As the curtain gets ready to close on another NHL regular season most of the media focus continues to be on the games superstars. Players like Alexander Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Martin Brodeur scoop up the lion's share of the headlines, and rightly so. Their incredible level of play puts fans in the seats and money in NHL coffers, and hockey fans everywhere continue to be mesmerized by the on-ice (and sometimes off-ice adventures of these talented stars). But skating in the shadows of these giants there is a second tier of stars, their contributions nearly forgotten as they labor in relative obscurity. With this article I will attempt to shine a little light on these often ignored warriors, and give them the kudos they deserve. Here are some of this season's silent stars:

Shane Doan - Phoenix Coyotes - The captain of the Phoenix Coyotes is the very model of consistency. Game in and game out he seems to bring his A game, and so far this season has put up a respectable 30 goals and 69 points. Coach Wayne Gretzky absolutely loves this guy, and for good reason. Doan is reliable in any situation, and is the definition of an all-around player, scoring, hitting, fighting, killing penalties - basically doing whatever is asked of him. However, though the media and the fans might not give Doan the credit he deserves, he certainly doesn't go unnoticed by hockey brass around the league. Don't be surprised to see Steve Yzerman name this guy to Team Canada's 2010 Vancouver Olympic Team.

Jamie Langenbrunner - New Jersey Devils - Unless your name is Martin Brodeur it is pretty tough to get any media recognition as a player for the New Jersey Devils. For years the Devils have made a name for themselves as one of the most balanced teams in the league, a team without a bona fide superstar (beyond their goalie) and one that gains success by getting contributions from all 4 lines every night. Players like Patrick Elias and Travis Zajac could easily have made this list, but my pick is yet another unheralded team captain: Jamie Langenbrunner. Langenbrunner, at the age of 33, is having the best offensive season of his career, and so far has picked up 64 points in 76 games. His +24 rating isn't too shabby either, and he has proven his leadership abilities beyond dispute. Though the Devils have been on a slide lately, with Langenbrunner's leadership and his penchant for scoring clutch goals Brent Sutter's Devils should be poised to do some damage in this spring's NHL playoffs.

Nicklas Backstrom - Washinton Capitals - Though Alexander Ovechkin, Mike Green, and even Alexander Semin dominate the headlines in Washington, Swedish center Nicklas Backstrom has quietly had a brilliant sophomore season, and currently sits 11th in the league in scoring with 82 points. Now, critics might argue that his point total is so high because he plays on a line with Alex Ovechkin - a fair argument. However, I would counter by saying that Ovechkin's numbers are as good as they are because he is playing with Backstrom. Backstrom's slick passing ability the shot-happy Ovechkin finds the puck on his stick in prime scoring areas on a regular basis. Yes, Backstrom will always dwell in the Great 8's shadow, but don't be surprised to see this guy put up a few 100+ point seasons along the way.

Todd White - Atlanta Thrashers - Yes, there are NHL players in Atlanta not named Ilya Kovalchuk, and despite the Thrashers miserable record, a few of those players are having pretty darn good seasons. One guy who is dwelling in obscurity in Georgia this year is another 33 year old having a breakout year - centerman Todd White. Though no one has seemed to notice White has put up an impressive 70 points so far this season, the highest total of his career. White, always known as a solid 2-way player during his time with the Senators and the Wild has definitely found the offensive side of his game, and his outstanding effort on a mess of a team like the Thrashers deserves to be applauded.

Ray Whitney - Carolina Hurricanes - This guy has spent his entire career overlooked and under-appreciated. Whether it was with the San Jose Sharks, Florida Panthers, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Columbus Blue Jackets or the Carolina Hurricane, most seasons this talented winger scores at nearly a point a game clip, but few seem to notice or care. This season, at 36 years of age, Whitney is doing the same, with 71 points in 78 games. Those 71 points rank him first on the Carolina Hurricanes, ahead of team superstar Eric Staal. Whitney fits the mold of players like Marc Savard and former teammate Cory Stillman, who've put up points consistently throughout their career, but never seem to get the respect they deserve.

