BEST.NIGHT.EVER.

Wow. Just wow. I've never been to Detroit before and now I want to live there, it was that good.

After the drama of yesterday, today was a great day. Angie and I got in to Detroit around 5:00, and I was already in awe of everything because big cities and I really don't mix well.

We ended up going to Cheli's for dinner. I was in complete awe. I wasn't sure I'd ever get there, so it was kind of surreal. Looks a lot different from the YouTube videos I saw when some of the guys were on the counter with the Cup, but I guess I can understand that. It wasn't very busy when we arrived, but by the time we left, it was hopping.

We were going to take the shuttle directly from Cheli's to the Joe, but we weren't quick enough to catch the shuttle. It left about two minutes before we made it outside, so we took the People Mover. I've never been on anything like that before or even a subway, so it was an interesting experience. (I've experienced a lot of firsts tonight.)

When we arrived at the stop for the Joe, the doors still hadn't opened yet, or else they had just opened. We finally made it in and we picked up our plaques and then headed to find the Kronwall pole. Obviously, we found it. It was hard getting a picture with it since everyone was walking around, but we did get one with me in it.

Then we finally went to our seats. We were way up in the 24th Row of the upper bowl, which for people that don't know, there was only 1 row behind us. It was exciting and the only thing I could think about during the first period was how loud it was when the pucks went off the boards and the sticks. SO loud, but so great.

During the second period, we were in the Standing Room Only section and it was such a different view. In the third period we ended up in the lower bowl, maybe 10 rows from the glass. Awesome seats! Angie got some great pictures - mine are good, but her camera was better. You can see her pictures here.

I so want to go back soon - if I had my choice, I'd go to the game on November 25 when they play the Thrashers so I can get the calendar.

Other Random Things I Noticed:

1 - When they showed the Stevie Yzerman video before the anthems, every single player backed up and watched the video. Except Willie Mitchell. He continued to skate around the ice. Not sure how I feel about that.
2 - The only player that stayed standing still until the last note of the anthem was Kronwall. He waited until Karen was completely done singing.
3 - When Kronwall was on the ice waiting for a face-off, he just looked so laid back. He just kind of stood there, not talking to anyone. I guess it wasn't what I expected.
4 - Jonathan Ericsson is huge. Seriously.
5 - While I was waiting in line using the bathroom, a woman was headed towards us carrying a drink and she looked really familiar. She was wearing a Canucks jersey and it finally hit me that it was Ryan Kesler's mom. Then she stopped and talked to the woman in front of me in line. It was kind of surreal. I got confirmation that she was definitely Kes' mom when she told the lady in front of me that she ran in to a nurse who wanted to know if Makayla was there too. Unreal. I kind of squealed when she walked away and the woman in front of me turned around and smiled as I said, 'Ryan Kesler's mom."
6 - Beiksa seems tiny in person.
7 - Kesler and Burrows did their jobs as agitators quite well. I actually thought someone was going to fight with Burrows at one point. It was great.
8 - When the Canucks scored their first goal, I was kind of happy inside. I said to Angie though that I shouldn't have benched Raymond tonight on my fantasy hockey team, but I did it because I was hoping if I would bench him, he wouldn't continue his hot streak.
9 - I miss Sammy. I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it again. I miss him and his wide shots a lot. Each time there was an altercation on the ice between the two teams, it was nice to see him in there trying to play peacemaker . . . at least that's the way it seemed.
10 - And most importantly, Kronner is so much hotter in person than he is on TV.
11 - Bertuzzi is huge out there on the ice, even if he isn't scoring.
12 - Jimmy Howard looked great out there as he made some timely saves for the team.
13 - I was sure I was going to be a jinx for the Red Wings, but I guess it turns out I wasn't.
14 - Kronner's empty net goal went down the ice SOOOOO slowly. When it went in, I jumped up and screamed very loud.
15 - When Zetterberg got his goal and they were announcing it and the assists, everyone around us was screaming loudly. So when I screamed as they announced Kronner's assist, I thought everyone would be screaming. Um, no. I was like the only one in the section that screamed.
16 - My biggest problem, especially in the 2nd and 3rd periods when we were closer to the ice, is that when the puck was on our end of the ice, I kept losing track of it when Kronner was on the ice. I was too busy watching him to follow the puck.
17 - When Homer was standing in front of Luongo, I kept thinking to myself that Ken & Mickey would be saying, "Homer's in his office."
18 - I didn't burst into tears from the overwhelming emotions like I thought I might. No Sesame Street repeats for me tonight.
19 - May & Rypien fighting? AWESOME.
20 - BEST night of my life ever.

