Antler Banter: Volume 23

Antler Banter is back with five games to review this week as the Moose finished up their road trip and returned home to play the AHL's best. The Moose had a pair of games against the Houston Aeros and a single game against the San Antonio Rampage as they closed out their West Division swing before returning to the comfy confines of MTS Centre where they would play the AHL-leading Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Undoubtedly, this was a week of tests, so let's get to the action. Before we do, 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 tear through Texas and try to sink the Penguins in this week's Hardcore Hockey!

Flying High Against The Aeros

Closing out the road trip witha few wins would be key for the Moose to maintain their lofty position atop the AHL North Division. Standing in their way was the Houston Aeros, a team that the Moose have a long history with back to their IHL days. The Moose held a 2-0 record against the Aeros after two wins against the Houston squad way back in December, so there was hope that the Moose could continue their winning ways against the Aeros. Manitoba called upon Eddie Lack to defend their net while Houston sent Matt Hackett to face the Herd.

This one was a low-scoring affair, but I want to point out that the Moose are notorious for starting fairly slow in games. This game was entirely different as the Moose hit the ground running as they fired 18 shots on Matt Hackett in the first frame. The best part of those 18 shots? Mario Bliznak's tenth goal of the season at 14:46 of the first period. If the Moose can put up half of their shot total in the first period every game, they'll put a lot of teams in big holes before the first intermission.

Eddie Lack was outstanding again in this game, and is really making a name for himself in the AHL. A powerplay goal midway through the third period ended his shutout bid, but the Moose netminder stopped 32 of 33 shots that he faced over 65 minutes. He then stopped three of four shots in the shootout. If Lack is alright with playing behind Luongo and Schneider in the pecking order, Manitoba will have a bright goaltending future for a long, long time.

It took the breakaway contest to decide this one, but Jordan Schroeder and Joel Perrault gave the Moose a 2-1 win in the skills competition and a 2-1 victory in the game. Again, Lack was outstanding in the victory, and it really speaks volumes as to how good this young man is at his job. With the victory, the Moose improve to 36-23-6 on the season!

Stampeding The Rampage

The Moose and Rampage met up in San Antonio for the fourth time this season. The Moose owned a 1-1-1 record in those three games, so they were looking to close out their season series with the Rampage in style with a win. Eddie Lack got the call for the Moose once again, and he squared off against San Antonio's Matt Climie. Climie, though, wouldn't last long as he was pulled after two goals on four shots, giving way to Joe Fallon to battle the Herd.

Bill Sweatt had himself a good night as he potted a couple of goals for the Moose. In recording his 16th and 17th goals of the season, Sweatt finished the game with three shots, two penalty minutes, and a +2 rating - a solid evening for any player. Sweatt has been a consistent performer all season long, and he certainly has been a bright spot for the Moose this season.

If there was one negative on the night, it was the Moose powerplay once again. The Herd had seven opportunities with the man-advantage, but converted on exactly zero of them. I cannot stress this enough: the powerplay must be better as the Moose approach the playoffs. A short series can come down to powerplay opportunities, and taking advantages of these opportunities is paramount, especially in the playoffs. To make matters worse, the powerplay units gave up another shorthanded goal. This must change in a hurry. And before the playoffs arrive.

While I seem to call out the powerplay often, even-strength scoring wasn't a problem on this night as six different Moose players tallied goals, and the Moose skated to the 7-2 victory. After standing in the spotlight a number of times on his own, it was nice to see Eddie Lack getting a pile of goals to work with in a game. With the victory, the Moose move to 37-23-6 on the campaign!

Win One, Lose One

The Moose played their third game in three nights once again on Sunday as they traveled back down the highway to Houston to face the Aeros once more. This was the eleventh straight road game that the Moose played over the last three weeks, so there might have been some looking past this game as the Moose looked to get back to MTS Centre. Tyler Weiman got the call for the Moose in this game while Matt Hackett took another shot at beating the Moose.

Maybe less is more for the Moose powerplay? The Herd's man-advantage lines only had three opportunities to play as a unit in this game, but they made it count as Mario Bliznak scored a first-period powerplay goal just nine seconds into the man-advantage. The powerplay also refused to give up a goal on this evening, so there was even more to be happy about. Perhaps the coaching staff had a discussion with the powerplay units about playing better?

After having a big night against San Antonio, Bill Sweatt turned in a pretty poor performance against the Aeros. No points, no shots recorded, and a -4 rating makes for a polar opposite night at the office for Sweatt. While two of those minuses came while the Moose had no one defending the net, Sweatt still needs to show up on the scoresheet in some way - a shot, a goal or an assist, a positive rating. None of these were produced, and that's not what is expected of Sweatt.

While it looked like the Moose might take another low-scoring game off the Aeros after leading 1-0 through two periods, the house of cards came crashing down in the third period. Houston scored four times in eight minutes to make it a 4-2 game. Manitoba scored with just over five minutes to go to make it 4-3, but two empty-net goals salted the game away for Houston. Houston's shot total was 13-15-17 through the three periods for 45 shots total, so there was a significant difference in aggressiveness between these two teams on Sunday. The 6-3 loss at the hands of the Aeros moves Manitoba's record to 37-24-6.

Moose Snowed Over By Penguins

I was very excited to catch this game as I really thought this game would be an excellent litmus test as to how the Moose may fare against the Eastern Conference's best if they were to make the Calder Cup Final once again. The Penguins entered the game with an AHL-best 46-18-1 record, so there some electricity in the air as the Moose and Penguins squared off. Eddie Lack was back between the pipes for the Moose while the Penguins opted to go with John Curry in this first of two games on Tuesday night.

