Update from B-Lo

Hi, HLoG! Long time, no see. It's been forever since I posted over here but you'll have to excuse me. It's been bad enough some days having to write about the Sabres at my own blog. Writing here too? Too much. But so you all know where our heads are at in Buffalo currently, here's a post I wrote this weekend for my personal blog.

A couple of notes for those unfamiliar with the Sabres/me: Lindy Ruff is the head coach, Darcy Regier is the GM, Larry Quinn... Well, I always forget what his official title is but he's the main money man. Bucky Gleason is the obnoxious local columnist. Mark is my husband and the entire reason I ended up in Buffalo since he was born and raised here.

Okay, here we go:

I hate the Sabres.

I hate all of them but here are the specifics:

I hate Thomas Vanek for signing a ridiculous contract that he was clearly mentally and emotionally not ready to handle.

I hate Derek Roy for busting ass one night and looking totally disinterested the next.

I hate Ryan Miller for not being great when his team really needs him to be.

I hate Brian Campbell for spinoramo-ing right in front of his net, convincing Buffalo that he's insanely valuable, drifting toward the shooter instead of cutting off the pass, backing into his goalie, and making every thought about his contract negotiations public.

I hate Tim Connolly for dipsy-doodling until he's out of room to shoot or pass, insisting that yes, he can stickhandle through an entire team, refusing to wear a visor, actually saying aloud that sometimes visors make injuries worse, and spending as much time in bars as he does on IR. Which is a lot in case you're not paying attention.

I hate Andrew Peters for taking up room on the roster, repeatedly taking stupid penalties, and circling round and round instead of just throwing a friggin' punch already.

I hate Toni Lydman and Henrik Tallinder for being so inconsistent that people actually started talking about Soupy and Spacek being the number one defensive pairing. (I don't really hate either of these guys.)

I also don't hate Jochen Hecht, Paul Gaustad, Adam Mair, Nolan Pratt, or Daniel Paille.

I do hate Jaroslav Spacek but only for getting hurt. Otherwise we're cool.

I do kind of sort of hate Jason Pominiville for whiffing on every single one-timer in the last year. (That seems harsh. Maybe strongly dislike?)

I hate Ales Kotalik for being so inconsistent that it makes my head spin and for continuing to shoot slapshot after slapshot after slapshot even though the defender has caught on and is standing RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM.

I hate Darcy Regier for calling stupid press conferences that don't do anything but stir crap up. Good grief, don't pander to the crazies, Darcy. You really should know better. I'm gonna go ahead and hate Darcy in advance for not trading Soupy before the deadline.

I hate Larry Quinn for being a jackass. I also hate him for seeming to enjoy being a jackass. Geez, what a jackass!

I hate Lindy Ruff for starting the season off in a negative manner, benching Daniel Paille that one time, repeatedly scratching Nolan Pratt, continuing to foist Andrew Peters on the good people of Buffalo, and going all soft and cuddly on a team that clearly needs a boot shoved up its collective ass. They're not babies, Lindy.

I hate the Sabres for consistently playing hard for 20 minutes or less even though you and I have both noticed that IT DOESN'T WORK! I also hate them for pointing out after EVERY SINGLE GAME that they only skated for the last half of the game, saying all the right things about changing that, and then... NOT CHANGING THAT!

I hate the Sabres for all of the following statements: The effort was there, We didn't get the bounces, and Most nights if we play like that, we have a chance to win. Shut up! You sucked! We just watched the game and you sucked! JUST SAY YOU SUCKED!

I hate the Sabres for completely wasting the talent they have. You didn't score 10 goals by accident, guys. You are perfectly capable of playing hockey.

I hate the Sabres for proving all the naysayers right. Everyone said you'd be nothing without Chris and Danny and I can't believe you're proving them right. That is so disappointing. Maybe the most disappointing.

I hate the Sabres for the fact that I'm going to have to spend all summer listening to Bucky Gleason crow about being right. That is not a world I want to live in. The chance of that happening should be enough by itself to make you play hard. Geez louise.

I don't hate Mark at all, but I am kind of wishing he'd grown up in Detroit or Ottawa.

In closing, I hate the Sabres.

(For the record, I am feeling a little better having written this. But I still ain't happy!)

x-posted to Top Shelf

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What I'm Thankful For

There's been a lot of discussion lately about blogging and how it compares and doesn't compare to mainstream media. I don't really know that I have anything to add that hasn't already been said by other people, but I do know this: I love blogging and I love my little corner of the blogosphere. I'm not kidding or exaggerating when I say, writing here and checking in with everyone else's blogs is one of the best parts of my day. So in honor of Thanksgiving, here are some reasons why I'm thankful for blogging.

