Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Hockey Gift Guide Part Three: Apparel and Things



By Lisa Ovens

In part three of my suggestions, I went looking for some hockey inspired apparel, and came across some fun new looks for the hockey fan and/or player in your life.

But first, to briefly recap the guides...

Part One highlighted two artisans:  Michelle Reaney of Thunderpeep Designs (the designer responsible for the look of my two hockey books) and her Polar Nights line of paper and fabric products imprinted with her original designs. And the other Artisan, Ann Carney,  jewelry designer and creator of the FanBangle sports bracelets. To get the full story and see their work please click here for Gift Guide Part One.

Part Two covered the items available from my own Hockey & High Heels Collection, including the Two Book Set, VIP Badges and Hockey themed blank greeting cards. To see it all and do a  little online shopping, please click here for Gift Guide Part TwoPlease note, both hockey books are only available  from the shop @ Hockeyandhighheels.com.

Now for Part Three...

Fans of  Vancouver Canuck/Team USA member, Ryan Kesler should know he has a line of sporty clothing, developed with a local Vancouver company, First Star. These aren't just clothes: they are wearable technology that happen to look pretty good.

This women's top has grown on me. The authentic hockey lace near the shoulder, at first look was a little different, but the more I see the more I like it. There is a guy's version as well. Model RK-204 $59.99 First Star tech includes Moisture System Transference (quick drying) Bio Sense Fit (hugs your curves) and BACT-OUT (helps keep your clothes smelling good for longer)
Model RK-204  $59.99



Well the ladies might enjoy this photo, and seeing their guys in Ryan Kesler brand underwear. These briefs have all the same attributes listed above. In other words  they keep dry, hug curves and will smell fresher...for longer?
Well, don't just buy him one pair!
Model RK 201  $21.99

For the complete Ryan Kesler RK17 line visit firststarsports.com. First Star Sports also has a local retail store in  downtown Vancouver: 851 Hornby Street, 604-681-6828

--------------------

She Plays Hockey is an Ontario based hockey clothing company that focuses on the hockey playing female. They have a great online shop, and today I am featuring their cute T-shirts with sassy slogans and quotes. Quotes like these...Sugar and Spice, but not on the ice, My Goal is...to Deny Yours (for goalies) and Pretty to Look at. Hard to Catch. T-shirt shown: Boys Wanted, Ladies regular fit, 100% cotton, $17.99. Click here to check out She Plays Hockey online store

Bela Hockey, Cammi Granato's company that outfits girl hockey players in gear and apparel made just for them, has introduced an inspiring gift set called "Granato's Gold". Includes an Air Mesh youth jersey, a personalized youth stick, a Katie cap, skating socks and practice socks.

Granato's Gold  $84
Choose red or blue
Visit Belahockey.com
 super cute!





And in the spirit of girls and sports, I present the "Girls Can't What?" Christmas ornament. Girlscantwhat. com is here to remind everyone that girls can do stuff, lots of stuff, anything they put their mind to.

Girls Can't What? hockey player ornament $22.45
available online at girlscantwhat.com

So, now I'm hear to remind everyone that Girls Can Play Sports. They don't have to sit on the sidelines or be content with waving the pom poms. Girls, get busy and get into the game!! Okay, I'm off of my soap box. Thanks for listening :o)

Happy Holiday Hockey Shoppin'!

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Hockey Gift Guide: Part Two, The Hockey & High Heels Collection!



by Lisa Ovens

It's that time of year: shopping for special gifts for those special people in your life. If you are looking for something fitting for the hockey crazy women in your life, check out these gifts ideas from the online shop at Hockey & High Heels 

Two Book Set  usd $39.95 *

For the Love of Empty Net Goals and
Hockey & High Heels by Lisa Ovens
The H&HH adventure continues into Lisa's new book,
For the Love of Empty Net Goals! For reviews and
other information, please click here



The VIP Badge usd $5.95 * sale price!