Not a Nice Post

Disclaimer: First of all this is nothing personal. It's just a broad-scoped rant for all fans and it could even be pushed to encompass fans of any sport or any team. It may piss you off while reading it, and maybe that's my intention. I know I'm pissed off while writing it. If you take this as a personal attack against you, I'm sorry you're taking it that way because it's not directed at any particular person, but I will completely understand and respect your decision if you choose to remove me from your friends list. I get it.

I'm getting so sick and tired of the crap that I'm reading everywhere about how the Red Wings couldn't even beat the Maple Leafs. Just because the Maple Leafs have only won 2 games so far this season before last night, does not mean they are a crappy team. Toronto has never really had a problem finding people to score goals - the only reason they tied and lost a lot of their games was because their goaltenders allowed the other teams to score more.

THE RED WINGS ARE HAVING A HARD TIME SCORING THIS YEAR. It's not difficult to see why since they lost some of their best goal scorers to free agency and now to injuries. They don't seem to have much puck luck either. Shots that went in last year are just not going in this year. The team that went to the Stanley Cup Finals last year is not the team that is on the ice now. We lost some major players and we now have younger guys stepping in to try and fill the roles that were vacated.

The comments, articles, and blogs I've been reading lately all seem to question the desire that the team has to win. Ask yourself, do you really think they aren't out there wanting and expecting to win every night? To suggest they don't feel that way is ridiculous. And to rake them across the coals because of it is downright rude and disloyal, in my opinion.

IT IS NOT A PERFECT WORLD. The Red Wings will not win every game, and they won't win every game fans think they should against teams that everyone views as pushovers. As a fan, I don't think it should be expected that they go out and win every night. There are always positives in the negatives so why don't most people focus on the positives? I don't know, I can't answer that.

I can only say for myself that win or lose, they are my team and I will back them 100%. I know it's way too early to say this, but if they miss the playoffs this year that doesn't mean I hate them. They are still my team no matter what happens. I'm not about to desert them just because they aren't as great this year as people thought they would be.

Everyone has a right to bitch about their team losing, yes. But the shit I've been reading lately attacking people's character is way too much. It's made me reconsider everything I've said bad about Sidney Crosby. I'll never care for the guy personally, but I'll be thinking twice before making fun of him again.

All the players in the NHL are REAL people with REAL feelings and REAL emotions. They deserve our respect, not our condemnation.

I know people who are Detroit fans expect to see a winning team every year, but statistically, it's not going to happen every year. No matter what happens, I'm going to sit back and enjoy this season and be thankful that with the crappy economy and all the talks of NHL teams having to leave their areas that we still HAVE a team in Detroit.

The Red Wings will always be #1 to me, no matter what the standings say.

It's Been a Long Time

I know it's been a long time since I've posted anything here. Hopefully, I'll get back around to it more often. That being said, let's get started.

1 - Never again will I make predictions about a season again. The Canucks have a .500 average, and the Red Wings are even lower than that. Both teams should be better than they are with the talent they have, but something just isn't right with either of them, especially the Wings. Then again, the entire Western Conference is just very strange to look at. Colorado is in first place with 18 points; Calgary is in second with 15 points; and Los Angeles and Dallas are both tied for third with 14 points. I know it's still early, but it's crazy.

