Bob Gainey

Arguably the best defensive forward of all time
as a player, former career Montreal Canadien Bob
Gainey is now one of the league’s top GM’s, also
for Montreal. He’s engineered the Canadiens into
a perennial contender, although they’ re falling
apart this season for a variety of reasons.

Gainey has his #23 retired by the Canadiens
last February and while his post-playing career
has undoubtedly been a success, he was forced
to endure a terrible personal tragedy back in
December of 2006 when his daughter, Laura, was
lost at sea when she was swept overboard and
never found.

After firing close friend and Canadiens’ head
coach Guy Carbonneau late in this season, Gainey
himself assumed head coaching responsibilities in
an interim role to finish out the year in addition to
his GM duties. If Montreal misses the playoffs or
makes a quick post-season exit, Gainey will be in
tough to keep his job this summer.

 

Ken Dryden

One of the best goalies to ever play hockey, Ken
Dryden has continued to make a big impact on
life in retirement. He’s an acclaimed author, his
book The Game is considered to be one of the best
hockey books available and has been nominated
for awards such as the Governor General’s Award.

Despite playing his entire NHL career with
the Montreal Canadiens, Dryden was a long-term
fixture as an executive for the Toronto Maple
Leafs beginning in the late 90s and lasting until
2004, after which he entered the political arena.
Dryden ran and won a seat as a Liberal MP in
2004 and was named to the cabinet as the new
Minister of Social Development. In 2006 he was
re-elected in the traditionally Liberal York Center
Riding in Toronto despite an overall Liberal loss
to the Conservatives.

Dryden would in 2006 take what turned out
to be an unsuccessful run at the Liberal Party
leadership that was eventually won by Stephane
Dion.

 

 

 

 

Patrick Roy

Despite being retired from his playing

career, Patrick Roy, 43, has had an active and
controversial season so far as the owner, GM and
head coach of the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts.

After guiding the club to a Memorial Cup
victory back in 2006, Roy has kept the Remparts
competitive as one of the junior circuit’s top
teams. However, there have been several ugly
incidents that have tarnished the best goalie of
all time’s reputation. In March of 2008 a wild
brawl ensued between the Roy-coached Remparts
and the Chicoutimi Sagueneens. Patrick’s son
Jonathon Roy brutally attacked the opposing
team’s goaltender, despite his obvious refusal to
fight. Both Roys were fined and suspended and
Jonathon was eventually charged with assault.

It hasn’t been all bad though. On November
22™, 2008, Roy had his famous #33 jersey retired
and raised to the rafters in Montreal, finally
healing a bitter divide between Roy and the
Canadiens’ franchise that had lasted since Roy
was traded from the team in 1995.

 

 

Ted Lindsay

A Detroit Red Wings legend and one of the

men responsible for the creation of the NHLPA,
“Terrible” Ted Lindsay, now 83 years old, was in
Vancouver this weekend for an autograph session
at a sports collectibles show held at the Croatian
Cultural Center on Saturday and Sunday.

Lindsay is widely regarded as one of the
greatest agitating forwards in NHL history and as
a star player who could do everything from score
to fight. Today, Lindsay’s views on the game are
still highly respected and he recently weighed in
on Alex Ovechkin’s unique goal celebrations.

This past October, Lindsay was honoured by
the Red Wings with a larger than life sized statue
built in the halls of the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
Lindsay’s fabled number seven currently hangs
from the rafters in the Joe.

Lindsay’s impact on the way player-owner
relations are today cannot be denied. He was a
true pioneer in fighting for player rights back in
the tyrannical Original Six days.

 

 

 

&

PO

    

fPs,

Wrestlemania 25 set to thrill

sk coming Sunday is the 25" anniversary of WWE’s
Wrestlemania, their premiere yearly event, and from the
released card so far, it looks like a blockbuster to say the
least.

Held in Houston, Texas this year, Wrestlemania is
headlined by WWE Champion Triple H and Royal Rumble
winner Randy Orton in a highly hyped and built-up match. The
outcome is really up in the air. Triple H rarely loses at any time
but the Rumble winner last year (John Cena) didn’t win either,
so it should be unpredictable.

The semi-main event features World Heavyweight
Champion Edge defending his title against John Cena and The
Big Show in a triple threat match. So far it has been an odd but
entertaining feud that has Cena looking like the favourite to
win. Edge has only had the title since the February’s No Way
Out PPV, but he’s a transitional champion at it’s best.

One of the most highly anticipated matches in
Wrestlemania history is The Undertaker against Shawn
Michaels. Both are two of the biggest legends in the business
and The Undertaker is 16-0 at Wrestlemania, but has never
beaten Shawn Michaels before. They haven’t faced each
other one on one in over 11 years, in a match where Michaels
suffered a debilitating back injury that forced him to miss over
four years before a 2002 return to the ring. Their current feud
has been building slowly since 2006 and while The Undertaker
should be considered the favourite to win because of his
streak at Wrestlemania, they don’t call Shawn Michaels “Mr.
Wrestlemania” for nothing.

The Hardy brothers, Matt and Jeff, square off in an
extreme rules match that has been one of the most carefully
constructed programs in years. Both guys have done a good job
of building everything up in the right way despite their lack of
ability on the mic.

The Money in the Bank ladder match is one of the most
exciting and unpredictable matches of the year, and features
eight participants. In it are last year’s winner CM Punk,

Kane, Finlay, Mark Henry, Kofi Kingston, Christian, Shelton
Benjamin and MVP. Right now MVP has been getting the
biggest push and is the frontrunner to win. The winner of
Money in the Bank is automatically put into the main events in
coming months.

There are several solid matches on the undercard as well.
World tag team champions John Morrison and The Miz go up
against the WWE tag team champion Colon brothers with the
winners being crowned the undisputed tag team champions.
Intercontinental champion JBL defends his belt against Rey
Mysterio in what will likely be JBL’s final match due to
age and repeated injuries taking their toll. It will be the first
time the Intercontinental championship will be defended at
Wrestlemania in over six years.

Considering the milestone of the 25" Wrestlemania, there
should also be cameos from some notable names from the
past, including Hulk Hogan and Stone Cold Steve Austin. Kid
Rock is set to perform live while Mickey Rourke, star of The
Wrestler, will be in attendance. Whether or not AC/DC will be
there is currently up in the air.

Wrestlemania is available on PPV but can also be seen
in most movie theatres. WWE doesn’t always deliver on their
PPVs, but with the card they have so far, it’s pretty tough to
miss.

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