Adhesive logo. Put it on your automobile, fridge, mirror,
monitor or any other hard surface.
Comes in a "Hockey Mom" version, too!










usd $8.95 * sale price!
featuring "Sea of Tranquility"


Blank greeting cards from
Mesh Gallery and the book,
Hockey & High Heels
Four blank cards and envelopes




*plus shipping/handling
applicable taxes for residents of Canada

Now I'll recap the items from Part One. For the complete descriptions
please click here to visit part one.

Thunderpeep's Design's
2011 Desk Top Calendar 

SALE PRICE:usd $ 11.25                     

 ...and...
The Manon Tissue Cozy
SALE PRICEusd $ 3.75
- perfect for a Hockey Mom's purse, especially when in cold ice rinks!
- does not include the tissue pack

Ann Carney's FanBangle usd $55 (version shown)
Pretty swank: custom made for your favorite NHL team (and other sport leagues if needed)...



Friday, November 26, 2010

A Better Perspective

                                       roaming super analyst, Ray Ferraro 

                                              
by Jan Snyder


I love listening to hockey people talk hockey, so I tune in whenever I can for insight that as a fan, I don’t have. This week, Ray Ferraro, a former player, current broadcaster, husband of Hall of Fame player Cammi Granato, and owner of the best nickname ever – Big Ball of Hate – held forth on NHL Live. He was asked about the Penguins and their problems with winning at home in their luxurious new stadium with all the bells and whistles. We, as emotional fans, are seeing all the downside. Fleury’s struggles, defensive lapses, the team trying too hard to entertain the home fans are all reasons that have been thrown out there.

But listen to someone who is unbiased give his opinion and it might put a new perspective on yours.

                                 Consol Energy Center
Ray says the Pens are about as “at home” in their new digs as their opponents. They haven’t played many games there yet and, haven’t gotten accustomed to the bounces off the boards. The ice has been a problem at times, and of course, that affects both teams, but the Pens have to deal with it in practice too.

When we add in the loss of Jordan Staal for the whole season so far, we can see that the other players have had to move around and adjust. Toss into the mix two new defensemen, the departure of Sergei Gonchar and that big loss on the power play, and there are more reasons to expect problems. Not excuses, just problems, problems that need to be solved.

But now the Pens seem on the verge of overcoming at least some of the difficulties at home. The team has now won three of its last four at Consol Energy Center. The overwhelming support poured onto the ice by the fans in his first game at home after not playing for a while spoke volumes about the fans and how we really can influence the game. With Fleury’s lack of confidence, not to mention, lack of play, the first game back could have been iffy. But the fans weren’t about to let that happen. Before the puck even dropped, loud chants of “Fleury, Fleury, Fleury” cascaded down from the rafters and into the ears of the Stanley Cup winning goalie. After the game, he thanked the fans in the arena and told them how important that support was to him.

Crosby is playing like the Crosby we all know and love now. Malkin is improving every game and Kris Letang is doing it all. The new defensemen are fitting it and I’m sure the players are still getting used to new teammates. Before much longer, barring anything else crazy, Staal will be back making a huge impact with his play. Now about that power play – still a problem, but it’s got to get better, right? Maybe the guys will want to pick it up as HBO comes to town to film every aspect of everything hockey. At the least, maybe we’ll get to see the strategy behind the power play.

Heinz Field, home of the 2010 Winter Classic

I can’t wait for 24/7 on HBO. How cool will it be to hear what’s said in practice and to see what the guys do away from the rink? I’m even curious to see the differences between what the Pens do as opposed to the Caps. Four weeks of the show just won’t be enough! But then the show will culminate in the Winter Classic at Heinz Field. I can’t wait for that either! After traveling to Edmonton for the Heritage Classic between the Oilers and Habs, I thought I would never spend that much time outdoors in freezing temperatures again. But how could I pass up the Pens and Caps at Heinz Field? I’ll dress in layers and hope to find Bailey’s to add to my hot chocolate!

