NHL: New Head Shot Rules, Sedin Triplet, and Sid's Jersey

If you saw TSN's broadcast of the Canucks vs. Ducks game you would have seen this guy....



Lol :o) 

and go Henrik...99 points and counting!

NHL Rules Regarding Head Shots....with examples

Here is the NHL Video breaking down the new rules regarding hits to the head including examples of hits both illegal and legal. It's at least five minutes long but if your are fan you have to watch it...this will be in effect as of tonight.

NHL Hits to the Head video link

Game Worn Team Canada Crosby Jersey: 58 Bids at over $11,000 now

The jersey is from the Swiss game during the round robin. Remember, it ended in a shoot out...guess who scored the winner....that's right, Sidney Crosby!

One more day left for bidding, folks. Visit this link to ebay and watch the thrilling finish...game worn Team Canada Crosby jersey

Mr. Potato Head PSA and Other Ideas to Reduce Dangerous Hits in the NHL

By Lisa Ovens

As a fan of this great sport, I care about hockey players, and like so many others, I'd like to see fewer stretchers and trainers on the ice aiding the victims of dangerous hits. So does Mr. Potato Head...

Mr. Potato Head's Public Service Announcement

Yo, I wanna talk to the players right now, especially those ones that are running other players down. There's only one player out there on the ice that can take your hits, and that player is me. Why? Look at me...I'm a potato! You knock me flyin', I lose an eye or my duster, I just go into the compartment in my ass and get my replacement parts out. It's a no brainer for a potato like me. But if you headhunters out there keep doing what you are doing there'll be too many players with "no brainers", and that just isn't good for this game.

Take it from a potato...an NHL career is already too short for most, let's help make it last as long as it can for you and your brothers. Thanks for listenin'!

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

I've been waiting for a few years to use the Mr. Potato Head the hockey player photo. Seriously speaking though it's bothersome to learn both sides of the league are so divided when they really need to be working closely together on a concern as important as safety. And let's not forget the other concern: popularity.

I really like this quote from Brian Campbell, Chicago Blackhawks defender and recent victim of a season ending hit....he's got the right idea...

"We come off the Olympics, which was so great for hockey, and then within two weeks you have the hit on Savard and now this. What parent in the US watching is going to want to put there kid in hockey? We have to do something to stop this.”

As far as the players are concerned, perhaps in the off season they need to gather in an airport hotel ballroom, with some lousy coffee and little Club House sandwiches and have a conference. A two or three day affair to sort out their issues with respecting the game and each other and what the heck, why not discuss “the Code” while they are at it because everyone appears to be in a state of confusion when it comes to clean hits, dirty hits, when to retaliate, etc.

This has to be done, and as Don Cherry might say, do it "face to face."

The boys needs to get it all sorted out for next season. Either refresh everyone on the code, or re-vamp it or throw it out, but whatever they do get everyone on the same page, and keep it simple. Maybe someone could write a jingle. I remember the jingle for kilometers per hour vs. miles in relation to speed...this is something I would sing in my head when driving in the States,

20 get’s ya 30
30 get’s ya 50
50 get’s ya 80

I will never forget that jingle (trust me it was the cheesiest one ever). The players could use a jingle to help them stop and think about the consequences of their actions....

I wrote a sample jingle that they could use, or it could be a reference point for them to come up with their own easy reminder system. It's sung to the tune Is She really Going Out With Him? by Joe Jackson...

Do I really need to charge at him?
Do I really want to leave my feet right now?
Do I really need to elbow him?
Cause his eyes can’t really see me
and something could go wrong around here.

Could you imagine every player in the Mississauga Ballroom at the Hilton Toronto Airport Hotel singing that out loud? Okay, I am obviously being silly, but they gotta try out some stuff and they should show the fans at least that they really care about the future of this game.

Too many times, at the end of the season we hear about how the players just scatter around the world and begin their summers. Well I don't think that should happen this year. They need to come together, as a big group, hitters and victims, the fighters and the skill guys and have a big "players only" conference.

Dudes, June's a good time as any to strenthen your association by way of a conference. And the NHLPA needs to be stronger...Mr. Potato Head kind of strong ;o)

I've got more coming on this topic...It's like Dangerous Hits Week in Lisa's Hockey Lounge!

Free NHL Network USA Preview...Don't Forget

by Lisa Ovens


Considering the number of US hockey fans dropping by the blogs of hockeyandhighheels.com, I think this hockey tidbit  is worth a mention.


This week NHL Network in the United States is offering a free preview for hockey fans. Right now, the Penguins/ Capitals game is underway.

