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!

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Return To Sanity

If there was one travesty that happened when Reebok began outfitting hockey teams across the world, it was the fact that they single-handedly removed the identity of the Ottawa 67's with their EDGE design. Gone were the barber pole jerseys that fans of the 67's loved and held in such high esteem thanks to the legends that had worn it. I, for one, loved the look of these jerseys, but Reebok essentially killed what made the Ottawa 67's so identifiable. While there had been rumours of Ottawa bringing these jerseys back to their uniform set, nothing had materialized. That is, nothing had materialized until Thursday!

In 2009, Jeff Hunt, owner of the OHL club, addressed Ottawa 67's fans through a statement after it was revealed that the 67's would wear black jerseys while on the road despite the popularity of the barber pole jersey thanks to Reebok's new "technology". Mr. Hunt said,

When the 67’s Reebok Edge Jersey was launched this week, longtime fans who had grown to love the traditional barber pole jerseys were upset. Rightly so. As an organization, we should have warned you in advance that in this first edition of the Edge Jersey our traditional look wasn’t possible. At least, that way, it wouldn’t have been a shock when the jersey was unveiled.

The problem is that the engineering of the new, lighter, cooler jerseys is such that only a solid colour is possible on the main front panel. We have maintained as much of the barber pole look as we could (sleeves) and we are working with the manufacturer to overcome the technical problems so that, at some point in the future, we can return to our full barber pole look.

I hope you enjoy the new season.

Jeff Hunt
Owner and Governor
Ottawa 67’s Hockey Club

Needless to say, the demand for the barber pole jerseys didn't go away. In fact, I think a lot of hockey fans in general looked at this move by Reebok as something akin to blasphemy or heresy. With the demand on the rise, I'm sure that Mr. Hunt and his team felt the pressure to bring back the identity of the Ottawa 67's.

I am happy to report that the dream is now reality as of yesterday! We go to the Ottawa 67's page where the news has broken!

"The barber pole jersey is synonymous with 67's hockey," said 67's Owner and Governor Jeff Hunt. "It’s the jersey of Denis Potvin, Doug Wilson and Bobby Smith. It's the jersey of our Memorial Cup winning teams. And it's fantastic to finally be able to return to it and give our fans the look they’ve been asking for."

For the first time, it seems that a team has finally forced Reebok's hand in developing something that they want rather than having it the other way around. I'm glad the the Ottawa 67's are going back to the way they are supposed to look because it just feels right.

Over on the Ottawa 67's Fan Blog, a great site written by Valerie, Sid, and StatsGuy, they have a full picture of the new barber pole jerseys, and I have to say that they look fantastic! I am extremely pleased with this news, and I look forward to seeing the 67's on the ice all season next year!

Finally, it seems some sense is being put back into hockey fashion. Thank you, Ottawa, for bringing back your mojo!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Another Brick Upside The Head

I'm not sure what it is about the stripes that hockey officials wear, but it seems to turn some minor-hockey coaches and parents into lunatics towards the men and women in stripes. While it seems that there are a few bad apples that spoil the bunch in terms of coaches, players, and parents, the few that are being completely unprofessional commit anywhere to from 80-95% of the acts of aggression towards the officials. Why is this? Why can't the officials do their jobs without the threat of verbal or, in some cases, physical abuse? Are we, as a society, really this depraved?

The majority of officials in minor-hockey are as young as some of the players they are officiating. That means that they routinely are near the same age of the players or, in most cases, slightly older than the kids on the ice. When a player yells at an official, it's normally in the throes of the game where passion, emotions, and adrenaline are all on extreme highs for the player. I don't condone yelling at an official, but sometimes it happens.

Where it seems that people lose their minds is in the stands or on the bench. Far too often, young kids who are trying to hone their officiating skills are forever put off the game by some blowhard who decides that a mistake by a 16 year-old referee or linesman has now cost his team of 13 year-old children all chances of ever winning the Stanley Cup. Never mind the fact that the 13 year-old kids are hearing all sorts of words that are normally bleeped out on television, but they are also learning that that type of behavior is acceptable.

Do officials make mistakes? Absolutely. They are just as human as you or I. Do they scream obscenities and threaten your health and safety when you screw up? I have heard, in my time spent at rinks, far too many death threats, obscenities, and other incredibly rude comments made towards the officials from the people around me in the stands or from across the rink from a coach. And that, readers, is ridiculous.

