Tom Must Go

Last night, the Rangers lost to the Atlanta Thrashers on Adam Graves night. If I wasn’t so angry at New York for yesterday’s effort, I would probably discuss the last Ranger to wear #9 in more detail, but that must be saved for a later time.

Tom Renney must go.

Because I am not stupid. And the 19,000 people who fill MSG night in and night out, rooting for New York’s home team are not stupid either.

We see this lifeless team. This team with no drive, no personality, no attitude. It makes Rangers games dull and boring. It creates the quietest atmosphere at Madison Square Garden that I have ever seen or heard. It tears at the heart of fans who want excitement.

Where are you, though, Coach? You’re team looks lifeless out there, night in and night out. Oh, wait... You want them that way.

Tom Renney has managed to take any unique individualism and squash it in effort to create good defensive soldiers. He has damaged the confidence of his youth and forced these mindless drones into thinking that defense is the only way to play hockey.

Although, we have the best penalty kill, of course. Renney doesn’t stand for goals-allowed.


Here, here. I’m not trying to say defense isn’t important, or that a team shouldn’t play good team defense. However, a team has to be able to score, too. And this is a department in which the Rangers greatly lack.

Is it personnel, or is strategy? In some cases, personnel can really hinder a team from scoring goals; some teams just don’t have fire power. And in the Ranger’s defense, this team is lacking a sniper. A “go-to” guy. But don’t tell me, as Gomez plugs away with first unit powerplay time night in and night out, that his first powerplay goal of the season should have been only two weeks ago. Do not tell me that this is acceptable.

The powerplay, in general, is not acceptable. The powerplay does have to do with personnel, as well, however a lot of times a good strategy can override a team’s difficulty in scoring powerplay goals. For starters, members of a powerplay unit should MOVE.

This is elementary, Tom Renney.

And this powerplay also boasts the league leading shorthanded goals, with 13. I suppose the Rangers are aiming to break records this season.

Would a good coach allow 8 Two Many Men penalties to be called on their team in one season?

Although maybe the players would have a better time remembering their linemates if Renney didn’t create 31 different line combinations in the first 30 games. The Rangers managed fourteen separate combinations when they lost to the Boston Bruins a couple days ago… and that was only in the third period.

The Rangers have been guilty of “Not Enough Men” this season. How, you wonder? In December against the Calgary Flames, the Rangers played almost a full 30 seconds shorthanded during even strength. No one realized they were missing a player.

It’s mind blowing, really.

The Rangers attempt the same style of play game in and game out despite poor results. They do their best to prevent the other team from scoring, rather than try to score themselves. They send one player up to forecheck while the rest hang back to play solid D. They play “five in a picture” hockey. Amazingly, the Rangers still manage defensive breakdowns. It makes you wonder why Glen Sather signed offensive defensemen like Wade Redden and Dmitri Kalinin if his coach was looking for better defense, instead.

Do you know Ranger games are really boring? I haven’t found a better remedy for my own restlessness at night!

Nothing. Happens. For a full two periods, nothing happens, and I’m a personal fan of defensemen. Nothing thrills me more than watching future-Norris-winner Marc Staal take a man off the puck. However, watch the Ranger forwards dump the puck and change when they could be putting aggressive pressure on a goaltender kills me.

No wonder the Rangers make backups look like Vezina candidates.

I have long said I would rather my team lose than play like the Devils do. And I stand by that statement, as the Rangers become increasingly like their Jersey neighbors.

Without a doubt, I believe the defensive strategy that Renney employs is not only boring, but shortsighted and will not succeed in the playoffs. Renney plays for the shootout; and it just so happens that the Rangers boast a league-best eight shootout wins. After that 1-0 loss in Boston, Renney said during his postgame “with any luck, we’d still be playing.”

No, Mr. Renney. With any luck, your team wouldn’t have been shut out. With any luck, you’d have won the game in regulation.

Over the summer, the Rangers traded for Nik Zherdev. An enigmatic forward, Zherdev has cutesy moves and serious skills with the puck. And while Zherdev should play a responsible game, Ranger fans are collectively beginning to feel like Z has more to offer us. However, when Zherdev does get fancy, he finds himself benched for a shift or two.

He’s not the only one. Brandon Dubinsky has found himself in a serious scoring slump his sophomore year. When asked about it, Brandon said he needs to focus more on his defensive game and the offensive game will come. (I almost choked after hearing that statement.) But this statement comes after Dubinsky found himself benched during a game in which he “did not backcheck properly.”

