More to Mathieu

By Lisa Ovens

As a Canuck fan and I am pleased to have defenseman Mathieu Schneider join the home team. I am hoping he’s the answer to our puck moving, quarterback on the point questions. Plus he’s a Stanley Cup winner (Canadiens 1993) and lord knows the Canucks need Cup luck!

Schneider split his time last season between the Atlanta Thrashers and the Montreal Canadiens, so he should find the Canucks a nice change considering they are secure with their ownership unlike the Thrashers, and well, our type of drama is different than the Habs.

Schneider was born in New York, New York 40 years ago. He’s played 1264 NHL games over a nineteen year career with 212 goals and 513 assists. As far as the playoffs go, Schneider has recorded 10 goals and 43 assists in 111 playoff games. That’s 1264 games with eight different teams. It’s his stint with the Maple Leafs that caught my attention.

There is more to Mathieu Schneider than his blue line skills.

Not long after Schneider signed with the Canucks, I was rummaging through my hockey swag collection and I came across a twelve year old recipe calendar from Kraft. My mom had given it to me a few years ago when she was downsizing her swag. The stand up calendar is called...

Kraft Kitchens & NHL Moms Recipes

And guess who’s on the last page? That’s right; Aline, Mathieu Schneider’s mom contributed a recipe, and a little hockey mom advice. Aline is posing in her son’s hockey sweater, along with 17
other NHL moms on the front cover.

Now that we’ve covered Mathieu’s career stats, I am sure everyone is dying to know about the recipe. It will make a great snack for Canucks fans over the coming season. Though, you need to like popcorn.

3 Star Popcorn Treats

(According to Kraft it’s “a perfect snack for those on the go kids.”)

Prep. Time: 15 min.      Microwave time: 2-3 min.

Ingredients (metric conversion included)

8 cups (2L)            popped popcorn

3 cups (750 mL)    Post Shreddies

¼ cup (50 mL)       butter

¾ cup (175 mL)     Kraft Smooth Peanut Butter

1pkg (250 g)          miniature marshmallows

Toss popcorn and cereal together. Set aside.

Microwave on medium power butter and peanut butter in a large microwavable bowl for one minute.

Add marshmallows; microwave on medium for another minute or until the marshmallows puff; stir until blended.

Add cereal mixture to bowl, stirring well to mix. Using moistened hands, form into small balls. Makes about 18 balls.

The good people at Kraft also listed the nutritional facts on the Hockey Mom recipes. Here are stats on Aline’s 3Star Popcorn Treats...

Per serving (one ball)

180 calories, 4.3 grams of protein, 8.2 grams of fat, 24.1 gram carbohydrates, 1.8 grams dietary fibre. A good source of Thiamine

Enjoy!

People who know me know that cooking food doesn’t really hold my interest. So When Mathieu Schneider scores his fifth goal for the Canucks during the 2000/10 NHL season, I will make his
mom’s recipe. How’s that for incentive, Schneids????

Now we just need a Jerome Iginla story, and I'll blend in his mom's recipe. Standing by for Iggy News...

The New Team Canada Jersey Look

By Lisa Ovens

I think Head Coach Mike Babcock will like the new Team Canada Hockey Jersey design; it’s so very Red Wing! At least that’s the first thing I thought when I saw it...this new look screams Detroit Red Wings, and there isn’t anything wrong with that.

The red & white, basic stripes, logo in the middle look should put Babcock completely at ease over the next six months as he tackles his extra curricular 2010 Olympic duties away from the mighty Red Wings organization. Some might say this jersey is simplicity at it’s finest.

Team Canada’s new Maple Leaf logo is actually loaded with design, but it’s understated in its presentation: within the border you’ll find images of the Thunderbird (magical, powerful) the Eagle (great strength, courage and leadership), the Ocra (traveler, guardian, symbol of good) the Beaver (creative, artistic, determination), and what appears to be a Moose (meaning: really freakin' big!), all drawn in First Nations style of art, along with smaller maple leaves representing gold medal wins in hockey. There you have it: a little Canadian hockey history and Canadian Aboriginal culture on display.

In other Team Canada news...A Women's International tournament will get underway in Vancouver Monday August 31st to Sunday September 6th 2009. It's the Hockey Canada Cup, with Team USA, Team Sweden, Team Finland and Team Canada facing off at General Motors Place. This event will give everyone a taste of what it's going to be like in just under six months when the 2010 Olympics arrive. Between the four countries, we will be seeing the best female players in the world, and tickets start at only CDN$10.00!!! And we'll get to see the new jerseys in action. For more tournament info, please click here

Icejerseys.com have the new look in stock, along with several other Team Canada looks, and other International jerseys, hats and tees. Plus they also have some hot deals going on other apparel. Check it out...any time is a good time to stock the closet with hockey!!!

