BRANTFORD, Ontario (AP) -- Flags flew at half-staff on city buildings Tuesday in the hometown of Wayne Gretzky as local residents mourned the death of his mother.

BRANTFORD, Ontario (AP) -- Flags flew at half-staff on city buildings Tuesday in the hometown of Wayne Gretzky as local residents mourned the death of his mother.

BRANTFORD, Ontario - Flags flew at half-staff on city buildings Tuesday in the hometown of Wayne Gretzky as local residents mourned the death of his mother.

The first hurdle for the return of the National Hockey League is how many people notice that it's back. A relative handful of fans care passionately about hockey, but the worry is that having been out of sight for a year owing to a lockout, the sport will also be out of mind.

A tentative end to the hockey lockout — you surely noticed the entire hockey season just sort of disappeared, didn't you? — was reached last week.

In the rarefied study of climate change, there is something called the "hockey stick" graph. Based on the research of three scientists, the graph shows that temperatures soared in the 20th century compared with the preceding 500 years and that the 1990s were the warmest decade in the last 1,000 years.

A priest, a 77-year-old Jewish man and a Canadian mom walk into an ice rink.

The Arizona Hockey Union Bantam AA (U14) team won its fourth tournament championship last weekend at the Presidents Day Tournament at Polar Ice in Chandler.

The Arizona Hockey Union Bantam AA (U14) team won its fourth tournament championship last weekend at the Presidents Day Tournament at Polar Ice in Chandler.

Scott Bordow: Gary Bettman and the NHL won their court battle against the Coyotes, but there are still several potential pitfalls that could force the team out of Glendale.                    

As fun as it looked on TV, hockey outdoors while snowflakes fell, last New Year's NHL Winter Classic was apparently more of a blast in person.

With the 2004-05 NHL season now firmly on the brink of extinction, the Coyotes and Arizona Public Service will host what might be the only hockey played at Glendale Arena for quite awhile.

It's time again to play that well worn sports game: "We say, they say."

Former Coyotes prospect Brett MacLean rebounds from cardiac incident, returns to hockey in coaching role.

The Westgate entertainment district is nearly empty, a few people watching their kids play in the fountains, a handful of others scattered among the tables and barstools inside the restaurants and bars.