For most people, a new calendar year triggers some reflection and an opportunity to better one's self. Perhaps this is the year where you lose some weight, give up an unhealthy habit or spend more time with loved ones.
But for NHL teams, the new year comes at almost the mid-point of the regular season.
Some teams are quite content with their lot, and are bearing down on a springtime run. Some are wondering what went wrong in 2010, and still others have given up on this season, and are pointed towards the 2011-12 campaign.
So, in the spirit of the new year, here's a resolution for each NHL franchise:
Anaheim Ducks
To wait patiently for our farm system to mature, and convince Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan to match our patience.
Atlanta Thrashers
To maintain our strong performance on the ice, and never go back to infighting owners.
Boston Bruins
To wake up every morning and thank God for Brian Burke.
Buffalo Sabres
To not be upstaged by the world junior hockey championship.
Calgary Flames
To rid ourselves of Darryl Sutter-conceived contracts.
Carolina Hurricanes
To host an all-star game that gets Ricky Bobby talking hockey.
Chicago Blackhawks
To win with who is here, and not dwell on who isn't here.
Colorado Avalanche
To play an iota of defence and give our potent offence a fighting chance.
Columbus Blue Jackets
To finally find a centre for Rick Nash.
Dallas Stars
To secure a new owner who resembles Tom Hicks circa 1999.
Detroit Red Wings
To stay the course (as always).
Edmonton Oilers
To outpoint our hated rivals to the south, then win a second consecutive draft lottery.
Florida Panthers
To improve our Mendoza Line power play, then win the draft lottery.
Los Angeles Kings
To trade for Jarome Iginla and become one of the best in the West.
Minnesota Wild
To stop getting booed on home ice.
Montreal Canadiens
To return to glory.
Nashville Predators
To finally win a playoff series (as always).
New Jersey Devils
To re-sign Zach Parise and learn from the Ilya Kovalchuk debacle.
New York Islanders
To ban reporters from the press box and fulfill mission of running franchise into the ground.
New York Rangers
To develop our core players (Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan, Derek Stepan) and refrain from trying to buy them (Wade Redden).
Ottawa Senators
To undo our franchise's curse on goaltenders.
Philadelphia Flyers
To acquire a goalie if Sergei Bobrovsky, Brian Boucher and Michael Leighton are faltering at the trade deadline.
Phoenix Coyotes
To realize a bright future in the Arizona desert under new owner Matthew Hulsizer … or bankrupt the City of Glendale.
Pittsburgh Penguins
To help Sidney Crosby start a new points-scoring streak.
San Jose Sharks
To make the Stanley Cup final (as always).
St. Louis Blues
To avoid another backward step.
Tampa Bay Lightning
To make the playoffs and serve notice to the East.
Toronto Maple Leafs
To never, ever, ever, ever, trade first-round draft picks again. Ever.
Vancouver Canucks
To beat the Blackhawks and win our first Stanley Cup.
Washington Capitals
To stop feeling sorry for our bleeping selves, take our bleeping heads out of our bleeping butts, and get on with the bleeping business of outworking the bleeping opposition, for bleep's sake.