in each of the Ontario victories, the Ontario representative played possum in the round robin, winning one and losing one. In fact, three of the four years, all three teams ended the round robin with 1 and 1 records.

The 4 Ontario Teams Victorious at the Memorial Cup in the 1970's

3 Ontario Hockey League Teams Crowned Memorial Cup Champs in the 1980's

With the champions of three league’s competing each year for the Memorial Cup (plus one additional team from the host league), over a decade the odds are that each league will win three times. For the Ontario Hockey League during the 1980’s, it was just that. Interestingly, the Cornwall Royals won the Memorial Cup in 1980 and 1981 but didn’t move from the QMJHL to the OHL until the following season.

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3 Ontario Hockey League Teams Crowned Memorial Cup Champs in the 1980's

The 3 OHL Teams To Win The Memorial Cup In The 1990's

Each year, the champions from each of the three leagues that make up the Canadian Hockey League meet to determine Canada’s top major junior hockey team. The host league of the Memorial Cup enters two teams to make it a four team tournament. In the 1990’s, three teams from the Ontario Hockey League were crowned Memorial Cup champions. Each year during the decade that an OHL team won, it was on home turf. Interestingly, the representative from the QMJHL in each of the three seasons was the Laval / Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

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The 3 OHL Teams To Win The Memorial Cup In The 1990's

The 5 OHL Grads From Team Canada at the 2005 World Juniors

In 2005, the Ontario Hockey League provided just five players to Team Canada for the IIHF World Juniors. Those five players played a major role in Canada winning its first Gold Medal since 1997. The victory sparked a streak of five consecutive golds. All five are still active in professional hockey with four in the National Hockey League and one in the AHL. Four of the five were first round picks at the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Three were team captains of the OHL clubs.

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The 5 OHL Grads From Team Canada at the 2005 World Juniors

Tops of Topps

Topps entered the hockey card market for the 1954-55 National Hockey League season. From the start, Topps produced cards with players from the Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers and Chicago Black Hawks. Parkhurst featured players from the other three teams, Montreal, Toronto and Boston.

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Tops of Topps

The Retired Numbers of the London Knights

The London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League have produce literally hundreds of National Hockey League players since their inception as the London Nationals for the 1965-66 season. Countless others have gone on to play professionally in the lower North American leagues (AHL, ECHL, CHL, IHL, etc.) and in Europe. Of all these players, the Knights to date have selected just five players deemed great enough to have their jersey numbers retired and raised to the rafters of the John Labatt Centre.

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The Retired Numbers of the London Knights

Montreal Canadiens Scoring Records

The origins of the Montreal Canadiens date back to 1909, yet the team’s individual scoring records for goals, assists and points in a single season were all set in the four year span between 1974-75 and 1977-78. Two of the three players that hold the records are now members of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

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Montreal Canadiens Scoring Records

Chicago Blackhawks: First Overall and the Stanley Cup Don't Go Hand in Hand

The National Hockey League’s Chicago Blackhawks are a prime example that a great regular season doesn’t always correlate to a great Stanley Cup playoff run and vice versa. Chicago entered the NHL for the 1926-27 season. The team has won four Stanley Cups in that time and has finished first overall on three occasions.

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Chicago Blackhawks: First Overall and the Stanley Cup Don't Go Hand in Hand

1970-71: The National Hockey League's Breakout Year

1970-71 marked the year the offensive flood gates opened in National Hockey League arenas. In no other venue, did this take place like it did at the Boston Garden. The Boston Bruins put pucks into the net at an alarming rate. However, an amazing regular season did not equate to playoff success for the boys in black and yellow.

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1970-71: The National Hockey League's Breakout Year

Chicago Blackhawks Single Season Individual Scoring Records

It’s been 23 years since the Chicago Blackhawks single season record for goals, assists or points has been re-written. The Blackhawks may not be the Edmonton Oilers or Pittsburgh Penguins when it comes to these individual records, by the numbers are quite respectable.

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Chicago Blackhawks Single Season Individual Scoring Records

A Minimalist’s Hockey Card Collection

Minimalism is all the rage right now in our society. People everywhere are realizing that they don’t own possessions. In fact, the revolutionary idea is that possessions own them. I tend to agree. However, I have no intentions of eliminating all but 99 pieces of ‘stuff’. It did get me thinking, though, if I could have a collection of only 20 hockey cards but they could be any NHL cards, what would my collection consist of?

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A Minimalist’s Hockey Card Collection

Ontario Hockey League Grad is SPHL’s 2010-11 MVP

An Ontario Hockey League grad was the Southern Professional Hockey League’s most valuable player in 2010-11, the SPHL’s seventh season of existence. Matt Auffrey led the first year Augusta RiverHawks to a second overall finish and a trip to the President’s Cup finals. Augusta bowed out to the Mississippi Surge in three games (best of five series).

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Ontario Hockey League Grad is SPHL’s 2010-11 MVP

Hockey Trivia 73 – Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens | Sportales

For nearly seventy years, Maple Leaf Gardens was the home of the National Hockey League’s Toronto Maple Leafs. The arena, known in short as MLG, was also home to several other teams over the years in the sports of indoor soccer, lacrosse and basketball. Test and expand your hockey knowledge of Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens with the following four hockey trivia questions.Read more: http://sportales.com/hockey/hockey-trivia-73-torontos-maple-leaf-gardens/#ixzz1fiMweNqv

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Hockey Trivia 73 – Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens Sportales

7 Keys To The 1931-32 National Hockey League Season

1931-32 marked the fifteenth season of the National Hockey League. A long, long way from the game that is played in thirty NHL cities today, 1931-32 still leaves us with some timeless names like Howie Morenz, King Clancy, Babe Siebert and Busher Jackson. What follows are seven keys to the 1931-32 NHL season.

