My NHL Moments

Hockey is a sport that the majority of Canadians have a passion for. Not everyone I'm sure but for most our National Sport is something we all enjoy and to some extent worship. 

All levels of the game are appreciated and celebrated. I liken it to the fervor that surrounds football in the United States or soccer in Europe. Hockey in Canada is a way of life and a source of national pride. And aside from international tournaments where our very best compete, the highest level of competition comes from the National Hockey League.

The NHL provides the best and brightest in the game a place to play and entertain. Certainly the talent level is watered down now that the league has grown from six to 31 teams but each team has its stars and there's nothing like sitting in the crowd to cheer on your favourite team in person.

My favourite team is the Montreal Canadiens. Twenty-four Stanley Cup victories and a perennial playoff participant usually. I've been fortunate to be alive for 10 of those Championship seasons. Sadly, this season they've faltered but don't get me started on that.

I come by my love for the Habs honestly. My father is and always has been a Montreal fan all of his 80 years. We'd sit in front of the TV and listen to Danny Gallivan and Dick Irving Jr on Hockey Night in Canada. Of course for my dad, it started with Foster Hewitt and the Montreal and Toronto rivalries.

My grandfather was an Engineer for the Canadian Pacific Railroad and my father as a young man also found work with CP in the train yard in our hometown. Back then CP ran passenger trains as well and among those passengers were the Montreal Canadiens players who would from time to time stop in Trenton on the way too and from Montreal. For a young man to see these legendary figures was something to behold.

So the Habs have been my team for 50 years and I hear if from my friends who are Toronto Maple Leafs fans quite often. We enjoy some friendly jabs back and forth but despite our loyalties to our respective teams, we all share a common love for the game.

Over the years I've been lucky enough to attend some of these game in person. Ticket prices now are for the most part obscene and attending a game is a rarity. I have however been witness to some wonderful memories at the few games I have enjoyed at the rink.

The best player to ever play the game, in my opinion, is Wayne Gretzky. Number 99 holds all kinds of records and to see him play with Edmonton and Los Angeles on TV was a treat. But there was nothing compared to seeing him play live. I had an opportunity to see Wayne play for L.A. in 1991 at Maple Leaf Gardens.

My ticket stub from the game.

When you see what he did when the camera wasn't on him it was so impressive. The way he could anticipate the play and where he needed to be was one of a kind.

Going to the game I remember thinking to myself, "I'd just like Wayne to score a goal." It was the one and only time I was going to see him play and I just wanted to say I saw him score once. My all-time favourite player was Guy Lafleur and I did have an opportunity to see him play in person at the end of his career but his age was a factor and even though the thrill of seeing him was there, he just wasn't the player he used to be. That wasn't the case for Gretzky on this night. Not only did Wayne score one goal but he added another and two assists on the way to a 5-2 win over the Leafs. Luc Robitaille also had two goals in the game and one assist. I left the rink a very happy 23 year old kid at heart.

My last time in Maple Leaf Gardens was also the last time the Montreal Canadiens played there as well. I had a pair of tickets to see the Leafs host the Habs in the final meeting between these two teams at MLG. Being able to say you were there was pretty cool.

My ticket from the game.

My friend Matt and I were seated at the south end of the rink and before the game even started, the level of excitement was intense. It usually is when these two teams meet but on this night with what it represented it went to a whole new level.

The game itself was entertaining and Montreal would win 2-1 but it was the pre-game festivities that I was most excited about and will never forget. With this rivalry and the history we knew something special was going to happen and we weren't disappointed. Welcomed to the ice for the ceremonial puck drop were two legends, former Maple Leaf Ted "Teeder" Kennedy and former Canadiens player Maurice "Rocket" Richard. I didn't put a stop watch on it but the standing ovation for these two greats had to have lasted at least 10 minutes if not longer. My hands were killing me by the time the applause finally subsided. The love and appreciation shown to these two men I'm sure was something to see on Hockey Night in Canada but to be there in person was exhilarating.

The last of my favourite NHL hockey moments doesn't involve any player. It centers around a man who I've admired, loved and aspired to be like my whole life...my dad.

In the past I had on a couple of occasions to take my dad to see Montreal play but it was always on the road. We saw them play the Lightning in Tampa a couple of times and after this we saw the Leafs and Habs play at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. Seeing a game with my dad has always been special, even a Junior hockey game.

My dad had never seen Montreal play in Montreal. The Forum would have been fantastic but sadly it was gone and the team was playing in the Bell Centre but I was determined to get him to a game to experience a Habs home game first hand. 

