Top Moments in the National Hockey League in 2011 -NHL Special Part 3
2011 NHL Winter Classic
The 2011 National Hockey League (NHL) Winter Classic was one of those moments that get the fans pumped up and excited more than ever before to witness two top-notch teams going head to head in something out of the way of a regular season game.
This time, it was between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals, but not seeing Evgeni Malkin or Sidney Crosby on the ice was something that lessened the excitement for sure.
Nevertheless, the two teams played out in a fierce competition in which Washington eventually prevailed, but spending an entire day and fighting against severe weather conditions, thousands of fans and the players spent it together, moment for moment.
Lokomotiv Plane Crash
Extremely tragic and unfortunate are some of many disheartening words that cannot describe what happened to the entire Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) team, Yaroslavl Lokomotiv, in 2011 as their plane crashed and killed all passengers on board.
It was a direct hit not only to the KHL, but to the NHL as well since many former players, coaches; friends and affiliated people were killed on that day, something that will be burned onto the hearts of people everywhere for many years to come.
It was truly a horrible day in the history of the world and especially that of hockey overall.
Winnipeg Jets make Comeback
The Winnipeg Jets were a defunct team back in the 90’s, but this season signalled their comeback after the failed Atlanta Thrashers team was bought by a Canadian based business and brought back to the hockey thirsty Canadian city after nearly 15 years.
The best part was that they were making a comeback as the Jets, which suddenly had people emotionally attached to the team despite the new players and look.
The Jets making a comeback was certainly a huge moment in the hockey history of 2011 as the team now is successfully playing games with sold-out crowds, which could not have been better than being a dream come true for the citizens of Winnipeg.
Sidney Crosby’s concussions and comeback
Sidney Crosby, definitely one of the league’s best players and the Pittsburgh Penguins captain, faced a severe concussion after being hit directly on the head in back-to-back contests. His concussion forced him to exit early and not make a comeback for nearly
a year until recently having to leave yet again due to reoccurring symptoms.
Throughout this back and forth process, fans have been holding their breath to see the player perform and actually witnessing him only to leave once again, the situation is certainly depressing.
Hopefully, the former MVP will be able to make another comeback sooner rather than later.
The Deaths of Derek Boogard, Rick Rypien and Wade Belak
The NHL was seriously stunned at the death of not one but three players in a single year, barely months apart. The worst part was not that the players died, but the fact that they did not die in a natural way at all and could be termed as accidental along
with all being enforcers for various teams.
New York Rangers enforcer, Derek Boogaard, was the first one to go after he was found dead in his city apartment, which was later revealed through an autopsy that he died due to a lethal mix of alcohol and Oxycodone.
Rick Rypien and Wade Belak died nearly two weeks apart, both were reported to have committed suicide in their homes and were stricken by severe cases of depression, later revealed by their psychiatrists.
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