Not that any of you know this hockey sage, but I played beer league hockey with Blaine Rutland years ago, and he was also my roommate for a couple of years. He was born in Moose Factory, grew up in Pembroke, and spent most of the time I knew him drinking and/or watching the Center Ice package in our living room. His main claim to fame is that he was sitting next to Jonathan Cheechoo's parents at a Sharks game, introduced himself, said he was from Moose Factory too, and Cheechoo's parents just shrugged...Everyone's from Moose Factory, I guess...

Blaine also originated the theory that bears his name: "Young guys don't play defense." Derek Zona and Ranger Smurf put that theory to the test this week and found 18- and 19-year-old NHL players severely lacking in the defense department.