The reason this has come to light is because there is an alarming rate of official abuse being seen in Winnipeg's minor-hockey system. Russ Romaniuk of the Winnipeg Sun wrote a very good article on this topic Friday, and it really needs to be read.

Winnipeg minor hockey on-ice officials are increasingly facing physical and verbal attacks from players and coaches, as the abuse reaches what a local organizer calls an “epidemic.”

Hockey Winnipeg president Don McIntosh told league directors, co-ordinators and other organizers by e-mail this week that something must be done to stop attacks on the officials, who can be as young as 13.

"This is reaching epidemic status," he says in the e-mail, which was sent Wednesday and obtained by the Winnipeg Sun.

In the memo, he cites three Hockey Manitoba disciplinary hearings held within the past two weeks into physical abuse of referees or linesmen — two involving players and the other involving a coach of a team of seven- and eight-year-olds.

"There have been other hearings at Hockey Manitoba this year and three hearings pending from very recent incidents," McIntosh says in the e-mail, adding "the verbal and physical abuse of referees has to stop."

Glenn Asselstine, vice-president of officials with Hockey Winnipeg, told the Sun that 16 incidents of such abuse have been reported since early January — a sharp increase from what is usually seen in that period of time.

"Physical abuse of officials has jumped probably threefold in the last month and a half," he said. "It is very scary for us right now."

Incidents of physical attacks on officials generally lead to hearings held by Hockey Manitoba, the province's governing body for the sport. Suspensions can and do occur.

When contacted by the Sun, McIntosh didn't reveal specific details of the incidents.

He confirmed, however, that the increasing frequency of the problems has spurred his call to community centre directors and hockey sub-association presidents and co-ordinators to "talk to the coaches" to bring more awareness to the dilemma, which has prompted an undetermined number of refs and linesmen to leave their positions during the past few years.

"I’m told that referees are quitting because of abuse. Senior or management referees who we have in our system will tell you that," McIntosh said, adding he doesn’t know the number of such resignations.

"Referees are a very valuable and important part of our game. Our game couldn’t go without them."

McIntosh said abusive behaviour toward officials appears to be mostly in players aged 17 to 14, "who quite frankly, don’t give a damn on the ice, maybe, and don’t give a damn at school. It's a societal change that we're seeing on the ice, to some degree, I think. They’re just not as concerned about consequences as they once were."

The fact that there was an incident of physical abuse towards an official "involving a coach of a team of seven- and eight-year-olds" is downright pathetic. These are the people we are entrusting our kids to learn from both on the ice and in the dressing room, and this is what the coach is teaching our next generation of hockey stars?

Here are the stats that Romaniuk dug up in his story:

• 16 - number of on-ice incidents since January 4 involving officials.
• 10 - number of those 16 incidents that went to disciplinary hearings.
• $16 - lowest wage earned by an on-ice Hockey Winnipeg official.
• $51 - highest wage earned by a Hockey Winnipeg referees.
• $41 - highest wage earned by a Hockey Winnipeg linesman.
• 13 - lowest age for on-ice Hockey Winnipeg officials.
• 450 - number of on-ice Hockey Winnipeg officials today.
  

I'm not sure about you, but I have taken my fair share of abuse as a fan for telling parents of the teams I'm watching to give it a rest. I don't feel bad about telling them to shut their traps, and I'd rather they tell me off than to take it out on some teenager wearing an official's sweater. Personally, I can deal with that problem a lot easier than an intimidated 13 year-old teenager can. Yet here we are discussing these problems.

Readers, I encourage you to have some respect for the officials working games in minor-hockey leagues. If you see someone running his or her mouth, ask him or her politely to stop. For most kids, playing hockey is all about fun. Learning the lessons that come along with winning and losing is important, but kids will stop playing the game if it is no fun.

It reminds me of the Pink Floyd song: "Coaches leave them refs alone. Hey! Parents! Leave them refs alone! All in all, you're just another brick in the wall."