The way I remember October, the Rangers were fun and Dubinsky and Zherdev found themselves on fire. When they scored, they jumped all over eachother and celebrated in a way AO would be proud of. That was, you know. Back when the Rangers were hot and won and won and led the conference.

But now? This team is lifeless, and they’ve brought Dubi and Niky down with them. And they’ve only been playing .500 hockey since.

This is not limited to this year. There are questions as to why Jaromir Jagr’s production fell off so severely, and to why Fedor Tyutin is enjoying much more success with the Bluejackets then he did with the Rangers.

On December 29th, the Rangers defeated the New York Islanders 5-4 at MSG on Versus, televised nationally. Fans everywhere across the United States got to see the game, and got to hear the message Ranger fans chanted over and over again throughout the third period.

“Pet-r Pruch-a.”

He was cheered for because he scored a goal. He was cheered for because he played with effort and emotion and hit guys twice his size again and again. This kid created something every single shift.

You know him. Petr Prucha.

Not ringing a bell?

Petr Prucha scored thirty goals his rookie season with the Rangers in 2005. Maybe you were all a big preoccupied with Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin to have noticed, but the Czech quickly became a fan favorite in New York despite his small size because of his work ethic, his smile, and his willingness to go to the net.

But Prucha doesn’t spend too much time on the ice anymore. The only player, with the exception of Henrik Lundqvist, to be cheered with a standing ovation this season, is a consistent healthy scratch.

Nothing that Tom Renney has done has hurt me personally, except for his treatment of Petr Prucha. It’s unwarranted. It’s not acceptable. And I worry Petr Prucha, my favorite hockey player, will find his way back to the Czech Republic during this offseason. After all, which one of your teams will want a smallish, single digit goal scorer?

Petr Prucha is so much more than that. Petr Prucha is energy. Petr Prucha is strength. Petr Prucha is heart. Petr Prucha draws penalties like no one else on the Ranger’s squad. And Petr Prucha could score goals, if Tom Renney ever gave him so decent ice time or some powerplay time.

Not like changing up the powerplay could hurt at all.

Yesterday, before the game that took the Rangers only 58 minutes to score in, right after a game in which the Rangers were shut out, Tom Renney had this to say about the former thirty goal scorer.

“With a guy like Pruch, it’s a matter of him getting in and being able to sustain it,” Renney said. “He’s not a big guy. For our needs, at least, a guy like Petr is good for a while and then it seems to dry up on him. Then I can get him back in again. The bottom line is it’s his size. It’s getting banged around, and then because of that, not being able to sustain what he can deliver over the period of more than four or five games. And that’s the dilemma that I have. And it’s too bad, because he’s a helluva guy.”

Firstly, this is the first time I have ever heard about Petr having a difficultly sustaining anything. In September, Renney told the world it was Prucha who was in the best condition. “First Pete needs opportunity, and he’s work hard enough and deserves the look,” Renney said. “He’s in phenomenal condition. One of the highest scorers ever (on the conditioning test). As a matter of fact, since I’ve been here this is the best testing of a Ranger team, and Pete’s at the top.” I have a hard time understanding how a guy who is in such good condition wears and tears so easily.

Secondly, I’ve seen all but one Ranger game this season. And Prucha is noticeable in every single game he plays, so I’m not sure how he’s not sustaining. He's certainly more noticeable than, say, Aaron Voros, except when Voros take a bad penalty (or four) a game.

Finally, this is a player who scored 50 NHL goals in his first two seasons in the NHL, with him suffering from a huge decrease in powerplay time and general ice time going into his second season.

The injustice to Prucha merits its own post. Actually, it merits its own blog, and I think I’ve essentially turned the blog I share with Lucky13 into Petr Prucha’s own cheerleading section.

I enjoy Prucha. He’s the most fun to watch play. He gives it his all. But at the end of the day, I want the Rangers to win.

And why is it so hard for Renney to see that Prucha helps this team win?

When Ranger fans chanted for Petr Prucha that night against the Islanders, they were saying something else, other than just that Prucha deserves a spot in the on that bench, not the pressbox, every single night.

They were saying that Tom Renney doesn’t deserve a spot behind that bench any longer.

The best thing I read regarding Prucha's... interesting... fourth NHL season came right after he scored his first goal, on December 3rd, against the Penguins, to force the team into overtime. The entire bench erupted like it was the greatest, most inspired goal that ever was scored. I'm not sure who said it, and I hope I'm not completely ripping someone off, but the statement just rang through me as the painful truth.