The Moose penalty killing units were at their best on Tuesday as they held the Penguins off the board while on the powerplay. The Penguins had five opportunities, and all five were successfully killed off by the Moose. Again, the penalty killing units are showing the mettle needed in the playoffs, and are clearly one of the best teams while playing with four players on the ice. Another solid night at the office for the Moose PK units!

The Moose blueline really deserves some credit for keeping the Moose in this game for as long as they did. The Penguins outshot the Moose by a large margin in each period, but the efforts by Eddie Lack and the Moose defenders played a large part in keeping the Penguins at bay. This has to make the coaching staff happy as the blueline weathered the storm as best they could.

Unfortunately, weathering the storm didn't end with happiness. The Penguins put on a clinic in how to play defence, keeping the Moose snipers on the outside for most of the night while clearing rebounds with authority. The Moose only managed 23 shots on Curry and the majority of those were not of the dangerous variety. In the end, the Penguins took the first game off the Moose by a 2-0 score. The Moose fall to 37-25-6 after being shutout.

Pummeled By Penguins

I don't normally post Wednesday night games on the current Antler Banter Wednesday, but I had the chance to see the Penguins and Moose battle for the second straight night, and I couldn't pass up that opportunity. After watching the Penguins control most of the game the night before, I was interested in seeing how the Moose would react after being shutout against the AHL's best. Eddie Lack and John Curry squared off for the second straight night, but Brad Thiessen would finish the game for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

It's good to see Joel Perrault back on the scoresheet. Perrault used a powerplay to notch his first goal in 13 games, and the crafty centerman had his fourth goal of the season off a gorgeous drop pass from Cody Hodgson. Seeing these two connect on the powerplay reminded me of their great play in December when they were together on the man-advantage. Here's hoping that the chemistry returns between these two, especially for the powerplay's sake.

The Moose certainly can run with the Penguins. There's no doubt that they held the Penguins in check for 50 minutes on Wednesday, but a couple of bad plays gave the Penguins all they needed to capitalize in this game. A turnover in their own zone led to the first goal. A deflection off a Moose player led to the second goal. A loose puck in the slot led to the third Penguins goal. An undisciplined hit by Ryan Parent put the Moose down one body, and the Penguins capitalized again. In less than five minutes, the Penguins put four pucks into the Moose net. That's not the kind of third-period play you want to see from your team.

Perrault's goal looked like it might hold water, but those four goals sunk the Moose very quickly. Eddie Lack stopped 39 of 43 shots, but he can't be expected to take care of the entire Moose zone. It looked like the Moose may have solved the Penguins through the fifty minutes they led, but the Penguins showed patience, resiliency, and a killer instinct. As for the goaltending change, I'm not sure why Thiessen came in after the opening period, but he kept the Moose off the scoresheet in stopping all 17 shots he faced as the Penguins downed the Moose by a 4-1 score. With the loss, the Moose drop to 37-26-6 on the season.

Bringing Texas To Manitoba

The Moose have a bit of a reprieve this week as they only have two games as they enter the weekend. The Texas Stars roll into town as the visitors, and are looking to catch their red-hot state rivals in the Houston Aeros in the West Division. There are a number of former Manitoba Moose players currently on the Stars' roster, so it might feel like a reunion for the players. Well, at least until the puck drops.

The Moose are battling two charging teams below them. The Lake Erie Monsters and Grand Rapids Griffins have overtaken the Hamilton Bulldogs, and now sit in second and third in the North Division, respectively. The Moose need to put up four points against Texas to hold onto their first-place standing. Otherwise, they might be looking up at one of these teams by the time the weekend is over.

The Moose and Stars split the games in Texas, so there is a need for the Moose to step on the gas when they face the Stars this weekend. After stumbling against the Penguins, the Moose have to start racking up the wins to help them hold onto to first place. DO IT!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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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!

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Head Derails Career

It's tough to sit here and not be concerned about Marc Savard's long-term health after it was announced today that his season was over thanks to another concussion. This one was suffered on a devastating hit by former teammate Matt Hunwick as the Bruins and Avalanche clashed on January 22. This concussion was the second major head injury the shifty centerman has suffered within the last year after taking a major blow to the head from Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke ten months ago. For all intents and purposes, it might be time for Marc Savard to look to a future outside of hockey because I'm not sure his brain can sustain another major jolt without returning some sort of unrepairable injury.

The first thing I think we should do is look at what a concussion is and how it is caused. This is vital in knowing what we're dealing with in terms of how concussions are caused and how they can be prevented.

Jamie Hyneman explored this very subject on an episode of Mythbusters (yes, watching Mythbusters is a guilty pleasure of mine). He spoke to Dr. Wade Smith, the director of neuroscience at University of California-San Francisco, about concussions on an episode entitled "Concussion Confidential".

JH: So what exactly happens in a concussion?

WS: A concussion is when you transfer a force - external - through the skull to the brain. Think of the skull as a box, and you've got the brain inside that has the consistency of jello. When a concussion occurs and force is delivered to the skull itself, the skull moves relative to the brain. The brain stays in one place, and the skull moves against it. That can bruise the brain that's hitting the skull, and it can actually damage the brain opposite that.

Scary stuff, no?

Now, no one I've seen has come right out and called a concussion "brain damage" in the sense of what we imagine brain damage to be, but that's essentially what it is. The issue is that these bruises cannot be seen by the naked eye like a bruise on your arm or leg. And because the brain is a fairly important organ in the human body, the impact of a bruise on the brain can result in long-lasting problems from the sufferer.

