The NHL is back!

By Brad Constant, Feb. 25, 2014

The Olympics are over and the National Hockey League is back from its break, and so is The Hockey Ref. We are very excited, and here are the reasons why.

First, we need as much hockey as possible to get over the disappointment of the Team USA losses. It helps that the women came home with the silver medal, but the men were embarrassed by losing two vital games and missed out completely on a medal. Thankfully our friends to the north claimed both gold medals and secured North America as the land of hockey dominance for another four years.

Second, the push for the playoffs is in full swing. This is when regular season hockey is the most exciting. Every game can make or break season for any team fighting to get in. Aside from the playoffs, this is the best time of year.

Last, a lot of players come back well rested, so we should see some high energy games. The big hits will definitely be back too. We can hardly wait!

Welcome back NHL, we hope you enjoyed your vacation.

Latest NHL news: Monday, January 6

By Brad Constant, Jan. 6, 2014

It’s a new year and The Hockey Ref is dialing up the coverage. This piece is just the beginning as we strive to bring our readers stories on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. So you can expect a round-up from around the web every Monday covering the latest news and such from the previous weekend.

So to kick things off we have a story from Bleacher Report on the teams that could surprise us during the second half of the season. Check it out here.

The Winter Olympics are just around the corner and many nations have already announced the players that will represent them. But we’re still waiting to hear from the Canadians, thankfully there will be a press conference tomorrow to announce the Canadian roster. In the meantime NHL.com has taken stock on who may be in, and who may be out. Read the story here.

It’s safe to say that the 2014 Winter Classic between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs was a big success. But thankfully ProHockeyTalk.com has a video to give those who weren’t lucky enough to be at the Big House for the game an idea of what it was like. Thanks PHT! Watch the video here.

Lastly, the National Hockey League has suspended Buffalo Sabres’ defender Tyler Myers for three games for a hit to the head of New Jersey Devils forward Dainius Zubrus. Watch the NHL’s explanation of the suspension below.