On My Mind
Every Player Drafted Last Overall To Make It To The NHL
In the 44-year history of the NHL Entry Draft, 11 last overall picks have stepped onto the ice during an NHL game. Let’s take a look.
The Shortest NHL Careers By Draft Position
Today we take a look at the players taken in the top 5 of the NHL draft who played the least number of games at their draft position.
Creating The Best Possible Salary Cap Compliant NHL Team
When it comes to pro sports a constant topic of discussion is contract value. We love analyzing who's over or underpaid and how that effects the makeup of teams as whole. Well, what if we created an NHL team only using the very best value contracts in the league? How...
Can you name the player based on these iconic announcer calls?
How many of these iconic hockey moments can you recognize based on the announcer calls?
What Would An All time Roster Look Like Selecting Just One Player Per Country?
I've always loved making hypothetical rosters. I thought it would be a fun experiment to put onetogether with the parameter that once a player has been selected from a given country, that countrycannot be used again. I was curious to see what the balance of this team...
Ovi Is Back And The Chase For 895 Is On
Reports of Alexander Ovechkin possibly leaving the NHL in the next few years to end his career in Russia are over. While he may still do that someday, hockey fans can breathe a sigh of relief that we will see the best of his remaining years played out at the highest...
Looking Back at the Strangest Hart Trophy Votes of the Past 3 Decades
I recently wrote a piece compiling a roster of the greatest players to never receive a Hart trophy vote. This time let's examine some of the strangest or most undeserved votes over the past three decades. We'll choose three players per decade and keep it to players...
O Romeo, O Romeo: A Farewell Letter To Baseball’s Most Misunderstood Star
Super Mega Baseball career retrospective
All Time Roster of players Who Never Received a Hart Vote
When it comes to sports we all love anomalies. A good what if story, a statistic or season that serves as a total outlier, underdogs that overachieved, legends that underachieved… We often talk about the greatest player to never win a ring or the greatest player to...
5 Veterans Who Are Turning Back The Clock This Year
The reverse retro jerseys aren't the only throwbacks this year as a number of players who seemed to be on their way out or on a steep decline have decided to turn back the clock. Joe Thornton: 41 years old When the Leafs signed Jumbo Joe to a deal it looked like it...
Why the Jake Allen Trade Is An Easy Win-Win for Habs and Blues:
The second trade of the summer has occurred and while it's not a blockbuster, this is great trade for all involved. Let's break it down. Montreal receives: Jake Allen 2022 7th round draft pick St. Louis receives: 2020 3rd round draft pick 2020 7th round...
The Best Half Second of Basketball in Raptors History
Kemba Walker with an all time great play to end the game… Only it doesn’t end the game. There’s half a second left on the clock and Kyle Lowry and OG Anunoby are about to connect for one of the greatest moments in Raptors history. It’s game 3 and the defending champs...
Bounced From The Bubble, What’s Next? – First Round
Canadiens: The Habs mini Cinderella run is over and this one is bittersweet. The 24th seeded team that really had no business being in the bubble at all shocked everyone by upsetting the Penguins and then took Philly to six games, actually outplaying them. The lowly...
Bounced from the Bubble, What’s Next? – Play-in Round
Leafs: "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Kyle Dubas should heed the words of fellow Toronto manager, Masai Ujiri and realize that things need to change in Toronto. His tone-deaf end of season...
How often does a first overall pick lead to a Cup?
As the 2020 NHL entry draft approaches there has been a lot of buzz due to the hype of the top end talent this year and the controversial results of the draft lottery. There's always an aura surrounding the player pegged to go first overall in a draft but this year...
A Look Back At The Top Moments From The 2019-2020 NHL Season
With the NHL and just about every other league on pause I thought it would be fun to take a look back at some of the happier, fun, lighter and all around awesome moments so far this season.
Catching up with Scott Moore
This week I interviewed television executive Scott Moore. Scott has held roles as Director of CBC sports, Head of Production for Sportsnet and President of Broadcasting for Rogers Media. He has been a trailblazer in the industry and has a long history of success....
A Timeline of what went wrong for Chiarelli in Edmonton
It wasn't a matter of if, but a matter of when. Chiarelli has finally been relieved of his duties as General Manager of the Edmonton Oilers and the city can breathe a long-awaited sigh of relief. For all his good intentions in trying to bring the Oilers back to their...
Catching up with Paul “The Ultimate” Vaden
This week I interviewed former World Champion boxer, Paul "The Ultimate" Vaden. Born and raised in San Diego, Paul had a dominant amateur career before turning pro. As a pro, Paul put together a record of 29 wins (16 by knockout) and 3 losses. His career was...
Catching Up With Chase Coffman
This week I interviewed Chase Coffman. Chase is a former NFL tight end who spent 7 seasons in the league and was a consensus All-American for the Missouri Tigers. He is currently a motivational speaker and was kind enough to share his thoughts on football and his...