So thanks, Ray, for making me think less like a fan and more like an analyst. You’ve made me feel just a little better about the “home” team.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Who Gives a Puck? Chicks who Give a Puck Interview Lisa Ovens



by Lisa Ovens

Last weekend I had a lengthy telephone interview with Sarah McNeil, hockey writer from Chickswhogiveapuck.com. I swear we could have talked hockey ALL day! Follow the link below to read the "Chick to Chick" interview...

Chicks Who Give a Puck interviews Lisa Ovens

About the Chicks...

Chickswhogiveapuck.com was founded by Courtney Beckham and Sara Stylkowski in February 2010. With a small army of female hockey writers, Courtney and Sara's hockey site cover every hockey league of interest, including International hockey tournaments, the NHL, the CWHL (Canadian Women's Hockey League), The AHL and more.

NHL fanatics can get the latest on their favourite teams as most all 30 teams have a chick assigned as a beat writer. make sure to "favorite" the Chicks and add it to your hockey site surf schedule!

For a list and bios of the Chickswhogiveapuck.com's writers, please click here

Happy Thanksgiving!


                             Happy Thanksgiving to our American Friends
                           Here's to a beautiful and bountiful long weekend!

Hockey & High Heels: Holiday Gift Guide


by Lisa Ovens

One of the delights of hockey fandom is shopping for hockey themed gifts. We're all fans, and most of us have at least one hockey fan  in our lives that is very special. And searching for the perfect hockey gift to bestow can be a joyous occasion all on its own.

Lisa's Annual Gift Guide Part One highlights originality courtesy of two very talented designers: Michelle Reaney, owner of Thunderpeep Designs (she designed both of my hockey books) and jewelry designer, Ann Carney.

 I love to support independent companies, so I'm pleased to present Michelle and Ann's high quality creations that you won't find anywhere else!
__________________________________________________________
The FanBangle  us $55 (version shown)
Jewelry designer and FanBangle creator, Ann Carney offers sports fans a unique line of sports inspired jewelry that goes from hectic work day, to dinner, to ARENA with style!

Each FanBangle bracelet is hand-crafted with sterling silver and Swarovski Crystal in your team's colors and anchored by an officially licensed team logo charm in sterling silver. The bracelet feels good on the wrist. It has weight and will add a little sparkle to your game night outfit. Several styles and prices available.

The FanBangle is a great gift idea for the ladies who probably already own a team jersey, hat, scarf and tee. Don’t let their wrists be naked!!! Available in most NHL team colors. To order your FanBangles, please visit the website here:  FanBangles
____________________________________________________________
Thunderpeep Designs 2011 Calendar usd $ 11.25 sale price! 


This is the "Spirit of Hockey" in a gift...Thunderpeep (Michelle) is a former goal tender, and long time hockey fan. She's inspired by everything Finland/Scandinavian, and her Polar Nights Collection is a "must See".
The Peep's original patterns are delightful, and have been applied to this unique and fun desktop calendar, plus note paper, note cards, greeting cards, fabric storage buckets, and the most adorable pocket tissue pack holders you'll ever see (great to have on hand inside chilly hockey rinks on winter mornings).

"The Manon" Tissue Cozy 
usd $3.75 sale price!

the perfect stocking stuffer!          

See the entire Polar Nights Line and select some unique gifts created by one awesome hockey fan! Click the following link to visit


Check back later for Part Two of Lisa's Gift Guide


Saturday, November 20, 2010

Pat Burns: A Hockey Life


"I always said to my kids, ‘You don’t cry because it’s over, you’re happy because it happened.’ That’s the main thing. I’m very happy that it happened.” - Pat Burns





Tonight the NHL marks game number 50,000 and remembers one man's body of work, coaching the greatest game on earth. 





Friday, November 19, 2010

Wear Your Colors, Ladies!

      Women's Sideline Henley "Touch" by Alyssa Milano
        US $34.99  CDN $36.99 shopping link at bottom


by Jan Snyder



One of the many good things about taking a couple of days off from work is that I get to watch all of NHL Live on the NHL Network. I usually see about half an hour of the show if I’m able to have lunch at home. The show is always good with plenty of interviews, opinions, calls from fans and tweets.