The game was on Valentine's Day in 2012. We took a train to Montreal and got our hotel room for the night.

Dad standing beside the plaque of his favourite player.

It was freezing cold so we couldn't venture out too long but we could see the Bell Centre just a block away so we decided to bundle up and go down in the afternoon to view the monuments and history outside the rink. We then went and enjoyed an early supper before going back to the hotel to get rested and then left for the rink to be there when the doors opened. I must say, we didn't speak a word of French and anyone we talked to were kind enough to switch to English no problem at all both on the street and in the arena.

Seeing dad look out at the ice once we get inside was kind of a cool moment for me. He was finally going to see a Habs home game. It didn't matter if they won or lost, we were just thrilled to experience the atmosphere first hand. And I can tell you, even for a regular season game against Carolina, the crowd and feeling inside that arena was like nothing else. It's true what they say about seeing a game in Montreal. In the end the trip cost me a pretty penny but the memories I have and to experience that with my dad was priceless.

I've included a video below that I shot of my dad walking out and seeing the rink for the first time.

I have been very lucky to witness some very cool NHL moments in person and I'm sure many of you have similar experiences as well. What saddens me is seeing what the prices of tickets are now and knowing that there are a lot of hockey fans who will never get to have similar opportunities simply because they can't afford it or justify spending so much money on tickets to a game. Greed has taken priority today.

Sorry NHL, All Not Forgotten

This shortened NHL season is quickly coming to an end with about 20 games left at this point. The season was shortened some of you may recall due to the lockout and subsequent butting of rich guy heads. On the one side you had the owners who are mega rich and the other side the players who aren't all equally rich but certainly well paid.

Left out in the cold were the fans. People like you and me who shell out our hard earned cash to attend games and buy merchandise of our favourite teams. My team being the Montreal Canadiens of course.

I won't sit here and pretend I'm still all bitter and refuse to watch the games because that just isn't the case and I'm sure for the majority the anger over the lockout has subsided. Sure I've let go of the resentment I had towards these wealthy individuals who made a mockery of the world greatest game. I'm no longer angry at those people. I'm angry at myself for just accepting it and moving on as if nothing happened.

We were denied one of our winter passions for far too long and in the end we the fans got nothing once the game returned. Oh sure, we got to see our boys back on the ice hitting, fighting and scoring but while the owners and players reaped the rewards of an extended summer break and a new deal, the fans saw nothing significant as a gesture to say sorry.

In all honesty, what could they have done? What grand gesture would have smoothed things over with the NHL fan base and appeased the masses enough to forgive and forget? Probably nothing and the NHL knew that. They also knew the fans would come back. Well, they came back in the arenas where they always show up. The non-hockey market teams continue to see more empty seats than filled.

Carey Price & PK Subban celebrate another win.

This fan is glad the NHL is back but I haven't forgotten their selfishness and disrespect for the people whom without their support, these players and some owners wouldn't have their wealth or comfortable living. I still tune in every game to watch my Habs in action and luckily this season so far Montreal is having a good showing sitting in first place in the East Conference. But one thing I haven't done this season is buy tickets to games, subscribe to the Center Ice package or purchase NHL team merchandise like I have in the past. I refuse to spend any of my small income on anything that will directly fund the owners, players or league.

I realize my one small gesture won't make a difference on the bottom line of these greedy owners but if I just continued on as I have in the past, then I'd just be giving them a free pass as if nothing had ever happened and I couldn't live with that. There has to be consequences with someone wrongs you and no matter how small the gesture, it helps me to justify continuing to enjoy the game I've loved my entire life.

Church Of The Habs

Start Of The Third
Originally uploaded by *Bundy*

Whenever someone asks me what my religion is, I always answer with, "The Montreal Canadiens."

Of course that isn't completely accurate but the most successful NHL team is like a religion to me and the members of my immediate family. In fact, just recently I had a chance to visit my church (the Bell Centre) and take in a three period sermon on the ice.

As a life long Habs fans, my father and I had never seen the Canadiens play in Montreal. We never had a chance to see a game at the old Forum and until this occasion we'd never been to the new home to the winning-est team in NHL history.

We'd seen the Habs play in Toronto at Maple Leaf Gardens and the Air Canada Centre and we've even been to some Montreal games in Tampa Bay, the home of the Lightning.

