Hockey Music: Boston Bruins Goal Song

Hockey Music:
Boston Bruins Goal Song

In continuing my (hardly planned out/entirely random) trip around the league to share with you each team’s goal song, this week I’m swinging by TD Garden, home of the Boston Bruins.

Figure this to be (hopefully not) the last time I post a Marc Savard in a Boston Bruins jersey celebration photo.

When the Bruins score a goal, what follows are two long, drawn-out, almost Martha’s Vineyard ferry-like horns. This then leads into the popular song, “Zombie Nation” by Florian Senfter (a.k.a. Splank! - no, seriously) which if you haven’t already heard, allow me to be the first to welcome you out from the rock under which you’ve been hiding for the last 10 years.

Granted, the name may not sound familiar to a few of you youngin’s, but in all likelihood, even if you’re five years old, you’ve heard this song either played at another sports venue, on a video game, in a TV show, in a movie, on your parents’ iPod . . . you get the picture. It’s the old-school Mylec street hockey goalie leg pads of celebration songs – it’s been used everywhere by just about everyone.

In terms of anthems, yes, it’s pretty generic – but hey, it’s lasted this long because it does the job in getting the crowd pumped up and in hockey, that’s all that matters. Take a listen and enjoy (by the way, I chose this link in particular because of the AWESOME comments that are included in it – take a look at the spat and enjoy):



Sing. Dance. Play hockey!

Hockey Quote: Mike Modano

Hockey Quote:
Mike Modano

As an update on a previous post regarding Mike Modano retiring, some clarity was recently brought to the situation – he won’t be returning to the NHL as a member of the Dallas Stars.

After a conversation with Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk, it was made clear that it was time for the Stars and Modano to part ways, officially ending a remarkable player-organization relationship that lasted over 20 years.

Modano was drafted by the Minnesota North Stars in 1988, made his NHL debut during the 1989 playoffs and has since become the all-time leader among U.S.-born players in points and goals – all while wearing the organization’s sweater. He even moved with the team to Dallas in 1993 and has since been the face of the franchise.

A disappointed Modano had this to say after his conversation with Nieuwendyk (this week’s hockey quote of the week):

"I always thought there would be an outside chance of something happening here," Modano said Tuesday afternoon. "The dialogue that Joe and I have had going on for about a month-and-a-half led me to believe I needed to prepare for things not happening. But when it's here and reality sets in, it's disappointing. I didn't think it would happen. I was told some years ago that I'd be able to decide when I wanted to stop playing. But that was verbally and things change."

All is not lost for Modano. He clearly still has some playmaking ability left to him, as was evidenced by his 30-point performance in 59 games last season – mind you, this was as a fourth-line center. My guess is that if he can suck up the pain and disappointment he’s feeling now and put his heart into a team in search of veteran leadership, he might find he still has a few good years left in him (playing alongside Team USA buddy Doug Weight for the New York Islanders wouldn’t be such a bad fit).

I mean, h-e-double hockey sticks, Mark Recchi just signed a deal with the Bruins the other day to play in his 22nd NHL season and he’s on the AARP mailing list!

Embrace the upcoming free agency market, Mike. Talk to other teams and let them woo you. You had a good run with the Stars – now move on and go out with a bang.

Hockey Photo: Martin Brodeur

Hockey Photo:
Martin Brodeur

Okay, so this photo is wayyyyyy delayed, but I came across it today and just had to share it with the rest of the Internet hockey folk out there for its shere awesomeness in angle and action.

Obviously, as we all know, Martin Brodeur is an all-star in the NHL for the New Jersey Devils, but he was nothing short of awful for Team Canada at this past 2010 Winter Olympics. He let in a ton of goals and was hardly reliable. For that, he got a goal medal.

When he did play great, though, was at the 2006 Olympic Games in Torino. There, he let in only eight goals across 240 minutes of play. Despite his heroic efforts, it was this photo from (I believe) the elimination game against Team Russia, which the Canadians lost 2-0, that stands out for some. It's taken from the unique goal cam angle and shows Marty's face in sheer panic mode. Save it and post it as your desktop wallpaper if you're not a fan of Brodeur (Rangers/Flyers fans).

Otherwise - enjoy!

Nooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!

Hockey Workout: Pull-up with leg-lifts

Hockey Workout:
Pull-up with leg-lifts

Pull-ups are a great way to strengthen your biceps, triceps and your overall upper body. An awesome way to gear it more towards the hockey player is to perform leg-lifts in between each pull-up.