2 - I was at the bookstore the other day to pick up Theo Fleury's Playing with Fire and I also came across the Detroit Free Press' Forever Hockeytown book which is basically a book recapping the 2007-2008 season when the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup. It was an interesting read, but as most people know, I pick up on the little things that other people may not care about. Here are some of the best:

(a) According to Valtteri Filppula says Finns believe Santa comes from Finland, not the North Pole.

(b) Johan Franzen is known by his teammates as the go-to person when IKEA instructions need deciphering.

(c) When Mikael Samuelsson was on the team, he and Lils (Andreas Lilja) were best buds, and were so close in fact, that they went looking for houses in Novi together. They found houses that they liked - only 100 feet away from each other.

3 - So I was rewatching the SuperSkills Competition from the 2008 All Star Game weekend, and I have to say, I really liked the fact that Rick Depetrio and Manny Legace were miked up during the competition. I think they should allow this in regulation games as well.

4 - I was watching the Red Wings postgame show last night and all of a sudden there was a topless Todd Bertuzzi on the screen. That man is covered in tattoos. I'm still looking for a screencap of it, but if you haven't read my thoughts about Big Bert, feel free to check them out.

5 - Nik Kronwall and Chris Osgood don't like Ville Leino's hair.

6 - It's good to see Chris Chelios do well in his first game for the Chicago Wolves. His first big hit happens in the first few seconds of this video. I love Cheli, and I love the fact that he loves the game so much, he's willing to play for an AHL team and ride a bus to games.

7 - Do Kirk Maltby, Jonathan Ericsson, and Jimmy Howard believe in alien life? That would be a no, a yes, and a depends-on-how-you-classify-alien-life.

8 - This stupid Ovie commercial will NOT get out of my head. I'd like to share the wealth and have it get stuck in your head too.

9 - Jonathan Ericsson gives a Swedish lesson.

10 - Canucks video pocasts: always a laugh. What indicates the start of the regular season? Who would you invite to Thanksgiving dinner? What was the last thing you got in trouble for? What is your favorite scary movie?

11 - Have you seen the new official Red Wings wallpapers?

12 - I'm ashamed to say, this picture of Andrew Cogliano, Sheldon Souray, and Ethan Moreau is my current desktop wallpaper.

13 - My husband tells me I have hockey ADD. My teams are, and always will be, the Detroit Red Wings and the Vancouver Canucks, but I'm starting to like the Calgary Flames, the Edmonton Oilers, and the Atlanta Thrashers. I guess they are my 3-5 teams.

14 - I think Larry Murphy gets Botox treatments. Seriously.

Picture of the Week:
(I couldn't decide on one, so I had to post them both.)

My Wild and Crazy Predictions

Okay, here we go. I didn't go over stats or do anything major to come up with these predictions. They are just my predictions and will probably be WAY off. But it'll be fun to see if I'm right about anything.

Eastern Conference
1 - Washington Capitals
2 - Pittsburgh Penguins
3 - Philadelphia Flyers
4 - Boston Bruins
5 - Atlanta Thrashers
6 - New York Rangers
7 - Ottawa Senators
8 - Montreal Canadiens
9 - Carolina Hurricanes
10 - Toronto Maple Leafs
11 - New Jersey Devils
12 - Tampa Bay Lightning
13 - Buffalo Sabres
14 - New York Islanders
15 - Florida Panthers

Western Conference
1 - Vancouver Canucks
2 - Calgary Flames
3 - Chicago Blackhawks
4 - St. Louis Blues
5 - San Jose Sharks
6 - Detroit Red Wings
7 - Columbus Blue Jackets
8 - Minnesota Wild
9 - Anaheim Ducks
10 - Edmonton Oilers
11 - Dallas Stars
12 - Phoenix Coyotes
13 - Colorado Avalanche
14 - Nashville Predators
15 - Los Angeles Kings

Eastern Conference Finals
Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

Western Conference Finals
Vancouver Canucks vs. Calgary Flames

Stanley Cup Finals
Washington Capitals vs. Calgary Flames

Stanley Cup Champions
Washington Capitals

We can all laugh together when we see how wrong I am as the season unfolds.

