Hockey

Yay and their was much rejoicing….Game On!

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Here are some quick snaps from the weekend with Brian Burke and the Stanley Cup

Pipers lead the Way

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Today my old buddy Stanley came to Chilliwack for a visit. Brian Burke, General Manager of the Anaheim Ducks and Co- Owner of the Chilliwack Bruins brought the Stanley Cup to Chilliwack. The arrival was planned for 11:30am with pictures to follow from noon to 3pm. I decided to go down and check out Stanley and maybe get a picture, when I arrived at Cottonwood Mall at 10:30am there was already a line with approximately a hundred people. I figured I would join the queue and if the wait became too long I could always pass. The time passed quickly and all of a sudden a buzz could be heard down the mall and being lead in by a pair of bagpipers and a small military guard came Lord Stanley’s Cup proudly carried by Brian Burke.

Having waited almost an hour I decided to wait and get a picture with my old buddy Stanley and Brian Burke. The line moved quite quickly and at one point Brian Burke took a little baby and put him in the bowl which drew some oohs and ahhs from the crowd. While waiting in line I spoke with one of the organizers and he told me they were expecting 300-400 people but it looks like more than 1500 people had shown up. Once my turn came up I received a nice handshake and shared a few words with Brian Burke, had a picture taken and I was off into the crowd.

Once outside I saw how enormous the lineup was and I was glad I decided to come a little early. I was talking to someone and they mentioned how special it was for the Cup to come to Chilliwack and they wondered why it was not brought into Vancouver. I said maybe it was a way for Brian Burke to rub it in to the Vancouver Canucks.

Personally I think it was a nice gesture on Brian Burke’s part to bring the Cup for a visit. Thanks Brian

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For so many years Toronto has considered itself the “Centre of the Universe”, well I am sad to announce that it is now official.

The Official Annoucement

Thanks to the The Toque for the announcement and oh I cannot forget Leafs Suck!

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I had a dream last night which when I think about was more than a dream, it was a reminder of days past.

I lived in Manitoba from ages 9 through 14 and my most vivid memories comes from those cold crisp days of winter. Most days we looked forward to getting home from school and loved a new snowfall, all the better to play hockey. As soon as we were home from school we would get the nets out and the shovels so we could clean the snow off the road to play our game. It was not very long before we were picking teams and there was never a lack of players. We would be out on the street no matter what the weather, no matter how cold it got we would play every night until we were dragged in for dinner. Of course after dinner we were back out for more games playing till we were called in for the night. I think if we had a choice we would have stayed out and played hockey all day and night.

Most days we could be found out on the street with the only breaks for meals and an occasional nature break. The conversation was interspersed with calls of “He Shoots He Scores” to the inevitable call of “Car” as we waited for the cars to clear our play area. Many future NHLer’s plied their trade on those streets, well at least in our minds we were future NHL players. With my Boston Bruins shirt I was Bobby Orr rushing up the side to score another spectacular goal.

One day was different from the rest, on Saturdays we would be out early to the rink for a day of games and skating then home. But this day would be different as 6pm rolled around we would hear Canada’s second National Anthem which signaled that our favourite show was about to start. Hockey Night in Canada was and is an institution which brought the family together for many Saturday nights. Some of my fondest memories comes from those cold crisp days playing road hockey and rushing in on a Saturday to be in front of the TV in time to watch my heroes play the great game.

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For the seventh time Canada’s National broadcaster the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) will be presenting a full day in celebration of Canada’s national sport on Saturday Jan 13th. Not only will there be three hockey games with the six Canadian teams facing each other, their will be stories and events right across Canada showing our love of the game and why it is the greatest game. I guess this means I will be enjoying 13 hours of hockey. I am not sure if some would consider that as hockey overload but I can assure you it will not be a problem for me. A true hockey fan could never overload on hockey.

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I have finally updated my Jersey Collection page and while it is not finished I have added more jerseys and some pictures. I will continue to update until I have all my current jerseys listed and will continue to flesh out the details. My collection includes a Game Worn Calgary Flames Mike Vernon, a vintage Edmonton Oilers Wayne Gretzky, a vintage Toronto Maple Leafs Darryl Sittler, a Vintage Boston Bruins Bobby Orr and a vintage Minnesota North Stars Mike Modano to name a few.

I would love to hear from other collectors.

Jersey Collection Page

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It is hockey season and the time I have been waiting for all summer is here, Opening Night! With all of the changes and movement of players I am excited about what this new season will bring.

