Julien, McLellan draw on minor-league experiences for NHL success

Next Sunday in Montreal, Claude Julien and Todd McLellan will be behind the benches at the All-Star Game thanks to their respective teams having the top two records in the NHL.

Yes … the ASG is little more than a glorified scrimmage, and coaching it is nothing more than ceremonial.

Julien and McLellan, though, may consider their experiences in southern Ontario and south Texas in 2003 as a key in their careers that helped them get to this point.

Now coach of the Boston Bruins, Julien was guiding Montreal’s top farm team in Hamilton before moving up to replace Michel Therrien behind the Canadiens’ bench. The Bulldogs eventually went on to play for the AHL championship, but fell in seven games to the McLellan-led Houston Aeros.

“There's no doubt it was an incredible year,” he said. “And I guess as great as it was to go to Montreal, you always have a little bit of regret not having the opportunity to finish your job.”

Julien was replaced in 2006 by Guy Carbonneau, and then led the New Jersey Devils to a 107-point season the following season. In a shocking move, though, he was replaced in the postseason by general manager Lou Lamoriello, who said the team was not ready to challenge for the Cup.

Sweet retribution going back to Montreal as coach of the league’s top team – and the Canadiens’ most-hated rival? Not for Julien.

“There's no animosity there at all,” he said. “For me, it's a pleasure to go back. Not just to Montreal, but also to represent the Bruins and the fact that I'm probably going to be hooking up there with some of the players that I've coached.”

In 2007-08, Julien’s Bruins posted 41 wins and 94 points despite a spate of injuries – most notably Patrice Bergeron’s concussion that wiped out all but 10 games – but were ousted in the first round.

“We've had a lot of guys grow through adversity last year. We've had some young players put into situations that they normally wouldn't have been going through had there not been injuries last year,” he said.

McLellan went on to become Mike Babcock’s right-hand man with the Detroit Red Wings, winning the Stanley Cup last season over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Yet it was that championship experience with Houston that McLellan draws upon today.

“It was the first opportunity to win a championship as a head coach,” he said. “Certainly it's something that I revert back to on a daily basis here in San Jose about some of those experiences and how we handled ourselves.”

Come spring, Julien and McLellan will have their eyes on a bigger prize.

For Boston, history speaks for itself, but so does the futility. An Original Six team, the Bruins haven’t won the Cup since beating the New York Rangers in 1972 – the NHL’s third-longest championship drought ahead of Toronto Maple Leafs (1967) and Chicago Blackhawks (1961).

With Marc Savard, Phil Kessel and Michael Ryder handling the bulk of the offense, and Tim Thomas and Manny Fernandez providing solid goaltending night in and night out, the Bruins (33-7-4) lead the league with 70 points.

“Most people don't remember how you start, they remember how you finish,” Julien said. “We've got another task ahead of us, and probably a tougher one, and we look forward to the challenge.”

San Jose had been a somewhat trendy pick earlier in the decade to win it all, but despite averaging 48 wins over the last three seasons under Ron Wilson, the Sharks were unable to move past the second round.

Exit Wilson for Toronto. Enter McLellan, who helped the Sharks begin 2008-09 with 13 wins in 15 games.

“We've had a really good start. We've harnessed some of the early season energy, and we're able to get out of the gate quickly. Our confidence grew, and now it's about maintaining our game,” McLellan said.

Coming off their first regulation loss since Valentine’s Day, San Jose next faces the defending Stanley Cup champions on Saturday night – and McLellan still thinks the Red Wings have what it takes to win their fifth Cup in 12 years.

“Right now I still believe Detroit is the team to beat,” he said. “Are the Sharks playing better than them? I don't necessarily agree with that.”

San Jose will travel to face Boston for only time in the regular season on Feb. 10.

Special teams shines in Rangers' win over Chicago

The New York Rangers should thank their special-teams units for this win.

Chris Drury scored his second goal of the game with the man advantage in overtime after New York killed off 10 of 11 Chicago power plays in a 3-2 win over the Blackhawks at the United Center on Friday night.