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Coors Beer, Toronto and the Weather...a Lethal Mix?

by Lisa Ovens

The City of Toronto speaks, and my God do they listen...
I am still trying to sort out how I feel about Coors Beer removing some billboard ads located in BC that offended people in Toronto. The ad simply said " Colder than most people in Toronto."

First of all, according to an article written by reporter Jeff Lee of the Vancouver Sun, only 20 people complained about the billboard ads. That apparently was enough to put Molson Coors in action, and end the campaign a few weeks early. Why couldn't they have left the ads up and said..."well it's cold in Toronto, and their winters are long, so wouldn't that make most people in Toronto cold?". This was a beer campaign that a creative department decided to not fall back on objectifying women for a change, and I can't help but find that as refreshing as, well, an ice cold beer. And now the ads are gone and people have to apologize.

How often do we see beer ads that don't objectify or demean women? How often do we see beers ads that suggest guys will have women falling all over them in bars, anxious to have a threesome and such? How many blogs, sites and organizations exist only to report on how women are objectified in all kinds of advertising, media, entertainment, how women get the short end of the stick in business and male dominated industries? All of these sites and groups calling for change, equal representation, equal pay, respect, and yet all it took was 20 people in Toronto to force the kind of change and exposure that women's rights activists and commentators would only dream of?

All I can say, is ladies, what are we doing wrong? Let me put that another way: how can we be more like Toronto?

Or maybe I am completely off base, and what Molson Coors have pulled off is an impromptu sales and marketing/ PR strategy to drive up beer sales in the BC market, during these these final weeks of summer. There is only one way to find out: next time we see anything remotely offensive from the big beer brands, let's call them on it. All we need is to beat twenty complaints to get some action. The bar has been is set.

Postscript: Incidentally, when I drink alcohol, I prefer to drink beer. I have studied the place of women in hockey themed beer ads as a segment in my next hockey book. I openly enjoyed hockey and beer in my first book. Many women out there would agree, It's like a good marriage, those two. Cheers :o)

Welcoming a New Guest Columnist...

Not long ago, Marie in Nashville emailed me about attending the Predators State of the Franchise meeting for season ticket holders. She offered to write about the event and share it with our readers at hockeyandhighheels.com.


Meetings like this are a common occurance this time of year around the NHL, and I am more than interested to learn about how other teams treat their most important investors, the fans.

I enjoyed reading Marie's account of "The Predator Way"published below, and I hope you do too.


PS: FYI, the byline pic of Marie you see below was taken at another Predator event, a much more formal event, hense the lovely strapless gown (you look fabulous, Marie!)




IceJerseys.com - Shop Now!

Skate of the Union

Nashville Predators State of the Franchise Meeting

By Marie M.

-Nashville Tennessee

I ducked out of work early on July 23rd to attend the state of the franchise meeting for my beloved Nashville Predators. I arrived just after 5 pm and got in the autograph line. JP Dumont and two of our prospects, Cody Franson and Mark Dekanich were signing. I had brought my jersey. I asked Cody if we were going to see him in our "laundry" this season and he said he sure hoped so! He’s been working out at local training facility getting ready to make his debut with the big boys. I met up with my friends Robin and Tony a little after that. We ran into different folks we knew, saw Steve Sullivan aka "Sully" with the Masterson Trophy posing for pictures. There was also an equipment sale but neither Robin nor I were interested in that.

There was a highlight reel playing on the Megatron. Some clips included Willie O’Ree’s visit and our rivalry with the Wings. The meeting started with some nice highlights from last year and features on Colin Wilson and Ryan Ellis. The meeting was moderated by Pete Weber our play by play guy. David Freeman from the ownership group spoke first. He talked about the Predator Way: 1. Scouting and developing talent; 2. consistency with our coaching staff; 3. David Poile’s steady and classy management; and most important of all, the passionate and knowledgeable fan base. He wouldn’t trade us for any other fan base in the league.