This year for some reason I went nuts and entered 6 pools, normally I will go into 1 or 2 different pools. The funny thing is while it would be nice to win ie. Bragging Rights, I really don’t care and definitely do not watch a game to see how many points a player gets unless of course it is a Calgary player. Something I cannot stand is someone who watches hockey and all they care about is how many points a player from their pool choices gets on a particular night. Don’t tell me about it I do not care I watch the games for the pure enjoyment of watching the game.

During the lead up to the opening of the season all the experts and fans alike have been trying to figure out will play well, which teams will improve and conversely which will falter. While I am a Flames fan and want my team to win it all, I also realize that no matter what all the prognosticators say before the season, as soon as the puck drops all bets are off and any team can win on any night. 

Having said all that I believe the Calgary Flames will be the big winners and bring Lord Stanley back to Calgary.

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I went to the Season opening game on Thursday not really sure what to expect but I figured it would be something of a spectacle as this league is a big step up on the recently departed BCjHL Chilliwack Chiefs. With more money involved and more exposure including a live broadcast on Shaw TV I guess I was expecting a big show of some sort.

I arrived at 6pm for a scheduled 7pm game start and wandered around the rink waiting patiently for the festivities to start. As the start time grew close I was surprised to see lots of people still wandering and not really seeing anything happening to indicate that some sort of ceremony was going to take place. About 5 minutes to seven an announcement was made indicating all the lights in the building would be turned out at 7pm. So I proceeded to my Standing room place to prepare to watch the show. At 7pm the lights dropped and the TV cameras came on to show the Shaw broadcast team along with the Bruins Play by Play team. This was shown on the Scoreboard with the sound a little tough to understand making it sound like jumble of unintelligible sounds. This went on for 10 minutes , then 20 minutes and the crowd was growing restless with sporadic cheering. Finally after almost 40 minutes of waiting in the dark trying to understand what was being broadcast without any luck, four fireworks rockets were set off which I guess was designed to wake up the fans. With this the Player introductions began, each Chilliwack Player was introduced and they skated onto the ice through what I thought was supposed to be a fireworks light bar to light up their entrance. This did not to work as planned and only after 7 players had entered did the light bar finally go off and then only for two players. Also during the this process the scoreboard was displaying a Bruins logo and even though there were TV cameras on the ice the clock remained dark until almost three quarters of the team had been introduced then suddenly the picture was broadcast for all to see. After all the players were introduced the opponents for the evening the Kelowna Rockets hit the ice and we had the Ceremonial First Puck drop and a series of sparklers which were located around the top of the glass were fired off with only half of the sparklers going off. Finally after taking about 5 minutes with ladders all over the ice to take down sparklers and clean up the ice the game began. Don’t get me wrong I am not complaining it is just that I figured this would be a little more professionally put together and a little bit smoother.

The game itself was a good back and forth affair with Chilliwack scoring first and taking a 3-0 lead into the third period. While Kelowna did break the shutout bid of Alex Archibald with a goal midway through the third period. The style and pace of the game was excellent making it well worth attending to see the game. With the excitement with which this team plays it will be well worth it to see more games this season whether the Bruins win or not it will be a good brand of hockey.

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I went to a preseason Chilliwack Bruins game last night against the Kamloops Blazers. As it was a preseason game the teams were not playing their final rosters. The game was a spirited affair with lots of offensive action from Chilliwack and hard hitting action from both teams. The fireworks began in the second period with a couple of scraps including one which saw 1 Chilliwack and 1 Kamloops player ejected and 8 more receiving ten minute misconducts making the benches look a little bare.

The action continued right till the end of the third period with Chilliwack besting Kamloops 6-4. The overall tempo was quick and with the exception of lots of penalties for interference, hooking and holding and of course the occasional fight tthe game maintained a good flow. The players are getting used to the enforcement of the rules such as was seen last year in the NHL. It reminded me of the NHL games I attended early last season and how the penalties seemed to be endless. As the season continues and the players adjust the penalties will allow the games to speed up as has happened with the NHL games.

A few players that stood out and I will continue to watch (if they stick around) include Oscar Moller from Sweden and Josh Aspenlind both of whom played a fast pitched exciting game. As the team comes together I think this will be an exciting team to watch. More to come.

