Q&A with the Kings' Queen

My annual motto is "There's always next season!"

1. Where you’re from, what you do – basic things
I am a born and raised Southern California girl who went to the Midwest for college and decided that life out west is just too good to pass up, so I came back when I graduated. I am a civil engineer, specifically a transportation engineer (and no, I do not operate trains). When I’m not at work or sitting in traffic, I spend my time watching TV, watching hockey games, organizing my hockey cards, going to the beach, learning about personal finance, and reading some chick book or hockey book.

2. Your team and why you like them
I grew up in SoCal (thankfully) before the Disney era. Around 6 or 7 years of age I became an LA Kings fan. I can’t remember how I got into hockey but I remember being a die-hard Kings fan. My dad has told me stories of how in the mornings I would talk about the upcoming night game and rattle off statistics of how everyone was doing. The Kings are my home team and although we’ve never won a cup and have only been to the Finals once (I hate you, Roy!) I still love them and will always be a Kings fan.

3. Your least favorite team and why?
“Quack, Quack, Quack, Quack, Quack, Mr. Ducksworth!!” (Love the first movie, hate the team.) What makes it worse is that my boss is a huge Ducks fan.

4. Your favorite player of all time and now
Favorite player of all time is Luc Robitaille: the face and heart of the LA Kings.

Currently, I don’t have a favorite player; I’m in a transition period, just trying to get past the Robitaille era. A couple players that I really like are Anze Kopitar and Jack Johnson. Even though Johnson has only played in a couple games, I like him and I’m already a proud owner of a JMFJ shirt =) For those of you unfamiliar with the LA Kings fanbase (no offense taken, I can understand how we can get lost in all that sunshine), the fans are really, really excited about this kid: he’s cocky, hard-hitting (and can take some pretty damn good hits), and tough.

Some non-Kings players I like are Daniel Briere (didn’t even notice this guy till the 2006 playoffs), Scotty Gomez, and Ryan Smyth (his face and hair just scream, “Hockey Player!!”).

5. If you had to punch one hockey player or member of the NHL organizations, who and why?
Probably the entire Edmonton Oilers team from the late 80s-early 90s. I hated that team. Currently, I don’t hate anyone. Can’t really say there’s anyone I would want to punch.

6. What you’ll be looking for in this group blog:
I don’t have many friends with whom I can talk hockey. Serious hockey. My boyfriend didn’t know much about hockey when we first started dating but now has become a Kings fan. However, he still isn’t at the level where he can sit and watch game after game after game and don’t even mention OT to him. My only die-hard female hockey fan friend is in Northern California so we don’t get to talk about hockey all time.

I started writing a lot of hockey related posts on my personal blog because I needed a venue through which I could talk about hockey, even if it was sort of just to myself. I’m hoping that by being part of this group blog I’ll be able to have some good hockey conversations with other females.

7. What you don’t like in general:
People who make small talk and people who drive slow in the fast lanes, especially the carpool lane.

I’m also sick and tired of US sports analysts talking about the television demise of hockey and always saying “I don’t even know where to find the game.” There are several reasons why I think hockey doesn’t have a huge fan base in the US: (1) regular sports shows rarely ever mention hockey. I like watching PTI but the only times those guys talk about hockey is when something bad happens and then they blow everything out of proportion!! The other day JR was a guest and poked fun at them about how he couldn’t believe they were actually talking about hockey. Maybe if sports shows talk about hockey then Americans would become more familiar with the game. (2) Baseball and Football are to the US what Hockey is to Canada and that is just the way it is. I can turn on the TV in the US and not have any problem finding something to do with baseball or football. Several months ago I finally visited Canada (went to Montreal and loved it) and I had no problem finding hockey on TV. It was heaven! In fact, it was easier to find curling and ice-skating on the TV than it was to find baseball or football. People who want to watch hockey will know where to find it.

8. What role do female fans play in keeping the game alive?
John Buccigross, over at ESPN, wrote an article where he mentioned that it’s the female hockey fans that have the most influence in their child’s decision in becoming a hockey fan. I’m not quite sure where he got that from, but I found it interesting. Especially in the United States, hockey is typically not the number 1, 2 or 3 sport that dads push their kids to play and/or watch. So maybe it is the moms that bring in the hockey influence.

As for non-parent female fans, we’re a special breed. It’s too easy for a female to pick up on baseball, basketball, or soccer. Football may be a bit more challenging to understand but it’s easy for them to fake it, but hockey is off the charts. So when a female can bring on statistics in rapid fire, recall a play from several seasons ago, list the heavyweights, their favorite teams and players and why, etc. the guys are impressed, very impressed. I think (and my reasoning has no scientific support at all), but I think that of all the female sports fans out there, female hockey fans are the most hardcore and loyal.

9. What role do female fans play in picking heroes for the community?
I find it difficult to think that a female fan would pick a douchey hero. Sure, we can like the rough and tough guys but when the game’s over, more likely than not, we’ll be behind the ‘good guy’; the guy who does good within the community and people idolize. We help support the hometown hero.

10. Hockey just isn’t the same without…
Playoff overtime games!

11. If you were on a deserted island, which player would you pick to stay with you?
Oooh, that’s a toughie. I would need someone talkative and fun. Probably not a foreigner because then we would have a hard time communicating. Someone close to my age, otherwise it might get awkward. Actually, I think I could deal with Paul Kariya because even though he was a Duck (a) he’s not too old, (b) he lived in SoCal, (c) we’re both Hapa, and (d) he could teach me how to surf and how to take a dive ;)

11. Crosby, Ovechkin, or Phaneuf?
Crosby is fluid, Ovechkin is a bulldozer. I would like to meet Crosby but I would rather watch Ovechkin. Take that as you may.

12. The player you’d like to take out for a grand night out/ to a movie/ to a boring event
Grand Night Out: Vincent Lecavalier!!! Is there (or has there been) a hotter player?! Yum!

A Movie: Stevie Y. He seems quiet and wouldn’t bother me during the movie and besides, he could probably pierce a hole in the screen with those eyes. That would be cool to watch.

A Boring Event: Avery. I’m sure he could find a way to make it fun.

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?
I think Canada needs another team. Since I am not familiar with Canada’s geography, I don’t know exactly where I would put it. I love how quirky some of the city/province names are and even though this probably wouldn’t be financially feasible, I would put a team in Moose Jaw and call them “Moose Jaw Breakers”. So lame, right?! Well, that’s why I don’t create any teams in real life.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading!