Well, not quite -- but close! My parents threw me on the ice at the age of 3, and my Dad put me on a ringette team by the time I was 4. I was much younger and smaller than the rest of the girls, and I was a terrible skater. Thankfully, a kindly coach took pity on me and took me over to the side of the rink to practice my skillz until I caught up with the rest of the team. I played for 14 years, and I miss it like hell.
What does the above have to do with Hockey memories? As a young ringette player, I idolized the Oilers. I was bred to be an Oilers fan, watching games with my Dad almost since birth, but it was strapping on those skates that really allowed me to identify with the players and understand how talented they truly are. Nothing beats the rush of cold air on your face as you skate as hard as you can; That sensation of smooth speed as you glide over the frozen water's surface is unlike any other. As a young'un, this love of the ice is something that I was sure I had in common with my heroes Messier, Tikkanen, and Gretzky -- And knowing this brought me closer to the game and to the Oilers as a fan.
With my name clumsily printed on masking tape on the front of my helmet and blue sweatpants over my pads in place of the Cooperalls that I coveted, but didn't come small enough to fit me, I'm sure I looked ridiculous attempting to imitate a classic Gretzky wrap-around. But during those few sloppy moments, I was the great Gretz. I was a part of my favorite team, at least in my mind, and I could not have loved hockey more.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
I Was Born Wearing Skates
Blue eyeshadow and blue jerseys
I remember being very small, like 2 or 3, and watching the Oilers on TV. The Zamboni was the most exciting part. My mom's friend put lovely 80s blue eyeshadow on me which is somewhat unrelated except for the part about me not having a TV growing up so we watched at my parents' friend's house. I received the Wayne Gretzky doll for my 4th birthday and fate was sealed.
For a few years in the mid-80s until 1996, hockey and I parted ways except for listening to Canucks games on the radio at night. Oh, the glory days of Linden and Bure. Then a friend and I spent some Saturday nights together watching HNIC because when you only have two channels, it was usually the better choice. I took to Jose Hilton, I mean, Theodore and followed his every move, scouring the Hockey News in the school library for any tidbits of info. When his photo was found, it was quickly photocopied and put up in my locker (oh lockers were fun!).
I graduated high school in 1997 and spent the following years at university where the only hockey I watched was the World Juniors because you always need another excuse to stay up late.
But again, hockey and I drifted apart until 2000 when I was a sad and lonely girl living at home with my parents (I'm sorry Mom and Dad). My mom had tickets to the Kootenay Ice and every once in a while, I would get to go with her but then I started just buying my own because it was FANTASTIC! We would go on the road to watch games and the season was capped off by a trip to Halifax for the Memorial Cup. While there I met my husband who was a Sports Editor for a daily paper. Now that we have been married for 4 years, it's was hard to not get on board with his love for the game and more importantly, love for the Flames. I know he likes having a wife who likes sports and I like having him around too. Also, he puts up with my love for Dion. :) Thanks, honey!
I've stuck with it over the years because I get excited when we go to a live game and excited when the Flames are playing on TV, so you can imagine the excitement in my blood when we went to a live Flames game! Yowza! I love the cool air in the rink, the smells of concession and the ice, the sounds of the game and the fans (not the stupid ones).
Now, I love having my blog, which led me to a great community and grew to become hlog. Yeah!
I couldn't have been the only one...
Ignoring Jordi's direct order a few posts down, I offer you my response to the topic of the week.
I was in grade school, and discovered that knowing a thing or two about hockey was a good way to break the ice with the cute boy sitting next to me. Of course, this was real basic stuff...I knew what a center was, but it was enough to give me an edge (but not enough of one) over the better looking 8 year olds.
There was a lapse somewhere in my later formative years where I watched no hockey. It was probably around the time the Leafs weren't doing so well, none of my preteen lady friends were that interested, and hockey is a sport to be shared, darn it!
Thankfully, I grew out of that awkward stage, first by becoming a playoff fan, and eventually when that wasn't enough for me, I moved into watching the regular season.
A lot of this has to do with living in a hockey-mad country...and city, in particular. It's an acquired taste, and I'm relatively certain that if I lived anywhere outside of Canada, I'd probably be into baseball or football or something.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Wendel Fart--I mean "Clark"
I'm not even joking, that's my first hockey related memory. Still, the details of my childhood are kind of fuzzy...I suspect I may have suppressed most of the details due to some form of grade school gym class trauma--but I digress.
When my family moved to the Great White North in '92 from Taiwan, I was only 5 years old and English was still a new language to my brother and I. He was a couple of years older than me and you know boys at that age, they're all giggles with their fart jokes and armpit noises. Whenever someone said the name "Wendel Clark", he would counter with "What? Wendel FART?" and thought he was the funniest person in the entire universe. I wonder if he knew that Mr. Clark could readily kick his butt if he heard him disrespecting him like that.
I frankly had no idea what the heck they were talking about until I sat in on one of my cousin and brother's street hockey games. We lived in the suburbs and this was before the Internet was the cool thing to do. Our families couldn't really afford real nets so we just used empty flower pots, turned them upside down and used them as goal posts. It was alot easier to clear whenever there was a car driving by. I thought it was the coolest thing in the world but they wouldn't let me play because I was 1) a girl, 2) five years younger than all of them and 3) wearing a skirt...with suspenders. [Shush, my mom was dressing me back then, okay? I can assure you that that is no longer the case]
I caught my first hockey game on Hockey Night in Canada one random Saturday and decided that what I was watching was about a million times better than whatever the heck my brother and his friends were doing outside on the road. Of course our beloved team was the Toronto Maple Leafs. My brother collected hockey cards and we would listen to the games on the Fan 590 since we were only allowed an hour of T.V. every night. My brother might have been still learning English but he became very adept at shouting "He shoots, he scores!" I remember thinking to myself how funny looking Pat Burns was with his moustache and I've missed seeing him behind the bench ever since he left. I went through this sort of dry period when I stopped paying attention to hockey but then I saw the Ottawa Senators play after the lockout and decided, you know what? This game is pretty freaking awesome and there's no shame in loving the Senators anymore. I'll just have to be a little bit more careful whenever I'm walking down the street.
I'm not really sure how to answer why I stuck with it. As a Canadian, that's simply not something you ask yourself. If you do, the mounties will come-a-knockin' at your door and demand your passport and your citizenship card back. And I had to take a test to get mine. It was hard.
Okay, no it wasn't.
I shall tackle the Creative Challenge tomorrow since this day has been way too long already.
This will be cool.
Short mention of a creative challenge. Mainly because I reckon this should be done as soon as possible, AQG gave the most fantastic suggestion:
If your team were a person, what would he/she be like?
Now it's creative because not only will you describe and breakdown its characteristics, you can add extra. Now if you think you're the epitome of the team, by all means show yourself off. Or if you're a little camera shy, do a little stick figure/sketch of what they'd be like. Think of it as a diagram/example. Celebrity parallels are accepted too.
Do it.
Weekly topic is here!
Okay so I am challenging Jordi for head ass-kicker around here.
No, wait, she would win.
BUT I do have a weekly topic for us...
Share your earliest hockey memory and why you stuck with the boys. I mean, game. GAME.
Q & A with the (nerdy) girl with a puck... warning: she's longwinded
I have real-live friends outside of Mickey Mouse and Wildwing, I swear. Cassie's one of them, you should feel sorry for her. Nevertheless, I'm Christy Finn, mostly known as Finny, and I fiddle around on a Ducks-centric blog called Girl With a Puck.
1. Where are you from? What do you do?
I'm a total California girl, though not the bleach-blonde, sunburnt, surfer-girl type popularized by The OC. (That doesn't mean they aren't actually there, but I won't diss 'em since they've done nothing explicitly to harm me personally). I was born and raised in sunny SoCal with a complete obliviousness towards hockey until, *gasp*, The Mighty Ducks films. Don't laugh, I'm serious. What's worse? I didn't actually get into hockey (or the team) until I watched the cartoon of the Mighty Ducks... then I got curious and started to watch the actual hockey team. What do I do? What don't I do? I'm a graduate student studying English literature, and when I absolutely must, I go slave away in downtown LA at a community college where I hold an incredibly boring job as a financial aid assistant. FAFSA, anyone?