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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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!***

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Tampa Looking More Like Tampa

Last month, it was a bit of a shock when the Tampa Bay Lightning announced that they were unveiling new uniforms for the 2011-12 NHL season. It was shocking because teams rarely announce new looks midway through their current season, especially if the changes are as dramatic as the Lightning showed. Apparently, there was a distinct method to their madness in TeeBay, though, as the Lightning came out with some revisions this past Wednesday to their new uniforms that make the Lightning look a lot more like the Lightning we've become accustomed to seeing on a nightly basis.

Back on January 31, I made the following comment in regards to the Lightning ditching the black and silver/gray in its colour scheme: "I feel that the home jersey's brand doesn't have the same effect without the black and silver that it once does, and the Lightning are worse off for it". A number of Lightning fans felt the same way, and the Lightning listened to the people paying their salaries. For once, a sports franchise actually listened to its fans in regards to its redesign!

The Lightning made two subtle changes their already-new uniforms, and these changes bring back part of the soul of that the Lightning seemed to have lost in their re-design. As you can see on the road jersey, they brought back a touch of black to help restore what was their original colour scheme. My only complaint about those numbers now are that the Lightning's numbers really look like the Maple Leafs' old numbers. This will only further the Lightning-Maple Leafs comparisons when it comes to their jerseys.

The second change is on the pants where the Lightning bolt reappears down the leg. It has been there before, and is certainly there this season, but the Lightning had opted to remove it off their new uniforms before the revision was put in place.

There two changes that seem minor are actually very good from this writer's perspective. Both changes keep the links to their history - which includes a Stanley Cup - and both keep the identity of the Lightning intact from what their brand had before the uniform changes. These two small changes get a thumbs-up from me, and I really think the Lightning have taken steps in the right direction thanks to them listening to their fans.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Exams Are Killing Me

I'm not going to lie, readers, when I tell you that this school stuff is taking over my life. Next week, I'm faced with five exams on five days, and that means I'll be studying my rear end off. If my nose is stuck in a book or if I'm flipping through course notes, guess what I'm not doing? That's right: I'm not blogging. As a responsible blogger (at least I think I am), this doesn't sit right with me. I want to be able to spend some quality time with hockey, but I can't because I'm having an affair with books and information. Something, I feel, has got to give.

That's where you can shine, readers. For today, I am opening the doors to HBIC for anyone who wants to drive whenever they get the urge. Officially, I am accepting all articles written about hockey by you! If you have the urge to write something, get something off your chest, or simply post a few picture about hockey, the canvas is waiting for your paint, readers.

If you have an article you'd like to send through, please attach to an email and send it through to me. Full credit will, of course, be given to you, and I'll even chime in on your work. Normally, I'm a pretty supportive guy being that I'm a man by the people, for the people, and of the people, but it will all depend on what you submit. I may take issue, but I will certainly thank you for your work and give you all the credit you deserve.

If you're a college student who is working on some sports-related article, I'd be happy to send something to your professor or instructor stating that you've contributed an article that has been published. I'm not sure how much weight that will carry for you, but if they ask if you have any published works, you can say yes.

If you have something to submit, get it sent in! Otherwise, here are a few things I've found around the Interwebs that could use a little exposure. Some of these come from the Life magazine gallery found on Google. I'll note those where necessary.

• Love the images of the old rinks, especially when they have the chicken wire instead of glass. I'm not sure what that fellow is fixing, but he appears to have posed for this picture. If my eyes aren't deceiving me, it looks as though there is a game being played while he's working on the rink! This is a great shot from Life.
• Speaking of those old rinks, check out how close the fans are in Madison Square Garden to the visiting Canadiens. And they barely have a separator there! I guess life back in the 1950s and 1960s really was a different time. Life brings history into reality once again.
• Rarely do we get access to places like the team bus or train, but Life snapped this photo of Blackhawks star Bobby Hull and a teammate who appears to be Pierre Pilote sitting aboard the team train! While it's tough to say which newspaper Hull is reading, Pilote clearly is readying himself for the fairways with his edition of Golf magazine. I love this photo as it really shows a side of the players we don't get to see away from the rink!
• A lot of people I know weren't really fans of the Bruins' yellow alternate jerseys, but I hate to see how many people would really hate the Bruins if they went all yellow. If we go back to 1958-59, though, the Bruins did actually wear mostly yellow as seen here on Fern Flaman! The thing about how the Bruins looked in '58-59 is that there is just enough black to break up the yellow and white. I actually don't mind this look, but I don't know if I'd be happy with it forever. The Bruins just look better in black with yellow highlights.
• We all know how the Rangers have that very unique shadowing on their numbers, and they seem to be pretty consistent when it comes to using that shadow. My question to you, readers, is this: when did they start using it on their sleeve numbers? The reason I ask is that it appears they were shadowing the back numbers in 1963, but they did not do the same on the sleeve numbers as this picture shows. From what I can find, the earliest that they made the numbers on the sleeves similar to those on the back is 1978. Does anyone know if this is the earliest their numbers had similar shadowing?
• Just because I can: Wayne Gretzky in the Burger King jersey. Nothing like a little BK on a Friday night, right? No, I'm not selling out to Burger King either.
• I always like the old photos of international games, so this USSR-USA picture from the 1968 Winter Olympics ranks high. I love the lettering on the front of the USA jersey! The USSR squad has a very understated look for such a dominant team.