Eleven seconds after the Blackhawks’ Andrew Ladd was sent off for high sticking,. Drury scored his 15th goal of the season by redirecting Wade Redden’s shot from the top of the slot.

Brandon Dubinsky also scored and All-Star Henrik Lundqvist made 32 saves for New York, winners of three in a row to move back atop the Atlantic Division. It was the Rangers’ first win in the Windy City since October 2000.

New York entered the game with the NHL’s second-best penalty-killing rate at 87.9 percent, and they had their work cut out for them. Included in the kills were the first four of five 5-on-3s and a continuous Chicago manpower advantage lasting 5:45 late in the second set up by a series of four Rangers minor penalties, the Associated Press reported.

“It’s tough to kill penalties like that; and to be shorthanded so much takes the flow away from the game,” Redden told the Rangers’ official Web site. “But we stuck with it. (The officials) made the calls and we had to battle through it.”

All-Star Jonathan Toews and Brent Seabrook scored for Chicago, which lost at home in regulation for the first time in exactly two months.

(…and, for what it’s worth, I did find myself rooting more for the Rangers. Hometown beats out adopted hometown.)

Modano discusses Stars' resurgence, Avery

Since arriving in Texas in 1993, the Dallas Stars have pretty much been a fixture in the playoffs, and Mike Modano has been there every step of the way.

Through the first half of this season, though, Dallas has been perhaps the league’s biggest disappointment outside of that underachieving squad in Canada’s capital.

Among the lowlights in the Lone Star state…

Injuries – Start with captain Brenden Morrow, out until 2009-10 with a blown ACL. Three-time Selke Trophy winner Jere Lehtinen missed 28 games after two stints on injured reserve. Steve Ott had a broken hand, and Sergei Zubov’s hip finally appeared to give out at 38.

Sean Avery – The NHL’s biggest pain in the ass finally appeared to talk himself out a job 23 games into a four-year contract with Dallas for his ‘sloppy seconds’ comment to describe former girlfriend Elisha Cuthbert, now with Dion Phaneuf of the Calgary Flames.

Dallas has missed the playoffs only twice in the last 15 seasons, yet Modano, who will make his seventh All-Star Game appearance later this month, said in a conference call on Wednesday that the Stars are finally getting healthier, and that’s explained their recent push to get back in the playoff race.

“The injuries was probably number one,” the all-time scoring leader among US-born players said. “I think any time you have Zubov, Morrow, Lehtinen, Ott … I mean, those five or six guys were out all at the same time for a good stretch of time."

“It was tough to find some rhythm and find guys who could fill those holes, obviously. It was just asking a lot of the young team, inexperienced team to fill those holes from those guys.”

On Monday, Ott tied the score with 3 minutes to play in regulation before Trevor Daley’s overtime goal helped the Stars rally for a 5-4 win over defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings.

Dallas begins play on Wednesday 27 points behind Pacific Division-leading San Jose Sharks. But the Stars are only 14 points behind the Chicago Blackhawks for fourth and, more importantly, home-ice advantage in the opening round.

Modano said neither he nor other members of the Stars have had any contact with Avery, who quickly became a polarizing figure in the lockerroom.

“None that I know of,”Modano said. “I haven't talked to really, I haven't brought it up to (co-general manager Brett Hull) either. But I'm sure he's kind of kept in touch with him. But I haven't heard anything from the other guys, either, that have had any contact with him.”

There had long been a question about how Avery would fit in Dallas. Hull, a former teammate of Avery’s in Detroit thought the winger could bring a nasty edge on the ice, but it appeared to be the off-ice stuff that rankled teammates.

“I think we would have analyzed it a little bit more over the summer before you go into the free agent market, and do a little more homework and detailed analysis of players,” Modano said. “Impacted on opinions of players who have played with him or how guys feel about it.