Allow me to explain:

Start off by doing a regular pull-up movement. Once you reach the bottom of the movement, move into a position of trying to get your legs straight out and up to waist level. In all likelihood, at the beginning, you’re not able to get them up to your waist, so just try to get them as high as possible. Hold your legs in the position for 2-3 seconds and then release. Perform another pull-up and leg lift. Repeat the rep 10-15 times and try to fit in 2-3 sets per workout.

Beyond the straight-on focus to your core, you’re also working out your legs, too. The lifts focus directly on your hip flexors and hamstrings. You’ll definitely feel this one the next day.

Good luck!

Hockey News: NHL 2010 Draft Results

Hockey News:
NHL 2010 Draft Results

The Edmonton Oilers picked what they hope to a future “Hall” of Fame player in Taylor Hall and the Boston Bruins get a guy who they hope can “segue” in to the NHL sooner rather than later with Tyler Seguin. Truth be told, that’s all the puns I’ve got – and there’s no way I’d be able to do anything with “Nino Niederreiter” or “Vladimir Tarasenko”.

Here are the results, in the order that they were picked. For insight into each player, check out my post yesterday – the pre-draft hockey player rankings from TSN provide excellent insight into what each player has to offer.

1 (1)    Taylor Hall    LW    Edmonton Oilers    Windsor
2 (2)    Tyler Seguin    C    Boston Bruins    Plymouth
3 (3)    Erik Gudbranson    D    Florida Panthers    Kingston
4 (4)    Ryan Johansen    C    Columbus Blue Jackets    Portland
5 (5)    Nino Niederreiter    RW    New York Islanders    Portland
6 (6)    Brett Connolly    RW    Tampa Bay Lightning    Prince George
7 (7)    Jeff Skinner    RW    Carolina Hurricanes    Kitchener
8 (8)    Alexander Burmistrov    C    Atlanta Thrashers    Barrie
9 (9)    Mikael Granlund    C    Minnesota Wild    HIFK
10 (10)    Dylan McIlrath    D    New York Rangers    Moose Jaw
11 (11)    Jack Campbell    G    Dallas Stars    USA U-18
12 (12)    Cam Fowler    D    Anaheim Ducks    Windsor
13 (13)    Brandon Gormley    D    Phoenix Coyotes    Moncton
14 (14)    Jaden Schwartz    C    St. Louis Blues    Tri-City
15 (15)    Derek Forbort    D    Los Angeles Kings    USA U-18
16 (16)    Vladimir Tarasenko    RW    St. Louis Blues    Novosibirsk
17 (17)    Joey Hishon    C    Colorado Avalanche    Owen Sound
18 (18)    Austin Watson    LW    Nashville Predators    Peterborough
19 (19)    Nick Bjugstad    C    Florida Panthers    Blaine
20 (20)    Beau Bennett    RW    Pittsburgh Penguins    Penticton
21 (21)    Riley Sheahan    C    Detroit Red Wings    U. of Notre Dame
22 (22)    Jarred Tinordi    D    Montreal Canadiens    USA U-18
23 (23)    Mark Pysyk    D    Buffalo Sabres    Edmonton
24 (24)    Kevin Hayes    RW    Chicago Blackhawks    Nobles
25 (25)    Quinton Howden    C    Florida Panthers    Moose Jaw
26 (26)    Evgeny Kuznetsov    C    Washington Capitals    Chelyabinsk
27 (27)    Mark Visentin    G    Phoenix Coyotes    Niagara
28 (28)    Charlie Coyle    RW/C    San Jose Sharks    South Shore
29 (29)    Emerson Etem    RW    Anaheim Ducks    Medicine Hat
30 (30)    Brock Nelson    C    New York Islanders    Warroad

Hockey News: NHL Draft – Final Analysis

Hockey News:
NHL Draft – Final Analysis

Okay – it’s just before the NHL draft and I still don’t know much about the players being drafted beyond Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin. So rather than blow bull shit up your ass, I figured to do some research and find a respectable, well-informed opinion who sounds like they know what they’re talking about.

Enter Bob McKenzie of TSN. He put together this terrific, extremely in-depth article that goes into all sorts of detail about who is who, what is what, and you’ll leave the better knowing what’s up when it all goes down later on. So check out Bob McKenzie’s Final Analysis of the 2010 NHL Draft and if you find to be a bit too long of a read, go with TSN’s cliff notes version of everything he’s talking about with their top ranking system, which ranks the NHL prospects 1-75 and offers short anectodes about what each has to offer.

Hockey Goal: Tyler Seguin

Hockey Goal:
Tyler Seguin

NHL 2010 draft is coming up and it’s coming down to Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin being #1 and 2, respectively. I’ve already shown an awesome goal by Taylor Hall, so here’s one by Seguin. Make sure to wait till the end of the highlight so you can see what makes it so awesome – kid gets laid out, gets up and gets the kid back by burying the puck. What more could you want in a top prospect?

