The Washington Paradox

Something struck me as I read the various blogs and newspaper articles asking why the Washington Capitals will be booking tee times rather than preparing to play the Flyers. You're probably going to tell me that you've heard it all before when I tell you the revelation that struck me, but the proof was no more evident than in Game Seven of the Washington-Montreal series. If there is any reason why the Capitals aren't playing right now, this revelation, to me, is the entire reason why. And I'm going to sound like a broken record, but the truth was shown as Montreal advanced and Washington went home empty-handed. Again.

HARD WORK WILL BEAT TALENT EVERY TIME.

There is nothing I appreciate more than seeing a team grab their lunch pails, throw on their hard hats and work gloves, and rub in a healthy dose of elbow grease when they take the ice. The Montreal Canadiens put forth an effort that would have built Rome in a day, while the Capitals seemingly were content with not stepping on the gas pedal when they had their chances.

Everyone wants to point to Jaroslav Halak as being "the difference", but we've known Halak was a very good goaltender for some time now. The key is that you have to be paying attention, and the two players that I assumed would have known how good Halak was would have been Alexander Ovechkin and Alexander Semin.

You see, those two gentlemen had the pleasure of dealing with Halak in February when a major accolade was on the line. Halak was the starting goaltender for Slovakia at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, and he led the Slovaks to a 2-1 shootout victory in Vancouver over the highly-touted Russian squad.

Said Puck Daddy's Greg Wyshynski: "Unable to convert on the power play; unable to solve goalie Jaroslav Halak, whose only goal allowed was on a deflected puck; and unable to put away a Slovakian team that played in an intense and exhausting loss to Czech Republic less than 24 hours earlier."

Russia was outworked by a team that was dedicated to defence, and the Great Eight was shutdown in regulation time and overtime. His only highlight? Going one-for-three in the shootout. On the other side, Halak finished with 36 saves, and recorded six more in the shootout before the Slovaks prevailed. Halak was outstanding all night long, and helped his team to the best finish in his country's history as they finished fourth - ahead of the Russians who finished a disappointing sixth.

Perhaps Nicklas Backstrom should have known that Halak could shut the door as well. After all, he had three shots on net, and finished the Olympic quarter-final game with just one assist in a 4-3 Sweden loss to Slovakia. Backstrom, however, came to play in the opening round of the NHL Playoffs, but his scoring dried up when it mattered as well. Sweden finished fifth at the Winter Olympics, right behind fourth-place Slovakia.

All three men had a chance to exact a little revenge on the man who ousted their medal chances at the Winter Olympics, and appeared to have exorcised the demons as Washington built a 3-1 lead in the series. But a funny thing happened before Game Five.

The Montreal Canadiens, still believing that they could keep this series going, held a team meeting without practicing. Head coach Jacques Martin juggled his lines a little bit. And he opted to put Halak back in net after having Carey Price in his nets for Game Four.

The team refocused its efforts on shutting down the high-flying Capitals, and returned to playing five men in the defensive zone rather than looking for a quick break-out with a man releasing. The team bought into blocking every shot it could, and allowing Halak to see any long shot from the outside by clearing bodies in front and keeping the Capitals' snipers on the outside.

Basically, the Montreal Canadiens bought into the theory that this series would be won on hard work - bearing down on defence, working a solid cycle game to wear down the Capitals' defencemen, and keeping rebounds to a minimum. In a word, they were willing to sacrifice everything to win something. That is "desperate" hockey in a sense, but I prefer to call it NHL Playoff hockey.

The Capitals? They had three opportunities to put the Canadiens away, and couldn't find the extra gear they needed. They tried to wheel-and-deal like they had all season long, and it caught up to them when a defensive unit put the roadblocks out.

The Russians and Swedes? They had their opportunities to put the Slovaks away, and couldn't find the extra gear they needed. They tried to wheel-and-deal like they had all tournament long, and it caught up to them when a defensive unit put the roadblocks out.

Sound familiar?

In case no one has noticed, defence wins championships. The Pittsburgh Penguins found that out in 2008 when the Detroit Red Wings showed them that hard work and effort will trump talent every time. The Penguins came back in 2009 - a little grittier, a little meaner, and a whole lot more hard-working - and steamrolled the Ottawa Senators before ousting the Capitals in a lackluster Game Seven for the team from DC.

Talent goes a long way in the regular season. There's no denying that. Playoff hockey, however, is all about effort and sacrifice. Combine that with talent, and you have a lethal combination of scoring and willingness to win.

The Capitals have more talent on paper than most teams do. But they simply don't bring the work ethic necessary to win a Stanley Cup at this point. If I were head coach Bruce Boudreau and General Manager George McPhee, I'd come into next season preaching the benefits of bringing your lunch pail to work every night.

In the end, it might just pay off for Ted's crew of highly-skilled hockey players. Otherwise, Ted might just have himself a formidable crew of scratch golfers by the time the organization gets itself in order.

Point at Halak and tell me he was good. I'll agree with you. But I'll also add that the twenty men in front of him gave him everything they had in preventing Washington from doing any damage. Montreal's hard work trumped the abundance of Washington talent in the series, and it just goes to show how true that statement is.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Read More

Newly Trained Mounted Officers

After ten grueling weeks of training, six United States Park Police Officers and Sergeants have completed Mounted Patrol School.

This training is considered to be some of the most physically challenging police training available with many sore muscles resulting!!

The following can rub horse liniment on their weary bodies and sigh with a great sense of accomplishment.

Sergeant Shain Mellott
Sergeant Patrick Kaiser
Officer Erin Brown
Officer Laura Teeple
Officer Gary Fuller
Officer Thomas Gordon

Read More

Serious Bus Crash West Potomac Park

Two buses collided in West Potomac Park on Friday April 30 leaving two injured

This crash happened on Ohio Drive at about 11:00 am and involved a head on collision.

One bus appears to have crossed onto the wrong side of Ohio Drive and struck what appears to be a stopped bus.

The driver of the stopped bus was able to get out of his bus and was treated by District of Columbia Fire Department personnel. He was transported to George Washington University Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The operator of the other bus was tightly pinned in the wreckage. DC Fire Department crews used saws, prying tools, and hydraulic spreaders to remove large parts of the front of this bus to free the driver. This extrication took almost one hour.

United States Park Police Detectives and Crash Reconstructionists are investigating this scene to ascertain causative factors.

Read More

Shorter

Maybe this stuff reads better in the original German.
And this.

Read More

2010 Boy Scouts Uncirculated Silver Dollars Sold Out

Less than a week after the 2010 Boy Scouts of America Centennial Silver Dollars were placed on waiting list status, the coins are now officially sold out at the United States Mint.

On Friday, April 23, 2010, the US Mint informed buyers that orders had been received to meet the "maximum limit" for the uncirculated version of the coins. Customers could still place orders to go on a waiting list. Orders would be fulfilled from the waiting list on a first-come, first-served basis with coins available due to order cancellations.

Yesterday, on April 29, 2010, the Mint officially stopped accepting orders for the waiting list and changed the status to Sold Out.

The proof version of the Boy Scouts Silver Dollar remains available for sale through regular ordering, priced at $43.95 per coin.