2. What's your favorite team? Why?
Ah, the Ducks. I just fell in love at 13 years old with the then-Disney Captain Paul Kariya (big mistake, as he would break my heart into itty-bitty pieces in 2003), but then I fell for the team and the game when I saw it was fast, it had fights, it wasn't easy-come, easy-go. The players had a strength and toughness I admired in men then (and still do), and I wanted to be tough like that (at the time, Xena was a big part of my life and tough-chick attitudes ruled).
3. Your least favourite team? Why?
The Red Wings. The first year I ever paid attention to hockey (the '96-'97 season), the then-Mighty-Ducks went to the playoffs and got swept by the Wings. I wasn't happy, and I hated Scotty Bowman for years thereafter, though I now respect him and can muster up some grudging respect for the Wings, I still hate losing to them. I also don't like the Kings, cross-town rivalry and all that.
4. Your favourite player of all time & now?
Man, of all time and now? Toughie. I'd have to say Teemu Selanne as my favorite of all time because he was part of the Dynamic Duo (Selanne & Kariya) from back in the day when I first fell in love with hockey, and I had the chance to meet him that year. Nine years later, he signed the picture of when I met him at age 14. Everything I've ever read about him and seen from him just speaks volumes about what a class act and community icon he is, and I just admire that. My favorite player "now"--as in "this very moment"--is probably Shane O'Brien because he's a kid that's been impressing me all season-long.
5. If you had to punch one hockey player or member of the NHL organisation, who and why?
This is a little bit of a tricky question for me. I really dislike Mike Modano (aka Madonna) because he doesn't ever stop complaining, and I'm not a big fan or respector of Dwayne Roloson, but probably I'd want to punch the Kings' Sean Avery or the "traitor" aka "prick" Paul Kariya. Avery because he always inspires me to want to fight him with his antics and constant jawing, and Kariya for his disloyalty and prickishness. I've heard the stories, I know he's not that nice, and it sucks because I used to be such a fan.
6. What you'll be looking forward in this group blog.
A sense of community with other female hockey fans! Women can only unite in a way that men seem to be unable to, and beyond that, we may disagree but we're not quite so antagonistic about our viewpoints and I'm a much bigger believer in disagreeing instead of arguing. Of course, this doesn't apply when it comes time to drop the gloves, but I'm glad women can co-exist with differing opinions and prove that a "guys sport" isn't just for guys' enjoyment. Plus, I love being able to chat with other women who are knowledgable about the sport!
7. What you don't like in general?
Spicy food. Liars. Smoking (notice: I did not say smokers, but I did say smoking). Drunk guys who hit on anything that moves because they think they're all that. Girls who are fake. Prickly people. Guys who always sell a dive on the ice. And I definitely don't like the really rude opposition fans (ahem, several--but not all--Kings fans).
8. What role do female fans play in keeping the game alive?
Spreading the fandom to include not just skill and ability but also a player's contribution to a community. Plus, we get to apply the whole sex-appeal thing to the game. Hockey's sexy and female fans can sell that point, generating an appeal to the game for it's speed and it's reinforcement of a more-than-capable-tough guy who'll do crazy things like bleed profusely and still be primarily concerned with whether or not they can get back in the game. Guys like that, who show their dedication, are to me, an inspiration... and my loud mouth and non-stop hockey chatter makes dang sure other people know that hockey rocks my world.
9. What role do female fans play in picking heroes for the community?
Promotion. We have the power to promote to our friends any organization a player chooses to endorse, and we drag along our husbands/boyfriends/fathers/sugar daddies/whoever to make sure they sit through it and support it whether or not they go cooperatively or coersively. Plus, women who have kids have the ability to teach that child to love hockey. As a result, that love will turn to admiration of a player or two and cultivate a desire not only to watch the game, but perhaps even to play and "be like" whoever. Every child (and every woman) needs a hero.
10. Hockey just isn't the same without Wayne Gretzky (playing, not coaching with that possessed, evil look he seems to don so often).
11. If you were on a deserted island, which player would you pick to stay with you? Crosby, Ovechkin or Phaneuf (hey he tried!)?
Not Phaneuf because he's Ryan Getzlaf's long-time rival (and I so heart Getzzy). And despite his great skill, not Ovechkin (somehow, I'm just not that crazy about him). I'd take Crosby because he's young, he's fast, and he has great hands... Heeeeeyyyyy... (interpret that any way you like).
12. The player you'd like to take for a grand night out/a movie/a boring event.
Grand Night Out: Ryan Getzlaf because he seems like the kind of guy who can party... he's always seems to be smiling and cracking some kind of joke. I just think it's cute. Or maybe Ilya Bryzgalov because he reads philosophy books and he'd probably have lots to say about whatever's going on around us.
A movie: Ryan Shannon. The kid is so damn articulate and smart, I'd love to watch a "thinker" movie and analyze it with him. It'd be fun to compare notes because I was an English major and he was an Economics major (hey, they accounced that on a broadcasted game, I did not find that info out by seeking it)--and there's got to be huge differences in how we see the world. I just want to pick his brain.
A boring event: Shane O'Brien because they say he never runs out of things to say and he just seems so fun and just cool with his "fear is not a factor for you" fights and constant "chirping". I find it amusing to watch him always running his mouth and read that on road trips he like to talk. I figure it's got to be pretty interesting, and it'll probably keep me amused for the better part of a boring event.
13. If you could make your own team, regardless of whatever players, what would it be called and where will it be/how would it be like?
My fantasy teams are "Puck Pirates" and "Titans"--the first because I couldn't come up with another name and the second because that's my college mascot and we don't have an official hockey team. I'd probably want the Titans and I'd want it somewhere in SoCal, though I realize that's not advisable or practical or a particularly promising money market. I don't know how it'd be, except that I'd consult TSN.ca's fantasy rankings before deciding on which players I wanted...
I earn 5 times what you chimps can ever make!
I see that I failed to answer my own question. Bad Jordi. Bad Jordi!
I don't know if there's some outstanding member of the Canadiens community. I might be missing something huge here. Of course there's the obvious "legends" of sorts who get invited to charity hoo-haas so they can relive their glory days or maybe Patrick Roy since fans just love to claim him. Jose Theodore is apparently quite active in it but his name is taboo and as soon as anyone mentions his name someone will always mutter "Propecia!". But it seems more like no one should ever ever become too dedicated to a place with fans likes these. I don't know, maybe it's because anyone can get booed away so easily. But there isn't a name that jumps into mind when it's asked this. You can list the friendliest people or the people more likely to be part of a charity event, but there's no man who will go out of his way all the time to make people happy. Unless you count Kovalev apparently giving a couple of people free rides on his plane when he was with the Rangers or something.
But that doesn't mean people don't try to help out in charity. There was already a charity golf tournament, which raised oodles of money to help kids. but I reckon it's more of an obligation. Hell even Markov turned up and he got lost on the way. And he lost his information card to help him if he got lost. Thankfully Perezhogin found him, but not before he found out he really sucked at golf. By the way, digging for Perezhogin helped me find that he did his part for charity, but not before he helped a goalie convulse and bleed on the ice.
Kovalev recently did his bit to help kids. I have a soft spot for him because he helps add some sort of colour to the team. I'll be honest, he's a bit of a nutcase from his hit on Tucker to his recent argument with refs to get himself thrown out of the Bruins game. Youppi certainly has a knack of making Gainey smile. And Komisarek did it before Commodore decided to try shaving his hair.
However who makes the cut as the #1 figure of purity and goodness? Like what Iginla is to Calgary, Saku Koivu is arguably a lot more to the Canadiens. He's got hero written all over him, even if he may never learn French. Probably the biggest story of him is when he was diagnosed with cancer not too long ago.
Except for a strange metallic taste in his mouth and a loss of appetite, Saku says he felt fine for the first few days in the hospital, where he was deluged with get-well cards. But as soon as he was sent home, shot full of ultrahigh-dose chemotherapy drugs, he closeted himself in the dark, writhing in pain. For three days, he couldn't bear to speak, hear noise or see light. He couldn't get out of bed. Listening to him scream, his parents, who had flown in from Finland, were convinced he was dying. Hanna thought so too.