Enjoy:

Hockey News: Hawks Trade Byfuglien

Hockey News:

Hawks Trade Byfuglien, Eager, Sopel to Thrashers

Pending league approval, the Chicago Blackhawks are about to complete the first major blockbuster trade of the young off-season. They’re set to send Conn Smyth trophy candidate Dustin Byfuglien, Ben Eager, Brent Sopel and a prospect to the Atlanta Thrashers for a first-round pick, second-round pick, prospect Jeremy Morin and veteran forward Marty Reasoner.

This is according to ESPN.

As the article points out, the Hawks are in desperate times right now – they have to deal with contract extensions for core star players Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith come next season. With this trade, the Hawks will save a little over $5 million in cap space.

Eager and Sopel were local favorites of the Hawks’ faithful, but Byfuglien really came into his own with this past postseason run, scoring timely goals and creating havoc for all the other teams the Stanley Cup champions played.

This trade certainly brings the Hawks back down to earth, just a few short days after being on top of the world with their Stanley Cup victory. It also marks what is sure to be the start of a very exciting off-season.

Hockey Music: Montreal Canadiens Goal Song

Hockey Music:
Montreal Canadiens Goal Song

Is it true that hockey fans can actually perform a better post-goal chant than the one the club actually plays over the loudspeakers?

Well, when it comes to the Montreal Canadiens goal song, this is definitely the case.

For the past season, when a Canadiens’ player has lit the lamp, they blasted the goal horn and led in to U2’s Vertigo. Have a listen:



To be honest with you, I don’t really see the connection between Bono and a Brian Gionta one-timer, but hey, the Canadiens' music director is the professional so I’m sure there’s a reason (at least, I hope there’s one). All I hear is lame, lame, lame, lol.

But what’s cool about the Montreal fan base is that they actually chant OVER the goal song, effectively drowning it out. Here’s a video of the fans singing along at the Bell Center:



Granted, the video is from 2008, but truth be told, the song continued to be chanted this past season and in fact, has long been considered the "Canadiens' Chant" (inside hockey circles, that is -  talk to a soccer player and they'll call it their own. If this is the case, gently tap them in the shin with your shoe and watch them crumble to the floor grabbing their ankle - argument solved, hockey player wins!)

 

The actual song “Ole Ole Ole” has been covered by so many bands, it’s hard to decipher as to who actually came up with it first. For a clean listen to it, though, enjoy the video below:



Sing. Dance. Play hockey!

Hockey Quote: Scott Niedermayer

Hockey Quote:
Scott Niedermayer

Four days ago, San Jose Sharks captain Rob Blake hung up his skates during an emotional press conference. Today, Scott Niedermayer followed suit, announcing his retirement following 18 years in the NHL with the New Jersey Devils and Anaheim Ducks. He hangs ‘em up with 172 goals and 568 assists and seeing his name etched on to the Stanley Cup four times between the two teams. Niedermayer also has two Olympic gold medals, the latest coming this past February in his home country.

A true class act on the rink, he proved classy when meeting with the press today, providing some good one liners, two of which are below and this week’s hockey quote of the week:

"I don't want to wait any longer to make the decision to take the next step into my life," said Niedermayer. He later went on, "It's been more than a dream. You wouldn't have believed if someone said, this is what your career's going to be."

Sounds pretty content with his decision, unlike some other professional athletes who prefer to flip-flop with whether or not to retire . . .

Niedermayer will stay on with the Ducks as a consultant to GM Brian Murray. Rumor has it that with Niedermayer’s announcement, former teammate Teemu Selanne is now likely to follow. Veteran Saku Koivu still probably has another season or two in him before it’s his time, but his name is being bounced around, too. If all three were to leave, that would leave the Ducks a very, very young team come the start of the 2010-11 season.

Hockey Photo: Danny Briere

Hockey Photo:
Danny Briere

Philadelphia Flyers’ forward Danny Briere and his 9-year-old son, Cameron, were lucky enough to escape relatively unscathed from a car wreck this past week (only minor injuries were reported) on a trip up north to Canada to visit family. Briere and his son were involved in a collision early Thursday morning with a tractor-trailer close to the New York-Pennsylvania state line. According to authorities, Briere had become drowsy while driving and drifted into the right hand lane which, in turn, led to the collision (the driver of the truck was not hurt).