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7 Keys To The 1931-32 National Hockey League Season

4 Hartford Whalers in the Hockey Hall of Fame

I can hear Hartford Whalers fans crying foul at the title of this article, already. Indeed, there were six Hockey Hall of Fame members that skated for the Whalers but two didn’t stay long enough to work in their blades.

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4 Hartford Whalers in the Hockey Hall of Fame

Ontario Hockey League Grads 1-2 In Italy’s LIHG Scoring Race

Going into this weekend’s action in Italy’s Lega Italiana Hockey su Ghiaccio, Ontario Hockey League alumni held the numbers one and two spots in the scoring race. At nearly the halfway point of the 40 game 2011-12 LIHG season, David Ling and Rob Hennigar are knotted at 34 points apiece. Ling holds a one goal edge in goals but has played one more game than Hennigar. Both are four points ahead of third place. OHL grads Dan Tudin and Adam Henrich also find themselves in the league’s top 20.

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Ontario Hockey League Grads 1-2 In Italy’s LIHG Scoring Race

5 Ottawa 67's Have Been The CHL Player Of The Year

The Ottawa 67’s entered the Ontario Hockey League (then the OHA) for the 1967-68 season. The team has produced many great players in the over forty years since, largely due to the leadership of Brian Kilrea.

In the history of the Ottawa 67’s, there have been five players honoured as the Player of the Year in the Canadian Hockey League. Considering there are now 60 teams in the CHL and one team has provided the most outstanding player five times in 40+ years, it says a lot about the organization.

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5 Ottawa 67's Have Been The CHL Player Of The Year

Maple Leaf Gardens Parkhurst Hockey (Rookie) Card

The Toronto Maple Leafs moved into their new home, the Maple Leaf Gardens, for the 1931-32 National Hockey League season. MLG took just six months to build and was the venue for a Toronto Stanley Cup victory in April of 1932. In 1955, the arena got its rookie card in the form of the 1955-56 Parkhurst #79 hockey card.

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Maple Leaf Gardens Parkhurst Hockey (Rookie) Card

3 Ontario Hockey League Grads Among the Top 4 Scorers in Germany’s DEL

Germany’s Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) is nearing the halfway point of its 52 game 2011-12 season and three Ontario Hockey League grads can be found among the league’s top four point-getters. All three players are members of Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg. Wolfsburg is currently placed fourth in the fourteen team league. Last season, Grizzly Adams was first overall during the regular season and lost in the playoff finals.

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3 Ontario Hockey League Grads Among the Top 4 Scorers in Germany’s DEL

Sarnia Sting Grad Jon Sim Getting Around the Czech Republic

Jon Sim was an original Sarnia Sting, playing in their first season after relocating from Newmarket. Sim was the man when it came to goal scoring until Steve Stamkos came along. Jon played four seasons with the Sting from 1994-95 to 1997-98. His first season consisted of just 25 games after starting the season in the QMJHL with the Laval Titan.

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Sarnia Sting Grad Jon Sim Getting Around the Czech Republic

New Capitals Coach has Familiar Faces on the Blue Line

Today, the Washington Capitals are seeing green and gold. Bruce Boudreau is gone as head coach and Dale Hunter fills the role that perhaps he was destined for. Hunter, who played three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League (OHJHL at the time) from 1977-78 to 1979-80 with the Kitchener Rangers and Sudbury Wolves, has been the head coach of the London Knights since the 2001-02 season. His blue line in Washington should be familiar with three London Knights grads, two who played for Dale.

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New Capitals Coach has Familiar Faces on the Blue Line

Trio of Ontario Hockey League Grads Playing for HC Kometa Brno

HC Kometa Brno was promoted back to the top division of the Czech Republic Extraliga for the 2009-10 season. Brno won the Czechoslovakia championship eleven of twelve years between 1954-55 and 1965-66. The one season in that span when they didn’t win, 1958-59, they finished second. The team fell on hard times, dealing with relegation over the past few decades.

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Trio of Ontario Hockey League Grads Playing for HC Kometa Brno

1974-75 O-Pee-Chee WHA Hockey Card Series

The World Hockey Association existed from 1972-73 until the end of the 1978-79 season. The first mainstream standalone hockey card series for the league was produced in 1974-75 by O-Pee-Chee. There were 66 cards in the 1974-75 OPC series and one card was a checklist. With fourteen teams represented, the average was less than five players featured per team. There were no team cards, league leaders, in-action or playoff cards.

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1974-75 O-Pee-Chee WHA Hockey Card Series

1980 NHL Entry Draft - 4 From Beyond The 1st Round That Played Over 1000 Games

The 1980 NHL Entry Draft saw 5 of 21 first round picks go on to play over 1000 games during their careers. Beyond the first round, just four more players went on to reach the 1000 game plateau in the National Hockey League. One of the four is now enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

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1980 NHL Entry Draft - 4 From Beyond The 1st Round That Played Over 1000 Games

Former Barrie Colt Vlad Nikiforov Ripping It Up In The FHL

Ontario Hockey League grad Vladimir Nikiforov is an undersized man putting up oversized numbers with the Brooklyn Aviators so far this season. Brooklyn plays in the Federal Hockey League and Vlad is currently seventh overall in the league with 19 points in just nine games.

