Staff & Contributors

Gophers Reassemble Ice Machine And A Quick NHL Power Rank!

Marc Elliott

LARSMONT… You know, if you follow college hockey with regularity and fervor, that it can be a long season.

Have You Ever Taken Some Time To Think About All Of The Thing You Have Or Have Had To Be Thankful For?

Marc Elliott

CARLTON PEAK… This is quite a meaningful week for so many people and for so many reasons. With the Thanksgiving holiday here, some folks make a conscious effort to set aside time to reflect and give thanks for the positive things life has had to offe

Minnesota Wild Waive Josh Harding, And The Hockey Hall Of Fame Be Dammed!

Marc Elliott

The NHL Minnesota Wild placed net minder Josh Harding on waivers Monday morning. If Harding makes it through the waiver process without another club claiming him

The Adrian Peterson Saga Resolved? Minnesota Wild Blast-Off North And Then Go South?

Marc Elliott

CROSS RIVER…. The Minnesota Vikings’ embattled running back, Adrian Peterson, has an outcome from his reckless or negligent injury to a child case in Montgomery County, Texas. In September Peterson was indicted by a grand jury

Scribe Claims California Is The “State Of Hockey”, Yeah, Right…..

Marc Elliott

LARSMONT… I was engaging in some hockey talk the other night on the phone with the Fan Jr. and he was telling me about a sports “app” he had on his smart phone called The Score.

The NHL Western Conference Preview, Part Two, And A Wild Start To The Wild Season…

Marc Elliott

STONY POINT… Last week I previewed the Western Conference teams in the NHL that I look to finish in the 1-8 positions and make the playoffs.

The National Hockey League Western Conference Preview For The 2014-15 Regular Season, Part One…

Marc Elliott

My Magic 8 Ball is telling me that things will be no different this season. As I look at potential East-West SC Final match-ups, I see a couple of clubs that could give any potential West entrant quite a series

The National Hockey League Eastern Conference Outlook For The 2014-15 Regular Season

Marc Elliott

TALMADGE RIVER… Fans, the NHL regular season has kicked off. There have been some surprises so far, but I’ll get to those down the road as the season progresses.

NHL 2014-15 Season Is On! MLB Playoffs Are En Fuego! Vikes Embarrased By Cheeseweasels At Lambeau!

Marc Elliott

FOND DU LAC… The NHL 2014-15 regular season kicked off last night with four tilts, and tonight the Minnesota Wild will engage as well with a rematch bout versus the Colorado Avalanche.

Gardy Gets The Gate, NHL Opener Nearing And The NFL Flounders Forth!

Marc Elliott

Every fan has their opinion, and here is mine: Gardy, thanks for your efforts and dedication to my all-time favorite baseball team

The Future Of The NFL…

Marc Elliott

Wait! Who in the H-E-double hockey sticks are these guys? Well, these are rostered players out on a day pass from lockup so they can play in Sunday’s game!

No More Room Under The NFL Carpet, And Hockey Hero Bob Suter R.I.P.

Marc Elliott

There has been a saying that NFL stands for “National Felons League.” And to an extent, there is some truth to that, excepting that for an extended time frame most of its athletes have never been subjected to the same punishments

NFL Season Underway And The 2014 NHL Traverse City Prospects Tournament Is About To Be!

Marc Elliott

ELY… The 2014 NFL regular season has kicked off, and it will be an interesting ride. Yes, I know, I have written many times about my disdain for the league and their business practices.

Stanley Cup Odds Continued And The Incorrigible NFL!

Marc Elliott

PALISADE HEAD…. It’s hard to believe, but then again it’s not. The NFL, the most financially successful sports business in the history of the world, should be held in high esteem for their business acumen.

Little League World Series Best Ever? And 2015 Stanley Cup Odds Continued….

Marc Elliott

I have watched many a Little League World Series in my time, but I may have just witnessed the best one I have ever seen.

Stanely Cup Oddds Are Out And I Disagree With Most Of Them! Here Are Mine…. Part One!

Marc Elliott

First off, unlike some hockey publications that put out their annual “prediction” editions (The Hockey News, TSN, etc.), that’s not exactly what a sports book does. In the case of a sports book, or “odds makers,” their job is to set a “betting line”

The NHL Ice Bucket ALS Challenge And Stanley Cup Casino Odds Are Set For The 2015 Stanely Cup!