I'm thankful for all the Buffalo blogs that offer alternative viewpoints to The Buffalo News.
Buffalo is a one newspaper town and in case I haven't made it clear before, I really dislike the majority of that paper's sports coverage, particularly where the Sabres are concerned. At best it's negative and one-sided. At worst it's unfair to the team and condescending to fans. It's refreshing to head off to one of my favorite Buffalo blogs and find criticism that's fair and and well-reasoned and also mixed with a dose of optimism and hope. (See Bfloblog, Sabre Rattling, Shots off the Crossbar, Desperation Hockey, The Goose's Roost, and Getting Caught from Behind to name a few.)

I'm thankful that blogging gives a voice to female hockey fans.
Certainly there are some females working in sports in the mainstream media... but not enough and many who do don't get enough respect. It's probably because I entered the blogging world via HLog, but most of the hockey blogs I read regularly are written by women. And many of the best I read are written by women. (See Hockey's Ladies of Greatness and all its related blogs.)

I'm thankful for the interactivity of blogging.
I think this is the aspect of blogging that's the most overlooked in the blogging vs. mainstream media debate. I can email a journalist about his column or article but I'm rarely going to get a response. I've gotten a handful of very short answers from John Buccigross, most of which I'm not entirely convinced were written by him, and one response from Bucky Gleason, detailing the burdern he bears as the voice of reason and reality in Buffalo sports (I wish I were exaggerating). And even if I were to get a response, that's pretty much the end of things. Not so on a blog. A blogger can write something that triggers a comment from a reader and that comment can spiral into an entire conversation. I've had conversations move from blog to blog and from blogs to emails. It's pretty remarkable but there are bloggers I feel like I know as well as real-life friends because I've spent so much time talking and debating and complaining with them. I love that about blogging. I love that when Toni Lydman takes a puck off the face, I think of Kate cringing. I love that when Jay Pandolfo scores a goal (!) I think of Schnookie and Pookie celebrating. I love that when Mattias Ohlund lost his mind for a second and slashed an opponent across the leg, I immediately felt bad for Alix. And I love that people do the same for me when it comes to Henrik Tallinder and other things. I've met four people I met through blogs in real-life and had a total blast. I've tried to make plans with a couple of others. Really, what are the chances Bucky Gleason or Jerry Sullivan would email me and say, "We have to go to Ryan Miller's Catwalk for Charity in February!" (Admittedly, it's probably best that they don't.) (See Interchangeable Parts.)

I'm thankful that blogging has opened me up to teams beyond the Sabres.
I don't have digital cable or Center Ice or anything fancy like that. I don't even manage to watch all of the Sabres games so you can bet I hardly ever get around to watching other teams. But I read about them. While the Buffalo blogs are at the top of my reading list, I also read blogs about the Senators, the Devils, the Penguins, the Stars, the Canucks, the Kings, and the California teams just to name a few. I don't even see the Western Conference teams most years but I read about them because they have bloggers who are smart and passionate and engaging. (See Scarlett Ice, The Humming Giraffe, Penalty Killing, and Purple Crushed Velvet.)


I'm thankful that bloggers aren't afraid to have fun with sports.
I mentioned recently that it seems like many sports writers don't like sports. I know hockey is a business and there's a lot of money involved in the day-to-day workings of a franchise and I understand that that stuff needs to be reported. But hockey is also a bunch of grown men skating around trying desperately to get a little black slab of rubber into a net. It's ridiculous. It's entertaining. It's fun. Not everything written about hockey needs to be serious. I'm thankful that many bloggers have great senses of humor and are willing to let that shine through in their writing. (See The Willful Caboose, The Battle of California, SportSquee, and The Pensblog.)

Other things I'm thankful for:

... that the Sabres are still in Buffalo. We should never stop being thankful for this.

... the chance to watch Ryan Miller blossom into a very good goalie and a strong leader.

... Henrik Tallinder's graceful, easy skating.

... Brian Campbell's ear-to-ear grin.

... Tim Connolly's fluid, never-break-a-sweat stick-handling and his sometimes infuriating but often rewarded patience.

... Thomas Vanek's ability to take over a game. Despite his struggles, we may be watching something special in Vanek.

... Derek Roy on the penalty kill. I love watching him buzz around out there. When he's on, he hustles like crazy.

... Toni Lydman and Jochen Hecht's solid, no nonsense dependability.

... Nolan Pratt for being willing to knock people off his goalie.

... Lindy Ruff's unfailing, dry sense of humor.

... All the people reading this right now. Thanks for coming around.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! What are you thankful for?

x-posted to Top Shelf

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Chris and Danny Who?

x-posted to Top Shelf

Most hockey fans are familiar with the work of ESPN's John Buccigross. I have kind of a love-hate relationship with Bucci. On one hand, I love how enthusiastic he is about hockey and it's good to know that there are atleast two people at ESPN who think it counts as a sport. His casual, goofy style can be endearing. On the other hand, his casual, goofy style can easily veer into over-indulgent. I don't care what bands he's listening to. I don't care what he would name people's babies. (Seriously, people, do you not have favorite hockey players of your own who you can name your child after?). I really don't care about his book (coming soon to bookstores near you!). All of that stuff would be bearable if it didn't often completely overwhelm the actual hockey content which is why I'm reading him in the first place. But Bucci's weekly column is a regular part of my routine and he is often right about various things so it was with great interest that I read his season preview of the Buffalo Sabres. My immediate reaction was something along the lines of "What the hell?"