For the rest of the free game schedule please click here. Not only are there live games, fans can enjoy other hockey programming including documentaries and player profiles.

If you haven't watched the NHL Network yet, get on it! But be careful: I became addicted to it for two years! Seriously, for a casual fan wanting to turn up the interest in hockey, you can learn alot from NHL Network's programming.

After such a fabulous 2010 Olympic Hockey Tournament, and a crazy, exciting Gold Medal Game between Canada and the United States, it's good the NHL is offering this to further entice new, casual and POOFs (Playoff Only Fans) to the game.

Okay...now back to icing my sprained hand...injuries suck! (So does typing with one hand.)

Logorama: Lack of Ads during Olympic Hockey...Noticeable!

by Jan Snyder


As I watched the Academy Awards, waiting for them to get to the good stuff, an award was presented for Best Animated Short Film. The winner was entitled Logorama. From the clip the Academy provided, it was obvious that the French film had as its theme the fact that everything is branded in one way or another. From what I could see, the movie showed a city where the logos were larger than the establishments.

                  No Blaring Viagra Ads here....

 That little clip made me think back fondly to the Olympic hockey games (for more reasons that one) in Vancouver. Did you notice how nice the boards around the rink looked? No blaring ads for Viagra or car dealerships or beer companies. Just the nice look of blue and green that told us we were in a place with mountains and trees and the 2010 Olympic Games.

When I go back and watch really old games and see the pristine white boards now, it’s kind of a shock! We are all so used to seeing ads that I think sometimes we don’t really see them anymore. But, of course, subliminally, which is what the advertisers are shooting for anyway.

Over the weekend, I watched a couple of New York Ranger games televised from Madison Square Garden. Okay, this is New York – the City That Never Sleeps – but does that have to mean that every square inch of space is covered in neon signs? The Garden has found a way to add advertising at four places in the Arena. I have to assume that the signs aren’t impeding the fan’s view. They are high up on the glass and maybe are only seen by those watching on TV. But as each period of hockey begins, a new product is hawked on the Garden glass. One period it’s a sandwich shop, then a bank, and during the third period, a pizza place. Not only that, there are garish Budweiser signs atop entrances behind the glass.

Madison Square Garden needs more advertising? Really? The place has its own network! Does the NHL have any say in this? Since everyone is a copycat these days, I don’t expect it will be long before these ads are a given in every arena. Maybe there are more places where this is done, but I haven’t seen it yet.

Many arenas, including Mellon in Pittsburgh, have ads painted on every step in the walkways. There are even ads on the top of the interior dome of the igloo. So far, we’ve been spared the ugliness of some of the European leagues that adorn the player’s uniforms with ads. Please tell me they won’t eventually end up looking like NASCAR uniforms! In most rinks the four on-ice ads seem to be the limit. Maybe that is an NHL mandate to keep the ice from being totally covered with ads.

This isn’t just happening in hockey. When you watch baseball games, the rolling ads change behind the plate and along the tiers as the games go along. God forbid we should look at the same ad too long when there must be plenty of advertisers fighting for the right to clog up our TV screens.

While I’m ranting, can I also mention that every single thing in hockey now seems to be “sponsored”? The Powerball Power Play, the Sandwich of the Game, the Dental Practice Play that Made you Smile? I’ll give the admen points for creativity, but it’s gone so far overboard.

So I guess I don’t want to go back to the good old days of white boards, but I sure don’t like where all this logo-mongering or sponsoring every power play is taking us. If it keeps us enjoying the game we all love, I guess we’ll have to put up with it.

What do you think? When you are watching a game, do you find all the ads distracting? What are some of the “sponsored” activities at games you watch?

Breakfast With Champions

by Jan Snyder


I come from the City of Champions – Pittsburgh. Back in the ‘70s, the Steelers were piling up Super Bowl trophies and the “We are Family” Pirates were bringing home World Series triumphs. In the ‘90s, the Penguins laid claim to two Stanley Cups. Just last calendar year, the Steelers again became the NFL Champions while the Pens brought beloved Stanley back to Pittsburgh.

Champions are a rare breed. They are definitely special and possess qualities most of us mere mortals don’t. Fans can see the fire burning in their eyes, feel the determination in their souls and sense the superhuman efforts they are willing to put in to win.

Today I attended a Breakfast with Champions. The event was a fundraiser for the United Way. Several past champions of different sports who live in the area donated their time. Included in the roster were Matt Bullard, a champion from the Houston Rockets, Doug Drabek, a Cy Young Award winning pitcher, Laura Wilkinson, an Olympic Gold Medal winner in diving and Bill Fitch, who was the coach of the Champion Boston Celtic teams starring Larry Byrd.