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Hockey is starting soon and it should be an interesting year. With all the changes on the teams and the salary cap it has made for an interesting summer. Managing a roster is now paramount to ensure team success. Changes may not be possible during the season due to the cap forcing teams to be more careful and leave some cap space. Teams can no longer afford to spend and then if something isn’t working just bring in more resources. Now it is a careful game of ensuring all the pieces fit within the cap, making it much more difficult to make changes.

I have been interested to watch and listen on the local media to all the rhetoric about how great the Vancouver Canucks will be this season. The Canucks have made massive changes from the coach to new forwards, some new defense and what has been the missing component for a long time, a top goalie. While the inclusion of Roberto Luongo should help Vancouver he has not won in the playoffs and has never lead the league such as Martin Brodeur, Eddie Belfour (in his prime), and Dominik Hasek. Each of these goalies has led the league and their teams to victory including winning the Stanley Cup. Well some may believe that Luongo never had a good supporting cast in Florida (I think the cast last year was quite good and getting better) the team in front of him in Vancouver is very different from last years entry and their will probably be an issue with team chemistry for the first part if not the majority of the season. Yes you can look at stats and say the players they lost were minus players and the players they added were all pluses last season but their is also team chemistry which goes way beyond individual stats. Luongo needs to lead the Canucks no matter how the team plays and he needs to steal victories on nights when the team does not show up. In the very tough Western Conference a team will not be able to take very many nights off or they will find themselves out of playoff contention very quickly.

As for my team the Calgary Flames the changes have been to help with the biggest shortfall last season lack of scoring. To add scoring the Flames did not have to kill team chemistry to add Alex Tanguay and Jeff Freisen should help Calgary score more goals. With the solid defense and most of the same forwards Calgary will again be in contention with of course Mikka Kiprusoff backstopping the team. Maybe even Tony Amonte will wake up and add to the goal production, if not I suspect GM Sutter will give him a Bus ticket out of town.

Having said all that Hockey is full of surprises and anything is possible. Should be an interesting season. Found this picture somewhere I thought it was quite well done, it is amazing what a little paint can do…..

and I haven’t forgotten about the so called “Center of the Universe” Toronto Maple Leafs, I just haven’t really heard much about them, much good that is…..

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Well it is for the NHL teams as Free Agency starts for the Unrestricted Free Agents. With names like Ed Jovanoski, Zdeno Chara, Teppo Numminen and Jaroslav Spacek among other blueliners the crop of free agents is quite plentiful. The level of talent for the forwards while not as high still some big names including Doug Weight, Patrik Elias, Bill Guerin, Jeff Freisen, Marc Savard are just some of the names that are available for teams in the market.

While my team Calgary has already traded for Alex Tanguay they still need some more scoring help. I do not think they will dig too deep into the free agent market as they have most of what it takes to go a long way in next playoffs as long as they get some scoring from the current crop as well as a couple of additions. It would be nice if Calgary could pickup another scorer without having to break the bank. Although I think he is an ass, Jeremy Roenick has indicated he wants to play for a Canadian team and if he has his head screwed on right he might be helpful on the scoring front. Should be an interesting couple of days as the teams make their moves.

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No I do not believe that but that is the statement that has been said on 2 separate Vancouver based sportscasts in the last few days. While I believe Roberto Luongo is one of the better goalies in the league he has yet to make the post season and has yet to lead the league and the game such as a Patrick Roy, Martin Brodeur or Mikka Kiprusoff. Joining Vancouver which is a more talented team than Florida will impact his numbers but the Northwest division is if not the toughest close to the toughest division in the league. I do beleive that in the right environment Luongo will shine and will be the elite goaltender he has been touted as since his draft in 1997. I see Luongo as the future Olympic #1 goalie.

To hear that Luongo is the best goalie in the world (yes I am not exaggerating that was what was said) is a complete misnomer until he leads his team to the playoffs and continues to carry his team on nights when they do not show up. Time will tell whether he can be described as the world’s best goalie but at this point he needs to prove he is the best by carrying the Canucks far into the playoffs and be the backstop that everyone is talking about. Just saying that he is the best is not good enough, he needs to put up or everyone needs to shut up.

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Andrew Coyne wrote an excellent article on Hockey and why hockey is the best sport amongst all the professional sports. And before you want to complain just read the article and enjoy.

Check out Andrew Coyne’s excellent Hockey Article.

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The Flames played a typical Calgary Flames game tonight and soundly defeated Anaheim 5-2 to take a 2-1 series lead. The game saw 4 powerplay goals from Calgary and alot of hardnosed play from all 4 lines. Anahiem wore their third jersey, at least I think it is their third jesery which is pretty plain with the world Anahiem across the front. Not one of my favourites as I think it is way too simple a design. Ahh but I digress who cares what they look like as long as Calgary beats them.