Marc Elliott

SILVER CLIFF… As I have recently mentioned, we are in the dog days of the hockey off-season. And it has pretty much been an exercise in boredom. Outside of the occasional (like daily) look at who is still left in the NHL free agent pool

Hockey Economics, There Is Football In The Air And The Minnesota Twins….

Marc Elliott

Up until the most recent seasons, the cycle of spending, without any real big bump in league revenues, only served to enslave all of the clubs that weren’t from the 5 or 6 big market, deep pocket teams into debt and losses.

The Use Of America’s Pro Sports Leagues To Promote American Militarism…

Marc Elliott

Since the MLB All Star game took place in the Twin Cities on July 15th there have been a few world events/crises that are definite eyebrow raisers.

Sports, Politics And Other Random Thoughts…

Marc Elliott

The best part of the Bruins-Habs series for me, of course, was when the Habs ended the Bruins’ season in the playoffs and I got to watch all over again the B’s exiting the ice, heads down, that lousy feeling permeating the hockey soul for a few days

A Veritable Mishmash Of Sports Information And Downright Bologna!

Marc Elliott

Before the Coyotes were sold to their new owners, the arena and its location were much maligned as a reason for the club’s attendance woes.

The 75th Anniversary Of The Most Heart Wrenching Speech In Baseball History…

Marc Elliott

I have to admit that since the late Yankee owner George Steinbrenner kicked off the modern era of baseball by “buying” contending teams through free agent shopping and signings, my love of the Yankees went from lukewarm to dry-ice frozen

Marian Gaborik Gets Long Term Deal From Kings And The NHL Sets The Salary Cap For The 2014-15 Season…

Marc Elliott

The problem with that is that Gabby has always, I repeat, A-L-W-A-Y-S demanded “the man” money—even more than “the man” money, based on what he has (or more importantly hasn’t) delivered to those who gilded him with multi-million-dollar deals.

Final Stanley Cup Thoughts, And Former Wild Marian Gaborik Gets A Cup Ring (BOO!)

Marc Elliott

I was just out in New York for a few days, and the disappointment over the Cup Final loss felt by the Ranger faithful is still evident in a few of them.

2014 Stanley Cup Tourney Creme De La’ Creme!

Marc Elliott

Then it was time for the regular NHL season to kick in. I had to start getting into the College D1 pre-season info. High school was just under a couple of months away unless you watch some of the fall stuff going on.

Stanley Cup Final Is Set! And Minnesota Wild Extended Head Coach Mike Yeo!

Marc Elliott

Tangibles-intangibles? Both clubs have had favorable travel situations for most of the playoffs so far. For star power, the Kings have five top-50-ranked players on their roster compared to one with the Rangers.

Minnesota Wild Postscript: Playoffs Put A Major Dent In Fan Pessimism, And More!

Marc Elliott

It has been easy to be a Donnie Downer on this franchise over the past few years, but the team appears to have turned the corner and is on the verge of making some real upward movement.

Postgame Handshakes Gone Wild!

Marc Elliott

The NHL playoff’s post-series formal handshake line is a historic tradition. The NHL is still the only one of the four major sports to do this.

The Stanley Cup Tourney Rages Forth And The Minnesota Wild Are Up Against The Wall...

Marc Elliott

Then the Hawks benefited from a phantom hooking call on Jonas Brodin in the second period and tied the game on the subsequent power play.

Sports, Racism And Idiots, And Not Necessarily In That Order….

Marc Elliott

I can safely tell you that as a hockey guy, I would rather be writing about the ongoing Stanley Cup tourney in our midst. And there is a good chance that this column may wander into the abyss of our current political state.

NHL Playoffs Continue And The Saga Of Matt Cooke!

Marc Elliott

In the West, the Chicago Blackhawks beat the St. Louis Blues this aft to take the series 4-2. This marks the second year in a row that STL has won the first two games of a first-round series only to end up losing the next four tilts.

Minnesota Wild Season On The Brink And More!

Marc Elliott

ST. PAUL…. The Minnesota Wild find themselves in the unenviable position of being down 2-0 in their NHL playoff series versus the Colorado Avalanche.

Frozen Four Aftermath And Fasten Your Seatbelt, The Stanley Cup Tournament Kicks Off… NOW!

Marc Elliott

As Union held an edge in play against BC throughout their game, North Dakota would have to be given the edge versus the Gophers in that regard.

