The Return Of Classic Auctions

There is no quantitative limit with regards to the respect and admiration I have for hockey history. There are so many great stories and so much fascinating imagery from the game that it should be celebrated as often as possible. Thankfully, Classic Auctions is holding another one of its fabulous sports memorabilia auctions, so I think it's time we revisit some of the great history seen in the game of hockey and some of the associated stories that have come along with these small glimpses into the annals of the game. Let's take a look at some of the more interesting pieces up for auction this time.

• We'll start this look into hockey history with a glimpse back at a jersey from an all-star. Vaclav Nedomansky was chosen as a WHA All-Star in 1976, and he played on Team Canada for the game in Cleveland, Ohio despite being from Czechoslovakia! The reason for this is that the WHA chose players for their all-star teams based upon where they played rather than where they were born! The Canadian-based WHA teams sent players as part of the Canada All-Stars and the American-based WHA teams sent players as the United States All-Stars. In 1976, Toronto Toros' star Nedomansky and the Canadian WHA All-Stars beat the US WHA All-Stars by a 6-1 score on January 13 at Richfield Coliseum!
• We move on to an Original Six team. I have to say that I am a huge fan of this Blackhawks sweater from the 1950s. The colours, the stripes, the logo, the font... it truly is a thing of beauty! If there was ever an opportunity to bring back a different alternate jersey for the Blackhawks, this one gets my vote.
• Strangely enough, the Blackhawks have worn this look closer to the future. In 1991-92, the NHL had the Original Six teams wear a throwback jersey, and the Blackhawks decided on a jersey that looked remarkably like their sweaters from the 1950s. Two things I don't like: the rear font they decided on, and the name on the back. The font is just too skinny, and if you're going to throwback to a previous incarnation, go all the way or don't go at all.
• This is a rare find, but I'm always intrigued when I come upon a number that I've never seen a player wear. Ethan Moreau apparently wore #65 during the 1994 preseason! If you're a Moreau fan, this number is one of those rare finds - much like Joe Sakic's #88 jersey when he played with the Nordiques!
• When you think of the Vancouver Canucks, does anyone else miss this look? I'm sorry, but as good as the current look is, there is still something about the skate logo that I truly miss about the Canucks. Maybe we'll see these beauties come back as an alternate one day? No one did yellow-orange-black like the Canucks did.
• As much as I hated them as a Penguins fan, there is something magical about the red-white-and blue of the Capitals. But I do have one question about this Doug Jarvis jersey from the early-1980s: why are the hem stripes so huge? They literally go right to the logo which is mid-torso! That's a little crazy.
• Just because there aren't enough Sutters in Calgary, here is more proof that the Sutter bloodline runs through the Flames. That's Shaun Sutter's jersey from the 1999-2000 season. Shaun is the son of Brian Sutter, and was drafted by the Flames when his dad coached there. Currently, Shaun serves as an assistant coach with the WHL's Regina Pats.
• I've looked at this before, but there was something going on with the Philadelphia Flyers in the late-1970s and early-1980s. Check out the location of the captain's "C" on Bob Clarke's jersey from 1976-77. It's nearly in the middle of his chest! And it's still pretty close to his mid-line in 1980-81! What gives? Why is it so close to the middle of his chest?
• We move to the international scene. There's a big story surrounding the 1988 Canada Olympic jerseys that I wasn't aware of before reading the story on the Classic Auctions site. This is Ken Yaremchuk's jersey, and he played alongside NHL players like Sean Burke and Andy Moog as they prepared to represent Canada at the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary. Here's the kicker: "An embroidered CCM crest on the rear hem has been covered with a patch of red tackle twill, obviously to comply with advertising guidelines. Canada received a fine of $100,000 for refusing to wear uniforms made by Tackla at the Games". I never knew that! Corporate America already had a hold on the Olympic Games back then! How cool is that little gem of hockey history? I'm hoping your answer was "very".
• Here's a number that wasn't seen on the ice at the 1991 Canada Cup, but Vincent Damphousse played during the selection camp. He wore #50 through the camp as he worked to play his way onto the team, but he was cut days before the Canada Cup started. It's another one of those number cameos by a player who never wore #50 again. We'll see more of Damphousse later in this article as he has another jersey in this exposé.
• We mentioned a couple of Sutters already, so let's bring a couple more onboard in this article. We get a good look at Duane Sutter's jersey with the Islanders from '81-82, and I'm always a fan of the first initial on a jersey. However, as we look at this photo with both Duane and Brent Sutter in it, does anyone see a major difference in the lettering? Duane's appears as single-colour font while Brent's font is double-coloured. It appears this was corrected as of 1981-82.
• With the Lightning changing their jerseys next season, it's always interesting to look back at some of their previous jerseys. Their inaugural jersey was interesting. Steve Kasper's jersey has that ridiculous font on it. I'm quite happy that it went the way of the dodo and was never seen again.
• I have to say that I always loved the colours of the Minnesota North Stars. We get to see that gorgeous green colour of the North Stars jersey here on Basil McRae's uniform from the 1987-88 season. This is what Minnesota hockey looks like. Bring back the green!
• Bob Rouse's jersey from his stint with the North Stars shows the addition of black to the colour scheme. This is how I think most people remember the North Stars. There were so many great memories of that Stanley Cup run in 1991 that ended at the hands of Mario Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins in the final, but these great uniforms will stand out vividly in my mind.
• The jerseys that the North Stars wore in 1991-92 really took leaps and bounds in the wrong directions with their "re-design". Nothing about that design even comes close to giving off that great North Star vibe, and it feels pretty bland as a hockey jersey. Little did the hockey world know that the "north" part would soon be a thing of the past.
• By 1993-94, the Stars would be playing in Dallas, and they would be wearing uniforms that seemed to have a lot in common with the earlier re-design. Note to self, fans: if your team suddenly begins to remove the parts of the uniform that make you distinctly unique like, say, part of the team name, I'd be suspicious.
• Even the officials got in the act with some distinct designs. We've seen this image of Ron Ego calling a penalty in the WHA and discussed his red-striped officials jersey. I never scoured the internet for a picture with much intent because the referees seem to get lost in the shuffle of history. However, Wayne Mundey's referee sweater is a joy to behold!
• The NHL officials showed that they wore the NHL colours for a long time as this official's sweater from the 1970s has orange numbering to match the NHL shield on the front! Wasn't it nice when NHL All-Star teams and NHL employees all represented the league by wearing the league's colours? The "good ol' days", I suppose.
• The California Golden Seals seemed to miss the boat in the 1970s when they went pastel instead of staying true to their gorgeous green looks as the Oakland Seals. Bob Girard's uniform looks great, but it just doesn't have the same "pop" as the Oakland jersey does.
• The 1975-76 Kansas City Scouts jersey is a nice blend of colours, but that logo really draws the eyes to it. That logo features chain-stitching, a favorite of Mr. Paul Lukas over on Uni Watch Blog. I'm not saying the colours should return in the same fashion, but I really think someone needs to come up with a new "Scouts" ensemble. Any takers?
• Check out the logo on Nelson Pyatt's Colorado Rockies jersey from 1976-77. It looks a little off, doesn't it? That's because the Rockies didn't have their jerseys ready when the season started in 1976. The Kansas City Scouts had moved in the off-season before the 1976 season started to Denver, but they didn't have their jerseys ready in time for the start of the season. Thus the Rockies began the 1976-77 season with an odd-looking Rockies logo instead of their normal logos.
• Speaking of another jersey that just doesn't seem right, here is a Penguins jersey from the late-1960s. The stripes being light blue just don't seem right after having seen them in yellow-and-black for so many years. Another of the jerseys lost in the annals of history, I suppose.
  
