When Patrick Kane's seeing-eye shot somehow squeezed through the legs of Michael Leighton, the Philadelphia Flyers goalie, in overtime of Game 6, it ended the longest cup drought in the league.
When the puck drops on the 2010/11 season tomorrow, the Blackhawks will be trying to defend the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1961. The celebration in Chicago was somewhat short-lived as they were forced to dismantle their roster due to salary-cap constraints. But the Hawks kept most of their core players and are talented enough to repeat.
Some other compelling storylines heading into the season: Ilya Kovalchuk in New Jersey: Unrestricted free agency, that crazy first week of July when NHL teams spend money like Paris Hilton in a purse store, hit a new level of insanity when Kovalchuk went on the open market.
The long-time Atlanta Thrasher, who was sent to the New Jersey Devils, is a pure goalscorer with few equals in the game. It makes sense, then, that his free agency foray was a one-of-a-kind experience.
He chose New Jersey and after wrangling with the league over the contract terms, Kovalchuk and the Devils reached deal for 15 years and US$100 million (Dh367m). Now the question is, can the free-wheeling Kovalchuk thrive in the Devils' traditionally tight style of play?
Sidney Crosby versus Alex Ovechkin: This is the superstar-on-superstar rivalry that drives the NHL - Pittsburgh's Crosby, a determined talent who says all the right things, and Washington's Ovechkin, an over-the-top goal-scorer with a gap-toothed smile and ripped jeans.
Their skill unites them, but they have little else in common other than a burning desire to outdo the other. It might be too much to say that they saved hockey after the lockout, but there is little doubt that they are two of the most superlative young talents to come along in decades.
The Edmonton Oilers' rookies: Not much went right for the Oilers last season as injuries and a lack of talent dropped them to the league basement.
The silver lining was the chance to select Taylor Hall, the left winger, No 1 overall at last June's draft. Hall is joined by fellow rookie hopefuls Jordan Eberle, a key cog on Canada's last two world junior teams, and Magnus Paajarvi, a smooth Swede with an abundance of offensive upside.
The kiddie corps hat-trick has reinvigorated a franchise that has struggled to remain competitive since the 1980s. Oh, Canada: A Canadian-based team has not claimed the Stanley Cup since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993.
Considering the Habs' Cinderella run to the Eastern Conference final last year, it would seem logical to pick Montreal as the Great White North's great puck hope. But it is more likely to be Vancouver who bring that national shame to an end.
The Canucks have the Sedin twins, with reigning NHL MVP Henrik, leading a deep group up front. They have a bolstered blueline and, of course, there is Roberto Luongo in net.
Division favourites
Atlantic
• Pittsburgh Penguins. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and their teammates are motivated to make up for last season's bumpy up-and-down ride.
Northeast
• Boston Bruins. The Bruins have all-stars at every position, led by Zdeno Chara on defence, and are poised for a bounce-back year.
Southeast
• Washington Capitals. Simply too explosive for anyone in the division to compete with them, the Capitals are the cream of an otherwise mediocre group.
Central
• Chicago Blackhawks. It will not come easy to the defending champions, but they have enough star power to overcome the off-season fire sale.
Northwest
• Vancouver Canucks. The Canucks added defencemen Keith Ballard and Dan Hamhuis and are determined to get past the disappointment of being bounced from the play-offs by the Blackhawks.
Pacific
• San Jose Sharks. There has never been any question about the Sharks in the regular season – they are dynamite.
Predictions
• Eastern Conference regular season: Washington Capitals
• Western Conference regular season: San Jose Sharks
• Stanley Cup finalists: Pittsburgh and San Jose
• Stanley Cup champions: Pittsburgh
• Hart Trophy (MVP): Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh
• Vezina Trophy (top goaltender): Robert Luongo, Vancouver
sports@thenational.ae
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Company Profile
Company name: OneOrder
Started: October 2021
Founders: Tamer Amer and Karim Maurice
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Industry: technology, logistics
Investors: A15 and self-funded
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
Innotech Profile
Date started: 2013
Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size: 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
The years Ramadan fell in May
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The years Ramadan fell in May
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
