Outdoor ice

I love when it gets cold enough to have outdoor ice. There is just something so right about gliding over frozen water with the wind in your face and the puck on your stick.
A few months back, my little family moved to southern New Mexico. We are about an hour and a half from actual Mexico.
I thought my days of outdoor ice were over. Enter Cloudcroft.
Cloudcroft is a map dot about 16 miles from where I live. It is up in the mountains and has an elevation over 9,000 feet. Recently we had two large, for this area, snowstorms. I heard word that the public park in Cloudcroft had opened their small rink mutch earlier than usual because of the weather.
I hopped in the car and headed up the mountain and there it was, outdoor ice. I slapped on my vapor xxxx's and started to skate as fast as I could, weaving in and out of the tourists enjoying the novelty. I just had to grab my stick and a puck to play with as well.
The ice was snowy and chipped up pretty bad, but it was worth it. I even went back up the next morning to have the rink to myself.

NHL contraction

I just read an article on www.thehockeynews.com about contracting the NHL. The premise was if certain franchises can't make money, get rid of them. It had several quotes about how that is how capitalism works....
This is stupid. You don't contract franchises, you move them. If the pheonix coyotes can't function in the desert, move them back to Winnipeg or to Hamilton. If after five years attendance drops, move them again. New franchises always do well for a couple years. You could even move a franchise back to one of these places. The people would be so happy to have it back, they would come out in droves.
Columbus isn't doing well, put them in Cleveland for a minute. that doesn't work, move them to Regina. Salt Lake City, Seattle, Sacramento, Kansas City: they could all sell-out NHL hockey for a couple of years. Then, pack up and leave if it flounders.
Places like Toronto and New York will always have the population base to support NHL hockey. But, it is a little tougher getting people in small markets to part with cash. They will do it for something new and exciting.
Also, if the Clippers and Lakers of the NBA can share a building, why can't there be two teams in the Air Canada center or the Bell Centre.
These floundering franchises can make money. The people running the ship just need to be more creative.

Men's League

A friend of mine sent this to me.
It is all the types of players you find in a men's league.

The Ringer

Some teams wait until the playoffs to unveil this option. Others go with
it right from the opening face-off. Either way, without a ringer, your
team is done. The challenge for managers is convincing a good player to
suit up for a bad team. This can be accomplished a number of ways,
including promises of goal-scoring glory and awe-inspired teammates.
Most effective, however, is let him play for free. It's simple math,
really. Everyone else pays an extra $50 and everyone else gets a shot at
the 'DD' Division title.

The Young Guy

At first glance, he can easily be mistaken for a ringer, since the young
guy still wears the shorts and socks of his junior or college team. But
it's time for the next phase of life now, and that means an office job.
The young guy stays in shape for the first half of the year. Sadly, an
increasingly sedentary existence and late night partying catches up to
him by Christmas. 15 to 20 pounds later, he's just another player,
huffing and puffing with the rest. Welcome aboard, kid.

The Old Guy

Forget the 50-and-over league; that's not for him...even though his
gloves reach up to his armpits, and he still uses a wood stick. To be
fair, the old guy can be an effective player, especially if he's a wily
old guy - a hook here and a chop there, because that's how they did it
when professional athletes were real men. 'Eddie Shore - now there was a
hockey player! Lost an ear against the Maroons. Sewed it back on
himself. Never missed a shift.'

The Tardy Goalie

Hey, thanks for showing up. Only five minutes gone in the first. Not
like you play a crucial position or anything. Take your time, dickhead.

The Beginner

Required only for cheap laughs. On the one hand, you have to admire the
beginner. It takes a lot of courage to buy all brand new equipment, and
take up hockey in your 40's. On the other hand, learn to take a pass,
man. It's right on your stick. How does that knock you over? And now
you're friggin offside! Not to mention the Beginner shows up at every
game, no matter what time or what day. Sunday night playoff game at 11PM
- no worries, Mr Beginner will be there.