If you want to read the whole thing you can find it at ESPN.com (I'd post a link but I can't pull up the article at the moment for some reason). Bucci slams management for not re-signing Chris Drury and Daniel Briere and says the team may still have a sturdy undercarriage but won't be able to survive without its spine. But this was the section that really bugged me and quite frankly, kind of shocked me:

The Bruins and Blackhawks appear to be reconstructing from the rubble of ineptitude with new people throughout the organization. The Sabres are (for now) stuck with GM Darcy Regier and owner Tom Golisano and their vision of mediocrity. The Sabres are still a good team with a very good goalie, but the magic is gone.

Now I will admit that I'm a bit of a Darcy apologist and probably defend him even when he might not really deserve defending but this is so far over-the-top that it almost reaches Bucky Gleason levels. That, my friends, is not a good place to be. I was so bothered by this that I had to email Bucci. A couple people I've mentioned this to have said they'd like to read what I sent so I'm sharing it here. It's a pretty good final summary of how I'm feeling about the team and what I'm hoping to see this season. Plus it's already written so I don't have to think of anything new to say. Oh, something else I should clarify so there's no confusion. With his preview of each team, Bucci includes lyrics from a song. For us he chose Pete Yorn's The Man which is why I reference it in my letter.

Dear John,

"The Bruins and Blackhawks appear to be reconstructing from the rubble of ineptitude with new people throughout the organization. The Sabres are (for now) stuck with GM Darcy Regier and owner Tom Golisano and their vision of mediocrity. The Sabres are still a good team with a very good goalie, but the magic is gone."

All I can say is, what the heck?

Did Regier and Golisano make some mistakes with Briere and Drury? Probably. But they did attempt to sign Briere last summer - he took them to arbitration and he was rewarded a then ridiculous 5 million dollars. And they were allegedly willing to match Drury's offer from the Rangers and he, for whatever reason, wasn't interested. It's easy to say that the Sabres should've re-signed both guys but it's not as easy as handing them contracts and asking them to sign on the dotted line. In your Philly preview you say that Briere isn't worth the money he was paid and say his production will probably drop over the next few years but the Sabres should've held on to him? For all the (well deserved) praise heaped on both players, Buffalo didn't win a Cup while they were here. Chris and Danny crapped out in the playoffs this past year as much as any of the other players not named Ryan Miller did (I know you love Chris but he got smoked in the face-off circle during the Ottawa series among other things).

Darcy Regier has been in Buffalo for ten years. His reign of mediocrity includes more conference finals appearances than every other team but one in that period. It includes the revival of a bankrupt franchise and a pretty downtrodden fan base. It includes the development of a farm system that was so rich that a serious string of injuries last season barely affected the team's regular season performance. Before the salary cap, Regier had to deal with a small market budget and GMs who were constantly blowing up the market with their bloated contracts and somehow, some way, he usually managed to put a competitive team on the ice. Have they won a Stanley Cup during his tenure? No, obviously not. But you know, only one team wins it every year. It's not that easy to do. Regier has regularly iced teams that have had a chance, and as a fan that's all you can really ask for. I know a lot of fan bases - including Chicago and Boston - who would happily take the mediocrity we've been saddled with during the Regier years.

Listen, I'm not going to argue that losing Briere and Drury isn't going to have an affect on the team this season. It certainly is and as a fan I'll miss watching them and I wish them well in their new locations. But the Sabres are still a very good team. We have two lines who can score like crazy cakes (Vanek-Roy-Afinogenov and
Kotalik-Connolly-Pominville) and a third line that will chip in its share (Gaustad-Hecht-Stafford). We have a great top defensive pairing in Tallinder and Lydman and a number of mobile, puck-moving defensemen. And we have a rapidly maturing Ryan Miller who was the one bright spot of the postseason last year. He kept the team in every single game, including a few they had no right to be in. Maybe most importantly, most of the above players are Buffalo draftees (Regier again) who have grown up and developed together as players and people. From all appearances, they like and care for each other and I think it's a mistake to underestimate the importance of that. I don't think it's incompetence or arrogance to let two guys who are being vastly overpaid walk out of town and show some faith in the undercarriage, especially when the undercarriage is skilled and still maturing. The Sabres most effective line last season is still here. Their best defensive pairing is still here. A vastly gifted playmaker who was on the shelf all last year is still here. Their very good young goalie is still here. The fact that these players haven't had to carry the show, doesn't mean they can't and won't. I'm thinking a little less "The Man" and a lot more "The Kids are Alright."

So yeah... I'm calling it now: The Sabres will finish second in the division (behind Ottawa), fourth in the conference, and will be hitting their groove in March around the time the Rangers implode.