LOL

I saw the funniest thing the other day.

The resemblance is uncanny. LMAO

Absolutely Nothing

I got nothing this week. There's nothing that's struck my fancy enough for me to post about it. Thank goodness the season starts soon.

Even though there's been plenty going on this week, I refuse to talk about the Phoenix Coyotes situation on here, and I don't know enough about the NHLPA thing to comment on it.

Oh, I guess I could say congrats to Vancouver for locking up Roberto Luongo for the next 12 years with a $64 million contract.

And there was a great picture posted to Twitter that came out of the Russian Olympic Training Camp: Pavs and Kovie look great!


Okay, so maybe I did have a little something.

Happy Birthday Ryan Kesler!

Todd Bertuzzi

Todd Bertuzzi . . . just the name alone brings a whole lot of emotions to the surface for a whole lot of people.

Everyone knows about the horrifying incident with Steve Moore, I'm sure. I'm not going to justify the man's actions, but I will say there was a few things that led up to that confrontation. The Code is a very important part of hockey, and people disagree all the time on whether this was just another example of The Code in effect. Do I think it was only Bertuzzi's idea to go after Moore? No. Do I think it was his intention to injure the man so badly that it ended Moore's career? No. Do I think Bertuzzi was just a victim of the circumstances? Partially.

We can all go back and say what if - what if Moore had turned to face him front on? It wasn't as if he didn't know the Canucks had sworn revenge on him. What if the momentum of Bertuzzi's punch hadn't had him falling on the guy and driving his head in to the ice? What if Moore had gotten up and walked away from it all? All that said, none of those 'what if's' are what actually happened.

What really happened is that a rising star had his career prematurely ended. Moore has been able to resume skating, but he still suffers from concussion-like symptoms.

Todd Bertuzzi did not get off easy after this incident. Not only was Bertuzzi suspended, he was charged in a court of law with assault causing bodily harm, he forfeited some of his salary, lost endorsements, and is being sued by Moore and Moore's parents in a civil suit.

Bertuzzi has to live with knowing what he did (intentional or not) every day of his life. I'm certain he hasn't forgotten what has happened, nor have the fans.

Do I think Bertuzzi should never be allowed to play another game in the NHL? No - what happened was unfortunate, but I'm 100% certain what happened wasn't intentional. He didn't go out there with the mindset of hurting Moore so much that he would be forced to retire from the sport. And when someone plays a professional sport, they know there is a risk of injury--serious or not--and they assume the risk.

This might make me sound like a cold-hearted bitch, but I'm not really. I feel horrible for Steve Moore, but I also feel horrible for what Bertuzzi has had to endure as well because of an unintentional result of a fight, something that happens all the time in the NHL.

I, for one, will welcome him to the Red Wings. If his experience can help the Red Wings win, who am I to challenge that?

Let's Be Clear

Let's be clear, shall we? My top 5 hockey players in order:

Niklas Kronwall - Nothing is better than watching him find those little moments to knock someone in to next week on the open ice.

Jonathan Ericsson - Definitely one to watch, as proven by his play during the Playoffs. Not only is the guy a great defensive player, he's got a killer shot, and isn't afraid to get back in to a game only a few days after having an appendectomy.

Ryan Kesler - One of the best two-way players in the NHL, as proven by his Selke nomination. The Canucks need to keep him and start building a team around him. He's a future captain, for sure.

Patrick Sharp - Once I forgave him for spearing Super Swede in the testicles, I came to value how great of a player this guy is. I think he's underrated, and for that, I'm in his corner.

Adam Burish - Not only is he a decent player, but he's not afraid to throw down the gloves, whenever, wherever, and against whomever. This guy has stones the size of grapefruits.

Let's Get To It, Shall We?

I guess this is turning in to a weekly thing. I found myself actually keeping a list of topics this week. I'm sure I'll make an entirely superficial hot guys post later this weekend, but for now, it's all business.


1 - Henrik Lundqvist is a hottie, whether he's on or off the ice. My friends over at MSG.com have a great gallery of King Henrik that you may want to check out. There are some great pictures there, and they are all so good, I can't decide which is my favorite.

