Dave Gross

There are a few things popping into mind as the NHL post-season winds closer to a close (it’s close, right?) . . . and here is my assembly line of thoughts. So long DeBrincat: Seems inevitable that Alex DeBrincat’s stay in Ottawa will rank as a short one. The restricted free agent never [...]

Hockey never truly slows down. We’re just days away from shipping into summer (although it feels like we’re already there, he says as he checks TheWeatherNetwork.com for the umpteenth time . . . with raised eyebrows), and the fun rolls on. Here’s what’s hitting the top of [...]

ABOVE: Snoop Dogg is part of the group led by Neko Sparks bidding for the Ottawa Senators. (Photo: Courtesy Getty Images) Lots to pound through this week. Let’s get right to it. SENATOR SUITORS So then, who you got here? Reportedly the Ottawa bidding game is down to four groups, [...]

Every playoff seemingly brings about a distinct set of patterns and trends across the National Hockey League. Some stick around for a few years, others drop away as after-thoughts quickly. Regardless, there always are conceptions developed that are worth more than a passing glimpse. Ones certainly [...]

In a Maple Leaf fantasy world – because it is pure fantasy – would you swap shifty Auston Matthews for that ‘full metal jacket,’ Nathan MacKinnon? From a pure hockey perspective, it would be foolhardy. Matthews, the No. 1 overall from 2016, is an absolute magician with the [...]

You wanted fresh? You got fresh. Welcome to Round 2 of the National Hockey League playdowns; re-treads need not check in. If you accidentally locked yourself in a closet the past week, here’s what you need to know: Both finalists from last season are done. Toss in the record-setting Presidents’ [...]

“Hey, this is Gino from Woodbridge. Just wanted to say the Leafs are God’s team baby!” Yessir. Nothing like sports radio in Toronto back in late 1980s where logic and reality never got in the way of rabid, aberrant opinion. ‘Twas the way of things, as they say. A very bad hockey [...]

Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Crave TV . . . take a pew. The next couple of weeks on the love of my life – the 55’ Panasonic Smart Viera - belong to the National Hockey League. On any given Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc., there’ll be no less than four games to choose from per night. [...]

Loved the old Nick Lowe song Cruel to be Kind and it applies when evaluating the Ottawa Senators of 2022-23. If you want the unbiased approach when looking at the season-about-to-pass, it simply would be cruel to be overly kind. Was the season an overwhelming success? Not by a long shot. In fact, [...]

Maybe they simply just ran out of goaltenders and defencemen. Maybe it got so bad on that injury front that Ron Tugnutt and Lance Pitlick were on speed-dial. Perhaps it was the coaching. Perhaps the schedule. Maybe the refereeing. Maybe it was the Leafs’ fault. Maybe, perhaps and maybe. [...]