That's all for a Friday. I need to get myself ready for five exams next week. I'm pretty sure that my brain going to be mush by the end of next week. However, there is no crying or whining allowed here, so I must do what I have to do!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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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!

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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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Changing Their Course

Rarely are NHL fans treated to a new look midway through the NHL season. Rarely are we treated to a shift in the values, vision, and direction of a franchise so thoroughly with half the season still to be played. And it is the rarest of cases that a franchise will debut new uniforms midway through a season while still wearing their old uniforms. However, the Tampa Bay Lightning have decided to break the trend of waiting until the off-season to debut their new uniforms by unveiling them today. Of course, I have my take on these new threads, so we'll take a look at the good, bad, and indifferent about these new uniforms, and we'll have an overall grade of the new look debuted by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

We've seen a monumental shift in how the Lightning does business since Steve Yzerman took the reins as general manager of the Floridian franchise. The Lightning have definitely changed from an outside point-of-view, extolling the virtues of honour, tradition, respect, and doing things the "right way" as values of their franchise. So it comes as no surprise that the Tampa Bay Lightning published a new set of core values on which the team will build.

If you read that vision statement correctly, the Lightning represent three major keys: the Tampa Bay community, a championship team, and hallmark events. These are the cornerstones of the Lightning franchise in that they will represent and be part of the Tampa Bay community as both corporate citizens and icons within the community; they will be a championship-calibre team so that the metropolitan area of Tampa and St. Petersburg can be proud of their hockey franchise, and proudly stand behind and support their NHL club; and, the Lightning will host hallmark events in which the people of the Tampa Bay area can take part and of which they can be proud. Essentially, the Tampa Bay Lightning are redefining themselves in the market they play in, and I think this is an excellent idea.

Not only are the Lightning pledging to be more visual and more active in the community, but they are committing themselves to the community of Tampa Bay as partners and citizens. But it's not like this vision just suddenly appeared as some apparition to the men who run the Lightning. Instead, this is the basis that the vast majority of northern NHL markets run their businesses. Franchises like Toronto, Montreal, Boston, Minnesota, and Detroit send their players out into the community to interact with fans all the time at various community events. It's no secret that Steve Yzerman, a long-time Detroit Red Wing, is putting this vision forward as a way for the Lightning to become more visible in their own yard. This, readers, is how you generate buzz about your team. For a team that's deep in the sunbelt, this is nothing but a good idea. GOOD.

While the vision statement is something brand-new for this franchise that now puts an onus on the club in being a good corporate citizen, I have to admit that I'm shocked that the Lightning took a step back in their branding of themselves. The new logos, while fairly clear, are also still regressing backwards from their previous iterations. While we saw this work in the case of the Vancouver Canucks as they moved to new uniforms, the Lightning, to me, should be a little more bold. After all, lightning is a pretty awesome force in nature. So while the overall aesthetic of the Lightning hasn't been lost, it does seem a little underwhelming just being one colour. PUSH.

The new uniforms are different, and normally I believe that different is good if it leads to something better. The Lightning have essentially turned a once-bold look into a very subdued look. While I'm not totally against the idea of simplifying anyone's look, we go back to the Lightning being a name that exudes energy and boldness. Had the Minnesota Wild come up with a logo like this, the brand simply doesn't fit the identity. I feel that the home jersey's brand doesn't have the same effect without the black and silver that it once does, and the Lightning are worse off for it. STUPID.