This week’s hockey photo(s) of the week is a look at the damage to the car and just how lucky Briere and his son were:

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Photos courtesty of ESPN.com

Hockey Workout: Strengthen Your Shoulders

Hockey Workout:

Strengthen Your Shoulders

Shoulder strength, believe it or not, plays a big role in developing a solid hockey player. Beyond being able to dish out and absorb your standard shoulder checks, having strong shoulders helps improve your stick handling, skating, and all around play by providing you better upper body balance.

A great way to strengthen your shoulders is to do front-side raises with dumbbells. If you don’t have dumbbells, find objects around the house that weight the same and that you can hold in either hand (paint cans, bricks, etc.)

Start out with your weights in either hand and hold them at your hips completely relaxed. An important element to this exercise is your posture while doing it. Make sure that you feet are shoulder length apart and that your core is drawn in (basically, don’t stand with your feet together and don’t slouch).

Now, to start the motion, you want to keep your arms straight or slightly bent, depending on what’s comfortable at the beginning of this routine. As you get more and more comfortable, straight arms are ideal. Take a deep breath and bring the weights outwards to a position parallel with your shoulders. Again, try to bend your arms as little as possible (it might be good to start this workout off with lighter weights and work your way up so you get the feel for the exercise). Don’t slouch. Don’t adjust your stance to compensate for the lift.

This is the ideal position. The shorts, however, not so ideal.

The weights should be close to one another. If they’re dumbbells, they should be touching at the end. Hold the weights in position, count three seconds and then SLOWLY bring them back to your side. The slower you bring them down, the more control you have over this exercise, the better you are working out the muscles. If you suddenly release your muscles from the pose, then you are only doing half the workout and will see only half the results.

Repeat the process as you are comfortable. Try to do a set of 10 and three sets per workout.

Good luck!

Hockey Facts: Who invented the hockey slapshot?

Hockey Facts:

Who invented the hockey slapshot?

Did you know that hall of famer “Boom Boom” Bernie Geoffrion is technically credited with bringing the slapshot to the NHL in 1951? Before that, I suppose, the sport was more of a gentleman’s game, with snapshots and wrist shots and one-time shots off touch passes. But Big Boom Boom had the insight to wind up and put as much power behind his shot as humanly possible.

In fact, he was given the nickname “Boom Boom” because his shot was so hard and fast. Well, cool follow-up to this little piece of hockey trivia – Boom Boom’s grandson, Blake Geoffrion, signed an entry-level deal with the Nashville Predators, making him the fourth generation in his family to play in the NHL – his great grand father, Boom Boom and father all played in the league, too (this is, of course, assuming that Blake makes the team out of training camp).

And Geoffrion’s not getting by on his family’s coat tails either. He’s a legitimate star in the making. He won the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey’s top player and also helped lead Wisconsin to the NCAA title game.

He will wear no. 5 for the Predators, the same number as his grandfather.

Hockey Goal: John MacLean

Hockey Goal:
John MacLean

Yesterday, the New Jersey Devils named John MacLean their new head coach. He spent last season coaching the Devils' AHL affiliate in Lowell, Mass., and led the team to its only playoff appearance in four seasons. Prior to that, he served seven years as a Devils assistant. It’s safe to say that the guy has some experience under his belt.

As a tribute to the Devils’ all-time leading goal scorer, here’s one of his goals, a sick 5-hole penalty shot goal, against the Buffalo Sabres’ Dominik Hasek from way back in 1997, and this week’s goal of the week:



Cool angle on the shot itself (one thing you can credit the NHL for – they are ALWAYS trying out new angles to watch the game in – even way back in 1997).

Congrats to Johnny Mac!

Hockey News: Halak Traded to Blues

Hockey News:
Halak Traded to Blues

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jaroslav Halak was traded today to the St. Louis Blues.

In return, the Canadiens receive two prospects in center Lars Eller and winger Ian Schultz. Eller is considered a top prospect by most scouts - he played in seven games for the Blues last season, scoring two goals, while Schultz is still coming into his own, and was a third-round pick in 2008. 

If everything that Halak put on display in the 2009-10 playoffs is any indication as to the direction his career is heading in, the St. Louis Blues definitely made out on this deal. The kid was incredible and truthfully, this trade is somewhat a surprise, especially considering the instability the Canadiens have had in net the past few seasons. Good for the Blues.

More of this story can be found here.

Hockey Music: New York Rangers Goal Song

Hockey Music:
New York Rangers Goal Song

A lot of attention was paid to the goal songs for the Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers this past post-season. So I figure to continue the trend and go around the league once a week checking out the goal songs being played in other arenas.

This week’s stop: Madison Square Garden where the New York Ranger play. Their goal song is called “Slapshot” and it was first introduced to the Garden faithful way back in January of 1995, on the same night that the 1994 Stanley Cup Champions banner was raised to the rafters.