Despite the above, I am glad to see you and hockey back. (But you're still wrong.)

Thanks,
Heather Bermingham
www.topshelfcookies.blogspot.com
www.hlog.blogspot.com

I did get a response. "Thanks for reading Heather! Enjoy the season! John." Clearly he knew my argument was air-tight and beyond debate. I'm disappointed. Bucky would've written back to tell me why exactly I was wrong.

So yeah... I'm optimistic. I know it's not going to be the same team it was last year but I'm really not convinced it's going to be a bad team. In fact, it could be a pretty darn good team. If nothing else, I fully expect to see the kids play their hearts out. They all seem tired of talking about Drury and Briere and they should have a huge chip on their shoulders about the way their contributions over the last couple of seasons are being disregarded. Derek, Max, and Van should be furious that people are acting like their line was unimportant last year. Hank and Toni should be annoyed that Drury evidently killed off all the penalties and shut down the opposition's best players. Pommers should be upset that Briere supposedly made him the hockey player he was. Ryan should be really pissed that Chris and Danny are being considered the difference makers. The entire team should be worked up about the way people are acting like Chris and Danny are the only ones who experienced the ups and downs of the last two seasons, like no one else remembers how great it felt to win and how heart-breaking it was to lose. I'm ready to see what the kids are going to do and I'm really glad I only have to wait... 17 and a half more hours!

(Now only FOUR HOURS!)

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Girls, We're Famous!

X-Posted on Confession's of a Teenage Hockey Chick

Okay, so as usual, I was reading the sports section this Saturday morning to see some interesting news about the Sabres beating the Islanders and winning the first round (!!!) when I noticed that EVERY section of the paper had the Sabres on the front. Even in weekend life there was a whole article on female fans in hockey... so this got me interested. I read, and read some more until I noticed some blurbs on the side of the second page. On top it was titled 'Signs of the Hockey Times: Check out these examples of women making their hockey presence known:' then I freaked out after reading the very first blurb:

- An online hockey blog, "Hockey's Ladies of Greatness" (http://hlog.blogspot.com/), devotes itself to puck chatter among women fans of professional hockey teams (including Heather and Paige, who write about the Buffalo Sabres.)

After I finished freaking out, I continued reading the rest as it told about the Cap's "Hockey 'n' Heels", pink jerseys, nearly half of females attending games and how women much enjoy spending money on hockey stuff (duh).
So yeah, I'm (We're) FAMOUS! Kinda... still pretty wicked.

Don't beleive me? Check it out!

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SIGH

From the Battle of Ontario. Meet Reason #2,305 why Rogers is really reaching these days:

We have a lot of work to do, ladies. This at least makes me feel better that if I really tried, I too, can be a Sportscaster. At least Rogers did the right thing and disqualified her.

Have at it, ladies

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Isn't it Amazing?

What I think is amazing is this: the Buffalo Sabres have to have the best fans out there. I'm sorry, but it's true! As you recall, there was a "unfair" hit against Chris Drury from Chris Neil. Many did not believe it was dirty, but the way Neil acted last night I think made it significant that he had the intention of hurt Chris Drury. He instigated (Is that a word? Maybe he was the 'instigator.') many fights last night, but only one was started between himself and Adam Mair (along with an anticipated fight between Andrew Peters and Brian McGratton). He also barged in after McGratton got in Danny Briere's face during the game warm-up, Adam Mair also showed up to make sure nothing happened.

ANYWAYS... Lindy Ruff was fined $10,000 because he put the Peters, Mair, Kaleta line up verses the Spezza line on Thursday. Now, every player agrees, he did not tell them to do anything, only to get on the ice. Now, that right there made Buffalo mad, so some people decided to make a statement and help out. For instance, Pesci's Pizza, a Buffalo pizzeria, decided to donate 10% of their proceeds to Lindy Ruff to pay his fine. Also, in some towns farther to the south, a school is suggesting students who are Sabres fans donate a dollar, also for Ruff's charge. As a result, the Sabres organization released this statement-

STATEMENT FROM THE BUFFALO SABRES ON FANS WANTING TO DONATE MONEY TO THE BUFFALO SABRES TO HELP PAY FOR LINDY RUFF'S $10,000 FINE:
"The Buffalo Sabres organization is aware of some fans wanting to donate money to help pay for the fine that was levied on Lindy Ruff by the NHL on Saturday. It certainly is a wonderful gesture by our fans to want to assist Lindy through various fundraisers, but the team will pay the fine. We do not want fans to donate any money to Lindy or the organization as a result of the fine."

Although, many people were expecting this, so Chris Phillips, co-owner of Pesci's Pizza specified "If Lindy wants to donate it to a charity of his choice or the Sabres Foundation, that would be fine with us." I mean, how many cities would do that for their team. It reminds me of last year in March, when the fans were very supporting of the Ruff family because his daughter, Madeleine, was discovered to have a brain tumor.


By the way, I change my answer to number 5 on the questionnaire.