However, I do like the blue colour that the Lightning have decided on for the home jerseys. I was always a fan of the alternate jersey that the Lightning wore in the late-1990s, and the "electric blue" that they wear on their current alternate jerseys stands out. While the Lightning certainly could use some black and silver highlights, the home jersey would essentially look a lot like their current alternate jerseys... making them Dallas East. Kudos for the Lightning in opting for the blue background for their home jerseys, and for not selecting navy blue as their primary colour. GOOD.

The new white road jersey is even more sterile than their current road jersey. Again, the jersey could certainly use some black and/or silver highlights to make the jersey "pop" a little more. After all, we're talking about "the Lightning". And I'm not a fan of the "Tampa Bay" written across this jersey. As you know, I seriously think that NHL teams need to live and die by their logos and branding and not the city name. While the city name is vitally important to the identity of the team, when you read "Chicago hockey", the Blackhawks logo probably comes to mind. Lose the name, grab some jersey accents for this road jersey. STUPID.

The new shoulder patch being sported by the Lightning is magnificent. Honestly, I love the retro look of this new patch, and I think that this design has a lot of opportunity to be a very good logo for branding. First, circular logos are automatically pleasing to the eye in their nature. Don't believe me? Think about these logos - Target, Apple, Disney, Mercedes-Benz, the Olympic Rings, AT&T, Shell Petroleum. What do they all have in common? They are round or have large portions of their logos in a round shape. And I guarantee that most of you can picture each of those logos in your head.

Secondly, the patch is very simplistic in its design. Less is definitely more in this case, and I think the Lightning should be very happy with this design. I, for one, think it could almost be their primary logo. GOOD.

I apologize for the size of the picture, but the Lightning have gone to single-colour names and numbers on the back of the jerseys. I'm certainly not complaining because you can read the names and numbers quite easily in that small picture, and it is much better than some of their previous font choices. The font is clean and simple, and that's perfect. GOOD.

Overall, the look of these new jerseys leaves me wanting more from the Lightning. It's not to say that they're bad or that I won't get used to them, but in comparison to today's look and yesterday's look, the Lightning just seem less aggressive in their new duds. Having the legends show up and wear the new uniforms, including Phil Esposito who never played for the Lightning, was a little much in terms of presentation.

The Lightning also announced that their recently-introduced alternate jerseys would move forward with the new uniforms to remain as the alternate jersey. So while the "Victory Stripes" may be gone from the home and road jerseys, fans of the Lightning will still get to see them when the Lightning play games in their alternate uniforms. As much as I like to make fun of the armpit stripes, they are unique to the Lightning, so I'm glad to see the stripes remain. However, I'm still not sold on "Bolts". PUSH.

So there are the new-look Tampa Bay Lightning in all of their uniform glory. Personally, I think the look will grow on me, so I'm going to give these jerseys a thumbs-up as they went 4-2-2 in the GOOD-STUPID-PUSH record. Time will tell how the Lightning fare in their traditional design, but at least Steve Yzerman didn't resort to bringing Manon Rhéaume in to back up Dwayne Roloson.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Antler Banter: Volume 16

We're back for another week of Antler Banter, and we have a full schedule of stuff to report. Thanks to a morning game, we also get a Wednesday game update on a Wednesday! The Moose finished off their set against the Marlies, and we have a couple of games against the Abbotsford Heat to look at before the Moose take their show to Hamilton on the start of a seven-game road trip that sees them travel to Ontario, New York, and Pennsylvania. The schedule doesn't get any easier for the Moose as they work their way into February! Head over to 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. It's an all-Canadian week in this week's Hardcore Hockey!

No Grief With The Baby Leafs

The Marlies and Moose finished their two-game set from last week on Wednesday night, and there was certainly some animosity between these two teams. The Marlies dropped a 4-2 decision on Tuesday, and desperately needed to beta Manitoba to keep pace. Manitoba, for their efforts, would put some distance between themselves and the Marlies, so the two points are big for both teams. Tyler Weiman got the call for the Moose while the Marlies sent James Reimer back to the paint.