"Seems like the people on the bench have way more confidence in Prucha than the ones standing behind it."


Tom Renney needs to go.

Because of his questionable personnel treatment and confidence-killing decisions that has left Prucha saying “"I feel like I need points to stay in. The coach probably doesn't have much confidence in me to keep me in the lineup." Because I can’t stand to see that happen to a talent like Zherdev or Dubinsky or Artem Anisimov, who made his Rangers debut last night.

Because youth is held accountable while veterans get a free ride.

Because of the inability of the powerplay to score, or even create scoring chances.

Because of the number of shorthanded goals allowed and two many men on the ice penalties.

Because of the “play for the shootout” mentality.

Because of the defense-first system that sucks the life out of the Garden and creates mindless zombies out of hockey players.

On Friday, December 12th, 2008, as the Rangers approached signing Mats Sundin (lol, right?) it was pretty clear that Prucha would be the one to be waived or traded to make room for the Swede. The Hockey Rodent wrote a wonderfully sorrowful piece on Petr Prucha, for those of us who appreciated the chance to see him skate on Broadway. In his rant, Requiem (which means “a prayer for the souls departed”), he makes several good points about Prucha and his bench boss.

I watch the game for the entertainment. And when it stops being entertainment... then this becomes just another job. Prucha is entertaining. Nikolai Zherdev has the potential to be entertaining if only Renney would let the guy off his backchecking leash and allow a bit of cherry picking.

I just hate how he's so thoroughly sterilized this club and how he's converted virtuosos into robots. He's blanded the brand so much I feel as if I've crossed the Hudson River.

Prucha was a reliable break from the meat and potatoes. Admittedly dreadful on the backcheck. Yet his anarchistic attack dared give this club a modicum of personality. But no. Tom couldn't have too much of that.

Renney killed Prucha. And now he's killing Zherdev as well. And "yes". I'm angry.

I’m angry, too. I want my team back. My team with character. My team with personality. My team who actually seemed to care.

Fire Tom Renney.

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"First Class" = Most Irritating Phrase Ever

I'm easily irritable and usually I keep things to myself, but there's one pet peeve I can't hold in anymore. I cannot stand it when players, coaches, analysts, etc. use the phrase "First Class" when describing a certain player, coach, organization, etc.

The most recent offense I witnessed was committed by Rookie Non-Sensation Steve Stamkos when he was interviewed by FSN's Patrick O'Neal at intermission during the Kings/Lightning game. In that one interview Stamkos described the Lightning as a First Class Organization and then, just minutes later, described Rookie Phenom Drew Doughty as a First Class Player. How original! And guess what? I learned so much more about the Lightning organization and Doughty from that phrase!

Of course, Stamkos isn't the only one guilty of using the most irritating and nondescript phrase ever. I've heard plenty of people in the hockey world use it, and I would probably hear other sports figures use it too if I actually watched another sport. I realize interviewees want to appear composed, competent, and polite, but can they stop acting like they're reading verbatim from the Public Relations Master Handbook? It's like there are only a handful of phrases they're allowed to use.

In my opinion, "first class" means nothing. It's like the adjective "nice". When I went through Sorority Rush Recruitment and we had to talk about every single girl who went through Recruitment, we weren't allowed to use the adjective "nice" because it doesn't mean much and doesn't help other people who haven't met her know anything else about her. That's exactly how I feel about "first class". Every single player, coach, organization, etc. has probably at one point or another been described as First Class. Heck, I'm sure even Sean Avery has been described as a First Class Player, albeit, probably from Brett Hull, but nonetheless, it doesn't help someone unfamiliar with the situation know anything more. What does "First Class" tell you? He's....polite? nice?

I feel like "First Class" is the go-to phrase in an interview. Can't think quick enough on your feet? Just say he's a "First Class Player"! Can't put your finger on the best descriptor? Just say you play for a "First Class Organization"! I would much rather hear someone talk about how an organization will go out of their way to help rookies transition to the NHL. Or how an opponent is an outstanding player who works incredibly hard to be the best and is one of the most competitive people to play against. "First Class" does nothing for me....it's almost as bad as describing someone as a real "stand up guy". Ugh, don't even get me started.

x-posted to Purple Crushed Velvet

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SHERRY SMASH!: Your Cup o' Rant of the Day

^{The Cover of "Rant" by Chuck Palahniuk}

Ray Emery and I do have something in common in that we're both bound for Europe soon and we'll experience first-hand the lack of hockey coverage and hockey love that Europe has to offer. Unlike Ray though, I'll definitely miss it. I know the mainstream media has a prickly relationship with us humble bloggers (yet somehow "journalists" maintaining a blog is a-okay and totally different). As critical as I am about the media, we're inevitably dependent on them to do what us bloggers do. At least blogs with a certain standard do, and I'd like to think we're one of them.