Today, on NHL.com, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Dr. Reuben Echemendia, head of the NHL/NHLPA Concussion Working Group, sat down to answer some of the frequently-asked questions about concussions in the NHL. While this seems more like a PR-move than anything else, I am impressed with Dr. Echemendia's responses, although I'm sure they remain fairly scripted as a way to prevent any spin being put on them.

"We've done a lot of work to take a look at how our testing instruments function with our players across a number of different language groups, across a number of educational groups, and how well our tests are picking up these injuries when we examine the players post-injury," Dr. Echemendia told NHL.com. We've also begun to understand in greater detail how the concussions are being caused in the NHL and using video analyses, for example, that have led us to provide data to the League that has subsequently led to rule changes."

I was puzzled about Gary Bettman's next statement, though.

"Since the implementation of Rule 48 last March... we've seen a decrease in concussions and man-games lost resulting from blind-side hits to head. In addition, we have seen a decrease in concussions caused by hits involving the head that are deemed legal in our game."

Really? So you go from not tracking them to improve the detection of concussions, yet the number of concussions is decreasing? Why is the NHL the only sport on the planet where concussions are decreasing despite piles of evidence to suggest otherwise? However, Bettman contradicts himself one statement later!

"What I'm about to say is based on very preliminary data so you can't hold me to it down the road with precision, because we have to make sure it bears out. But I do want to emphasize what appear to be preliminary trends. For the 2010-11 regular season, concussions are up. Again, I want to emphasize it's preliminary.

"The increase in concussions appears to be in the area of accidental or inadvertent situations as most did not involve any contact whatsoever with the victim's head by an opponent. I'm not saying no concussions came from hits to the head, but it appears the increase is coming from somewhere else."

So accidental or inadvertent contact resulting in a concussion is different than intentional contact resulting in a concussion? Are you kidding me, Mr. Bettman?

Let me be very clear here: an injury is an injury regardless of how it happens. Therefore, a concussion should be tracked as a concussion, and not how it is caused. No one plans on getting hurt while playing the game, but it happens. That's just a fact of life when playing a contact sport.

According to the Center for Disease Control, the fourth biggest killer in the United States are accidents. Accidents result in nearly 37 people killed annually between the ages of 24 and 35 which, not surprisingly, is the demographic that hockey wants to own. Accidental deaths get the same weight as deaths due to diseases of the heart, malignant neoplasms, suicides, and homicides because the end result is all the same: someone died. No death is ranked better or worse, so why does the NHL differentiate between two causes of brain injuries when the end result in both cases is brain injury?

Dr. Echemendia didn't answer either of the questions that Mr. Bettman responded to, but he did weigh in on helmets. It appears as though there are no helmets that will effectively protect against concussions as this time, and Dr. Echemendia addressed that point.

"I absolutely agree with that. Given our current technology, there's nothing out there that is going to prevent a concussion, because in order to prevent a concussion, a helmet has to be able to absorb a significant amount of the blow as opposed to translating the force of that blow. The current polycarbonate shells that we have, those hard shells, they tend to just transfer the blow. They tend not to absorb the blow. And they do that for a very good reason, and that is the helmets that we have are very good at preventing what they're designed to prevent, and that is, as you say, depressed skull fractures, lacerations, significant head injuries. They were never designed to protect against concussion.

"As a matter of fact, there was some concern among the biomechanists that if we tried to make a helmet that prevents concussion; we may be going in the other direction and see an increase in skull fractures and these other types of injuries. So it's a complicated issue."

He also refuted claims that mouthguards help to prevent concussions. Some mouthguards make this claim, but Dr. Echemendia feels that this claim might not be so valid.

"There are no clinical data to suggest that mouth guards protect against concussion. They do a very good job at protecting against dental injury, and good mouth guards should be worn for that reason. But there's no indication right now that they're effective at preventing concussion."

So let's review: concussions are up in the NHL, Mr. Bettman says they are trending down, there are no proven pieces of equipment that prevent concussions, yet we're supposed to believe that the NHL doesn't have a concussion problem.

Is anyone feeling a little wool over their eyes?

Look, I wish nothing but the best for Marc Savard, but you have to wonder why the Bruins centerman is already talking about coming back to play hockey again. I get that there might be a macho aspect to his talk, but I was blown away by the following comment during his press conference:

"I'm obviously going to get more medial tests done and then I'll be able to make a clearer decision on what my future is but, right now, I'm hoping to continue at some point again," Savard said.

I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV, but the best medical advice I can offer to you, Mr. Savard, is to take the next 12-18 months off, let your brain heal, and then see where you stand. As Dr. Smith said to Mr. Hyneman, your brain is the consistency of jello, so it probably doesn't take to being smashed against the inside of your skull very well. Since you had a major brain injury in the last calendar year, maybe it's time you give your head some rest and let your brain make itself right.

I'd say "give your head a shake", but I don't want to be responsible for any additional damage to your gray matter.

As for Mr. Bettman, how long will this charade about concussions in the NHL continue?

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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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!

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Uni Watch All-Star Look

It's that magical time of year when hockey gets back to its purest form and... alright, who am I kidding? I was asked by Phil Hecken to give some thoughts on the NHL All-Star Game jerseys for the incomparable Uni Watch Blog today, and I am replaying the article here. As you know, the NHL All-Star Game goes today, and there's something that has me excited about the game, but a number of things that do not. The NHL All-Star Fantasy Draft took place on Friday night, and we'll take a look at some of the more garish NHL All-Star Game jersey designs in a Jim Vilk-style "3+1 view". I'll also look back on a few of my favorite images from past All-Star Games. Let's get this review underway using the Paul Lukas "is it good or is it stupid" test!