The most recent US Mint sales report indicated combined sales of 330,602 coins sold across both options, as of April 25, 2010. This left 19,398 coins available for purchase before the maximum authorized mintage of 350,000 would be met. The breakdown of sales between proof and uncirculated versions is shown below.

Boy Scouts Silver Dollar Sales
Uncirculated	107,292
Proof	223,310
Total	330,602

Read More

The Show-Your-Papers State

I liked this graphic posted by John Cole to illustrate a story about the new Arizona law making brown people guilty until they prove themselves innocent:



And the idea that "innocent" people never have anything to fear from police is just naive. As Matt Welch observes

When you have thousands upon thousands of criminal laws, chances are non-trivial that you're breaking one of them as we speak, or at least can be seen as possibly breaking one of them, in case you happen to cross paths with a motivated law enforcement officer.

Its a hallowed law enforcement tradition, to pull over cars full of young people and find something to charge them with.

Read More

Endorsement for Another Hockey Dad

Another day, another endorsement! BOTUS and I tagged teamed it, as usual. BOTUS sent out the initial announcement tweet, then I followed up with the post. Madame has decided to endorse another hockey dad,Tom Emmer. This one is a gubernatorial candidate from Minnesota, you know that state from which Madame Speaker Bachmann and the Minnesota Mullet Pawlenty hail. The Dude's platform is " Honoring the Constitution, Expanding Liberty and Fostering Economic Freedom". Sounds good to me.

Read More

Antler Banter: See You In September

Well, Moose fans, the season is over. The Hamilton Bulldogs retired the Moose in overtime in Game Six of their series, and won the series by a 4-2 margin. Honestly, I'm a little disappointed because I would have liked to have seen the Moose advance to at least the second round of the AHL Calder Cup Playoffs, but it wasn't to be. That's the trouble with professional sports: there has to be a winner and a loser. Unfortunately, the Moose were the latter in that equation, and everyone might speak of how the Moose season ended because of Grant Stevenson's skate. I'm here to talk about the positives we saw this season, and what I want to see going forward with the AHL's best franchise. Sit back, relax, and let's take a look at a few of the highlights that stood out in my mind.

Best Of The Best

First off, Cory Schneider may just be the best goaltender on the planet who isn't playing in the NHL right now. Yes, he's been called up to the Canucks and is sitting in the press box right now, but what he did this season in leading the Moose to another 40-win season was simply outstanding. I'll even go on record right here in saying that he might be the best goaltender to have ever laced up the skates for a Winnipeg-based professional hockey team.

Schneider was clearly the most valuable player on the Moose roster this year, and his statistics reflected how important he was to the Herd. His 35 wins were the second-most in the AHL. He played the most minutes between the pipes in the AHL this season. He saw more vulcanized rubber than a Goodyear factory this season, and still was near the top in almost every goaltending category.

The only thing that bothers me about Cory Schneider this year is the fact that he may not be back next year. Schneider played out his contract this season after spending four seasons tending to the Manitoba nets, and he has gone on record that he is interested in competing for an NHL job. He didn't quite close the book on the Moose just yet, but it appears that he'll be willing to listen to offers once July 1 rolls around.

Personally, I can't fault Schneider for looking to move up the food chain. Vancouver has a pretty good guy looking after their goaltending duties right now, so a starting job may not be in the cards for Schneider just yet. However, if Vancouver GM Mike Gillis offered Schneider a competitive contract to be Luongo's back-up, Vancouver would suddenly have two outstanding goaltenders at their disposal. And if, for some reason, Schneider needs a little seasoning, he would be welcomed back with open arms to the Moose.

Don't get me wrong - Schneider has put his time in with the Moose in spades. He has done some exceptional things in Manitoba, played some of the most memorable hockey this city has ever seen, and deserves a shot at the bright lights of the NHL. If he leaves, I'll be happy for him. But I won't be very happy if he returns to Manitoba wearing a different uniform.

The Kids Are Alright

I'll be honest when I say that a youth movement for the Moose next season would certainly be welcomed if the kids play like they did over the last twenty games of this season. No less than four rookies were in the lineup at the end of the season for the Moose, and all brought intangibles that the Moose needed.

We'll start with the season-long rookie campaign for Russian sniper Sergei Shirokov. Shirokov came in with high expectations, and he certainly lived up to his billing as he finished the campaign ninth in rookie scoring. While certainly a streaky scorer, Shirokov was always dangerous when on the ice thanks to his blazing speed and hockey sense. What impressed me the most was the evolution of his defensive game towards the end of the year. Full marks should be given to head coach Scott Arniel and his staff for making Shirokov into a solid two-way player rather than just a one-zone scoring threat.

With the University of Minnesota's season at an end, the Canucks wasted no time in trying to get Jordan Schroeder signed to a pro contract. Schroeder inked his first contract and was assigned to the Moose for the stretch run where he looked the part of an NHL first-round pick. Schroeder had seven goals and eight assists in 17 total games this year with the Moose, including six points in six Calder Cup Playoff games. Schroeder found chemistry with Yan Stastny and Guillaume Desbiens to form a high-scoring, hard-working second line - something the Moose were desperately needing in the playoffs. I'm not sure how long Schroeder will be in Manitoba for, but get down to MTS Centre to see him play before he's with the Canucks.

The Moose went out and signed another collegiate player in Kevin Clark. Clark played with the University of Alaska-Anchorage, and scored 51 goals and 57 assists in 141 games with UAA over four seasons. He was a rugged power forward who didn't shy away from high-traffic areas. The Moose put this to good use as Winnipeg-born Clark scored three goals and two assists in 13 games. More impressively, he showed some solid defensive play and excelled in his defensive role as a shutdown forward. Clark would be a welcome addition next season as the Moose searched for some sandpaper all season long after releasing Darryl Bootland.

Perhaps my favorite signing came courtesy of Brown University as the Canucks inked senior Aaron Volpatti and assigned him to the Moose. Volpatti didn't set the world on fire with his scoring, but he was the grinding, agitating, sandpaperish player that the Moose desperately needed all season long. He came in as a player who didn't mind mixing it up, so his hard-nosed approach won him over fans early as he was willing to drop the gloves if the situation called for it. In his 13 games with the Moose, Volpatti scored two goals and one assist, but his 38 PIMs showed he would stand and deliver when necessary.

Ryan McGinnis, Matt Clark, Geoff Waugh, and Taylor Ellington were solid defensive additions when the Moose came calling as well. For a revolving door at the blueline with the amount of call-ups that the Canucks made this season, it's a surprise that these youngsters stepped in and played as well as they could with little to no AHL experience, but the kids proved they were alright. I'd offer up spots in training camp to all of them as they proved they could compete at the AHL level this season.

We didn't get to see highly-touted pick Cody Hodgson this season in a Moose uniform due to injuries that kept him out of the lineup, but Hodgson's past performance with the Moose shows that his potential is limitless, and we should expect Hodgson in Manitoba next season for at least a few weeks. Needless to say, the young man would be a huge help down the middle for the Moose, and his solid two-way play have earned his rave reviews in the OHL. Hodgson should be another solid addition to the Moose next season providing that he doesn't crack the Canucks' lineup.

