$ign of the Time$

And Man, do these times suck.

St. Albert, Alberta Ca. Dumps Heroes' Names from Arenas

The City of St. Albert, Alta., near Edmonton, is selling the naming rights to the Mark Messier and Troy Murray Arenas. In 1992, the city named the facilities to honour the players who once lived in St. Albert and played for the now defunct St. Albert Saints junior hockey team.

"It just seems like if you name something, should you take it away? I know it's a money thing," said Murray's mother, Betty, who still lives in St. Albert.

"I thought it was very tacky myself. It's like in a few years, are they going to take Wayne Gretzky Drive away and rename it something else?" [..]

Betty Murray said her son, a 15-year NHLer (mostly with the Chicago Blackhawks) and Selke trophy winner who now works as a colour broadcaster for the Chicago Blackhawks, politely declined to pay the money to keep his namesake arena.

"He was actually quite hurt. He has a wife and three kids and an ordinary job. And I'm not going to go around and ask somebody for $125,000.''

During Messier's illustrious 25-year career, he won a total of six Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers and New York Rangers, and is the only player in NHL history to captain two teams to a Stanley Cup championship.

Yeah, Yeah, I know, that's just the way it is nowdaze and in the grand scheme of things not such a big deal. But I grew up in a different era when I thought I'd never see the day that they'd be calling our temples of sports the Doritos Centre or whatever. So it always rubs me the wrong way when I see this happening. There's no soul left in society, or what little left there is... is for sale.

The Boni Machine

Similar in some respects to a baseball pitching machine, the Boni can throw pucks up to 100 miles per hour at goalies or players to help them with various aspects of their games.

Machine brings NHL power home

The machine, called a Boni, is a teaching tool for goaltenders, explains Keram, the centre’s skate programmer.

It can be adjusted to shoot from different heights and angles to simulate multiple shots.

“With this machine you can go from five to 90 or 100 miles an hour. You could replicate the shot of an NHL player.”

The fast shots make it harder to read where the puck is going to go, demanding faster reactions on the part of the goalie.

“It is good practice for kids to speed up,” Sanders explains coming off the ice.

The machine’s spits pucks at a speed that exceeds what he would typically face during a real game. But that doesn’t worry Sanders – being a goalie you expect to be pummeled by pucks, the 20-year-hockey veteran says.

But Justin Samra, 11, isn’t about to get in front of those 100 mph pucks just yet.

“Maybe in a couple of years I will be picking those off – but not right now,” he says.

The machine is turned down to around 50 miles per hour for the Saanich Braves minor hockey player – a speed that still leaves Samra shaking his hand after deflecting a shot.

He does have to move faster then usual though, he admits.

The consistent shots are a definite help in training and being able to target the corners repeatedly will help too.

The machine can also be used to train players on defence and aid in passing drills.

Hmmmm, I guess it's better than Steve Carell's way of practicing goaltending. Although not nearly as freakin hilarious.

Pulp Hockey

My all-time favorite Hockey coach.



The man's a genius.