IIHF World Hockey Championship are being held in Austria. Canada beat the US 3-1 in a match dominated by goalie Martin Brodeur. With no NHL action this is the next best thing. While watching some highlights, they also showed some clips of memorable moments throughout the past few years in the NHL. The one that sticks out for me happened in 2001, just the second year that I had been following the NHL. It was the Stanley Cup finals between The Colorado Avalanche & the New Jersey Devils. The Devils were the defending champions but I was supporting the Avalanche. The team featured defenceman Ray Bourque, a 22 year veteran and one of the all time greats. He entered the game as an 18 year old playing for the Boston Bruins and immediately caught the eye, winning the Calder Cup for Rookie of the year. It was in his 21st season with the Bruins that Bourque ended what had been the longest current tenure of an athlete with one team in all of professional sports when he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche on March 6, 2000. Boston had failed to win the Stanley Cup during that time and perhaps Ray had given his all for his team and moved to Colorado, seen as a bigger contender. he played outstandingly for his new team as they marched on to the Stanley Cup finals against the defending champions the Devils. As the series moved to the final seconds, it was sure that the Avalanche was going to win the match & the Cup. A tired & battered Bourque moved to the bench, but a teammate of his (not sure if it is Rob Blake) screamed at him to get back on the ice. He wanted Ray to be there when the final siren had gone. Ray dragged himself back to the match. During the award ceremony, when Bourque finally got his chance to lift up the Stanley Cup after a long 22 year old wait, tears came down his eyes. Several fans must have had lumps in their throats as well. So did I, even an ice hockey novice like me knew what it meant for the Montrealer and what a feeling it is to wait so long and then to finally win it when you are just about to end your career. Infact Ray never played another official match; announcing his retiredment soon after. That was truly one of the greatest moments in sports I have ever seen.





Not even major surgery can keep Canadian rocker Neil Young down for long. Despite being sidelined last month with a brain aneurysm, Young has returned to a Nashville studio to resume work on his upcoming album, Billboard.com reports. The surgery forced the former Winnipegger to cancel his appearance at the Junos on April 3rd. In a posting on her website, Young's sister Astrid revealed that the singer has corralled longtime keyboardist Spooner Oldham, guitarist Ben Keith and drummer Carl Himmel for the sessions.

"He's feeling good, has everything under control and is back in the saddle," she said. The as-yet untitled disc is the follow-up to 2003's "Greendale."



Song for the day - "Heart Of Gold" - NEIL YOUNG