The Grizzled Veterans

I'm anxious to see who returns from the current corps of forwards that suited up for the Moose this season. Players who should find a locker next season, if I were in charge, would be Moose captain Mike Keane, Marco Rosa, Yan Stastny, Mario Bliznak, Guillaume Desbiens, Peter Olvecky, and, if he returns, Matt Pettinger. Their leadership, experience, and scoring are needed, and the Moose relied upon these men this season. If Michael Grabner is back, that would also be a solid scoring addition to the Moose lineup as well.

On the blueline, I'd like to see Nolan Baumgartner, Evan Oberg, Tom Galvin, Travis Ramsey, and Lawrence Nycholat come together as a group again. Again, the revolving door that seemed to be spinning all season long for the Moose as players were shuffled between Winnipeg and Vancouver was ridiculous, but necessary for the NHL club. The problem, though, is that the Moose suffered due to the inconsistent lineup they iced night in and night out. While this is life in the AHL, the Canucks may want to look at bolstering their depth on the blueline so that the Moose aren't playing games with five defencemen as they did a couple of times this season.

Of course, both Dan Sexton and Brian Salcido will most likely be playing for the Syracuse Crunch next season as the Anaheim Ducks have partnered with them as an AHL affiliate. Sexton was everything and more while he was here in terms of meeting the expectations placed upon him, and I truly think he'll have a spot with the Ducks next season. Salcido, for some of his defensive lapses, will probably play for Syracuse next season, and the offensive defenceman will be looking to improve upon his 18-point season with the Moose this past year.

Daren Machesney would certainly be welcomed back, despite his numbers being nowhere near what was expected this season. Machesney, in his defence, played behind a potent offence in Hershey the last few years, so allowing three goals normally got him a win. With the Moose this season, three goals-against would be a difficult task to overcome for the scoring-challenged Moose, but Machesney played well enough to warrant another shot at tending the Moose nets.

The Man At The Top

Head coach Scott Arniel has put together some of the best seasons of hockey that this city has seen, and it appears he will be rewarded with multiple NHL interviews for head coaching vacancies. Atlanta and Columbus have been granted permission to speak with Arniel, and you'd have to think there's a good chance he'll get hired after stringing together four seasons of 40-win hockey, and an overall record of 181-106-33 over those four seasons. The Moose have seen Randy Carlyle and Alain Vigneault take the next step to the NHL level and show that the lessons they learned as a coach in the AHL readied them for the NHL bench job. Arniel certainly has a great shot at being the next man in line to earn an NHL job after spending time as the Moose's head man.

In Conclusion

I'm not going to lie. I wanted more Moose hockey this season. Another run at the Calder Cup would have been a perfect ending to the season, but the Herd came up a little short.

However, full marks to the team for banding together, rallying to make the playoffs, and sending some pangs of fear through the Hamilton Bulldogs in their series. There were a lot of solid efforts this season, and I really liked the additions the Moose made at the end of the season with the kids they brought in.

I'm already looking forward to next season, and I'm excited for more Hardcore Hockey! Antler Banter is calling it a season, but we'll be back soon to look at the Moose as they take on the AHL in the 2010-11 season!

Have a great summer, and keep your sticks on the ice!

Read More

Call me disappointed

Darn, Simon and Garfunkle have cancelled, hopefully will reschedule. In the meantime, this will have to keep me happy:

Read More

How great would this be?

A Stanley Cup between the Comeback Canadiens



and the Crazy Canucks

Read More

Best Of Round One

What a crazy first round in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs! There were a grand total of zero sweeps, despite some series featuring one team who out-classed their opponents in every aspect of the game through the regular season. There were a few upsets, including a very painful exit for the Buffalo Sabres who were thought to be one of the favorites this season. The San Jose Sharks survived the first round without getting any goals from "Jumbo" Joe Thornton, while the Penguins basically rode Sidney Crosby's 14-point performance against the Senators in their series. If Round Two is anything like the previous round, this could be one of the more memorable Stanley Cup Playoffs in recent history. Tonight, we look at Round One's best performers in the HBIC Playoff Pool.

San Jose Sharks vs. Colorado Avalanche

Two entrants score 11 points to lead this series in points, and they did it in slightly different ways. Alex F. called Games One, Two, Five, and Six correctly for a total of four points. He also called Cam Stewart's game-winning goal in Game One for another two points. Alex correctly predicted the Sharks would win in six games, and he received another five points for that, bringing his series total to 11.

Daniel W. went a slightly different route in calling the winning team of all six games correctly in this series for a quick six points. He also correctly predicted the Sharks would win in six games, netting him another five points. His series total was also 11 points.

Congratulations, gentlemen, and well done on your predictions!

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Nashville Predators

Three entrants scored 11 points in this series for their predictions. Kerry M. called Games Two, Three, Four, and Six correctly for a total of four points. He also called Patrick Sharp's game-winning goal in Game Four for an additional two points. And because he called the Blackhawks in six games, he picked up another five points for a total of 11 points in that series.

Konrad W. correctly predicted the winning team in Games Two, Three, Five, and Six for four points. He added two more when Marian Hossa scored the overtime winner in Game Five. Chicago took the series in six, so Konrad got another five points for that prediction, giving him 11 points in the series.

Robert M. gazed into his crystal ball to correctly call the winners in Games One, Two, Five, and Six. Like Konrad, Robert called the Hossa overtime goal in Game Five for another two points. And he added five more after predicting the Blackhawks would advance in six games, for a total of 11 points in the series.

Congratulations, gentlemen, and well done on your predictions!

Vancouver Canucks vs. Los Angeles Kings

One man went off in this series, scoring an amazing 14 points between these two teams. That man also recorded the highest point total of any entrant in any series in the Canucks-Kings clash with his 14 points. That man is your HBIC Playoff Pool leader, Ben T.

Ben correctly predicted the winning team in Games One, Three, Four, Five, and Six for a quick five points. He also called the Henrik Sedin game-winner in Game Four, and called the Daniel Sedin game-winner in Game Five for an additional four points. And because he called the Canucks to win the series in six games, he picked up another five points for the correct prediction. Add that up, and Ben T. scored 14 points in this series.

Congratulations, Ben, on your lead and your clairvoyance in this series, and good luck in the next round!

Phoenix Coyotes vs. Detroit Red Wings

Only one competitor scored a series-high 12 points, and that man was Aaron D. Aaron called Games Two, Three, Four, Six, and Seven for five points. Aaron called Henrik Zetterberg's game-winner in Game Two for another two points. And he correctly predicted that the Detroit Red Wings would need all seven games to eliminate Phoenix, picking up another five points. All said, Aaron scored 12 points in this series.

Congratulations, Aaron, and well done on your predictions!

Washington Capitals vs. Montreal Canadiens

Did anyone see this upset coming? According to most poolies, we shouldn't have expected a Game Six, let alone a Game Seven. However, one man believed in the Canadiens, calling a series win, but only in six games. That man was Dave F. who earned the most points in this series with seven points.