But this was a special treat to finally watch our beloved Canadiens on home ice. It was a quick trip overall as we spent less than 24-hours in La Belle Province arriving by train. It was very cold as well which made walking around and seeing the city very difficult. I guess we'll have to visit again when the weather is nicer.

This trip however was all about seeing the Habs and the Bell Centre. Our hotel was only a block away so we ventured down early in the afternoon and braved the cold long enough to look at all of the plaques, statues, retired numbers and various other Canadiens items outside.

Later in the evening we returned to enjoy the game which was very entertaining even though Montreal lost to Carolina. Just being in the rink with the stands empty prior to the game was a special moment of quiet reflection. But to experience the atmosphere of a sold out Bell Centre with the NHL's most emotional, knowledgeable and boisterous fans was something to see and hear.

Being able to experience this with my dad was something special and even though the whole trip cost a pretty penny it was well worth it and I'd love to go again in the future. Preferably to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Goodbye Jacques

I can't tell you how thrilled I was to wake up this morning and hear that the Montreal Canadiens had fired coach Jacques Martin. As any life long Habs fan will tell you, when the team is struggling, we all take on the roll of the teams General Manager and try to assess what needs to be done to get the team on track and winning once again. It sucks to see anyone lose their job but this one was a long time coming.

After making it to the Conference Final just two seasons ago, the team saw a first round exit in the playoffs last season and so far they're struggling to stay around the .500 mark this year and time is quickly running out to make up ground and secure another playoff spot.

This isn't the Toronto Maple Leafs I'm talking about where missing the playoffs is not only tolerated but in recent history...expected. In Montreal where hockey is a religion for the fans of Le Canadiens, missing the playoffs is not something that they'll stand for and certainly won't put up with quietly.

So to no surprise over recent weeks the call for a change at the Head Coaching position has been gaining strength. Montreal fans are the most knowledgeable in the NHL and when they see something is wrong, odds are good the owners of the team and GM know it as well.

Now I'm not going to sit here and say that Jacques Martin was the only reason for Montreal's lackluster start to the season. His style of coaching and plan of attack was never well received in Montreal even when the team was doing well. The team has always succeeded when they used their superior speed and skill rather than trying to out muscle their opponents. Under Martin as of late, that game style disappeared. Instead of running and gunning they were sitting back and protecting leads. OK, let me rephrase that. They were trying to protect leads but doing a bloody awful job of it.

As I mentioned, Martin was only part of the problem and as witnessed tonight, the other problems were painfully obvious. Horrible decisions while in possession of the puck have been a trademark of the Habs of late. Giveaways in the defensive zone have become common place and those turnovers have more often than not found their way into the back of the net.

The power-play continues to be abysmal although it's hoped that the addition of Tomas Kaberle will help to turn that around and I think it has had an effect already.

The next big move the team needs to make is to fire the current GM Pierre Gauthier who has done very little to improve a deteriorating situation. I honestly think his days are numbered unless he can swing a deal to improve the teams offensive output and poor showing in the standings.

That brings us to what I think is the biggest elephant in the Montreal dressing room. The goal scorers aren't scoring. Where has Michael Cammalleri's pin point accuracy gone? I'm a big fan of Cammy's but this season he's looking more like Scott Gomez than the pint sized powerhouse we've seen in recent years. I'm sure he'd be the first one to admit that. By the way, how is Gomez even a part of this team still? He should have been gone at the end of last season.

As far as I'm concerned, if I was the GM there's only about 10 players or so on the roster that I'd keep and the rest should be trade bait. We have some good promising young talent but aside from Plekanec, Pacioretty, Cole, Subban, Cammalleri, Desharnais, Moen, Weber, Georges, Gil, Kaberle and Price, any of the rest could be shipped elsewhere to bring in some better talent.

I know I'm dreaming but at this point I have to dream because the reality of the situation is tough for this Habs fan deal with. At this point I'm just about ready to see them start Youppi at left wing.

Chara Was Reckless

I, like all other Montreal Canadiens fans sat in shock and disbelief after Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins lambasted Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty on Tuesday night.

Had the hit taken place anywhere else on the ice it wouldn't have been as severe but because it happened near the benches where Pacioretty's head made contact with the glass partition, the play resulted in the Montreal forward being knocked out and left motionless on the ice.

Did Chara intend to cause such a horrific impact which could have turned out even worse? Only he knows for sure but watching the countless replays I have to think Chara knew what he was doing and where he was going to check Pacioretty. In fact it appeared as though Chara made sure he was going to contact the pole.