Today Don LaGreca and E.J. Hradek welcomed Alyssa Milano to the program to discuss her sports clothing line called Touch by Alyssa Milano. If you are a female hockey fan, be her fan, she is pushing affordable sports garb that women can actually wear and feel comfortable wearing. I’ve checked out her designs and they are really nice.


                                 Women's Rivalry Hoody "Touch" by Alyssa Milano
                                          on sale! US/CDN $ 39.97 reg.price $64.99

 Alyssa began designing clothes for female fans of Major League Baseball. She is a season ticket holder for the Los Angeles Dodgers and she remarked that when she looked around in the stadium stores for women’s clothing it was hard to find. She said she coined the phrase “pink and shrink” to describe what was being done to clothes for ladies. The prevailing thought seemed to be just color it pink and make it smaller. Unfortunately, women were buying that awful stuff because not too many other choices existed.

Now Alyssa has a female line of clothing for MLB, NFL, MLS, NBA and NHL teams – hurray!

Tonight she is in Pittsburgh to cut the ribbon for the new Pens Gear store, which is, of course, selling her Touch line. On the show, she told the guys that her fashions are things that she would be comfortable wearing if she went out to dinner after a game, but she stressed that jerseys are very important to women, who want to look like the team they support. According to her, and she should know, that will never change.

While she was talking, she mentioned that when she walks around cities, she rarely sees women in clothes that support a team. Because she is in Pittsburgh, she used the example of not seeing women on the streets of Pittsburgh wearing hoodies or hats supporting the Steelers or Penguins. Whoa, Alyssa, you obviously haven’t been in the right parts of the city! I promise you, a great many Pittsburgh women proudly support their teams by wearing all kinds of Pens and Steelers gear. I live in Houston but I have two Penguin hoodies and more shirts than I can count. Jump on a bus or trolley, heck, even the incline, Alyssa, and mingle with the “real Pittsburghers”. You’ll see plenty of team support.

But, hey, I’m sure not putting down the Touch line of clothing or Alyssa. It’s so great to have a real female sports fan on our side. She was able to talk quite capably about the Dodgers and the Kings, and even threw into the conversation that she had Kings season tickets during Luc Robaitaille’s rookie season! You go, girl!

Alyssa claimed to follow several female hockey blogs, so if you’re out there reading this, Alyssa, give us a shout! Look me up if you attend the Winter Classic in Pittsburgh –I’ll be the one in the Penguin jacket!

for more cool clothes, accessories and gift ideas, please visit...
 
Shop NHL Canada
 
Shop NHL USA

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Canucks vs. Penguins = Lisa vs. Jan


by Lisa Ovens

This one just snuck up on me: my Vancouver Canucks are in Pittsburgh to play the Penguins tonight. It will also be the first time the Canucks get to take the spanky, new Consul Energy Center out for a spin. But it's not the first time for Pens writer, (and contributor to this very blog), Jan Snyder and I will go head to head in a long distance cage match!

Well, it's not a cage match at all really. We've only met in person twice before, and in both cases our beloved teams were not playing each other. The first meeting, Jan was in Vancouver for a conference, and she just happened to be here for a Canucks Playoff game (2007 game seven, Dallas Stars). So she became a Canuck for a Day, and helped cheer them on to a series win. Here we are with a playoff towel near Stanley Park...




Just over seven months later, I met up with Jan again. But this time it was in Pittsburgh for the frist ever Pens Hockey & Heels event that I was speaking at. Jan, who lives in Houston, flew in for the event as well. This time, It was me adding some of my hockey spirit, cheering on the Pens as they battled it out with division rivals, the Flyers. Unfortunately, the Pens lost, but I came out of there a winner, and much more informed on the Pittsburgh Hockey scene, thanks to Jan. Here we are vamping in front of Captain Sidney Crosby...


