Interesting....

Ok, being a figure skating coach is not easy. I know all my friends who play ice hockey think its this prissy sport where we just prance around and look cute...well its not...and recently they found that out. For the first time I heard hockey players give credit to figure skaters, partly because of the video I am posting at the end of this lil blurb. Now do not get me wrong...hockey is my favorite sport and I don't think there is anything more sexy than a guy in a hockey uniform laying some nice hits on the other team...and I agree that it is probably the most hardcore sport out there, but don't count out us figure skaters so quick. Watch and learn boys ;-)

Video from Azertynin from youtube!

Hockey players are the best comedians

Tonight I was watching a hockey game at the rink I coach at, and I was sitting in the time box, and for the first time ever I payed attention to what was being said by the players. After laughing harder than I have in a very long time, I decided that hockey players need their own comedy spot on Comedy Central, but that will never happen so they get a spot on my blog. Let me start by saying this was a mens league and there is no checking. The first guy gets put in the box because he laid a sweet hit on a guy who was mouthing off. So when he gets in the box he looks at the ref, and says, "that wasnt a hit, I just stopped....a little to close to the boards, and he just so happened to be there." The he that the player was referring to was the other player. I looked at him and said "I am guessing you just so happened to lower your shoulder too?" Of course he just got a grin on his face. Later on the period, I noticed the guy who got stitches in his face two weeks ago finally had a visor on his helmet. It was about time. Two weeks in a row he had to get stitches. Of course he was mouthing off the whole time, but when you listen to names they come up with to call each other....you have to laugh. Then I started thinking....hockey players are big guys...and the levels of ice hockey when you play in a youth league are mites, squirts, peewees, bantams, midgets and Jrs. Now why on earth would you name levels after tiny things when the people playing are big?? I never understood that. Back to funny hockey players...you have to love the refs. They get criticized from every which way, the best part is they control the game. So for you hockey players and coaches reading this...unless you want an unsportsman like conduct penalty...shut up when they put you in the box. You know you deserved the penalty. When you slash the guy in the face, don't try and use the excuse that he ran into your stick. When you trip him, you can't claim you were going for the puck if its half way down the ice. Just take the penalty like a man and get even on the score board. I mean feel free to throw the gloves and stick and fight every now and then. Ballet gone bad is always fun to watch :-)

It can't come soon enough...

So hockey season cannot get here soon enough. Right now its about 2:30am and I am watching sports center, and the lack of hockey highlights makes it not interesting. So im gonna list all the reason as to why hockey season needs to get here:

1) the fighting...who doesnt love a good old dropping of the sticks and gloves?

2)the rivalries...every team has them, and for some reason i feel like this year will be no different

3)the atmosphere...everyone knows the atmosphere at a hockey game is like no other.

4)national anthems...yes...plural. Where else can you find a bunch of americans singing the canadian national anthem?

5)the playoffs!! Stanley cup playoffs are like no other playoffs...and thats when things really get good.

6)Top 10 hits...everyone loves watching the hitting...especially when they rerun it over and over on ESPN.

I think its time for the season to start!!! I have to post my favorite saying for the ending of this little blurb. "If there isn't hockey in heaven, then I am not going!"

Do you believe in miracles?

So its about 4am and I cant sleep so i decided to watch the movie Miracle. For those of you who have not seen it, it is a true story about the 1980 USA olympic hockey team and their incredible victory over the soviet Union at the games held in Lake Placid, NY. After watching it, i decided to pop in the video my dad taped of the actual game from 1980. I would have to say that the movie was more realistic than I ever thought. Everything down to the equipment was right on key. In the movie they used wood sticks, not composite, and all the padding was old fashion hockey padding. Because I am a major dork, I cried when the beat the soviets...by the way...this could easily be my hundredth time watching this movie and I still cried. Yes I know...I could very well be the only girl in the world who has not seen 'The Notebook", yet cried during sports movies. The coolest thing I found in the movie is that Buzz Schneider, a member of the 1980 USA team, was played by his son, Billy Schneider. This movie, proves that once again, hockey is the best sport out there. It can evoke emotion and in a time of need gave people not only a chance to dream, but a night to believe!

Below is a clip taken from youtube thanks to Murphystar1. This could easily be the best speech in all sport movie history!