The NHL decided to allow Reebok to push the envelope in their designs this year for the two teams, and I'm sorry to say that I don't like the look the NHL chose. There's nothing good about random striping that cuts off at the seam of the sleeve and then randomly begins on the back of the sleeve and end at the elbow on the front. Honestly, what is the point of these random lines? If this is some new gradient technology that Reebok has come up with, we've been there, done that, moved on. Stop trying to add flair – it just doesn't work! Random lines that do nothing for the aesthetics of the uniform are just dumb. STUPID.

Have you actually looked at the front of the jerseys? There's just way too much stuff on the front with the NHL All-Star shield logo, the number below the collar, the captaincy designation, and the NHL shield logo. Does anyone actually look at these jerseys before signing off on them? Are there no prototypes made? The easiest solution is to remove the “feature” that the NHL apparently insists on having on the front – the number. The jersey would be much less busy, and would look fairly good if you overlook the random lines all over the sleeves. However, that number can't be overlooked. STUPID.

The font used on the jersey for names and numbers is legible, so that's a plus, but we run into a problem with the numbers on the back of Team Lidstrom's jerseys. Again, what's with the random lines? Do we really need these lines on the numbers? The rear numbers clearly do not match up with the sleeve and chest numbers as it appears those numbers don’t have lines, so this might be the first time in NHL history where back numbers don’t jive with TV numbers. So that automatically makes this STUPID.

Now you’re probably saying, “Teebz, you’re such a downer,” due to my three “stupid” ratings in a row. There are, however, some things I do like about the NHL All-Star jerseys.

For starters, I love the colour used by the teams. Have you noticed that the black on these jerseys is as minimal as can be? The blue is bold, and the home team is wearing white! While I’m not completely sold on the shade of red being used, the game should look good and the fans, for the first time in a long time, will be able to cheer on the good guys in white! GREAT!

I'm guessing that Team Staal will be skating left-to-right tomorrow because the NHL All-Star Game logo is on mirrored shoulders for the two teams. I get that the NHL wants the logo showing in promotional pictures during the ceremonial face-off and stuff, but will anyone not know that this is the NHL All-Star Game? I can’t call it dumb because it serves a purpose, but when you combine that with the individual team logo of each player on the opposite shoulder, this one becomes a PUSH.

Overall, not the worst-looking All-Star Game in history (we'll see those in a second), but the NHL really needs to go back to their star design or a much more simplified design. The KISS rule always seems to work best.

Teebz's All-Star 3+1

Not much needs to be said here, but these are certainly the worst looks seen at the NHL All-Star Games over the years. The "+1" will be my favorite NHL All-Star Game look of all-time. Enjoy!

3. 1982 NHL All-Star Game – Wales Conference vs. Campbell Conference. I like the colours, but how many stars do you need on a jersey?

2. 2003 NHL All-Star Game – Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference. The Western Conference jersey looks good in colour, but the TV numbers on the front left hip for these teams are useless. The Eastern Conference jersey looks like a ripoff of the Mighty Ducks' jersey. Not a fan of these jerseys. They just don't say "all-star".

1. 2000 NHL All-Star Game – North America vs. World. Count the number of different jerseys you see. If you see four different jerseys, you're right. The goaltenders for each team wore jerseys that were different from their teammates. Aren't uniforms supposed to be, y'know, uniform? This is the dumbest idea seen at an NHL All-Star Game yet.

+1. 1992 NHL All-Star Game – Wales Conference vs. Campbell Conference. There is something to behold about the 1992 NHL All-Star Game: the colour, the throwback designs, and the overall aesthetic. These uniforms are absolutely gorgeous, and some NHL team should look at bringing a design like this to life.

There are also a number of pictures that make the NHL All-Star Game special. These are some that I've liked for various reasons.

• There's something to be said when you see NHL stars not giving out clichés for a living and just being themselves. That's Grace Doan hugging her dad, Shane, at the 2009 NHL All-Star Game Skill Competition.
• PK Subban caused himself a little uniform controversy when he skated out in Jeff Skinner's Carolina Hurricanes uniform. Subban definitely won the crowd over with that move at this year's Skills Competition.
• Terence Kearns informed me that he likes when the players wear their gloves from their normal teams in contrast with the NHL All-Star jerseys. Here are Vyacheslav Fetisov, Steve Yzerman, and Brendan Shanahan doing just that at the 1997 NHL All-Star Game.
• Everyone knows Bobby Orr wore #4, but the 1968 NHL All-Star Game saw Bobby dona new number as he skated in the game wearing #5!

That's all for today! Enjoy the NHL All-Star Game from Raleigh, North Carolina!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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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!

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Skate Fender Updates

As you know, I've been promoting the Skate Fenders brand since we first learned about this new equipment back on January 21 of last year. Frank McClelland has been working diligently to improve his product while getting the product onto the skates of hockey players, and things are really going well from what it seems. I can tell you that I strapped my Skate Fenders onto my MLX Skates the other day as I began the testing of the new skates, and we'll have an update on the skates in about a week's time. However, today is all about Skate Fenders as we find out how the skate guard business is progressing in Michigan.

I contacted Mr. McClelland shortly before the holidays, and he was happy to report that business is going extremely well. Mr. McClelland has 15 NHL teams using the Skate Fenders, and all of those team's AHL affiliates are now wearing the Skate Fenders. Some teams have chosen to only wear them during practices as a safeguard against injuries during practice, but having at least 30 professional hockey teams in North America wearing the Skate Fenders is a huge accomplishment!

Mr. McClelland also reports that production has been difficult to keep up with in terms of the number of Skate Fenders being ordered from the NHL teams right down to recreational players. And the orders are starting to come in from college players and Europe as well, so the demand is growing for the Skate Fenders. This is an excellent sign that the Skate Fenders do indeed work!