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Former Barrie Colt Vlad Nikiforov Ripping It Up In The FHL

The Most Valuable Hockey Card Featuring A Goaltender

Georges Vezina was an early pioneer of the game of hockey. Vezina played his entire career with the Montreal Canadiens between 1910-11 and 1925-26. Although his career spanned 16 seasons, his 16th and final campaign was limited to one shutout period in the Habs first game of the season against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Vezina left the game after the first period, never to return to the game and would pass away from tuberculosis in March of 1926 at the age of 39

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The Most Valuable Hockey Card Featuring A Goaltender

Snowmobile Over French River in Ontario, Canada

In the winter, this suspension bridge in used by snowmobilers to cross the French River. In the summer, it serves as a rest area for travellers on Highway 400 between Sudbury and Parry Sound. The French River drains into Georgian Bay. Georgian Bay is a part of Lake Huron, which is one of the Great Lakes. This region of Ontario, Canada is known for tourism, mining and forestry.

Snowmobile Over French River in Ontario, Canada

Patrick Asselin Heads to Germany for a Second Time

After a great start to the 2011-12 season with the Kalamazoo Wings of the ECHL, Ontario Hockey League grad Patrick Asselin is off to Germany to test the European hockey waters for the second time in his career.
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Patrick Asselin Heads to Germany for a Second Time

Former Sudbury Wolves Goalie Gets Tryout With AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers

34 year old Steve Valiquette is attempting to prolong his pro hockey career with a professional try-out (PTO) with the American Hockey League’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Valiquette played four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League from 1994-95 to 1997-98 and last played with CSKA Moscow of Russia’s KHL in 2010-11.

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Former Sudbury Wolves Goalie Gets Tryout With AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers

Hockey Trivia 72 – Cornwall Royals of The Ontario Hockey League | Sportales

The Cornwall Royals were once, at different times, members of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Ontario Hockey League. The team was the same franchise that simply transferred from one league to the other. The Royals were quite successful in their relatively short history in Cornwall and produced several great NHL hockey players.Read more: http://sportales.com/hockey/hockey-trivia-72-cornwall-royals-of-the-ontario-hockey-league/#ixzz1eFomogGc

Hockey Trivia 72 – Cornwall Royals of The Ontario Hockey League Sportales

The 1974-75 O-Pee-Chee Don Cherry Rookie Card

For all the hoopla he creates, Don Cherry played just one NHL game and coached for only six seasons in the league with no Stanley Cups. Yet, at 77, Cherry is seen as some sort of hockey god (in Canada, at least). Though he played professionally from 1954-55 to 1971-72, it was as a coach with the Boston Bruins that his only real hockey card was produced.

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The 1974-75 O-Pee-Chee Don Cherry Rookie Card

Chris Simon Back For Another KHL Season

It has been a recurring theme here lately to feature Ontario Hockey League grads that are getting a little long in the tooth. Recently, players like Paul DiPietro, Lee Jinman and Craig Rivet have been highlighted at OHL Alumni Central. Yesterday, a 39 years young Chris Simon signed on with Metallurg Novokuznetsk of Russia’s KHL. Chris will turn 40 during the 2011-12 season.

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Chris Simon Back For Another KHL Season

7 Stars Who Played For The California Golden Seals

The Califonia Golden Seals existed in the National Hockey League for just a short nine year span from 1967-68 to 1975-76. Originally dubbed the Oakland Seals, the team was one of six expansion teams to enter the NHL for the 1967-68 season. Despite the fact that their nine years were nothing more than dismal, several decent players passed through the organization.

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7 Stars Who Played For The California Golden Seals

Seven Ontario Hockey League Alumni Playing For AHL’s Peoria Rivermen

The Peoria Rivermen are off to a mediocre start to the American Hockey League season, sitting at a game below .500. The St. Louis Blues affiliate features seven Ontario Hockey League grads on the roster for the start of the 2011-12 season. One of the coaching staff is also a former OHLer.



Seven Ontario Hockey League Alumni Playing For AHL’s Peoria Rivermen

London Knights Grad Traded Up In KHL Standings

Ontario Hockey League grad Max Spiridonov was recently traded to his tenth KHL team in eleven years. Spiridonov began the season with 16 games for Metallurg Magnitogorsk, where he contributed six points, and was moved to Ak Bars Kazan. In the process, he moved from ninth in the KHL’s East Conference and out of a playoff spot and into fourth in the East, destined for the post season.

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London Knights Grad Traded Up In KHL Standings

Hamilton Fincups – A Hockey Card Set of the Hated OMJHL Team

As a kid in London, Ontario during the 1970′s, there was one hockey team that was truly hated. It wasn’t the OHA’s Kitchener Rangers or Windsor Spitfires. It wasn’t the dreaded Montreal Canadiens. Quite frankly, it wasn’t even the Soviet Union Red Army team. London Knights fans hated the Hamilton Fincups at a special level.

Hamilton Fincups – A Hockey Card Set of the Hated OMJHL Team

Art Ross – The Player Behind The Trophy

Known more for the trophy he donated than his actual playing career, Art Ross was indeed an early pioneer of the game and a great bench boss for many years after. Interestingly, of the four hockey cards that were produced with Ross on the front, his rookie card is of the least value.

Art Ross – The Player Behind The Trophy

Sea Urchin Off The Coast Of Cuba At Playa Pesquero Resort

A black Sea Urchin sits poised to make some swimmers foot hurt. Picture taken off the coast of Cuba at the Playa Pesquero Resort. Playa Pesquero is located on the northeast coast of Cuba in Holguin Province, near Guardalavaca. Picture taken with a Panasonic Lumix underwater camera.

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Sea Urchin Off The Coast Of Cuba At Playa Pesquero Resort

What's the Scoop with Hockey Cards?