2 - Everyone (including me) has made their cracks about Chris Chelios being ancient, but that doesn't mean I don't like the guy or want him to succeed. If he wants to play, I say let the guy play. I want him to stay somewhere in the US, and not go to the KHL, and it looks like I may get my wish. Sounds like the Nashville Predators might be interested in Cheli.

3 - As much as I don't want Darren McCarty to disappear to the KHL either, if he needs the money and he's willing to go, I say go for it!

4 - Speaking of the KHL, it sounds like Huds is having some problems in getting approval from the IIHF to play in Russia. I don't know why they won't just let him alone. The NHL and the Red Wings aren't fighting it, so just let the guy play.

5 - Sounds like Lilja is starting to feel better too. Good for him. I don't want to see him forced into a medical retirement. Say what you want about the guy and his interesting adventures from a few years ago, but you never want to see a guy lose his career because of a fight.

6 - We're nearly two months removed from the Red Wings loss of Hossa and Kopecky to the Blackhawks. I was angry and upset in the beginning, but I've really come to respect those two now, especially Kopecky. I was watching their 'Meet the Blackhawks' press conference from the Blackhawks convention and I was impressed by their refusal to lead the fans in a 'Detroit Sucks' chant at the end of the hour. Kopecky was very respectful in his answer, and it restored my faith in them. I still luv ya, guys.

7 - I was going to talk about Todd Bertuzzi and how I feel about his signing with the Red Wings, but I think I'll make a separate post about that later this weekend.

8 - As most of you know, I know a bit of Swedish (not enough to hold an actual conversation where I make sense), but I was pleased to discover a hockey blog a few months back written by Marie Hallman, that deals with all things going on in the hockey world in Sweden. I use Google to translate it for me, and end up learning more about the Swedish players that we've come to love, and those that we've yet to meet here in the US. I really recommend checking it out.

9 - Just so everyone is clear, I'm proud of the USA and all the great players (Kelser, Rafi) we have, but in my heart when it comes to the Olympics, I'm Team Sweden all the way. I even own a Tre Kronors hoodie that I got from eBay.

10 - I don't know what's in the water lately here in Toledo, but Ovie is really growing on me. Someone help me, quick! I may end up going to therapy over this. Just to be clear, I mean as a hockey player, not a hockey hottie. That will NEVER happen.

Wowza

I wasn't planning on doing a post until later this week since I still have things to get together for it, but I couldn't not post this right now.

Are there two hotter brothers in the NHL right now? (Don't even mention the Staals' and Henrik and Joel don't count since Joel is now playing for Frölunda.)

And this is the best pic I've seen of Nik in his glasses so far.

Both of these pictures come from Marie Hallman's blog.

Taylor Swift and the NHL

Yeah - two things I would never imagine together, but I've been proven wrong, courtesy of YouTube:

Taylor's Nashville Predators commercial

Forever & Always split screen with Penguins/Red Wings game

Our Song with the Penguins and Flyers

Change featuring the Penguins winning the Cup

And as a bonus:

Def Leppard intercut with The Winter Classic games - a MUST-SEE

Hockey Hotties Post #2

I think it's time for a new Hockey Hotties post. And this one doesn't have ANY Red Wings on it. Shocking, eh?

Patrick Sharp #1
Patrick Sharp #2
Patrick Sharp #3
Patrick Sharp #4

Adam Burish #1
Adam Burish #2

Sheldon Souray #1
Sheldon Souray #2

Henrik Lundqvist

Mike Modano

Nikolai Zherdev (on the right)

Staffan Kronwall

Oops

I just realized I forgot the Phoenix Coyotes in my previous post. No matter, there's no one there I like anyway, although I do feel bad for the entire team having to put up with the drama they've had so far this summer.

There's One on Every Team

I can typically find one person to like on every NHL team. Sometimes because they are hot (yes, I'm shallow like that), and sometimes because of how good they play. Then there are those few that make the list for both reasons. Shall we get started?