What little Saku remembers, he describes this way: "I just needed to sleep, to close my eyes. My head was killing me, I was throwing up and the pain, the fire that was in me -- it was like ... it was like ... " He falls silent before he can find the words to finish.
Apart from all the support (including those by Lemieux and Lance Armstrong), Saku Koivu pretty much cheated death. His Non-Hodgkin Lymphonia has a 50% survival rate, not really good odds. And not only did he promise to return to the ice, he promised to keep the date for his wedding with his fiancee.
And if Koivu wasn't going to be traded away as per the "curse" of captains, some higher being was kind of trying to kill him. That included the more recent eye injury which threatened his career. And like Roloson's injury threw his team into mayhem, Koivu's injury possibly guaranteed Montreal's elimination from the playoffs more than before. But apart from his occasional headaches, he's still all fine and dandy. And he's playing a pretty good game recently, obviously Koivu's built like a rock. So why is it all important, hearing about a guy get all banged up and throw up? Because he provides inspiration to people. He's become known for his character not just on the ice, becoming an unrivaled figurehead for the team. And to seal the claim that he is just a natural leader, he was voted in as a member of the International Olympic Commitee in the Athletes' Commission. And he sticks up for his teammates, not exactly physically but in the press. He's like the guy everyone loves. I love him. He deserves 4 mil and more. But he's Finnish so that's probably why.In other news, Roger Crozier Award winning goaltender Cristobal Huet gave his loot from the award to charity. Nice bloke ain't he? There's even an ebay auction for a charity "Cristobal Huet Experience" item. I don't read French from never taking it (but I do a mean Japanese) so it offers:
- 1x Huet
- Bedding
- Leaf & Habs stationery
- Burning money (for when you're drunk)
- Montreal, especially one of the big buildings
- An Airline
- And a shirt to keep you warm
And please, please, please, help me make a new question to change the topic to. Read More......
Ducks move south for summer.
Or winter. Whatever. Finny's in the house. She'll address all your disney related questions.
Read More......Saturday, October 28, 2006
Damn you Sundin!
All I can think of is that Nike goalie ad. The one everyone knows. "Are you Swedish sir! Good! Cause I'm not picking up Swedish people. They remind me of Mats Sundin!" In truth I wanted to say snappy catchphrases like "Bring it." or "It's ON!". But I had nothing to bring, and nothing's really on.
Simply put, we deserved a regulation time loss more than anything this time round. But Samsonov decided to be a hot shot and score two goals. And what is up with the OT games/shootouts? Are we like, leading the league in them? We've had 4 of them already, having only played 10 games. If they keep doing this, there'll be like 34 OT games? (Of course it wouldn't happen but we have terrible luck).
The lines seem to be shuffling a bit more as the game happened, which seems to wash down better than "SAMSONOV DEMOTED TO FOURTH LINE FOR A ROOKIE HAR HAR". The first line seemed to not be doing so great, which is alright but was fustrating at the same time. Defensively they're still getting stuck in this limbo of not being there at the right time and ending up a second too late. This ended with Abby facing 51 whole shots while the Leafs were shooting him like a pinball machine. However interestingly, Kovalev seems to be unofficially a center now. I remember some article saying he'd do it if he had too and he's not too bad at it. By doing so, he demolished the need for a center between him and Samsonov and Carbonneau added Perezhogin to the line which seemed to get a lot of lucky shots. I'm still not sure if this is the definitive line but I'm hoping it will solve the "center woes" problem, thus forcing people to see the real problems with the team. However who knows, maybe it'll just collapse.
If we're going to see a lot of OTs, especially with teams we'll be seeing alot of (Leafs), we need to get good at it. OT-wise we're good, we take stupid penalties but that's why our PK is probably one of the best (I think it was 2nd last time I checked). However shootout-wise we suck terribly. It's so simple yet so hard at the same time. When shootouts roll around, I get excited because it's sort of fun but I get disappointed because no one on the team can really be decent on the shootouts. If the goalie chokes early, we're done. Huet didn't seem to face the pressure that well compared to Aebischer, who tonight played really well. I mean, 51 shots! And the shootout was definitely not his fault. I'd get tired too if the other guys couldn't really seem to score.
| Toronto | Tomas Kaberle shootout goal | |
| Montreal | Sergei Samsonov shootout goal | |
| Toronto | Mats Sundin shootout saved | |
| Montreal | Alexei Kovalev shootout saved | |
| Toronto | Darcy Tucker shootout saved | |
| Montreal | Michael Ryder shootout saved | |
| Toronto | Alexander Steen shootout saved | |
| Montreal | Mark Streit shootout miss | |
| Toronto | Matthew Stajan shootout saved | |
| Montreal | Saku Koivu shootout saved | |
| Toronto | Alexei Ponikarovsky shootout saved | |
| Montreal | Christopher Higgins shootout saved | |
| Toronto | Kyle Wellwood shootout goal | |
| Montreal | Alexander Perezhogin shootout saved |
Thank god Wellwood ended it or else we'd be asking Carbonneau to get out and try for us.
Oh yeah Samsonov and the coach are "working things out" apparently. That's speak for "we're sorry we made you worry" or "you're right Latendresse shouldn't be anywhere near the 2nd line for now". Maybe they're trying to appease the angry 3.5 million beast. I mean after all he got first dibs on the SO. And trust me, even if he played decent last time he never even got a shot. But he should stay on the SO, he seems to have the hang of it.
Overall we're now joint 4th with the Leafs in the conference. It was a somewhat sad game. Here's to hoping there's less suck. I think the lines are going to be more like this, since they were like it this game:
Higgins - Koivu - Ryder
Perezhogin - Kovalev - Samsonov
Latendresse - Bonk - Johnson
Begin - Plekanec - Downey/Murray?
Next game is against the darling Sens. We'll beat you guys. Even if I have to rig it. Read More......
A quick bogan explanation.
I was previously asked to explain what a bogan was really more like. I mean, I'm terrible with diagrams and I don't want to take up too much space for this. So here's the long and short of it.
From Bogan.com.au:
BOGAN (pronunciation boe-gn) is a term used primarily in Australia to describe a particular section of the working class demographic...You see in Australia, the mullet culture is so deep. I once said Petr Sykora was a bogan. I think it was the Ducks photo that did it. Because to me if Sykora did not have a lovely little hairdye and emo haircut,
Eric Bana's portrayal of the character Poida gained him accolades within the industry and effectively launched his professional acting career. This is one of very few examples of extreme boganism leading to success & wealth...
A bogan will often allow his/her hair to grow into an attractive style named the "mullet" as popularised in the 1980's. A hair cut is a rare event for the bogan, and most styling occurs when the razor is brought out to either
a) produce a "skinhead" style cut or b) a "frullet" (front-mullet).
could become
Thanks Eric Bana.
I'm beat. It'll do for now.
Please don't kill me Jordi.
Admin business is usually the domain of your supreme ruler Jordi, but Cassie from Anaheim Duck Fan fired me an e-mail and I'm pleased to welcome her into the fold.
Soon enough we'll have the whole league covered. And by soon I mean slowly and painfully.
Welcome Cassie!
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
My tattered flag.
Alright, I'm guilty of slacking off. I won't be caught up right away, but I'm going to at least respond to last week's topic because I have it ready:
Take a photo (or draw with your mouse) the biggest dedication to something hockey related you have/own.
This tattered banner is something I've had since my beginning days as a Senators fan. As you can see, old numbers and crossed out numbers are on it. Some numbers have changed meaning and I had to add some, though I ran out of space so I kept it like that.
This tattered banner was a symbol of defiance in my community. This baby was threatened with spit, death, cursing, and carnage. It has been through 5 playoff failures, 1 fit of anger in which I attempted to cross out Patrick Lalime's number with a pen and 1 phase of utter optimism in which I attempted to cover the entire banner with the names of the teams we beat ... until the Sens lost and I thought I was cursing them. So that ended there. You can still see a little bit from the text in the upper right corner.
This tattered banner also has, symbolically, three layers of hockey tape holding it up at the back.
Also, I do not despise Meszaros -- I just hated Bonk. Read More......
Oh. My. Gawd.