There have been some changes to the Skate Fenders, so if you already bought a pair, you may consider a re-investment in the near future. Mr. McClelland indicates that there are new sizes available, and there have been some changes with the composition of the Skate Fenders. Basically, they are using a new polycarbonate that provides much better strength and durability, and the straps that keep the Skate Fenders in place on your skates have been changed for added durability as well.

There has been one major change seen that affects one of the major players in the Skate Fenders story. Production of the Skate Fenders has been moved closer to Mr. McClelland's hometown, and he and this new company have developed a "great working relationship". This is good to hear, and I wish Mr. McClelland well with this new company!

There are still a number of legal battles that involve the Skate Fenders design and patents, and I'm not here to air Mr. McClelland's laundry for everyone to see. The success of this equipment should be enough proof that Skate Fenders do work, and the claims against the Skate Fenders company seem laughable. However, that's why lawyers get paid a lot of money - just because it seems like common sense doesn't mean it is common or sensible. I wish Mr. McClelland nothing but the best in these battles.

What had me intrigued was that Mr. McClelland is investigating a larger size yet that seems to be intended for professional hockey players. Equipment managers have told Mr. McClelland that they will gladly replace broken Skate Fenders over having a player with a broken foot, and I'm sure you'd agree. All of the players wearing Skate Fenders have yet to report a foot injury, so the evidence is there that this equipment does work. However, because Red Wings' equipment manager Paul Boyer said, "It’s another world out there" in regards to how hard NHL players can shoot a puck, Mr. McClelland has now put his thinking cap back on to see if he can come up with a pro model for high-level hockey players. As Mr. McClelland told me, these new pro model Skate Fenders should "be able to take a direct hit from one of the Star Ship Enterprise's photon torpedoes". Now that's protection!

All in all, it sounds as though the Skate Fenders business is really doing well, and I'm happy for the success of this excellent product. I want to thank Mr. McClelland for keeping me up-to-date on the story of his business, and for providing me with a new pair of Skate Fenders to use! I am eternally grateful to you, Frank, and there are a few beverages on me if and when I make it to Michigan!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Clearing Off The Desk

This is not my desk, but I pity whoever has that to deal with in the future. No, today I want to clean off my desktop that has been littered with images and emails and stories that I think need to be told. I collect these little snippets of information as I wander my way through the dark halls of the Interwebs, and they seemingly pile up until I can find a good day to end the insanity and clear off all the icons. There are a number of things to look at, read, and hear about, so let's get started on what should turn out to be a pretty good collection of hockey-centric information.

• CONTEST NOTICE: I received an email from Lynsey. Lynsey works for a company that has been hired by LG, the electronics company, to promote a contest in association with the Toronto Maple Leafs! Ten finalists have been selected to compete for the right to be the LG Leafs Ambassador, and you can vote on the finalists! There's even a pretty good prize for voting: one voter will win a 55" HDTV from LG! To register and get in on this chance to win a TV, click on the link above, choose your favorite video, and register your info for your chance to win. It's free, and who doesn't like free, especially when it's a free 55" HDTV? The videos - they're pretty good too! Get voting!
  
• I received an email from Arvay Adams who wants to bring to light something I have never heard of, so let's explore it now. Long ago before the heady days of the NHL and WHA, there existed a league that went by the letters "CHL". We've heard of the Canadian Hockey League, the Central Hockey League, and the Continental Hockey League, but this one was very different. Enter Mr. Adams with his proposal to shed some light on the "Colored Hockey League". This is the first I've heard of this league, but I am highly intrigued by the history, and I'm glad Mr. Adams contacted me with his idea for CHL apparel. I'll be buying in to some of his designs this week, and look for an upcoming article on this fascinating league on this site!
• I'm sitting at home right now in my Toronto St.Pats t-shirt, so I thought I should post this picture of the 1921-22 Toronto St.Pats. My shirt doesn't look like the sweaters worn by the team in the picture, but I love these old photos. If you look closely, the player standing third in from the left, the player directly to the left of the goaltender, and the goaltender himself have the "N" in Toronto reversed on their sweaters! Those players with the "N" problems are George Smith, Bill "Red" Stewart, and John Roach. A little sweater "oops" there for three of the St. Pats!
• When the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim were first being unveiled, there was a contest to pick a logo for the team. While Michael Eisner, then-CEO of Disney, may have wanted his team to wear the jerseys from the Mighty Ducks movies, there were some other images being floated about as potential logos for the expansion team. The logos on the bottom row and at the very right of the top row are very Disney-esque in their design, but that first logo on the left could have been a very interesting secondary logo. Of course, we all know what logo they chose and eventually what that logo spawned.
• Speaking what the Ducks' logo spawned, here's Jason York in all of that jersey's glory. Wow. York doesn't look happy about it at all.
• In other horrific jersey news, we have Wayne Gretzky appearing in Los Angeles' alternate jersey, also known as the "Burger King" jersey. Wayne's legacy in LA was great, but seeing him in this uniform makes him seem less great for some reason.
• Mike Modano always looked good in North Star green, so when the Dallas Stars put him in this tragic alternate jersey, it certainly didn't seem right. Ironically, I picked up one of these Stars alternate jerseys the other day for a mere $90. While some may question my sanity for this, I'm trying to decide whether Modano should appear on the back or go with Brendan Morrow. Thoughts on this one, readers? Maybe Lehtinen?
• Sports Illustrated posted a fabulous collection of photos today of all the current NHL goaltenders' masks. There are some absolutely fabulous designs on a few masks, and some really personal marks that make them entirely unique. Some of my favorites? Kari Lehtonen's Chuck Norris mask makes me laugh. I love the old masks displayed on Joey MacDonald's mask. The right side of Jonathan Bernier's mask brings back memories of Kelly Hrudey and Erik Ersberg. Pekka Rinne's predator-in-a-goalie-mask design is pretty neat. Jason LaBarbera shows off his love for pro wrestling. Ty Conklin brings back the Blues Brothers. James Reimer is all about Hockey Night In Canada.
• The one mask that SI forgot to include is the alternate mask worn by Marty Turco when the Blackhawks wear their alternate jerseys. Being that the jerseys resemble that of what the Hawks wore in the 1930s when gangsters played a large role in Chicago, Turco's "Gangsta Gargoyle" mask is highly appropriate in terms of it being paired with the alternate uniform.
  