The song itself was written by Ray Castoldi, the Music Director at Madison Square Garden, and it opens with a fire siren, features a “Let’s Go Rangers” chant in the background, a kicking guitar rip, driving drum beat and gets the fans going when they sing along to, “Go-o-o-o-al, Go-o-o-o-al, Hey! Hey! Hey Hey Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey Hey Hey!” Take a listen:



Little trivia: those aren’t the actual words. They’re actually, “Who-o-o-o-a, Who-o-o-o-a, Hey! Hey! Hey Hey Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey Hey Hey!”

I know—with lyrics like that, we’re all probably wondering the same thing – where’s the Grammy?

Hockey Quote: Brian Burke

Hockey Quote:
Brian Burke

Alrighty – the off-season for the NHL has officially begun and it began with a “bang” as the Toronto Maple Leafs announced physical blue liner Dion Phaneuf as their new captain after just a four-month tenure with the team.

Both general manager Brian Burke and head coach Ron Wilson sung high praises of Phaneuf and his potential as a leader for one of the league’s original six teams, but it was the former who shared some inside storyline as to what led to Phaneuf being named the first captain since Mats Sundin left the team in the summer 2008. It’s this week’s hockey quote of the week:

Hockey Quote – Brian Burke:

“One night, he said ‘we need bigger forwards,’ ” Burke said after Phaneuf was given the Leafs ‘C.’ “He thought we got pushed around in a game and he came right out of the dressing room and barked at me on the way to the weight room. ‘We need some bigger forwards in here,’ and kept walking.

“I haven’t had too many guys bark at me like that. I didn’t mind it. He’s right – we do need some bigger forwards.”

If it’s one thing Phaneuf is known for, it’s how to get attention. He’s young at 25 – in fact, he’s presently the fourth youngest captain in the league right now:

•  Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks: 22 years, 1 month
•  Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins: 22 years, 10 months
•  Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals: 24 years, 9 months
•  Dion Phaneuf, Toronto: 25 years, 2 months
•  Mike Richards, Philadelphia Flyers: 25 years, 4 months

Two names on that list pop out at you? Wonder if that played into the decision-making, too? How he’ll do, though, really depends upon how the Leafs do this off-season in picking up some talent. It’s true, they need some bigger forwards, but they also need depth at the blue line (especially if Tomas Kaberle leaves the team) and a more consistent goalie than having the likes of Jean-Sebastien Giguere in net.

The draft is right around the corner and free agency begins in only a few weeks so, as for now, only time will tell.

Hockey Photo: Chicago Blackhawks at Wrigley Field

Hockey Photo:
Chicago Blackhawks at Wrigley Field

This week’s hockey photo of the week comes from the Windy City as the Chicago Blackhawks continue on their ceremonial run to all of Chicago’s historical landmarks.

Next stop – Wrigley Field. Prior to the White Sox v Cubs game at Wrigley Field, the Hawks came out and treated the Cubs-faithful to something they haven’t seen in a long, long time – a championship trophy.

Here’s an image of the Hawks standing at the pitcher’s mound, being sandwiched by the Cubs on one side and the White Sox on the other.





And here are a few others that aren't as photo-of-the-week'ish, but still worth sharing (all images come from the Chicago-based newspaper site, www.suntimes.com):








This weekend was certainly a good one to be a Chicago sports fan. I can’t even begin to image what’ll happen if LeBron James opts to come to the Bulls next month, lol.

Hockey Workout: Eye Hand Coordination and Lacrosse

Hockey Workout: Eye Hand Coordination and Lacrosse

One of the great things about hockey is that it incorporates all the favorable attributes of other major sports. It has the hitting of football, the constant back-and-forth offensive rushes of basketball and the concentration/agility of baseball.

One sport that it is very closely tied to is lacrosse. Between how the actual games flow to how best to develop strategy for success, the two games go hand-in-hand with one another. They also coincide in terms of physical conditioning. What works great for a lacrosse player in the gym can work just as well for a hockey player, too.

Players in both sports are known for terrific eye-hand coordination. To help you develop yours, you should try this very simple, very easy-to-do lacrosse exercise.

Take a lacrosse stick and ball (tennis ball will do just fine, too) and head over to your local handball court or any ol’ place with a big, bare wall. Now, begin by tossing the ball against the wall, catch it on the rebound, cradle and repeat. As you begin to become comfortable with this, do it without looking at the ball as it goes in to the lacrosse stick’s head.

Yup - totally random image I found on the Web of a guy throwing a lacrosse ball against a wall.