I'm not suggesting Chara was trying to cause injury despite the fact the same two players had a run in the game before. I don't think Chara is a dirty player but his size as the biggest player in the league does come with some added responsibility.

He has to be aware that he can inflict a lot of damage if he wants to and in a situation like this where it was clearly a late hit to begin with, he should have backed off. He didn't and that is why the league must step in and punish him so he will maybe think twice before doing something so reckless in the future. Next time the player could leave the ice in a body bag instead of a stretcher.

UPDATE: The NHL decided no suspension was warranted. In my opinion the NHL made a colossal mistake and have now set a precedent that they will have to stand by in the future. To say that because the 6' 9" Chara "didn't leave his feet" to finish the illegal play is insane. He wasn't checking Shaquille O'Neal. Safe to say the Zdeno Chara will be Public Enemy #1 in Montreal for a long time.

Like Rodney, There's No Respect

Every time we turn on the sports these days, the number one topic that keeps bring brought up by the so-called experts is headshots in the NHL.

The majority of these hockey analysts feel the National Hockey League needs to make changes to their rules in order to force players to stop taking dangerous liberties on opposing players. Their feeling is that suspensions and more costly fines will get the job done and force players to stop targeting the heads of other players.

OK, maybe it will. I'm certainly no expert on the subject and I can honestly say if I was told I couldn't play the game I love for ten games and would lose $50-thousand dollars of my salary, I might think twice.

Hockey is a contact sport and accidents happen but one way to stop these "accidents" from taking place would be to penalize those who come in contact with the head of another player, even if they didn't mean to. Zero tolerance would be the term I suppose.

Recently Sidney Crosby became the latest poster boy for headshots when he was nailed not once but twice and has since been sidelined with a concussion. First he was "accidentally" hit by David Steckel of the Washington Capitals during the Winter Classic game. Steckel denies he did it on purpose but what do you expect him to say. Anybody who saw the replay knows he fully intended to hit Crosby. He had to see him and his non-reaction after they came together made it even more obvious.

The very next game Crosby was the target again as his head was the only thing between the glass and a hit by Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Do you think this would have been tolerated years ago had it been Gretzky on the receiving end? The league would have had something to say about it and better yet, his teammates would have taken matters into their own hands.

Marc Savard was the victim of one of the cheapest and nastiest headshots I've ever seen when Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke blindsided him. What did Savard's Boston teammates do? Not a whole hell of a lot. I guess we're into the kinder gentler Bettman NHL now.

So what is the answer? Rule changes will likely be the end result but the real change has to come from the players themselves. There's no honour and respect among many of the players today. It's one thing to make contact with a guy coming at you but far too often the blindside hits or hits from behind to the head are the most damaging.

Until the players themselves realize that this crap needs to stop, there will continue to be a steady stream of stretchers to the ice and stars on the injured reserve list.

Pat Burns Passes Away

After a hoax earlier this year and unconfirmed reports of his passing were found to be untrue, we were a bit skeptical when we heard the news tonight about Pat Burns death. Sadly, this time it's true. Coach Burns has passed away at the age of 58 after a long battle with lung cancer.

He is easily my favourite NHL coach of all-time.

Burns' career spanned 14 seasons and 1,019 games, from 1988 to 2004. He won a Stanley Cup with the Devils and earned a record three coach of the year awards (Jack Adams Award) - a record he still holds.

After he retired as a cop in Montreal he eventually made his way to the NHL with stops in Montreal, Toronto, Boston and New Jersey.

What I'll remember most about Burns was his passion and how he never hid his emotions on the bench. He always stood up for his players and his coaching outbursts became legendary.

Soon after, he was diagnosed with colon cancer and in 2005 another new cancer attacked his liver. In 2009, he was again diagnosed with the disease, this time terminal lung cancer.

It was following this third diagnosis he decided to forgo further treatment.

On March 26, 2010, he made his final public appearance, when the Quebec town of Stanstead, near the U.S. border, announced it was building an arena bearing his name.

Not surprisingly the legend was met by a standing ovation and said the honour was one of the highest points of his career.

Burns knew he likely wouldn't be around long enough to see people skate on the ice. "I probably won't see the project to the end," Burns said at the time. "But let's hope I'm looking down on it and see a young Mario Lemieux or Wayne Gretzky."

I hope that every day where you are now Pat is like winning a Stanley Cup.

The one thing I had hoped to see before he passed was his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. There's no doubt he will be in there one day but the powers that be really blew it when they didn't elect him to the Hall this past year.

Here now are a couple of video clips of Pat Burns that I enjoyed and thought you might as well.