• Don Maloney had an interesting career with the New York Rangers. While he wasn't officially the captain, he worked as acting captain whenever the Rangers saw their captain injured. Thus, he routinely is seen with the "C" on his sweater. However, Maloney is probably more well-known for his full name on the back of his sweater. I always thought that was pretty cool.
• How many people remember Guy Lafleur's tenure with the Broadway Blueshirts? The original "Flower" laced up the skates with the Rangers for 67 games in 1988-89, netting 18 goals and adding 27 assists. I don't remember this, but Lafleur wore #44 while with the Rangers.
• I found that the Detroit Red Wings did something as they evolved through the 1980s. In the late 1970s (and probably further back), the Red Wings used to use the wheel as the center point for their logo on their chests. The result? Greg Carroll's jersey looks seriously skewed because of the logo.
• Another gorgeous throwback jersey from the 1991-92 season was worn by the Detroit Red Wings. Doug Crossman played with them that season, and the stripes make this jersey look amazing. This is still one of my favorite hockey jerseys of all-time.
• How cool is this Hockey Night In Canada microphone cover and book? Ok, the book isn't all that important, but how awesome would it be to have that microphone caddy? I might want one of those more than I want a fabled HNIC towel!
• We've seen a number of the NHL Showcase Confrontation jerseys in the past, but there's another one in the auction this time around. Bryan Trottier's jersey is up for grabs this time, and I must admit that I really like the colours on this jersey. I may have to research these Showcase Confrontation games a little more!
• There are lots of people who saw the NHLPA 4-on-4 Challenge from Hamilton, Ontario in 1995, but there seems to be zero tape of these games online anywhere. During the strike, the players got together at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton to play some four-on-four hockey while representing their respective regions: Western Canada, Ontario, Quebec, and the USA. Vincent Damphousse was invited, and he played for Team Quebec at the event in this gorgeous NHLPA jersey. I want it!
• We started with the WHA, so let's end it with a few WHA sweaters as well. The original team with the number on the shoulder was the Chicago Cougars, and Cam Newton's jersey from 1973-74 shows the number clearly. I'm still not a very big fan of having the number on the front of the jersey in hockey, but it seems to have made a comeback with some of the NHL teams today.
• Journeyman defenceman Jerry Zrymiak bounced around the WHA for a while, but he played with the Michigan Stags for a while during the '74-75 season. I'm not sure about you, but the name "Michigan Stags" just sounds like a manly name. The colour is a little less manly, though. I love the Stags' logo, though.
• Les Binkley starred in net for the Toronto Toros in 1975-76. I like the colours of the Toros' jerseys, but the important part is the "Toros" mark on the sleeve stripe. That's a huge detail on these jerseys, especially when you consider that the team moved after the '75-76 season and became the Birmingham Bulls. Why is this important? Check out the similarities in the Bulls' jersey to the Toros' jersey. The only thing missing is the "Toros" wordmark from the sleeve!

There are a pile of incredible auction items available through the Classic Auctions website. I really would kill for that HNIC microphone cover or that Detroit TBTC jersey, but, being that I'm a poor college student, these luxuries will have to wait. If you're interested, get over to the Classic Auctions website ASAP!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Read More

The Trip Of A Lifetime

I was contacted a few weeks back by a lady who had been on the trip of a lifetime with a hockey team that worked their butts off to make it happen. I'm talking about the Petitcodiac/Salisbury Bantam "A" Flyers from New Brunswick who were featured on Hockey Day In Canada on CBC! Miss Michelle Nott wrote me with her story of the trip to Whitehorse that the Flyers experienced, and she also detailed all the cool stuff they did while in Whitehorse! Let me just say that I am jealous of the fun they had! Here is Michelle with the recap of everything that happened on Hockey Day In Canada!

4:30am. Thursday February 10th 2011. It’s finally here. The day I’ve been waiting for since December 7th when I was told I had won the Scotiabank "Big Save Contest". As I walk into the airport, I am greeted by 49 people who are also making the big trip to Whitehorse, Yukon. There are 19 players, 4 coaches, and 27 parents. The energy in the airport is amazing! Everyone is so excited.

It had been 2 months since we first found out that we had won the Scotiabank "Big Save Contest". None other than Ron MacLean had sent us a DVD that was played in our arena, announcing to the boys (and 1 girl) that they would be taking a trip all the way up to northern Canada to celebrate Hockey's birthday in Whitehorse, Yukon. We had been preparing for this day ever since.

Our flight left Moncton at 6am, and we traveled to Toronto, then on to Edmonton. Finally, we landed in Vancouver for the night. It was a ten-hour day, and we still had to travel another four hours on Friday to get to Whitehorse, Yukon.

Friday February 11th, 2011. We left the hotel in Vancouver at 7am to go to the airport. There was a lounge set up for us by Scotiabank for breakfast. Shortly after we finished breakfast, the Vancouver Giants (a WHL team) arrived in the lounge to join us. It was so amazing for the kids to be in the same room as pro hockey players who were not too much older then they were. While we were having that awe-inspiring moment, in walked Pat Quinn (former Toronto Maple Leafs head coach). When the kids noticed him, their jaws dropped. They were so excited and overjoyed and couldn't wait get near him. Mr. Quinn was very generous and gracious, posing so the parents could take pictures of him with each one of our kids. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a smile that has just lit up the room. It is OUR head coach Randy, who is beaming from ear to ear.

The whole time leading up to this trip, all I could think about was what an unparalleled experience this was going to be for our kids. It never dawned on me how incredible this was going to be for our coaches as well. Most of the hockey legends that we were going to be meeting over the weekend, were stars in the days that our coaches were teenagers. This just made me even more excited, realizing that this trip was going to mean at least as much to the coaches as the kids, if not more.

We boarded our Air North charter flight with the Vancouver Giants and Pat Quinn. We made a stop in Kamloops to pick up the Kamloops Blazers (another WHL team) who would be playing on Saturday evening against the Giants. So there we were, onboard a flight with 2 WHL teams and Pat Quinn! How cool is that??

We landed in Whitehorse around 12:30pm and were immediately whisked off to a private reception with both WHL teams, the mayor of Whitehorse, other dignitaries, media, and the Whitehorse Bantam B Mustangs(the team we would be playing on Hockey Day in Canada). From there, we were bused over to the Canada Games Center for a practice. The Flyers and the Whitehorse Mustangs would be practicing together that day.

When the kids got on the ice, they were so excited to see that they were going to be coached by none other than Wendel Clark. I’m sure that all they really wanted to do was just enjoy the absolute glory of the moment.

Just when you think that the practice can’t possibly get any better, Wendel Clark calls all the boys in (from both teams) to gather at center ice. A man with white gloves takes out the Stanley Cup, and proceeds to carry it onto the ice, placing it right in front of the boys. The look on their faces and amazement in their eyes at that moment was indescribable. Here is a piece of hockey history, sitting just a few feet in front of them! The cameras were flashing all around and before long, the man with the white gloves was ready to return Stanley to his safe and cushy box, but not before my two sons & I were asked to go over and have a picture taken with it. I kept nudging my oldest (who is a goalie) to touch it. He kept looking at me with this puzzled look. Not being sure if it was a good idea or not, he reluctantly touched the cup, and then a look of pride came over him. He whispers to me "that was so cool". If only he could understand how cool all of this was for me. I had won the contest, so for me, this was even more amazing. I was getting to see 19 kids’ faces, 4 coaches, 27 parents, and their reactions to how unbelievable this really all was.

After our practice, we were taken upstairs for a pizza party. The Mustangs and their parents joined us. It was a nice way for everyone to get to know the other players and parents, before the game the next day. Pat Quinn even came up to chat with everyone. He signed more autographs and had more pictures taken. What a great guy he is! Once the pizza party was done, the kids were able to go swimming in the Aquatic Center downstairs. They all had a great time just being kids and having fun. At around 8pm, we left on the bus to go to our hotel to finally check in. Since we had traveled all the way across the country in the last 2 days and were anticipating Saturday would be a very busy and full day, we all turned in rather early that evening.