• OPPORTUNITY: Since school is eating up a ton of my time that I normally spend blogging, if anyone is interested in submitting articles for HBIC like you did in September, please contact me via email. This is a blog "of the people, by the people, for the people", so if you have something hockey-related you want to get off your chest, send me an email today! Or in the near future! Or whenever you like!

That's a quick Thursday update as I clear a bunch of stuff off my desktop and email. I encourage anyone who wants to guest post to contact me. You'll get full credit as the writer of the article, and I definitely enjoy reading other people's ideas and opinions. The best part is that you contribute only as much as you like and only as often as you like. I'm still writing, but I occasionally need some time to deal with homework. That's where you come in.

Give it a thought, HBIC readers, and contact me if you're interested. I was very impressed with the last round of HBIC guest posts, and I think this feature will continue as we move forward with this blog.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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HBIC YIR - Part One

Time certainly has flown this year as we're two days away from recycling those 2010 calendars hanging on walls and posted on desks. Hockey has seen some great things this year, and we've also lost some icons that made the sport much better with their presence. We've seen players emerge as superstars and we've seen superstars fall to below-average play. All of this is actually a statement about the game - it's fluid, and it's constantly changing and evolving through each shift, each game, and each season. Today, HBIC looks back on the first six months of the year, and the important stories that came from January to the end of June.

January Highlights

• January 1: We start every year off right with the NHL's Winter Classic, and the January 1, 2010 game was certainly memorable as the Philadelphia Flyers visited the Boston Bruins in historic Fenway Park. What a great day of hockey!
• January 2: Switzerland's World Junior Championship team pulls off a massive upset as they defeated Russia 3-2 to beat the Russians for the first time in history at the WJC.
• January 5: The 2010 World Junior Championship is decided in overtime as American John Carlson ends Canada's streak with his goal to give Team USA the gold medal. Great game, and a very impressive showing by America's best young hockey talent.
• January 21: If you've been following this blog, you know I'm a big fan of Frank McClelland's newest equipment invention. January 21 was the first time I was lucky enough to speak to Frank and bring to light what would eventually be his Skate Fenders product. A very interesting story to see how the plastic skate guards got started!
• January 23: I arrive in Minneapolis for the US Pond Hockey Championships, and the weather was very un-winter for the tournament. Strange weather is nothing new on the prairies, but January is rarely a month known for rain. Great uniforms seen at the tournament, and a few great stories!
• January 25: I express my disappointment with the NHL's stance on protecting its players after a major incident in the QMJHL.
• January 29: I bring to light the story of Alton White, the first professional black hockey player to record 20 or more goals in a season as well as the first professional black hockey player to record a hat trick in a professional game. Since it happened in the WHA, no one seems to care that he doesn't get this recognition. But I do.

February Highlights

• February 5: The hockey world stops for a few moments to grieve the loss of Brendan Burke, Brian Burke's son. Brendan worked as student manager for the hockey team while attending the University of Miami (Ohio), but made headlines when he announced to the world that he was a gay man. And I still believe in my words: "Being gay doesn't change who he is or how much respect I have for him. Nor should it change you."
• February 13: Phil Hecken of Uni Watch Blog and I take a look at what each team will be wearing at the Olympics. Some uniforms are good. Others are not.
• February 14: I discuss some of the ways that women's hockey at the Olympics can fix blowouts between the elite teams and the rest of the field. I still feel that getting more women involved from the other countries will make the game stronger.
• February 21: Team USA plays a much more complete game in the round-robin at the Olympics and beats Canada soundly. I'm hard on Canada and praise the Americans. And this will only set up the inevitable.
• February 28: The Goal. Need I say anything more? I take a look at the 2010 Winter Olympics as a whole, and celebrate "The Goal.

March Highlights

• March 4: Frank McClelland returns with some updates on his Skate Fenders. I'm truly a fan of Mr. McClelland's and LSSU's work, and this product is something that players should really look into for their own health.
• March 11: HBIC renews its commitment to the Vancouver Olympics by giving the sport of sledge hockey as much coverage as possible. I really like this sport, and there have been some excellent games as of late as a number of countries have improved in this sport.
• March 18: One of the countries that has improved? Japan. They defeated the heavily-favoured Canadian squad by a 3-1 score in the semi-final to earn a berth in the gold medal final. If you haven't seen a game of sledge hockey in your life, you're missing out.
• March 21: The 2010 Women's Frozen Four wrapped up in style as there were some incredible games played by the NCAA women. Congratulations go out to the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs who captured their fifth NCAA Championship!
• March 30: The 2010 CIS Men's Hockey Championship wrapped up, and the Canadian collegiate champions are the Saint Mary's Huskies! Canadian collegiate hockey, while not as prolific as NCAA hockey, is certainly one of the places where NHL teams can find some hidden talent. There are lots of good players studying across Canada!