Apparently when a player gets something bad handed to them, they're meant to suck it up. This is how fans feel achieve the proper balance from whiny bastard to proper model of decent human beings. You see hockey players are cyborgs from another dimension. When they're done being constructed, they get given a name, possibly European, and get shipped off to the NHL where the coaches save up money to buy them on christmas eve.
Why this has something to do with today's post? It is because the Habs management has made a move that makes me want to either cry or attempt to sit back and mutter "Oh yeah. Good point. Offense. Etc. Etc."
But how freaking humiliating is it when you are paid 3.5 million and management calls and goes "Hey you know about that second line we've promised you? Well me and my pal Latendresse got a little tipsy last night and I *kind* of promised him to play on the second line! Now you know how Kovalev threatens to fly his plane into my house whenever I mention demotion. Plus I've been looking at the fan forums and everyone seems to be hating on you. So I'm hoping they'll like me more if you kind of play... lower. Well you might be on the third... When they change really quickly and stuff... Yeah you're a fourth liner. Yeah. You want to stay at my summer house for the holidays?"
After all that, Samsonov has expressed his discontent. He is not happy. Now fans have reacted in certain ways. The haters which make up 80% of the fans (because fans are never satisfied save for one or two player usually including Koivu) have lashed out at him. Calling him a whiny kid who hasn't done squat and is making the team look bad.
"I'm getting paid too much to sit on the bench and watch hockey games and, if that's the case, we'll see where it goes from here," Samsonov added.
"I obviously made a commitment to this team. I brought my family here. I bought a house. I'm fully committed to this team, so hopefully we'll come up with something."
I'll admit how I felt after reading the article. At first I though "Haha. It's just a joke. It'll blow over". And call me a loser but I actually started crying a bit, not much but just a little teary here and there. I love this guy. Insanely. And I really felt sad for this guy, who shows fustration at not being able to provide for the team the way he should be. And you know, this guy actually cares! Sure he's paid 3.5 million, overpaid for what he's been doing lately but I can't help but stress that it's a UFA amount. To sign for less is insane considering you have the ability and people might think you're a little slow. He brought his girls over to Montreal too. Apparently his wife stayed in Detroit through his career and now he actually made the move to bring her along. And why can't he be angry? There is going to be media hounding him, he can't just hide his discontent. And he's not going to flip out and demand a Pronger style trade. There is the possibility if that he gets shafted, he'll become too expensive in terms of his ice time and maybe he'll see a new team.
And Samsonov is not a silly boy, he's still tactful throughout the whole interview. It seems more like an overreaction on the fans part when he's actually willing to see a compromise where he can deliver but definitely not on the 4th line. I don't really see the words "Montreal sucks" in there.All the weeping and wailing aside, let's look at the move. He's the lowest on his line in points. However when he argues that he's had the kind of ice time that a fourth liner has, which can be reasonable considering he has the lowest +/- on his line (-1). Those goals that went through Huet like a sieve? Not all his fault honey. I actually have read in certain forums on Game Day Threads where a brave kid now and then will say "I blame Samsonov." even when he wasn't on the ice. Even when he was on his regular second line, he has achieved something defensively even to help. And interestingly, he has the best Shot Percentage of 28.6%. I mean I understand the kids wanting him to shoot but isn't it nice that he actually scores too?
What really hurts is that Latendresse of 0 points if being pushed up to replace him. Now I sense a bit of contradiction here. There's the "Oh no, we like our points real and we want to win games and points harhar." and here is Latendresse who hasn't proven anything pointwise but is going to go up because potentially he could score as much as Thornton! (okay that's not true but this is the kind of vibe I get. And you know I get really good vibes)
Next game is Bruins vs Habs. Yeah way to instill confidence against the Bruins by demoting a second line ex-Bruin player.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
I'm just going to focus on the positive here
Unlike everyone else writing on this, I have no other blog on which to write about my team. I'm too embarassed to start one. I wouldn't promote it and I'd be the only one reading it...and I already know what I think.
So, here they are:
Positives
1. We weren't shut out.
2. Matt Stajan scored. You will likely be hearing something from me every time he does.
3. Kubina is coming back. November, is it? That's not so far away...right?
Negatives upon request.
Hey look!
We are becoming somewhat famous! Or at least getting read...
Thank you BlogHer.
Housekeeping note: I added a Sitemap and META tag so that when Google searches the web our site will show up better and in turn be searched more which hopefully will bring lots of new visitors.
Cap'n Smiley and his good causes
Why does Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla rock as a community leader?
Recipient of the Ralph T. Scurfield Humanitarian Award for 2000-2001 and 2001-2002, given by the Calgary Flames to the "player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, determination and leadership on the ice, combined with dedication to community service."
In 2004, he was awarded with a NHL Foundation Award for Community Service and the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for which is given to the "player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community."
He is very active with KidSport in Calgary, an organization that provides opportunities for economically disadvantaged children to participate in sports. Iggy donates $1000 for every goal he scores at the end of the season; ie. 54 goals = $54,000. Nike and CIBC have also donated funds. During the summer, Iggy puts on a non-profit hockey camp for kids.
He is also involved with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation by being a spokesman and participating in various events, and the Shoot for the Cure foundation, part of CSRO, which raises money for spinal research, promotes safe hockey and increases awareness of neck injuries in hockey.
As one who works with children, I recognize the need for children to be provided with as many opportunities as possible; this helps with self-esteem, self-respect and respect for others, determination and confidence as well as brain and motor development.
Also he was picked as one of the top 50 Albertans in 2005 by the prestigious Alberta Venture magazine! Haha, so cute.
Lin-den and the child-ren
For the weekly topic: Explain your favourite community contributing team member and why he rocks.
I say: Trevor Linden, a Canucks veteran and a true leader on and off the ice.
Linden's work: He is well-known for his work with children's charities, including Ronald McDonald House, a home away from home for families and children with cancer, B.C.'s Children's Hospital, and Canuck Place, a hospice for terminally ill children. Linden also started a program for underprivileged children called Trevor's Captain's Crew, which brings children by limousine to a free hockey game complete with a luxury suite at GM Place. He was even honoured with the Order of British Columbia for his work.
When he visits the kids, he supposedly plays video games, signs autographs and chats with them. I also read a story about Linden taking a patient with cancer for lunch and to the driving range before his surgery.
Great Linden quote: "I've wanted to make a difference outside of what I do on the ice...It's good for your soul. It makes as big a difference to me as it does to the kids."
The verdict: Seeing how guys react/relate to kids really shows their sensitive, nuturing side...which is oh-so-attractive, no? Take Aaron Eckhart in the movie Erin Brockovich for example. I'm not so into the biker dudes with long hair, but seeing his character taking care of Erin's kids made me melt.
Love. Love will keep us together.
At least Gainey has something to smile about. I actually bought it, leading up to the game where everyone had a score to settle. To us silly Habs fans, we thought it was "in the bag". After all, why do we have anything to worry about? We're pretty high up but it seems that we're standing on an edge.
Our first season game was against the Sabres: Final score 4-5 OT to Buffalo, we give up a 3-1 lead in the worst first game. OT loss, we take the one point and run before Buffalo bullies us into handing it over. We somehow scrape a lot of OT games, which not only makes us look better but as well makes us think we are pretty good.
Recently Buffalo asked for their point back. And they whipped us, Huet and sent us on our way. Apart from that lets just pretend this game didn't happen okay? We're still the 2nd best in PP and 3rd best in PK. Let's keep it that way.
Here's a new game, when is Buffalo going to lose? My senses say it will be next game when they face the Islanders. (snicker)
Seems like this week is pretty interesting, we go see the Bruins and possibly beat them. Whereas another Leafs game graces us and the bottom line is God feels sorry for us and lets us win. Huet's track record looks pretty grim (unfortunately) and Abby seems to be getting quite popular. Now it's just for me to go back under my bridge and whisper "Win! Win!".
Monday, October 23, 2006
I'd like to buy the world a decent power play.
No wait, just the Oilers. I'm sure Ryan Smyth would like that very much.
The Oilers are 0-19 for the PP in their last three games. Their play is sloppy, and I can't help noticing that Marc-André Bergeron (he of the terrible defensive skills and of the murderous ways) is still on one of the units.