When you become very familiar, switch sides. If you are a righty, try lefty – and vice-versa. Still got the hang of it? Great, now get a friend to stand behind you and throw the ball over your should and at the wall as hard as they can. Your job is to react and catch it on the rebound without letting it get by. Stand close to the wall – and back away, too. You should work on your reaction time from all different distances as this will help you develop solid eye-hand reaction should the puck suddenly come to you either in a short distance on say, a rebound in front of the net, or at long distances, too, as in the case with a breakout pass.

Good luck!

Hockey Trivia:
Stanley Cup Finals – Goals Scored

In the six game Stanley Cup final series between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Philadelphia Flyers, a total of 47 goals were scored.

Game 1: Hawks win 6-5
Game 2: Hawks win 2-1
Game 3: Flyers win 4-3
Game 4:  Flyers win 5-3
Game 5: Hawks win 7-4
Game 6: Hawks win 4-3

That’s a lot. But it’s not the record.

Did you know that the record for most goals scored in one Stanley Cup finals match-up is 56 goals? It involved the Chicago Blackhawks and came in the 1973 series against the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs won it in six games with such outlandish scores as 8-3, 8-7 and such.

Ridonkulous!

What’s more, the series featured two premier goaltenders in Ken Dryden and Tony Esposito. I guess it really says something for both teams’ offensive prowess.

Regardless, the Hawks and Flyers came close this year to surpassing that record. It made for entertaining series, that’s for sure, and the Stanley Cup TV ratings certainly reflected a certain level of offensive appeal to a broader audience.

Hockey News: Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup Parade

Hockey News: 

Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup Parade

The Chicago Blackhawks held their Stanley Cup parade today amidst a blazing sun and high, very humid, temperatures.

Here’s a terrific first-hand account of the Blackhawks parade from Time Out Chicago (alas, my Google AdSense dollars could not afford me a trip out to the Windy City for the parade, let alone a burger and shake at McDonald’s around the corner).

Among some of the more notable quotes that author Laura Baginski captured:

The toothless wonder that is Norris Trophy candidate Duncan Keith:

(I’m) having the best time of my life. Anyone know a good dentist?”

Overtime Stanley Cup clinching goal scorer Patrick Kane, after promising to keep his shirt on all summer, also said:

 “And to all the cab drivers out there, I love you!”

LOL, you stay classy, Mr. Kane.

And though at first captain Jonathan Toews could only get out the word “Unbelievable” he came up with probably the best quote of them all, saying,

“I didn’t know there was this many people in Chicago! You guys are the best fans in the world…You made this special for us.”

What a guy, what a guy . . .

Hockey Goal: Patrick Kane

Hockey Goal:

Patrick Kane

Congratulations to the 2010 Stanley Cup Champions, Chicago Blackhawks.

In the end, it was the Byfugliens and Toews and Kanes who outplayed the Richards and Carters and Gagnes. It was a tight series all the way through and though some are blaming Michael Leighton for the Philadelphia Flyers downfall, truthfully, I can’t find much fault in a guy who made 37 saves in an effort to try and keep his team in the series.

But in the end, it was ultimately Patrick Kane’s twisted wrister from the nowheres-land part of the rink that won it all for the Blackhawks.

It was a pretty awesome shot that started off with about five or six head fakes, and since it was the game-winner, series-winner, and Cup-winner, it makes my job pretty easy in picking out the goal of the week. I’m sure you’ve already seen it, but for hockey’s sake, enjoy it one more time below:

Hockey Music: Snoop Dogg

Hockey Music:
Snoop Dogg

In the NHLs attempt to cash in on the Stanley Cup Finals and appeal to every Jim and Jane out there with access to MTV, they put together the music video commercial below. The song is “Pronto” and it’s by a little known rapper from Compton, California – Snoop Dogg – and features the rap world’s next big thing in Soulja Boy.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwkward

Take a look and listen below (even if you don’t like rap, the highlights are pretty cool and worth watching):



Really? I’m sorry but I when I hear a song where the chorus line is:

Pronto, you known' how we ball
She dancin’ on my drawls, with my back against the wall.
S.O.D boys, got our money sittin’ tall
While your money sittin’ small.

. . . it doesn’t scream “great hockey marketing material” to me. I suppose you can’t really fault the NHL, though. They’re just a major sports league with a great product who just so happens to be throwing money around blindly while trying every marketing tactic possible to attract and retain a new fan base.

Ah well – the real kudos in this whole blogumn goes to Snoop Dogg. In addition to lending his track to the NHL, Snoop Dogg is also a big supporter of the Anaheim Ducks and will be performing at the 2010 NHL Awards. He honestly likes hockey and apparently the NHL honestly likes him. I know his style of music probably doesn’t sit well with a majority of hockey fans out there, but I think that having a celebrity with as much universal appeal as Mr. Dogg will only serve the NHL well.