5. If you had to punch one hockey player or member of the NHL Organization, who and why?

Chris Neil, because I hate him for what he got away with.

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There's No Such Thing as "Losers"...

...only people who "don't win".

If you haven't heard, to wrap up the general managers meetings this week in Naples, Florida, the GMs today debated the hotly contested and controversial issue of...whether or not wins should be rewarded three points instead. Alternatively then, it would be two points for an overtime win and one point for an overtime loss. They do this in international play such as the Olympics and IIHF competitions. Anaheim's GM, Brian Burke, however, thinks it's "dumb":

"I think our game is good, I think our points system is good, our fans are just finally learning to understand it. And now we're going to change it? It's just dumb for me, it's just dumb."

See? He thinks it's dumb.

I also like Jim Kelley's take on it though:

Our take: I win, you lose. Two points for a win in regulation time, one for a win in overtime or a shootout (thereby putting an emphasis on winning in regulation time) and nothing for a loss. It's a simple game, one team wins, and one team loses. It works for baseball, football, basketball, even golf for crying out loud. What the hell makes hockey so special that it needs to award points for LOSING?

Because hockey is about making people feel good, Kelley! That's why!

On to Actual Winners...:
Our poor weekly topic got completely neglected last week so here's my take on who I would give some of the NHL hardware to this year:


Jack Adams Award...
I'm tempted to give it to Lindy Ruff again because I felt that he was absolutely deserving last year but I sort of want to give it to Barry Trotz. Trotz has been behind the bench in Nashville through its growing pains days and despite the local's disinterest in the team, he still gets the best out of his team and still puts in a solid effort every night. Nashville has no idea what they're missing.

Calder Memorial Trophy...
I know this is Evgeni Malkin's trophy to lose but given that he's puttered out a little bit, I'm going to give it to Anze Kopitar. Kopitar doesn't have the supporting cast Malkin does in Pittsburgh but still manages to put up great numbers and play a dynamic game. If he was in any other market, he would be getting a lot more recognition for what he does.

Bill Masterston Trophy...
Okay so I don't see how Tomas Vokoun doesn't get it. Coming off a blood disease that took him out for the rest of the '05-'06 season, he's now helped Nashville to the top of the Western conference.


James Norris Trophy...
I get the feeling that it'll be one of Niedermayer or Lidstrom again. But I think Zdeno Chara deserves some consideration. Despite my bitterness, I have to acknowledge he's doing well in Boston. And in my wildest dreams, Anton Volchenkov deserves at least a second glance.


Lady Byng Trophy...
Just for laughs I'm going to give it to Matt Stajan because dude's the most polite player I've ever seen.


Pearson, Vezina and Hart
If your name isn't Roberto Luongo you can forget it. Has Vancouver ever won when he wasn't starting? I'm not even trying to be snarky though because I happen to love Dany Sabourin who finally got his first NHL win last night, good for you!

That's all I got right now. This entry is already way too long for its own good. Of course I'm not compensating for the fact I haven't posted in awhile.

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What does being a fan mean to you?

In my patrolling of the blogosphere today, I stopped in at End of the Bench to read The fan/team relationship. Being a fan of hockey is something I don't know I could live without. If it weren't for the game so many parts of my life wouldn't be in place and I am thankful to the game for bringing them to me. EOB linked to an amazing post, On Fanaticism, by E at A Theory of Ice. I urge you to read both of these posts and look to what being a fan means to you. I know that we each ride a rollercoaster of emotions during a game but if you didn't have hockey in your life, how would you feel?

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Fashion and Hockey

As some of you may know, Ryan Miller started his own charity for kids with cancer. It is called the Steadfast Foundation, and he has had much sucess with it so far. Miller has had always had a softside for disabled kids, and after his cousin was diagnosed with cancer, "It really hit home" according to his father, Dean Miller.


Now, you are probably wondering what the heck hockey has to do with fashion, so I'll attempt in explaining it. Ryan Miller decided to host a "Catwalk for Charity," where the Sabres themselves would be modeling clothes. I really wanted to go, but I figured it was not worth the minimum $200 to get in. As the players strutted their stuff to songs such as "Fergalicious" and "Sexy Back" fans screamed as their favorites appeared. You know hockey is becoming popular with the women of the world when they decide the hold a fashion show.Click this to see the hilarious video of the Fashion Show!

Millsey also visits kids at the hospital and even did when he attended the All-Star game. I know I shouldn't wish for cancer, but meeting Ryan Miller would brighten my day, no matter the circumstances.

Before the fashion show there was also an auction in which he raised over 100 thousand dollars. Which nearly half of ($50,000) was for a signed and worn helmet of Ryan Miller's bought by Billy Fucillo who owns Fucillo Chevrolet, a local car shop.

So that was just a quick 'Congratulations!' for Ryan Miller on his sucess with his foundation and the joy he is bringing to many young one's life with cancer.

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Q&A with Deirdre Martin!

The moment of truth!