Hockey Day in Canada - Saturday morning. 7am came rather quickly. We all met down in the lobby and walked over to the Catholic church for a pancake breakfast. We were greeted at the door by the mayor of Whitehorse, Honorable Douglas Phillips, and many locals who were very excited to meet us and welcome us to their beautiful city. We were just starting to eat when it was announced that His Excellency, Governor General David Johnston, was arriving to join us for breakfast. He took the time to meet all of us and talk with us before sneaking off with an apron to help flip pancakes in the kitchen.

It was about 9am when we headed back to the hotel to go sightseeing. Because of our large group, we had 2 buses to transport us to wherever we needed to go. Our bus driver was extremely knowledgeable and took us to see all the great sights in Whitehorse. We stopped at Shipyards Park, roasted some marshmallows, and chatted with the locals. Then we went to see Whitehorse’s pride and joy, the SS Klondike. It is a huge sternwheeler that was used to run freight between Whitehorse and Dawson City along the Yukon river between 1921-1950. The ship is not normally open to the public, but we were given an exclusive tour inside the ship by a man who works for Parks and Recreation. Our bus driver told us some great old stories about the area, and took us to a lookout point, where we could see the gorgeous city in all its glory. We only had a little bit of free time for sightseeing, but what we saw, we loved. It was, of course, Hockey Day in Canada. It was going to be a big day for all of us.

At noon, we all headed over to the Canada Games Center to get ready for the big game: the Petitcodiac/Salisbury Flyers vs. the Whitehorse Mustangs. While they were in the dressing room, they received a few special visitors: Lanny MacDonald and Mark Napier, 2 NHL alumni. I was later told by Mark Napier himself that he was very impressed by our boys (and girl). He said they were very polite, friendly, and intelligent kids. He stayed to watch the whole game.

Puck drop was at 1pm. As the kids took to the ice, the carpet was rolled out for a very special someone to come on the ice to drop the puck. It was none other than Governor General David Johnston. Once the ceremonial puck drop was complete, he took a seat up in the stands and watched the entire 2hr game, cheering the kids on, and getting to know the parents of those kids. Our team had our coaches on the bench, and they were told that Wendel Clark would be helping coach the game. The Mustangs were going to be coached by Trevor Linden. Later on, it dawned on me that for the coaches, it would have been a true honor to have such accomplished professional hockey players helping them coach the kids. It must have been a very surreal experience for them, a dream come true. Not just anyone can say they’ve coached a hockey game WITH Wendel Clark or Trevor Linden!

Although Ron MacLean reported on TV that day that we were losing the game at one point by 3-1, we were in fact winning the game and won it 5-1. The class, the composure, the dignity and the sportsmanship that our Flyers displayed during that game filled us all up with such pride! They played a true good hockey game, and would have made every New Brunswicker extremely proud. When I saw our coach, Randy, I was busting at the seams. I asked him, "Are you as proud of the kids as I am? Weren’t they amazing?" Answering me with a huge lump in his throat (from pride), he said: "They were great. They were all so great." The kids had classroom sessions for about 7 weeks, where our coach (Norm) taught and stressed to them that they were all ambassadors for New Brunswick, Petitcodiac and Salisbury, and they needed to represent themselves with class, dignity, and distinction. This was a friendship game. Thank you Norm, you taught them well. They were excellent ambassadors, and each and every one of us could not have been more proud.

Ron MacLean was just outside the Canada Games Center broadcasting live all afternoon. Although the boys had hoped he might pop in and catch some of their game, he did not. This was a huge disappointment for our kids, seeing as they all thought they would get to meet him. Especially since it was Ron MacLean himself who had announced to them in the first place that they were going to be coming to Whitehorse.

Once the kids were finished the game, they made a mad dash to get dressed and we all went over to the Tikhini arena to watch the WHL matchup between the Vancouver Giants and the Kamloops Blazers. When we arrived, we noticed our seats were already cornered off for us to sit and enjoy. A huge carpet was rolled out on the ice and both the Blazers and the Giants were all lined up. It was obvious someone pretty special was going to be coming in on that ice. Moments later, Don Cherry himself entered the rink, and went on the ice for the puck drop. Don Cherry and Ron MacLean then walked off the ice to head to their booth where they would be broadcasting Coaches Corner that evening.

A few minutes into the game, the first fight of the night happened. I watched an entire section of kids (our kids) all stand up with their cell phones, each one trying to take pictures of the big fight. The mom in me was thinking, "Oh yeah, this is just great for them to see after the outstanding game they had played half an hour earlier." Just then, an overwhelming feeling came over me of "We’re Here! We’re in Whitehorse, Yukon!!!" How cool is that?!?

During the first intermission, 4 of our boys, our girl, plus 5 Mustang hockey players took to the ice for a shootout competition. That was very exciting for them. During the second intermission, the mascots took to the ice. There was Carlton the Bear, Harvey the Hound, Peter Puck, and the Scotiabank Bear and they put on the funniest show ever. They were, by far, the best entertainment you could have asked for, especially Harvey the Hound.

The game was a great game to watch. We heard that the Giants were 1st in the division, and the Blazers were last. The Blazers came out strong and hard, and it was a very close game, going from 1-1 to 2-2 with the Giants getting the very important final goal to win the game 3-2.

When the game was over, we all piled onto the buses, and headed out for a quick bite to eat. The boys (and girl) were going to head back over to the Canada Games Center for a family skate with NHL alumni for a couple of hours. They were a bit disappointed that no NHL alumni actually showed up for the skate, but they soon found their own fun by playing hockey on the outdoor pond at the arena. It was the perfect setting. It was dark. The spotlights were on the rink and the snow was lightly falling. It was chilly, and with the absolutely breathtaking scenery that is Whitehorse, it looked like the perfect way to end a perfect, amazing and unbelievable Hockey Day in Canada: playing hockey.

We left Whitehorse the next day. We flew all the way back across the country to get home.

Looking back on the experience, there are no better words to describe our trip other than to say it truly was The Trip Of A Lifetime. Whitehorse is a beautiful city, filled with wonderful, warm, hospitable and generous people. You could not ask for a more beautiful city to host Hockey Day in Canada. In fact, it is so incredible there, that I personally believe Hockey Day in Canada should be held there every year. To me, Whitehorse represents the perfect setting for Hockey Day In Canada. It’s snowy and cold, yet so cozy and warm. Our trip was too short, and I most definitely hope to get back there as soon as possible so I can have the time to explore it more. We were so busy when we were there that I didn’t get to see even close to everything I had wanted to see. For me, the Yukon is one of the most beautiful, yet under-acknowledged, parts of Canada. It is a breathtaking city with a marvelous vista of lakes and mountains. It is majestic. A true hidden gem with so much to discover. Such an extraordinary place just waiting for you to have extraordinary experiences. I would suggest to anyone reading this to make a point to visit the Yukon. Especially Whitehorse. I promise it will be even more then you can imagine.

Thank you, Scotiabank, for everything. It was truly was amazing. The warmth, hospitality, and attention that was given to us by every employee that represents you was outstanding. Thank you for The Trip of a Lifetime. It was all that, and so much more.

WOW! Thank you, Michelle, for this incredible recap on all the stuff that you and the kids and the coaches and the parents did while in Whitehorse! This is simply amazing! And thank you for the pictures as well!

I admit it: I am very jealous, and I really want to visit Whitehorse now that I've read all that you did and how great the city and people sound. While the weather might be cold, I believe you accurately captured the true warmth of the people of Whitehorse and northern Canada perfectly, and this is one of the major reasons I'm planning on visiting there in the future!

Thank you to Scotiabank for running this contest as well! There wouldn't be a great story like Michelle's story had it not been for Scotiabank running their contest! Thank you, Scotiabank, for allowing this story to be written through your generous contest!

This is a fabulous story, and I, Teebz, am very jealous that these kids got to do something as cool as this. I'm quite certain that each and every member of the Petitcodiac/Salisbury Bantam "A" Flyers will never forget this experience. So allow me to say it: HOW COOL IS THAT?!?