The Oil have come out victorious more often than not so far this season (they're 5-2), but with the referees handing out power plays to the Oilers left and right, it's unfortunate that the players are incapable of keeping the puck in the opposing zone. Despite the fact that almost half the team of last season has disappeared into the depths of the Eastern Conference, Anaheim or Europe, the curse of the terrible power play has carried over from last season. The Oilers seem to be more offensive in the penalty kill.
Will the Oilers, like practically every other team, beat Phoenix tonight?
Saturday, October 21, 2006
It's the moment you've all been waiting for!
Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for letting me on board...and especially to Jordi with that warm welcome. I'm wading into enemy territory here, aren't I?
Where you're from, what you do - basic things.
Big surprise: born and bred in Toronto. Currently a nomad between the center of the universe and Waterloo, my second home for all things academic.
My laziness and apathy for most things not explicitly required of me puts me in direct conflict with my school's attempts to turn me into a go-getter and initiative taker.
I watch TV, read books and I may be borderline arts snob about things, although I try not to get too pretensious.
Your team and why you like them
Well, I'm sure you were all anxiously awaiting the arrival of a Leafs blogger...haha. They're my hometown boys, and there's such drama to following them and having a love/hate relationship with them. Who needs a man when you can have a hockey team?
Your least favourite team and why?
Any team that, in my impression, has a following of between 0 and 10 fans. This would include the Wild, the Blue Jackets, maybe the Stars, I haven't decided with them yet. It just seems like a waste of effort if no one's watching.
Not the Senators, who still reside in my home province and I can direct my hate to better used outlets...except during Leafs vs. Sens games.
Your favourite player of all time & now?
Every Leafs fan probably has a soft spot in their hearts for Doug Gilmore. Great guy, great milk ads.
I used to hate Jeremy Roenick but I can't tell you how badly I wanted him to sign with the Leafs this summer...I was convinced he'd do it too, with all his talk about going to a Canadian team. It was after that fantastic ice dance thing he did last season...and some of his OTR interviews. I guess it doesn't have much to do with his hockey playing ability.
If you had to punch one hockey player or member of the NHL organisation, who and why?
Sorry girls, it's going to be a conventional answer. Sidney Crosby. Why is he trying to sell me stuff at every commercial break? Why is he trying to inspire me with his triumphs over adversity to get to where he is now? Enough already.
What you'll be looking forward in this group blog.
The deep, intellectual conversations we'll have that will change the world.
...
I'm a sucker for punishment. Is there any other kind of Leafs fan?
What you don't like in general?
Um honestly? People. They're the bane of my existence and I will never understand them as long as I live.
Disclaimer: Ok, well not all people
What role do female fans play in keeping the game alive?
Unfortunately, not as large of a role as we should, in terms of men's hockey anyway.
I think we can distance ourselves from the game a little better. At the end of the day, it's just a game and it's just for fun. I think that sort of perspective offers a counterbalance to the stereotypical insane diehard male fan.
What role do female fans play in picking heroes for the community?
I think we look at more than just what's happening on ice (did someone say this already?), to pick players that are great on and off the rink. Real life jerks are no fun.
Hockey just isn't the same without ___
Friendly competition in the way of hockey pools and bets. Also, phone calls after a game to your friends to rub in their faces that your favourite player played better than theirs.
If you were on a deserted island, which player would you pick to stay with you?
Crosby, Ovechkin or Phaneuf (hey he tried!)?
You know, I can't watch an Ovechkin interview without laughing. I'd need someone to keep me from going insane and I think he fits the bill nicely, given my choices.
The player you'd like to take for a grand night out/a movie/a boring event
A grand night out, eh? They're all made of money and most of them clean up quite nicely in suits. Um...Joe Thornton. I've always thought he looked sort of like a bum, and it'd be an interesting juxtaposition with whatever classy thing we're doing.
A movie? Matt Stajan. It'd be your standard date and I've been in love with him since he started playing for the Leafs. There's my fangirl side coming out.
A boring event: Roenick. Wouldn't be boring for long.
If you could make your own team, regardless of whatever players, what would it be called and where will it be/how would it be like?
I was confused by this question. I'm not going to lie. I had to cheat by reading everyone else's answers.
Ok, in junior high art class, we had to design our own team logos, and I came up with the fantastic team name "Tampa Bay Teeth."
I also came up with cheesy slogans like "Take a bite out of the competition."
I do not, however, remember my mark, but I'm sure it was superb.
So there you have it.
Kris Draper - Detroit community leader
So I got a little behind and will now be posting my responses to this week and last week's topic...
1. Explain your favourite community contributing team member and why he rocks.
Since Darren McCarty no longer plays for the Detroit Red Wings, his pal Kris Draper has to be my favorite community contributing team member. I interviewed him for about half an hour back in November of 2003. I liked to credit myself for giving him a spark in his offense. He won Selke that year and it all started in the first game after my interview. And when I saw him at a restaurant once (I didn't say anything to him though), he scored two goals that night. Anyways, here was an excerpt from that interview about community service:
Christy: So you brought the Stanley Cup to Children’s Hospital after the win in 2002. Why did you decide to bring in there over anywhere else?Ok, that was kind of long but it says pretty much all that needs to be said about why Kris Draper is the No. 1 community guy at the Wings. Oh, and this story doesn't hurt either [he helped a dying girl and her single dad].
Draper: “Obviously, I’ve been very fortunately not only healthy as a person but as a professional athlete as well. And to give the opportunity to kids who are sick or wouldn’t be able to come out see the Stanley Cup in public because of their illness, it was an opportunity that came and they asked me if I wanted to bring the Stanley Cup to Children’s Hospital. And for me to be able to do something like that, it was easy. I was like ‘Absolutely, no matter what day or time or how long I have to be there for. So I went there and I guess I spent a couple of hours with kids who were less fortunate than I was. And just to see the expressions that these kids had, and not only the kids, but also the kids’ parents because the parents go through this everyday. You know as we wake up in the morning, while you guys go to school and I go play hockey; these parents go to the hospital everyday to visit their kids. To have an opportunity like this and to give it back to the community and to the children, it was tough there. Being as fortunate as I am and to go in there and see all the sicknesses and illnesses and be able to put a smile on a kid’s face and if you have the opportunity to make kids forget about their illnesses for even just 10 minutes; you know you’ve done something good. It’s very rewarding to go in there and to do that. Like the Stanley Cup was bigger than some of the kids, it was pretty neat. And they saw it and couldn’t believe how big it was and so it was pretty good. We put a couple of not newborn but like 1-year-old kids in the Cup. The parents asked ‘if my son or daughter could sit in the Stanley Cup’ and I would hold the kids and the parents would take pictures. It was a special day.”
2. Take a photo (or draw with your mouse) the biggest dedication to something hockey related you have/own.
I can't decide which autographed picture I like better so I'll post them both year but excuse the crappiness of the glare and sucky camera. My room as a whole is very wonderful with over $1000 worth of signed memorabilia. :) But my two favorites are the ones hanging over my bed - a signed Steve Yzerman photograph and a signed Swedish 5 photograph. All 5 Detroit Red Wings Swedes who won the 2006 Gold Medal signed this lovely image.
3. Which player has impressed you so far? And which player has disappointed you (not restricted to your team only).
Due to my cable situation in the dorm, I can only watch the Wings games (I can't even watch the ones on Versus) so my answers will be Wings players only.
Impressed the most- Well, the Wings haven't been playing too great to start the season so I really haven't been impressed my much. I guess Jason Williams has impressed me the most because he was awful in the 2006 playoffs and he has 5 points so far leading all forwards on the team (defensemen Lidstrom and Schneider have 7 and 6 points respectively).
Disappointed the most- Kirk Maltby. His role for the team has really become limited to the penalty kill. The Wings penalty kill percentage is awful - 75.5% placing them 28th in the NHL. Plus, Maltby is the only Red Wings player with negative +/- rating. Read More......
Small side note.
Poor suckers have wandered to this blog with searches of:
- Dion Phaneuf & Girlfriend Heather
- Ladies Room (... what?)
- Sexy Pictures of Female Hockey Players
- "Mark Bell" "Girlfriend" Hockey
- Christy Hammond (she's popular with the bloggers!)
Interesting. Read More......
