TCL

As I looked at all the articles written on TCL the past week, I noticed that most of them surrounded some bad rep for the NHL. So I decided that even though this article doesn't have a whole lot to do with the NHL, it did for hockey as a sport. However minuscule this may seem to some readers, looking at the big picture it means a lot more. In the midst of all the bad press concerning hockey (head shots, suspensions, concussions; take your pick), something happened yesterday that made me forget about the negativity surrounding hockey. I took part in a game for charity yesterday and it was the most fun playing I have had in a long time. Employees at Zehrs Great Foods in St. Clair Beach and ...

D-Day is upon us! Literally only hours remain until the General Managers are forced to put down their blackberries and turn off their fax machines when the NHL trade deadline kicks in and the rosters are mostly set for the remainder of the season. TCL will be with you every step of the way, discussing ever trade, every non-trade and every happening of the day in our liveblog! Join George Prax, Micheal Aldred, Pat Storto, Mark Trible, Glen Miller, and many other TCL bloggers and contributors for all the fun starting at 9AM and lasting all throughout the trade day! Also check out: Twitter: @TheCheckingLine Facebook: Main fan page, TCL Leafs Edition and TCL Flyers Edition ...

Russ Havens is the owner and operator of TicketStubCollection.com, a great community where you can view, upload and discuss ticket stubs from any kind of event, a ticket stub museum, if you will. We all go to sporting events, concerts, even movies, and one way to remember our experience is by the remainder of the ticket you used to enter said events. Russ's website allows you to relive those experiences digitally. And he has no shortage of stubs relating to the favorite topic of the average TCL reader, and that is of course hockey. In the newest partnership between Ticket Stub Collection and The Checking Line, Russ Havens has been kind enough to showcase several of these ticket st...

If you ask a hockey fan familiar with the blogosphere about Ryan Lambert, they probably either hate him or think he's hilarious. Why the fine line? Why the hate? Is it different once you know the man behind the Simpsons avatar? I caught up with Ryan in order to find some answers. Enjoy! MT: Obviously, Nashville and Detroit don’t care for you, but they’re not alone by a long shot. Why do you think so many people feel so strongly about your work? Is it the work itself, or the fact that every blogosphere needs a good villain? RL: I think people don't like to have someone who isn't a fan of their favorite team run that team down. That's fair enough, I guess, but I also thi...