Dave correctly called the winning team in Games One, Two, Four, Five, and Six for a quick five points. He correctly predicted the Mike Cammalleri game-winning goal in Game Six for an added two points, bringing his total to seven in the series.

Congratulations, Dave, and well done with your faith in Montreal!

New Jersey Devils vs. Philadelphia Flyers

This is another series that handicapped a lot of people thanks to the Philly upset. Not many people called a five-game series, but that's what we got. And as a result, there were two entrants who earned a series-high six points in this Eastern Conference clash.

Augustine R. correctly called Games One and Two in terms of the winning teams for two points. He correctly predicted Mike Richards as the game-winning goal scorer in Game One for another two points. And because he called the series in five games for New Jersey, he still gets two points for picking the correct number of games. His total is six points.

Mike F. was the other entrant who scored six points in this series. Mike correctly called the winners in Games Two and Four for two points. He was correct in calling Daniel Briere's game-winning goal in Game Four for another two points. And, like Augustine, he called the series in five games, but had the wrong team. With those two points, Mike scored six points in the series.

Congratulations, gentlemen, and well done on your predictions!

Buffalo Sabres vs. Boston Bruins

Two entrants racked up an impressive 13 points in this Eastern Conference battle, and nearly mirrored each other in their predictions. Forrest B. and Shannon P. had a great series in terms of the points they earned.

Forrest called all six games correctly in terms of the winners for six points. He correctly predicted Patrice Bergeron's game-winner in Game Three for Boston, adding another two points. He also called a Boston Bruins series win in six games, giving him an additional five points. Forrest earned a solid 13 points.

Shannon also called all six games correctly for six points. Shannon did differ in the game-winner, though, as Jason Pominville's game-winner in Game Five added another two points. Shannon also correctly called Boston in six games for another five points, totaling 13 points in the series.

Congratulations on calling the upset, and well done on your predictions!

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Ottawa Senators

Three entrants scored 11 points in this series to lead the way. Andrew G., Tom O., and Andy S. dug a little deeper to win this series.

Andrew correctly called the winning team in Games Three through Six for four points. He also predicted that Maxime Talbot would score the game-winner in Game Four, and that gave him another two points. And because he called Pittsburgh in six games, Andrew picked up another five points for a total of 11 points.

Tom correctly called the winners in Games One, Two, Three, and Six for four points. He correctly called the Jarkko Ruutu game-winning goal in Game One for Ottawa, earning him another two points. Because he called Pittsburgh in six games, he scored another five points for 11 points total in the series.

Andy decided to go the easy route and just call the correct winning team in all six games for six points. Because he called the correct team in each game, he correctly predicted Pittsburgh in six games for an additional five points. That's the easiest way to score 11 points!

Congratulations, gentlemen, and well done on your predictions!

Round Two of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs starts tomorrow night with Detroit in San Jose, so don't waste any time in getting your picks into me! Email me by clicking here, and make sure the subject line reads "NHL Pool R2" so I can keep everything straight!

Well done to all the competitors, and remember: you're not out until the Stanley Cup has been awarded!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Read More

America the Beautiful Quarters Proof Sets

The United States Mint has posted the product pages for the upcoming 2010 America the Beautiful Quarters Proof Set and 2010 America the Beautiful Quarters Silver Proof Set. These products won't be released for some time, but I wanted to write a quick post to provide an early look.


Each set contains the proof versions of the five 2010 quarters struck at the San Francisco Mint. For the regular set, the coins are struck in the standard copper-nickel clad composition. For the silver set, the coin have a composition of 90% silver and 10% copper.

The outer cardboard boxes have been redesigned for the new series with the image of a flag bordered by a red and blue ribbon. It appears that both the clad and silver sets will have an identically designed box, except for the product name. In the past, the outer boxes for clad sets have featured blue color schemes while the silver sets have had red color schemes.

Inside the box, the five coins are housed in a single plastic lens that appears similar to previous packaging. Within the lens, the clad set has a blue colored insert and the silver set has a red colored insert.

Besides the changes to the packaging, there are no big surprises revealed by the product details. I had previously reported on the pricing for the sets. The clad proof set is priced at $14.95. This is the same price level as last year's set, although the number of coins is reduced by one. The silver proof set is priced at $32.95 each. This is a $2 $3 price increase per set, and again the number of coins is reduced by one.

The clad set will go on sale May 13, 2010 and the silver set will go on sale May 27, 2010. I will have a full post on each set closer to the release date.

Read More

Pearson To Lindsay

The trophy being held in Alexander Ovechkin's left hand is one of the more prestigious trophies that is given out on an annual basis at the NHL Awards. The Lester B. Pearson Trophy is given annually to "the most outstanding player from the regular season as voted by members of the National Hockey League Player's Association". It is the NHLPA's equivalent to the NHL's Hart Trophy in that it normally goes to the best player in the league as judged by his peers in the NHLPA. It was announced today, however, that the Lester B. Pearson Trophy will be renamed as the Ted Lindsay Trophy in honour of former Detroit Red Wings' legend Ted Lindsay, according to a statement from the NHLPA. The official announcement will happen Thursday at the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Lindsay, a legend in Motown, was instrumental in the formation of the NHLPA during the 1950s. Lindsay was also credited as being the first player to hoist the Stanley Cup above his head and skate with it around the rink, something that is now quite common after the Stanley Cup has been awarded to the victors.

Because this award is voted upon by members of the NHLPA, I realize that they should have some say in terms of for whom the trophy is named. What I don't like is that it took forty years for the NHLPA to make this change. The first Lester B. Pearson Award was handed out in 1970-71 to Boston's Phil Esposito. Esposito was certainly tight with NHLPA boss Alan Eagleson, and there was never any problem with the name of the trophy until now.

I've gone over some of the interesting facts about the Lester B. Pearson Award, and I think that its former name was fine. I had no issues about calling it "the Pearson" ever. Personally, changing the name will only confuse casual fans more if they are just learning about the game.

Honestly, what I believe the NHLPA should have done is created the "Ted Lindsay Award" as a separate and distinct honour on its own. As to what it would be awarded for, combine the newly-founded Ted Lindsay Award and the NHL Foundation Award, which honours commitment, perseverance and teamwork in helping communities, and make it a joint award. After all, the NHL and NHLPA want to promote their stars within their communities, and there's nothing like some excellent charitable work to gain that exposure.

Honestly, I think Ted Lindsay was an excellent player. Four Stanley Cups, an Art Ross Trophy, and a trailblazing past in terms of sports labour relations says he is certainly worthy of being honoured.

However, Lindsay is also deeply committed to charitable work. His charity, the Ted Lindsay Foundation, was founded in 2001 and is working to find a cure for autism. The Ted Lindsay Foundation has raised over $1.5 million towards finding a cure for autism, and has given large sums of money to centers that are dedicated to helping children with autism. Clearly, the man is dedicated to his charitable work as much as he was his labour relations work.

Personally, keep the Lester B. Pearson Award as it is. Honour Ted Lindsay for the work he has done on behalf of players and on behalf of children everywhere with his own award.