Go Flames Go!

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The Flames are hosting a Playoff Blog called Flames Talk.

Check it out here

Go Flames Go

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The season is just beginning or at least the real season. The Stanley Cup playoffs start tomorrow and the great quest for Lord Stanley’s Cup. While I am happy my team, the Calgary Flames are again in the playoffs I am a bit sad that the Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs are not in the playoffs. It would have been very cool for all six Canadian teams to have made it to the playoffs. Oh well on to the show.

The Flames have the best goaltending in the league and one of the best defensive systems in the league. While they do not score a lot of goals, the playoffs is a different type of game and a team with goaltending and good defense have an excellent chance to go far. The different sports analysts are picking Calgary to go far into the playoffs. I have yet to hear one say Calgary will win it all but they have a better chance than all the others with the type of game they have played during the regular season.

So all I can say is bring it on and

Go Flames Go

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When I first heard about this contest I though how quaint another little contest. But was I in for a surprise. Kraft and CBC have really outdone themselves. I have watched each episode and I am impressed with not only the entries but the whole show is entertaining and the concept is extremely well thought out. There were over 450 entries from across Canada and in the vein of Canadian Idol and other shows of the ilk this show is using the Canadian public to vote each week along with a panel of judges to determine who will be Hockeyville. The entries were narrowed down to 50, 10 from each region (Pacific,West,North,Central and Atlanic) and then each of the 50 either communities or groups submitted a video. The complete videos are available to be seen on CBC website as well you can vote for the communities or groups to move to the next round.

This concept while it is simple is brilliant and a great way to promote the game we love. Living on the West coast I sometimes forget how much hockey is part of everyday life and the significance of hockey within the fabric of not only small towns but communities of all sizes across Canada. I am a fan of the game and love the game and even though I am Calgary Flames fan I appreciate all aspects of the game.

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For all you Maple Leaf fans….Again I just Couldn’t resist

From The Instigator

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The Flames made 2 deals before the trading deadline getting Jamie Lundmark from Phoenix and sending Jason Wiemer to New Jersey. This is pretty much what Darryl Sutter said he would do which is stand pat and go forward with the players already in place. As all FLames fans know the team struggles at times to score goals which forces them to play a very defensive game. One reason this team continues to be successful is they play a total team game and have stellar goaltending from Miikka Kiprusoff on most nights. They have shown they can beat any team on any night and also have shown that due to lack of goal scoring they are vulnerable to a loss. While I know they are challenged to score they are exciting to watch and have a skilled and well rounded team from the goaltending out.

So the question is will we see another Stanley Cup run from Calgary and the answer is Yes they have the goaltending and defense and can keep teams from scoring too many goals against which as we know in the playoffs is key. All teams tighten up and the playoffs are a different game.
The teams with the solid goaltending and established defense have the best chance. Carolina, Ottawa (with Hasek healthy), Detroit, Calgary, Philadelphia, Nashville, and the NY Rangers. You may think other teams should be on this list but I think that the other potential teams lack chemistry or either goaltending or defense. Having sadi that once a team gets through the first round a team can get hot and push through to the finals. Just look at Calgary.

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I received a call to participate in a telephone poll. The first part of the poll asked me about Lip Balms and lip care products. After asking me the questions about different lip products the interviewer asked me what I thought about Wayne Gretzky. She then proceeded to ask me if I had heard about the recent news of the gambling “scandel” which I of course have heard about it. She then asked me if my opinion had changed of Wayne and whether I felt it had affected his reputation. I said I still hold Wayne in high regard and will continue to hold him in high regard. Finally the interviewer asked me if the “Scandel” would impact Wayne as a spokeman and I of course said no. Then the final question concerned whether the “scandel” would impact Wayne as spokesman for Ford and of course I said it would not. Obviously someone at Ford likes to read the bullshit that the media puts out and has some sort of concern about public confidence. Well whoever at Ford or their advertising company decided to commission this poll needs to get their head out of their ass and realize this man is the most honest upstanding person you could hope to have endorse your product.

