z-Archives (other articles)

(Team Denmark watches from the bench. Photo courtesy IIHF)

DobberHockey senior prospects writer Matt Bugg is covering the 2012 World Junior Championships live from Edmonton and Calgary. He’ll be posting updates throughout the week.

“Denmark, Denmark, Denmark!”

The chants are fast and furious. And, you have to believe, welcome.

This month's special World Junior Championship edition of Dobber Nation is required listening for any prospect-watchers and tourney fanatics-- this episode is all about preparing yourself to find out the most you can about the best under-20 hockey players in the world. We’re going to dissect the roster of all 10 countries -- including Latvia! -- and direct your eyes towards the guys that are working towards becoming household names.

Click here to listen to the December 25, 2011 edition of Dobber Nation!

Read on to find out who Brian Kom spoke to this month...

If 2010 was the year of the Olympics in the hockey world, 2011 has been the year of the concussion. Unfortunately, the concussion issue is one that is going to linger around for the forseeable future. We have seen its effects in the worst possible plays, from the death of Derek Boogaard to the uncertainty surrounding Sidney Crosby's career. This summer was perhaps the worst we have ever seen in hockey. Along with Boogaard dying, the hockey world also lost Rick Rypien and Wade Belak. And only a few weeks later, the devastating plane crash that killed the entire Lokomotiv hockey team in Russia occured.

Needless to say, the negative news was dominant in 2011.

That isn't to say we didn't see some great stories. Boston and Vancouver played in one of the most spirited Stanley Cup Final matchups in recent memory. We saw some young stars dazzle us night in and night out - most notably Claude Giroux and Steven Stamkos. The Sedin twins continue to show why they are such special talents, and the Maple Leafs (finally) are on the road to respectability with a solid team for the first time in a long time.

Without further adieu, let's get to the top 10 fantasy hockey stories of the past calendar year....

Every day is like Christmas for a fantasy hockey writer. It just is.

Owning Pittsburgh players on your fantasy roster can be tough at times (interchangeable parts up front), but malkin’ Evgeni for points when he's healthy is as easy as it gets. Malkin has seen a resurgence of sorts after a slow start to the season after recovering from knee surgery. Poolies have been happy to see him return to his dominant ways, one that includes a recent five-point performance and puts him on pace for an expected 103 points over 74 games. If Malkin could ask for anything for Christmas it would be brand new knees, but poolies are already getting what the want from Santa, and that's top-notch production.

December’s Roto Guide will be short and sweet as we gear up for 2012. This report also recognizes a big achievement for the Black Aces.  

In just over a year, the Black Aces have grown to over 30-plus members. The crew features 25 writers that cover NHL teams, as well as eight daily Studs and Duds writers that bring you the best and worst of the NHL. Dig a little deeper and you will find a number of articles published in the PG Advised section with an open invitation to aspiring writers. Check out the Black Aces Report following the Top 100 to see how this project became a smashing success.

Click here to download the December 2011 PDF Edition!

For Jonas Hiller owners, this season has been nothing but pain and despair. A risk from the get-go, he silenced his Vertigo critics with a solid four-game winning streak from Oct. 8-17. Since then, however, he has won just five games, and over that period of time, has hit rock bottom by being pulled four times and venting his frustrations to the media.

Welcome back!  If you’re interested in getting an audit for your own keeper team you can begin the process by emailing Dobber.