One day, will we find ourselves in the same place, but instead of cheering on the other person's team, cheering against each other? Accidentally bumping the other's beverage out of their hand? Or during intermission, aiming a mustard dispenser at the other's jersey when they aren't looking?
I say "Louuuuuuu?"
Jan says "Boooooooo?"

The only way we'll ever find out is if the Pens and the Canucks meet in the Stanley Cup Final. Until then...

Go Canguins GO!
Go Pennucks GO!!

to read Jan's take on the above scenario, please check out her column from October here...The Long Hot Summer is Over

RECAP: Washington Capitals Hockey & Heels Event

                                               - The Hockey Mom

by Lisa Ovens

I've written about Caps writer, Leslie (AKA the Hockey Mom) here at Lisa's Hockey Lounge in the past. I want to turn you to the direction of her blog to read her recap of the Cap's Hockey & Heels event last night. What a night!

Hockey Mom VA Blog

These events are the best. Girls, the hockey loving guys we know don't get the luxury of a Hockey and Dayton's, or Hockey and Wing Tips...

...if your local team, whether it be NHL, AHL, ECHL or WHL, is hosting an event like this, buy a ticket before it sells out. Go and have a super fun time!

Happy Hockey :o)

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Outdoor Skating in Tampa Bay!

                                                                     photo: Andy Jones

by Lisa Ovens

Do I need another reason to become a Tampa Bay Lightning season ticket holder? The city of Tampa Bay is constructing an outdoor ice skating venue downtown. A ninety minute skate will cost you $10.00 and that includes skate rental!

Okay, with this installation I am officially campaigning for a job in Tampa Bay. There's NHL hockey there; unlike the Canucks, Lightning tickets are affordable, I wouldn't be far from Disney World and Cape Canaveral , and a good friend of mine lives just down the coast! (And yes, rocket launches are on my list of things to do)

That's it...I'm sharpening my skates and heading for the sunshine in Tampa to get my glide on!

for the latest on the outdoor rink, visit Tampa Bay Online
or check out this story at St. Petersburg Times

Happy Outdoor Skating, Bolts fans!

Washington Capitals Hockey & Heels Event



by Lisa Ovens

The Washington Capitals will be hosting their fifth annual Hockey & Heels event this week (Tues. Nov.16th, 2010) and get this: the event sold out in five minutes! Perhaps the Capitals should be adding a second event for their enthusiastic female hockey fans during the season.

The Hockey & Heels event comes on the heels of a similar program created just for kids called Sticks and Sneakers. No surprise here, but Sticks and Sneakers was also sold out: 120 kids! What a great way to introduce the kids to hockey.

Both events are held at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex.

Back to the ladies...here's what the female Caps fans will be participating in at H&H...

The evening will be divided into four sessions, with the popular on-ice demonstrations with instructions from Karl Alzner, John Carlson, Marcus Johansson and Semyon Varlamov. Hockey ‘n Heels will use both sheets of ice at Kettler Capitals Iceplex, giving the women an opportunity to spend more time on ice.
The on-ice demonstrations will include how to shoot a slapshot, take a faceoff, and how to stop a puck in the net. While waiting for their turn on the ice the ladies will be able to see and try on different hockey equipment.
 The second session is something new this season with Caps’ strength and conditioning coach Mark Nemish explaining to the ladies what fitness routines the players go through. The third session is with head coach Bruce Boudreau and his famous film talk. Boudreau will help the women understand how to dissect and analyze different aspects of the game. All sessions and players are subject to change. The fourth and final session will include a picture in front of a locker set up with the Winter Classic uniform and equipment.

from scarletcaps.com


Nice work, Caps. Have a great evening, female Caps fans!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Lest We Forget...