Leaf Fans rejoice!
Thanks to Keily, we now have Leaf representation! She'll be bearing the brunt of angry Leafs bashing and everything I might not like about Darcy Tucker. Besides isn't that awesome? We only need a Buffaslug fan now!
Um. I have no idea what to put as the new weekly topic. However I know that it's going to be on the sidebar as a nagging reminder for all you guys, see it as one of my lovable ways of "whip cracking". After a while I eventually concluded: Explain your favourite community contributing team member and why he rocks.
Do it.
By the way, I know it's been mentioned a million times but I think this is pretty helpful to this week's topic. It's ET and them trying to find a bunch of "Hockey hunks" but, really, Smytty? I think the greasy mullet is pretty charming, yes, but is this really the kind of guys you want to show to your teen demographic? For those who have no idea; Wade Redden, Dion Phaneuf, Sheldon Souray, Ryan Smyth & Andrew Raycroft have been interviewed by ET and yes I find it a little lacking. The way they interview them is like an awkward first date, "Uh... Lemme play you a song about Hanukkah to break the ice". Especially when the interviewer is a pretty lady who just smiles and goes "Ooooh... So you're a forward?". Gee ET I know you don't want to put in too much hockey into it lest you lose your audience in the flurry of hockey terminology, but can you at least make it a little more interesting? You have so much access yet you just give 2 minutes of lacklustre interviewing. Not to mention some of the guys aren't exactly hunk calibre.
I kind of think this is one of the better ones, with Sheldon Souray as the awkward interviewee. "Uh. Like. Pasta." You should be excited and showing off your vintage car! (By the way, wine collecting I can get on board with) Especially when the highlight (apart from him bringing sexy back for the Canadiens) is his adorable daughter. It's something worth noting as he really does present (or attempt to) himself as a figure of maturity. But how many kids must have rejected this offer before they ended up with Sheldon? He's not that bad of a catch but I think there are some nicer guys. For example Saku Koivu is an amazingly charming guy. He's got this most beautiful smile and a lot of that charisma (he was on The Hour and said the Winnipeg Jets will get a cup before the Canucks. Zing!). You could even have Latendresse, who spends a lot of his time on MSN rather than training (take note). And I do have a soft spot for Higgins or our goalies who are quite attractive - hell we have a fairly attractive team. However ET's worst case scenario would be to go find the homeless man Bonk and ask him if he really has a house.
By the way you should just see Smytty's one just so you can see him play with his daughter and go "she must think I'm a hockey hunk".
Oh and Viggo Mortensen (rhymes with Awesomesen) loves our Habs. Watch him kiss the jersey and tell people we're back. But at least he is a bit of a realist and doesn't think the Canadiens are going to call him anytime soon. Oh imagine what it'd be like if he took up that kind of offer.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Dressing room awards
The Calgary Flames have the "all business" tie that the players give to the guy in the dressing room that is the "unsung hero" of the game. And it looks like the Oilers have this ugly fur-collared jacket for the same purpose. 
Does anybody else's team have a dressing room award like this? I think the Canucks should have an umbrella hat - representative of our rainy weather here in Van and because the player worked so hard he should be "showered" with praise.
Sportsnet Hates Me
To be fair, I haven't exactly been very nice to them either. I submitted a response to a report on their site that the Senators might be looking at signing Yanic Perreault to beef up their depth down the middle. There were reports swirling around ever since the offseason that the Sens were interested in a couple of veterans, the most prominent names being tossed around being Perreault and Greg Johnson. Sportsnet has a screened comment process and decided not to publish my comment I submitted in response to some Leafs fans who had somehow managed to turn a report about the Senators into being about them. I wasn't rude or anything, just trying to be logical but I guess Sportsnet decided they would rather publish comments about how someone is going to punch the next person who bashes the Leafs. Which, sure, okay...but I have a blog, in fact I have two, so there. Nyah. My comment was in response to one Leafs fans who posted this comment:
Now let me point this out. If the Leafs were looking at Perrault [sic], we would have Sens fans, Oilers fans, and every other imaginable fan pointing out the fact that the leafs are going after another player who is in the late stages of their career and how all the leafs are is a bunch of overpaid old guys on their last legs. But instead I'll say to Sens fans, that he'll be a good pick-up, not just on the draw, but a decent goal scorer as well. Good on you guys if you get him, he'll help your team. Now if only people would stop bashing the Leafs if they show interest in players such as Leetch. Too much to ask for?The commenter makes a good point and my response is that people will end up saying that because it's exactly what the Leafs have done before with their free agent signings and it hasn't worked out for them. The Leafs have in the past signed guys for more money than they're worth seeing as how most of them were on the downhill of their careers. Not alot of those signings paid off in the end, so if the Leafs management took that risk again, they'd just end up looking like they enjoy torturing themselves.
Some things the Senators lacked last season was depth at centre and veteran presence. The Senators were one of the youngest teams last season, second only to San Jose and the average was probably given a boost thanks to Old Man Hasek being on the team. 'No Panic Yanic' had the highest faceoff percentage last season and would take some pressure off of Jason Spezza at centre. The need for a second line centre didn't seem imminent when Mike Fisher had a monster preseason, but Perreault would provide more offensive upside than Fisher, with Alexei Kaigorodov still needing time to get into the Senators Groove (TM) [actually I think the whole entire team needs to get back into the Groove] .
There are risks for whenever you sign a veteran. Perreault is recovering from off-season surgery and is already 35-years-old, so if the Sens end up signing him and one of his screws fall out, his salary will still count against the cap.
Sens are up against the Avalanche tomorrow. They steam-rolled the Leafs tonight...but let's hope the streak ends there. Actually, they can beat Montreal if they want, but Jordi might kick my arse. Gerber will be in net for the Senators but no word yet on who will start for the Avs. I'm thinking it might be Budaj again since they want Theodore to be nice and refreshed for his prodigal return to Montreal. Or because he's playing like he forgot what a puck looks like.
Read More......
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
We're No.1! We're No.1!--Oh that's not what you meant.
First off, thanks to the tip-off from Battle of Ontario. This was the cover of the Ottawa Sun today: 
Asides from the fact that I'm convinced--CONVINCED, that there's a better picture of Ray Emery they could have used, I fail to see why the media is jumping all over this and throwing out the phrase "goalie controversy" like it's about to go extinct [really, I wouldn't mind it]. First of all, controversy conjures up images of the two going all 'Showgirls' on each other. I've never seen the movie so I'm going to assume that it involves pushing people down the stairs or switching their shampoo with pink hair dye. Which might not work in this case because both Emery and Martin Gerber aren't sporting alot of locks. Anyways, where was I?
In any case, I don't think people should be fretting about who's going to be in goal. Frankly, I have faith in Gerber's skills and he's proven last season that he's more than capable of being a starter. You don't win 38 games just by being a chump. The fact is, Ottawa fans should be absolutely elated that we're actually have a steady goaltending now. The teams that got far into the playoffs were teams that could boast two very steady puck-stoppers. Ironically, the winning team included the man of the hour, Mr. Gerber himself.
So as for the question, who's No. 1? Gerber's paycheque and record would suggest that the title should go to him. He's got the experience to go with it, and fans need to stop panicking because frankly most experts think John Muckler picked up the best free agent goalie on the market in the off-season. Emery's earned more starts with his play and that's something we should feel great about. Forget about Gerber's contract because there are more teams out there spending way more money on goaltending. He just has to make sure he's getting his job done, and us fans worry about getting our jobs done. Not being douchebags. Really, it's alot harder for some than you'd think.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
I don't want to get in trouble
I see that Jordi is back. Afraid of getting my ass kicked, I figured I better post.
Which player has impressed you so far? And which player has disappointed you (not restricted to your team only).
I have been impressed by Jamie Lundmark - He played 12 games with the Flames last year netting 4 goals and 6 assists. On the ice this year, he seems to always give it his all. I think that he is going to have a good year, playing on the fourth line with Marcus Nilson and Byron Ritchie will give him more experience.
I am disappointed in the rest of the team for only having 9 goals in 5 games. Some players almost have that many points, like Havlat and Jagr.
Take a photo (or draw with your mouse) the biggest dedication to something hockey related you have/own.