“Talent-wise, he's a very skilled kid and player, but I think character-wise and personality just didn't blend with the criteria that we've always had as Dallas Stars. “

When Modano heads to Montreal as an All-Star, it will bring his career full circle.

In 1989, the NHL draft was held there, and Modano was selected first overall by the Minnesota North Stars. Four years later, at the age of 23, Modano played in his first All-Star Game in Montreal.

“It's gone full circle, and you know, you never know if it's going to be your last,” he said. “Certainly if this is the last one, I'll definitely go out on a high being part of that whole celebration.”

Decisions, decisions ...

So, I’m in a quandary here.

On Friday night, I will be in Sec. 334 of the United Center to see the New York Rangers take on the Chicago Blackhawks. My hometown team versus my adopted hometown team. A Henrik Lundqvist T-shirt covered by a Blackhawks sweatshirt.

What to do?

Do I cheer for the Rangers, much as I have been doing since I was all of 6 years old? Or do I root for the Blackhawks, who couldn’t outdraw the AHL’s Wolves for several seasons and were all but forgotten in this city until tight-fisted owner William W. Wirtz did the honorable thing and died.

Decisions, decisions.

This also won’t be the first time I’ve seen this matchup since moving to the Windy City.

Less than three months after coming here in 2005, I had a date – no, really, I did – and went to the UC for the first time to watch a 2-1 overtime loss after Lundqvist couldn’t stop a bouncing shot by Tyler Arnason, also known as Chris Altruda’s whipping boy.

Believe me, she got me back good: I ended up at a Christmas concert later that month, and we stopped dating shortly after that.

Back then, Chicago’s roster was a wasteland. Todd Simpson. Jim Vandermeer. Andy Hilbert. Mikael Holmqvist. Now, the Blackhawks are once again a team to be reckoned with and provided there is not a complete collapse down the stretch, they’ll be headed to the playoffs for the first time since 2002.

The Rangers have been at or near the top of the Atlantic Division for most of the season, fueling thoughts of a possible Stanley Cup parade in the Canyon of Heroes. If that doesn’t happen, they can look at the third period of a game against Toronto on Nov. 1 as the chief reason.

New York entered that contest off to the best start in franchise’s history at 10-3-1, held a 2-0 lead with less than 8 minutes to play, and appeared well on its way to another win. The Maple Leafs, though, exploded for five goals in a 5:21 span against backup Steve Valiquette, sending the Rangers to a stunning defeat.

“I don’t know exactly why that happened,” Valiquette said. “It hasn’t soaked in yet … I’m really surprised.”

Collectively, it also appears the Rangers have yet to recover. Starting with that loss, New York is 15-14-3, and has been outscored 91-78. Nine of those victories have been courtesy of a trio of three-game winning streaks, and six wins were by shootouts.

Chicago’s turning point this season may have been right around Thanksgiving.

Playing three games in four days, the Blackhawks looked lifeless in consecutive losses to all three California teams. Returning home to face Anaheim on Dec. 3, Chicago went on a 10-0-1 run, highlighted by a franchise-best nine-game winning streak.

On a team that includes All-Star starters Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Brian Campbell, it was former Carolina castoff Andrew Ladd who led Chicago with nine assists and 12 points during the streak.

Ladd was acquired from the Hurricanes in February for Tuomo Ruutu in a swap of disappointing first-round draft picks. In 60 games with the ‘Hawks, Ladd - taken fourth overall in 2004 – has 48 points. Ruutu, selected with the ninth pick in 2001, has notched 47 points in three fewer games.

The Rangers defeated the Blackhawks 4-2 on Oct. 10 at Madison Square Garden behind a goal and two assists from Brandon Dubinsky. New York is 0-1-1 with a tie in its last three visits to Chicago, going 0-for-17 on the power play.

Luongo set to return, Nash sits

ITEM: Luongo poised to return while Nash sits out

The Vancouver Canucks are about to get their captain back. The Columbus Blue Jackets will have to make do without theirs for a little while longer.