Bill Sweatt showed that he's willing to step in in the absence of a number of Moose scoring threats. Sweatt potted a couple of goals on the night, and finished with a +2 rating and a game-high six shots on net. Sweatt showed great jump on a shorthanded two-on-one with Marco Rosa, and his toe-drag around the sprawled Marlies defender opened up James Reimer just enough for the puck to get through the goaltender. Sweatt also showed some elusiveness as he escaped coverage to chip home a rebound off Kevin Connauton's point shot. Keith Aulie was nowhere to be found as Sweatt burst past him and netted his second of the night. An excellent showing on this night by the younger Sweatt brother!

The top-rated penalty killing unit in the AHL had themselves another strong showing in keeping the Marlies at bay with the man-advantage. Manitoba went four-for-four in killing off man-advantages, and have not allowed a powerplay goal in the last 16 man-advantage situations. January 7 was the last day the Moose gave up a powerplay goal, and the Hershey Bears recorded two that day. Well done to the Moose PK units for their stingy play!

The Moose won by three goals on Tuesday night, and they pulled off the same trick on Wednesday night as they downed the Marlies by a 5-2 score. Tyler Weiman was solid in the net all night, and really gave the Moose a boost of confidence with his great play. With the win, the Moose improve to 24-12-5 on the season!

Where There's Smoke...

The Moose and Abbotsford Heat got themselves reacquainted at MTS Centre this past week as the Heat visited the Moose on a three-night, two-game stay. It's the first visit to Winnipeg for the Heat as all four games between these two teams have happened in Abbotsford thus far. Manitoba has won three of four games this season against the Heat, and look to improve on that record. The Moose sent Eddie Lack to the crease while the Heat responded with Leland Irving in this Thursday night tilt.

It's good to see Jordan Schroeder back on the ice for the Moose, and Schroeder wasted no time in re-introducing himself to the Moose faithful. Schroeder scored the game's opening goal on the powerplay with his only shot on net during the evening, and looked at home on the man-advantage. He seemed to be a little out of sync after missing 16 games and that's to be expected, but scoring a goal after that kind of layoff certainly bodes well for the young Moose forward.

I'll come out and say this right now: Eddie Lack played well, but could have been better. In the first period, he gave Chris Cunning a freebie. Cunning's shot from the neutral zone was gloved by Lack easily, but Lack misplayed the puck as he attempted to sweep it behind the net for his defencemen, and the puck slid slowly across the goal line for Cunning's eighth goal of the season. Penalty shots also hurt Lack as he was beaten once in regulation time on a nice move by Chris Cunning, and then twice in the shootout. Had Lack not donated the first-period goal to the Heat, the Moose would be two points better than Abbotsford on this night.

This tightly-contested match came down to the shootout as the Moose and Heat found themselves deadlocked at 2-2 after 60 minutes and an extra frame of overtime. Kevin Clark found the net behind Leland Irving, but Greg Nemisz and Jon Rheault beat Lack in the breakaway contest to lead the Heat to the 3-2 shootout victory. With the shootout loss, the Moose fall to 24-12-6 on the season.

See-Bee-Seeing Wins And Bobbleheads

The Moose had special guests at MTS Centre on Sunday as the Moose hosted the AHL on CBC on Sunday! The Moose also gave away Nolan Baumgartner bobbleheads to the first 5000 fans through the doors, so there was definitely a charge in the air as the Moose and Heat resumed battled. The Moose wanted a win on national TV and needed the two points to keep pace with Hamilton, and the Heat wanted to capture four points. The stakes were high, so you knew this was going to be a great game! Leland Irivng was back in the nets for Abbotsford, but the Moose opted to go with Tyler Weiman in the rematch.

It was a big day for Garth Murray as the tough-as-nails Moose forward was an assist away from the "Gordie Howe hat trick" in the first period! Murray scored his first goal of the season on national TV, and put the Moose up 1-0 just 4:46 into the game. Murray took a great pass from Bill Sweatt as he gained a step on the Abbotsford blueliners, and his backhander got through Irving as he drove the net. Later in the period, Murray destroyed Matt Keith with a textbook open-ice hit, and then scrapped with Stefan Meyer as Meyer tried to defend his teammate's honour. I'm calling the scrap a draw simply due to the fact that Meyer tied up Murray and wouldn't let him throw haymakers. This is the kind of swagger Murray needs to bring every night!