I say let’s keep him on our side and hope that the NHL can convince him to do a hockey-themed redux of “Ice, Ice Baby”. That shit would be legit (yeah – I’ve got rhyme and flow).

Sing. Dance. Play hockey!

Hockey Quote: Chicago Tribune

Hockey Quote:
Chicago Tribune

This week’s hockey quote of the week comes from the Chicago Tribune. They came out with the poster below following the Chicago Blackhawks Game 5 of win over the Philadelphia Flyers in the Stanley Cup finals.

The image itself focuses on some of “Chrissy Pronger’s” rather unfortunate statistics. The actual quote of the week is in fact a series of quotes that show up on the poster. They include:

"Looks like Tarzan skates like Jane"

"100% chance we'll change our minds if Hawks sign him"

"-4 Plus/Minus in 3 Hawks wins"

"-5 Plus/Minus in Game 5"

Pretty funny stuff from the Tribune. Even funnier is how much of an impact Chris Pronger is having on the entire city of Chicago.

I like the Tribune’s modesty in saying that they’d change their minds if the Hawks sign him, lol.

Pronger’s warm relationship with the national media reached a new low today when they brought up the poster to Pronger and he refused to comment on it. I’m sure some of the Blackhawks players (Ben Eager, Ben Eager, Ben Eager) are likely to bring it up on the rink at tomorrow’s game, though.

Hockey Video: Byfuglien Hit on Pronger

Hockey Video:
Byfuglien Hit on Pronger

The tale of the tape breaks down like this:

Dustin Byfuglien:

Team: Chicago Blackhawks
Height:  6-foot, 4 inches
Weight: 257 pounds

Chris Pronger:

Team: Philadelphia Flyers
Height:  6-foot, 6 inches
Weight: 210 pounds

Much was made of this heavyweight match-up and up till last night, it looked like Pronger had the upper hand in the bought. That is, until “the hit”.

Last night, though, as I’m sure many of you already saw, Byfuglien stood a bit taller than Pronger, when he took the Flyers’ alternate captain to the dry cleaners, hanging him all along the board to dry with this filthy—yet clean—hit along the boards. It’s this week’s hockey video of the week:

Yowzers!

Naturally, a “History Will be Made” parody was made. Enjoy!

Hockey Exercise: Arms and Hands

Hockey Exercise:
Arms and Hands

There’s no doubt that having quick hands and being strong on the puck are both essential skills to being an effective hockey player.

One way that you can strengthen this aspect of your game is by doing a reel-and-release workout program. It’s really easy to set up and super effective once you get in to the routine of doing it regularly.

Get a one-to-two-foot stick (could be wood, metal, or plastic – doesn’t matter so long as it’s easy on the hands; that is, it doesn’t have sharp edges) and tie some fishing line to it down the middle of the stick. Have the line extend about three feet down. At the end of the fishing line, tie some sort of weight to the string. It could be an actual workout 1 or 2.5 lb workout weight or it could be some sort of household object (please don’t use pets ;-)

Once the object is tied securely, hold the stick out in front of your chest with straight arms and begin twisting it and reeling in the fishing line. As the line is captured, you will begin carrying up the weighted object; the burn in your forearms and wrists and hands will begin shortly thereafter. Once you’ve reeled in all of the fishing line and the object is up to the stick, simply release the fishing line, allow the object to fall to the ground and repeat the exercise.

To begin pushing yourself, go to new heights when performing this exercise. Stand on a chair or on steps of a staircase so that you are reeling in more of the weighted fishing line than if you were standing. When that becomes easy for you, simply replace the weighted object with something heavier.

The important thing when doing this exercise is to keep your arms straight. The workout really focuses on your forearms, wrists and hands. If you bend your elbows, you’re allowing some of the stress of the lifting to be shifted to your shoulders and back, and the overall effectiveness of this very focused and targeted exercise will be lost.

Hockey News: History Will Be Made

Hockey News:
History Will Be Made (Again and again and again . . . )

I previously wrote about the History Will be Made parodies that are taking off across the Web right now. It seems like everyone’s figured out how to do this and videos are popping up as soon as a play is made in the game. It’s kind of like when everyone figured out the codes for how to do finishing moves for Mortal Kombat—it’s not as special when you do it anymore, but it’s still pretty cool to watch.

Here’s a collection of some of the funnier ones that have come out during the NHL 2010 Stanley Cup Finals between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Chicago Blackhawks.

Ben Eager



Daniel Carcillo



Claude Giroux



Chris Pronger



Tomas Kopecky

Hockey News: Stanley Cup Playoff Ratings

Hockey News: 

Stanley Cup Playoff Ratings

The world is apparently abuzz with NHL Stanley Cup fever. Or, at least, this is according to Google's official blog.