As for the media it is obvious that most of the media are pond scum (actually lower but I don’t what to call it) for putting someone, anyone through the bullshit that you put Wayne Gretzky through because you smelled a possible story with no detail or collaboration. Isn’t it strange that the lead up to the Olympics and the first day or so of the Olympics this was the lead story and then all of sudden it disappeared. Hmmm makes one wonder maybe the press was wrong, maybe the press are scum and do not care if they get their facts straight, maybe the press consider everyone guilty until the facts prove otherwise. There is no maybe about it, the press are bloodsuckers and do not care that they could ruin a person wih false accusations all to sell a newspaper, get some rating on TV or for a broadcaster to be the one to “Break the Big Story”. Too many times it happens where the press is wrong and all they do is shut up about it because the story is not worth reporting.

Ever notice when a retraction is printed it is normally buried in some corner and not front and center where the original story was broadcast.

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Neither Canada or the US are in the medals for hockey at the Olympics. Am I disappointed, of course, am I angry, No. I am not angry. I understand that more than ever their is parity within the world ranks and some of the European teams are full of talent and I can say some of the teams, Russia and Sweden are more talented than both the Canadians and Americans. You may disagree and as fans that is our right but in the end we were beaten by better teams.

So what happened, well the coaching was non-existent almost like they thought they had it in the bag. The player selections were made two years ago and it was like it was the old boys club, if you did not know the secret handshake you did not get into the clubhouse. With the next Olympics in Canada it will be a different team possibly from the managment on down. The main difference is the players need to be playing effectively in the NHL before you are assured of a ticket to the games. Yes you need some experience but if that means leaving off players because they “lack experience” in international hockey then the players that are on the team had better be performing at a higher level.

It is easy for everyone to criticize the player selections, the coaching selections and the management team when we are comfortable sitting on our couches at home. It is a minefield to be part of the process as Wayne has said from the start it was his team and he would be responsible if things went awry. Well he has stepped up and accepted the responsibility and will decide if wants to try it again in 4 years. My question is a simple one who else do we have and will they do a better job. It is all a throw of the dice. Remember Bobby Clarkeand his regime and the “stellar coaching” of Mark Crawford (left the greatest player on the bench during the shootout! Bonehead!)

Changes are necessary what they are I am not sure, I know we all have ideas good or bad. In the end it will be determined by whomever wants to step into this political quagmire and make the hard decisions that the fans will tear apart no matter what happens.

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The Official Canadian Temperature Conversion Chart

50° Fahrenheit (10° C)

• New Yorkers try to turn on the heat.

• Canadians plant gardens.

40° Fahrenheit (4.4° C)

• Californians shiver uncontrollably.

• Canadians Sunbathe.

35° Fahrenheit (1.6° C)

• Italian Cars won’t start

• Canadians drive with the windows down

32° Fahrenheit (0 ° C)

• Distilled water freezes

• Canadian water get thicker.

0° Fahrenheit (-17.9° C)

• New York City landlords finally turn on the heat.

• Canadians have the last cookout of the season.

-40° Fahrenheit (-40° C)

• Hollywood disintegrates.

• Canadians rent some videos.

-60° Fahrenheit (-51° C)

• Mt. St. Helens freezes.

• Canadian Girl Guides sell cookies door-to-door.

-100° Fahrenheit (-73° C)

• Santa Claus abandons the North Pole.

• Canadians pull down their ear flaps.

-173° Fahrenheit (-114° C)

• Ethyl alcohol Freezes.

• Canadians get frustrated when they can’t thaw the keg.

-460° Fahrenheit (-273° C)

• Absolute zero; all atomic motion stops.

• Canadians start saying “cold, eh?”

-500° Fahrenheit (-295° C)

• Hell freezes over.

• The Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup.

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I have been pissed off about this for quite sometime so I finally decided to post about. In professional sports which we all know is a business the ultimate goal for the owners is to make money on their investments. They do this by putting a winning product on the field or ice as the case maybe. The ultimate goal for the players is to win the championship trophy and play the game they love.

So the players play the game make the winning plays and earn the championship trophy. From the 5 major professional team sports which present a trophy each year, the National Hockey League (NHL), the Canadian Football League (CFL), the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), and National Basketball Association (NBA). Out of these 5 professional sports only the NHL and CFL present the trophy to the players while the other three present it to owners.

This leads me to my point since the players earn the trophy why on God’s Green Earth does the Owner get presented with the trophy. Sure they put up some of the money (don’t forget the fans as well) but what the hell did they do beyond fronting some money. I was watching the Super Bowl and I noticed that on the stage as the Vince Lombardi Trophy was being carried out on the field there were no players on the stage. It was funny because the stage was surrounded by security and I saw a Steelers player trying to get through to the stage and he was blocked.