Thoughts on this? Do you think it's a good idea to change the name of the Lester B. Pearson Award? Are there other changes the NHL has made that you would like to see changed back or abolished altogether? Hit me in the comments with your thoughts on these or other changes!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Read More

Another One Bites the Dust!

Tonight was a rare occasion when Sarah and I didn't work together to put a Facebook post up on her page. However, there was some exciting news from Madame's lawyer, Thomas Van Fine (hey, for a human, he's a nice looking man). Another ethics complaint has been dismissed. He also called out those who are having a cow because Madame has made a lot of money and think that she resigned for the sole purpose of making money, which isn't the case. She stepped down because she wasn't able to do her job with everything that was being thrown at her. She did it for Alaska.

To the haters who threw this now dismissed ethics complaint at Madame, I have an embedded video to share with you:

Read More

2010 Gold Buffalo Bullion Coins

The United States Mint recently announced that they will begin accepting orders for the 2010 American Gold Buffalo bullion coins from authorized purchasers on April 29, 2010. Last year, the the 2009-dated Gold Buffalo bullion coins were not available until October 15, 2009.

The US Mint's announcement is related to the bullion version of the American Gold Buffalo. These one ounce, 24-karat gold coins are distributed through the US Mint's network of authorized purchasers. They are able to buy bullion coins directly from the US Mint and then resell the coins to other dealers or the public. The US Mint does expect to issue a collectible 2010 Proof Gold Buffalo, but the release date remains unknown. This proof coin will be available for sale directly form the US Mint.

The earlier release of the 2010 Gold Buffalo is a positive sign that the Mint is catching up with demand for gold bullion coins. As many collectors are now aware, before the United States Mint can produce and issue collectible versions of the American Gold and Silver Eagle, they must meet the full public demand for the bullion versions of the coins. Last year the collectible 2009 Gold and Silver Eagles were canceled since the US Mint could not meet full demand.

Another sign that the US Mint is fulfilling demand for gold bullion coins came last month. The Mint ended the allocation program which had previously limited the number of gold bullion coins that authorized purchasers could order. The rationing program had been reinstated in December 2009, following a two week sales suspension.

A contributing factor to the US Mint's apparent progress in meeting full demand for gold bullion coins may simply be a reduction in demand. Through the end of the first quarter, the US Mint's gold bullion sales are down 20.8% compared to the same period last year. After the numbers are finalized for this month, the percentage decline will be even greater.

Whatever the case may be, the prospects for the issuance of the 2010-W Uncirculated Gold Eagle and 2010-W Proof Gold Eagle have certainly improved.

On the other hand, the situation for collectible 2010 Silver Eagles remains somewhat bleak. Through the first quarter, sales levels for the US Mint's silver bullion coins are above the record levels of last year. Silver Eagle bullion coin sales also remain subject to rationing at the authorized purchaser level. The United States Mint Director Edmund Moy also made statements at the ANA National Money Show in Fort Worth, Texas, casting doubts on the prospects of collectible 2010 Silver Eagles.

Some readers have pointed out that the US Mint's online product catalog currently has subscription pages available for the 2010-W Uncirculated Silver Eagle and 2010-W Proof Silver Eagle. However, the subscription options aren't an indication that the coins will be issued. Similar subscription pages were available for last year's releases right up until the cancellation announcement.

Today on Coin Update News:
Collector Creates America the Beautiful Quarter First Day Covers

Read More

AN AMERICAN RESPONDS TO OBAMA'S SPEECH IN CAIRO:

To watch video, please turn off sound on the "Ave Maria" music widget on right side of page.

I received the following in my email last night from a friend. I don't know who the original author is, but it sounded so good I couldn't pass it up.

Read More

Not Much Needs To Be Said

Detroit and Phoenix will clash in Arizona for the right to advance to play the San Jose Sharks.

Can Detroit draw upon their vast playoff experience and knock off the youthful Phoenix Coyotes? Can Phoenix use their home-ice advantage and never-say-die attitude to deliver a knockout blow to the defending Western Conference Champions?

Washington and Montreal will clash in the capital of the United States of America for the right to advance to play a team from Pennsylvania.

Can Washington stop the bleeding and prevent a third-straight Game Seven loss in series that go the distance? Can Montreal capitalize on a shaken Capitals team by demonstrating their relentless shot-blocking, amazing goaltending, and timely scoring for a third game in a row?

In your view, who advances and why do those teams move on? I'm interested in seeing your reasons for your selected teams to advance. Let me know in the comments!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Read More

An Update from a Slacking LOTUS

I've gotten lazy, haven't I? BOTUS and I have posted a few things lately, and I've slacked about reporting. Shame on me. Let's see. Well, on Friday we posted our support for Franklin Graham when the Opologizer administration dis-invited him from speaking at the National Day of Prayer. Hmm, I wonder if Obama "opologized" to Graham when he met with him this past weekend.

BOTUS has been busy with her pithy, yet caring condolences for those involved in the oil rig fire, witty smackdowns of the media regarding corruption in Goldman Sachs, and giving a shoutout to Michael Steele.

Today we posted another endorsement--a special one. This one was for Tim Burns who is running in a special election for a Congressional seat in Pennsylvania. Madame is supportive of the fact that he started his own business, and he's a "hockey dad". What's the difference between a hockey dad and a pit bull? Umm...well, you know what I mean. He's a businessman, not a bureaucrat. It'd be nice to have someone in government who has had a real job before.

Oh, I was surfing around Facebook last night, and I found a picture from a baseball game that Madame attended (without me!!!). Check it out. It's Madame and perhaps her future Homeland Security secretary, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer.

Read More

What kind of country are we?

The kind that deports a diabetic pregnant 42-year-old woman and separates her from her family.
Yes, that kind.
I think I'm getting Oppositional Defiant Disorder.
And speaking of the Opposition, where are they on this deportation?

Read More

2010 Boy Scouts Uncirculated Silver Dollars on Waiting List Status

On Friday evening, the uncirculated version of the 2010 Boy Scouts of American Centennial Silver Dollar entered waiting list status. This means that the number of orders received by the US Mint has met the maximum limit, but orders can still be placed on a "first-come, first-serve" basis for any coins available due to order cancellation.

It is a little surprising to see one version of the coin already on waiting list status. At the last available US Mint sales report, total sales for the Boy Scouts coins had reached a combined 312,653 across the proof and uncirculated versions. This meant that there were still 37,347 coins available before the maximum authorized mintage of 350,000 would be met. In the last week of data, the US Mint had sold about 22,000 coins, suggesting at least two more weeks of sales remained.

I think there are two possible explanations for the waiting list status on the uncirculated version. First, one or more bulk bulk buyers could have ordered large quantities of the coins. The orders may have been placed early last week before the price increase took place. There is an order limit of 100 units per version per household, but even a single buyer could coordinate a large purchase with some help.

If the waiting list status was caused by a large influx of orders, then the proof version might be close to entering waiting list status too, provided that the orders were placed across both versions of the coin.

Alternately, the US Mint may have miscalculated the split in production between the different versions of the coin. The maximum authorized mintage of 350,000 coins covers both proof and uncirculated versions. The split in production is generally determined based upon demand. As a practical matter, I think the US Mint most likely takes a look at the proportion of orders before the last production run and then produces coins accordingly. If the proportion shifts after this point, then one version could sell out faster than the other.