For the 1951-52 National Hockey League season, Parkhurst produced a set of hockey cards. It was significant because it marked the beginning of annual production after what had been a sporadic half century for collectors.

Hockey cards had been produced in the first half of the century by several companies, mostly manufacturers of cigarettes. However, there was no regularity and when World War II began, production ceased entirely.

Mostly all the hockey cards from the 1951-52 Parkhurst series were considered rookies cards, even though some players might have been in the NHL for close to a decade. The most cherished of the set is the Gordie Howe rookie card which is valued at up to $3000.

Parkhurst was the lone producer until the 1954-55 season when Topps entered the market. The long-time baseball card company entered the hockey card business and ran alongside Parkhurst until Parkhurst dropped off after the 1963-64 season. Typically, Parkhurst would feature players from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings while Topps would take the other three teams in the league, the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and Chicago Black Hawks.

O-Pee-Chee, a Canadian company out of London, Ontario began regular production for the 1968-69 season. O-Pee-Chee had produced cards in the 1930’s and was making a return to the market nearly four decades later. O-Pee-Chee was generally similar to Topps, with one available in Canada and the other in the United States. O-Pee-Chee tended to have more variety and slightly different designs but were very much the same.

The whole hockey world, the hockey card market included, changed in 1979 when Wayne Gretzky played his first NHL game. Interest in hockey collectibles skyrocketed and along with it so did the values. Gretzky’s 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee rookie card is valued at $1500 and is thought by many to be the most sought after hockey card. However, the rookie cards of Gordie Howe, Bobby Hull and Bobby Orr are all valued at twice that. Cards from the pre-Parkhurst era can be valued at over $10000.

In 1990, a company named ProSet flooded the market with cards and a handful of other new companies also sprang up to inundate collectors with product. This is typically marked as the end of the vintage hockey card era. Where, once, a player might have a card for every year they played in the National Hockey League, today each player can have anywhere from 10 to close to a hundred.

A Century of Hockey Card Collecting

The world of hockey cards can be divided into four major eras since cardboard first began being inserted into cigarette packages in the early 1900's.

The first era of hockey cards was hit and miss. From 1910 until the 1930's, cards were not consistently produced every year. They were produced by several different companies. The size of the card varied and didn't get set at today's standard until O-Pee-Chee came onto the market.

In the 1930’s, the standard card size was produced by O-Pee-Chee. 1933-34 was a stellar year for hockey cards with O-Pee-Chee and others producing several different sets. This year was primed for Howie Morenz of the Montreal Canadiens. Several of the sets included Morenz cards with the current values now in the thousands.

Parkhurst brought on the second era of hockey card collecting in 1951-52. This set is known for the rookie cards of both Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings and Rocket Richard of the Montreal Canadiens. Gordie Howe's rookie card is valued at up to $3000 by Beckett Hockey Monthly and is one of a trio of must-have cards fro the second era. The other three, of equal value are the rookie cards of Bobby Hull of the Chicago Black Hawks and Bobby Orr of the Boston Bruins.

With the 1951-52 Parkhurst series, a steady reliable production of cards began. Until O-Pee-Chee made its return in the late 1960’s, Parkhurst and Topps both produced a series each year, splitting the six teams between the two companies.

The third era started like the second with the inclusion of one of the hobby's most important pieces. The 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee and Topps rookie card number 18 of Wayne Gretzky sparked an expansion of interest in the hobby. Throughout the 1980’s, the potential gold mine value of hockey cards was being recognized throughout the continent. Older hockey cards that were once considered childish, were now being valued in the hundreds and thousands of dollars in some cases.

Pro Set brought about the fourth era in 1990. This is an era considered to be a dark period by serious vintage card collectors. Pro Set, and other upstart companies, flooded the market with what amouted to crap. Twenty years later, ProSet cards from their first series are worth less now that in 1990. To completely understand what happened after 1990 in the hockey card world, simply read a copy of Beckett Hockey Monthly. From 1910 until 1989-90, all the hockey cards are listed in about six pages of the Beckett Price Guide. The following 20 plus years has some single years taking up several pages.

Gary Roberts: Ottawa 67's Legend

It’s easy to forget after a hockey player has had a long and stellar career in the National Hockey League that they were once just a kid tearing up the junior ranks. Gary Roberts is one of those guys.

Potential Hockey Hall of Fame material, Roberts was the picture of persistence, hard work and dedication during his NHL career that spanned from 1986-87 to 2008-09. He consistently coupled toughness with an ability to put pucks in the net. Over his career, Gary played for the Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning.

As a junior in the Ontario Hockey League, Roberts honed his ability to find his way often to the penalty box while also producing great offence. It was in his OHL days that Gary Roberts also proved himself a true winner.

Gary played four years in the Ontario Hockey League from 1982-83 to 1985-86. He played for the Ottawa 67’s until a trade midway through his final season sent him to the Guelph Platers. In 1984 with Ottawa and 1986 with Guelph, Roberts was an integral part of a Memorial Cup winning team. In each of those playoff runs, Gary was better than a point per game man.

In just 59 games with the Ottawa 67’s in 1984-85, Gary scored 44 and assisted on 62 others for a total of 106 points. He sat out 186 minutes in the penalty box that season. The following year, Roberts won Silver with Team Canada at the 1986 World Junior Hockey Championships. In that tournament, Roberts scored six in seven games and sat out just three minor penalties.

Gary Roberts was taken by the Calgary Flames, 12^th overall in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. In 1991-92, he became one of just four players to score 50 or more goals and sit out over 200 PIM in a single season. That season, Roberts scored 53 for the Flames and sat 207 minutes. The other three players to achieve this? Brendan Shanahan, Keith Tkachuk and Kevin Stevens.

