Devils Fire Lindy Ruff, Turn To Travis Green

Hockeyology

by Matthew Blittner - March 4, 2024March 5, 20240

What’s the old saying? Coaches are hired to be fired? Unfortunately, that saying was once again proven true on Monday night, March 4, 2024. With less than a handful of days to go before the NHL’s annual Trade Deadline, Devils General Manager Tom Fitzgerald removed Head Coach Lindy Ruff from his

Blittner’s Blue Line: NHL Officiating and Notes From Around The League

Hockeyology

by Matthew Blittner - March 4, 2024March 4, 20240

The art of officiating an NHL game is just that – an art. Sure, there are rules – upon rules, upon rules, upon rules – that are specifically spelled out, but there are also plenty of situations that are purposely left to the interpretation of the on-ice officials; namely, the

Maturation Process of No. 1 Picks

Hockeyology

by Matthew Blittner - February 24, 2024March 4, 20240

“With the first pick in the draft, Team X selects…” At the start of nearly every NHL Entry Draft, you hear some variation of the aforementioned phrase from League Commissioner, Gary Bettman. On Saturday afternoon, when the Devils hosted the Canadiens for a matinee game at Prudential Center, three players who had

The Latest Chapter In The Battle of The Hudson

Hockeyology

by Matthew Blittner - February 23, 2024February 23, 20240

“Any time you get to play a rival that’s right across the river, it tends to have a little bit more into it than any other team.” – Devils Head Coach Lindy Ruff before his team’s 5-1 loss to the Rangers. Thursday night at Prudential Center, The Battle of The Hudson

Blittner’s Blue Line: Chico and Jágr, plus Islanders to Host All-Star Weekend

Hockeyology

by Matthew Blittner - February 20, 2024February 20, 20240

The game of Hockey has seen its fair share of characters. There have been boisterous, larger-than-life types. There have been comedians. Strong and silent types have come and gone. There are simply too many to list. But there are two in particular who we want to focus on here. Chico Resch

Sam Ersson Has a Great Challenge Ahead of Him

Hockeyology

by Russ_Cohen - February 19, 2024February 19, 20240

Philadelphia Flyers goalie, Sam Ersson has played in 42 NHL games and 47 AHL games. The rookie is in his hockey infancy. The fact that he’s 24 is a plus because he’s very mature but as far as game experience. He’s still gaining a lot of that on the job. 42

Outdoor Hockey Favors The Rangers in a 6-5 OT Win

Hockeyology

by Matthew Blittner - February 19, 2024February 19, 20240

Outdoor hockey? What a concept! Between the Winter Classic, Stadium Series, and Heritage Classic, the NHL has now hosted 41 outdoor regular-season games; each with its unique feel and backstory. Sunday afternoon – more like Sunday evening by the time the game ended thanks to an earlier sun glare delay –

Blittner’s Blue Line: Two Wrongs Don’t Make A Right

Hockeyology

by Matthew Blittner - February 13, 2024February 13, 20240

Oh great, now they’ve done it. Why can’t we ever have an NHL season during which the “unwritten rules” of the sport don’t dominate headlines for days? Unless you were living under a rock this past weekend, you’ve almost assuredly heard about how Morgan Rielly of the Toronto Maple Leafs went

Blittner’s Blue Line: Former GM and Former ESPN Exec. Start A Podcast

Hockeyology

by Matthew Blittner - January 30, 2024January 30, 20240

Welcome to The World of Podcasting! Or, more specifically, welcome to Neil Smith’s and Vic Morren’s new podcast, The NHL Wraparound. That’s right, former NY Rangers Stanley Cup-winning GM Neil Smith and former ESPN Production Executive Vic Morren have joined forces to create a brand new hockey podcast. If you’re wondering

Islanders and Rangers Come Together For Charity

Hockeyology

by Matthew Blittner - January 29, 2024January 29, 20240

Timeless. That’s the best way to describe the Islanders-Rangers rivalry. Multiple generations of New York hockey fans have picked a side and stuck with it. So, whether you first became a fan in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, etc. there’s always going to be that feeling of dislike for