Anaheim Ducks
Teemu Selanne - Firstly, who doesn't love saying that name? Secondly and more importantly, the guy is a hell of a player. He's retiring after this year, and the NHL will miss him.
Runner Up: Scott Niedermayer

Atlanta Thrashers
Ilya Kovalchuk - A great player with a crappy team.

Boston Bruins
Marc Savard - I'll be the first to admit I don't know much about the team, so here's one of the ones that is only determined by hotness.

Buffalo Sabres
Ryan Miller - He was born in Michigan and likes dogs. 'Nuff said.

Calgary Flames
Staffan Kronwall - A Calder Cup winner, he should definitely earn his spot with the team this year. Besides, he's a Kronwall.
Runner Up: Dion Phaneuf

Carolina Hurricanes
Rod Brind'Amour - I remember back in the day when he played for the Flyers. I noticed him then.

Chicago Blackhawks
Patrick Sharp - Who doesn't like a 'Sharp' dressed man who likes to eat?
Runner Up: Adam Burish

Colorado Avalanche
Matt Duchene - Only since Joe Sakic retired.

Columbus Blue Jackets
Rick Nash - He's the only one I know.

Dallas Stars
Mike Modano - A classy guy.

Detroit Red Wings
Niklas Kronwall - Not only hotter than hell, but a great hitter. Opponents, keep your head up. You don't want to be Kronwalled.
Runner Up: Jonathan Ericsson & Johan Franzen

Edmonton Oilers
Sheldon Souray - I believe this may be the hottest man in all of the NHL.

Florida Panthers
As hard as I tried, I just couldn't find anyone to like.

Los Angeles Kings
Rob Scuderi - Yes, I picked a former Penguin. I would have picked Jarret Stoll, but he lost all my respect when he ditched his fiancee via email.

Minnesota Wild
Martin Havlat - Great player with a great attitude.
Runner Up: Niklas Backstrom

Montreal Canadiens
Kyle Chipchura - I just love his last name.

Nashville Predators
Shea Weber - I hear he's a pretty good player.

New Jersey Devils
Zach Parise - Who doesn't love Zach?
Runner Up: Martin Brodeur

New York Islanders
John Tavares - Can't go wrong with a #1 draft pick - usually.

New York Rangers
Henrik Lundqvist - He's the king.
Runner Up: Marian Gaborik

Ottawa Senators
Alex Kovalev - You have to respect everything this guy has done.
Runner Up: Jason Spezza

Philadelphia Flyers
As shocking as this may be, I couldn't find anyone here to like either. Plenty to hate though.

Pittsburgh Penguins
Kris Letang - Decent player, not bad to look at, and his love for Luc.

San Jose Sharks
Jonathan Cheechoo - I would have picked Jeremy Roenick, but yeah, you know. I love this last name though. I want to say 'God bless you' to him.

St. Louis Blues
Ty Conklin - I miss my Conks.

Tampa Bay Lightning
Victor Hedman - How Swede he is.
Runner Up: Vincent Lecavalier

Toronto Maple Leafs
Francois Beauchemin - I love saying his name. That is all.

Vancouver Canucks
Ryan Kesler - Great player, great guy, great father.
Runner Up: Kevin Bieksa & Mikael Samuelsson

Washington Capitals
Mike Green - He's hot. Yes, another one of those.

Lots of Interesting Things Today

1 - Let's start with the whole Patrick Kane thing. No, I do not think he's guilty of the assault of the cab driver, but I do find the situation comical. And then I saw his mug shot. How can he look so cuddly cute and defiant all at the same time?

2 - The Kronwall brothers: Staffan on the left, Nik on the right.

3 - Random Trivia of the Day: Did you know that up until the 1960's, when two men were sent to the penalty box for fighting, they were placed in the same penalty box? The only other person in the box with them was a referee that had to sit in between the two men. Can you imagine that poor referee sitting in between people who had just been beating the crap out of each other? Funnily enough, the league finally decided that there needed to be two penalty boxes after too many fights were continuing in the shared box. WELL, DUH!