HLOG recently corresponded with the lovely and talented Miss Deirdre Martin and fired off some questions about love, hockey, and writing. After probing the USA Today bestselling author, we asked her to mouth off on some hockey hot topics. Enjoy reading the interview. Be sure to stop by her website and sneak a peek at her novels.

1) Who is your favorite NHL team and why?

The New York Rangers. My husband is a lifelong Ranger fan and it was his interest (obsession) with them that first got me interested in hockey. Once I started paying attention, I was hooked. And as every Ranger fan knows, once a Ranger fan, always a Ranger fan.

2) Who is your favorite NHL player of all time and your favorite player-of-the-moment? Explain why.

Mark Messier is my favorite NHL player of all time. I think he was the greatest leader in team sports. For me the clincher was his guaranteeing a Rangers win in Game 6 of the semifinals against the Devils and then putting the team on his back and winning it with a hat trick. And of course, then lifting the 54 year curse.

My favorite player of the moment Jarome Iginla, because he’s a throwback to old fashioned hockey players.

3) HLOGgers are asked to complete a questionnaire to help readers get to know them a little better. If you don't mind answering some of the ones we answer, here is a short list to satisfy our curiosity.

3a) If you had to punch one hockey player or member of the NHL organization, who and why?

Gary Bettman. The rules changes are great, but they haven't been enough to overcome the damage from missing an entire season.

3b) What role do female fans play in keeping the game alive?

I’m not really sure I have an answer to that.

3c) What role do female fans play in picking heroes for the community?

Not really sure I can answer that, either. Clearly female fans are as vocal as male fans, but they obviously play a larger role in humanizing the players, because they see behind mere stats and are interested in these guys as people—and men—in a way male hockey fans aren’t. I do sometimes wonder if it’s the interest of female fans that results in some of these guys being profiled in non sports magazines and such, but no one has proved that, and I’m not sure you can.

3d) [Fill in the blank] Hockey just isn't the same without _________.

Patrick Roy. [Martin] Brodeur will probably break all his records, but Roy was amazing, and was a great character. Besides telling off Montreal management in the middle of a game, Roy's comment to [Jeremy] Roenick that he couldn't hear Jeremy's trash talk because Patrick's two Stanley Cup rings were stuck in his ears was a classic.

4) Predict who will win the 2007 Stanley Cup and why.

Buffalo Sabres. They've come back down to earth recently, but I just have a feeling about them. I also have a special fondness for them, since I went to college in Buffalo.

5) Your hockey romances appeal to a wide audience: romance fans, comedy fans, hockey fans, and so on. How have hockey fans, in particular, responded to your books?

Extremely well. Female fans obviously like the combination of romance and hockey, and I’ve even got letters from male hockey fans to say they enjoy the books, especially the on ice action. In fact, a lot of these guys said they found out about the books from their wives or girlfriends!When BODY CHECK came out, I wanted to make sure hockey fans, and not just romance fans, knew about it. I printed up bookmarks, and passed them out at AHL games all over New York State, as well at Madison Square Garden in New York, and Nassau Coliseum down on Long Island. I think that helped generate interest in both female and male fans.

6) Your descriptions of the game have a "real" feel to them. Do you draw your knowledge of hockey players, their superstitions, and the reality of game situations from personal experience, or do you rely upon research and interviews?

All of the above. For the creation of Ty Gallagher in BODY CHECK, I read a lot about [Mark] Messier and Scott Stevens, because I was interested in creating a driven, charismatic character who was passionate about winning. I also interviewed the head of PR for Rangers for that book, since doing PR for an NHL team was something I knew nothing about. He was great; he took me to Ranger practices, showed me around the Garden, and let me watch him work. Other people have been instrumental inhelping me make the hockey scenes in my book real as well: I live in Ithaca, home of Cornell hockey. Watching them play has helped me create some of the on ice scenes in the book. For THE PENALTY BOX, I went to a lot of youth hockey games here in Ithaca, and was able to see firsthand how crazy some of these parents can get. I think research is really, really important when it comes to creating authenticity in books.

7) When you were first creating the NY Blades, did you intend to write a series of books centered on this particular team?

Nope. I wrote BODY CHECK, and my editor liked it so much she asked me to write another hockey romance. This was a big gamble, since I started writing the second book before BODY CHECK was even published, and we had no idea whether readers would like BODY CHECK. My editor wanted the books to be connected, so centering a story around Janna’s roommate, Theresa, seemed a natural choice, as did pairing her with Michael Dante, who invites her to have a drink with him the first time they meet in BODY CHECK, and she rejects him.Thankfully, both books did well, but after two books set in the hockey world, I was worried about about the subject matter getting stale, so I wrote about a firefighter in TOTAL RUSH, and decided to write PENALTY BOX about an ex hockey player. But I found I missed writing about the Blades, so I pitched another hockey romance to my editor, who was thrilled with the idea. The result is CHASING STANLEY.

8)Please explain what inspired you to write hockey romances.