That being said, when I read this article about a potential three-way trade between the Kings, Blackhawks and the Senators in the Ottawa Sun, I had to wonder how the MSM still had the gumption to look down on bloggers when one considers the fact that this "hot rumour in NHL cirlces" was brought to my attention last week by Connie from A Queen Among Kings who saw it on a Kings fansite that stated the rumour originated from Hockeybuzz.

I have to admit, Hockeybuzz doesn't incite as much wrath and anger in me as it does some other bloggers because I never read it. I've never seen it as a legitimate news source, even if it does have real "professional" reporters and yes, that is solely because of their resident "anonymous" blogger. If you can't post under your real name, then I'm sorry, I won't see you as credible or legitimate because that strikes me as you've got something to hide. And yes, that's exactly why on both HLOG and SI I don't post under a real or full name because I don't expect or want readers to think this is a legitimate news outlet.

As for the rumour, I know the summer sucks and is full of slow news days, but come on. I know the Los Angeles Kings are a bit desperate but for a team that's building for the future, do you really think they'll be likely to ship somebody as important to the franchise as Anze Kopitar for a maddeningly inconsistent goaltender and an underachieving defenseman? And I know the Senators don't exactly have a solid goaltending duo, but how can you possibly justify trading Martin Gerber, who might be inconsistent for Nikolai Khabibulin, who is more expensive, even LESS consistent and injury-prone? Bryan Murray isn't one to shy away from big trades, but he's not one to make trades that make no sense.

That being said, if it happens I will eat my words and issue a full apology. And possibly hide in a protective bunker for a couple of weeks because obviously something is wrong with the world if it does.

^{Cross-posted on Scarlett Ice}

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Avery Rules

I just wanted to come out and say, even though I’m a Ranger fan, I find what Sean Avery did on Sunday night against the Devils unbelievable and in poor taste. I clearly think the “correct” option would be to kick Avery out of the league because of this thoughtless and rude act.

Brodeur was perfectly justified in his shots to Avery’s groin with the stick, and to Avery’s face with his glove. I would have done the same thing. Brodeur, after all, is a perfect example of class. He never over exaggerates (thus is never unsportsmanlike). He takes tiny bumps like a man. Why Avery decided to treat Martin Brodeur, one of the most respected goaltenders in the league, with such disrespect, I will never understand.



The Devils in general, have led the way in class with this series in particular. Parise and Langenbrunner didn’t throw their sticks in the hallway out of anger over an icing call (which, sarcasm aside, was clearly a wrong call). Madden didn’t follow the refs, screaming his brains out. There isn’t a recorded clip of a Devil yelling to Ryan Callahan “You’re a F---ing B----,” that was shown on the VS telecast. Lundqvist hasn’t received snow shower after snow shower. That’s why I feel so bad for Marty. Avery won’t leave him alone, but no one is crashing Lundqvist’s net.

That was clearly the most embarrassing thing that could have happened to the NHL. Chris Simon’s hit on Ryan Hollweg doesn’t hold a candle to what Avery displayed on that 5-on-3. It was clearly childish and immature.

In hockey, there are some unwritten rules that everyone in the league, besides Sean Avery, follow. This is because hockey players are held in such high regard for their class, on and off the ice. Hockey players don’t throw late checks. They don’t board or charge opposing players. They never –ever- lead with their elbows. Hockey players NEVER use their stick or their skates as a weapon. I have personally never seen a hockey player take a cheap shot and go for the knees. Hockey players may fight, but they fight gracefully. No one ever sucker punches. There is no history of players jumping into stands, fighting fans. This doesn’t exist in this perfect hockey world.

This is the thing I hate about Sean Avery, and the reason I wish he was off my team even though he happens to lead the team in postseason goals. Avery doesn’t go for knees. He doesn’t lead with his elbows. He isn’t called for boarding (any more often than the next guy). He does it with his mouth. His facial expressions. He waves his stick.

I applaud the NHL for taking immediate action. Clearly, this is so important this needed to be taken care of right away, regardless of the fact that we’re in the middle of a playoff series, and that this is probably just an isolated incident. Thank God the NHL had the audacity to change the rules half way through a playoff run. Otherwise, we’d have to deal with Sean Avery screening a goaltender while facing him and waving his stick in his face, for at least another three games. ::shudder:: The horror!!!

