2008–09 Boston Bruins Season
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2008–09 Boston Bruins Season
The 2008–09 Boston Bruins season was the Bruins' 85th season in the National Hockey League (NHL). Their regular season began on the road on October 9, 2008, in Denver versus the Colorado Avalanche and concluded on April 12, 2009, against the New York Islanders. The Bruins looked to improve upon the accomplishments of the 2007–08 season, which included Boston's return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since the 2003–04 season. Marc Savard again led the team in scoring for the regular season, his 88 points good for ninth in the league. Tim Thomas led all goaltenders in both save percentage and goals against at season's end, while sophomore sensation David Krejci led the league in plus-minus, narrowly beating out rookie teammate Blake Wheeler. The Bruins claimed their first division title since 2004 and clinched top seed in the East for the first time since 2002. Season events Arguably the two biggest events to occur during the Bruins' off-season were th ...
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Eastern Conference (NHL)
The Eastern Conference () is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League (NHL) used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. History Originally named the Prince of Wales Conference (or Wales Conference for short), it was created in 1974–75 NHL season, 1974 when the NHL realigned its teams into two conferences and four divisions. Because the new conferences and divisions had little to do with North American geography, geographical references were removed. The Prince of Wales Trophy dates back to 1925, when it was donated to the League by the Prince of Wales, who later became Edward VIII, King Edward VIII and then the Duke of Windsor. It was originally given to the NHL's playoff champion. (Until 1926, the Stanley Cup was presented to the winner of a post-season playoff between the NHL and Western Canada Hockey League, Western Hockey League champions.) Since 1926–27 NHL season, 1926–27, the Stanley Cup has gone to the NHL' ...
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National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada and is considered the premier professional ice hockey league in the world. The Stanley Cup, the oldest professional sports trophy in North America, is awarded annually to the Stanley Cup playoffs, league playoff champion at the end of each season. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) views the Stanley Cup as one of the "most important championships available to the sport". The NHL is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan. The National Hockey League was organized at the Windsor Hotel (Montreal), Windsor Hotel in Montreal on November 26, 1917, after the suspension of operations of its predecessor organization, the National Hockey Association (NHA), which had been founded in 1909 at Renfrew, Ontario. The NHL immediately took the NHA ...
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Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) considers it to be one of the "most important championships available to the sport". The trophy was commissioned in 1892 as the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup and is named after Lord Stanley of Preston, the Governor General of Canada, who donated it as an award to Canada's top-ranking amateur ice hockey club. The entire Stanley family supported the sport, the sons and daughters all playing and promoting the game. The first Cup was awarded in 1893 to the Montreal Hockey Club, and winners from 1893 to 1914 were determined by challenge games and league play. Professional teams first became eligible to challenge for the Stanley Cup in 1906. In 1915, the National Hockey Association (NHA) and the Pacific Coast Hocke ...
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Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The Capitals compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team is owned by Ted Leonsis through Monumental Sports & Entertainment, and initially played its home games at the Capital Centre (Landover, Maryland), Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland, before moving to Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., in 1997. The franchise was founded in 1974–75 NHL season, 1974 as an expansion team, alongside the Kansas City Scouts, and struggled throughout its first eight years of existence. In 1982–83 NHL season, 1982, David Poile was hired as general manager, helping to turn the team's fortunes around. With a core of players such as Mike Gartner, Rod Langway, Larry Murphy (ice hockey), Larry Murphy, and Scott Stevens, they became a regular playoff contender for the next fourt ...
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Minnesota Golden Gophers Men's Ice Hockey
The Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey team is the college hockey, college ice hockey team at the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota. They are members of the Big Ten Conference and compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I#Division I Ice Hockey, Division I ice hockey. The Golden Gophers are one of the most prominent and storied programs in college hockey, having made 41 NCAA Tournament appearances and 23 trips to the Frozen Four. They have won five NCAA NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship, national championships, in 1974, 1976, 1979, 2002 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Tournament, 2002 and 2003 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Tournament, 2003. The team also shared the 1929 National Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship with Yale, and captured the national Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) championship for amateur hockey in 1940. The Gophers are currently coached by Bob Motzko, who joined the te ...
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Michael Ryder
Michael Glen Wayne Ryder (born March 31, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger. He played 12 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars, and New Jersey Devils. Ryder was a member of the 2011 Stanley Cup-winning Bruins squad, scoring eight goals during the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs to help Boston to their first title since 1972. Playing career Junior Ryder played for the Hull Olympiques of the QMJHL. Montreal Canadiens Ryder was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, 8th round, 216th overall. He hired hockey agent Thayne Campbell before signing with Montreal. On May 30, 2003, Ryder scored the winning goal to end the longest game in American Hockey League history. His goal at 14:56 of the fourth overtime period gave the Hamilton Bulldogs a 2–1 win over the Houston Aeros in Game 2 of the Calder Cup Finals. In the 2003–04 NHL season, he played in the NHL YoungStars ...