The second period belonged to Mario Bliznak as the shifty centerman picked up a couple of helpers by being aware of where his teammates were. First, he found Mark Flood on the blueline from the corner, and Flood blasted the puck home on the powerplay for his fifth of the season. Just 1:16 later, Bliznak's wrap-around attempt was less wrap-around and more pass. Irving slid across to block the wrap-around, but the puck went cross-ice to a wide-open Shawn Weller, and Weller had his eighth of the season. Bliznak's solid second period put the Moose up 3-2 with one period to play.

The third period was all about Desbiens. Guillaume Desbiens hasn't found the scoresheet often since being returned to the Moose by the Vancouver Canucks, but sometimes all you need to do is knock the gorilla off your back to get your confidence going. Desbiens started the period with a bit of luck as his cross-crease pass pinballed its way off a couple of Abbotsford players and past Irving. Desbiens wasn't done there, though, as the gritty forward closed out the game with an empty-netter for his third goal of the season. Desbiens played hard in this game, and he was finally rewarded with a bit of luck.

The two teams battled back and forth on Sunday afternoon, and the Moose had earned themselves a 5-3 victory after the dust settled. The CBC has to be happy with this game as both teams put on a good show. Thankfully, the hometown fans get to go home happy with their Nolan Baumgartner bobbleheads as the Moose improve to 25-12-6 on the season with the win!

Not A Morning Team

The Moose visited the Hamilton Bulldogs today for a very rare morning game as the Bulldogs hosted their first-ever "School Day" where youngsters from Hamilton could attend an AHL game! The 10:30am start is a bit of a shock to the system for players used to playing in the afternoon or night, so you do what you have to do. Tyler Weiman, having won his last six starts, got the nod for Manitoba while the Bulldogs sent former Moose netminder Curtis Sanford to the nets.

One player showed up for this game ready to play as Winnipeg-born Dustin Boyd put the screws to his former team. Boyd scored once in the second period and twice in the third period to record the hat trick as he now has 14 goals on the season. Having spent time with the Flames, Predators, and Canadiens, Boyd knows how to prepare for games, and he certainly looked good on this morning.

The penalty kill, which gave up two goals to the Abbotsford Heat on Sunday, responded by closing the door on Hamilton's powerplay. The Moose went four-for-four in killing off penalties, and the detail this unit is showing in doing the little things right has certainly been paying off. Well done to head coach Claude Noel and the coaching staff for improving this area of the Herd's repertoire this season!

Tyler Weiman was solid in only allowing two goals, but Curtis Sanford was better as the Bulldogs shutdown the Moose in front of their biggest crowd of the season. 10270 fans came out to see the Bulldogs shutout the Moose by a 3-0 score as Dustin Boyd recorded all three goals in the victory. Sergei Shirokov's point streak also came to an end in this game, and the Moose fall to 25-13-6 on the season with the loss.

One Up, One Down

I'm glad I posted this article late on Wednesday because we got to see another Moose player achieve a first in the NHL. After seeing Sergei Shirokov score his first NHL goal last week, Lee Sweatt made his debut with the Vancouver Canucks tonight, and he followed in Shirokov's footsteps.

#57 scores his first NHL goal, and it was the game-winner no less! Congratulations go out to Lee Sweatt for making the most of his call-up! Keep it up!

Time Waits For No Team

The Moose have a busy weekend as they play Friday in Rochester against the Americans, and then travel to Toronto on Saturday for a game against the Marlies. Two divisional games to finish off the week before the AHL All-Star Game should make for interesting times depending on the outcomes of these games.

Rochester is currently sitting in last-place in the North Division with a 19-23-5 record for 43 points. They come into the game 3-6-1 in their last ten games. Michal Repik leads the team in scoring by a large margin with 7 goals and 31 assists. Winger Michael Duco leads the teams in goals with 13 while both Scott Timmins and Kenndal McArdle have ten goals apiece. Neither Jakob Markstrom nor Tyler Plante are having particularly strong seasons thus far, but both have the talent to beat any team on any given night.