Mark Recchi said he wouldn’t do what Avery did, even to win game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals. I know the great hockey men in the hall would agree. Mark Messier and Scott Stevens come to mind. They wanted to win, but they wouldn’t do ANYTHING to win. Very clean players, those two. Eric Lindros would vouch for it.

I know changing rules in the middle of a playoff series probably could get some people annoyed, and they would say the proper way to go about this would be to wait until the off season, and then discuss this with the board of governors and the Player’s Association. But this needed action, and it needed action immediately. And we all thought Bertuzzi and Simon were the disgraces to the league! I would add Pronger, but he doesn’t MEAN to step on people on purpose. No real talented defensemen would do that.

The moral here is that Sean Avery is a bad man. He is the most overrated despite his team-leading three goals! and hated despite not playing to hurt like some other players do player in the league, with good reason. Kick Sean Avery out of the league and return this mid-season rule-changing league to dignity!

Argue with me all you want. Sean Avery deserves his own rule for facing a goalie to screen him. Plus, I really like the new rule. I don’t think you should be able to screen a goalie if you’re not trying to make a play even though Hockey 101 teaches children to screen the goaltender. In fact, let’s take screening out all together.

I can’t wait until someone gets called for this new penalty! And we all know who it will be because the rule is made especially and only for him, and if someone else actually gets called for it, I'll be floored.

Thank you, Canadian media, for again blowing everything out of proportion. And thank you, NHL. America will respect you even more than they already do read: they don't for your random rule changing and overreacting to what is probably an isolated incident.

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Ice Girls: Yay or Nay?

I shake my head in complete disappointment.

Months ago I applauded the Kings organization for not subjecting its fans (particularly the female fanbase) to Ice Girls. I poked fun at some of the Ice Girls employed by other teams (Dallas and Nashville). And it was to my utter disappointment that I noticed Ice Girls at the Kings/Dallas game on Saturday, March 29th. The Kings website even has a small article stating:

"No your eyes were not deceiving you, those were Ice Girls at the Kings - Stars game on Saturday, March 29. It was a trial run, and the Kings are giving the chance for their fans to submit feedback. Fill out the form below and let us know what you thought of it."

Naturally, I wanted to voice my anger so I filled out the feedback form (complete with email address and phone number! because I really hope they call me so I can voice my opinion directly to someone) (remaining post after the jump and if you're interested in reading ckim's rant, click here.):

"This entire season (at least until Saturday) I was proud to say that the LA Kings did not have ice girls. Rather, the team had the Kings Crew, which did a fine job of getting the crowd riled up and most importantly, scraping the ice during TV timeouts. Yes, I am a female fan (I've been a fan since 1988), and yes, I think it is ridiculous and a complete disgrace to have "ice girls". The only thing I am thankful for, is that the Kings organization does not have them scantily clad like other franchises (NY Islanders, Dallas Stars, Nashville Predators, etc). I do not understand the purpose of them, because seriously, if the fans want to see hot girls, they know to go to a Lakers game. The LA Kings are about hockey, not ice girls. If their sole purpose is to scrape the ice, then why not have a group of guys who can do it more efficiently? I wonder if this is just a sorry ploy by the Kings management to fill seats and/or entertain the male fanbase. Because the answer is no. If you want to fill seats and keep everyone happy, then fill a roster that can be competitive with the rest of the NHL and employ a coaching staff that can lead this young group of talented players into the playoffs. There is no absolutely no need for ice girls at Kings games."

Too harsh? I think not. I'm worried that I come across as some hot-headed feminist, when in reality I'm just hot-headed. I could really care less about the feminist movement and all that hoopla...really, women can vote? I didn't know that since I can't remember the last time I voted...women can drive? Are you sure that's a good idea? Because I don't know why anyone lets me drive and I'm fairly certain every other female is just as bad a driver as I am. Women are allowed to talk? That's not what my fiance says...he always says women aren't funny and I have to agree with him. Anyhoo...all I'm sayin' is that it's a goddamn hockey game...why do we need Ice Girls? They won't be able to compete with Laker Girls and the guys who have been scraping the snow all season long do an excellent job already. Those poor guys...out of a job because of some bimbo who wants to shake her booty in front of Cammy. Those guys probably think these ladies are like the immigrants that come into town and steal their jobs while getting paid a fraction of what they were receiving...oh did I go too far?