I am not sure of other sports I believe Soccer (Football) presents to the players as well. Correct me if I am wrong and I am curious what other sports I have not mentioned do when it comes to presenting their championship trophies.

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and now for something different

It’s Ground Hog Day, the furry rodent came out of his hole, pulled his groin, scored three goals on Jose Theodore and went back to sleep.

TOP TEN REASONS HOCKEY IS BETTER THAN SEX:

10. It’s legal to play hockey professionally

9. The puck is always hard.

8. The protective equipment is reusable, and you don’t even have to wash it.

7. It lasts a full hour.

6. You know you’re finished when the buzzer sounds.

5. Your parents cheer when you score.

4. A two-on-one or a three-on-one is not uncommon.

3. Periods last only 20 min.

2. You can count on it at least twice a week.

1. You can tell your friends about it afterwards.

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For all you Toronto Maple Leaf fans from a recent game with Ottawa

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Here is a little something for all the Leaf fans out there that I found quite interesting. Check it out and let me know what you think

A Little Something for all the Leaf Fans

Sorry I couldn’t resist….

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In what has become an annual event this years edition is the sixth, the CBC (The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) our national channel broadcasts a complete day of hockey coverage. The day includes games played by all levels of players as well as stories, live Q&A shows and an online auction. The highlights include all 6 Canadian teams playing each other and all 3 games broadcast.

Hockey Day in Canada

The celebration will be centered in Stephenville, Nfld. and include coverage from such places as Florenceville, N.B.; Parry Sound, Ont.; Winkler, Man.; Calgary, Alta.; and Burnaby, B.C. It is considered an unofficial holiday in Canada as we celebrate the pure joy the game brings to fans of all ages. CBC showcases the game of hockey like no other broadcaster and presents the game with pride.

Makes me Proud to Be a Canadian Thanks CBC Keep up the Great Job!

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I was watching a hockey game on Monday night when the announcer let the audience know that Phyllis Gretzky had passed away from lung cancer at age 64. Even though I had never met Mrs. Gretzky I felt as if I knew her from all that I had read and heard about Wayne and Walter and the Gretzky family. I read Walter’s biography and have read a lot about Wayne. Throughout all that has been written one constant remained throughout, Phyllis was always there to keep them grounded and make sure that the right things happened. She has been described as Canada’s hockey mom but besides that she was a Mother.

A death at anytime is very sad but especially at this time of year. To lose your mother or father is difficult no matter what age you are when they pass away. You only have one father and one mother and you should cherish the time you do spend together as the relationship with your parents is unique.
The world has lost a great person and I am truly saddened by this loss.

I send my heartfelt condolences to the Gretzky family.

Lung Cancer,Gretzky,Mother/tags>

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While some folks collect coins or stamps or dolls, I collect Hockey Jerseys. I am in the process of setting up a page with my jersey collection. I currently have 36 different jerseys with the majority coming from Calgary and then a selection from different NHL teams and some Junior jerseys.

What is the Criteria I use to select my jerseys?

First and foremost I collect Calgary Flames Jerseys
Next I look for unique jerseys these include Vintage Jerseys, Junior Jerseys, International Jerseys and even some Commercial Hockey Jerseys (Corona)

So why do I collect Jerseys?

Easy I enjoy wearing the Jerseys and they are a unique collectible.
My plans are to create a hockey room in my new place where I will display the Jerseys and other hockey memorabilia

Which is my Favorite?

My absolute favorite is a Game Worn Mike Vernon Calgary jersey from the 1989 All Star game which I finally got Autographed by Mr Vernon in 2001.

As a close second my Vintage Bobby Orr as he was my childhood hero and my favorite player

I will finish setting up the Jersey page and post when it is completed.

NHL Jersey,Bobby Orr,Mike Vernon,Hockey Collectibles

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Bloc Quebecois leader Giles Duceppe has put forward as part of his party’s platform a separate hockey team to represent Quebec at international competitions. Several hockey heavyweights have chimed in including Edmonton Oilers GM Kevin Lowe to say they believe this is not a good idea and would not be well received. He goes on to say he believes that most or all NHL players are Canadian first and would play for a national team before a provincial team.