The Complete Psycho

Also good for a few giggles . . . from afar. Most likely a cop or
fireman. The complete psycho is capable of anything: running the goalie,
challenging an entire bench, a tomahawk chop - all in the repertoire. Do
not feed the complete psycho. He doesn't want to be fed. He wants to
hunt. And, look to him to carry on his act in the bar after the game.

The Naked Guy

Bane of the dressing room. Most players have the courtesy to stretch
their hamstrings while sporting, at the very least, a bit of underwear.
Not the naked guy. He'll carry on full conversations, and you had better
maintain eye contact like your life depended on it or come face to face
with the swinging sausage.

The Guy with the New Girlfriend

An excellent way to lower everyone else's fees is to load up on a few of
these. The guy with the new girlfriend will show up to three games,
tops, so his payment will contribute to everyone else's and it's not
like you'll lose ice time by putting him on the roster. That said,
beware that the guy with the new girlfriend might very well turn into
the guy with the new wife; at which point he'll never miss another game.

The Minor Hockey Allstar

Looks promising at a glance as they fool you with reasonably good skills
but after you get zero passes you'll get the picture. This guy topped
out at 'AA' Midget and can be spotted by the huge blinders attached to
his helmet. Play is characterized by energetic rushes down the wing, (no
passing), then into the corner (still no pass), behind the net (hey
dickhead I've been open for the past 5 minutes), then into the next
corner (everybody has gone back to the bench to watch) followed by a
blind give away pass to the high slot / break out pass for the other
team. Cut this guy.

The Johnny Try Hard

Great to have on your team but they suck to play against because they
have somehow managed to keep themselves in ridiculously good shape. They
were probably the star on their high school hockey team and won athlete
of the year because they played hockey, volleyball and track all in the
same year. Guaranteed they have a membership at the 'Running Room'. Play
is characterized by constant hustle which if caught off guard can
embarrass the more talented yet fatter player.

The Stanley Cup Champion

These players will raise their hands and cheer when they score. If this
is an opposing player you must nip this behavior in the bud by catching
him off guard with a sickening open ice hit that causes him to blow snot
bubbles. If this player is on your team quickly chastise him in front of
the other team to let them know that this is not how the rest of your
team rolls. Remind him how much of a loser he is by retrieving the puck
from the net the next time he scores and presenting it to him in front
of the other team.

The Tough Guy

This guy maxed out at the house-league level, has never been in a fight
and is characterized by antagonizing behavior on the ice. In extreme
cases he will 'cheap shot' another player. The fact that your beer
league does not allow fighting has given this guy a false sense of
courage. What this guy does not realize is that this will not prevent
someone from knocking his teeth out if he cheap shots the wrong guy.
There is a number of fun ways to handle this player which all end with
him lying on the ice bleeding, looking for his teeth and crying.

The Wrong Guy

Not to be confused with 'The Complete Psycho'. This guy shows up,
doesn't say much and pretty much flies under the radar screen. The kid
that gave him the cheap shot him will eventually look his name up on
Hockey DB after his facial surgery and realize he had 355 PIMS in the
East Coast League 3 years ago.

The Gary Roberts

Can be described as being way too intense. This guy is one of your
better players but is unable to adjust to the lower level of play. At
the best of times he will try to coach players on the fly and at the
worst of times he will snap and call his entire team a bunch of
house-leaguers. He believes the game should be played a certain way and
despises 'pond hockey' style play with no back checking or positional
assignments. Most likely is suffering from a complex of 'unfinished
business' from his previous hockey career and is looking to capture some
shred of glory via the rec-league championship. This guy is probably
better off playing with his own kind in a Senior-A league.

CORPORATE GUY - At first glance just a regular family guy, married with
3 kids, a cush corporate job and fancy car. Once he enters the locker
room its Party time and latest tales of broads and the good times.
PreGame beer and smoke, outrageous stories of hookers from last weekend
in Vegas, to the point everyone is crying with laughter. This guy is Reg
Dunlop (Slapshot) meets Chris Farley, raw-raw, kick their butt, run-up
the score, the ref-beats-his-wife, non stop chatter on the bench. Has
above average talent and knows it, but is more focused on making sure
his teammates show up and enjoy themselves at the post game festivities
at the Brass Pole Ballet, always carries an extra set of clothes in his
trunk!