In 1988-89, Gary got to hoist the holy grail of hockey. The Calgary Flames won their Stanley Cup that season. Roberts contributed 12 points over 22 games over the playoff run.

1966-67 Topps Hockey Card Series

The 1966-67 Topps hockey card series is the most valuable vintage hockey card set since the 1950's. The full set is valued at $4500 (all pricing provided by Beckett Hockey Monthly) and the showcase card in the set is the Bobby Orr rookie card.

The number 66 card of Bobby Orr accounts for $3000 of the $4500. Along with the 1951-52 Parkhurst rookie card of Gordie Howe and the 1958-59 Topps rookie card of Bobby Hull, the Orr card is one of three most valuable hockey cards of the post-war era.

The next two most valuable cards in the 1966-67 Topps series are the checklists! Each of the two checklists in the series are valued at $400 each. Of course, back in the days before the Wayne Gretzky rookie card of 1979-80 revolutionized the hockey card collecting world, the checklist was the first card to get clothes-pinned to the back wheel of a bicycle or simply find its immediate way to the garbage can. If it was kept, the checklist was used as a, well..., checklist. So, the checklist cards are rare because most were destroyed and if they weren't, they were marked up with a pen or marker. It is very rare to find an unmarked checklist in good condition.

The next most valuable player in the 1966-67 Topps series is Gordie Howe. The number 109 of Howe is worth $200. Followed close behind is the other member of the hockey card trifecta, Bobby Hull. Hull's card is worth $150. Phil Esposito of the Boston Bruins comes in at $125.

In a severe lack of valuable players, the next two highest valued cards are again Howe and Hull at $100 and $80 for their All-Star cards. The coach card of Toe Blake is also valued at $80.

In a sad year for rookies, the only other player that has his rookie card rated above a common card in the 1966-67 series is Peter Mahovlich. Mahovlich's rookie card is valued at $30. There are two other rated rookie cards but they are both coach cards, Emile Francis and Harry Sinden.

My May Factoidz Articles

I published eleven articles at Factoidz.com in May. All were about hockey, except for one. Some were about the NHL and others were about junior hockey in Canada.



The 1958-59 Topps#66 Bobby Hull rookie card.

 The one non-hockey article was about indoor box lacrosse. The article featured the Junior A Orangeville Northmen of the Ontario Lacrosse Association. The team has dominated the OLA and junior lacrosse in Canada for the past four years. Even though Orangeville, Ontario is a smallish town of just 26,000 inhabitants, the Northmen lacrosse program is a major feeder to the National Lacrosse League.

I also focused on the crazy offensive early years of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. 200+ point season and 100+ goal seasons were the norm in the 1970's and early 1980's in the QMJHL.

I wrote an article on the Hull family - Bobby, Dennis and Brett - who are the highest scoring family to play in the NHL. This was a buddy article to a post at Vintage Hockey Cards Report on the Bobby Hull rookie card.

Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's 100 Goal Scorers
Wojtek Wolski Defines The Brampton Battalion
1973-74 Sorel Black Hawks: An Offensive Explosion in Quebec Hockey
3 Highest Valued Hockey Cards From the 1976-77 O-Pee-Chee Series
OHL Arenas: Big, Small, Old, New
Individual Scoring Records of the Nashville Predators
The Individual Single Season Scoring Records of the Los Angeles Kings
3 Hockey Hall of Famers That Played for the Winnipeg Jets
Chicago Blackhawks Bar Room Conversation Guide
Orangeville Northmen Go For 4-Peat in OLA Jr. A Lacrosse
Bobby, Dennis and Brett Hull - A High Scoring Hockey Family

Introducing Vintage Hockey Cards Report

There’s a new website on the block for vintage hockey cards enthusiasts. Vintage Hockey Cards Report dot Com came to life mid-May 2011. The site hopes to stand out amongst all the sports cards sites on the World Wide Web whose sole purpose is to sell cards.

Vintage Hockey Cards Report will provide several articles each week following a few different themes:

·         The men behind the cardboard. Features on just what players did during their professional hockey careers to make their vintage hockey cards worth so much money today.

·         Rarities. The story behind rare card sets like the Dad’s Cookies set, Quaker Oats WHA set, 1960’s Coca-Cola cards, etc.

·         Non-NHL cards. North American minors and European cards.

...and much more!

Another feature of Vintage Hockey Cards Report is the on-going database of actually winning bids of vintage cards on eBay. Currently, the sold cards are listed under the ‘Price Guide’ page on the site, in order of winning bid price. Soon, there will be an option to download a file so that the user can sort the cards by any category they wish.

Brought to you by the same hockey writers that constantly update OHLAlumniCentral.com, you can expect new and exciting articles at the site on a regular basis. In time, special offers will come available for buyers on eBay, including shipping discounts on eBay auctions by the operators of VHCR.com.

Another subject the site will cover is what exactly is behind the grading of hockey cards. Future articles will discuss the grading scale of poor to mint and the PSA grading numbers.

If you’re a collector of vintage hockey cards, this website is a must for you to check-out, bookmark and subscribe to.

New York Rangers

The New York Americans were the first National Hockey League team in New York City. The Americans began play in 1925-26. The team continued on until 1942 before suspending operations due to WWII.

Tex Rickard decided NHL hockey was such a good idea that he started his own team in Manhattan a year after the Americans were born. The new NHL franchise was originally to be called the Giants - like every other pro sports franchise in the city at that time. With a play on Tex's name (Tex's Rangers), the name Rangers stuck.