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

***All images, unless otherwise noted, as property of Michelle Nott and used with permission by HBIC. Please do not copy or use these photos without the consent of Michelle Nott. Thank you!***

Read More

Antler Banter: Volume 20

It's been an interesting week on Antler Banter as the Moose find themselves stuck in neutral in February. All teams go on streaks, whether they be hot or cold streaks, but the Moose seem to be stuck in these extended streaks that have serious consequences on their overall standing. Going 3-4 so far in March has put a serious halt on the upward movement through the standings that the Moose saw in December and Janaury. Can they break out of this slump against the Toronto Marlies and Lake Erie Monsters? Make sure you stop by the Moose website for all your Manitoba Moose news and information. If you're interested in attending a Manitoba Moose game, please click here for seating information, ticket pricing, and availability. The Moose finish off their six-game homestand with a little Hardcore Hockey!

Scrivens Makes It Two

The Moose dropped the Tuesday night affair to the Marlies by a 2-1 score, so they were looking to bounce back against a feisty Marlies squad. They also needed to see if they could score more than one goal in a game after having only potted one marker in each of four of the last five games. Tyler Weiman got the call for the Moose as he hoped to reverse the Herd's fortunes, and he faced off against Ben Scrivens who was standing 200-feet away.

It was a "good, bad, and ugly" evening for the Moose powerplay. The good: Ryan McGinnis scored his first goal of the season with the man-advantage with less than five minutes to play. The bad: the Moose went 1-for-6 on the night, missing several excellent opportunities to put this game away early as Toronto found themselves in penalty trouble. The Moose had a 5-on-3 for a full two minutes and four minutes of total powerplay time, but could not capitalize. The ugly: Tyler Weiman whiffed on what appeared to be a routine glove save, giving up a shorthanded goal early in the second period that really seemed to deflate the squad. Overall, poor marks for the powerplay units on this night for not capitalizing on chances, and Weiman has to be better.

It looked like another night at the office for Sergei Shirokov as he picked up an assist on Guillaume Desbiens' second-period goal, but things went completely off the rails in the third period as Sergei Shirokov had had enough of Nazim Kadri's antics. After Kadri slashed the Russian sniper across the shinpads, Shirokov's soft hands lost the gloves as he and Kadri wrestled their way to the ice along the boards. I'd normally say that your best scorers shouldn't be fighting, but I fully believe that a player should be able to defend himself. Good on Shirokov for dropping the mittens and showing Kadri that he's not going to be pushed around.

It took the Moose nearly 56 minutes to wake up in this game as the Marlies built a 4-1 lead in that time. The Moose stormed back in the final four minutes to make it a 4-3 game, but Ryan Hamilton iced it with 2.2 seconds to play as the Marlies hung on for the 5-3 win. The Moose have now dropped two straight games to the Marlies after winning the first three, and see their record on the season drop to 29-19-6.

Monsters Frighten Moose

The Monsters were nipping at the heels of the Moose as they entered Friday's game, so that meant that the Moose needed to put four points on the board with two wins over a team that looked to overtake them in the standings. Eddie Lack looked to reverse the fortunes of the Moose while Jason Bacashihua got the call for the Monsters.

Kevin Connauton should feel responsible for the opening goal of the game. Connauton got muscled off the puck by Greg Mauldin, and then couldn't recover to chase down Mauldin. Mauldin circled behind the net, and Mark Flood left Ben Walter in front of the net to track down Mauldin. Connauton arrived in front of the net seconds late after Mauldin centered to Walter for the first goal of the game. I'm not sure what Connauton was doing, but he certainly seemed to give up after losing the puck in the corner to Mauldin. The effort shown by Connauton might be a reason why the Moose are on a two-game skid.

The Moose penalty killing units took a hit tonight as well as they gave up two powerplay goals to the Monsters. I'm not going to blame the penalty killing units for the result in this game, but they could use a little help from the other special teams unit. Manitoba's powerplay fired blanks again as they went 0-for-4 on the night, and find themselves ranked as the 25th best powerplay in the league. When the penalty kill has an off-night, it would be nice if the powerplay units brought their lunch pails to work and scored a couple of goals.

Overall, there wasn't much to brag about on the home side as the Moose got walloped by the Monsters in a 5-1 loss. The Moose fired 30 shots on Jason Bacashihua, but there weren't many of the high-quality variety that tested Bacashihua often. With the loss, the Moose drop to 29-20-6, and lose their spot atop the North Division standings as the Monsters leap-frog into first.

Moose Fly Past Monsters

It was a big night for one minor hockey team in Winnipeg as the Gateway Flyers took to the ice for their first AHL game in history! Ok, so they weren't the real Flyers, but the Moose donned the jerseys of the Gateway Flyers for their Saturday clash with the Monsters as part of the Community Jersey Program! It was weird seeing the Moose in black-and-orange for the first time in history, but it was easy to get used to when they began playing like the Flyers - scoring and hitting. Eddie Lack would take to the pipes again for Manitoba. Jason Bacashihua started the game for the Monsters, but he would be relieved by Trevor Cann after the Moose had staked themselves to a sizable lead.

It was another big night for Manitoba's Garth Murray. The scrappy, defensive forward scored a goal, added a helper on Sergei Shirokov's goal, picked up two minutes for tripping, had two shots, and finished the game as a +2! The scorekeepers certainly used a lot of ink on his stats tonight! Murray played really well at both ends of the ice, deserving some kudos despite not earning one of the three stars on the night. He scored, he played physical, and he was responsible in his own zone. That's the kind of effort the Moose need from all 22 players.

Manitoba's best player continues to make great plays as Sergei Shirokov scored a goal, added an assist, had four shots on net, and ended the night as a +2. Shirokov's assist was a gorgeous backhanded no-look pass to Mario Bliznak that seemed to confuse Jason Bacashihua. Shirokov made a move to head behind the net casuing Bacashihua to move off the post, but Shirokov threw the puck out front on the backhand. Bacashihua, realizing he made a mistake, went back to hugging the post, but Bliznak wired it past his right shoulder into the cage before Bacashihua could find the puck again. Great plays like that show you why Sergei Shirokov was an easy choice as Manitoba's AHL all-star representative.

The Moose really played well for 57 minutes before giving up a couple of goals to the Monsters. Despite giving up a pair of goals late, the Moose hung on for the 4-2 victory to jump ahead of the Monsters in the standings once again as they have a better winning percentage. With the win, the Moose snap their three-game losing streak and improve to 30-20-6 on the season.

Gotta Grind Out Some Wins

The Moose hit the road over the next week with games starting tonight against the Rochester Americans. They'll battle the Amerks again on Friday before heading into Toronto for games against the Marlies on Saturday and Sunday. You can catch the Sunday game against the Marlies on CBC as the AHL on CBC comes to the Ricoh Coliseum for the Marlies-Moose tilt.

The Americans come into the games having gone 6-4 over their last ten games. During that stretch, the Americans have beaten the Hamilton Bulldogs twice, the Hershey Bears once, and knocked off the Worcester Sharks. They're led by Tim Kennedy and Clay Wilson offensively as both men are nearing the 40-point mark on the season. Tyler Plante is playing fairly well in net, and is even sporting a blocker with the old-style holes painted on it! Or maybe they're real holes? Either way, that looks cool! The Moose have to keep winning as the Bulldogs and Monsters are breathing down their necks, so two wins over the Americans would help immensely!

The Marlies need no introduction as the Moose re-engage in battle with them. Kadri is becoming a thorn in the side of Moose players, Scrivens and Gustavsson are playing well in net, and the Marlies are closing the gap with each win over the Moose. Again, beating divisional rivals is vital if a team wants to go far in the AHL, so the Moose need to play well against the Marlies this coming weekend after dropping the these last two games at home against Toronto!