The Gear Guy

More money than brains. This guy is a mediocre player who compensates
for poor skating and a crappy slapshot by always having the latest,
hottest gear. Watching him suit up is like flipping through the Hockey
News equipment reviews issue. He starts by stuffing his chubby frame
into skin tight UnderArmour, followed by massive, ultralight pads. He
shows up with shiny new blades every year, claiming that the last pair
"just never felt right" and boasting that he feels faster because his
new skates only weigh 17 nanograms. A couple of weeks after Ovechkin
sports a yellor visor, the dude shows up with one. Best of all are the
sticks. While everybody else does just fine with bargain rack specials
this guy hauls out a Warrior Kronik before anyone has even heard of it.
He sucks, but he's handy to have around because he carries an extra
elbow pad and a spare pair of gloves in his bag.

The Organizer

This guy is absolutely brutal but since nobody else could be bothered to
do all the paperwork and collect the money he gets to play. Is
frustrating to play with because they can barely skate let alone take a
pass but nobody gets mad at him cuz he's a really nice guy. Is often
heard in the dressing room saying 'Sorry guys, that one was my fault'
and if he's lucky somebody will chip in something like 'No worries
Donny, it's a team effort.' What everybody is really thinking is 'Hey
Donny, my grandmother is a better player than you and yes you are right,
that was your fault.' If you are lucky the Organizer is usually smart
enough to take himself off the ice in critical situations.

El Paso Hockey

I can't believe I moved to a city with no rink that is in the middle of the desert. But, i got a good job and am happy with it.
The closest rink to where i live is an hour and fifteen minute drive to El Paso, Texas. The rink is in an old rodeo/equestrian barn. It is not as bad as that sounds, but it doesn't have locker rooms. The team I was put on is actually pretty good. It is nice to play with old guys who pass instead of young guys who think they are Dangle Mcscoresalot and just lose the puck every time. I got passes and I gave passes. It was actually fun hockey.
The ice was a little soft, but what can you expect when you are a slapshot away from the fence that protects us from Mexico.
Anyways, i hope the commute doesn't get to me. They are puting another guy from up here on the same team so that we can commute together. That should be fun.

Need for Speed

I was never the fastest player, but at one point I had some speed. I miss being fast. now, my ankle hurts when I skate hard. So, I end up avoiding backchecking. It doesn't help that I am fifty pounds overweight.

I see guys at drop in, usually smaller guys, that can just fly. I am jealous. Speed is everything in hockey. not top end speed, I still have that because of a long effective stride. But that quickness out of the gates. The ability to read react and be at top speed in an instent is a priceless skill for a hockey player.

I guess I just became an old timer before I was ready.

Dog days of summer

Well, the Dog days of summer have arrived. The playoffs have faded from peoples minds and the next season couldn't start any later. I am a hockey fan through and through, but I'd much rather play. But, without hockey in front of them people don't think to show up for drop in.
It has gotten very bad. I got a babysitter so that I could go to daytime drop in on Monday. There was a couple of other guys there, but they left early. So it was me and an olympic sheet of ice. I skated some ladders and took a few shots.... i tried to skate myself tired. It is hard to push yourself when there is no one to beat. I love pick up hockey, but that is super weak. I know there are a lot of players that don't work during the day and could come play, but they would rather do nothing instead.
That is why summer sucks. You would think people would want to get out of the heat and enjoy a nice cool ice rink. But they don't.... Dog days.

USA, USA

This is my team USA jersey.

Speaking of team USA. I just checked out the invite list for the US Olympic team orientation camp. http://www.usahockey.com/Template_Usahockey.aspx?NAV=TU_01_01_05&id=264078

I love this roster.

There is so much young talent that I can't wait to see in the stars and stripes.

Phil Kessel is super fast and shifty. Bobby Ryan is just sick, the Ducks were idiots for keeping him in the 'A' for so much of this season. Paul Stasny is old school cool and can get the puck to any sniper. Zach Parise is a top flite player on any team. Patrick Kane, Kyle Okposo, and TJ Oshie are all young studs.

