When Sidney Crosby's head collided with David Steckel's elbow in the Winter 2011 Classic, it triggered a series of events that formed the foundation for the year's biggest hockey story. It was a story that began on the very first day of 2011, and as the year creeps to a close, it is very much a tale without an ending, happy or otherwise.

Four days after his collision with Steckel, Crosby's head hit the glass when he was checked (legally) by Tampa Bay defenceman Victor Hedman. He didn't play again for 10 months. When he returned, he lasted eight games before his concussion symptoms returned. It's not known when he'll play again.

It's not as though concussions weren't on the NHL's radar prior to 2011. Eric Lindros, Pat Lafontaine, Scott Stevens, Paul Kariya had their careers shortened because of them. But until this year, there just wasn't the collective will amongst the game's leaders to deal with the issue in a meaningful way. Some would argue the league and it's the NHLPA still aren't doing enough, but there's no question they've been moved to action.

In 2010, the NHL introduced Rule 48, designed to outlaw blindside hits to the head, but this year the rule was amended to crack down on hits where the head is the principal point of contact. And when Brendan Shanahan took over from Colin Campbell as the NHL's head of discipline, he was instructed to come down hard on offending players.

Crosby, Chris Pronger, Jeff Skinner, Kris Letang and Marc Staal are some of the more prominent players currently sidelined with head injuries. About 30 players are experiencing concussion-like symptoms at the moment, making this issue one that will dominate headlines again in 2012.

Here are some of the other stories that dominated headlines in 2011:


The War on Fighting

Derek Boogaard, Rick Rypien and Wade Belak passed away this year. All three were enforces. Boogaard battled drug and alcohol abuse, while Rypien and Belak battled depression. Their deaths helped shed light on the role of the enforcer in the NHL. Former tough guys Jim Thomson, Stu Grimson, Chris Nilan and Georges Laraque spoke out against fighting in hockey, each saying how much they hated the role, and how it contributed to their personal demons.

But unlike the concussion issue, there's absolutely no desire on the part of the league to curb fighting. If anything, the NHL is promoting bare-knuckled fighting like never before. The league's website has video links to fights, seemingly proving the league approves of this nonsense. 


Welcome Back, Winnipeg

Fifteen years after losing the Jets to Phoenix, Winnipeg got them back. Sort of.

It wasn't the Coyotes who moved to Winnipeg, but rather the Atlanta Thrashers. This mattered little to Manitobans, were who positively thrilled to have their team back. Season tickets sold out within days of going on sale, and the excitement reached a fever pitch when it was announced that yes, the team would be known as the Jets.

The league still has to figure out what to do with the Coyotes beyond this season. Quebec City is viewed as the most likely destination for the franchise, but the city still doesn't have an arena to support big league hockey long-term. There's a possibility the league could place the Coyotes in southern Ontario until a permanent home can be found. At any rate, there could soon be eight NHL teams north of the border. 


A Cup Final to remember

The Boston Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks in seven games to win their first Stanley Cup in 39 years. Within minutes of the final buzzer, Vancouver was being looted and burned, prompting outrage from all right-thinking Canadians and eventually leading to an inquiry.

The Bruins lost the first two games in Vancouver, before dominating on home ice to tie the series. The turning point came in Game 3 when Vancouver defenceman Aaron Rome hit Nathan Horton with an illegal headshot. The hit galvanized the Bruins and their fans to the point where the Canucks looked completely out-classed at the TD Banknorth Garden.

Tim Thomas captured the Conn Smythe Trophy, turning in one of the best goaltending performances in Cup Final history. His counterpart Roberto Luongo, meanwhile, was unable to shake his reputation as a goalie who falls apart in big games.


Yaroslavl Plane Crash

The summer of 2011 provided the hockey world with a stark reminder of how fragile life is. On September 7, the plane carrying the Russian team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl crashed just after taking off, killing 43 people. 

Several of the victims had strong ties to the NHL. Former players who lost their lives that day included Brad McCrimmon, Igor Korolev, Alexander Karpovtsev, Pavol Demitra, Ruslan Salei, Karlis Skratins, Karel Rachunek, Josef Vasicek and Maxim Shulanov.

An official investigation ruled pilot error and mechanical malfunction as the cause of the crash.


Washington's Woes

It finally happened. No, the Capitals didn't win the Stanley Cup in 2011. Rather, they fired coach Bruce Boudreau.

Boudreau survived a series of pre-mature playoff exits, but was fired in November with the Caps in the midst of a funk. He was replaced by former Washington captain Dale Hunter, who has long been rumoured to be the next in line for the job.

Caps fans had the assurance of GM George McPhee that everything was being done to build a Stanley Cup winner. The goaltending was supposed to be better this season. It isn't. The Caps were supposed to be a grittier bunch. Instead, Washington continues to play as 20 individuals. 
Alex Ovechkin is a shadow of his former self, and honestly looked as though he was trying to get Boudreau fired. Several other Caps continue to play well below their potential. As a result, this is a team fighting for a playoff spot – never mind the Stanley Cup.


Philadelphia Makeover

More than a few observers scoffed at Flyers' GM Paul Holmgren when he revamped his roster in the off-season. Gone were Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, traded to Los Angeles and Columbus respectively – on the very same day. Holmgren then traded for the rights to free agent goalie Ilya Bryzgalov and then signed him to a massive 10-year contract. He also signed Jaromir Jagr, hoping the former Hart Trophy winner still had something left in the tank.

Well, it's Holmgren who's laughing these days.

As of this writing, the Flyers held down first place in the Eastern Conference. Bryzgalov and Jagr have endeared themselves to the Philly faithful, while the Kings and Blue Jackets have had disappointing seasons with the ex-Flyers in the line-up.

The past two Stanley Cup winners ended long droughts. Could 2012 be the year the Flyers end a 36-year dry spell?


Canada Collapses at World Junior Championship

They blew it. Plain and simple.Leading 3-0 after the second period, Canada imploded in the third period of the Gold Medal Game, allowing five unanswered goals. Truth be told, it was a total team collapse. The Canadians stopped skating, and once the flood gates opened they were powerless to stop the powerful Russians. 

Of course, the loss was not taken lightly in this country. Fingers were pointed at coach Dave Cameron and goalie Mark Visentin. Canada's streak of five consecutive gold medals – ended only a year earlier – seemed like ancient history. Not many people were in the mood to hear that Canada had won either gold or silver at the WJC every year since 2002.

Instead, it was a case of "What have you won for my lately?"


Rangers win the Richards Sweepstakes

Brad Richards was the big prize in the 2011 free agent marketplace. And in the end, the New York Rangers offer was too good for Richards to reject.

In signing a nine-year contract worth $58.9 million, Richards has a retirement contract. In choosing the Rangers, he's also fairly close to his home in Prince Edward Island. On top of everything, he's been reunited with coach John Tortorella, whom he won a Stanley Cup with in Tampa.

Before the free agency season got underway, Richards invoked his no-movement clause to block the trading of his rights, preventing the Dallas Stars from receiving compensation for losing his services. Stars' GM Joe Nieuwendyk was less than pleased, but in the end he had only himself to blame for not moving Richards earlier.


NHL realignment

The NHL will have a much different look next season. In early December, the Board of Governors approved a realignment plan that will see the league adopt a four-conference format. Commissioner Gary Bettman worked the backrooms to ensure the proposal had enough support to pass. In the end, only four teams voted against the proposal.