Re: Hockey [Discussion Thread]

[Bella Loony]

Haha Loony...you're silly. And you forget, Brind'amour used to play for the Flyers...and I was almost hoping he was going to score on his shootout attempt...you notice I said 'almost'...lol. But seriously, he was one of my fave players...

I totally forgot that he played with the Fly*gag*ers, it pains me to remember, I must have blocked it out! The coolest thing ever was when he brought the Stanley Cup home and swam in the Campbell River with it.....oh and the picture in the papers of him shirtless weren't too bad either!!!

Bella

[flyersfan35]

Silly loony...he played the best games of his career with my Flyers! Haha, him, Recchi, Renberg...and of course Eric...lol. Sorry, I just had to get that in there...

[flyersfan35]

Just thought I'd share this with my fellow hockey lovers...I found this article in my local paper and thought it was very inspiring...

[Only admins are allowed to see this link]

[flyersfan35]

Just in case that link doesn't work...it was being a bit annoying...

Hockey millionaires behaving properly

The Associated Press
Friday, December 12, 2008

In an era when it seems we can't get enough news about athletes, when every bar brawl, strip-club visit and parking-lot scrape merits a headline, the best story of the NHL season somehow managed to fly below the radar for nearly three weeks.

The story that's been dubbed "Millionaires Behaving Properly" was written in two small towns a few hours north of Toronto. It might have remained nothing more than local lore if not for the efforts of a few persistent e-mailers and fan message boards.

It begins with a young Chicago Blackhawks team in the middle of a wearying six-game road swing, having just beaten the Maple Leafs and learning that general manager Dale Tallon was staying behind to attend his father's funeral. The team had arranged a flight back to Chicago right after the Saturday night game to get some extra time at home before Thanksgiving and a West Coast swing.

Instead of boarding the plane home, though, the Blackhawks voted unanimously to check back into their hotel and charter two buses for a two-hour ride on a frigid Sunday morning to the rural Ontario town of Gravenhurst (pop. 11,000).

"It was a no-brainer that we're going to be there for Dale and his family," winger Adam Burish explained in a video posted the Blackhawks Web site Thursday, in response to numerous queries the club received. "Every guy in this locker room would say he's a guy you would do anything for."

The tale of a pro sports team pulling together when there's a death in its extended family isn't unique to hockey, of course. We saw it again this week as the New England Patriots went through preparations for Sunday's game at Oakland.

Quarterback Matt Cassell left practice Wednesday following the death of his father, but was back with the team the next day. The Patriots are still chasing the playoffs and Cassell, who's done a fair imitation of the injured Tom Brady since being pressed into service, gives them their best chance to win. But the last thing no-nonsense coach Bill Belichick was prepared to talk about was whether his young quarterback should play.

"It's bigger than football. I've been through that during the season as well," said Belichick, who lost his father in 2005, adding it was "a personal situation you just have to deal with."

What's unique about the Blackhawks' tale, and maybe hockey players in general, is that no one involved thought it was unusual enough to share with the rest of us. Part of it, no doubt, is because hockey resides at the edge of America's crowded pro sports radar — at least until one player caves in a rival's head or tastelessly talks about his girlfriend. But the other part of it is hockey's ethos.

When people ask which athletes are the best interviews, I always say, "Hockey players, hands down." Not because they come up with the most colorful or controversial quotes, but because they're usually the most honest. For whatever reason — the game's tradition, its Canadian roots, the fact that most players still labor at the low end of sport's stratospheric salary scale — hockey guys tend to be more open, more polite and less impressed with their own stardom than their pro counterparts.

That very sentiment was expressed countless times in the e-mails that pinged around the Internet the last few weeks. As classy and worthy of attention as team's show of unity turned out to be, the consensus was no one in the Blackhawks thought to make a big deal out of it because they just assumed any hockey team would have done the same. Tallon agreed.

"At first, I was, 'OK, a couple of guys came.' But then, as more and more of them came through the door, I almost forgot where I was," the GM recalled in a phone call Thursday from Colorado. "I thought for a moment we were back in Chicago.

"But I looked around and saw all these kids and it made me feel really good about what we're doing," he added. "It's been our goal to have those types of players. I tell people my draft priorities are, in order: Character, speed, skill size and then more character. You can never have enough of that."

So wouldn't you know it: The story gets even better.

Somewhere along the bus ride back from Gravenhurst, a few of the players decided it would be a good idea to pull off the road and into a McDonald's. Burish said it was Patrick Kane's idea, or maybe it came from Jonathan Toews, since both budding superstars figured their trading cards would be at the bottom of the sacks of burgers and fries everyone ordered — and they couldn't wait to rub it in.

Sure enough, posters of both players were tacked to a wall. And this being hockey-mad, small-town Ontario, it didn't take people in the place long to figure out who the two dozen millionaires in suits dropping by in the middle of a Sunday afternoon were. Any doubts were removed once Kane and Toews started showing off the trading cards to teammates, then signing autographs for some of the patrons.

Kane insisted in another video clip that he didn't know the promotion was going on, and denied Burish's claim the McDonald's stop was Kane's idea.