In Vancouver, goaltender Roberto Luongo says he’s back at full strength after missing nearly two months with a groin injury.

“It’s pain free. I wouldn’t be on the ice if I wasn’t,” Luongo told the Canadian Press on Monday after practicing with his teammates. “That’s done with as far as I’m concerned. I’m ready to go and back to 100 per cent.”

The Canucks captain was 11-5-2 with a 2.17 goals-against average and five shutouts – three coming in consecutive home wins over Nashville, Phoenix and Minnesota – before being injured after playing less than five minutes versus Pittsburgh on Nov. 22.

Despite the time missed, Luongo, a Montreal native, earned a spot on the Western Conference for this season’s All-Star Game to be played in his hometown.

“It would be nice because it’s in my hometown,” Luongo said. “But my main priority is the Vancouver Canucks and making sure that I give my full attention to this team and making sure when I start playing, I’m at 100 per cent.”

The Canucks have gone 9-11-3 in Luongo’s absence, using journeymen Jason LaBarbera and Curtis Sanford and rookie Cory Schneider. Still, Vancouver is only five points behind first-place Calgary in the Northwest Division.

Meanwhile, in Columbus, captain Rick Nash was placed on injured reserve on Monday with the dreaded “lower-body” injury. His stint was retroactive to Jan. 6, meaning he could return on Wednesday.

A four-time All-Star, Nash leads the Blue Jackets with 17 goals and 22 in 40 games this season. He also has a team-high four game-winning goals.

Columbus is still seeking its first playoff berth in franchise history, having entered the NHL in 2000. But Nash, selected first overall in 2002, might be one of the least intimidating players out there.

He’s 6-foot-4 and nearly 220 pounds, but has one 40-goal season to his name and has never had more than 95 penalty minutes. He’s also been in just three fights in 403 NHL games.

Way to go, Mr. Softee!

Stamkos, Doughty set to meet

ITEM: Top two picks in 2008 NHL Draft to square off for first time.

When first glancing at Monday’s NHL schedule, the matchup between defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit and Dallas would be the far sexier game.

The more interesting one, to me anyway, involves Tampa Bay and Los Angeles – a pair of bottom-feeders in their respective conferences.

The game also features the top two selections from last June’s NHL draft meeting head-to-head for the first time in Steve Stamkos and Drew Doughty, though neither has set the hockey world on fire halfway through their rookie seasons.

Stamkos, pictured here with Doughty and Atlanta’s Zach Bogosian, was selected first overall by the Lightning and has four goals and 10 assists in 40 games, but has clearly shown that he’s not quite ready to play a full NHL season just yet.

The 18-year-old has the second-worst plus-minus rating among rookies at minus-11, and was a healthy scratch for the first time in his brief pro career on Friday in a win over Anaheim. A spokesman for the Lightning said Stamkos will be given a game off now and then to build up his strength.

Seems to me that a professional athlete – even at 18 – should not need a day off here and there.

Doughty has played the most games this season by a first-year defenseman with 41, and has three goals and nine assists to rank third in scoring among rookie blueliners behind Boston’s Matt Hunwick and leader Alex Goligoski of Pittsburgh.

In an article published late last month in the Los Angeles Times, Doughty is grateful for the praise received – he’s drawn comparisons to some the best defensemen in the game, including Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer – but also made it clear that he approaches every game with a sense of urgency.

“I love all the accolades I have been given. I just don't think about them. I can't. I mean, I could be sent back to junior hockey any time. The way I look at it, I have to earn my job here every day,” Doughty said.

Wins by the Lightning have been hard to come by in recent years, but it seems they never fail to get up when it comes to traveling to face the Kings. Tampa Bay is 3-0-0 with two ties at Staples Center, and 9-1-0 with two ties all-time in Los Angeles.

Gutting it out: Sullivan returns to Predators

Want to know the meaning of perseverance? Talk to Steve Sullivan.

The Nashville forward played on Saturday night in a 4-1 win over Chicago. It was Sullivan’s first action since Feb. 22, 2007 after missing 153 games due to a back injury that required two operations.