April Highlights

• April 4: The Alberta Pandas, the women's CIS hockey team, pulled off one of the most stunning upsets in the history of the CIS as they defeated the McGill Marlets in the CIS Championship game to be called "Canada's best".
• April 5: Columbus Blue Jackets' forward RJ Umberger calls out the Washington Capitals, and makes a prediction for the playoffs about the Capitals' chances of going all the way. A number of people wrote Umberger off, but read his comments. Hockey players know hockey.
• April 10: The Boston College Eagles defeat the Wisconsin Badgers and capture the 2010 NCAA Men's Hockey Championship. The win was a great effort for a team that many didn't pick to win the championship, but the Eagles captured their fourth championship!
• April 18: I'm fairly harsh towards Hockey Canada and the effort put forth at the World U-18 Championships. I like Canadian hockey, but I hate lack of effort.
• April 27: The NHLPA decides to change the Lester B. Pearson Award to the Ted Lindsay Trophy. More hockey history is being killed, and I'm not happy about it.
• April 30: In the same fashion I criticized Hockey Canada's efforts in the U-18 Tournament, I rip the Washington Capitals for their lack of hard work. Another exit far too early in the playoffs, and the Capitals spend more time on the golf course.

May Highlights

• May 3: The KHL crowns a champion as Ak Bars Kazan won their second KHL Championship in consecutive seasons. While there are still major differences between the NHL and KHL, it appears that Kazan is becoming the "Detroit Red Wings" of the KHL.
• May 7: I found a great article in Popular Science from 1935 about the game of hockey! It's a very good read with lots of pictures, but it goes to show that some magazines were covering hockey before it was popular!
• May 14: A reader by the name of Chelsea sent me a great email about head trauma suffered by hockey players. She makes some excellent points in her email, and there are several NHL players who echo her sentiments.
• May 23: The Czech Republic snaps the Russian's 27-game winning streak at the World Championships, and captured the World Championship title! Jaromir Jagr's reason for winning? "They had stars and we had guys who play in the Czech Republic, but this shows that talent doesn't matter - you have to work hard." Hard work, kids. I can't say it enough.
• May 25: I still have no clue as to what happened to the Charlie Conacher Memorial Trophy that was awarded annually to an NHL player. Any ideas?
• May 28: Damian Cox goes absolutely loopy with his suggestion that the Chicago Blackhawks change their logo because it's offensive. Cox stirring the pot? Nothing new.

June Highlights

• June 1: A fabulous video from the National Film Board of Canada shows off a ton of Quebec Nordiques history. This video is amazing!
• June 7: More videos are posted, this time of the WHA in all its spectacular glory. I really wish I had more WHA video. Note this foreshadowing. It will come in handy next week.
• June 9: The Chicago Blackhawks are your 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Champions. They dispatched the Philadelphia Flyers in six games to capture their first Stanley Cup in 49 years. To the victors go the spoils!
• June 14: The AHL's Hershey Bears stand atop the pile of AHL teams as they capture the 2010 Calder Cup as AHL Champions! The Bears defeated the Texas Stars in six games to capture their second consecutive Calder Cup. Well done, Bears!
• June 22: In what seems like a crime against humanity, the Hockey Hall of Fame finally allowed women to be eligible to be voted into the Hall of Fame. Women's hockey has its detractors, but the pioneers of the sport deserve their kudos as much as the men.
• June 28: More amazing hockey video is found through the National Film Board of Canada's website as we see the UBC Thunderbirds heading to China to help grow the game in the Communist country. This is another amazing video that shows how significantly-different cultures can work together to grow the game.

So there are the highlights from the first six months of HBIC's 2010. I really had a great time writing this year, and the interactions with you, the readers, are what makes this so rewarding. I love reading other opinions and ideas, and I encourage you to continue to email, comment, friend me on Facebook, and whatever else you to do to send me your hockey thoughts.

More tomorrow as we review the year that was from July to December!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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TBC: Making The Cut

Teebz's Book Club returns today with another exciting book in a series of what has turned out to be an excellent trilogy of reads. I had previously reviewed the first two books in the Game Time series, Off The Crossbar and Rebel Power Play, written by David Skuy, and we return with the third installment of this series in Making The Cut, published once again by Scholastic Canada. The Game Time series follows the story of Charlie Joyce, a teenaged boy who loves playing hockey. In Making The Cut, Charlie has been invited to the Youth Elite Hockey School (YEHS) as he continues his hockey dream, but, like in the other stories, Charlie finds himself in some trouble in this book.

From the Charlie Joyce website, "David Skuy is a lawyer, recreational hockey player, and author of the Charlie Joyce Hockey Series. A popular speaker and advocate for the reading and writing skills of school-age children, he has crafted a series of books designed to capture the imagery, the sounds, the conflicts, and the achievements that typify a young boy’s life, be it in the school yard or in the hockey rink".

The story in Making The Cut sees Charlie faced with a number of dilemmas: Charlie's mom can't really afford to send Charlie to the YEHS, Jake is still causing Charlie problems, Charlie runs into a new set of antagonists, and he still needs to get better at YEHS if his mother can afford to send him to the school.

Thankfully, Charlie's little sister, Danielle, decides that drama school isn't that important, and allows Charlie to use the money that their mother has saved for it to be used to send Charlie to YEHS. Charlie, as expected, is overly excited, and finds out that Scott and Nick, two good friends from school, are also going. Unfortunately, Pudge, his best friend, did not get a letter of invitation. Pudge, however, is happy for Charlie, Scott, and Nick... until they find out that Jake has also been invited.