They did this here Google analytics report on online search trends and data as it related to the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. Interesting finds worth quoting:

Globally, searches for [blackhawks] trump searches for [flyers] in the sports category although both are experiencing an unprecedented spike compared to past years.

Searches for [patrick kane] of the Chicago Blackhawks lead the way among searches for players involved in the Stanley Cup Finals.

After each goal scored in Chicago, the Blackhawks play the song “Chelsea Dagger” by the Fratellis. Accordingly, searches for [chelsea dagger] are surging, with Google users in Illinois topping the list and sparking a resurgence of the song across America.

Some pretty cool stuff. I could run the entire report and claim it as my own but that would be plaigarism and that's a big no-no. So here's the link again. It's about a 2-minute read and definitely worth the time.

Enjoy!

Hockey Goal: Danny Briere

Hockey Goal:
Danny Briere

The Philadelphia Flyers are . . . aliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiive!

Their win against the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup playoffs is due in large part to this here mother pucking awesome hockey goal from smurf-turned-hockey-player Danny Briere. Actually, it’s not so much the goal that’s impressive as it is the pass that Chewbacca Scott Hartnell made in getting the puck to him. Check out this week’s goal of the week:



Good looks. Great finish!

Hartnell:
Briere:

Hockey Music: Pennywise

Hockey Music:
Pennywise

I already featured the Blackhawks’ goal song by The Fratelli’s two weeks ago, so I figured it’s only fair to feature the Flyers goal song now, especially given that the Stanley Cup series is now shifting over to Philadelphia for the next few games.

It starts off with a pretty strong fog horn. After that, the 1993 party anthem song “Bro Hymn” by Pennywise kicks in. Take a listen below:



Nothing against Pennywise or foghorns for that matter, but I’m going to have to give the edge in goal songs to the Chicago Blackhawks on this one. Better beat to get the whole crowd into it and a bit more jumpy, too. I feel like you could sing along to the Flyers song from your seat.

Man, is there anything that Chicago isn’t already up on in comparison to Philadelphia?

Hockey Quote: Puck Stealer Chris Pronger

Hockey Quote:
Puck Stealer Chris Pronger

A whole slew of hockey sites, blogs and blogumns are reporting on the whole Chris Pronger brouhaha right now (Puck Daddy, Crossing Broad, Sports Illustrated, etc. etc. - seriously, this thing's like an international incident). It’s making for some good media, and even better, is diverting some attention away from the Philadelphia Flyers team as a whole who, oh by the way, is down 2-0 to the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Finals.

For those of you who haven’t heard what’s going on, Chris Pronger has gone out of his way to be a pain in the proverbial arse by grabbing the game puck in the last two games so that the Blackhawks can’t keep them as mementos. After last night’s game and the Pronger puck-pick-pocketing, Blackhawks’ agitator-turned-sniper Ben Eager called Pronger out in the middle of the ice which resulted in Pronger shooting a tossed-onto-the-ice souvenir towel and the two of them getting who-really-cares 10-minute game misconducts.

The real reason why I’m writing about this is because of the post-game interview with Pronger when he was asked about by Tim Panaccio of CSN Philly about the incident. Pronger, ever the warm-hearted interviewee, engaged in the following awkward convo with Panaccio of which came the last line and this week’s hockey quote of the week:

What happened?

"I couldn't hear him, I don't speak gibberish," said Pronger, who picked up a misconduct penalty at the very end and got into it with Eager.

Where's the puck?

"It's in the garbage," Pronger replied. "Where it belongs."

You shot a towel at Eager when he complained?

"So what," Pronger replied.

You're collecting pucks now?

"Why not? What's wrong? It's sitting there. What else is gonna happen to it? It's sitting there. Sure, why not. You got a problem with that?"

Are you gonna sell it on eBay?

"I don't know. Apparently, it got him upset. So I guess it worked, didn't it? It's too bad. I guess little things amuse little minds."

Here’s video proof of him actually doing the dastardly deed:



Funny stuff from one of the game’s most hated individuals. But hey, you can’t fault the guy – he’s doing his job. Like I mentioned earlier – the attention is off the team as a whole for now. They can re-group and re-focus their minds without being asked 50 follow-up questions about what actually transpired during those 28 seconds in the second period when the Blackhawks scored their only two goals of the game and why Daniel Carcillo was out on the rink head-hunting his own teammates.

So I can’t help but applaud Pronger who, in acting like a complete and utter child, is doing a heckuva job as a leader of a team in desperate search of some direction.