I don’t know really where to start. We have some McFarlane sports figures hanging on our bedroom wall with a sign that says Flames Blvd. We have Miikka (one in the box, one not in the living room), three versions of Iginla and about 7 other goalies because they look the coolest.
I don’t have much else right now due to being a renter but my resident Flames fan and I talk about our sports basement in our imaginary house. It will be painted in Flames colours and decorated with Flames memoribilia, a bar and a big screen TV. You are all welcome to come to said basement for a game.
Well, I don't know anything about making pictures to put on a post. Who said Macs are easy? Sheesh. I did the best I could. Read More......
Saturday, October 14, 2006
No YOU STFU! We have great PK!
I've concluded I'm a bit of a sadist. I always like feeling sorry for poor hurt creatures. Except for stray puppies, you don't know where they've been. But it seems that I've concluded on my vermin of the day. I couldn't bring myself to say it. But after the recent performance, I'd like to say that not only am I biased, I can turn on you just like that. By the way, this is totally just messing around. I love Sammy and always will. I'm just fustrated easily.
What's wrong Sammy? I mean, what's really wrong? Do you miss Joey? Has he not called lately? Well they got thrashed by Edmonton recently, maybe he has problems of his own. Sit down, lay your head on my shoulder. Tell me your fears. Let it be a legendary catharsis, because by the end of this season - someone will be crying. I know the real reason why you couldn't stay with Edmonton was because of the big buff men who intimidated you. I know you tried to grow a beard but ended up going overboard, turning into a freakish man-wolf hybrid. And having such a sexy coach musn't have helped either. At least at Montreal, Bonk looks like a homeless man all the time.
The new guy, by the way, is Saku Koivu who failed to get into Maxim's toughest bastards list. He's bounced back from a near career ending injury and Non-Hodgkin Lymphonia. And he seems to be outstanding in this pile of losers. (that's it. I called them losers).
By the way he did a last minute tying goal when all was thought to be lost. I think that's proof enough that I still love him. Why he never got a shot at shootouts makes no freaking sense. That makes it the third SO this season and he freaking deserved one just then.
Other things I hate:
- Someone get Eric Staal off the screen, his lips are making my room ugly. It does not feel good.
- Your name is Jocelyn. My mother's name is Jocelyn. GET A REAL NAME.
- Kipper made some crazy acrobatics in that game against Toronto.
- Boston lost against the non expensive goalie. Isn't that nice?
I think I love him.
I'm a bit of a sucker for goalies. My friend, the one who coaxed me into the hockey fandom was a big goalie fanatic. It even had "OMGZ LOOK AT THE GOALIES FIGHT!" becoming a common topic of conversation. I think goalies have a certain attraction to females. They're not just the big oaf who skates around headhunting (okay a tad of a generalisation there), they're the heroes at the end of the day. You always hear "They're lucky that [name] was in the nets or else the score would've been 10-0" or even "he played like a trooper today".
And of course I'm a sucker for Finnish goaltenders. When Jussi lost the hot off I think I held several minutes of silence to mourn his early death. Kipper may take some time but Toskala is the little train that could. He just choo-chooed his way into becoming a starter during the playoffs. And I was mesmerised by this kid. Come the new season I told myself "Sure playoffs was great but Nabby looks great too". Well it seems that the current standings are:
Toskala: 1 point
Nabby, Gorges & Vlasic: 0 points
Today, he got himself one assist feeding the puck to Brown for his very own SH goal. Could he rock any more? That is why boys & girls, Toskala plain rocks. Not to mention he has a kickass mask. Not many people have kickass masks, Jussi being one of them.
But don't get me wrong, I'm not just liking this guy because of my insanely huge bias and his great hair. He plays well, and it's a case where he never got his shot until recently. It's a good thing he didn't quit and go to school. Pfft, like education did anything for people.
And Jordi's vermin of the day goes to Markov. Not that much, I don't hate the team players that much anymore. But he needs a lot of improvement.
In other news, people hatin' the 'yotes, while Gretzky takes his team bowling! Seriously, I like these team bonding exercises - they're the best thing since... kids named Albert?
Friday, October 13, 2006
Loxy reprezentz!
Where you're from, what you do - basic things.
Loxy sprung upon the world 25 years ago in Edmonton, Alberta. She was a wakeful child with a an inescapable need to, ahem, escape. No stroller, crib, house, yard was left unescaped. Yet, for over 23 years, she stayed in Edmonton (with 3 and 6 months stints in Montreal and Victoria respectively). Upon returning from a post-University (Economics, boring, I know) trip to Europe, she decided to relocate to Vancouver and pursue a diploma in Broadcast Journalism. In addition to talking in the third person, Loxy likes to take pictures, watch Arrested Development and fantasize about Topher Grace.
Your team and why you like them
I'm an Edmonton Oilers fan. I grew up in Edmonton so it was an easy decision. That said, I wasn't a fan of the "glory-years" Oilers. I fell for the Petr Klima early 90s Oilers. Outside of the 1990 cup win, there were some terrible teams in the lean years. The economic climate changed and the Oil were left on the outside looking in. And that's why I pulled for them. I love an underdog.
Your least favourite team and why?
I hate to say it, considering it's the my new home, but the Vancouver Canucks. Nothing is more frustrating than a fan base which rocks the entire lower mainland everytime they jump on and off the bandwagon. Granted, there are good fans - the blogs are full of them - but those aren't the ones I run into when I wear Oilers paraphenalia.
Your favourite player of all time & now?
I'm Marty Reasoner's biggest fan.
Growing up, I liked Petr Klima, Jim Dowd and Ron Francis. I also had a Pavel Bure jersey.
If you had to punch one hockey player or member of the NHL organization, who and why?
Chris Pronger for recent events that I wish not to elaborate upon.
What you'll be looking forward in this group blog.
It took me almost two weeks to agree to the blog. At first, I declined due to lack of time (which will still be a concern) but realized that there was lots of intelligent-speak I wouldn't be putting out there c/o hot-oil.
What you don't like in general?
imitation watermelon flavour.
What role do female fans play in keeping the game alive?
I think it's less about the role of female fans and more about the different type of fans. With an economics background, I'm a huge analyst of the business of the game. And having played high level athletics, I relate hockey to overall sports understanding. And yes, as a female, I might have some different interests even within my subset of econ-ex-athlete junkies.
What role do female fans play in picking heroes for the community?
As I said before, I think it's less about female-male, and more about individual diversity which is important. Because we're dealing with a male-only league (primarily), we can highlight those athletes with whom we relate - local players, same ethnicity, upbringing, etc.
If you were on a deserted island, which player would you pick to stay with you?
Crosby, Ovechkin or Phaneuf (hey he tried!)?
Ovechkin. Lets be honest, I think he'd be the most exciting sexual partner. And teaching him English would be a good time waster.
The player you'd like to take for a grand night out/a movie/a boring event
I'd take Marty Reasoner for a grand night out. I'm sure he'd be the consummate gentleman.
I'd take Rick DiPietro with me to a movie because... aren't you laughing already? Anything with Rick DiPietro for less than 15 years is funny.
I'd take Mark Bell to a boring event because I hope it'd give us a chance to make out.
If you could make your own team, regardless of whatever players, what would it be called and where will it be/how would it be like?
It wouldn't have any first line talent. It would be comprised of players who have good vision, good hockey sense, some skill and a hella heart. It would be located close to me, but not in Vancouver, because I don't want fans jumping on the bandwagon. It would be terrible for 10 years before we started to get good and if you hadn't been a fan from day one, you'd be excluded from fan-dom. The Victoria Cougars.
I answer my own questions.
It's Friday down under in fast forward land! And to celebrate the Oil beat San Jose. Oh and every week or so, there's always a damn thread on the hfboards asking why Samsonov doesn't have a Russian accent. I don't know sir, he's just not the same real manly Russians they would ship in back then.
However I would like to skip discussion questions and do the damn creative challenge. While I desperately loved Sherry & Jen's creations that require a lot of expertise, I decided to be a little more traditional.
