2012

Anything is Better Than Nothing

By HOWARD BERGER TORONTO (Dec. 24) – With the NHL lockout duration now into triple figures, there is growing concern that an abbreviated schedule would lack substance. First, let us get to that stage. Given that the owners and players … Read More

When Leafs Are Back

By HOWARD BERGER TORONTO (Dec. 15) – At some point, it’s going to happen. Lights will be on at the Air Canada Centre and a blue Maple Leafs logo will glimmer from centre-ice. The red line will no longer be … Read More

My Original Hockey Photos

By HOWARD BERGER TORONTO (Dec. 11) – Any person frequenting this blog will know that I do not venture far without my “trusty Nikon” – an elementary point-and-shoot camera that adds images to the words you read. As a … Read More

Don’t Give Up on NHL Season

By HOWARD BERGER TORONTO (Dec. 10) – Despite the impassioned breakdown of talks on Thursday between the NHL and the NHL Players Association, signs continue to point toward a potential truce. Though an official resumption of collective bargaining has yet … Read More

Trust is a Media/Fan Issue

By HOWARD BERGER TORONTO (Dec. 7) – During his emotion-charged gathering with reporters in New York on Thursday, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman fielded only one repeat question: Is a lack of trust between owners and players hampering the negotiating process?… Read More

Nothing But Leafs

By HOWARD BERGER TORONTO (Dec. 6) – From this sentence forward, an embargo on the word “lockout” will come into effect. You will not read it again in the ensuing blog – one of the lengthiest and most enjoyable I’ve … Read More

Crosby’s Restraint is Exemplary

By HOWARD BERGER TORONTO (Dec. 1) – Once again, Sid the Kid is showing the way. As the NHL lockout approaches 2½ months, hockey fans may be getting tired of the game’s biggest star intimating that he will play in … Read More

NHL Source: Mediation Could Work

By HOWARD BERGER TORONTO (Nov. 27) – The no-effort aspect of the NHL lockout – exponential as the days and weeks accumulate – is to disdain any form of confidence in a resolution. Elevating one’s hope for a truce between … Read More

No Shame in Rooting For Argos

By HOWARD BERGER TORONTO (Nov. 26) – Oddly enough, in a city where champions come to die, there is life today. The first major-league conquest in Toronto since 2004 may not have been captured by the most popular team in … Read More

NHL, NHLPA Long Ago Hit V-1

By HOWARD BERGER TORONTO (Nov. 22) – I always enjoy the insight of my friend and mentor, Pierre McGuire, who has forgotten more about hockey than most will ever know. And, I agreed entirely with Pierre when he told viewers … Read More

Nuclear Winter “Still Avoidable”

By HOWARD BERGER TORONTO (Nov. 21) – As the emotional pendulum of the NHL lockout continues swaying to and fro, there is still abundant opportunity for the owners and players to bridge their differences. But, time is running short. “What … Read More

Study in Violence: Leafs vs. Flyers 1976

By HOWARD BERGER TORONTO (Nov. 20) – My Lord, was it a sweat-box in Maple Leaf Gardens. Thirty-six years and seven months ago, yet burned into memory. Stanley Cup playoff games lasting more than 3½ hours. The battling, underdog Leafs … Read More

NHL Source: Season in “Grave Jeopardy”

By HOWARD BERGER TORONTO (Nov. 19) – The pessimistic tone of the NHL lockout – on the cusp of a bargaining session planned for New York – made a bit more sense to me after chatting, earlier today, with a … Read More

Argos at Home – 30 Years Later

By HOWARD BERGER TORONTO (Nov. 19) – It was the third week of November in 1982 and the Argonauts dominated every corner of this city. Could it happen again? We’ll soon find out. Though times have clearly changed over the … Read More

Intervention Unlikely in Lockout

By HOWARD BERGER TORONTO (Nov. 16) – Unquestionably, the labor dispute between NHL players and owners would benefit from a neutral third party – as would any stalled negotiation. A domestic quarrel, for example, is frequently resolved by a relative … Read More

Hall of Fame Induction Too Important

By HOWARD BERGER TORONTO (Nov. 13) – With the NHL lockout approaching its third month, concern developed in some quarters that the labor squabble would diminish Monday night’s Hockey Hall of Fame ceremony. Not a chance. If anything, it allowed … Read More

Argos Love NHL Lockouts

By HOWARD BERGER TORONTO (Nov. 12) – Whether or not you, as a Toronto sports fan, pay attention to the Canadian Football League, there is no denying that the Argonauts are adept at taking advantage of a hockey void in … Read More

Lockout Impacts Collector’s Fair

By HOWARD BERGER TORONTO (Nov. 11) – As I do each Autumn, I dropped by the Sport Card & Memorabilia Expo at the Toronto International Centre on Saturday afternoon: the 45th annual Fall edition. Like every year, I expected a … Read More