Eight points await the Moose if they are hungry enough to get them. Working harder than their opposition is a good way to start, and the talent that the Moose bring should put them over the top in each game if they work hard. Only one thing to say as the Moose head down the stretch: DO IT!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Read More

Hockey Day In America

It's a big Saturday south of the border as the United States of America embraces hockey for one entire day! While I wouldn't quite say that hockey has established itself in the lower 48 states at this point, the fact that NBC is devoting a pile of airtime for hockey and hockey-related stories is quite amazing. Combine that with the Heritage Classic from Calgary, Alberta tonight, and we've got ourselves a pretty solid hockey Sunday! I think what should be kept in mind as you read through this article is that hockey, no matter what people say, is becoming more mainstream again. With the expected lockouts/strikes coming up in both the NBA and NFL, hockey on NBC could be a regular Saturday broadcast over the next calendar year.

We'll start first with the line-up for Hockey Day In America. Thanks to NBC Sports and Versus combining their collective talents, games that NBC was once blocked from carrying thanks to Versus' buy-in for NHL rights are no longer a concern. NBC Sports can now carry those games as part of their line-up, and this will allow more games to reach more people through basic cable. Hockey can now be found on both your regular channels in the US as well as specialty cable channels. Exposure is good.

The early regional games see Washington at Buffalo, Philadelphia at the New York Rangers, and Detroit at Minnesota. The Washington-Buffalo game has Jeff Jackson doing play-by-play. Fomer NHL player Ray Ferraro will be between the benches doing analysis and color commentary. Philadelphia-New York will feature Ken Daniels and Joe Micheletti in the booth. Detroit-Minnesota sees Pat Foley and Darren Pang doing the broadcast. All six men are highly knowledgeable about the sport, and should provide great commentary throughout the early games.

The nationally televised game will be seen after the regional games, so there will be back-to-back hockey on NBC today. The Pittsburgh Penguins will be visiting the Chicago Blackhawks, and the "big guns" from NBC's hockey team will be on-hand. Doc Emrick, Ed Olczyk, and Pierre McGuire will handle the calling of the game and the color commentary while Mike Milbury and Liam McHugh handle the in-studio responsibilities.

Once that game is done, NBC will throw the gauntlet to Versus where they will broadcast the 2011 Heritage Classic featuring the Montreal Canadiens visiting the Calgary Flames at McMahon Stadium. Bill Patrick, Keith Jones, and Jeremy Roenick should make for an interesting studio analysis team while Dave Strader, Andy Brickley and Brian Engblom will in the booth for the play-by-play and color commentary.

I'm not going to say that this is a first on American television airwaves, but this is certainly the first time in a long time that hockey has dominated the telelvision landscape for one network. Not since the NHL playoffs on ESPN a number of years ago has hockey been featured so prominently on one network.

What may be the best part of Hockey Day In America are the features that NBC is working on as part of the broadcast. Some of the stories include:

• Neal Henderson's story. Mr. Henderson "founded the Fort Dupont Ice Hockey program in inner-city Washington, D.C. in 1978 and has helped make a difference in the lives of countless children and young adults ever since".
• A feature on the US Pond Hockey Championships from Minneapolis, Minnesota. I was lucky enough to see this event first-hand last year, and it is an amazing time for both players and spectators.
• A feature on "celebrity hockey" played in Los Angeles where Hollywood folks such as directors, producers, and actors take to the ice to play the game that they love.
• A feature on the Boston Blades, the lone American CWHL team, that will highlight the challenges and rewards that the professional women hockey players face. For more info on the CWHL, check out this article.

Overall, I'm excited for today's events, and I really want to see NBC do well in the ratings with this kind of commitment to hockey. While I can't say that they'll post American Idol numbers or Super Bowl numbers all day, I'm pretty sure that they'll attract a few people who want to see what this fuss over hockey is all about. And those are just the people that we welcome with open arms to the game of hockey.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Read More

More Grapes, More Fashion

There was a nice little press release put out by the CBC today as they announced that Don Cherry will return next season as part of the Hockey Night In Canada broadcasts. Cherry, better known for his jackets and ties, has signed on through the 2012 season, and that's good for both hockey and HNIC. While he'll alays have his critics, Don Cherry is opinionated, brash, and funny - something the hockey world needs more of instead of having clichés and rhetoric spun everywhere. I'm glad Grapes is back, and he's sure to be entertaining next season.

"We're delighted to announce that the venerable hockey icon Don Cherry has signed on for another season and will continue to provide hockey’s liveliest and sometimes provocative commentary," says Kirstine Stewart, executive vice-president of CBC English Services. "Don has been a part of the CBC Hockey Night in Canada family since 1980, generating passion and debate among hockey fans everywhere. Hockey Night in Canada, with Don at the desk for its 59th season, will continue to bring the very best of hockey programming on all of its platforms to Canadians everywhere."

Wow. Cherry has been a part of HNIC since 1980? That's 32 years after next season! Of course, Don's run on HNIC hasn't been without controversy or the occasional threat of being fired, but Cherry has always come out of the fire with a renewed passion for the game he loves. However, here's a prime example of the controversial Grapes.

"We join millions of fans in congratulating Don on his new contract and wishing him continued success as the declarative voice of CBC's definitive hockey broadcast," says NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. "Don's knowledge of the sport is exceeded only by his love for it and we are proud of his enduring connection with the game and the National Hockey League. He truly is one of a kind, and it is an honour to consider him a friend."

While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, I'm glad that CBC has decided to bring back one of the best parts of the HNIC broadcast in Coach's Corner featuring Don Cherry. There is no doubt that Cherry's style has made him an icon, and, while he might be controversial, there is no doubt that he loves the sport of hockey.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Read More

Another CBC Gem

If you happen to live close enough to Canada, you might be lucky enough to get a television signal from CBC. If you do, you might have been lucky enough to catch an episode of Dragon's Den, a television program where entrepreneurs get a chance to throw their business ideas at five investors who are looking for new business ideas in which to invest. The catch is that the five investors - Jim Treliving, Kevin O'Leary, Arlene Dickinson, W. Brett Wilson, and Robert Herjavec - don't just give away their money to anyone on this show. Instead, they only invest their money in ideas that make themselves potentially richer!

I'll be honest: there are some incredibly unique ideas that have the potential to make millions of dollars on the market if they are realized. And the Dragons certainly recognize opportunity when it knocks in most cases as they help aspiring entrepreneurs pursue these dreams while taking a little off the top as they guide the men and women who appear in the Dragon's Den studio to success. In short, the Dragons get paid to help people get rich.

Season Five of Dragon's Den brought an interesting pitch from an small company as Episode Five saw Side Splitting Productions gear up for their encounter with the Dragons. Let's take a look at they get themselves ready to step into the Dragon's Den.

Yes, you saw that correctly: Clark Robertson becomes Don Cherry as Clark and Darlene Robertson from Calgary, Alberta prepare to enter the Dragon's Den as Side Splitting Productions to ask the Dragons for some capital in their business. The star of HNIC's Coach's Corner get parodied on CBC's Dragon's Den in this episode! While this primer may have had a few spoilers as to what happened in the actual episode, let's take a look at the fire felt by Clark and Darlene as they stared down the Dragons.

I gotta say that Clark Robertson does a pretty good job in portraying Don Cherry in these videos as he sold W. Brett Wilson in his pitch! He's got the look, he's got the voice, he's got the mannerisms... he could be Grapes if Mr. Cherry ever decided to retire!

Congratulations to Clark and Darlene as Mr. Wilson invests $30,000 in their production company! You can find more of Clark Robertson performing on their website, and you can follow the Robertsons via Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube! You've got a fan in Teebz and HBIC!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Read More

Hockey Day In Canada

I'm not sure where these two had this picture taken, but today is a very big day for Whitehorse, Yukon as CBC sets up shop there for the 2011 version of Hockey Day In Canada! Of course, the two men in that image are Ron MacLean and Don Cherry, Canada's Abbott and Costello from Hockey Night In Canada's "Coach's Corner". It's also a big day for some lucky kids as well as they made the trek from New Brunswick to Whitehorse to take part in Hockey Day In Canada!