Loui Eriksson - Dallas Stars - Talk about a guy having a breakout season. Loui Eriksson, after rookie and sophomore campaigns that saw him score 6 and 14 goals respectively, has really come into his own this season, and his 34 goals have been a pleasant surprise to everyone in the Dallas Stars organization. Though many of his Dallas teammates have underachieved and the team is poised to miss the playoffs, Eriksson's breakout year will give him valuable confidence going forward. If Eriksson and rookie teammate James Neal can continue to improve look for the Dallas Stars to show a dramatic turnaround next season.

These are but a few of the NHL's underrated players. Feel free to leave your own list of unheralded hockey stars in comments.

TSN is reporting that the rumored deal to send Olli Jokinen from the Phoenix Coyotes to the Calgary Flames has indeed been completed. Jokinen and a 3rd pick have been traded to the Calgary Flames for speedy center Matthew Lombardi, tough guy Brandon Prust, and a 1st round draft pick.

Though the price may seem steep for Jokinen, especially considering he is making $5.2 million and has a disappointing 21 goals this season, it elevates Calgary from a Stanley Cup pretender to a bona fide Stanley Cup contender. Jokinen has proven in the past that he can be a dominant power forward with great hands and a nose for the net. With Jarome Iginla, Mike Cammalleri, Todd Bertuzzi, Daymond Langkow, and now Jokinen Calgary has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to big-bodied goal scoring forwards. This core will be an absolute nightmare for opposing defenders in a 7 game playoff series.

So, at least one significant deal will occur on today's NHL trade deadline, and hopefully we will see a few more, or NHL trade deadline day might wind up as NHL trade deadline dud.

Okay, after a little Christmas break I'm back and ready to talk hockey again. Hope everyone else had a great holiday with friends and family. How about that start by Canada against the Czechs in the World Junior tourney? Tavares picked up right where he left off in the tournament warm-up, and the team looks to be firing on all cylinders. The United States team looked strong also, drubbing Germany 8-2. Looks like those two teams might be headed for another classic match-up.

Things got kicked off in the NHL last night after a two game break. The turkey break didn't do the Flyers much good as they not only lost 5-1 to the red hot Chicago Blackhawks, but they lost both Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell to injury. Neither injury is deemed serious and neither should miss more than a week or two of action. Pittsburgh finally managed to right the ship, though their recent goal-scoring woes continued as they edged out New Jersey 1-0 in a hard fought contest. And Toronto picked up right where they left off before the Christmas break, following up their embarrassing 8-2 shellacking to Dallas with an equally embarrassing 4-1 loss to an Islanders team that has been dreadful so far this year. Here are the players who were looking good in these and other games on Boxing Day:

3rd Star - Shane Doan - Shane Doan does not get the credit he deserves, his considerable talents all but ignored by the rest of the league as he labors game in and game out for the desert dogs of Phoenix. Wayne Gretzky knows what he has though, and the Great One's eye for the game is the reason Doan has seen himself in a Team Canada jersey so many times in recent years. Doan has again been the best player in Phoenix this year, and he had another goal (17th) and assist (18th) to lead the Yotes to a 2-1 over Los Angeles, giving Phoenix a little breathing room in a tight playoff race that currently sees them sitting 7th in the Western Conference.

2nd Star - Eric Staal - Though Eric Staal has never managed to recapture the magic that saw him score 100 points in his sophomore season in 2005-06 he continues to be one of the most dangerous offensive forces in the league, and he willed his team to victory last night with 3 goals in the third period as his Carolina Hurricanes stole two points from divisional rival Atlanta Thrashers in last night's action. The win helped pull Carolina a little further ahead of the surging Florida Panthers for the 8th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

1st Star - Marc-Andre Fleury - Fresh off embarrassing losses to the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Tampa Bay Lightning the Pittsburgh Penguins needed at least one of their players to step up and try and change the team's fortunes. Most would expect Evgeni Malkin or Sidney Crosby to perform that duty, but they continued their average play last night, instead leaving it up to their goaltender to secure the club a win. Marc-Andre Fleury proved he was up to the challenge, stopping all 37 shots the red hot Devils fired his way en route to a 1-0 win. No rest for the weary, however. Fleury and the Pens are right back at it tonight as they face the Montreal Canadiens. Crosby always seems to shine against the team he idolized as a boy, so watch for him to make a big impact tonight in what should be the evening's best match-up.

Looking for more Bauer Hockey Equipment? Visit our Hockey Store for a wide selection of sticks, skates and goalie pads all at great prices.