Don Cherry who has in the past gotten heat for some of his statements concerning Quebec states that Duceppe is only trying to stir the pot and Grapes goes on to say people would have gotten angry if it were Don Cherry making any statements concerning Quebec. Grapes does point out that the top 3 goalies from Quebec are performing at a sub-par level with Jose Theodore, Marty Brodeur and Roberto Luongo rated at 21 through 23rd for Goals Against Average. Mr. Theodore’s average is 3.02; Mr. Brodeur’s, 3.13; Mr. Luongo’s, 3.15

As a point of fact Ontario born Curtis Joesph has a Goals Against Average of 2.12% which is fourth overall in the league.

I am not sure why a Political leader would make such a colossal blunder and put forth such a stupid idea which will only get bad press and further alienate his cause for Quebec Sovereignty. Duceppe must either have very bad advisors or he made this statement out of some wish to see himself made a fool.
If Duceppe ever believed he would get support outside Quebec statements like this one will see that never happens.

Don Cherry,Giles Duceppe,Quebec,Canadian Election

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As we approach the quarter point of the Season it has been interesting to watch the games with the different rules. The games are more open and exciting, it is a real pleasure to watch an end to end run without some big lumbering defenseman who is too slow to keep up trying to either clutch or use their stick to stop the flow of the offensive player. It does take some getting used to with all the penalties but the teams are adjusting and flow of the games is at a much higher tempo.

Are there any surprises? I guess some of the goalies who are underachieving such as Khabibulin, Brodeur and Lalime or maybe it is not the goalies but the lack of team cohesion. Each of these teams are finding it a challenge to win games. Some of the goalies getting it done Legace, Vokuon and Kiprusoff all have 11 wins at this point and their teams are at or near the top of the league. Detroit is leading the league with great team play and even though they have lost 2 in a row I do not believe they will stray far from the top of the standings due to their talent and mix of young and veteran players. Speaking of young players their are some really exciting players who with the one year lockout were able to develop and are now able to play at the NHL level and shine.

My team Calgary had a bad start but are currently on a 8 game winning streak and are moving up the standings. Calgary is not only winning games by playing a total team concept they are beating the best teams in the league with 2 wins over Vancouver and the win over Detroit. They have shown a defensive style which is still exciting to watch.

Overall I am very excited by the changes and even though I am a hockey purist I must admit the shootout makes the games more exciting.

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Hockey has returned and I for one am glad I did not think I was going to get so excited by the return. I have been looking forward to watching the game and seeing how the changes have impacted the game. I was able to watch several pre season games but the games did not have the intensity of regular season games.

The games tonight were exciting and even though I am a Hockey Purist I enjoyed the shootout, I just hope that a playoff series is not decided by a shootout. The crackdown on clutching and stick use does make the games flow much faster. It is only the first night but I am excited by the prospect of exciting games.

I also see a lot of parity in the league so mistakes on the ice will cost teams dearly and I think the Northwest division is probably the best and toughest in the league.

Since I am Flames fan I really excited to see the changes they have made while keeping a good core to build upon. Yes they did lose tonight but I do not think we can make any judgments until about 15 games into the season as the players get accustomed to the changes and we get a better idea of how the new rules will impact play and allow the league to make any tweaks they find necessaary.

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I have not visited Edmonton since December 2002 so I was looking forward to seeing my Aunt Pauline and my cousins and their families. I have three cousins David and his wife Wendy and they have two boys Shawn and Tyler, Kathy and her husband Neil and there two sons James and Warren and my cousin Richard and his friend Keith. On Friday we had a nice dinner with Richard, Keith, Shawn and Tyler. Then Tyler and I went to a pre season hockey game on Friday between Edmonton and Calgary and of course Tyler who is 18 is an Edmonton fan. Made for an interesting time as I wore my Calgary jersey.
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Well I survived Calgary and met a bunch of great Calgary fans. I arrived on Friday and proceeded to Hertz to get my rental car. After waiting in line for about 15 - 20 minutes while 2 couples were being served ahead of me, another Hertz Clerk came along and asked if he could help me. As I had been waiting and I think he was in the back room and knew this he was very apologetic about the wait. So he asks for my info and checks my reservation and keeps looking at his computer and at a paper list and not making eye contact with me. So I start to think “Ah Crap they don’t have a car for me” Finally after a couple of minutes I ask if there is a problem and he says well since I have been so patient waiting to be served he is going to upgrade me. I think cool then he tells me a Mustang Convertible. So I got to drive around Calgary in a White Mustang Convertible. Let me tell you it was pretty sweet.
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The Americans have taken to calling Jarome Ignila the Tiger Woods of Hockey. ESPN has stated that Jarome could do for hockey what Tiger did for Golf. It is an interesting article which I think helps promote the game to the Americans and hopefully will bring more exposure. It is unfortunate that this is happening with the potential work stoppage next season. Still I think that more exposure to the game can hopefully only be postive and will allow for more sponsorship down the road.