Charlie gets to the school and finds that the coaching staff is an impressive group, including Mr. Miller who won a Stanley Cup with the Dallas Stars. While Jake is playing with a different group, Charlie reconnects with Scott and Nick, and meets up with a couple of new friends: Corey Sanderson, his fitness-obsessed roommate, Simon and Gabriel, wingers who are friends, and Ben Slogen, aka Slogger. It appears that camp will be a great time with his new friends until he meets up with Jake and his new friends: Zane, Richard, Nathan, and Pete. These kids are much like Jake - bullies. Charlie realizes he has his work cut out for him as these guys test Charlie's physical strength as much as his patience and restraint.

Strange things begin to happen at the camp. Charlie's alarm clock doesn't go off, and he nearly misses the bus on the first day of camp. Charlie's elbow pads go missing one morning, forcing him to wrap his elbows in old hockey socks. Another day, his equipment bag is found in an empty dressing room in a completely different rink. And the biggest mystery at the camp is Mr. Miller's missing Stanley Cup ring! Who could have taken it? Why is this stuff happening to Charlie? Who is behind the mysteries?

Making The Cut is another excellent book by David Skuy, and I personally think that it is the best of the three books he has published under the Game Time series. Charlie's constant battles with Jake and his friends are one of the major sub-plots, but the mystery involving Charlie's equipment and Mr. Miller's ring drive the story along as a nice side story. Making The Cut definitely deserves the Teebz's Book Club Seal of Approval, and I look forward to more books from Mr. Skuy featuring Charlie Joyce!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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HBIC Gift Guide

It's that magical time of year! Christmas is right around the corner, and I know there are some hockey fans who have been nice this year. There probably have been some naughty ones too, but they may just need a present to see the error of their ways. In both cases, what do you get your hockey-intensive husband/wife/dad/mom/son/daughter/randomly selected family member? There are a lot of options out there for your spending dollars, but HBIC wants to highlight a few businesses that I've supported over the years with much happiness. And I'm happy to report that none of these businesses know I'm doing this. Except one. And we'll talk about his business first.

Atom Bomb Bikini

Rob Ullman, a great guy and superb artist, creates "illos", aka "illustrations". Most of these illustrations tend to be of women in various states of sports attire. The cool part of Rob's business is that he'll sketch up your wife or girlfriend in a sports scene if you send him a photo (and some cash!). Contact him here if you want to get a very personalized gift for your gal this year. If that doesn't work, click here to pick up something from the Atom Bomb Bikini store or buy some of his great artwork. I have two of Rob's books, and they are fantastic! You won't be disappointed in Rob's ability!

Skate Fenders

I can't say enough good things about Mr. Frank McClelland's product. The Skate Fenders literally save your feet from pucks and slashes that may otherwise leave bumps, bruises, and broken bones when they hit your feet. As you know, skate boots offer little in the way of protection, and I am happy to say that I love the Skate Fenders for what they do. If you have a loved one who is playing the game of hockey who doesn't have these, I recommend them over any other piece of equipment that may end up under the tree. Keeping your loved one on the ice is better than having him or her dealing with a serious foot injury! To order the Skate Fenders, please click here. I've order three pairs for Christmas this year to give to hockey players I know!

MLX Skates

I won't lie - this gift idea is more for those who have a little extra cash on the side. It's probably not the best idea for growing children, but I want to say something about MLX Skates. While I have yet to use these, I do have a pair on the way, and I am very interested in their claims of how fast the boot molds to the foot. I love my CCM Tacks, but they took a while to break in. As you may be aware, this causes some serious discomfort for skaters, and normally results in players needing weeks to break their skates in at practices. MLX Skates are hoping to change that. And because it's Christmas, they've dropped their prices and are throwing in a free t-shirt and hat! Click here to take advantage of the new prices!

Book It!

As you're aware, Teebz's Book Club advocates reading at every level of life. Whether your hockey star is playing her very first game or your veteran superstar is playing his fortieth season on the ice, reading is still a required skill for everyone to succeed in life whether it be on the ice or elsewhere. Here are some of the books I've liked since starting this blog as well as places to order them:

• When The Lights Went Out - Random House, Amazon, Chapters/Indigo
• Saving Face - Wiley, Amazon, Chapters/Indigo
• The Code - Triumph, Amazon, Chapters/Indigo
• They Don't Play Hockey In Heaven - Globe Pequot, Amazon, Chapters/Indigo
• Where's My Hockey Sweater? - Scholastic, Amazon, Chapters/Indigo
• Off The Crossbar - Scholastic, Amazon, Chapters/Indigo

Don't Get Fooled!

There are a lot of children and adults who ask for hockey jerseys for Christmas. I, for one, used to ask for jerseys when I was younger, but I found that some unscrupulous people sell knock-offs and fakes. You have to be careful, readers, so I am linking this excellent article from the Ottawa Citizen about how much the fake jerseys are costing legitimate businesses in North America. Now, there's no doubt that the prices advertised by some of these off-shore companies are attractive from a buying perspective. But I urge you to investigate and to buy from a local store. It helps the community, and it can drive these illegitimate shysters out of business. Jeff, author of the excellent Third String Goalie blog, has an excellent jersey-buying guide on his site on how to determine a real Rbk jersey from a fake one. Jeff also has a ton of merchandise available in the Third String Goalie store if you want to support him. Well done, Jeff!

There are a few suggestions if you're still looking for a last-minute hockey gift idea. I can't guarantee shipping times for any of the businesses being that it is the holiday season, but if you order today, there's a chance it could get to your house in time for the big day on December 25. Happy shopping, and may your Christmas be merry and happy!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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