"I'm glad I'm getting a chance to do this again," Sullivan, a former member of the Blackhawks told the Chicago Tribune. "It might have been hard work, but being able to be here now made it worthwhile. You love to do this so much you never give up hope or give up the dream."

Sullivan was given a standing ovation when he made his first appearance 1:30 into the game.

"I was thrilled with the ovation," said Sullivan, who had three shots on goal in 12:30. "These are probably the best fans in the world. For them to wait for me and show me the respect they did was awesome."

Sullivan probably has many reasons to be grateful when it comes to his career. To say the deck has been stacked against him could be an understatement.

Born in northern Ontario’s nickel belt and undersized at 5-foot-9, Sullivan was a ninth-round draft pick selected 233rd overall by New Jersey in 1994. But starting with Toronto in 1998-99, Sullivan began a run of eight straight 20-goal seasons.

Sullivan’s best campaign came in 2000-01. Playing with Chicago, he finished with 34 goals – one of three Blackhawks with at least 30, joining Eric Daze (33) and Tony Amonte (35).

With 31 goals in 2005-06, Sullivan tied Paul Kariya for the Predators lead.

Sullivan turns 35 in July, and isn’t sure what the future holds for him because of the injury.

"It hasn't gotten much better in two years except I was able to strengthen everything around it," he said. "Is it going to get better? I'm not sure. There are a lot of people in the world who live daily with a bad back, and I don't think I'll be any different than they are."

Penguins looking for answers

Can anyone explain what’s wrong with the Pittsburgh Penguins?

Just over six months removed from an appearance in the Stanley Cup finals, the Pens lately look nothing like a championship-caliber club.

A 5-3 loss to Colorado on Saturday was Pittsburgh’s seventh in eight games. Despite having All-Star starters Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, there could be some self-doubt creeping in among the Penguins.

“It’s been a different thing each time. We’ve got to put it together,” Crosby said. “Sometimes our special teams has hurt us, sometimes even strength we haven’t been sharp.”

After winning their first division title in a decade and reaching the Cup finals for the first time since the Mario Lemieux-Jaromir Jagr glory days in 1992, maybe the Penguins thought they simply belonged among the league’s elite.

Crosby seemed to indicate that better preparation is needed.

“You have to be prepared, especially after the season we had last year, for teams to get up for those games,” he said. “It’s no secret when we play teams it brings out the best in them.”

Michel Therrien’s club won season-high six straight over the first two weeks of November, but have gone 9-14-2 since then, and have failed to put together two straight wins at any point.

“It is tough. We’ve got to hang in there and keep our heads up and make sure we’re working hard,” Therrien said. “Eventually, if we get the right approach we’ll get out of this.”

He’d better hope so. The Penguins have a better road record (11-10-2) than at home (9-9-2) and are currently in 10th place in the Eastern Conference.

End the debate now: Blue Jackets' Mason is the top rookie

ITEM: Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Steve Mason solidifies Calder Trophy hopes.

The season is about half over, but it could be time to just hand out the Calder now to the league’s top rookie.

Chicago’s Kris Versteeg? No, sorry. St. Louis’ Patrik Berglund? Not even he can help save the sad-sack Blues. Anaheim’s Bobby Ryan? He’ll probably finish second.

Steve Mason, come get your award.

The credentials are most definitely there. Despite nearly sitting out on Friday with what was called “upper-body muscle spasms,” Mason made 45 saves in a 3-0 win over Washington to end the Capitals’ seven-game winning streak and hand them their second loss in 21 games at home.

“It’s huge for us,” said Mason, a two-time NHL rookie of the month after his second shutout against the Alex Ovechkin-led Capitals.

Beginning with a whitewash of Atlanta on Nov. 22, the Oakville, Ontario product is 11-8-0 with a 1.47 goals-against average and a league-leading six shutouts.