I am just flat out excited to see this team play.

That being said, I am not predicting a medal for this team. Russia, Canada and Sweden are flat out better. But you never know, to quote the cliche "that is why you play the game."

I hate summer. There is just not enough ice in my diet.

drop in etiquette

awww, summer. Time for lazy days and fishing. But for a true hockey nut, summer means nothing but pick up games and longing.
Since it is drop in season I thought I would write down some of the unwritten rules of pick up hockey. Some people just don't know or care. But, drop in is a lot nicer if everyone plays nice.
First rule, and I have to admit I am bad with this one, if you don't have the energy to backcheck get off the ice. Nothing is worse than sitting on the bench waiting while some clown doddles his way back to the defensive zone.
Second rule, if there is no goalie, you play posts. Only outside iron off the ice counts. If it goes in the net it is a turnover and the other team starts it out of there zone.
Third rule, no checking. Most rinks have made this a written rule, but some yokels still don't get it. also, if you don't know the guys at drop in gauge carefully the amount of contact you make. Some people just want to play for fun, not the hitting.
Fourth rule, if you are a goalie stay in the net. There is nothing worse than a goalie skating to the bench for a rest or a drink. It is not fun for the players to shoot on an empty net.
Fifth rule, don't forget how to pass. As fun as dangling is, it is not fun for anyone but you. on the other hand, if you don't get a pass you have to just live with it. People are probably working on there game and stickhandling is a big part of that. But that doesn't give Moves McDangles liscense to become a blackhole where when the puck is passed to him it disappears. The fun in drop in is making pretty plays. That won't happen if people don't pass.
This is not a complete list, but feel free to leave more rules in the comments section.

Still Sad

I am still mourning the Red Wing's loss in game 7 of the Stanley Cup final. I was the most obnoxious self assured Red wings fan. Right up to the bitter end, I thought the Wings would pull it out. I thought Lidstrom would bury that juicy rebound. I thought Datsyuk and Zetterberg were going to catch fire offensively. But none of that happened.
Congratulations to the Penguins. Thanks for ripping my heart out and stomping on it with your skates.
As for all you people that decided to be Pittsburgh fans because you hate Detroit, piss off. There is nothing worse in this world than a hater. Haters can't stand to see other people happy. Haters think everyone should be miserable along with them. Don't hate.
The rest of my blogs will probably be about drop in hockey because that is all I have this summer.

The Finals

As you may know, I am a big Red Wings honk. I love Detroit hockey. The puck possession, the veterans, and the late round draft picks just get me going.
The problem is these finals are killing me.
It has been so back and forth. The Red Wings get a chance. The Penguins get a chance. The Wings score, The Pens score. The up and down play is enough to give a guy a heart attack.
The officiating has actually given me a heart attack. Missing offsides and too many men on the ice calls are forgivable. Blatantly ignoring the "new NHL" rules on obstruction is not. These blind squirrels are going to starve for sure. The sad thing is this crew is supposed to be the best of the best. But they are content to "let 'em play." It's a joke how poorly these ever important games are being reffed.
But, the series is knotted at 2-2 and home ice belongs to the Swedish national team... er, Red Wings. I believe the Wings can pull it out. But, not if they play the way they did in Pittsburgh.

Can't get enough

I am struggling. I just can't get on the ice as much as I want. To be fair, I've never been on the ice as much as I want. Everyday is more than I can swing. But, with the season over and not being able to get a babysitter for my daughter so I can go during the day, I've been relegated to Thursday night drop-in only. I can't play in the men's league because I work on that night. I've decided that I should drive the 45 minutes to the next closest rink for their Tuesday Thursday morning skate. It starts at 5:45 am. That means I would need to leave at 4:45 am to be on time and dressed. I went on Tuesday and it was a solid drop in, but I am still trying to recover from only getting four hours of sleep. Those of you who know me will agree that I'm a night owl. I hate waking up and going to sleep. I love sleep, it is just the getting in and out part(kind of like a geo metro for me-6'3" 275).