4 - Funny Video: The Zamboni Accident from the Red Wings/Chicago Winter Classic

5 - Funny Video: Dion Phaneuf wants to fight, but takes a fall instead.

6 - Funny Video: Jeremy Roenick and Patrick Roy's war of words. Roy wins.

7 - Hockey & Hollywood Collide: Kellie Pickler once dated that annoying little Nashville Predators punk, Jordin Tootoo. She can do so much better, no?

8 - Hockey & Hollywood Collide: Carrie Underwood is currently dating Ottawa Senator, Mike Fisher. Now they make a good couple.

9 - Then there's Sean Avery. Possibly the most hated man in the NHL. He even had a rule created because of his play: It's affectionately known as the Sean Avery rule. Now somehow, despite the confession that he played with dolls as a child, stealing them from his babysitter, as well as liking fashion a little too much, the man still gets some of the hottest women in Hollywood.

(a) First there was Sean and Rachel Hunter. When they broke up, Rachel moved on to LA Kings center, Jarret Stoll. They were together four years, even getting engaged and living together. Then in June, he broke the engagement and dumped her via email. They would have made beautiful babies.

(b) Then Sean moved on to Elisha Cuthbert, and here's where it really got interesting. Sean and Elisha were together for awhile before breaking up. Elisha then started dating Calgary Flames defenseman, Dion Phaneuf, a huge improvement over Sean.

(c) In December of 2008, then-Dallas Star Sean Avery arrived in Calgary to play the Flames and Phaneuf. Sean showed his class by calling the reporters together and making sure the cameras were recording before making his now-famous sloppy seconds comment. The NHL responded by suspending him for 6 games and ordering him to undergo anger management. After Sean's suspension ended, the Dallas Stars organization decided he would not be playing for their team anymore, telling him he needed to get help. As soon as his treatment was complete, the Stars placed Avery on waivers and he was claimed by his former team, the New York Rangers. Being a NY team, maybe they can handle his attitude. He's still the most hated man in the NHL.

Sunday Seven

1 - Ryan Kesler gave quite the interesting interview to Yahoo Sports' Puck Daddy. One of the things he mentioned? Guaranteeing a victory for the US hockey team in the Olympics. He had to be kidding, right?

2 - Patrick Kane, formerly famous due to Johan Franzen taking his mouthguard and throwing it down to the ice, has something else to be famous for now - assaulting and robbing a cab driver!

3 - Oh, Sidney Crosby. I never thought you could look any more idiotic, but I was wrong.

4 - Russian players aren't all they are cracked up to be. Case in point: Simeon/Semyon Varlamov. First he changes the spelling of his first name, then he insults American girls.

5 - While we're on the subject of Russians, let's talk about Ovie. You know who I mean, don't pretend you don't. That hot sexy babe, Alexander Ovechkin. Well, not only does Ovie believe that sex before AND after the game is a good thing, he also has a pair of lucky scissors that no one else is allowed to use.

6 - Someone forgot to tell Alex Burrows that the playoffs are over and the Canucks were eliminated in the second round.

7 - For a bit of light reading (channeling Hermione Granger) I downloaded the entire 475-page NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement from 2005, the year of the lockout. I converted it to a Kindle file, so when I get bored, I think I'll check it out.

Hello New Follower

Since I have a new follower, I figured it was the perfect time to make another hockey post, something he probably doesn't care about anyway. ;-)

1 - Jeremy Roenick retires . . . and I bawl like a baby. Especially when Cheli called in.

2 - Now that JR is gone, will Cheli retire? He still hasn't been signed to a contract for next season, and even made the joke today that he may be retired already and not know about it.

3 - If the Sharks actually bring Dany Heatley to their team, I will lose all respect for the team that let JR go out in 'Styles.'

4 - Boy the NHL really has a hard on for the Olympics don't they? Not only will 2010 be the last time in the foreseeable future that NHL players will play in the Winter Olympics, but now if a player gets injured in the Olympic camp, the NHL doesn't have to honor their contract? I call foul.