Mason leads the league a 1.74 GAA, and is quickly piling up the shutouts, but he still needs 10 more to break Tony Esposito’s NHL record set in 1969-70 with Chicago.

Earlier in the day, Mason was selected to start for the rookie team in the NHL YoungStars game later this month during All-Star weekend in Montreal.

"He's been great. He's such a solid goalie. He looks like a 10-year veteran back there. He's calm. He's confident. When your goalie plays that way and gives you a chance to win every night, confidence just runs through the team," said teammate and leading scorer Rick Nash earlier this week.

Is there any doubt now?

If Mason does win the Calder, he’ll be the third netminder this decade to do so. Evgeni Nabokov copped the award with San Jose in 2001, and Andrew Raycroft did the same for Boston three years later.

Mason’s emergence also means Pascal Leclaire may soon be considered hockey’s version of Wally Pipp.

Last season was Leclaire’s first as a starter, and he was 24-17-6 with a 2.25 GAA and nine shutouts – second only the Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist. That earned Columbus’ first-round pick in 2001 a new three-year contract.

Ankle and thumb injuries this season have limited Leclaire to a 4-6-1 record with a 3.83 GAA and no shutouts in 12 games.

Waiting for Mats

Here’s what we know about Mats Sundin …

He’s going to be 38 in just over a month.

He’s rusty after playing one NHL game since April.

He’s also the Vancouver Canucks’ biggest hope of making a bigger splash in the postseason.

As Sundin gets ready to make his home debut on Thursday night against St. Louis, his next game has to better than his return to NHL action.

The former Toronto captain played just over 15 minutes on Wednesday night in a 4-2 win over Edmonton. The Maple Leafs’ all-time leading scorer didn’t register a point, much less a shot on goal.

“It’s timing, where you come in and shoot, you jam yourself a little bit. And when you’re trying to make a pass (it goes) over a stick,” the Swede said after the game. “It felt exactly like where you are at the start of a season, where you’re trying to get it back, but the only way to get it back is to play games.”

Following practice on Thursday, Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said he’s seeing positive signs from Sundin, who signed a prorated one-year deal on Dec. 18.

“You can see every day he’s getting more fluid, the hands are getting a little bit quicker, softer,” Vigneault told the Canadian Press. “He’s on the right track.”

Vancouver will need everything Sundin can give them. Since losing in the Stanley Cup finals to the New York Rangers in 1994, the Canucks have reached the postseason seven times, but haven’t made it past the second round.

Sens' Ruutu suspended for chomp

ITEM: Senators agitator Jarkko Ruutu given two-game suspension by the NHL for biting.

Couldn’t wait for the postgame spread?

OK, so late in the first period of Ottawa’s 4-2 loss to Buffalo on Wednesday, Sabres enforcer (center, left wing, right wing, defense, goaltender … what position is the enforcer?) Andrew Peters was giving a face-wash to Ruutu along the boards when the Sens’ forward bit the glove off Peters’ hand.

Like a WWE heel, Peters doubled over in pain clutching his thumb and complained to the officials.

Here’s the rub, though … hockey gloves are thick for a reason. They’re padded for a reason. Unless Ruutu has teeth like a beaver, there’s no way Peters, a brawler, is going to feel anything.

"It's a pretty goofy thing that happened," Peters said in a Reuters news report. "It's not the injury, it's the incident. Just the fact that that happened, it's unfortunate. It's not good for the game of hockey."

Peters has one point – and 76 penalty minutes – in 24 games this season, so clearly, that’s what good in the game of hockey.

I’m not condoning what Ruutu, a pest in the mold of Esa Tikkanen, did. I’m just not buying Peters’ response, and his own words seem to indicate he didn’t think it was a big deal either.

BTW, did you see the reaction from Peters? If this wasn’t a case of trying to sell something to the referees, I don’t know what is.

Packing them in

Need any more proof that hockey matters again in the Windy City?

The Chicago Blackhawks are the top-drawing team in the NHL so far, according to ESPN.com.