First off, a big congratulations goes out once more to the Petitcodiac/Salisbury Bantam "A" Flyers from New Brunswick who won the right to be the featured team on Scotiabank's Hockey Day In Canada. The 17 players and their "entourage" of coaches and parents will be treated to a great week of hockey and fun as the city of Whitehorse welcomes them to town!

This is such a great contest, and I'm glad that Scotiabank is helping young kids save money while promoting sports in Canada. I am truly envious of the players on the Flyers, and I wish them nothing but the best on Hockey Day In Canada!

As for Whitehorse, this glimpse into life in a northern town should show the sparkle about which many already know. I, for one, have always wanted to visit this city, and CBC has given us a quick look through a video. Check it out.

Not bad, right? I'd like to visit there. Sure, it's a little cold, but where is it NOT cold in the winter in Canada?

There are three games on today, and all of them feature Canadian teams squaring off. The early game at 2PM ET has Ottawa visiting Edmonton in a battle of non-playoff teams. The second game at 7PM ET has Toronto visiting "la belle province" as the Maple Leafs battle against the Montreal Canadiens. The late game at 10PM ET features the surging Calgary Flames heading west to Vancouver to battle the division-leading Canucks.

The best part of this entire day is that you don't need to be a CBC viewer or a Canadian to get the full schedule of hockey today. NBC Sports' ProHockeyTalk has a full line-up of the day's activities for American viewers and how to view the action! How cool is that?

Get your hockey fix on today, kids. There's approximately ten hours of hockey goodness for you to bask in!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Read More

The Remaining Guardians

So I was going to post this over the NHL All-Star Weekend, but I got interrupted with homework and writing stuff about the NHL All-Star Game. We've seen the first 22 Guardians in three articles before this, so let's round out the NHL Guardians roster today by introducing the last eight Guardians that I missed. I'll recap all 30 NHL Guardians at the end, plus I'll include a few more links and pictures that may not have been seen from the NHL All-Star Game. Either way, here are your last eight NHL Guardians!

Let's start by singing the blues with the Blue. St. Louis' Guardian looks more like a villain in his image. The Blue controls the element of sound to control your mind, leaving me to ask if sound is actually an element that one can control like fire or water. He has interdimensional teleportation powers, making him something like the X-Men's Nightcrawler with an added twist. His blue flaming hair kind of makes him look like Hades from Disney's Hercules. If you buy his action figure, he comes with a mighty saxophone as well!

We head west to the beaches of Anaheim to encounter the Duck. The Duck looks like a cheap prototype of Wildwing from Disney's Mighty Ducks. The trust fund info is a little much. Do we really need to know that the Duck is some snooty rich kid à la Tony Stark pre-Iron Man? It seems his amphibious look comes straight from Aquaman.

The Senator defends the city of Ottawa as we move to Canada's capital. The Senator resembles something out of the graphic novel 300. This "half man, half god" chatter will definitely boost an ego, but it does little to scare enemies. While he has the "heart of a gladiator and the soul of an inspirational leader", he is essentially the Roman version of Captain America. And yet Captain America was one of the first superheroes to die in comic books. Let's hope this gladiator escapes that fate for a little while.

We move south to the panhandle where the Panther resides. I'm all for a "fun-loving denizen", but why does he look more ominous than playful? And how does the Panther control "the element of shadow and dark matter" when we haven't even figured out what dark matter is yet? His bio states that he's from the Florida Everglades, not outer space, so is he hiding something? And what, pray tell, is the element of shadow? I'm amazed that people can change the historical definition of what an element is just by stating "it is so". He kind of reminds me of an animal-like Onslaught from X-Men lore.

Moving up the east coast takes us to Atlanta where the Thrasher resides. The Thrasher is apparently the fastest member of the Guardian Air Force which would indicate that the flying Guardians all work together. Somehow, I not believing that one. In any case, the airplane-like Thrasher is clearly an homage to the busiest airport on the planet. The Thrasher resembles Astrotrain from the Transformers except he's a little more human.

We move further north up the coast to Long Island where the Islander lives. We have another marine here, so the Duck and the Thrasher won't feel like they are the only military men in the Guardians. If he controls ocean currents, he essentially controls weather and the environment. This power comes with some pretty big consequences if the Islander decides to go off the rails. He doesn't resemble many comic book heroes, but he does have a lot of padding on as if he were a football player. Too bad no one remembers Superpro.

The last of the Guardians, but certainly not the least, is another NYC resident: the Ranger. I'm not sure how he's a "futuristic Manhattan crime fighter" when it looks like his machinery was put together in a scrap yard. And is he has an arsenal of weapons at his disposal, is he really a superhero or just a mercenary with a gun? His colour scheme, shield, and lack of armor make me think of Captain America when looking at the Ranger.

Those are your last seven Guardians, and that will do it for this experiment. The NHL Guardian Project is in full-effect right now, so be sure to pick up some stuff that may fetch a pretty penny down the road. There's no telling how long this will last.

If you want to see any of the specific Guardians, click the following links:

• Penguin, King, Hurricane, Blackhawk, Sabre, Flyer, Oiler, and Devil.
• Canadien, Lightning, Canuck, Capital, Bruin, Wild, Predator, and Shark.
• Flame, Blue Jacket, Star, Red Wing, Maple Leaf, Coyote, and Avalanche.
• Blue, Duck, Senator, Panther, Thrasher, Islander, and Ranger - see above.

There are your Guardians - who is your favorite?

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Read More

Hockey Love Hurts

While everyone is enjoying the NFL's biggest game of the season today as fans flock to Dallas for the Super Bowl, HBIC is offering up a fun contest being offered by Visa and the NHL. The Hockey Love Hurts campaign is running right now, and Visa is offering up some incredible deals along with the chance to win some cool NHL prizes. After playing around on the Hockey Love Hurts site, I discovered that you don't even need to be a Canadian citizen or have a Visa card in your possession to register for these awesome prizes. If they verify information when you win, though, I claim no knowledge or responsibility for what may happen during that course of events. Good? Good.

So what is Visa offering up?

Well, for starters, there's a trip for two to a Stanley Cup Final game! That's right, sports fans, you and a lucky companion could be headed to a Stanley Cup Final game this year to watch the Eastern and Western Conference champions battle it out for NHL supremacy! Imagine sitting front and center with these two dudes as the Blackhawks take a run at a second consecutive Stanley Cup!

While one lucky winner and a friend/significant other/person of some reference will be taking in a free hockey game this spring, it leaves the rest of us in some state of wanting. Cue Visa again as they are awarding 40 lucky fans the chance to win a $500 Prepaid Visa card! That's 500 smackeroos to allow you to do anything you like: buy NHL gear, buy NHL tickets, but your significant other something non-hockey for Valentine's Day... literally whatever you like!

A word of warning: don't read this legal mumbo-jumbo unless you really need help falling asleep. It's a lot of legal words and phrases that will make your head spin (unless you're a lawyer). I've taken the liberty of having some pre-law college students decipher this document, so here are the highlights:

• Approximate retail value of the Stanley Cup trip is $8,000 CAD based on a Vancouver to Pittsburgh example, although the actual retail value may vary depending on the point of departure and destination.
• Visa Prepaid cards must be accepted as awarded and are not transferable or convertible to cash. All Visa Prepaid cards offered as prizes in this contest are subject to the standard terms and conditions applicable to all Visa Prepaid cards.
• Rivalry games will occur randomly throughout the season (check half-way down that page). Not all teams are included in rivalry games. The teams selected for the rivalry games, with the number of games chosen in parentheses, include: Boston Bruins (2), Calgary Flames (5), Chicago Blackhawks (2), Detroit Red Wings (1), Edmonton Oilers (5), Los Angeles Kings (1), Montreal Canadiens (6), New York Rangers (3), Ottawa Senators (4), Philadelphia Flyers (1), Pittsburgh Penguins (2), Toronto Maple Leafs (6), Vancouver Canucks (5), and Washington Capitals (1).
• Random games will also allow hockey fans to win. There will be four Visa Prepaid cards awarded on Hockey Day in Canada (February 12, 2011); three Flames and/or Canadiens fans can win during the Heritage Classic (February 20, 2011); four fans can win on Trade Deadline Day (March 3, 2011); and eight more fans can win at the end of the regular season (April 12, 2011).
• Throughout the rest of the season, there will be random offers from your team sent to your email for various deals. There's no guarantee you'll receive an offer, but there should be something for you in your inbox eventually. There are some standing offers on the Visa Hockey Love Hurts website, so check those out as well!
• And just to show you that HBIC and Visa aren't always about an "anglais" Canada, vous pouvez accéder au site français de Visa ici.
  