Taylor Hall Finally Vindicated With Hart Trophy Win
His Devil’s may have lost in the first round of the playoffs but Taylor Hall has every reason to smile. After years of criticism, injuries, missed opportunities and more criticism, he has finally silenced his doubters. He was the...
State of the Industry: Hockey Cards and Why Competition Matters
2014 marked a massive shift in the hockey trading card industry. The most significant impact came with Upper Deck’s successful agreement with the NHL and NHLPA to secure exclusive licensing rights to produce NHL trading cards. Secondly, In The Game Trading Cards (ITG)...
Catching Up With David Singer
This week I interviewed David Singer. David is the founder of hockeyfights.com, which is the number one resource for information, videos, statistics and news regarding fighting in hockey. He was also an executive producer on the award nominated documentary, Ice...
Catching Up With Rick Peterson
This week I interviewed Rick Peterson. Rick is a former pitcher and pitching coach. He coached with Major League organizations for over 30 years. He was kind enough to share some amazing stories about his career, approach to working with pitchers and what it was like...
Scott Foster: Hero For A Night
On March 29th, 2018 Scott Foster woke up a 36 year old accountant and ended the day as a goaltender for the Chicago Blackhawks, celebrating a flawless performance in a win over the Winnipeg Jets. Scott has become one of the most unique pieces of NHL history and...
How Damian Lillard Ended My 2K Career
It’s 2014 and I’ve just declared for the NBA draft. All the training, all the practice, all the work, it’s about to pay off when I hear my name announced and put on that NBA jersey. This is my moment. I’ve worked for it, I’m ready, I’ve earned it. Before I go any...
Skiing with Shannon Bahrke
A few months ago I interviewed two time Olympic medalist Shannon Bahrke. It was amazing to talk with her and hear about her talk about freestyle skiing and her career. A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of getting to ski with her for a day in Park...
Catching Up With Kory Sheets
This week I interviewed Kory Sheets. Kory is a former NFL and CFL running back and was the 2013 Grey Cup MVP on the championship Saskatchewan Roughriders. He set the records for most rushing yards ever in a Grey Cup game when he ran for 197 yards and 2 touchdowns....
Catching Up With Brandon Steiner
This week I interviewed Brandon Steiner, speaker, author and founder and CEO of Steiner Sports. Brandon revolutionized the sports memorabilia and collecting industry. He was kind enough to share his thoughts on his career, sports and how to be successful. Josh Wahler:...
Catching Up With Shannon Bahrke
This week I interviewed Olympic freestyle skier, Shannon Bahrke. Shannon grew up skiing and earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic team in 1998. A two time medalist, Shannon retired in 2010 following her Bronze medal performance in Vancouver. She was kind enough to share...
Vegas Should Push Hard to Make Oshie Their Franchise Player
Despite signing their best player in franchise history, Reid Duke, Vegas will be lacking for serious offensive threats. All kidding aside, the Golden Knights biggest issue will be their top 6 forwards. They should have solid goaltending and defense through the...
The best and worst year for first overall picks across sports
In sports there’s a natural fascination with any player that gets drafted first overall. It’s an honour and a title only one athlete per year in any given sport can claim. First overall. When a player attains this coveted honor, expectations are high. They’re supposed...
Catching Up With Megan Robinson
This week I interviewed Global News Sports Anchor, Megan Robinson. Megan was kind enough to share her thoughts and stories from years of experience working in sports and the media. Josh Wahler: You’ve been doing this for a while now, but early in your career who would...
How We’ve Come to Define Success
One narrative that is pervasive in sports that I’ve never really understood is that a team has to win it all to be considered successful. If a team fails to win a league championship they are cast as failures or fundamentally flawed in their roster, coaching, or style...
Reviewing The 7 Canadian NHL Teams
I did this last year so I figured why not do it again. Last year I discussed why each of the 7 Canadian teams in the NHL had a reason to be optimistic… all 7 teams proceeded to miss the playoffs. Despite that, it’s a new year and there are new reasons for hope. The...
Catching Up With Cam Stewart
This week I interviewed Cam Stewart. Cam is a veteran of over 200 NHL games and is the current Director of Player Development for KO sports. He was kind enough to share his views on his career, the expansion draft and advice for young players. Josh Wahler: Is there...
Jays Get It Right With Sanchez
At 23 years old Aaron Sanchez is having a great season, a special season and one of the best seasons of any pitcher in major league baseball. In his first season as a starter he has so far compiled an 11-2 record with a 2.85 ERA while being named to his first all-star...
Radulov’s Return
He’s back. After four seasons away from the NHL Alexander Radulov has returned and we are all left to wait and see if this is the time he gets it right. That last time we saw Radulov was when he was a member of the Nashville Predators, where he has spent his on...
Catching Up With Wojciech Wolski
This week I interviewed Metallurg Magnitogorsk foraward, Wojciech Wolski. He was kind enough to share his thoughts on his time in both the NHL and KHL. After a strong junior career Wolski was drafted in the first round of the NHL draft by the Colorado Avalanche. He...