What is that? You'll ask. That my dear reader is my wardrobe door. And those are the little sketches I made during the offseason to er, curb my enthusiasm. Unfortunately I can not show you the inside lest I may be unable to let you live after you saw what went on really behind closed doors. Besides, whenever I let the door open, Roli tries to dash out and makes a damn racket. The top left is what I wrote after I fell in love with the suspicious Russian kid, Sammy is Love complete with love hearts rainbows and whatever it was. It holds special significance to me.
It's like a Where's Wally game, there's some Toskala, a Moreau and not one but two Rolosons! Truth be told, I wanted to put these on my wall but I had very little wall space lately. So for now it's there. Besides this sometimes reminds me to be careful in case I border onto stalkerish. I guess I was too late.
And I have something, an image that may reappear now and then on this blog. I never realised the importance of this shirt until I thought the same thing about Roloson the other day. Hopefully when Sammy is averaging a point per game along with Koivu's blazing breakout season:
So far Roloson is totally worth 4 million, the Pronger trade was totally worth it, and Sheldon Souray doing nothing but appearing on ET Canada? Er... Not worth that much really.
Sherry's Awesome Wall of Sens Awesomeness
Because I’ve learned that when Jordi makes a threat, she makes good, here I am taking time out of my studying to make a post. Really, I would totally rather be studying Finance and Statistics.
After tonight’s blow-out performance against the Flames, Ray Emery has given Martin Gerber a real run for his money [$3.5 million dollars a year to be exact] for the number one puck-stopper position. Now I have to admit, last season I wasn’t particularly convinced that he was going to be able to take this team to the Promised Land, and really, he shouldn’t have been saddled with that responsibility. But after the surprisingly great results he had in the latter half of the season, it’s great to see that he’s still striving for more. He had a great preseason and training camp and considering the fact that Gerber wasn’t having an ideal start to his Senators career, it’s comforting to know that Emery’s good to keep around for more than eating cockroaches in the dressing room. By the way, I really hope they’ve cleaned up the room since then. That can’t be healthy. Of course now that I'm saying this I've probably inadvertently jinxed Emery. Dang it!
As far as a player that has disappointed me, I’m going to have to go with my ex-crush, Wade Redden. Yes, I, like AQuietGirl am on my way to going on a break with Mr. Redden. I really don’t know what’s going on with him but the last couple of games have been less than stellar for our $6.5 million defenseman. The season has just begun and there’s time to turn it around. But the man is not only the highest paid man on the team, but he also has an “A”. While I like the fact that he acknowledges his lack of great play [and lack of points which is KILLING me in my pool right now], I’m hoping he’s doing a lot more in that dressing room to motivate the boys because, somehow I don’t think “I know I suck” is particularly helpful to anyone.
And to answer the second part of this week’s topic, here is an artist’s rendition of the extent of my hockey fanaticism short of painting my house Sens colours and naming my kids after players. Because I hate children. Really.
We've talked about putting a Sens mural in our house to keep track of their progress over the season but the idea was shot down by the overwhelming number of Leafs fans in the house. It’s not exactly Sleek caliber cartooning, but it’s as good as I’m capable of mustering up with my limited artistic talents. It’s particularly shaky because of years of caffeine addiction and using a laptop touchpad. Sherry’s Awesome Wall of Sens Awesomeness includes:
- Sens poster with Wins tallies which greatly outnumbers the Loss tallies
- Sens ticket of Sens awesomeness
- Picture of Sherry with awesome hair and awesome Sens player [to be named later]
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Torturing whales instead of kittens
Here's a post in response to Jordi's creative challenge she posted earlier this week: Take a photo (or draw with your mouse) the biggest dedication to something hockey related you have/own.
Well, I don't have much beyond the standard jerseys, flags and mugs to display my devotion to the Canucks, but here's a few just-so-crazy-I-just-might-do-them ideas:
- I could paint my house in blue, white and red. Maybe I could even convince my neighbours and we could have the first "Parade of Canucks Homes" tourist attraction.
- I could make a giant hockey stick and bring it down onto the ice during a game at intermission, creating a life-sized vintage Canucks logo.
- This would be totally insane and completely unethical, but I could break into the Vancouver Aquarium and paint a Canucks logo on an Orca ;-)
That's his "In your face" dance! ... Or his "there's a sale on lotion" dance... He has many dances.
I'll make it short since there's about 5 minutes left or else I get discovered and shipped back to my homeland. Two new members [insert wave of applause] which I am proud to present. If you haven't posted much, then this may be your chance to have one more than the others.
Nonetheless allow me to present Loxy with her heart to heart conversations for the Oilers and Heather whose representation for the Bruins will bring us one step closer to having a Northwest Division monopoly (management would very much like it if we win another Stanley Cup).
I on the other hand may be less active (key word is may) and will be giving all you guys the reins to post anything. I will be pleasantly pleased if there is eye candy when I check back (hint hint). Of course really I'm waiting outside buses so Henrik Lundqvist will notice me and let me on, or secretly learning curling so I can hook up with Nabokov, Cheechoo, Smith & Mclaren (in that order?).
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Vixen from Vancouver
Hi gals! I'll be the rep from the land of rain, Starbucks on every corner and weed. Excuse me if I don't post as often as I should...you know our work ethic out here in Vancouver. Ha ha - just kiddin' :-) But here's my "getting to know you" answers. Looking forward to getting to know you all!
1. Where you're from, what you do - basic things.
I was born in Toronto and kept moving west over the years. My family moved us to Calgary when I was a kid and then I moved to Vancouver with my then-boyfriend-now-husband five years ago. I’m a freelance writer with a sports column in The Province newspaper (Vancouver) and a part-time marketing consultant.
2. Your team and why you like them.
Embarrassing, but I can admit it. My previous record shows that my loyalty is dictated by the city I live in. With every city I move to, I find myself saying “this is the best place to live” and “this city has the best hockey team in the league!” Maybe I’m not a traitor, maybe I’m just a positive person who enjoys the camaraderie of cheering for the city’s team??! So, obviously when I lived in Calgary I was a hardcore Flames fan, and although I still have a soft spot for them and it took me a little while to convert, I now love the Canucks.
3. Your least favourite team and why
Any U.S. team. Canadian teams should rule the NHL.
4. Your favourite player of all time & now
Gretzky. I even had the Mattel doll back in the ‘80’s. 
Now? Markus Naslund and Jarome Iginla.
5. If you had to punch one player or member of the NHL organisation, who and why
Easy. Jeremy Roenick – every time he opens his big fat mouth. Comments made by Roenick towards fans who didn’t agree with the lockout: "We're going to try to make it better for everybody, period, end of subject. And if you don't realize that, then don't come. We don't want you at the rink, we don't want you in the stadium, we don't want you to watch hockey... I say personally, to everybody who called us 'spoiled,' you guys are just jealous..."
6. What you'll be looking forward to in this group blog
I'll be looking forward to interacting with other female fans across the country! We often notice and want to discuss different stuff than the boys.
7. What don't you like in general?
About hockey? Belligerent fans at the game.
In life? Onions, Nicholas Cage and George Bush.
8. What role do female fans play in keeping the game alive?
We now make up between 30 and 40% of the hockey fans…and growing! Without us, teams would start folding. The NHL better start paying more attention to us – and giving us more than just pink jerseys!
9. What role do female fans play in picking heroes for the community?
I tend to favour the players that seem like the most genuine, kind and honest people off the ice. The number of points they rack up is important, but secondary.
10. Hockey just isn't the same without...
The Hockey Song by Stompin’ Tom.
11. If you were on a deserted island, which player would you pick to stay with you? Jeremy Roenick (see above). If food was scarce, I wouldn’t feel bad about eating him. Ha ha – just kidding.
12. Crosby, Ovechkin or Phaneuf?
Crosby. Cute and Canadian.
13. The player you'd like to take for:
A grand night out – Iginla. He seems like the type to bring flowers and open doors for me
A movie – Willie Mitchell. From what I’ve seen so far, he seems fun and is new to Vancouver.
A boring event – Ovechkin. We would pass the time on the date trying to figure out what each other was saying.
14. If you could make your own team, regardless of whatever players, what would it be called and where will it be/how would it be like?
The Vancouver Buds. A comical name because Van is known for our grass, but the real reason for the name is because I would choose all guys who are buddies in the league. A team can look good on paper but camaraderie is what separates the good from the best.