I'm going to figure out a way to get more hockey. I love being on the ice. I love shooting the puck. Even if it is just a sunday skate, I want to be there playing.

I'll just have to find a babysitter. More than that, I need a full time job. Then I will be able to really figure out how to get my hockey fix.

Blackhawks offense

The Chicago Blackhawks made all-world goaltender Roberto Luongo look like a garage leaguer last night. They beat him four times in the third period of an elimination game. Luongo's mates did their part offensively, they gave him a lead. But Luongo couldn't stop Chi-town's skill players. Kane and Toews are just sick. They are straight swine flu mixed with bird flu covered in sars. Kane's backhander was amazing. He cut across the ice to the right, Luongo cut off the angle perfectly. But Kane shot back against his body with a defender on him and sniped the top left corner. You just can't do that, it was worthy of his celebration after.
What the Canucks should have done is borrow a page from Anaheim's playbook. The Ducks kill skill with toughness and hustle. The Canucks just stood around while the young guns of Chicago sliced and diced their way through the Vancouver zone. The Ducks would have interfered and cross-checked them the 'hawks into a bloody pulp. They wouldn't have stood around and watched while Kane put the puck in their net. They would have put some composite lumber in his teeth. That is why the Ducks got a Cup in '07 and Vancouver has nothing.
Even the Wings figure out how to play chippy when the stakes are high. They don't do it ugly like the Ducks, but they still hit hard and keep their man from posterizing them. The Moral of the story is, Vancouver chose not to be good enough to win.

Soothing my depression

I miss playing hockey now that the college season is over. So, I am living vicariously through the Detroit Red Wings. But it is getting rough.

The wings dropped a second one goal tilt to the Ducks. I do page design part-time for the Provo Daily Herald and I was watching it while I put the scoreboard page. It wasn't that the Wings lost that got me down, it was how the played.

Usually the Wings have the best passes in the league. Not just head-manning the puck, but they throw beautiful no-look behind the back drop passes and sick across the crease to snipe passes. I saw none of this from them in the first period and a half. They were chasing the Ducks around like a bunch of mites. They got better, but too little and too late to win the game. Now they are down 2-1.

To make myself feel better, I went to my local hockey shop. They are having a 50-70-percent off sale. I got a Warrior Dolospyne for $100. I'll let you know how it is when I get a chance to use it on the ice. I'll be playing a drop-in on thursday night. Hopefully it is such a sick stick that I go and buy ten more. I usually use the old yellow synergy sticks, but hopefully the Warrior stacks up.

Sid vs. Ovie

I am super excited for Wings-Ducks, but the most intriguing matchup of the second round will be.... Sidney Crosby vs. Alex Ovechkin. Who else was I going to say?

Now I'm sure the on-ice part of the matchup will be electric, but what I am looking forward to is the battle in the media. Will they pick the golden boy in Crosby or the Russian flame-thrower in Ovechkin? I watch a lot of ESPN and I can't wait to see this debate. What about Fleury vs. Varlamov? Not even a thought. What about Malkin? Side-show at best. All the American media will care about is this Sid vs. Ovie matchup. I can't wait. For once, they will talk hockey. Hockey may actually steal a headline or two.

But, none of it really matters. The Red Wings will be taking home Lord Stanley's cup once again. Unless the Ducks still have a little Disney magic left in them.

Poor Columbus

I know the Wings brought out there brooms almost a week ago, but I've been busy. The Wings are a dominant team. Top to bottom, they are the most skilled team in the NHL.

What did Columbus think was going to happen?

They thought they would win. Down to the last minute, I'm sure they thought they had a chance to make something happen.

But, the truth is, after Osgood shut the door in the first period of game one they were done. They were the Washington Generals to the Wings Harlem Globetrotters. I feel sad. They are a good team. Rick Nash is a stud. Steve Mason single-handedly got them into the post-season. But, there is always next year.

That is why I feel sad for Columbus.