Tomorrow when the latest US Mint sales report is available, we should have a better picture of whether the Boy Scouts Silver Dollars are close to the overall 350,000 maximum, or if the uncirculated version was under produced.

Coin Update News: 2010 American Platinum Eagle Designs

Read More

Sunday Wrap-Up

It's time to wrap-up the week before we start anew on Monday, so we'll bounce around the hockey world as we look at stories from inside hockey. Of course, there are playoffs happening all over the place, so there will be updates to a bunch of leagues as to who is still in, and who is now on the golf course. There have also been some pretty big stories from the hockey world that need to be touched upon, and I'll provide my commentary to those stories in terms of how I see them. We'll also bounce over to one blog that has been entertaining me over the last few days, so there are lots of things to check out. Oh, did I mention pictures? Yeah, we'll have those too. A few of them anyway. Let's get to this full menu!

• The KHL will get first billing tonight as the Gagarin Cup was in the house in Moscow as HC MVD had the 3-2 series lead at home against the defending champions in Ak Bars Kazan. Facing elimination, the current champs from Kazan put the gears to MVD as they pumped seven goals past MVD's netminders in a 7-1 Game Six win. That means we'll have one more game as Game Seven will be played Tuesday night in Kazan. Nothing like a Game Seven for all the marbles! Of course, there will be a full recap on Saturday after the Gagarin Cup has been handed out, so tune in for that!
• We have some new threads for an NCAA team. Next season, the Michigan State Spartans will play games in these new uniforms, replacing some fairly iconic uniforms - home, road, and alternate. I'm not against the new look, and I think the Spartan logo looks pretty good, but why did they need black breezers? And why not drop the captain's "C" about an inch and a half so that it's only on the white portion? Personally, I don't think they needed to make a change, but I don't run the athletic department at Michigan State.
• Speaking of NCAA uniforms, I wasn't aware that Providence College wore pants with their team name on the leg. This photo, featuring former NHL goaltender Chris Terreri in net for the Friars, shows the pants clearly that Providence College took to wearing in games. By the way, Terreri went 21-15-5 that season with a 3.12 GAA.
• Big news out of the NHL today is that Blackhawks' forward Marian Hossa will not be suspended for his questionable hit on Dan Hamhuis in yesterday's game. You can see the hit here, and there were a lot of TV personalities who said that this was nothing more than a "hockey play". Pierre McGuire, as much as I disagree with him, is correct. That was a very dangerous hit. However, the NHL handed down its decision, and we're forced to live with it. The hockey gods will not be happy, Marian Hossa. They've punished you for being a hired gun for the last two years. This could be the third year his curse continues.
• The ECHL has nearly completed their push for conference finalists. The National Conference will see the Idaho Steelheads and Stockton Thunder square off for the right to advance to the Kelly Cup Final, while the Reading Royals await the winner of the Cincinnati Cyclones and Charlotte Checkers. The Cyclones lead that series 3-2. The winner will advance to play the Royals for the right to represent the American Conference in the Kelly Cup Final.
• The AHL, much like the NHL, is just finishing its first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs, and there have been some excellent games thus far. What I find slightly confusing is how the Western Conference is still determining who moves on, yet the Eastern Conference has already started their Round Two games. Why does the AHL allow this to happen? What's the rush on getting the Eastern Conference games done?
• The Central Hockey League is down to two teams in their playoffs as the Allen Americans battle the Rapid City Rush for the President's Cup. The Americans took Game One by a 4-1 score, while the Rush rallied for 5-4 overtime win in Game Two. Game Three through Five will be held in Allen, Texas starting on Wednesday, April 28, so get down to the rink if you're in Texas!
• The IHL has determined the four teams that will compete for the Turner Cup this year! The top-seeded Muskegon Lumberjacks will face the fourth-ranked Flint Generals, while the second-seeded Fort Wayne Komets will play the third-seeded Port Huron IceHawks. The schedule has been posted, so if you're near your local IHL franchise, get down to the rink and cheer the boys on!
• Down Goes Brown brings the funny with Signs Your Team Is Not Making It To The Second Round. Some classic signs in this list. DGB is a solid read.

That's all for me tonight. I have a busy week coming up, so please don't freak out if the HBIC Playoff Pool isn't updated in real-time. There's still a ton of hockey to be played, and I'm going to go watch the Kings and Canucks tangle.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Read More

Be careful who your friends are

I heard an interview with a US teabagger on yesterday's radio talk show, they were talking about the Canadian gun registry and so Roy Green talked to someone in the US who's all bent out of shape about Obama.
Green asked this fellow what he was concerned about. Of course he couldn't exactly say. He couldn't list one single thing or action or speech or proposal or anything at all that the Obama administration has done to control guns -- because they haven't done anything. (Actually, of course, it was Obama who signed off on allowing guns in national parks, but that definitely didn't fit his narrative so he didn't mention it.) But this guy is absolutely certain that they are all under terrible threat, looming danger, government is so awful that they just have to defend themselves from the horrible Obama administration that secretly wants to take away their right to bear arms.
And apparently abolishing Canada's long gun registry would be a step in the right direction and next lets tackle Canada's prohibitions about handguns and concealed carry laws and on and on. Oh, and did you know that the police associations whom these guys usually defend to the death particularly whenever they taser someone, are just a bunch of Liberal tools now?
Though I still believe that the Liberals won't be able to elect anyone out West until the registry is abolished, I must say that hearing this nonsense makes me rethink my own stance in favour of abolishing the long gun registry.
Is anyone else amused by the fact that the Conservatives were so skittish about abolishing the registry that they let one of their backbenchers do it as a private members bill and now they're doing fundraising around this "Conservative" bill?
Win or lose, they'll talk during the next election campaign about how "we" tried to abolish the registry.

Read More

VULGAR AND DISRESPECTFUL COMMENTS:

To view the following video, please click off the sound on the "Ave Maria" music widget on the right side of the page.


Lately, I have been receiving some very vulgar, grass and disrespectful comments on my youtube site, and I know that they are coming from the left. As a result, I have posted the following response:

Read More

On The Russian Brink

Before next weekend, the KHL will award the Gagarin Cup to one of the two teams currently in the final, and a champion will be crowned in the Kontinental Hockey League. HC MVD and Ak Bars Kazan are competing for the highest honour in Russia's top league. Kazan is the defending champion, while MVD is building themselves into a solid program. Let's take a look at how the final is going, and who has the best chance of winning the Gagarin Cup.

Game One: The series kicked off Thursday, April 15 between the Western Conference Champions in HC MVD and the Eastern Conference Champions in Ak Bars Kazan. 6060 fans attended Game One, witnessing a great game between these two teams.

HC MVD opened the scoring in the second period at 6:51 when Alexei Ugarov scored his eighth of the playoffs past Petri Vehanen. Kazan evened the score 2:54 later when defenceman Alexei Yemelin fired his second goal of the playoffs past Michael Garnett. HC MVD went back up by a goal at the 13:00 mark as Pavel Trakhanov scored his first of the playoffs on the powerplay. At 18:51, Niko Kapanen's sixth goal of the playoffs drew Kazan even again, and the two teams would enter the second intermission tied at 2-2.

