Puckstock

Chilly Winter Classic is a hot commodity

...the Winter Classic outdoor game between Buffalo and Pittsburgh on New Year's Day could become a marquee event on the NHL calendar.

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)

Yeah, you bet there will be.

I also think one or two (one in the US, one in Ca.) of these games a year would be great for the sport.

Hockey Gone Wild #18

....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.



More >>> Hockey Gone Wild.

All They Want for Christmas Is...

Here's some other gifts Santa should consider for NHLer's.

For the Philadelphia Flyers, Santa has a little something special. Day parole.

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.

Brillant, what a wonderful gift for Sean Avery... and it's something that we all could enjoy. A twofer.

Merry Christmas!

Hockey Bloggers

Changing the way hockey is covered.



A Handy Guide for Beginners: Hockey Blogging

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.*

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.

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.



...OK, that's much better.

The hockey revolution will be blogged.

Tis the Season

Peace on earth, goodwill towards men.



Well, unless apparently, your a Ranger's fan surrounded by a mob of Islander loving Santa Clauses on their home hockey rink. Goodwill has it's limits.

I pity the fool.

Merry Freakin Christmas

A Rival Hockey League?

Be still my beating heart.

Russian tycoon eyes league to rival NHL

Another professional hockey league could be on the horizon.

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.

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...



I wish this rival league, actually, I wish any rival league all the best in their efforts to challenge the NHL. The competition, I think, would do the sport tremendous good.

Puck Tech

Thermablades...

They're suppose to help hockey players glide across ice like a hot knife cuts through butter. In other words... easily.



Cool.

So cool that four NHLer's are secretly testing them out this season.

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. [...]

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.

Sounds good to me. But then again, I'm a better hockey through high technology kind of guy to begin with.

Contenders and Pretenders

Ted Montgomery, writing for USA TODAY gives us a rundown on the good, the bad and the ugly teams so far in this NHL season. At the moment, my guys appear in what you might say is the bad (bubble) category.

Colorado Avalanche: This is a tough team to figure. The offensive firepower is there, and the goaltending has been adequate for the most part, but the defense teeters back and forth between being stingy and leaky. They'll have to correct that if they are to entertain any ideas of surviving even one round in the tough Western Conference playoffs.

I couldn't agree more. Well, actually on second thought, I think I'd drop them down to pretender status at this point.

Find where Ted thinks your team stands >>> here.

Hockeydad Rap

I'm big and I'm bad... I'm a hockey dad.

ESPN or Bust

Can hockey be a sport if it isn't on ESPN?

One of the most powerful forces in the NHL today is an organization that owns no standing in the NHL. And therein lies the problem.

ESPN has become the big elephant sitting in our room, only in this case everyone is talking about it.

The lack of a television deal with ESPN is now the No. 1 gripe in hockey today. Players complain about it. General managers complain about it. Coaches complain about it, and fans truly complain about it in most vulgar terms.

With 2008 almost upon us, the return of the NHL to ESPN should be the top priority for Commissioner Gary Bettman. It's that simple. No one cares about network television anymore. We care about ESPN. This is more important than figuring out how the NHL is going to score more goals. I don't want expanded nets. I want expanded visibility for the sport of hockey. To achieve that, we must return to ESPN.

I couldn't agree more.