WARNING: The first clip contains some foul language.

Pat loses it on the bench


Pat doing a commercial for Bad Boy in Toronto


A slide show tribute with music (The Best)

NHL 11 Looks Awesome

I'm not a big gamer like other people. In fact, other than playing a bit of Tiger Woods golf on my PC or a couple of old sports games on my original XBox a few times a year, I don't play many games.

That may change in September.

I just watched a few preview videos for the new EA Sports edition of NHL 11 and it looks amazing. Of course, if I buy any games it's usually sports games. I'm not a big fan of "shooting" type games.

The graphics and the new things and realism they've added to the new NHL 11 is fantastic.

Of course the downside (depending on how you look at it) is that I'll have to buy a new XBox 360 since the new game won't play on my old antiquated game console. So I suppose I better start saving now to get it if I want the game.

Here are a couple of clips that were produced by the game developers and folks at EA Sports that allow you to get a sneak peak at what's in store with the new game.

Goal Waived Off


The Referee's Decision

The Thrill of Victory

I’m not going to sit here and pretend that I knew all along that the Montreal Canadiens would win their first two playoff series this year and advance to the Conference Final.

Sure, like all Habs fans I was hoping and even praying for it but after the way they limped into the post season, I had my doubts that they’d even win a game or two against Washington.

Of course, not only did they win a game or two but they won three straight games to oust this seasons President’s Trophy winners in seven games. The look of disbelief on the faces of Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau and Alexander Ovechkin reminded me of those MasterCard commercials…Priceless.

That isn’t to say I don’t like Boudreau or most of the Capitals and I do think Ovechkin is a very talented and exciting player to watch but I was thrilled to see him shutdown by the Habs and sent packing.

Ovechkin plays like a spoiled kid with little respect for the traditions of the game. His on ice celebrations are a slap in the face to his opponents and totally unnecessary. A fist pump, raising your arms in the air or hugging your teammates after a goal is perfectly fine. But there’s no need to go jumping into the glass or jump on the backs of your teammates unless you score the game winner in overtime of a playoff game. That’s something worth getting excited about. I think Ovie may have celebrated a bit too hard during the regular season because he had nothing left in the tank during the first round.

After whipping the Capitals the road didn’t get much easier for Montreal as they had to face Cindy Crosby (not a spelling mistake) and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Just when I thought Crosby had matured as a player and was starting to respect him more, his constant whining, embellishing and complaining to the officials was beyond annoying. Once again, he’s also a player that can be very fun to watch and I’ll be the first to admit; I wanted to kiss him on the lips after he scored in overtime against the U.S. to win the Gold Medal at the Vancouver Olympics, but the incessant bitching when things didn’t go his way was nauseating to watch.

Now I’m not saying that Montreal is a better team on paper than both the Caps and Pens but the Habs did what they needed to in order to secure victories in both seven game series. The key to any underdog having a fighting chance is goaltending and Montreal has had that in abundance. Jaroslav Halak has clearly been the star of these playoffs so far. Just when you think he can’t make a better save, he comes through one more time.

Aside from the goalie, the Montreal defence has gone through injuries, viruses and resorted to calling up a young player from Hamilton of the AHL in P.K. Subban. He has stepped into the injured Markov’s skates and not missed a beat for such a young and inexperienced player. It’s no wonder the fans at the Bell Centre chant his name when he’s on the ice. Hal Gill was a player I yelled at all season. Of course he never heard me since I was only yelling at the TV but you get my point. Gill seemed to make the biggest gaffs in the regular season at the wrong times but this post season, “No Skill Gill” has quickly turned into a puck blocking machine.

Mike Cammalleri has also picked up his game at the right time and currently leads all goal scorers with 12 in the post season.

The Canadiens haven’t advanced this far in the playoffs since 1993 and we all know what happened that year. Will it happen this time around? Only time will tell. One thing is certain… this is a fun time to be a Habs fan.

Another Torts Soundbite

Hockey is the greatest game in the world and the fast, hard-hitting action on the ice is always entertaining. But sometimes, every so often, the coaches can provide some off-ice entertainment as well.

There have been plenty of tirades under the bleachers over the years and some are more engaging than others. But it doesn't always have to be yelling and screaming that captivates us. Sometimes it can be a quiet conversation between a coach and a reporter with a bit of a history that can be an embarrassment to the two head-butters and the league, while the fans sit back and take it all in while grinning from ear to ear.

