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.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Saturday, April 9, 2011
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.
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.
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