Thursday, January 25, 2007

Miikka on parhaiten maali! Noodles - not so much

Flames' goalie, Miikka Kiprusoff, is one cool cat. Maybe not as cool as Raaaaaaaaay but he's a different kind of cool. Miikka hails from Turku, Finland and has played for Team Finland in the 1996 WJC, 1998 and 2001 World Championships, and the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.

Kipper, as he's known, started his NHL career with San Jose in 2000, playing 5 games that season. Luckily for Flames fans everywhere, he was traded to Calgary in 2003 and led the team to the Stanely Cup finals. Alas, they lost in game 7 to the Lightning (forgive me, it's still painful). Kipper was nominated for the Vezina but didn't win until he was nominated again in 2006 and he won, also taking home the Jennings trophy.

Last year, it seemed like every single game I listened to, the commentators just had to talk about how flexible Kipper is - Did you know he stretches FOR THREE HOURS A DAY? Crazy, I know. Ninety minutes before and after the game. Is that even possible? Anyways. It's old news now.


Kipper may be the most unflappable goalie in the league. He never seems to show any emotion, negative or positive. If he lets in a goal, he just pops up the helmet and takes a drink like nothing happened.


Usually, he's scruffy like a puppy which is why I was shocked to see his makeover for the All-Star game. I know the Flames are having a sideburns growing contest, so I was expecting those on Kipper but the hair-do? The suit? Clean-shaven? He's a new man.


Miikka's backup goalie is Jamie "Noodles" McLennan. Noodles doesn't play much but he's always got things to say about everyone. I would like him a little more if he didn't have such a lame mask.

James Joseph's hair used to bug me too, but he recently got it cut into something much more current and stylish. McLennan has been around for a quite a while, starting with the New York Islanders in the 1993/1994 season. From there, he played with the St. Louis Blues, Minnesota Wild, Calgary Flames, New York Rangers and Florida Panthers before coming back to the Flames this past summer.

6 comments:

Shan said...

That IS a lame mask. I think a plain mask would even be cooler.

Miss. Scarlett said...

Kipper can be so dashing if he wanted to be.

And what is what these people and Nickelback masks? Wardo's Nickelback mask totally made me like him alot less.

Jordi said...

Nickelback has a habit of scaring women away.

Though cleaned up Kipper could be his alter ego - "No I don't do drugs and I'm not stoned!"

Anonymous said...

its not james joseph,, dummy,,mclennans name is jamie todd,,thats how informed you are of a fan..wake up..womens place is in the kitchen,,not running their mouth off about nothing they know about...about the masks of mclennan and ward,they are both friends of the bands,,so maybe that had something to do with it

HG said...

Well, gee, anon, it's nice to know that you care so much. Let me step into the kitchen - I make a mean mushroom lasagna and we can chat about nothing I know about.

Paige said...

Well geesh, sorry for being more informed than you. Is there a reason you wouldn't even show your name on that comment? You're so just jealous.