The latest was just the other night when John Tortorella, Head Coach of the New York Rangers, shared his opinion about fighting with reporter Larry Brooks. These two have a bit of history going back to when Torts was coaching Tampa Bay and didn't like a question Brooks asked then. Here's what was caught by the live Hockey Night in Canada Cameras at that time. Be warned...this does contain some foul language.



Flash forward to the other night when the two came together for the first time since Brooks made a tongue in cheek reference to Wade Redden in an earlier newspaper article that Tortorella obviously didn't think was funny.



Tortorella obviously let his emotions and feelings get the best of him and I'm sure would love to take it back but from the fans standpoint, I love to see emotion like this. He's a coach standing up for his players and believing in his hockey club and isn't afraid to show it. Nothing wrong with that in my books.

Booth Blasted By Richards

When Florida Panthers left winger David Booth finally regains full use of his brain and looks at the video, I'm sure he'll agree that the hit he suffered at the hands of Mike Richards of the Flyers would have been less severe had he not admired his pass.

Everyone in the NHL and hockey fans all over are talking about two things so far this week...the Maple Leafs first win and the scary hit by Richards on Booth.

The hit was unavoidable, especially in that dangerous part of the ice but had Booth not watched his pass and been watching where he was going, he could have prepared to take the hit from Richards.

Now...some people feel Richards targeted Booth's head with his shoulder and that may be true but Booth at 6'0" was bent over at the time of the hit. Richards is listed as 5'11" for those wondering.

I have watched the hit several times and in my opinion it was a clean and impressive hit with an unfortunate result. Mike Richards is not a dirty hockey player but he does play hard and that's all he did in this instance. I disagree with the announcers in the clip below saying it was a "cheap" and "dirty hit". Nobody likes to see a player injured but it was a clean, legal hit in my mind.

I think it would be nice to see fewer head shots in hockey but in a fast game where things happen very quickly, I don't think they'll ever be completely eradicated from the game. If seeing incidents like this bother you, then perhaps you should stick to watching golf or baseball.

Lets Drop The Puck Already!

It has returned once again. The National Hockey League is set to start another season long quest to drink from Lord Stanley's Cup.

Thursday the NHL 09-10 season will kick off with four games but only one will really matter in my mind as the Toronto Maple Leafs will host my Montreal Canadiens on Hockey Night in Canada on CBC.

I think Montreal will have a good team this season but not a great one and will struggle to make the playoffs. I'm hoping I'm wrong about that but that's just what my gut tells me.

I also think this could be the year Toronto finds their way back into the post season...as much as it pains me to say that. I feel for the long suffering Toronto fans though. I can't imagine what that feels like.

So I suppose I should make my picks official right now. What teams will make it to the Stanley Cup final this season?

I have to pick Detroit and Boston to meet in the Stanley Cup Final with Detroit winning. It's tough to get to the final three years in a row but I think the Red Wings have what it takes to do it again. Boston was a tough choice for me over Pittsburgh returning but I liked what I saw last season and I think the Bruins will make that next step. Of course the San Jose Sharks blew it in the Playoffs last season and could get there as well. It's really a four team race in my mind but I'll stick with the Wings and Bruins. And as a Habs fan that isn't easy for me to say.

My dark horse pick to win the Cup is Vancouver. I think they have the best chance of any Canadian team to bring the cup north for the first time since Montreal won it last during the 92-93 season.

Now, lets stock the fridge, buy the snacks, iron our hockey sweaters, prepare for Don Cherry's bashing of all things non-Canadian (I love him for that) and re-form our ass print on the chesterfield because it's time to drop the puck.

Still not in the mood yet? Perhaps this will get the adrenaline flowing.

Sean Avery Is Gutless

How many chances do you give to Sean Avery before you finally say enough is enough?

He's a gutless little worm who is an embarrassment to the NHL and and the great game of hockey in general.

Anyone who likes his antics on and off the ice isn't a hockey fan. You're no different than the grey-matter challenged inbreeds who watch Nascar only for the car wrecks.

Time and time again Avery proves just how important he thinks he is while embarrassing his team-mates and alienating himself. He can't have many friends in the NHL.

It has become quite obvious that he couldn't spell sportsmanship let alone understand its meaning.

Many people argue that he is effective in what he does. Sure he pisses guys off but I've been watching the highlights lately and he'll only fight when he's up against a player he thinks he can beat. He runs away like a scared child when someone bigger takes offense to his actions.

When he stood in front of and was facing future Hall of Fame inductee Martin Brodeur waving his stick in the air trying to block his view while his team was on a 5-on-3 power play, he proved how little respect he has for the game and it's traditions.