Well, I knew I wanted to write romances, and hockey player heroes just seemed a natural choice for me since they’re so damn sexy. I think hockey players are the perfect romantic heroes, because they're warriors on a quest: the quest for the Cup. Such figures, from King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table on down, have always been attractive; they're fearless. They're willing to sacrifice, whether it's physical, mental, or spiritually, to achieve their goal. They're not afraid of physical pain; that blood running down a hockey player's face is real. And let's face it: a lot of athletes, no matter what the sport, are hot. They have great bodies. One of the things I find particularly attractive about hockey players is that they are down to earth, too. They're approachable in a way some of these mega athletes in football and baseball are not. And the sport alone is so exciting, so fast and often rough. (We'll try to ignore the sexual subtext there). It seemed the perfect world to set a romance in.

9)What obstacles did you have to overcome on the road to becoming a published author? Were any unique to writing a sports-related romance?

My first obstacle was overcoming my own fear. Despite being a freelance magazine for many years, I was very unsure of whether I could break into commercial fiction. But one of my mottos has always been “Feel the fear and do it anyway,” so I decided I has to least TRY. I did not want to be old one day, look back on my life, and regret not even trying, even if I “failed.” So that spurred me on.

I have to confess, though, that I had no idea what I was doing! Despite reading romance all my life, the first romance I wrote was a disaster! (It is now stashed in the garage, and I doubt it will ever see the light of day. In fact, I should burn it). No chemistry, no sexual tension, no subplot...luckily, a friend of mine who had published a successful romance read it, and gave me lots of constructive criticism. I then wrote BODY CHECK.

The second obstacle was trying to find an agent. It’s kind of a Catch 22 in publishing: it’s hard to sell anything without an agent, but it’s hard to get an agent if you don’t have already have some kind of a track record, so that was tough. Alot of agents turned me because BODY CHECK was a sports romance. The prevailing belief at the time was “that sports heroes don’t sell.” Finally, one agent was willing to take a chance on me; ditto my editor at Berkley.

Which brings us to my third obstacle: trying to sell a sports romance to a publisher. Over and over my agent and I were told sports heroes don’t sell. (Despite the success of Susan Elizabeth Phillips’s Chicago Stars series, and Rachel Gibson’s hockey books). And what we kept saying was: all it takes is one good sports romance to break through, and that won’t be true anymore. And I think that’s definitely been the case: Pamela Britton has had tremendous success with her NASCAR books, and there’s another writer whose name escapes me at the moment who was written a few successful books centered around a baseball player. Obviously, readers do enjoy sports based romances.

10) Do you have any advice for anyone wanting to become an author?

Don’t give up. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s impossible. Yes, competition can be fierce, but if you’re determined enough, you can get published. Talent counts, but so does tenacity. The writers I know who are successful are the ones who hang in there, day in, day out, year in, year out. They have faith in their talent and they don’t let anything else sway them. I also think that if you want to become an author, you need to read. Lots. Not just romance, but all different types of writing: literary fiction, essays, non fiction, etc. Study how other writers do what they do. It can be a big help.

11) Finally, talk about your latest novel Chasing Stanley, due out in February.

Well, I’m really excited about CHASING STANLEY, because it combines two of my favorite things: hockey and Newfies. It’s the story of a shy dog walker/trainer, Delilah, and a brash hockey player for the New York Blades, Jason, who is new to the team. Jason has an unruly dog, Stanley, a headstrong Newf in desperate need of obedience training. Jason seeks out Delilah, and—well, you’ll just have to read it. It was a blast to write, not only because I love the two main characters, butbecause I was able to include characters from my past books whom I adore, including Ty and Janna from BODY CHECK, Michael and Theresa from FAIR PLAY, and Gemma from TOTAL RUSH. I even managed to get former Blades player PAUL van Dorn from THE PENALTY BOX in there!

I got to do some really fun research for the book: I shadowed a Manhattan dog walker for days, and even went to the Westminster Kennel Dog Club Show at Madison Square Garden, where I got a behind the scenes peek. I didn’t have to do any research on Newfs, since I own two, Rocky and Winston! The book has plenty of humor mixed in with romance, and lots of on ice action.

12) If there's anything you'd like to add, please do so!

I just want to thank you for your interest in my books! I love knowing that there are female hockey fans out there who are as passionate about the game as I am, who also enjoy reading a good romance. I’m sorry, but no one can convince me that there’s anything sexier than a hockey player. Period.

HOT HOCKEY TOPICS...

- Rory Fitzpatrick and the All-Star voting controversy (did you vote for Rory? Did you think he should have been allowed to play?)

At first I thought it was demeaning to the game. But then I realized that it’s the fan's game. Besides, I sort of looked at it like the fan's tribute to the average hard working hockey player who just goes out, game in and game out and does his job.

- The role of fighting in the game (acceptable or not, appropriate or not, should it be ruled out or allowed to continue?)

Fighting is vital to hockey's ability to self police. I think that without fighting, cheap shots and resulting injuries would increase.