Second was Ed Lang for the business side of things: the 2/20 plan had done well.(The plan allows you to purchase season tickets for 2 years at the current rate and have 20 months to pay it off). He reviewed the schedule which includes 15 Sat games, a Friday and a Sunday game. We will also have our own version of March Madness with 17 games in the month with 10 of them at home. They are looking to repeat some promotions like the Military Mondays (discounted tickets for the military, Fort Campbell, home of the 101st is just up the road so the military is a big deal around here). The usual promises to upgrade concessions were made (yeah, right). Among other things he mentioned were that we sent 13 squirt/pee wee players to the Ace’s Got Skills national competition and 3 came back national champions. (Not bad, eh!)

David Poile was up next. He spoke about re-signing Sully and Joel Ward and how important it was for the team. Sully twitters so one of Poile’s staff knew the deal was made before Poile had a chance to tell him. We hired former player Martin Gelinas as director of player development. Martin was very popular here the one year he played and was an excellent mentor to Jordin Tootoo in particular. Our first goal is to get back to the playoffs. To do that, we will be relying on our core group of players, Sully, Arnott, Dumont, Erat, Legwand and our stud D corp. of Suter, Weber and Hammius. These guys will supplemented by our younger guys from Milwaukee who Poile feels are ready to get their chance at the Big Show. He, of course, was Mr. Positive that we can and will get back to the playoffs this coming season.

Lastly we heard from Sully and JP. Both were incredibly complimentary about the city and the fans. They love playing here and living here. JP said, “You made us feel welcome and part of your families.” They both spoke about the now tradition of a spontaneous standing ovation during a TV timeout. It started at the end of the ’08-‘09 season during our last home game with St. Louis when we knew we had made into the playoffs after a season of turmoil, fears, tears and joy. We don’t do every game, but when the crowd senses the boys need a lift, we get it going. Opposing players are amazed and perplexed by it, of course. Our guys love it and totally feed off it.

The guys were positive about the upcoming season and look forward to getting back on the ice. There was a Q & A session afterwards. Mr. Poile confirmed that Alexander Radulov is not coming back this season. Mr. Freeman acknowledged the need to get more butts in seats to increase our revenue. JP likes watching Alexander Ovechkin on the highlights.
And on a more personal level: Mr. Poile became a grandfather this summer.

The turnout was not great but it was a weeknight. I think we had around 1000 fans there, which is still pretty good for the middle of summertime in Nashville.

Random Sports Talk in the Third Week of July...

by Lisa Ovens

To begin, I'd like to share a very pleasant email I received late last week. It made my day that day, and isn't it a sweet surprise to have something make your day? Consider this a reminder: during the dog days of summer, take some time to make someone's day; with a compliment, greet stranger with a smile and a hello, or let someone know you think what they are doing is great...

“Lisa and the staff at Hockey and High Heels have created a great atmosphere for women interested in hockey and hockey fans in general. I am a huge fan of what you guys are doing for the sport. Keep it up!” - Mike Turtur, Hockey Director, mysportsdreams.com

Thank you Mike!

I heart pools...

And now for the Random...

ESPY Awards

For the first time in my life I caught the ESPY Awards, and what a slick affair. Sure makes the televised NHL Awards Show look a little on the hokey side. To put it into Entourage terms: the ESPY's get Ari Gold and the NHL Awards got "E". That pretty much says it all right there.

I still will give some props to the NHL for honoring its stars with a 1.5 hour telecast every June, unlike the other big, pro sports leagues. The NHL just needs to tighten up it's production. With two more kicks at the can hosting the event in Las Vegas, the NHL really needs to get it right in order to bolster it's image in the United States market. Get the tape for review...and get Samuel L. Jackson...y'all know that mother ****** likes the hockey!!

Shaq Attacks other Athletes

Okay, not literally, but he's taking on some the biggest and brightest sports stars...on their turf, playing their game. Beginning August 18th, 2009, B-Ball star Shaquille O'Neal will compete against pro's from the NFL, MLB, Volley Ball, Tennis, Boxing and Swimming. Shaq Vs. will air on ABC. Mark your calendars to see just how much game Shaq's got.

Brush with Shaq...many moons ago, I saw Shaq buy a carry case for his camcorder. We passed each other in the store. He's tall and I am small, so I'm pretty sure he doesn't speak about a brush with me :o(

Roller Derby Movie

I am a big fan of Drew Barrymore, and she’s directed her first movie. The film is titled Whip It and it’s about Roller Derby. This sport has been around since the early 1900’s, but as of the year 2000, women are ruling the Oval.