Just 4:05 into the third period, Dmitry Obukhov netted his second of the playoffs, and Kazan jumped ahead for the first time in the game. It would be all that Vehanen needed as he shut the door the rest of the way, and Kazan took Game One by the 3-2 score.

Game Two: Friday, April 16 had the two teams back in battle, and 6080 fans turned out for this one with Ak Bars Kazan holding the 1-0 series lead. Would the hometown fans go home happy again?

Kazan opened the scoring in the second period just 1:18 into the period. With Filip Novak in the penalty box, Grigory Panin scored his first goal of the playoffs while playing four-on-four, and Kazan led 1-0. MVD's Yuri Babenko was called for a penalty at 15:08, and Kazan's powerplay lasted all of 19 seconds before Dmitry Obukhov scored his third goal of the playoffs to put Kazan up 2-0. After forty minutes, Ak Bars Kazan had a two-goal lead with one period to play, and would start the third period on a five-on-three powerplay with MVD's Filip Novak and Maxim Velikov in the penalty box.

Just two seconds after Novak was let out of the sin bin, Kazan struck again. Jarkko Immonen's third goal of the playoffs came on the powerplay at the 1:00 mark, and Kazan improved their lead to 3-0. Kazan's Evgeny Bodrov was sent off at 4:37 for hooking, and MVD's powerplay struck. Martin Strbak's point shot found the back of the net at 5:19 of the third period, and MVD trailed 3-1. However, Dmitry Obukhov iced the game for Kazan with sixteen seconds to play, and Kazan skated to the 4-1 win and 2-0 series lead.

Game Three:: MVD returned home on Monday, April 19 finding themselves deep in a hole against the defending champs, and they needed to rally to make their way back into the series. 7600 fans turned out to cheer on the Moscow-based team in their battle against Ak Bars Kazan.

Alexei Ugarov got the home squad on the board on the powerplay. After Kazan's Roman Kukumberg was given a four-minute double-minor for high-sticking, MVD's powerplay unit struck at 6:26 with Ugarov's ninth goal of the playoffs, giving HC MVD the early 1-0 lead. Kazan responded at 13:01. Alexei Yemelin's third goal of the playoffs evened the score at 1-1, and the score would remain that way through the first intermission. And the second intermission.

In the third period, the deadlock was broken when HC MVD's Maxim Velikov scored at the 9:26 mark to put MVD up 2-1. HC MVD added to their lead when Alexei Tertyshny scored his second goal of the playoffs at 13:18, and MVD had a 3-1 lead with 6:42 to play. Kazan cut the deficit to one goal at 17:23 when Stepan Zakharchuk scored his first goal of the playoffs. However, Michael Garnett turned away Kazan for the remainder of the game, and HC MVD claimed the 3-2 victory to make the series 2-1 in favour of Ak Bars Kazan.

Game Four: Tuesday, April 20 had the two teams back in action. Kazan looked to put MVD on the brink, while MVD looked to even the series. 8140 fans packed the arena to witness Game Four in the Gagarin Cup Final.

2:18 into the second period, the home team got on the board. HC MVD's Evgeny Fedorov scored his fourth of the playoffs, and MVD was out to the 1-0 lead. At 12:02, Kazan pulled even on Roman Kukumberg's fifth goal of the playoffs, and the game was tied at 1-1. The score would remain this way into the third period.

At 5:53 of the third, HC MVD grabbed a lead they wouldn't relinquish. Yury Dobryshkin's first goal of the playoffs would be the game-winner as Michael Garnett and the MVD defence prevented Kazan from scoring any additional goals, and HC MVD took the 2-1 victory to even the series at 2-2. The series suddenly becomes a best-of-three series, and the series shifts back to Kazan on Friday.


Game Five: With the series tied 2-2, both teams were looking for a victory to put themselves one victory away from hoisting the Gagarin Cup. Home teams had won all four games thus far, so Kazan had an advantage in playing Game Five on home ice in front of 6120 fans.

Kazan struck first at 13:38 of the first period. Dmitry Obukhov scored his fifth goal of the playoffs, and his fourth of this series, when he beat Michael Garnett. Kazan led 1-0. Less than two minutes later, MVD's Filip Novak scored his second goal of the playoffs on the powerplay after Kazan's Andrei Mukhachev had been sent off for contact to the head. The powerplay goal at 15:22 evened the score at 1-1, and that score would stand through the intermission.

HC MVD took the lead in the second period. Denis Kokarev's sxith goal of the playoffs got past Petri Vehanen at the 19:08 mark, and it appeared that MVD would carry the lead into the intermission at 2-1. However, with five seconds remaining in the period, Kazan defenceman Alexei Yemelin netted his fourth goal of the series, and the two teams were tied again as the zamboni took to the ice.

6:07 into the third period saw HC MVD regain the lead. Roman Derlyuk's first goal of the playoffs was a big one as it would turn out to be the game-winner. HC MVD's defence held strong, and Michael Garnett turned away all of Kazan's shots in the third period to give the visiting team the victory at 3-2. With the win, HC MVD stands one win away from hoisting the Cup as they lead the series by that same 3-2 margin.

Game Six: That happens tomorrow, and HC MVD will be at home against Kazan. There's a good possibility that the Western Conference Champions could dethrone the defending KHL Champions, but Kazan has a very talented team and shouldn't be taken for granted.

Both teams will undoubtedly come out flying, so it should make for a phenomenal game!

In terms of the playoff statistics, Alexander Radulov of Salavat Yulaev Ufa still leads with 19 points despite his team being eliminated. Radulov also shares the assist lead with HC MVD's Alexei Tsvetkov at 11 assists. There is a new goal-scoring leader, however, as HC MVD's Alexei Ugarov's nine goals is one better than Radulov's this postseason.

Of the two teams still playing, HC MVD's Alexei Tsvetkov leads the way with 16 points, while AK Bars Kazan's Niko Kapanen leads his team with 15 points. As stated above, Alexei Ugarov leads HC MVD in goals with nine, while Niko Kapanen leads Kazan with six goals.

It should be a great game tomorrow afternoon, and I'll try to update everyone tomorrow to see if there was a championship awarded, or if a seventh game will be needed. The game starts at 5pm local time in Russia, so we're looking at a morning game here in North America. Again, I'll look to update this tomorrow.

I'll also try to bring together all of the possible expansion and contraction news from the KHL, and have that ready to go later this week. There are some teams looking to join the KHL, and one story about a long-time club that is closing its doors for good after this season. This will be upcoming later in the week.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Read More

Papers! Now!

One of the things about Arizona is that lots of Canadians like to spend the winter there, particularly retirees from Saskatchewan and Alberta.
I wonder whether police will start demanding to see their papers?

Read More

Mrs. Grundy

So Conservative MP Steven Fletcher thinks poor people shouldn't be able to have a drink in the privacy of their new home.
That must be because he thinks homeless people are drunks. Or morons.
And I'll bet he also wants a "four on the floor" rule when they have company, too.