Why the Oilers Can’t Draft Matthew Tkachuk
Death, Taxes and the Oilers getting a top draft pick. It’s a new season, but for the Oilers, it’s the same old scenario. Once again a disappointing season, but the potential to draft a franchise-altering player. The Oilers desperately need to improve their defensive...
Penguins Capitals 2.0: The Matchup We’ve Waited 7 Years For
The year was 2009 and NHL fans were treated to one of the most anticipated playoff matchups in league history. Penguins vs. Capitals. Sid vs. Ovie. This was huge. You have the two best players in the league, each with unbelievable talent around them going head to head...
Catching Up With Mike Duco
This week I interviewed Evansville IceMen forward, Mike Duco. He was kind enough to answer some questions about his career. Duco is a native of Toronto, Ontario and since playing junior hockey for the Kitchener Rangers he has played professionally since 2008. With...
The Time I saw Michael Jordan and the Bulls
When I was 5 years old my dad took me to see Michael Jordan and the Bulls take on our hometown Toronto Raptors. It was the inaugural season of Raptors basketball and we shared a set of season’s tickets. This was big, my dad was taking me to see the greatest player in...
On My Mind: November 27, 2015
#1 I think the Warriors look as poised for a repeat as any team has ever looked. They took down the Lebron led Calvs in last season’s NBA Finals and now they’ve just made history by becoming the only team ever to open a season 16-0. The roster is deep, the chemistry...
Tim Horton’s and Upper Deck: The Power of Collaboration
Personally, I have always been a big fan of brands collaborating together. I think it can lead to some very fun results and it’s always interesting to see how two separate identities can come together to create something positive and benefit each other. Tim Horton’s...
On My Mind: October 26, 2015
#1 The Chargers lose back-to-back heartbreakers that easily could have been wins. After what looked like it could have been a game winning field goal for the Chargers the Steelers answered and then a freak clock mishap prevented San Diego's offense from getting back...
On My Mind: October 6, 2015
Starting today I will be doing a new series, "On My Mind". I have always been a fan of the Ten Things I Think I Think in Sports Illustrated. It has inspired me to periodically make my own little list of thoughts, opinions and various happenings in sports. Without...
Rookie Quarterbacks: Start em’ or sit em’?
When it comes to rookie quarterbacks in the NFL there are different philosophies in terms of how to get the most success out of them. Football is a team sport through and through, but no single player provides value to their team like a QB. It’s why it takes a...
Reviewing The 7 Canadian NHL Teams
As the NHL season approaches hockey in Canada is trending upwards. A Canadian team hasn’t won the cup since the Montreal Canadiens captured hockey’s ultimate prize in 1993. I think the question isn’t when a Canadian team will finally win the cup again, but who will do...
Catching Up With Scott Mellanby
This week I interviewed Scott Mellanby. He was kind enough to speak about his days as a player and his current role with the Montreal Canadiens. Mellanby’s impressive career spanned over 1,500 games in the NHL with 5 different teams. From starting out with the Flyers...
Catching Up With Brett Lindros
This week I had the privilege of interviewing former NHL player, Brett Lindros. Lindros, born and raised in London, Ontario played junior hockey for the Kingston Frontenacs before being drafted 9th overall by the New York Islanders in 1994. He is the younger brother...
Team Stream: My Favourite Sports App
There are a lot of sports apps out there, and while a lot of them are good they’ve never really been for me. I’m as diehard a sports fan as they come and I only have two sports apps on my phone. One, for checking scores of games and the other in my opinion is a must...
Villains: The Players We Love To Hate
When it comes to marketing a sport one universal truth is that villains capture people’s attention. Regardless of their propensity to cross the line every sports fan is captivated by those particular players that we just love to hate. What makes a true villain though?...
MLB All-Star Game: A Potential All-Star Disappointment
The MLB All-Star game is an annual event that pits the top National League players against the top American League players. At least that’s usually how it works. This year there’s a bit of a problem though. It looks like the game is going to be the top National League...
An Unlikely Hero: The Ping-Pong Ball That Saved The Oilers
While Edmonton fans are reveling in the knowledge that they will have the number one pick in this year’s NHL entry draft, there is one party in particular who is deserving of praise. All the focus is on Connor McDavid, the 18 year old phenom who is being hailed as...
5 Athletes With Iconic Brands
In sports being popular is more than just being good at your sport. Athletes have an ability through their personality, interviews, and social media to build a brand and create their public persona. This list is going to look at 5 athletes, in no particular order who...
Emotionally Driven Campaigns And Why They Work In Sports
“People underestimate the power of nostalgia. If baseball can use it to get people to care about that worthless sport, then I can use it to get my siblings to care about the farm. Nostalgia is truly one of the great human weaknesses. Second only to the neck.” – Dwight...
Welcome to Sporting Ground!
Welcome to Sporting Ground. Sports has always been a passion of mine and growing up in Toronto, Ontario I’m fortunate enough to be part of a city that has a rich sports history and culture. With professional teams for every major North American sport and unlimited...