Later in the day one part of KingsCast left a long-winded comment explaining why everything I wrote was incorrect. His comment is as follows:

I have to disagree with your post here. There has been this "ice girls" movement across the entire NHL as of late and fans, mostly, seem to be responding favorably. I recently attended a Panther game where "ice girls" danced instead of picking up the ice. During intermission, they were at a table signing autographs. Men and women alike stood in line to meet them. Fan favorites? Absolutely. Hot as hell? No doubt.

You say in your blog. "I do not understand the purpose of them, because seriously, if the fans want to see hot girls, they know to go to a Lakers game." Really? The Lakers are a pretty good team with multiple championships, franchise players and an unbelievably supportive fan base. I don't think the Laker girls are the reason they continually sell out Staples Center (although it is a bit of a bonus).

"The LA Kings are about hockey, not ice girls." Are they? In 40 years there are no Cups, one trip to the finals and, maybe, 2 franchise players with two in the making. The attendance at games is down. Fans are fed up.

Now, I have a pretty strong marketing background. If I ran a psycho-graphic analysis on the fans that attend Kings games, I would expect that the large marjority would be open to, at least, trying ice girls. Yes, most hockey fans are probably male of a moderate income. That's why they didn't put Chippendales out on the ice. The ice girls are, for lack of a better term "a value-added service". That doesn't sound quite right but it does make the point.

I think Connie made the point of asking why they carried the heavy buckets of ice around. Now there's a point I agree with! No one wants to see an attractive girl haul around two hundred pounds of ice while sweating out of her unitard.

You go on to say "If you want to fill seats and keep everyone happy, then fill a roster that can be competitive with the rest of the NHL and employ a coaching staff that can lead this young group of talented players into the playoffs." You got that right! However, you are off your point. One thing has nothing to do with the other. This is a marketing tool. So is "We Play for LA" and "Play Hard". How well did that do?

I guess I'm not sure what exactly your problem is with our "ice girls". If it's a "sex sells" thing, I point to Budweiser or Wrigley Spearmint Gum or Starbucks (think product placement). They would be dead without it. For the Kings to attempt to use this marketing ploy as a way to bring money to the bottom line to enhance such things as your fan experience is not a bad thing. They are trying to play to their target market.

If your problem is exploitation of women, then it is certainly a matter of ethics. While, ethically, I don't have a problem with it I can't say that you're wrong there either. It's just a difference of values.

Regardless, my opinion is that the ice girls should stay.

I respect both yours and Connie's blogs and will continue to read them and support them. But I still think you're both wrong.

Since I highly value Keith's opinion and appreciate his comment and felt like I needed to respond so I wrote the following:

I agree with most of his points but I think I need to explain myself. My "feedback" was written in about 2 minutes tops with hardly any thought in between reading the article and writing my feedback, which is why my argument is quite disjointed. It was more of a "rant against Ice Girls" than an argument as to "why Ice Girls should not be in LA".

My main argument in this discussion for why Ice Girls should not be in LA is mainly because (and I may be wrong since I wasn't around in the early days of hockey) "cheerleaders" are not a hockey tradition. Ever since I've been a hockey fan, hockey games were different than basketball and football because they didn't have girls cheering the guys on. This was one aspect of the game that I loved and appreciated. You want to see girls on ice skates? Go to a figure skating competition. Whenever I rarely happen to watch a football game, I can't stand it when the cameras pan over the cheerleaders for an extended period of time. Show me the players! Show me replays! I could give a shit about what these girls look like! Unless you're at a high school football game, those cheerleaders don't get the crowd into the game. I honestly don't know why cheerleaders are even a part of football and basketball since I'm not entirely sure what their purpose is but I guess it's because they've been a part of the leagues for quite some time. But that's a completely different discussion...

Another reason I don't think ice girls are necessary is because they look ridiculous trying to shovel ice. I was at the Ducks/Kings game with Connie and we both commented on how slow the girls looked and how feeble they looked trying to shovel snow. The guys shoveling ice at the Kings game are quick and nondistracting. No girl can make shoveling ice look attractive so why even put them in that situation?

Another reason why I don't think the girls are necessary for non-scraping ice activities is because I would rather see 5-year olds play hockey, sumo wrestling, or hamster-bubble-wheel races during intermission than an ice dance show (which hopefully, for the love of god, will not occur next season). I know a lot of teams have been putting together Ice Girls and most have been favorably accepted but I just don't get it. Maybe it's because I'm a girl. Maybe it's also because I'm not the type of girl who thinks being an Ice Girl is awesome...(see my post about the Nashville Ice Girls). And maybe it's also because I don't understand what the attraction is to meet a cheerleader or Ice Girl...why are they famous? why do people care about them that much to actually wait in a line and get an autograph? Perhaps there's a reader out there who has gotten an autograph from an Ice Girl and can shine some light on the topic.