Then he pushes and shoves Darcy Tucker during the warm-up prior to playing the Maple Leafs last season which nearly leads to a pre-game brawl. Of course he knew his team-mates would be there to bail him out when the rough stuff started.

Next he makes crude comments about Dion Phaneuf's girlfriend Elisha Cuthbert and is suspended by the league and ultimately dropped by the Dallas Stars. Did he learn his lesson? Some thought he had but as Don Cherry says, "a leopard never changes his spots".

Now we flash ahead to just the other night as Avery and the New York Rangers were in Boston to play the Bruins. I'm a Montreal fan so of course I hate the Bruins as a team but I can't condone the dummies latest actions during that game. You can view it below.

It's time for teams to stop signing this guy. When he is no longer making money playing the sport he supposedly loves, maybe he'll finally realize how wrong he really was. Until that time, shame on the Rangers and any other team who has him on their roster.

Ovechkin Mocks Traditions

What happened to the traditions that surrounded hockey? Why does the NHL allow certain players to erode the years of honour that the game and the players who went before spilled blood to create?

Of course, Don Cherry has already touched on this subject on his Hockey Night in Canada Coach's Corner segment. Or as I like to refer to him…Prime Minister elect Don Cherry.

I agree with what he says about the showboating and antics of today's young players, in particular Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals. There is no doubt that he is a very skilled and exciting hockey player to watch and he is good for the game in that regard but for all of the good he does one minute, he quickly erases that immediately after he scores a goal. It's almost as sickening to watch as it is impossible for me to listen to Pierre McGuire do colour commentary.

What bothers me most is the frequency in which these stomach-churning celebrations occur. If it happened only when he scored a record breaking or milestone goal, maybe then I can forgive it. If he scored the Gold medal winning goal at the Olympics or Canada Cup (or whatever they call it now) then fine. If he scores a big goal in the Stanley Cup Playoffs I can live with that. But when he does it after every goal it's too much.

Is this what we want young kids to do after scoring a goal in their house league hockey games? They idolize the Russian phenom and the skill he possesses and want to be like him. When they see him scoring a goal and then fist pumping wildly before jumping up against the glass it sends a bad message to these young hockey players. Like it or not he is a role model and as such should be setting a better example.

I have no doubt that Ovechkin loves the game of hockey and loves to score and and that's perfectly fine but you don't need to act like an idiot.

The NHL needs to nip this in the bud now while they can and show they don't condone his actions and that might settle him down. Perhaps a new league rule needs to be implemented where actions like this would be assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Add to that a possible fine by the league, depending on how blatant the act was, and this would also add some weight behind the decision.

I like excitement as much as the next guy but the purest in me thinks this problem is getting out of hand. I'm not saying you can't celebrate a goal with your teammates. By all means, score the goal, raise your arms in the air and then hug or congratulate your fellow team members on the ice. That's the way it should be. We don't need our game to go the way of soccer where players score a goal and go running all over the field jumping and raising their shirts. We don't need to see things like we do in football where players pull a pen out of their sock after scoring a touchdown, sign the ball and give it to a fan.

To me this kind of behaviour not only gives a black eye to the game itself but it is also a slap in the face to the team you're playing against. Ovechkin scored his 50th goal of the season earlier tonight and after it went in he placed his stick on the ice and put his hand over it and pretended that the stick was on fire. Pathetic is the only way to describe that move.

There is one tradition in hockey that I truly believe will one day take care of this if the people in the suits and ties don't. The tough guys will have another incentive to drop the gloves and teach guys like Ovechkin the true meaning of tradition in hockey.

If you missed Don Cherry on Coach's Corner discussing this, please have a look at the video below. The sound quality isn't the best but you'll get the idea.

UPDATE: I believe it to be a Russian website that has found my blog and this story in particular and they have paraphrased it into their site where the Russian hockey fans can leave comments. Even though I'm sure they don't agree with my position, I appreciate the interest and thank them for stopping by. Click here to see the Russian site and here it is Translated if you'd like to have a look.

Musical Interlude

I don't know what it is but for some reason my creative juices have been sadly lacking and my blog has suffered because of it. I just don't have anything on my mind that has me the least bit interested in writing about it.

Sure there's plenty of stuff happening that I could talk about. Lets see...Chris Brown beat singer Rhianna, he was arrested, then released and she took him back. If she's that stupid I can't bother talking about it.