     
 ...we will remember them







Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Guest Column: An Unlikely Friendship



by Marie Miesel
I am fairly active on the Nashville Predators message boards. There is a poster who goes by the screen name 29Dryden29 from London, Ontario. Bet you can’t guess who his favorite team is? Yep, he is a diehard 3rd generation Montreal Canadiens fan. And yes, he is the classic obnoxious Canadiens fan. He was one of the folks who put down a deposit on the Hamilton Predators. So he could see his beloved Habs, of course. But despite this elitist front, he has a human side. He cares deeply about his children and it shows when he occasionally posts about them.

In reviewing the Predators schedule last season, I noted that the Canadiens were coming to Nashville for the one game we play them a year. It was also on a Saturday night. I decided to reach out to this mysterious 29Dryden and asked if he would like to come to Nashville and see his team play. After all, seeing them in Nashville would be very cheap compared to a game at the Bell Centre.


He was quite amused by my diplomatic efforts. After making the necessary arrangements, he and his father made the trip for the November date with the Canadiens. We even had a wager between us. Loser wears winner’s jersey around town that night.

Dryden and his father did the tourist thing downtown on Friday. Friday evening some folks gathered at a local pub called The Flying Saucer. We had a nice evening of hockey talk along with the obligatory razzing from the two Habs fans with us. Saturday they went out to a shooting range with another board member while I worked. Saturday evening was the game. They were unimpressed by our arena, our crowd (unfortunately it was not a sell out) and our team.
However, “I like it, I love it” echoed twice during the game and we won 2-0. Kudos to Carey Price for 45 saves in a losing effort. And so the proud Habs fan had to exchange his Vezina Habs jersey for a Bonk Predators one for the rest of the evening. It was quite comical. Sunday I took them out to the pre-flood Opryland Hotel. It’s a sprawling complex with indoor gardens and even a tiny river. And then they hit the road back to London, Ontario.

And that might have been the end of it. Dryden continues to post on our message boards. He and I have talk regularly about our teams, the state of the NHL and other hockey related topics. I was able to visit him this summer and went to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto (swoon). And yes he still gives me grief about being a Predators fan but that is to be expected; after all he is The Pompous Habs fan.

- Marie is a long time hockey fan, a Nashville Predators season ticket holder and an occasional guest columnist at Lisa's Lounge

Monday, November 8, 2010

Book Review: For the Love of Empty Net Goals


The first review has arrived for Lisa Ovens' long awaited sequel to Hockey & High Heels - A different Kind of Hockey Book. From journalist/columnist, Sandra Thomas at the The Vancouver Courier, Canada's largest community newspaper...

The Review...
                                                      
Vancouver-based hockey fanatic Lisa Ovens has done it again with For the Love of Empty Net Goals. In her sequel to Hockey and High Heels (every woman’s essential guide to hockey published in 2005), Lisa explores hockey culture in both Canada and the U.S. While Empty Net is written for both sexes, Lisa doesn’t miss the opportunity to champion female rights in what’s become the fastest growing sport in the world—women’s hockey.
In her second book, Lisa also puts her money where her mouth is and travels thousands of miles researching hockey teams and culture, during which she details a visit to the home of the Phoenix Coyotes and her search for the elusive Wayne Gretzky. In one chapter Lisa also describes in great detail her hilarious attempts to meet someone (hopefully a man) to accompany her to a hockey game in Anaheim after her wingman, Helen, cancels her trip to California at the last minute due to a family emergency.

Lisa isn’t afraid to give her opinion and give it she does, on everything from superstar player Sidney Crosby, the soap opera, The Secret Lives of Hockey Wives and the National Hockey League. And maybe it’s time the NHL listens up. Lisa’s proposal to include fan re-location for hockey teams in the Sunbelt with few followers makes sense. And she even promises to waive her no-trade clause with the Canucks to follow a team with a home base that includes sunshine and palm trees.

In For the Love of Empty Net Goals, Lisa uses humor, and a few songs, to explain the state of hockey today. I highly recommend it for hockey fans everywhere.

-Sandra Thomas is a long time journalist and columnist with the Vancouver Courier Newspaper, who, like Lisa, has faith the Canucks will one day bring home the Stanley Cup.