"He is probably just mad he didn't have one in there," Kane said, referring to a Burish trading card.

But Burish, being a hockey player and all, probably couldn't have cared less.

[Bella Loony]

Canuckle,

I couldn't agree with that article more....I know here in Canada in high school the hockey boys think they're big leaguers, but once they hit the WHL or the AHL or one of the minor league programs they realize very quickly what it means to be a professional. I think it's awesome that when you see these teams out on a road trip they are all wearing suits, and ties, and they are all on their best behaviour because they are representing their teams, their families, themselves, and their towns. The charity work and the countless hours they spend in their communities always go unnoticed. In the town I live in, the hockey team here, bought a house, are fixing it up and then are donating it to Habitat for Humanity and they are only BCJHL, but those boys are out there on their weekends, afterschool, after jobs working away, it's inspiring. I do also think that a lot of these boys come from very small towns and they realize just how lucky they are to be playing the game they love for a living. Great article sweetie, thanks for posting it!

Bella

[flyersfan35]

I always hear about things like that...but usually just from blogs or articles on an individual team's website, or, in the case of the Hershey Bears, through going to the games. Very rarely do I see anything in the newspaper or in online sports articles...just like he said, they don't tend to draw attention to themselves.

Anyway, I just thought it was a great article, showcasing just what a great sport hockey is, and how wonderful their players are.

[flyersfan35]

Haha! Last night was a great night...the Flyers beat the stupid Penguins 6-3, the Rangers beat the 'Canes in a shootout...(okay, that's just good because hot goalie guy played well, lol)...and the sucky devils lost to Buffalo! Yay! A great night all around...

[Bella Loony]

Well the Canucks retired Trevor Linden's #16 last night, and it was a pretty wicked ceremony. I love that man, I miss that man. I was crying from about fifteen seconds into the rigamaroll, and I didn't stop until the game started. Trevor Linden made Vancouver his home from the time he was drafted at 18 until now, he does SO much charity work, when they listed off who he is involved with, even I was surprised. When he got traded in 1998 by "I'm the biggest idiot in the world" Mike Keenan, I literally got sick to my stomach and cried, it was the worst day for me as a Canucks fan. The happiest day, 2001 when he was brought back to the Canucks, again I cried. Trevor Linden epitomizes what it is to be a proffessional, and a damn good human being, and I for one am missing him terribly, but also, waiting for him to take a spot with the team in some capacity.

Oh and of course the Canucks beat the Oilers 4-2 last night.

Bella

[Kasper]

I love having him on my NHL teams when I play video games (I have old NHL games).

[Bella Loony]

I love having him on my NHL teams when I play video games (I have old NHL games).

Kas, you're hilarious!

They were interviewing Nick Kypreos last night, and he said that in the '94 Cup finals, they all knew that Bure was the most electrifying person on the ice, but they all knew that Linden was the most dangerous, and even Kypreos admits that after Linden scored the shorthanded goal in game 7, the Rangers were worried. Nothing but respect and accolades for Linden, and he totally deserves it.

He has only been out of the league for half a season, I would think he would still be on the majority of newer NHL games???? No?

Bella

[Bella Loony]

And the Canucks sign Mats Sundin, I guess we'll see in the long run????

Bella

[flyersfan35]

And the Canucks sign Mats Sundin, I guess we'll see in the long run????

Bella

Better you than the Rangers...at least for me, I mean...lol. And yeah, we'll see how it works out.

[Bella Loony]

The Canucks just pulled out a squeaker against Anaheim, but at least they won!

Bella

[laxgirl5]

hey flyersfan just wondering if you have a deep hatred for sidney crosby or if it's just me??

[PIMP]

hey flyersfan just wondering if you have a deep hatred for sidney crosby or if it's just me??

Gosh, he's from my home province, and although not a Pens fan( Leafs!!) I feel i should pull for him, but I seem to be alone here in that respect!!

[laxgirl5]

I mean he's a good hockey player... but he's really gotta learn how to fight!!!
he backed away from about 4 fights during the playoffs last season.
I just think that if your going to play in the NHL you need to know how to throw a punch.

[PIMP]

Can't argue that, but its costs them about 20,000 dollars every time he sits for 5 minutes doing nothing!! lol

[laxgirl5]

yupp.
they spend so much money on him i dont even know how they still have the rest of their team.

[PIMP]

Just look at Tampa Bay Lightening, with St. Louis and Lecavalier eating up the whole payrole, and the rest of the team gets chump change. Not doin to good down there, either.

[laxgirl5]

yupp. Just proves that you need all around good players not just one superstar.

[flyersfan35]

Lax, I HATE Sydney...but that's just me...lol

[laxgirl5]

omg!! Thank you!
now my mom can stop yelling at me for cursing off the tv when the penguins are on

[flyersfan35]

Haha, well kas hates him, too. I'm really not sure why, actually, he just irritates me. Or maybe it's just the way everyone thinks he's the greatest thing ever...just like Ovechkin. I hate him, too.

[laxgirl5]

i know!!! i hate how people act like their some kind of god...
last time i checked the penguins were in 4th place lol

[flyersfan35]

Yes...and he is good, no question there, but...idk, I just hate him...lol.

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