Read More

The Spoils

I figured there was no time like the present to post the fabulous prizes that the 62 HBIC Playoff Pool entrants are vying for in this season's contest. There are some impressive prizes that I've collected and obtained from various sources, including some that are worth more than the standard $20-30 CDN value. With more people entering this season, I felt it was important that I ramp up the prizes and opportunities to win prizes, and I'm hoping to award as many as possible.

I want to be clear when I say that not everyone will win a prize. I apologize for this, but the number of entrants have made it harder to give out prizes to everyone. Instead, I will award as many as I can from the following list. The "grand prizes" will be listed first, followed by the smaller $20-30 prizes. Let's take a look at what's up for grabs.

• Grand Prize 1: Toronto Maple Leafs gear. This prize pack includes an American Needle retro Maple Leafs ballcap, a CCM blue home Toronto Maple Leafs jersey (XXL), and a Toronto Maple Leafs keychain (courtesy of wholesalekeychain.com). The only catch is that the keychain has the retro logo on it, not the modern one.
• Grand Prize 2: Team Canada prize pack. This prize pack, courtesy of the good people at Pepsi/Gatorade/Frito-Lay, comes complete with a black duffle bag, a skate towel, a Team Canada-Pepsi ballcap, Pepsi noise makers, a Team Canada-Pepsi car flag, a pile of Team Canada face paint, and Team Canada-Pepsi temporary tattoos. There's also a Nike Team Canada stretch-fit hat, and a Nike Team Canada "Gold Olympic Champions" t-shirt (XXL).
• Grand Prize 3: Buffalo Sabres jersey. That's right - a soon-to-be-discontinued Buffa-Slug home jersey. I seriously considered keeping this for myself, but the CCM home navy blue Sabres jersey (XL) is up for grabs.
• Grand Prize 4: $75 gift certificate to the NHL.com store. This prize comes compliments of the good people at Pepsi/Gatorade/Frito-Lay, and can be used on any of the merchandise featured at the NHL online store.
  

And we move on to the $20-30 prizes. These aren't anything to scoff at as I would actually like to keep a few of these, but I'm devoted to the pool, so you guys get the benefits.

• From one of the greatest hockey movies of all-time comes the Hanson Brothers "Listening To The Song" ringer t-shirt (XXL).
• The Montreal Canadiens are represented by their 1912-13 logo t-shirt by Bulletin (XXL), and a Mario Lemieux Foundation "Hockeytahn" t-shirt (XXL).
• There's also a Roger Edwards' long-sleeved Canadiens taping t-shirt (XXL), and a Mario Lemieux Foundation "Hockeytahn" t-shirt (XXL).
• Peter Puck prize pack: the meshback adjustable hat and the long-sleeved raglan are a good combo.
• Cold Weather prize pack: you get a Detroit Red Wings toque and a DVD copy of Pond Hockey. Perfect for both the outdoors and indoors! A review of the Pond Hockey DVD can be found here for more info on the documentary.
• Zamboni pack #1: An "I Wanna Drive The Zamboni" t-shirt (XXL) and an adjustable Hockey Night In Canada ballcap. Women's t-shirt not included.
  
• Zamboni pack #2: An "I Wanna Drive The Zamboni" t-shirt (XXL) and an adjustable Nike University of Maine Black Bears hat. Women's t-shirt not included.
• Riding The Bus #1: "No Tourney Too Far" t-shirt (XL) and a Roger Edwards retro Los Angeles Kings ballcap.
• Riding The Bus #2: "No Tourney Too Far" t-shirt (XXL) and a Chicago Blackhawks Star Hanger 3D artwork.
• Riding The Bus #3: "No Tourney Too Far" t-shirt (XXL) and a New York Rangers Star Hanger 3D artwork.
• Northeast Clash: Ottawa Senators "Emery" player t-shirt (XXL) and a Boston Bruins Star Hanger 3D artwork.
• Library Books #1: Patrick Roy's biography, and Martin Brodeur's autobiography.
• Library Books #2: Patrick Roy's biography, and Hockey's Book of Firsts.
• Library Books #3: Ralph Mellanby's autobiography, and The Best of Hockey Night In Canada book.
• Library Books #4: Al Strachan's Go To The Net, and Ed Willes' Gretzky To Lemieux.
• Library Books #5: Al Strachan's Go To The Net, and Ralph Mellanby's autobiography.
• Library Books #6: Ed Willes' Gretzky To Lemieux, and Martin Brodeur's autobiography.
• Library Books #7: Martin Brodeur's autobiography, and Hockey's Book of Firsts.

There you have it, people. 22 prizes available for you to win, meaning you have approximately a one-in-three shot at taking something home. Again, no one is eliminated from the HBIC Playoff Pool until the Stanley Cup is handed out, so make sure you start thinking about Round Two.

If you have any questions about the prizes, feel free to fire me an email! Thanks again to the 62 people who threw their names into the pool! There may be more prizes if I happen to get my hands on more decent gear!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Read More

The First 2010 Roosevelt Dimes

The first 2010 Roosevelt Dimes have apparently started showing up in the channels of circulation. At least two eBay sellers have individual 2010-P Roosevelt Dimes listed for sale at auction.

As of the last available production figures from the United States Mint, only 19 million of the 2010 Roosevelt Dimes have been produced, with the entire amount coming from the Philadelphia Mint facility. There have not been any 2010 Roosevelt Dimes produced at Denver. Additionally, there have not been any 2010 Jefferson Nickel produced at either mint facility.

Completed eBay auctions show that one of the first listed individual 2010-P Roosevelt Dimes sold for $31.00. That was for a single dime. There are currently 25 different listings for individual 2010-P Dimes on eBay. See the current auctions.

The listings seem to come from just two sellers, both located in Ohio. If you are in the area, it might be worthwhile to check out some banks to see if any additional rolls are available.

Last year, the first 2009-P Roosevelt Dimes started appearing in late May, located in Texas. In early June, more 2009-P Dimes and the first 2009-P Jefferson Nickels surfaced in Puerto Rico. Only recently, some 2009-D Roosevelt Dimes have surfaced, but the 2009-D Jefferson Nickels still remain elusive. (For all of the preceding, I am referring to circulation strike coins, not the satin finish versions which are found in the 2009 Uncirculated Mint Set.)

The 2009 nickels and dimes have attracted attention and high premiums because of the significantly lower mintages and the fact that they had remained elusive in the channels of circulation. The final production figures from last year were the following:

2009-P Roosevelt Dime	96,500,000
2009-D Roosevelt Dime	49,500,000
2009-P Jefferson Nickel	39,840,000
2009-D Jefferson Nickel	46,800,000

As a cautionary note to the current prices being paid for the 2010-P Roosevelt Dimes, an article in Coin World from earlier this year reported that the Federal Reserve had ordered 224 million dimes from the Mint. If the US Mint produces coins to fulfill the order, the total mintage would be above the last year's combined mintage for the denomination.

Also, prices for "firsts," such as this, tend to drive premiums irrespective of the rarity, simply for being the first available. These premiums shrink as time passes or more of the item becomes available.

Read More