We have certain assumptions about what we consider a successful recruiting class. At the top of the list are players who have served on the American or Canadian national teams. Then come players who have been invited to camps by those teams, and/or been a part of top-flight junior programs. If you … [Read more...]

TFL has taken a while to recover from the Olympic situation. The Twitter account (@firstlinehockey) has still been active. I’ll start posting again soon with the off-season slate of college profiles and previews, and hopefully some interviews. … [Read more...]

Good luck to the Canadians, who must live with both the joy and the incredible burden of their sport being so much more than a sport. Whatever happens tomorrow, we Americans are free from having our identities depend upon this game. We care deeply about it, but it will not affect how we feel about … [Read more...]

Before we launch into that, let us pause for a moment to contemplate exactly how bad that call was. It was probably top three in the worst call pantheon I have personally witnessed. What makes it particularly egregious is that the referee knows she blew the whistle. It was her own action, not a … [Read more...]

The fact that the U.S. has looked the stronger team coming in means nothing in this rivalry. As I’ve noted many times, at this point the match-up is 95% psychological and the teams are looking for that 5% separation any place they can find it. Pierre got one thing right (if you managed to … [Read more...]

Here are some lesser-known pieces of the puzzle for Canada and the U.S., and a few stars who could be crucial to the other national squads. Defense is the forgotten part of the U.S.’s game, largely because of its intermittently powerful offense and strong goaltending. Anne Schleper is the … [Read more...]