The film stars Ellen Page, and according to the Women and Hollywood blog...”think Juno on skates and without the pregnancy.” The release date is October 9th, so we can expect some members of the male sports media to reduce the movie to whatever their sexual fantasies might be at the time.

On Air Feud in Vancouver Lights up the Message Boards

It was a typical Monday afternoon in Vancouver. Sports fans were tuned into the Team 1040 for the Pratt and Taylor Show. During Dave Pratt's High Five segment, Pratt spoke about and praised older athlete's competing against the almighty youth (Golf's Tom Watson at the British Open was mentioned, along with a 79 year old poker player, Doyle Brunson and others) and wound up saying winning a poker tournament is one of the toughest prizes in sports". Don Taylor really took exception to Pratt labeling poker a sport.

Their sentences ran into each other's, their voices became louder, sarcasm spewed, leading to a "fumbling sound" from the microphone and Pratt leaving the studio. (Time for a really long commercial break) a little while later, Pratt is back and finished the show without Don Taylor. Neither host showed up for work on Tuesday.

Can you hear that? That's the sound of diehard sports fans around cyberspace arguing about what is a sport and what is not, courtesy of the Pratt and Taylor feud. Some of the arguments are histerical, debating what some people perceive to be gray areas like race car driving, curling, hot dog eating, chess, video games and more!

And can you hear this? This is the sound of media savvy diehards claiming the whole fight was staged. Yes, just like everything seems to be these days...


Big Ben Roethlisberger

The Pittsburgh Steeler's quarterback has a little situation on his hands: he's been accused of sexually assaulting a Nevada hotel concierge employee. I am not going to get into any the legalities of this lawsuit, but I would like to remind all people staying in hotels, especially you guys, and only because this case is similar to the Kobe Bryant situation a few years back: If you have a problem with any of the amenities/ features in your room, you are supposed to call the front desk first, who will then send a maintainnance worker to your suite.

And if you are a woman working in a hotel, and a guest asks you to enter their suite to fix something and you are not a maintainance worker, politely decline and call the front desk to arrange a maintainance worker to fix the problem. Please save yourselves from suffering though potential situations like this, people...don't give the world any more news to gossip about than it already has.
End random.


thank you for reading...BTW, you are fabulous...look at you there...fabulous you!
- Lisa

Joe Sakic

By Lisa Ovens



Last week one of the greats retired. Colorado Avalanche fans are saying good bye to long time center and Captain, "Burnaby Joe" Sakic.

Here at my house, I am placing my Joe Sakic Celebriduck into the "retired" hockey swag bin. It's bittersweet.

Photo: Lisa Ovens

Ask any Canuck fan, and they would tell you that they had always hoped, somehow, some way, Joe Sakic would find his way onto the Vancouver Canucks roster and play in his hometown (and make the team that much better!).

Does life begin at 40 years old for a retired hockey player like Joe Sakic? Whatever Joe's plans are, I am sure he won't have any trouble scoring tickets to the Men's Hockey Tournament during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Thinking back to 2002 in Salt Lake City (I remember it like it was just yesterday), I thought it was pretty cool to see Sakic selected as Team Canada's MVP after they won gold. Considering all of the talent in that Olympic locker room, he probably thought that too. That tournament is my favorite memory of Burnaby Joe, because, well, from a Canuck fan perspective, in NHL and Northwest Division terms, he was playing for the enemy, and man, he always played great against the Canucks.

Photo: Lisa Ovens

Hockey fans visiting Vancouver can find Joe Sakic Way, a roadway that takes people to the Burnaby Lakes Sports Complex, in Burnaby. The street used to be called Laurel Street. (I know what you thinking...what an upgrade in names!) Joe Sakic Way is a short drive from Canlan Ice Sports- Burnaby Eight Rinks, a regular practice facility for the Vancouver Canucks and visiting NHL teams.

Joe Sakic Stats:

1987 Drafted by the Quebec Nordiques 15th overall
2 Stanley Cups
1 Con Smythe Award (MVP, Playoffs 2006)
1 Hart Trophy ( 2001)
13 times voted All-Star
1378 NHL games played
1641 Points
20 NHL seasons played

In other news...

Twelve new Tim Horton stores were opened in Manhattan. The locations were formerly Dunkin Donuts. I know hockeyand highheels.com welcomes readers from the New York area, so I will now share a column I wrote a few years back, when I reviewed the Tim Horton's breakfast sandwich. It was a Valentine's Day column as well, so feel the love, people...click here for more