Listening to these remarkable athletes talk about what it takes to be your best and hearing their opinions on the importance of winning and losing was special. All those who attended were more than happy to give of their time to help the community. These are special humans, role models for sure, whether they choose to be or not. Don’t get me wrong – these folks choose to be.

One of the former NFL players, Gerald Irons from the Oakland Raiders and Cleveland Browns, mentioned a situation when he was upset by a teammate’s actions after a loss. The player, who had contributed to the loss, was leaving the stadium when a small boy approached him for an autograph. The player pushed the boy aside. Gerald was appalled, as most of us would be. He felt that the player should never take out his feelings on a fan, most of all on a little fan. What kind of impression did that boy take away from one of his idols?

In this era, there are many athletes who are not worthy of adulation. They don’t act the way I would want my heroes to act. There are many who I wouldn’t want my kids to look up to. But again, they are role models, whether they think they are or not. Kids are emulating them – the good and the bad. That’s why we have to appreciate the good guys, the ones who conduct themselves in the right way, the ones who play by the rules, the ones who make time for their fans.

The champions I met today were ladies and gentlemen in every sense of the word.

All this brings me to Sidney Crosby. He is about to become an Olympian playing for his country. Judging by the way fans treated him on his most recent trip to Canada, they will appreciate his skills on the ice once the Vancouver games begin. In both Edmonton and Calgary, he held press conferences to accommodate all the press who wanted his time – and he was proposed to by “brides” wearing wedding gowns in both arenas!

I may be a little biased because he plays for my team, but Sidney is the definition of a champion. He doesn’t get in trouble off the ice, he patiently (really patiently) deals with all the media hype and he still manages to excel on the ice. His time with the Stanley Cup this past summer has been widely documented. He took the Cup back to his hometown of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia where he visited with military personnel and as many of the townspeople as he could. Crosby is always in the lead at team events to visit hospitals or any other worthy cause. Fans from other teams love to hate him, but if he is on your team, as Team Canada will soon discover, you can’t help but love him!

I will be a fan of the U.S. Olympic hockey team, but part of me will be hoping that Sid becomes an Olympic champion too. He deserves it because he works so hard for everything and proves to others that anything is possible.

Don Cherry Suit Watch: The New Year's Day Look...

by Lisa Ovens

And it's a good one too! I don't recall seeing Don Cherry in this suit before (because sometimes he repeats). I really like the shades of winter blues. Way to go Don for spotting that bolt of cloth at Fabricland!!

PS: for those not in the know, Fabricland is a regular haunt of Don's...check out this Rick Mercer Show Clip....it's 5 minutes 49 seconds, and totally worth the watch!




For more of Don Cherry Suit Watch, please check out Lisa's Hockey Lounge's"Don Cherry Suit Fest" from May 2009...enjoy!

Another Winter Classic Under Our Belts....

by Lisa Ovens

Well how was your first day of 2010? For me, I woke up on my cousin Jen's sofa at 10:50am, reached for the remote and turned on the NHL's Winter Classic game in Boston at the legendary Fenway Park. It was only mid first period, but I was disappointed I missed the pre-game chat, and the hockey pomp and ceremony that goes along with these special outdoor hockey events. This seems to happen to me every year since they started this New Year's Day tradition. If they could just start it a tad later, like 11am or 11:30am PST that would be so" Hockey politically correct!"

It was soooo easy to cheer for the Boston Bruins (and not because they were playing the Philadelphia Flyers). It just seems natural that you want the home team to win in an outdoor game spectacle. You want to see the home team fans revel in a win, too. Plus I know how my friend, and Pens writer, Jan Snyder feels about the Flyers at times ;o)

Although hockey fans in Canada wonder when another outdoor game will be staged here, I do believe the NHL should continue with a two US based team game every New Year's Day: it's good for the game. Plus, we have our Hockey Day in Canada coming up on January 30th, 2010, and that's one serious day of hockey celebration that our American hockey friends would kill to have down there. Maybe the Winter Classic could morph into a Hockey Day in the USA celebration somehow...it's just a thought.

Like most everyone else watching earlier today, I really didn't jump off the couch until the Bruins Mark Recchi tied up the game with less than three minutes left in the third. Having an overtime period is just what the die hard hockey fans in the stands deserved. I was almost expecting a shoot out until Marco Sturm scored the game winner for the Boston Bruins.

Now the talk is about where and who will be playing in the next Winter Classic. And if the NHL did want to appease Canadian hockey fans, then a double header Winter Classic (early game in the USA, late game in Canada) would be the obvious solution.