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Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. Since 1996, the team has played its home games at the Bell Centre, originally known as the Molson Centre. The Canadiens previously played at the Montreal Forum, which housed the team for seven decades and all but their first two Stanley Cup championships. Founded in 1909, the Canadiens are the oldest continuously operating professional ice hockey team worldwide, and the only existing NHL club to predate the History of the National Hockey League, founding of the league. One of the earliest Major professional sports teams in the United States and Canada, North American professional sports franchises, the Canadiens' history predates that of every other Canad ...
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2001–02 NHL Season
The 2001–02 NHL season was the 85th regular season of the National Hockey League. Thirty teams competed in an 82-game regular season. The regular season began on October 3, and the playoffs concluded on June 13, with the Detroit Red Wings defeating the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Finals in five games, winning their tenth Stanley Cup in franchise history. League business Pittsburgh financial troubles The cash-strapped Pittsburgh Penguins, desperate to dump payroll, could no longer afford perennial superstar Jaromir Jagr. He would be traded, along with Frantisek Kucera, to the Washington Capitals in exchange for Kris Beech, Ross Lupaschuk, Michal Sivek, and $4.9 million. Despite Mario Lemieux's return the previous season, the absence of Jagr proved devastating to the Penguins, and they missed the playoffs for the first time since 1990. The Penguins did not return to the playoffs until 2007 after they drafted Sidney Crosby 2 years prior. Entry draft The 2001 ...
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Blake Wheeler
Blake James Wheeler (born August 31, 1986) is an American professional ice hockey player who is an unrestricted free agent. He has previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Boston Bruins, Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets, and New York Rangers. He was drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes in the first round, fifth overall, in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. After failing to come to terms on a contract with the Coyotes, he signed with the Bruins as a free agent. Early life Wheeler was born on August 31, 1986, in Plymouth, Minnesota to parents Pat and Jim and older sister Brooke. Growing up, Wheeler played and attended school in Wayzata, Minnesota. While playing youth hockey in Wayzata, Wheeler often played a year or two up from his age group due to his skills. Playing career Amateur While he originally attended Wayzata High School, Wheeler chose to move to Breck School for his junior and senior years in order to better his chances at a hockey scholarship. During the 2002 ...
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Plus–minus (sports)
Plus−minus (+/−, ±, plus/minus) is a sports statistic used to measure a player's impact, represented by the difference between their team's total scoring versus their opponent's when the player is in the game. Ice hockey In ice hockey, the plus–minus measures a player's goal differential. When a team that is at even-strength or shorthanded scores a goal, all players on the ice on the scoring team will register a plus while all players on the conceding team on the ice will register a minus. When a goal is scored by a team on the power play, no plus or minus points are awarded to either team. Empty net situations are treated the same as even-strength unless the team that scores is on the power play. Penalty shot goals are excluded. A player's plus−minus statistic is calculated for each game played. The statistic is directly affected by overall team performance, influenced by both the offensive and defensive performance of the team as a whole. However, ...
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2003–04 NHL Season
The 2003–04 NHL season was the 87th regular season of the National Hockey League. The Stanley Cup champions were the Tampa Bay Lightning, who won the best of seven series four games to three against the Calgary Flames. For the fourth time in eight years, the all-time record for total shutouts in a season was shattered, as 192 shutouts were recorded. The 2003–04 regular season was also the first one (excluding the lockout-shortened 1994–95 season) since 1967–68 in which there was neither a 50-goal scorer, nor a 100-point scorer. It was also the final NHL season before the 2004–05 NHL lockout with games resuming in the fall of 2005 as part of the 2005–06 season, and the final season in which games could end in ties. League business Collective bargaining agreement The existing NHL collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the league and the players was set to expire in September 2004. During the entire 2003–04 season, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHL Playe ...
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2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League (NHL) began on April 9, 2008, after the 2007–08 NHL season, 2007–08 regular season. The 16 teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played Playoff format#Best-of-seven playoff, best-of-seven series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, then the conference champions played a best-of-seven series for the Stanley Cup. The Buffalo Sabres became the second team to miss the playoffs after winning the Presidents' Trophy in the prior 2006–07 NHL season, season. This would not happen again until 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs, 2015. The Finals ended on June 4, 2008, with the Detroit Red Wings defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games to win their eleventh championship and their fourth in eleven seasons. Red Wings winger Henrik Zetterberg was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs' Most Valuable Player. Sidney Crosby and Zetterberg led the tournament with 27 points. Highlights The Sa ...
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