The New York Rangers arena, Madison Square Garden (in its third incarnation), was also home to the Americans and the Rangers Eastern Hockey League farm team, the Rovers. After the Americans died, the Rangers were the sole hockey team at MSG until 1968 when the fourth version of MSG was born. The team has been in IV ever since.

MSG is to undergo renovations over the summer of 2011 and again over the summer of 2012. The renos won't affect the NHL's Rangers or the NBA's Knicks.

Lega Italiana Hockey Ghiaccio

Ice hockey is alive and kicking in Italy. The nine team Lega Italiana Hockey Ghiaccio Serie A1 competes over a forty game season followed by a three round playdown. Each playoff series is in the best-of-seven format. Eight of the nine teams make the playoffs. The teams are mostly from the northern part of the country in cities bordering Switzerland, Austria and Germany.

This year, 2010-11, Val Pusteria was the number one seed over the regular season. HC Asiago was next up in 2nd position and Cortina won the booby prize for finishing last and out of the playoffs.

The top teams remained the best through the playoffs, Asiago and Val Pusteria faced off in the playoff finals and Asiago proved to be the stronger, winning the series four games to two. It was Asiago’s second consecutive playoff championship having won in 2010, as well.

The LIHG’s Player of the Year for the 2010-11 season was Matt Kelly of Val Pusteria. Kelly, a Canadian, played his junior hockey with the Ontario Hockey League’s Belleville Bulls.

Kelly was certainly not the lone OHL grad in the Lega Italiana Hockey Ghiaccio this season. Seven of the top twenty point getters in the LIHG had some hockey experience in the Ontario Hockey League with numerous others also playing in the league.

The Canadians don't just come from Ontario. The top ten point getters in the LIHG are Canadian. In fact, fifteen of the top twenty in total points came from Canada.

Ice hockey is not at all a new passtime in Italy. The championship that Asiago and Val Pusteria just competed for has been around since the 1920’s. There were war years when it wasn't contested but has been pretty consistent since the late 1940's. A tier 2 league exists below the elite Serie A1, appropriately called the Serie A2. Canada is also well represented in the Serie A2.

Buffalo Sabres Make A Run At The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs

Seven games left in the National Hockey League season for the Buffalo Sabres and they have a five point lead on the Carolina Hurricanes for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Carolina also has seven games left. The Hurricanes have a two point lead on the Toronto Maple Leafs and a four point lead on the Atlanta Thrashers. Both Toronto and Atlanta have played one more game than the Hurricanes.

Buffalo is in the position to leapfrog into sixth place in the Eastern Conference as they are only two points behind both the New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens. Buffalo has the advantage over both these team, having played one less game that both of those teams.

Last season, the Sabres lost in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs to the Boston Bruins. The two years previous to that, Buffalo did not qualify for the playoffs. This is definitely a team on the rise.

This is Buffalo's 40th year in the NHL, having entered in 1970-71 along with the Vancouver Canucks. Twice in the lifetime of the Sabres, the team has made it to the Stanley Cup finals but have yet to win the Cup. The first loss came in 1974-75 to the Philadelphia Flyers. In 1998-99 led by the goaltending of Dominik Hasek, they lost to the Dallas Stars.

Forks of the Credit Provincial Park

Where is Forks of the Credit Provincial Park? Forks of the Credit is located approximately an hour northwest of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Forks of the Credit is a day-use only Provincial Park with minimal facilities. The park is mainly used for hiking. Located on the Bruce Trail, a popular trail that runs from Niagara-On-The-Lake to Tobermory, the park has a decent number of in-house trails as well.

Forks of the Credit is also the eastern terminus of the Elora-Cataract rail trail which is great for biking. The closest town is Cataract, a small berg with just one restaurant.

The park, of course, is located along the Credit River. One of the main features is an abandoned mill surrounded by a series of waterfalls. A train track runs along side the river and is home to a tourist train based in nearby Orangeville.

Forks of the Credit also features the ruins of a farm. Most of the upper section of the park was originally farmland and even includes what is left of an original county road.

Forks of the Credit is located directly on the Niagara Escarpment and therefore is home to some dramatic cliffs. Understand this before you begin a hike of the park - some of the trails included very steep sections.

There are parking facilities available for a fee. The renegade way to get into the park for free is to park on Mississauga Road at the junction of the Elora-Cataract rail trail. Hike the trail about a kilometer east and you will enter the park. DO NOT park at the entrance to Forks of the Credit in the town of Cataract! You will be towed.

The Ontario Hockey League's London Knights

The Ontario Hockey League’s London Knights began life in 1965 as the London Nationals. The team was originally affiliated with the National Hockey League’s Toronto Maple Leafs.

For the 1968-69 season, the Nationals became the Knights and the colours were changed from blue and white to the current green, gold and white.

The team owns the Ontario Hockey League’s records for both most points in a season, 110 in 2004-05 and the least points in a season, 9 in 1994-95. The 2004-05 season brought the team a Hamilton Spectator Trophy as the OHL’s top regular season team, a Robertson Cup as the OHL’s playoff champion and a Memorial Cup as the CHL’s champion.

The Knights have developed five first overall picks in the NHL Entry Draft. The first was Rick Green in 1976, going to the lowly Washington Capitals. Rob Ramage was the first overall pick in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft, going to the Colorado Rockies. Rick Nash went first overall in 2002 to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Patrick Kane first the first overall pick by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2007. John Tavares was the first overall pick in 2009, going to the New York Islanders.