Red Wings

I forgot about the NBC game of the week until there was only a half hour left. I just scrolled to it on my television's guide and recorded it. I watched it a little later that day. When I played it, there was about nine minutes left.
I was disappointed to find my wings tied 2-2 with the not going to the post-season Wild. Detroit has been on a three game skid and it looked like they might drop another.
I don't know why Detroit hasn't been winning. Goaltending maybe? Resting guys for the post-season? Whatever. It is still sad.
But Marion "I have a tinted visor" Hossa made me happy. He took a pass from Thomas Holmstrom with less than a minute left and sniped it past Nicklas Backstrom. By sniped I mean grazed it off his arm witch was tight to his body, just over his glove.
The wings won 3-2. I just hope they get home ice against Boston in the finals.

New Hampshire are you kidding...

I just got done watching New Hampshire come back on North Dakota in the NCAA hockey tournament. The Wildcats were down two goals with eight minutes left. They got a goal to get within one. There was only eight seconds on the clock. They had their goalie pulled. The UNH player one the face off, the defenseman almost missed the puck. He puts it across the bluline for a one-timer that is sailed wide. The puck bounces off the end boards and gets put in front of the net. Some kid bangs it in the net with .3 seconds left.
Then UNH pots the winner in the extra period. After being totally outplayed for two periods, they came back and won the friggin' game.
Props to the state of New Hampshire.

NHL on NBC

I watch the Flyers and Pens play today on NBC. I like the coverage that NBC does. I guess you get a good team when you just take the broadcasters from TSN in Canada. I like how they don't try to dumb down the coverage to appeal to the un-hockey-baptized. I think more people would like hockey if it acted more like the cool kid who doesn't need you to like him instead of the nerdy kid who constantly seeks approval. Canadian broadcasters rarely reference other sports. American broadcasters try to legitimize hockey by saying how much like other sports it is. It is not like other sports, that is what makes it great. Yes there is a lot of athleticism on display, but there is nothing like skating fast and checking or sniping the top corner when the goalie butterflies. Hockey broadcasts need to appeal to hockey people.
Also, the game made me realize how important the first goal of a game is. The Pens were running a hard 2-1-2 press forecheck to try and create turnovers and get the first marker. But, the Flyers got the goal off a Simon Gagne shot. After that, they had all the confidence in the world and were able to control the pace of the game. That goal was huge for Philly. It got them a valueable road win.
The other thing I saw was how whiny Sid the Kid is. Don't get me wrong, I think he plays the game the way you are supposed to play it. But he complains to the refs way too much. He got called offside when he clearly wasn't and his solo camera caught him throw a temper tantrum to the linesman. I think he needs to just play and not gripe so much.

Everyone wants to be Ovechkin

I can't blame anyone for wanting to be like Alex Ovechkin, he is plain nasty. But, does anyone else think it is funny to see a guy at drop-in with a tinted visor who is trying to do a between the legs move down the wing? The ovechkin wannabe always makes me laugh. It is even funnier when it is a thirty year old beginner. Why do people do this? Yes. Ovie is disgusting on the ice. He already has 50 goals on the year and his stick is on fire. That doesn't mean that every bender's stick is on fire too. Ovechkin can wear the tinted visor, the laces holding up his pants and the yellow laces in his skates because he is re-donk-ulous on the ice. Everyone else (not in the pros) needs to stay down because their game is not at that level. Ovechkin could wear pink gloves and goth makeup and it would be OK as long as he kept bending the twine.

Don't worry about copying Ovechkin, worry about stepping your game up.

I do have to admit, I have yellow laces. I've had them for the last six years and it has kind of become my thing. I get flack for it once in a while, but atleast I'm not rockin T-blades.

First Post

My wife has been telling me that I need to create my own blog. I've been doing some coaching articles for hockeyplayer.com and I've worked for the Provo Daily Herald part-time. So, I have some writing credibility, but I guess that doesn't matter when you are blogging.
I decided that my blog should be a place for my musings on everything hockey. Hockeyplayer is all about coaching and equipment, but I'd like to comment on everything in the game. I'll talk about everything from the NHL to pick-up at my local rink.
I can't get enough hockey. I play drop-in at my rink at least three times a week and I coach the adult learn-to-play class. I'm on the ice a lot. I run my mouth there, I may as well run it on the web too.