Basically, it's probably in your best interest to sign up for this offer. I see nothing that would commit you to Visa aside from an occasional email, and make sure you follow a Canadian team to earn the most chances at winning a prize!

Here are Martin St. Louis, Alexandre Burrows, Ryan Kelser, and Scott Hartnell talking about some of their "Hockey Love Hurts" stories.

We'll add a few more stories as St. Louis, Kris Versteeg, Hartnell, Kesler, and Luke Schenn talk a little family.

Get entered in the contest ASAP for a better chance to win! Because, after all, losing is no fun. Hockey love really does hurt sometimes.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Read More

Today In Hockey History

Today is a fairly significant day in hockey history and NHL history. If you've been circling February 1 on your calendar for nearly two decades, you know one of two things: (1) it's most likely a birthday or anniversary you should remember, or (2) it's the anniversary of the appointment of Gary Bettman as NHL Commissioner. Both could be fairly important to you if you're Mark Recchi, Patrick O'Sullivan, or Tommy Salo as all three men celebrate their birthdays today, but I'm more concerned with the last 18 years in the life of Gary Bruce Bettman on this anniversary of his appointment as NHL Commissioner.

There is a lot that we can pin on Gary Bettman in terms of taking the game to new lows. Let's review some of the problems that the game has seen over the last 18 years. And this list could grow exponentially if we do this review on a market-by-market basis.

• The FoxTrax puck. That debuted in 1996 at the 46th NHL All-Star Game in Boston. Surprisingly, Fox somehow made it last until the first game of the 1998 Stanley Cup Final. I'm pretty sure no hockey fan will let Bettman live this one down.
• After seeing the San Jose Sharks join the NHL for the 1991-92 season, Gary Bettman goes on a tear, allowing expansion franchises to pop up in any major market with a covered arena. Since February 1993, we've seen franchises pop up in Anaheim, Miami, Nashville, Atlanta, Columbus, and Minneapolis. We also saw Minneapolis lose their original team to Dallas, Quebec City lose their team to Denver, Hartford lose their team to Raleigh, and Winnipeg lose their team to Phoenix. Outside of the Wild, are any of those teams making money?
• Fans have endured two work stoppages as the NHL players went on strike for the start of the 1994-95 season, and we saw the entire 2004-05 season wiped out due to the owners locking out the players. And we're staring down the barrel of the guns again as the CBA expires at the conclusion of the 2010-11 season.
• Fans and players were absolutely outraged at the NHL's decision to walk away from ESPN and set up shop on the unheard-of Outdoor Life Network. While OLN transitioned into Versus, NHL coverage in the US is still rarely found on widespread cable television, and the league has been slow to recover any television revenue and television airspace since walking away from the "World Wide Leader".

Again, we could probably spend an hour or six listing all of the problems that the NHL has seen over the last 18 years, but these are, in my view, some of the more glaring problems that the NHL has seen. However, not all is bad, and Gary Bettman and his team have done some absolutely positive things as well.

• The NHL Winter Classic is now the showcase event every year for the NHL in the US. Before the Winter Classic, the NHL had nothing to celebrate in the lower forty-eight, and people had no reason to tune in. The Winter Classic, if nothing else, has brought fans back and attracted new fans to the sport.
• The NHL, unlike the other three major sports, have embraced and endorsed new technology. The NHL has branched out to fans via Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube to give the game more access to the techno-savvy fans, and fans of the game have responded in kind by blogging, tweeting, and Facebooking all sorts of information and photos. Hockey has taken advantage of the social media craze like no other sport.
• The NHL introduced some changes that have opened up the game for offensive stars after watching them suffer for years. No longer is obstruction and interference a way of life, the two-line pass is ancient history, and the shootout allows for more creativity and excitement in the game. If anyone thinks that the game is worse now than before the 2004-05 canceled season, they simply aren't watching the same game I am.
• While moving at a snail's pace, the NHL is slowly gaining on Major League Baseball and the NFL in terms of attracting and retaining fans. While there is no chance that the NHL will ever knock those two sports off the mountain in the US, any gains are certainly positive. Through its agreements with Versus and NBC, the NHL is inching its way back onto the sports landscape in the US. While it's taking a lot longer than promised, Bettman is doing what he was initially hired to do.

Of course, there are still some major issues that the NHL needs to tackle, and they would be well-advised to solve these issues as soon as possible. No sports league on the planet is perfect, of course, but solving these major issues will put the NHL in a very good position to continue to make inroads in the southern US while holding strong in the northern US markets and Canada.

• The NHL needs to find a way to protect players' heads. The debates about head trauma will continue until the end of time until someone finally puts his foot down and says "enough". If the Canadian Hockey League can institute a no-contact rule on checks to the head, and they still produce some of the best players in hockey history, it seems like a no-brainer (excuse the pun) for the NHL to follow suit.
• The NHL needs to continue to work with the players in terms of coming to an equitable agreement for both sides. The NHLPA is unhappy with the escrow amounts while the NHL brags of record profits, so there will have to be some bargaining done on both sides in order for labour peace to continue.
• The NHL needs to continue to make itself available to the fans. The fans love players with personality - Paul Bissonnette ring any bells? The NHL and NHLPA need to keep that connection with the fans. I've always maintained that the NHL players are the most accessible athletes of the four major sports, and there's no reason for this to stop. Maintain and build that relationship with the fans, and they'll reward you for it.
• The NHL needs to continue, if I can continue this trend, to work with its partners. NBC, CBC, HBO, Versus, TSN, and Sirius XM all have major stakes in producing high-quality NHL broadcasts, and these relationships need to continue on all fronts. Spreading the NHL far and wide across many networks means that the game reaches more and more people, and there's no better way to attract new fans than to have them watch the game.

Overall, there have been turbulent times and happy times for the NHL through the 18 years that Gary Bettman has been at the helm of this ship. Going forward, there will be more problems and more joy as the league continues to grow and thrive. I'm not saying that Gary Bettman has been a savior for the NHL in any way, but you have to remember that things could always be worse than what they currently are.

Given those two options, I'll happily stay the course for the time being.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Read More

Musical Fun On Non-Hockey Friday

I have to admit that we've seen some good videos over the last couple of weeks. Lee Sweatt's first NHL goal was pretty solid, and the work done by HockeyGods.com is, in a word, impressive. They have some excellent music videos, and we're going to continue down that path today with another band that has made a very good parody video in a hockey theme. I was contacted via email about a band named Subplot A, a Calgary-based musical group that produce pop-rock tunes. Of course, this piqued my interest, so off to the Interwebs I headed as the email stated that Subplot A had "a song about hockey". Music is great, but music and hockey together are like chocolate and peanut butter - it's just so good together!

After checking out the Subplot A website, I discovered that they had a song entitled "Hey There Iginla". Being a Calgary-based musical group, I figured that this may just be some tribute song to their favorite Calgary Flame, but it turned out I was only partly correct. For you see, they have parodied "Hey There Delilah" by the Plain White T's. And it's pretty darn good. Have a listen!

I have to admit that this tune is very catchy! After hearing it a few times, I found myself singing along in parts. Now I'm not saying that I'm some sort of musical guru - my good friend Michael can attest to that - but I find this parody to be very well done!

What say you, readers - yay or nay for "Hey There Iginla"? Let me know in the comments! I can tell you that they already have one "yay" from this writer.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

***Huge thanks to Wesley-Anne for directing me to this band! I'll be checking out more of their stuff as well!***

Read More

No Hockey? What Do I Do?