Sports News, Views And Opinion! A Veritable Buffet Of BS And Much More!

Marc Elliott

Their drafting and free agent signings haven’t yielded much lately, so, with these two splendid players near the end, who do the Lakers have to take over or are they in for a string of poor seasons before they can rebuild?

Minnesota Wild Just Make Ya’ Want To Poop! And How Will The College Athletes Union Movement Come Out?

Marc Elliott

Last week I said the Wild would go 5-5 in the last ten tilts to finish up with 95 points and a wild card spot in the tourney. I thought they would beat the Canucks, I didn’t have them besting STL, and I gave them a thumbs up against Phoenix

Your Minnesota Wild; Ten Games To Go, Crunch-O-Rama! And An Updated NHL Mini-Power Rank!

Marc Elliott

ELY…. Fellow hockey fans, the roller coaster ride (a.k.a. the Minnesota Wild) is going up and down, hurtling toward the end of the season. The good news is that the club is still firmly in the first wild card position.

The Minnesota Wild Final Playoff Push Has Begun, And Coach And Rookie Of The Year Winners Are In!

Marc Elliott

You might say, “Right place, right time.” And you would probably be at least partially correct. Last year the Av’s appeared to be a team of underachieving veterans with some strong young talent that hadn’t emerged.

Mirror, Mirror On The Wall, Who Is The Best Hockey Team Of All? THE MFAN Late Season NHL Power Rank!

Marc Elliott

Certainly you can cook that down further if you wish to derive more meaning from it. If you go to the NHL web site there are a few ways to break down standings and stats.

Olympic Hockey Post Script, The IOC And Doping In Hockey And Why Was The Metrodome Brought Down So Quickly?

Marc Elliott

It appeared, at least to me, that the Wilfs were doing what they could to minimize press exposure in the Metroplex.

Stunned, Speechless And At A Loss For Words. And Did I Mention That I Was Speechless?

Marc Elliott

Sure, I realize that the women’s team got a Silver medal, but in a tourney that basically features only two teams with a shot at a Gold medal, getting the Silver is a bit like finishing last isn’t it?

Team Canada Men’s Hockey; Paralysis By Analysis? One Epic Olympic Hockey Battle And More!

Marc Elliott

If you asked me right now what I thought of the proceedings thus far I would tell you that the Americans look loose, relaxed, but very focused and can probably go with you in any type of game or style you wanted to play and probably still beat you.

Who Will Get Hockey Medals In Sochi? I Already Know!

Marc Elliott

With it’s inclusion into the Winter Olympics in 1998, these two countries have dominated the sport with the USA taking one Gold, two Silver, and one Bronze medal. I am not going to profess to be an expert on the Women’s game but with two schools

The Best Hockey Tourney Of All Is Finally Here And Requium For A Goalie…

Marc Elliott

I have been waiting for this week since the day after the last games ended in 2010. I am ecstatic to hear these words; Let the Games of the XXII Winter Olympiad in Sochi, Russia BEGIN!

Outdoor Hockey, Indoor Hockey! Hockey, Hockey, Hockey!

Marc Elliott

I have got to say that the National Hockey League has got IT all going on right now. With the regular season going full bore, the Winter Classic behind us, the Stadium Series kicked off this weekend and the greatest tournament of every four years

Mens Olympic Ice Hockey Rosters Are In! Let The Controversy Begin! MN Wild Are Streakers!

Marc Elliott

I have wondered which Vancouver reporter might be the first to try to bait Torts into a negative situation and how he might handle that. I contemplated how he might handle indifferent performance from the team or individual players.

Mens Olympic Ice Hockey Rosters Are In! Let The Controversy Begin! MN Wild Are Streakers!

Marc Elliott

ESKO… The 2014 Men’s Olympic Ice Hockey rosters have been introduced and there has been plenty of debate ever since.

The Masked Fan

Marc Elliott

The NHL Year In Review And One Final MFAN NHL Top Five Power Rank For 12/23/2013!

The Masked Fan

Marc Elliott

Dear Gary Bettman; Clean Up Your Leagues Game And Do It Now!

The Masked Fan

Marc Elliott

A Real Life Hero Fades Away, How Much Uglier Can The National Hockey League Get? And The Latest MFAN NHL Power Rank!

The Masked Fan

Marc Elliott

The Bell Tolls For A Wrestling Legend, JFK 50 Years Later, And The Latest In NHL Tidbits!