After having seen Toronto last week, the Moose are quite aware of what Toronto brings to the table. Toronto is now in fourth-place in the North Division, five points behind the Moose. They are 5-4-1 in their last ten games with two of those losses coming at the hands of the Moose. Toronto will be hungry in their barn, so the Moose will have to come out ready to play in this one.

The Moose will say goodbye to Sergei Shirokov after the Toronto game as Shirokov will make his way to Hershey, Pennsylvania for the 2011 AHL All-Star Game. Shirokov is the only Moose representative on the team this year, and this will be his second AHL All-Star Game appearance. I wish Shirokov all the best in this game, and I'll be watching the speedy Russian show off his skills on Sunday and Monday!

Two big games against divisional rivals, so you know those four points are important. After the lacklustre loss to the Bulldogs, the Moose need to bear down and DO IT!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Maybe The Fans Can Try?

I had visions of writing an article today on the shootout, and how this added bonus at the end of tied games send the fans home with a feeling of satisfaction or defeat. After all, hockey is a sport that prides itself on entertainment value, and no one really likes to go home unfulfilled after spending $500 on tickets, food, and souvenirs. Instead, I changed my focus once I came across an article that spoke of the longest shootout in hockey history, and one that network executive in North America would probably grumble about if it happened here.

We go back a few weeks to the Deutsche EisHockey Liga where the visiting Straubing Tigers played EHC München on December 22, 2010. Not much was out of the ordinary as the teams closed out the regulation sixty minutes tied 4-4. 4999 fans awaited the standard overtime period, and saw the two teams remain tied after the extra frame. So, as we see in most games today, a shootout was on-deck in this game.

The two goaltenders, Sebastien Elwing for München and Dimitri Pätzold for Straubing, have probably faced a number of penalty shots in practice, and I know some teams enjoy having a shootout competition at the end of practices as a little fun. I'm guessing both goaltenders have seen their fair share of penalty shots and shootout moves in their careers.

That being said, the game on December 22 may have doubled the amount of shootout attempts they have faced in their careers in one game. The shootout between Straubing and München went an incredible 21 rounds! The hockey game, including the shootout, lasted nearly three hours for the fans, players, coaches, and officials - a timeframe almost unheard of for professional hockey games.

There were goals in the third round of the shootout as Straubing's Justin Mapletoft and München's Martin Buchwieser each scored on their attempts to keep the shootout knotted at 1-1. Christian Wichart and Tobias Draxinger scored again in the fourteenth round to keep the shootout even at 2-2.

München captain Stéphane Julien appeared to score in the seventeenth round, but the goal was waved off by referee Lars Brüggemann after the video replay showed the puck did not fully cross the goal line. 34 skaters in, two goals, no winner yet. Will this game ever end?

As an aside, Lars Brüggemann is an interesting fellow. He is a former player from the DEL, and has now turned his sights on officiating in the German Elite League. Brüggemann played one season in the QMJHL with the Hull Olympiques in 1993-94, recording one goal, three assists, and 93 PIMs over 58 games. He left for the DEL after that season, but returned to North America to play in the ECHL three years later. He suited up with the Jacksonville Lizard Kings in 1997-98, scoring one goal, six assists, and spending 91 minutes in the penalty box over 49 games. The rest of his career played out in Germany. But back to this story....

Neville Rautert and Andy Canzanello exchanged goals in the eighteenth round, and both Martin Buchwieser and Tobias Draxinger scored again in the twentieth round as the two teams remained knotted at 4-4 through the shootout. But things were about to change in the 21st round.

Straubing’s Éric Meloche, who played for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers in the NHL, blasted a slapshot past Sebastien Elwing to put Straubing up by a 5-4 score. The game came down to Stéphane Julien, but the München captain was stonewalled Dimitri Pätzold as Straubing won the shootout by a 5-4 score and the game by a 5-4 score after 21 rounds of shootout.

The longest shootout in IIHF competition was 13 rounds between Belarus and France at the 2002 IIHF U-20 Championship. Belarus eventually won the game on Dmitri Mialeshka's goal in the 25th round as Belarus downed France. The NHL's longest shootout is still remembered between the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals from November 25, 2005. I mean, how could anyone forget this goal?

Eric Meloche's name is the answer to the trivia question: Who scored the goal to end hockey's longest shootout in history?

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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