- Wayne Gretzky's ability to coach a team?

Great skill players rarely make great coaches in any sport, because they seem not to understand that the average player can't do what they did. That being said, I think Gretzky should get more time.

- Should the NHL consider altering their schedule so all teams have the opportunity to host every other team in the NHL at least once/twice a year?

No. I think encouraging rivalries does more for the game.

- Any tips on how the NHL can promote the game to increase popularity in the United States or make it more "interesting" for fans and/or increase their own revenue?

They haven't changed the way they broadcast hockey on TV since the 1960s. I hated the Fox "glow puck," but the NHL could really use some of the techniques brought to the NFL broadcasts. Do that, and then when HDTV becomes more widespread, hockey will be a great TV sport. I think that's really the key.

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Blogging the YoungStars Game

...oh forget it, not even I can type that fast.

Quote of the Game goes to Jim Hughson:

"Is there a rule that three people have to touch the puck before anybody can shoot?"

Is anybody else embarrassed by the lack of people in Dallas? I mean everybody knows the game means nothing but it's really too bad.

I amend the Quote of the Game and give it to Ryan Getzlaf:

"We're in trouble boys! We sold the farm!"

At least that's what it sounded like to me.

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Reminder... Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday!!!

TOMORROW, Deirdre Martin busts in and fires off some answers for us here at HLOG about life, love, and hockey.

Well, sort of. She talks hockey, anyway.

Read up!

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HLOG Gets Deadspun

Hawt-diggity.

As long-time HLOG fan, and unfortunate Leafs fan PPP has pointed out, HLOG has been linked on Deadspin.

In an effort to prove that we are powerful enough to push the women's movement back 60 years, Margee will have commentary on it soon.

I'm so excited I could bake strawberry cupcakes!

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Oh, iTunes, you need help.

I'm cruising through iTunes today, checking out the free download of the week, seeing what's new, you know, the usual and THEN! A pre-made playlist pops up at the top called Hockey Practice. I kid you not. It's broken into three sets: The Basics, Next Steps and Deep Cuts or you can purchase the Complete Set.


Oh The Basics! Includes such gems as The Boys are Back in Town by Thin Lizzy, We Will Rock You by Queen, The Final Countdown by Europe, Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne, Unbelievable by EMF and everyone's favourite - Song 2 by Blur. Can you get any more cliche than this? What? Yes? OMG!


Red hot? Straight from the infernal nether regions of hockey hell? WHAT? Magic Carpet Ride - Steppenwolf, Hold Your Head Up - Argent, Start Me Up - The Rolling Stones, Eye of the Tiger - Survivor and oh my, Paradise City by Guns N' Roses. But wait! There's more!


Not for the faint-of-heart, iTunes? I know I'm quaking in my skates. I Was Made for Lovin' You - Kiss, Let's Get it Started - Black Eyed Peas, Takin' Care of Business - BTO, Purple Haze - Jimi Hendrix, I Wanna Be Sedated - The Ramones, Jimmy Mathis - Bubba Sparxxx (wtf?!), Hey Man Nice Shot - Filter and get ready for it.... Right Now - Van Halen.


What struck me the most though were the amount of songs ABOUT hockey. I mean I know some of them existed like Stompin' Tom (The Hockey Song) and the couple of Tragically Hip ones (Fifty Mission Cap and Lonely End of the Rink) but have YOU ever heard of these gems:

Hockey Song by Corb Lund Band, The Hockey Game by Smoother, Rocket (On est tous des Maurice Richard) by Eric Lapointe, This Game (The Hockey Song) by Brad Hopkins, Blood on the Ice - Riverdales, I Skate Therefore I Am - Jimmy Bean, Hockey Helmet - Backstreet Law, Change the World with My Hockey Stick - The Vandals, Hockey Night Tonight - The Hanson Brothers, and last but not least, Christmas Hockey News - The Zambonis

I can't believe no one included any of these in our playlist challenge. Would you redo it now? :P Anyways, I just had to share this with you in case your hockey music collection was getting a little dry.

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News Flash: Canada (hearts) Hockey

All right Canada, it's that time of year again. The time where we forget all about our so called daily responsibilities and work on those beer bellies as Hockey Day in Canada begins tomorrow at 9 a.m. EST from Nelson, B.C. The game schedule is as follows:

Hockey Day in Canada 2007 TV Schedule
14:00-16:30 Montreal @ Ottawa
16:30-18:00 HDIC live on location (Nelson, B.C.)
18:30-19:00 Saturday Night (HNIC pregame show)
19:00-22:00 Vancouver @ Toronto
22:00-01:00 Edmonton @ Calgary
01:00-01:30 After Hours (Calgary and Camrose, Alta.)

So cancel your dates and appointments, order up the pizza and work on that butt groove on the couch. It should be a doozy.

The CBC Website has some great information and miscellaneous videos for the hockey history buffs out there. Their hockey memorabilia auction is also up.

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