I guess this is a bit of a mish mash goalie post. Being a goalie myself (Big Ups to Fellow Goalie clans!) I can tell you we have some serious superstitions and weird habits (I cross myself and tap the post left then right using my stick before every period). We also have this great advantage of being able to do some seriously freaky stuff with the ways our body bends and stretches (full splits in goalie gear Respect the position!). Add in with that some way fast reflexes and a willingness to put yourself on the line in front of some of the hardest flying objects you can face and It’s a pretty unique position.
But before I ramble on for too much longer about the position I absolutely adore let me get back to the mission at hand! The Bruins goalies! And a few side notes on Nabby, Pumpkin and RayRay.
Hannu Pekka Toivenen is the youngest of the Bruins goaltending group (including those in Providence) and hails from Finland. He’s 6 foot 2 , 200 pounds and has dark hair that he keeps dying blonde and wearing in such a way that BOTH of my parents have asked me (on separate occasions) When did a girl make the Boston bruins? (Dead serious question too). Thankfully as of late it seems he has opted back to the short, less feminine style.
Onto hockey, Hannu has the slightly dubious record of being the goalie that Sidney Crosby scored his first goal on. This happened in the 2005-6 season opener when he started for the injured Andrew Raycroft. Through out much of last season, due to the injury of Raycroft, Hannu came to be relied upon as the team’s starting goalie until injury ended his season in January.
This season he was expected to challenge Tim Thomas for the starting job but found himself back in Providence in what has become an almost up and down yo yo between the big team and the farm team for the goalie. Currently he’s back with Boston!
Tim Thomas is one of two American born goalies in the Bruins system and hails from Michigan. He went to the University of Vermont where he played with other Nhl’ers Marty St Louis and Eric Perrin (TB Lightening, yo). After leaving there Tim bounced around Finland, the IHL, ECHL and AHL before ending up back in Providence, the season after claiming the MVP award for Finland’s top league the SM-Liiga.
Tim is perpetually smiling. Seriously I’ve seen this guy in videos smiling after devastating losses and managing in some ay to try and find a bright side out of it all. I think in a locker room like Boston’s at the moment, that is something that is of infinite value, and while as a number 1 NHL goal tender he is definitely as not up to par as we wish, what he provides the team ith as a person, seems so beneficial.
Other Random Goalie Notes.
Pumpkin (or Toskala as you might know him) says the best Christmas present he ever got was a man’s purse (his own words) and that for all star he would be taking his wife to a spa because HE needed a facial.
Andy Ray - I adore Andy and he’s a great goalie IMHO but someday’s it’s not shown. The bruins did a great job of hanging him out to dry last season in some situations and resulted in him practically giving up (I know you’re not mean to but hey goalie’s are only human well unless you’re… brodeur..)
That is all my notes for now!
ooh and a cute goalie graphic I found lying around.
4 comments:
:D I saw that about the man's purse when I was looking at the old live chats, but couldn't find a good place to put it...writing is hard!
Tim's parents sold their wedding rings so he could go to goalie camp. A fact for you.
... A Murse!? Maybe being cool in Europe as a hockey player is just not the same as being a col hockey player in the NA.
Sasky! You're alive! I was beginning to wonder if you were coming back to us.
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