The Knights originally played out of the London Gardens. The Gardens became the London Ice House. In 2002, the team moved into their new digs in downtown London, the John Labatt Centre.

Great ownership in the form of the Hunter Brothers and the high seating capacity John Labatt Centre have combined to provide the brains, connections, skill and money to ensure that the Knights finish near the top of the league annually, despite it being historically a cyclic league.

Other than the great first overall picks mentioned above, other greats have worn the Knights jersey before going on to wonderful NHL careers. Darryl Sittler, Dino Ciccarelli, Brad Marsh, Pat Riggin, Steve Mason, John Erskine, Tom Kostopoulos and Sam Gagner are just some of these players.

The Knights have been to the OHL finals on four occasions, winning the Robertson Cup just once. They lost to the Ottawa 67’s in 1977; They lost to the Belleville Bulls in 1999; They won over Ottawa in 2005; They lost to the Peterborough Petes in 2006.

Take a Vacation in Cayo Largo, Cuba

Sol Pelicano is an incredible all-inclusive resort on the tiny island of Cayo Largo, Cuba. Cayo Largo is located off the southern coast of Cuba, just west of Isla de la Juventud (Isle of Youth) and about 200km south of Havana.

Cayo Largo is approximately 25 km by 5 km but houses its own international airport. There are only a handful of resorts on the island and all are located in a bunch just a ten minute drive from the airport.

Besides Sol Pelicano, other resorts on the island include Gran Caribe Cayo Largo, Gran Caribe Playa Blanca and Sol Club Cayo Largo. None are too big in size and Sol Pelicano has just over 300 guest rooms.

Sol Pelicano has all the features of a Caribbean all-inclusive resort. The buffet restaurant is spacious and un-crowded. The buffet serves up typical Cuban food that is not all that exciting and varied but will rarely leave the customers with stomach problems.

There are two pools at Sol Pelicano. The childrens pool and adult pool are situated side by side. The adult pool is quite spacious for the size of the resort and is a salt water pool.

Alcohol and snacks are available twenty-four hours a day. There is a beach side bar that is open until six when it is converted into an a la carte restaurant for the evening. The pool bar is open until 10pm and serves light lunches throughout the day. The lobby bar is open 24 hours and also serves light snacks. The lobby bar can get quite crowded between 10pm and midnight.

The beach at Sol Pelicano is spectacular. The water, in typical Caribbean style, is warm and clear. The sand is fine and soft to the point where is can almost be troublesome to walk in. For a change of pace, there are three free shuttles leaving the resort everyday for more protected and remote beaches on the island.

Excursions or day-trips are available but either involve taking a boat from the nearby marina or flying to the mainland of Cuba. It is suggested to take the Cayo Largo Sunset Cruise. The excursion leaves from the Marina at 2:00 in the afternoon. The first stop is Iguana Island, a rock island that is inhabited by pretty much just iguanas. The next stop is a fair distance off shore for some incredible snorkelling on the coral reef. The day trip ends with a lobster dinner aboard the boat during the beautiful sunset.

The Civic's History in Canada

The Honda Civic came on the scene in the fuel thirsty days of the early 1970’s. The Civic was sold in North America in 1972, though it was called the 1973 Civic. The engine was a whopping 1.2 liters and the car was so notorious for rusting out in the first three years that safety recalls were issued.

For the first decade, the Civic was sold as a two door coupe or a three door hatchback. The 1980’s ushered in the four-door Civic Sedan. In 1984, the first version of the Civic SI was sold in Japan and the United States. In the United States, the SI was in the form of the two seat CR-X. From 1980 to 1983, Honda offered the unique semi-automatic engine in the Civics, which was the predecessor of the current automatic engine.

The Honda Civic was considered a subcompact car from 1973 until 2000. With the 2001 model, the seventh generation Civic, came the upgrade to the compact car designation. The car is in currently in its eighth generation, an era that lasted from 2006 to the current 2011 model. Sometime in late spring 2011, the ninth generation Civic will be introduced as the 2012 model.

The Honda Civic Coupe and Civic Sedan have combined for 1.6 million sold units in Canada alone since 1973. 2010 marked the 13^th consecutive year that the Civic was the top selling vehicle in Canada. All Civics, with exception of the Hybrid version, are built right in Canada at the Honda Plant in Alliston, Ontario.

The ninth generation Civic will feature a sleeker, sportier design. The car will come in the traditional coupe, sedan, SI and hybrid models as well as a natural gas powered variation. Rumors abound that the standard 2012 Civic will feature a power-plant similar to the 2011 SI version and the 2012 SI will be boosted in size to a 2.4 liter engine.

Orangeville Honda - Your Top Ontario Honda Dealer

Orangeville Honda is a mid-sized Honda automobile dealership. Orangeville is located northwest of Brampton, Ontario near the intersection of highway nine and highway ten.

Orangeville Honda is not a Honda Powerhouse Dealer. This means that they are not licensed to sell Honda OEM product other than for automobiles. What does this mean to the consumer? If you are in the market for motorcycles, ATV’s, watercraft motors, lawn care products or backup generators, Orangeville Honda is not the place for you. The nearest Honda Powerhouse Dealers to Orangeville are Classic Honda in Brampton and Barrie Honda in Barrie.

What Orangeville Honda does bring to the market is a great selection of new and used vehicles, Honda and otherwise. Because Orangeville Honda is a member of the Humberview Group of dealerships, most makes of vehicle are available to be transferred from one of the partner dealerships at the customer’s request. Currently, Humberview sells all GM brands, KIA, Volkswagen, Audi, Nissan and Dodge.