Unsung Heros

So, I was watching hockey clips on youtube of the Washington Capitals because they are my favorite team, and I started thinking about our "heros" or "superstars." Obviously we have Alex the Great and there is no denying his talent. He is a fantastic skater and is a pro at handling the puck. We have the great Federov, who is a veteran that is much needed on a team where most of the rising stars are so young. After watching a lot of footage, I have to give it up to Mike Green and Brook Laich. Mike Green, who plays defense, had a total of 56 points last season. You tend see him play both offense and defense, which is not uncommon in ice hockey because the puck changes hands so often. He skates like a forward, hits like a defender and plays like a true canadian. Brook Laich plays center and last season had a total of 37 points. He is quick on his feet and brings an amazing presence to the ice. On a side note, while browsing youtube, I found that the CAPS voted Laich the "ladies man." I'd have to say its a tie between him and Green, which is funny because they are very good friends. Looks like we may have a little competition off the ice eh? Back to my point...I really think that the dynamics of the team would be much different without these two fantastic players, and therefor they are the Unsung Heros of the Washington Capitals. I cannot end this entry without mentioning the player who I think is the next rising star of the Washington Capitals and that is our very own Nikki B or Nicklas Backstrom. He is a center, is only 20 years old and had a mind blowing 69 points last season. I am honored and happy to say with talent like Backstrom, Ovechkin, Federov, Green and Laich...We have UNLEASED THE FURY!

Why the NHL and hockey take the cake...

Hockey is unlike any sport. It is one of the few professional sports where we see athletes that play for the love of the game and not necessarily for the money. The name on the front of the jersey is always more important than the one on the back. When a goal is scored, not only does the person who scored get credit, but so does every player who assisted. When a goal is scored, its not all about the person who put the puck in the net. Everyone that was one on the ice when that little red light went off huddles together to celebrate. This is unlike football where we see the athlete who ran the touchdown into the end zone, celebrate on his own, before taunting the opposing team. Not once did he or any fan think, that O-line did an awesome job blocking. ESPN ranked hockey as the second hardest sport to play. It fell short of first to boxing by only six tenths of a point. When considering all the fighting we do in hockey, it makes you wonder why we fell short of first place to a sport where the only goal is knock out the other guy. In hockey we have to knock the other guy out and put points on the board! Hockey is a game of skill, not of luck. It is fast paced, and there is never a dull moment. These athletes have to skate their hardest, be able to stop on a dime, control a stick and a puck, look for their teammates to pass to, watch for the big guy from the other team who is probably head hunting, all while balancing on a thin piece of steal, and you wonder why football or baseball aren't considered to be harder than ice hockey. Not only are the players awesome, down to earth, guys who just wanna kick some butt, but the fans are amazing. Organized chanting that usually is displaying our disapproval of the officiating, high fiving the guy sitting next to you at the game...even though you have no idea who he is, and an overall sense of community. You know that at some point you bonded with someone for the mere fact that he or she was a die hard hockey fan just like you. So the NHL is the 2nd hardest sport (should be the first, but hey take what you can get), the athletes are all about community and about the love of the game, and the fans are amazing! Who says you cant have you cake and eat it too??

Just for your entertainment...

This is how you earn the most penalty minutes in NHL history...Flyers Vs Senators!!!

Changes for the 08-09 season?

As most dedicated hockey fans saw last season, the officiating throughout the NHL was very inconsistent. Even more importantly, it was inconsistent during the play-offs. Goaltender interference could arguably be one of the most inconsistent calls made. Will this problem be solved during the 08-09 season? Let's hope so. What is more frustrating that an obvious call that was not made? Not only is frustrating to fans but it is obviously frustrating to players and coaches as well. As we all know one missed call or bad call can change the dynamic of the game. This season is the 91st season of the NHL...and where would us hockey nuts be without this amazing sport? Not yelling at the refs...telling them exactly what we think of that ridiculous call through our television set, even though they can't hear us, nor would they care if they could...thats for sure. This season will also be the fist season since the lockout that every team will play each other at least once. So for all you fans who want a rematch, you'll get it. For all you players who have something to prove, now would be the time. It should be an intense and interesting season to say the least, eh?