Check out the Article.

Ignila Ready to Lead NHL Future

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I am going on a pilgrimage to Calgary to take part in the celebration and be a part of history. As a long time Flames Fan I am have to make the trip to be a part of the party. My experience has been that Calgary knows how to throw a party so I am looking forward to the festivities. I have a Flames Flag on my truck and it is amazing to see the positive responses I have received from all kinds of people.

Calgary truely is Canada’s team and it is impossible to not want to support this hard working bunch of guys. I will post pictures and stories when I return.

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The Calgary Flames have defeated the San Jose Sharks and are the Best in the West!. Not only are the Flames in the Finals for the first time in 15 years they did it by defeating the Three Divisional Winners Vancouver, Detroit and San Jose. They have done what very few expected them to do and they have done it with a team of hard working players. Goes to show what hard work, believing in the team and following the direction of a good coach can accomplish!

I have said it before I will say it again makes me proud to be a Flames Fan.

Bring on the East and Lord Stanley’s Cup is coming Back to Calgary!

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Am I surprised Calgary won on Tuesday I would have to say no. This team is hungry and focused. They can smell the cup and this team has no pressure. They were not expected to make the Playoff’s, then give Vancouver a run for their money but certainly not beat them. As for Detroit the best in the league, no way was Calgary getting past them.

So now we have Calgary up 2 games to none and heading home. Do they look ahead, No they focus on playing their game and waiting for their chances and capitalizing on the other team’s mistakes. It is not as though this team is a team of Superstars, they are just a hard working team that has bought into the notion that hard work will lead to success. What a novel concept, it would be nice if everyone made the same connection in the world outside hockey instead of coasting and just passing time.

Will Calgary get past San Jose, well this fan believes as long as they work hard and work as a team anything is possible and drinking out of Lord Stanley’s Cup is possible for the guys that very few believed in.

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Been watching alot of Playoff hockey lately and tonight Calgary took a 2 games to 1 lead over the powerhouse Detroit. This is still a tough series but for Calgary to hold their own with the Best in Hockey is a pretty incredible feat. Calgary plays a total team game from the goalie on out.

An interesting stat that Hockey Night in Canada had was the cost of the Free Agents that Detroit signed this year are costing Detroit the same as Calgary’s entire Payroll. This does not include Stevie Y or Shanahan or Cujo.

Shows you what a team with heart and determination while not being the best can still play like the Best. I have faith and have stuck with my team even though others never beleived Calgary would defeat Vancouver and are now up 2 games to 1 over Detroit.

Do not Doubt what Heart and Desire can accomplish

Go Flames Go!

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Well June 21 was the NHL Hockey Draft and I was intrigued to see if any trades would occur and I was curious who was going to get drafted. So it started out to be an interesting day and then it turned into a a sad day. Roger Neilson Assistant Coach for the Ottawa Senators lost his courageous battle with cancer at the age of 69.

It got me to thinking how fragile life can be and that we need to enjoy life to the fullest. My Mom passed away from cancer and she was only 65, such a young age when you really think about it. With the advances of modern science we still have such a dreaded disease that is so devastating to our society. We can only hope that the miracle breakthrough happens in the near future and no on else has to die from cancer ever again.

Another great hockey man, coach and mentor Bob Johnson (Badger Bob), who we also lost to cancer in 1991 had a saying which I always find appropriate

“It’s a Great day for Hockey”

Roger’s Bio

So long Capt Video

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Well another Hockey season comes to a close and the final series did not turn out to be the stinker everyone thought it would be. A seven game final series with winner take all at the end of the seventh game has got to be the most exciting type of game to watch. The action was intense and as a hockey fan I was both pleased and sad to see it end. In such a competitive series you do not want a team to lose. It was nice to see Jean Sebastien Giguiere win the Conn Smythe Trophy as he was the most valuable player throughout the playoffs. Now I am excited for next year and cannot wait for the start of the new season. It would be great to see 2 Canadian teams battle it out in the finals next season and with the high caliber teams like Ottawa and Vancouver that is a definite possiblity. Also with the Dollar getting stronger it has to help these teams even if only in the short term. Makes next season look like it could be real interesting.

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