Orangeville Honda’s service and parts departments are first rate. Their highly factory trained team of Technicians, Service Advisors and Parts Specialists are at the ready to make certain your four wheeled investment is maintained and repaired the right way, at the best price.

Whether it’s an Accord, Civic, CRV, Pilot, Odyssey, Ridgeline, Fit, CR-Z, Insight or Element that you’re wanting to purchase, Orangeville Honda has the right vehicle at the right price for you, with customer service that is the best in the business.

To get to Orangeville Honda from the East end of the GTA, take the 400 North towards Barrie and get off at the Highway 9 exit (Newmarket/Orangeville). Go west for about 40km and Orangeville Honda will be on your right just before entering Orangeville.

From the West end of the GTA (Mississauga, Oakville, Brampton) simply take the 410 North. The 410 now ends at Highway 10. Simply carry on Northbound on Highway 10 until you reach the intersection of 9 and 10 (at the Headwaters Healthcare Centre). Turn right (East) onto 9 and Orangeville Honda is on the left hand side about a kilometer down the road.

Take Your Car To The Dealer For Service

Why would you fork out a ton more cash and wait weeks for an appointment to get your Honda vehicle serviced at your Honda dealership when you take it to a jobber garage where you would pay considerably less dinero for replacement parts and installation and get your vehicle on the hoist that same day?

Simple answer: This isn't 1979 at your Ontario Honda Dealer. Sure, a fair portion of OEM Honda replacement parts are still pricier than aftermarket facsimiles. This is a simple case of 'you get what you pay for'. However, the price difference between an OEM Honda replacement part and an aftermarket replacement part has diminished to the point of being nearly non-existent. In some situations, OEM parts are actually less expensive than their lower quality aftermarket counterparts.

Also, labour rates may be, at most, $5 more per hour than private shops. If the labour rate is a lot less at a private garage, once again, beware of 'you get what you pay for'. Unlike the olden days and what private garages have advertised, you do not need to make an appointment weeks in advance for an oil change. Most often, you can get your car in next day, if not same day.

Here's five more reasons you should be taking your four wheeled investment to the dealership for service:

1. Your Honda dealership has proper diagnostic equipment. The private garages are using generic diagnostic equipment that isn't fully equipped to tell the mechanic what is exactly wrong with the vehicle.

2. Your Honda dealership has the proper specialty tools needed to work on your vehicle. Without the proper tools, the job simply cannot get done right.

3. Only OEM parts will be used at your Honda dealership unless you indicate you would like aftermarket parts used. Only your Honda dealership has the proper parts catalogue to determine the exact part for your vehicle's needs.

4. Honda dealership technicians have been trained at the factory and the learning is on-going. If a Honda mechanic by chance comes across a problem with your vehicle that he has never seen before, he has unlimited resources to find the right solution. These resources include extensive on-line information as well as live technical assistance that is just a phone call away.

5. Your Honda dealership service advisors can simply punch in your vehicle information to determine if there are any special warranty issues, recalls or service bulletins that apply to your vehicle.
Hopefully this has provided you with the facts as to why you need to take your vehicle to the dealership. If you live in Ontario, Canada, call your local Ontario Honda Dealer and they will be glad to help you with any of your automotive needs.

Mark Recchi NHL Milestone Alert from Factoidz

Mark Recchi entered the National Hockey League in the 1988-89 season with the Pittsburgh Penguins after a stellar career with the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League. Recchi was drafted by the Penguins in the fourth round of the 1988 NHL Entry Draft, 67th overall. He has played with a handful of teams, including Pittsburgh, Philadelphia Flyers, Montreal Canadiens, Carolina Hurricanes, Atlanta Thrashers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins.

To read the rest rest of the article, click here.

Mark is now in his 21^st season in the NHL and still going strong. Although he has no major individual awards to his name, Recchi has been an All-Star eight times and has been on two Stanley Cup winning teams. His first Cup came with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991 and his second came fifteen years later with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Understandably, with 21 years of NHL hockey under his belt, Recchi’s name can be found on several ‘all-time’ lists. On several of these he has already moved up positions in the current 2010-11 season and is poised to move up even more if he continues on the pace he’s at now.

Test Your Hockey Trivia Skills!

Every hockey fan fancies him or herself as an expert in hockey trivia. Here’s your chance to test your skills and pick up some ‘little know facts’ that you didn’t know.

These are the first six articles in an on-going series of hockey trivia. Each article features four trivia questions with a detailed answer to each. Pay special attention to the answers – there’s a lot of detail and you might just pick up something other than the answer to the question.

Check back often. As mentioned, this is an on-going series so there’ll be plenty more.

Hockey Trivia Six – Boston Bruins Individual Player Records

Hockey Trivia Five – Nicknames of Long Gone NHL Teams

Hockey Trivia Four – Retired Numbers of The Los Angeles Kings

Hockey Trivia Three – Before The NHL Became The Original Six

Hockey Trivia Two – Franchise Movement

Hockey Trivia One – The Stanley Cup

Want to make money for writing articles like these? It’s free to sign up to become an author at Factoidz!

Test Your Hockey Trivia Knowledge!

Think you know hockey? Do you wow them at the local pub with your knowledge of little known facts about the NHL? Here’s your chance to expand your knowledge of the game and test your trivia skills.

The following links lead to the first three in what will be a long series of hockey trivia articles exploring all facets of the world’s fastest game. Check ‘em out and be the life of the party with your new found ‘Cliff Clavenish’ knowledge!

Hockey Trivia I –The Stanley Cup

Hockey Trivia II – Franchise Movement

Hockey Trivia III – Before the NHL Became the Original Six