Thanks to All-Star starters Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Brian Campbell, the Blackhawks are averaging 20,292 per game so far in 2008-09. Through 18 dates at the United Center, the ‘Hawks are drawing a league-best 22,655 per game, nearly 1.400 more than second-place Montreal and almost 3,000 ahead of defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit.

On the road, Chicago is pulling in an average of 17,929 per game, good for fourth behind fellow Original Six teams Montreal (17,990), Boston (18,227) and Detroit (19,627).

Why is this a big deal? Consider that in the two seasons following the lockout, Chicago ranked 29th of 30 teams in home (13,022) and overall (14,865) attendance. On the road in 2005-06, the Blackhawks were 22nd (16,729), and slipped to 23rd (16,686) the following season.

The Blackhawks have the longest active Stanley Cup drought. Chicago hasn't won the Cup since 1961, ahead of Toronto (1967)

The bottom three teams in overall attendance this season are Columbus (15,652), the New York Islanders (15,626) and Nashville (15,609).

A look back at the Winter Classic

Was it worth the hype? The cold? The poor sightlines? A soused Bobby Hull trying to sing?

You bet.

The Winter Classic in Chicago was more than a game – it was part-street fair as well, and perhaps more important, a celebration of a sport that still doesn’t get a lot of respect by the public at large.

There is a tagline on some ad campaign for a cell phone company that says “Hockey fans are like no other.” Truer words were never spoken as nearly 41,000 heart souls gathered on New Year’s Day at the ballpark on the corner of Clark and Addison streets to watch an event that is still considered a bit of a novelty.

Since I live about a 15-minute walk from Wrigley Field, I went there the day before the game to wander around. Soaked up some of the atmosphere at the FanFest area, but there weren’t many people around.

On game day, I made my way to Wrigley around 9 a.m., and the closer you got the stronger the sense of this being something big – an event I needed to be at as a fan if I couldn’t be there as a journalist.

Walking around the park, first along Addison then Clark then along Waveland, it was clear this was going to be one big ol’ party. Hours after New Years’ fans slowly started to gather, haggle with ticket scalpers for last-minute deals, take in the FanFest stuff like ice carving, face painting and music.

I was happy just to watch and observe. Hockev Night In Canada pundit Don Cherry, immaculately dressed as always, was his usual boisterous self as he glad-handed many along Waveland.

As for the jerseys people sported, there were many – and, no, I didn’t break out my New York Rangers’ No. 34. Couple of Reg Dunlop’s No. 7 from the Charlestown Chiefs. Alexander Mogilny’s 89 and Gilbert Perreault’s 11 from the Buffalo Sabres. Several Pittsburgh Penguins throwbacks, which would have been more authentic to me if they were of, say, Rick Kehoe or Ron Flockhart instead of Sid the Kid’s No. 87.

All the usual Wings’ sweaters were seen – Howe’s No. 9, Lidstrom’s 5. Yzerman’s 19. McCarty’s 25, Draper’s 33.

It seemed that when you saw the Indian head, there was invariably Kane’s 88 or Toews’19 attached to it.

Suprisingly, I didn’t see one person wearing Hull’s No. 9. But Ruutu’s No. 15 was spotted more than once. So was Daze’s 55 and Mikita’s 21. A young kid was a Brent Sopel fan, sporting the journeyman’s No. 5. Savard’s 18. Seabrook’s 7. Griswold’s 00.

An older fan wore Chicago’s black third jersey with Glenn Hall’s No. 1, something the Hall of Famer never would have donned considering he retired almost 40 years ago. There was also the fan that paid respect to Chicago Stadium, the Madhouse on Madison street, with his Stadium sweater bearing the No. 94 for the last season there before moving to the United Center.

The best one spotted may have been a white Blackhawks No. 44 jersey with DETROIT SUCKS as the nameplate.

After all the pageantry – the introduction of Chicago sports legends Hull, Mikita, Tony Esposito, the Cubs’ Ryne Sandberg and Billy Williams – the Blackhaws led 3-1 after one period and looked like the hungrier team.