Will Ice Girls really help sell tickets? I don't really see how this is possible, but maybe that's because I'm not in marketing. Maybe it'll help sell tickets for a short while, but as long as the team still sucks, I don't see how Ice Girls will solve any problems. If the Kings are desperately trying to sell tickets I think other types of promotions may be more successful. What types? I don't know, I'm not in marketing. I guess I'm not really seeing this "added-value service" thing. Beer girls get people interested in the product...will Ice Girls get people interested in the Kings?? (How about making the players more accessible to fans? THAT will get more people interested in the team.) I brought up the Kings' poor performance because part of me thinks the Kings organization wants to bring in Ice Girls to distract fans and still sell tickets. I still don't think I'm completely off-base for bringing it up, it's just one point to my multi-pointed rant about Ice girls.

I don't care about the 'sex' sells thing, because I know sex sells...hell, even I'm inclined to show a bit more cleavage if I want better bar service...and yes, it works. My main problem is I don't see what their purpose is. If I'm at a game that is horrible, seeing Ice Girls isn't going to make me say, "Well, the Ice Girls made up for the Kings' lack of effort." But then again, maybe a guy would think the exact opposite. Maybe if I saw some hard evidence that showed that fans really do want them around, that they help drive ticket sales, and/or help increase the attitude of fans at games, then I would be more receptive of them. But right now, they seem pointless to me.

Dear HLOG readers, I ask you, what's your opinion of Ice Girls, and please mention if you're female or male (since it is possible that the male species may be lurking around these parts of the interweb). I know that some of you have witnessed Ice Girls all season long and I am curious to hear what your initial reactions were when they were first introduced to your team and what your feelings are now.

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“Tennessee, Tennessee, There Ain’t No Place I’d Rather Be…”

So goes the Grateful Dead song so aptly named “Tennessee Jed”. And that was my mantra this past weekend. After several months as an Hlogger, I think I’ve made it pretty clear on who my favorite player is (hint: start with an O, ends with an R, and has a “rtmeye” in the middle). Because his new team does not play my team at all this season (I hate that about the post-lockout NHL – I’m so glad that's changing), I actually went on an adventure to watch him play. Yes, folks, from the humble surroundings of the NY metro area to the Music City, I trekked to Nashville to see my boy Jed take the ice. If he wasn’t coming to me, then I was going to him. I dragged my hubby with me and we made a weekend out of it, with a Preds vs. Stars contest tossed in there.

As those of you in the Northeastern part of the US experienced, Friday morning greeted us with a blanket of snow. Of course, we were scheduled to fly out of Philly that morning, and needless to say, we didn’t know how it would unfold. The TV said airports were delayed for hours; the internet said some flights were cancelled, but ours was on time. What? How is that possible? As it came time to leave, we decided to give it a try.

After a white-knuckly ride down 95, we parked in long-term (I think we got the last spot), shuttled to the terminal, and behold: the flight was on time. Out with the passports and off with the shoes, we made our flight, and barely made our connection. We got to Nashville without incident. This was not the adventure that I signed up for, but someone was watching over us for sure.

Saturday morning we made our way around town. We passed by the Sommet Center (we learned that the correct pronunciation is soh-may), and across the street we saw a crowd gathering. It wouldn’t have been unusual, but the rest of the city was still asleep at 9:30am, so they stood out. Turns out they were waiting for the Dallas Stars to emerge from their hotel and go across the street to practice at the Sommmayyy Center. I only know Mike Modano by face, so we hung around until we saw him. No sign of any Preds, unfortunately.

By nightfall, we were jacked for the game. We brazenly donned out Rangers jersey (I wanted to make sure Jed could see us during warmups). When I planned this trip back in November, I knew it was risky – in the three months leading up to our trip, Jed could have been a) traded, b) scratched, or c) injured. At this point, we could only rule out a and c, but b had been happening often lately, so we had to wait and see if he was dressed.

When #41 hopped out on the ice, I was downright giddy. We were standing behind the corner facing the blue line, and I KNOW he saw me. How could he miss two blue Rangers jerseys among all the Preds jerseys? I KNOW he saw me!!!

