Wayne Gretzky retired at the end of the 1998-99 season. Perhaps that was an omen. The 2000s was the roughest decade for the NHL. It began with the neutral-zone trap and clutch-and-grab techniques ...

Before the 2000 NHL season, both the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets participated in an expansion draft to select their rosters. Both teams were given a pool of players to choose from ...