Hi everyone! I think this week’s title says it all. You know what I’m talking about, and I don’t need to go into details. No need to ignite any more fires than there already are out there, but I also can’t ignore the elephant in the room, the most tense sorta All-Star event in history. All I’ll say is that it certainly made for some riveting television, and will likely be the catalyst for a few much-needed changes in the NHL, if not in professional sports.

The 4 Nations Face Off was a surprisingly bitter tournament. It’s also not the first time (and it certainly won’t be the last) where some sort of bitter conflict took place on (or off) the ice leading to the inevitable grudge match to determine which team would reign supreme for a little while. Anyone who has visited this site over the years, or who has read my book, or who has read any hockey history book about the 1970s, knows that the Seals and Philadelphia Flyers did not get along. It seems weird that the mighty Flyers could have had a serious beef with the lowly Seals, but yes they did, and for good reason. The spark that ignited the blood feud occurred December 2, 1973 at the Philadelphia Spectrum when rookie defenseman Barry Cummins hit Flyers’ captain Bobby Clarke in the head, leading to a wild period dominated by fisticuffs. It wouldn’t be the last bitter conflict between the clubs.

This week, we’re going back to January 26, 1974, the first game between the clubs since the Cummins-Clarke incident. The papers were expecting a violent affair, and it truly was (just not in the way everyone thought… I will get into that next week when I post an article on that game, so stay tuned). This week’s article is more about the lead-up to that return match-up, and how Barry Cummins was handling the pressure of being public enemy number one. Head on over to the articles section to read this interesting piece.

Now that the surprisingly tense 4 Nations Face Off is over, its back to the grind we call the stretch drive to the playoffs, and my favorite time of the year, trade deadline day! Now that my Habs have crashed back down to Earth, I can now relax knowing that their fate has finally been decided, and that all there is left to determine is who stays and who goes. Don’t worry, I’m getting used to this sort of thing; I’m starting to feel what it was like to be a Seals fan back in the 70s. Hopefully, either Ottawa or Edmonton will go on a run and give me a reason to get excited about the playoffs, and that they will be inspired by Canada’s recent efforts to bring the Stanley Cup back home.

Until next time, stay gold!