The whole package that was “the game” was more like a small-scale circus. I don’t know about places, but the games that I’ve been to (MSG, NJ, Philly) don’t have much of a show except for the game itself. Maybe it’s an attempt to drum up business in a previously non-hockey market, but let me tell you, I didn’t expect this. Right before the puck was dropped, the Jumbotron played a cartoon of a giant cat pouncing all over Nashville “preying” on its divisional opponents. Then a big cat head was lowered from the ceiling and the players came through it as they entered the ice. There’s also the mascot that dropped from the rafters swinging on a cable, the ice girls (not on skates, surprisingly), goal girls (who were on skates and entertained us as the band played in between periods), a flying cat that dropped stuff, and Fang Fingers: a gesture that Preds fans are supposed to make – at the direction of the announcer – when the Preds go on the power play. I must live a sheltered life. But what did I care? Jed was playing!!!

My Jed-inspired giddiness was to be short-lived. Halfway through the first period, Jed sustained a crushing blow against the boards. He hobbled off the ice and that was the last I saw of him. To top it off, they Preds got shelled 6-3. The fans were merciless to Modano. We topped the night off with a couple of cold ones, and the prepped for our early flight the next day.

So that’s my long-winded story. All in all, we had a good time, and I got to see my boy Jed play, at least for a little while. We’d do it again – that is if Jed is still playing there next season.

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Angry Feminist Rant

First off, the Ottawa Senators unveiled their new jerseys yesterday and full pictures of the new threads can be found on Scarlett Ice.

I'm really torn on this one. I don't love it and I don't hate it. I'm glad they kept it simple but the lack of anything else on the body of the jersey gives it a practice jersey feel to it and I don't quite understand the need for the under-arm art. However, I am glad they kept it clean and avoided pointless piping and random colour blocking.

My real gripe however, is seeing this lovely t-shirt that was also on sale at Sensations as part of the new Senators merchandise available. It was taken by my friend Lydia who attended the jersey unveiling event:



Christy from Behind the Jersey also uncovered a similarly themed t-shirt available for the Red Wings fans.

Look, I know a lot of women like pink. I, myself have always disliked the colour but I'm not about to judge and ostracize you if you have a preference to wear it. The thing is, you can't pigeon-hole the female fanbase and say you're catering to their needs when all you offer them in their sizes and cuts are jerseys that completely eliminate the point of offering team merchandise in the first place. What's the point of shelling out for a team's jersey when they're all the same colour?

The whole pink jersey debate aside, I fail to see the logic in placing swirly, sparkly hearts on a t-shirt and think women will be rushing to buy it. Maybe this is an inappropriate generalization, but if you're a female hockey fan you're probably not the type who enjoys wearing pink hearts on a regular basis. If you do, you probably don't like it associated with your favourite hockey team.

Really, I know I shouldn't be surprised since you don't have to take cultural studies courses to realize that most of the media and culture is controlled by middle-aged corporate executives who try to tell you what you should or shouldn't like just so they can fatten their wallet. I'm sure there is a market for these things of men who purchase these shirts for their girlfriends who don't particularly care for hockey themselves but will wear it to make their boyfriends happy when they're being dragged to hockey games.

I don't mean any offense in my ranting. I'm sure there are a lot of passionate and serious female hockey fans who see no problems in this kind of merchandise. However, this type of design hardly screams 'take me seriously'. If you think about it, it shows that the marketing department in fact doesn't take their female fan base seriously because there's a problem when people think that women will only want to buy merchandise that's stereotypically "cutesy" and "girly". It's not the presence of pink hearts and butterflies that attracted us to hockey in the first place, so why would we need to see it on the clothing to get us to buy it?

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A life without hockey...

I am in hockey hell. No, I am in hockey-less hell.

After going through the most ridiculous apartment hunt I have ever been through (and this from a girl who has moved 13 times in 2 1/2 years) I finally found a place to live. Except, the cable company has turned my cable off and refuses to put it back on. That means no Versus, Center Ice, or any other possible hockey. And of course NBC has decided to bounce the first couple games of the friggin STANLEY CUP final so that you need to have Versus to view it (they are probably busy broadcasting professional bowling or something). I have been without hockey for almost three weeks and wont get cable back until I move into my new place this weekend.

Whats that you say? Go watch hockey at a sports bar? I would except that my Mom is in town helping me pack and flinches at the words: hockey, bar, hockey, beer, alcohol, hockey. I have been reduced to hitting "refresh" on ESPN.com over and over on game nights. And forcing friends to call me with play by plays.

I am in hockey-less hell.

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