The hell with glowing pucks like Fox Sports used on their Hockey telecasts awhile back. Let's use flaming hockey pucks like they do in Mexico.
Rick Nash's Goal of the Year...
Rick Nash's phone was filled with text messages and voicemails when he woke up Friday. He also had half a dozen interview requests.Insane, simply insane.
That's what happens when you score the goal of the year in the NHL. "Yeah I know, it's been crazy," Nash told The Canadian Press after practice in Dallas.
By now surely, most hockey fans have seen it TV or on the Internet. "Wow," is the most commonly heard response after seeing The Goal.
Nash took a pass from Columbus Blue Jackets teammate Michael Peca just outside the Phoenix blue-line Thursday night, deftly stickhandled his way around both Coyotes defencemen Keith Ballard and Derek Morris before finally deking out goalie Mikael Tellqvist and firing into the open left side of the net.
Oh, and it was a game-winner with 21.5 seconds left in the third period.
"I don't even really know how I really did it," said Nash, whose Jackets play Saturday afternoon in Dallas. "You know, the one replay I've seen, it looked like the puck was on a string almost. It just happened so fast I don't even remember what I was thinking or what I was trying to do."
...the Winter Classic outdoor game between Buffalo and Pittsburgh on New Year's Day could become a marquee event on the NHL calendar.Yeah, you bet there will be.
Those that promote the NHL have never been so busy, producing daily commentary on NHL.com, updates on rink flooding and painted lines and time-lapse videos on arena construction.
When 73,000 seats are sold out in a manner of hours, filling a football stadium for a hockey game, you know they are on to something. When NBC decides to broadcast the game – Bowl games be damned – you have the buzz. [...]
No less a voice than that of Penguins star Sidney Crosby believes one of these events a year would be good for the game.
"I think one (game) is good. I mean, it doesn't always have to be the same teams, but I think one's good," Crosby said Friday. "It's something for everyone to look forward to. I think it's going to bring attention."
The Red Wings are hoping to host one of these at Ford Field, perhaps with the Maple Leafs as the opponent. Already there is talk about Penn State hosting a Flyers-Penguins game.
Costas believes the NHL can build on events like this because it has the ability to attract casual fans and channel surfers.
"It will feel special because it is special," said Costas. "It's unique. Sidney Crosby and Ryan Miller are extremely well known. You have players that people want to see and in an atmosphere that's intriguing, plus those 70,000 people in Buffalo on New Year's Day.
"There is certainly going to be a great atmosphere."
(my emphasis)
....in a continuing series.
I have no clue what set off these two Danish teams 35 seconds into this clip, but off they go into a pretty wild and crazy donnybrook I bet even Don Cherry would appreciate from his hockey friends in europe. And just when you think it's over with... off it's goes again.
For the Philadelphia Flyers, Santa has a little something special. Day parole.Brillant, what a wonderful gift for Sean Avery... and it's something that we all could enjoy. A twofer.
For the Phoenix Coyotes, a few people out in the desert who actually give a damn.
For Marc Crawford, a new hobby. You know, for when he gets his ass canned.
For Rick Tocchet, an all-expense paid trip to Vegas.
For Sean Avery, a mute button.
Changing the way hockey is covered.
Do not make fun of James Mirtle and/or Eric McErlain. They are the overlords of the hockey blogosphere/world/box/thing. Thus, if you wanted to call one of them a Bat Shit Crazy Son of a Bitch whose blog is vile trash, it's not a good idea. If said event were to occur, you would have huge, muscular guys with cool sunglasses show up at your house in a matter of minutes whose only agenda would be to "take you down" a la Dog the Bounty Hunter. That is, of course, if you were to do such a dastardly thing.*Damn. I keep forgeting that rule about posting hot pics of hockey chicks. I just knew this blog has been missing something lately. Man, I better get with the program and fast.
Always post lots of random pictures of hot chicks, specifically ice girls. This may not guarantee that your blog gets tons of cheap hits, but it will give you a lot of street cred. You're the cool blogger who doesn't play by the rules! You're not like those MSM sons of bitches who bend to the man. You embrace your true self as a manly blogger who enjoys a tight ass or two or twenty. That being said, if you are of the female hockey blogging persuasion, well, I have no idea what you should do. Post a picture of Mike Modano's chest? I have no clue.
Do name your blog in a fashion that tricks readers who don't look hard enough into thinking you are someone famous and enormously egotistical. You shouldn't take more than two minutes to come up with a snappy, irreverent name either. Names like John Buccigross Rocks and I Am Sean Avery and I Am All That is Man should suffice. See how easy that was? You too can have an awesome blog title.**
Do flame Eklund. That's the 'in' thing to do isn't it? In fact, if you have a sneaking suspicion that he creates rumors simply from the banter on your message board, go ahead and prove it by baiting him into it. It's fun. Promise.
Peace on earth, goodwill towards men.
Be still my beating heart.
Russian tycoon eyes league to rival NHL
Another professional hockey league could be on the horizon.I'm skeptical, but hey, stranger things have happened. If (big IF)a European league does manage to get off the ground it could create profound changes in how hockey is played, marketed and viewed globally. We're looking at changes possibly much more profound than those of the last great NHL rival league insurrection...
And it could be a league that would give the world's top hockey players an alternative to the National Hockey League.
A media report on Saturday said that Russian energy tycoon Alex Medvedev is planning to develop a rival league based in Europe.
The Toronto Star indicates Medvedev has hired former NHL Players Association director Bob Goodenow and Stanley Cup winner Igor Larionov to work towards developing the league.
The story also suggests the operators would like to have the new league up and running by fall of 2008. As well, according to the report, Medvedev has already contacted prospective broadcasters and sponsors.
The start-up of a new league would not be surprising, considering the continued exodus of Europe's best hockey players to the North America and the NHL.
Friction between Russia's ice hockey federation and the NHL has been growing.
Thermablades...
They're suppose to help hockey players glide across ice like a hot knife cuts through butter. In other words... easily.
The four teams they play for asked that their names be kept secret so the Thermablades on their feet didn't draw media attention and their use become a distraction, says Kris King, the NHL's Toronto-based senior manager of hockey operations. [...]Sounds good to me. But then again, I'm a better hockey through high technology kind of guy to begin with.
Thermablades use a rechargeable battery and microprocessor to maintain a blade temperature of 5 C. The slight heat is enough to increase the thickness of the water layer between the blade and the ice surface, and the company says its tests have shown this reduces gliding friction and starting resistance for skaters.