President Obama hasn't done anything overly controversial since taking office. I mean compared to the last guy....Barrack is a member of the Vienna Boys Choir. Hang on...do they allow black guys to sing in that group?

The Russians sent a bomber towards Canada and two Canadian CF-18 fighter jets went and scared it away. Yawn.

The NHL playoffs haven't started yet and we all know the Boston Bruins are going to get upset early after playing over their heads all season.

The Winter Olympics are still a year away so we have some time to wait before we get to see two men cuddle up close and race down an icy track. Seriously...I don't need to see that.

So what is there really to talk about these days? Who knows, maybe next week I'll have lots to get me writing but in the meantime, I thought you might enjoy this musical interlude with Peter, Brian and Stewey from Family Guy.

Memorable Body Checks

It's hockey season and I'm sick of hearing about Steve Avery and his brain-dead antics.

Instead, lets sit back and enjoy some of my favourite NHL Body Checks of all time. No insightful commentary or analysis from me. I'll let my choices or rather the actions on the ice speak for themselves.

Enjoy!

April 2008 - Corey Sarich nails Patrick Marleau


Dion Phaneuf launches Denis Hamel


Scott Stevens concusses Eric Lindros


2006 NHL Playoffs
Brian Campbell destroys R.J. Umberger

Super Bowl a Super Ripoff

I've never attended an NFL game in person before. I've been to several CFL games in Toronto in the past and they were fun but I’ve always wanted to sit in the stands and experience an NFL battle.

I have come to the conclusion, however, that the Super Bowl is not the game I should go to for my first experience. Don’t get me wrong…I’d love to go to the Championship Game but there’s no way I can justify spending that kind of money.

This season the Super Bowl is being held in Tampa, Florida at Raymond James Stadium on February 1st. As it so happens, I’m going to be in the Tampa area at that time and figured, “Hey…why not look into getting some tickets?” Needless to say I wasn’t looking very long.

The cheapest seats available cost $2,137 for one ticket in the nosebleed section of the end zone. By comparison, the most expensive ticket around mid-field lower level would set me back $6,364 per ticket. Of course…this is in U.S. funds and doesn’t take into account the exchange rate.

I may be a fan, I may like football and I may be a lot of other things but insane isn’t one of them. Obviously I won’t be attending the game but will probably just watch it on my brother’s TV instead.

I understand it’s the game of the year and the league and the city of Tampa want to make as much money from the event as possible but the prices mean there’s no way any average working person who’s a fan could possibly afford to attend the game. The Super Bowl is only for the elite fan with money to burn or the wannabes who don’t even watch football but will attend just to keep up appearances. Celebrities come to mind.

Curiosity also forced me to look at the prices to attend just a regular season game in any NFL city. I picked Washington and Cincinnati for no particular reason.

My faith was restored to some degree. In Washington, the cheapest tickets were $112 while the most expensive ran around $570 at field level. Sure they aren’t cheap either but at least an average guy could probably afford to attend a game or two.

If you live in Cincinnati, you might want to go to a few more games during the season. The cheapest seats available were $12. No…that isn’t an error, at least not on my part. Twelve bucks gets you a seat in Paul Brown Stadium. The most expensive seats were around $250.

So after doing this little bit of research, I’ve come to this conclusion. If I’m going to attend my first NFL game it will likely be during the regular season. That is, of course, unless someone reads this and wants to take pity on me and buy me a couple of tickets to Super Bowl XLIII. I’m not opposed to accepting charity.

Also, don't feel too bad for me...I'm going to attend a Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens NHL game while I'm there instead. That only cost $100 per ticket.

Clip of the Week - October 1/07

I've been very busy with work lately so I haven't had much time to update in the last week but I hope to find more time in another week or so. In the meantime, here is yet another Clip of the Week for you to enjoy.

The NHL season is underway and that is cause for celebration in Canada. The rest of the world could probably care less but that's their problem if they can't come grips with the greatness of the coolest game on the planet.

Just before the season began, Philadelphia Flyers rookie Steve Downie made himself known to Dean McAmmond of the Ottawa Senators. Shortly after this incident he had a meeting with the NHL disciplinary folks and was handed a 20 game suspension to start the season. The reason may or may not appear obvious to you in the following clip.

Personally I agree it was a cheap hit and he deserved to be punished but I think 20 games is a little severe. I think this could come back to bite the NHL when a marquee player does something similar and the league won't want to dish out the same punishment but will need to if they don't want to look even more foolish.

What do you think....did he deserve the 20 games?