Written By: Mark “The Hard Hitter” Ritter With a little over 18 hours until the NHL trade deadline expires, there are a lot of names being bandied around as possible trade bait. If you listened to all the idiotic comments from all the Sidney Crosby haters after Team Canada won the Olympic gold medal, you’d think he was on his way out of Pittsburgh. After all, he’s a “whiner”, “has no heart”, “ is not a  leader”, “not a clutch player”, “hasn’t accomplished anything”, “can’t accomplish anything without Malkin” “didn’t show up at the Olympics” and, in one readers opinion, “ is gay”… Am I the only one who thinks these so-called “analysts” ought to check themselves into a psyche ward? Don’t worry Penguin fans, Crosby isn’t going anywhere, neither are his gold medals or Stanley Cup ring…his equipment is

Written By: Mark “The Hard Hitter” Ritter Just hours after Canada celebrated their gold medal victory over the United States, The Florida Panthers and Pittsburgh Penguins pulled the trigger on the first trade since the Olympic break. In what many perceive as a depth move, the Penguins have acquired defenseman Jordan Leopold form the Panthers in return for the Penguins 2010 second round draft choice. Leopold, who registered seven goals and 18 assists in 61 games with the Panthers, gives the Penguins another decent shot on the power play and a guy who, on most night’s, plays a solid NHL game. The trade may very well set in motion a ton of movement. It is believed that, while unable to pull the trigger on any deals that NHL GM’s were busy during the Olympic break, making phone calls and inquiring

Toronto Maple Leafs General Manager Brian Burke is often looked upon as a bully in NHL circles. His crass demeanor and aggressive nature with the media makes Burke one of the most feared general managers in NHL hockey. Let’s face it, nobody is under the impression that the “P” in the middle of Brian Burke’s name stands for Penelope, however, you may find more than a few people in NHL circles that are willing to bet it is a five letter word that rhymes with “slick”. To be fair, Burke’s gruff nature is up for debate—I for one love his demeanor and swagger. One thing is definite, Burke is an innovator, the type of GM that looks outside the box for answers, the type of GM that is always willing to take calculated risks, and a guy that is always

Written By: Mark “The Hard Hitter” Ritter Thus far, we have witnessed some of the most beloved franchises in NHL history play at some very impressive venues. Last years tilt between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings held at historic Wrigley Field in Chicago was probably my favorite event as it showcased the up and coming Blackhawks versus the veteran laden Red Wings, two of the NHL’s most entertaining franchises. I think when we talk about the Winter Classic it is important for the NHL to consider the teams that will be involved. A teams style of play comes into consideration as well, nobody wants to watch two defensive teams battle it out when it’s minus ten outside and nobody is interested in witnessing two bottom feeding teams play for 60 minutes either. With that in mind, when