Tonight is one of those rare nights during the NHL season when there are no games scheduled. I know - how does this happen? Of course, with the NHL All-Star Game on-tap for this weekend, players are getting themselves ready for the game by either attending the event in Raleigh, North Carolina or readying themselves a spot in front of their big screen TVs. No matter which of the options the players are in, it's a good place to be as a fan too. There is lots of stuff to catch this weekend, and HBIC will have some All-Star Game goodies queued up for the weekend as we approach it. Tonight, however, I need to get myself a fix of hockey, and this article will be nothing more than a repository of cool things you should check out with your free time today. I know you have free time because there's no hockey on. So what else are you doing?

• In your mandatory reading piece for the day, you MUST check out The Royal Half's article on the LA Kings' Burger King alternate jersey and how it came to be. Today is, of course, the 15th anniversary of that jersey's unveiling. Paul Lukas of Uni Watch Blog also points out that the unveiling coincided with the unveiling of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks' Wild Wing jersey, marking this day fifteen years ago that the NHL went insane. Thankfully, the league has recovered slightly since then. Huge congrats over to The Royal Half for their work on this extremely interesting article!
• Speaking of uniforms that are hated by mostly everyone, there's nothing better than seeing a Fisherman in action. Here's Zigmund Palffy from his New York Islanders days trying to slide a backhander in on the Philadelphia Flyers!
• The Detroit Red Wings are known for the octopus during the playoffs, so I thought this picture of Detroit's Paul Coffey hoisting an octopus on his stick was interesting. Paul Coffey's time in Detroit is probably the last time he could be considered an all-star as well.
• I like hockey history, and I love old color photos of NHL players. When this picture of Gary Simmons in a California Seals jersey was sent to me by a reader, I was blown away by how crystal-clear the colors and details are. I love this photo!
• Speaking of historical photos, check out this photo of the St. Louis Flyers! Do you recognize who #3 is? He's not one of the Flyers as seen by his mismatched socks from the rest of the players. In fact, he's not even a hockey player, but he is fondly remembered as a sports icon and a legendary baseball player. That's Yogi Berra! From left to right in that picture are George Milligan, Donald MacDonald, Joe Lund, Yogi Berra, Don Grosso and Hec Pozzo. What a great photograph taken by Buzz Taylor!
• Remember in last year's playoffs when Jonathan Toews grabbed Patrick Sharp's helmet while repairs were being made to his helmet? Or when Alexander Ovechkin was wearing Matt Bradley's helmet last season? Earlier this season, the Penguins' captain pulled off the same trick when Sidney Crosby grabbed Chris Connor's helmet while his was being fixed! It seems this helmet-swapping phenomenon happens often in the NHL for the stars!
• In sticking with the Penguins, how awkward does Mario Lemieux look in this picture with Eddie Johnston? Who knew the man who would be the most important figure in Pittsburgh's hockey history would look like an awkward teenager in his early days with the Penguins?
• Another hockey legend is caught in an unfortunate jersey mishap. Wayne Gretzky, who spent time in the Burger King jersey and the St. Louis diagonal jersey, found himself promoting Fox's hockey broadcasts. Remember the FoxTrax puck? Yeah, me neither. It was definitely a low point for both Gretzky and the NHL.

That's all for a quiet Thursday. I have a pile of homework to get through, so I'm going to hammer away on that. More coming up tomorrow as we get ready for both the NHL and AHL All-Star weekends!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Read More

Weekly NHL Guardian Project Update

We're back again on a chilly Sunday with more comic book unveilings. The NHL Guardian Project rolls on with seven more Guardians unveiled this past week, so we'll continue to run down the similarities between these Guardians and some of the more recognizable superheroes that have a hold on pop culture. Again, this is just some fun with the NHL Guardian Project before the big unveiling at the NHL All-Star Game on January 30, so don't take this article too seriously.

If you want to see any of the previous Guardians that have been unveiled, feel free to check out this article for the first eight Guardians or this article for the next eight Guardians. Seven more NHL-themed superheroes are on-deck, so let's get to them!

We'll start in Calgary where the Flame holds the fort. The Flame seemingly would be the equivalent of Pyro from the X-Men series or Johnny Storm aka The Human Torch from the Fantastic Four, but having the ability to shoot fire from his eyepiece reminds me of the X-Men's Cyclops as well. "Lava balls from his fingers" just sounds uncomfortable, so does that mean he has lava flowing through his veins? And apparently he can create "flaming stampedes" which means that the near-dead fire-horse is being revived by Stan Lee.

We move on to Columbus where the Blue Jacket has an arsenal of weaponry at his fingertips. As a "serious minded union soldier", I assume he'll protect the interests of the players with all his might as the NHLPA could use a good warrior. He does have "a devastating array of weaponry" attached to him, so I'm thinking that this Blue Jacket soldier is more machine than he is man. Thanks to the revamp of the Captain America, I'd say the Blue Jacket is a close copy of the stars-and-stripes superhero. That, or an Americana-themed Punisher. He was a fan of guns as well. Then again, maybe he's just a primitive Sentinel?

We head south to the state of Texas where the Star defends the city of Dallas. I have to admit that this Guardian's name is a little narcissistic, but who am I to judge? I find him to be very much like Electro in his electrical abilities. He's a "celestial enforcer", but I'm not quite sure what that means entirely. He "travels on solar wind", but I'm not sure why he would choose to travel this way when all it does is land him on the North or South Pole and/or send him clear past the Earth altogether. And this "magnetic tension field" stuff? Well, it is important in the field of magnetohydrodynamics, but let's just say that ten year-olds probably won't get the theory behind it. My guess is that the Star is probably from some far-off galaxy where this stuff is as common as 2+2, and is not of this planet whatsoever.

The fourth Original Six Guardian we see is the Red Wing. Only the Red Wing isn't wearing the Original Six logo, so I'm thinking we might need an update to this Guardian. The Red Wing seems like a poor man's Transformer, resembling something like Jetfire with wheels. He reportedly has "all the power of a Formula One racer and a fighter jet", so I assume he moves fast with great bursts of acceleration. Being that he's an "automotive empath", he comes equipped with Command Start, and can control any vehicle with his mind. He's like the Kreskin of Transformers!

We jump north of the border to encounter the Maple Leaf. Who actually isn't a leaf at all. However, being a walking and talking maple tree means that he actually is an ent, and he is only slightly more intimidating than Dr. Reggie Bushroot of Darkwing Duck fame. He is literally an "immovable object", so we just need to find the unstoppable force for the paradox. I like the Original Six logo once again, but if he can grow exponentially larger at will, can he become bigger than the planet? At what point does this power reach its limit? Will we see a Little Shop of Horrors reference at some point?

Next, we head to the desert to meet the Coyote. The Coyote is the NHL's version of Wolverine in Gambit's clothes with Sabertooth's claws. Strangely, he's also a drifter like Wolverine was in his past. He also has the same ability as that of the Sandman to control any amount of shifting sand. Oh, he also has a pack of Coyotes that roam the country side as his own personal K-9 unit. Much like the Phoenix Coyotes, I'm guessing this guy will be a major "underdog" in most battles until he "unleashes" his true powers. Puns are free of charge in this article.

The last Guardian we encounter today is the Avalanche. The Avalanche has some very distinct similarities to that of Mr. Freeze from the Batman franchise as well as the abilities of Iceman from the X-Men franchise. The fact that he's the "Rocky Mountain mad man" worries me a little, and I'd be very concerned about his reputation as an "unbridled risk taker". I understand the ability to control ice, but how does he control rock? Can he cause earthquakes? Is he able to make mountains out of molehills? What are the limits of this power?

There are your seven newest Guardians to arrive on the scene. Again, you can see all of the Guardians on January 30 at the NHL All-Star Game from Raleigh, North Carolina when they are are officially unveiled as part of the NHL Guardian Project!

Until then, keep your sticks on the ice!

Read More