Detroit was well-represented on the North Side, though. An inflatable octopus hung from the upper deck. A sign reminded Blackhawks fans the Detroit has copped the Stanley Cup 11 times compared to only three for Chicago.

Their presence was enough that there was a healthy “Let’s go Red Wings” chant, each punctuated back with “Detroit sucks,” at least for a while. After Chicago’s Cristobal Huet allowed three second-period goals to rally back from two down, it was clear who was the stronger side.

Regardless of the result, it was a great day for the sport, and clear the NHL struck gold here - even television ratings were up 12 percent.

If the 2008 Winter Classic in Buffalo was a test run, this year’s fine-tuned the product to get ready for what I expect to be a game in New York less than a year from now.

What's next for the Winter Classic?

The Winter Classic is an event every fan should see, but for it to move from novelty to tradition, location and matchup are key.

On Friday night, a few of us in the newsroom were kicking around those two factors, and here are the top three games I’d like to see.

TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minn.: If there was ever a site that screamed for something like an outdoor game, it’s the “State of Hockey.”

The new home of the Golden Gophers will open later this year, but there is little question an outdoor game would work here. When it comes to hockey – regardless of age of gender - Minnesota may as well just be another Canadian province.

MATCHUP: Minnesota Wild vs. Dallas Stars. The Gopher State’s new team meets the one it abandoned to head south. Too perfect.

Yankee Stadium, Bronx, N.Y.: You cannot have an event like this without playing it once in the world’s largest media market, and there’s little doubt that New York City knows how to throw a party.

I would be stunned if the center of the hockey world on Jan. 1, 2010 wasn’t here.

MATCHUP: New York Rangers vs. New York Islanders. While facing another Original Six club like the Canadiens or Bruins speaks to some romantic ideal, there's not much that can begin to compare to this rivalry.

INVESCO Field at Mile High, Denver, Colo.: Not quite ideal at this time because the Avalanche aren’t an elite team or even an up-and-coming one. Once they get back among the Western Conference’s best, the Mile High City should get one of these games.

I’m thinking 2012.

MATCHUP: Colorado Avalanche vs. Washington Capitals. If it were a decade ago, I would say the Red Wings would be a perfect fit here. Since Montreal _ the Avs’ former rival when they played in Quebec City – was in the Heritage Classic in 2003, I would say get the Capitals in there to show off Alexander Ovechkin’s skills.

Looking back and ahead

It’s been a while, yeah yeah, yeah …

Looking back at 2008, there were many things that happened which have me not wanting to wait to boot this year out on its ass with good riddance.

Heading into 2009, though, I suppose reflection isn’t a bad thing, altogether. As ’08 closes, this was a year where I reconnected with a lot of people who many years ago I had nothing in common with. Facebook is a wonderful tool in many ways.

It’s also helped me meet new people, many who are very dear to me, and hopefully will remain so long after 2009 is gone.

This also has been a year of loss and doubt, personally. To those who have talked me down off the ledge – in many cases more than once – thank you. Many times I didn’t know if I would get through the tough times, the bad times, the sad times.

To everyone: I will always be there for you when you need it, 24-7-365. I never close.

While I am hardly a poet or lyricist, I like to see if there is a song that kind of neatly sums up the year on a personal note. I wish I’d discovered the Dropkick Murphys years ago …

I was at my weakest state
And you kept me pushing on
You gave me something to believe in
And it keeps me standing strong
These lessons that I've learned
These things I'll carry on
And when you're gone I'll honor you
Each day, however long …

Like an apple from the tree
you were lock jawed in your ways
A reminder of myself in those long forgotten days
Thought you'd stayed off my path
But I just couldn't see that the blood that's in your veins
Is the same that runs through me …

I had it all but lost my faith
And then you lead me to it
Today I'll carry on
I had it all but lost my faith
And now I've renewed it
These things I'll carry on

See you from the Winter Classic!