Sweden's Olympic Training Camp Pictures

Niklas Kronwall is so adorable in glasses

Those sexy Swedes

Random Questions of the Day - Penguins' Edition

1 - Why is Sidney Crosby still living with Mario Lemieux? He has to have plenty of money for his own house, so wouldn't he want his space? I mean, can you imagine Sid bringing a girl home and having to sneak her in so Mario's kids don't get any ideas?

2 - Why is there a neon sign flashing the word 'GAY' every time I see Marc Andre Fleury, whether in a picture or in an interview? Or when he falls on the ice.

3 - Why does Evgeni Malkin remind me of an ape every time I see him. And what the hell is this?

4 - What's up with Tyler Kennedy?

5 - Why am I so attracted to Kris Letang, especially in this picture from Luc Bourdon's funeral?

Add another game

Shelly agreed to go with me on December 11 to see the Red Wings vs. the Ducks.

Real Hockey & Fictional Hockey

Decided on three games I'll definitely be at this season:

Nov 12 - vs Canucks with Becky and her hubby
Jan. 17 - vs Blackhawks with Billy
Mar. 3 - vs Canucks with Krissa

We'll see if there are more to come.

As for the fictional hockey, I've made the Elkhart Enforcers logo, created my whole team of players complete with pictures, and have started the first book. And funnily enough, the guy I have in mind when writing about the main character of this book is NOT Jonathan Ericsson. Shocking, I know.

We'll see how it goes. I'm sure it probably so cliche, but what romance novel isn't these days?

Hilarious

Kris Letang & Tyler Kennedy Do the Weather - Part One

Kris Letang & Tyler Kennedy Do the Weather - Part Two

Random Thoughts from Around the NHL

Let me preface this by saying these are just my opinions, and I'm sure not all would agree.

* Let Jiri Hudler go to the KHL. Do the Red Wings really need someone who could possibly be a malcontent on their team? Wouldn't you rather remove that possible attitude from the locker room?

* Marian Hossa was killing me during his press conference with Kopecky and Stan Bowman. I'm sure I'm just touchy about it, but was he really referring to Chicago as Hockeytown? There is only one Hockeytown. Someone needs to let him know that.

* Who would have thought Kopecky was more articulate than Hossa?

* Whatever you think of his reasons for opening up, you've got to hand it to Martin Havlat for speaking his mind. I like this guy.

* I can't stand Alexander Ovechkin. Almost as much as I can't stand Evgeni Malkin and Chris Pronger. Just thought you should know.

* My favorite Canucks are Ryan Kesler, Kevin Bieksa, and Mikael Samuelsson.

* My favorite Red Wings are Jonathan Ericsson, Niklas Kronwall, Tomas Holmstrom, Johan Franzen, and Henrik Zetterberg. Hmm, do I spot a trend here?

* My father always swore we were related in some distant way to Scott Niedermayer, but I still don't believe him. I know it's not a common name, but we spell ours differently: Neidermyer.

What Am I and Why Am I Here?

First things first. What is a Rednuck?

A Rednuck is a fan who can't decide which hockey team she likes more - The Detroit Red Wings or the Vancouver Canucks. Since I can't decide and I like both, I'm a Rednuck. I'd have to say the slight edge goes to the Red Wings considering my location (Toledo), but having Ryan Kesler and now Mikael Samuelsson definitely keeps the Canucks in the running.

As for why I'm here, I'm not sure. I've tended to stick with LiveJournal for years now, but sometimes you just have to branch out. That doesn't mean I'm getting rid of my LJ though. I'll probably be back and forth with what I post where.

I do have a couple communities I created in LJ though, which is another reason I like LJ. Besides running a Battlestar Galactica Big Bang Challenge, I also set up a community dedicated to my favorite Red Wing, Jonathan Ericsson.

It can be found here: Jonathan Ericsson Fans

I don't know how regularly I will post here, but I'm sure I'll be around, especially to comment on hockey news.