Apparently the men of Penn State’s ice hockey team aren’t just talented skaters — they double as an award-winning dance team off the ice.
Each year, Penn State hosts THON, a 46-hour dance marathon that raises money for the Four Diamonds Fund, a pediatric cancer charity. The event has raised over 100 million dollars since its inception in 1973 and is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world. While the varsity athletes of Penn State traditionally perform dance routines at the THON pep rally, this year an actual trophy was given to the team with the best dance. Men’s hockey, coming off of their upset overtime victory against Minnesota, ran away with the crown and “dominated” the competition with a routine that included a kick line, stunts, synchronized spread-eagle jumps, and a couple of flips.
Walking into Herb Brooks Arena, located within the Olympic Center in Lake Placid, New York, is enough to give any hockey fan chills. Even without the ice installed, which was the case this weekend as preparations were underway for the 35th Anniversary of the 1980 U.S.A. Hockey Team, “Relive the Miracle,” the magic was still in the air.
The celebration took place the evening of Saturday, February 21, just one day prior to the anniversary of the fated game vs. the Soviet Union. It was the first time the 19-surviving members of the gold medal team would convene for a reunion in the arena named after the U.S. team’s coach. In addition to Coach Herb Brooks, who died in 2003, the only member of the team not in attendance was Bob Suter, who died just this past September. Suter’s jersey was raised to the rafters of the 1980 Rink during the multi-media program.
Jim Rogers, ‘Chairman of the Protocol Division,’ for the 1980 Olympic Organizing Committee, recounts the Miracle on Ice celebration as if it took place at the most recent Winter Olympic Games. Rogers stated that when Mike Eruzione (Captain of the 1980 team) scored the game winning goal, “you could shout at the top of your lungs and you wouldn’t be able to hear your own voice in the barn,” which held 11,000 spectators that evening.
The ABC network coverage of the 1980 Winter Olympic Games did not broadcast the game vs. the Soviet Union live in the United States, but not for lack of trying. Game time was set for 5 pm, which fell in the middle of local news coverage. ABC proposed moving the start time of the game to 8 pm, and offered an additional $2.5 million. The committee declined according to Rogers, stating that “the games were for the athletes and this would disrupt their well-being.”
With no social media presence in 1980, word of mouth from spectators at the arena still traveled fast. An account was made that when a man ran into Jimmy’s 21 (a popular restaurant on Main Street) relaying the news of defeat, patrons immediately rose and sang the National Anthem together. Main Street, typically closed off to the public between the hours of 1-6 am in order for retailers and restaurants to restock during the Games, was still bustling with activity at 3:30 am.
The Miracle on Ice game has been said to have raised awareness of hockey among the youth in America at the time. Youth, such as Patrick O’Brien Demsey, celebrating his first birthday just two months prior to the start of the 1980 Winter Olympic Games, would ultimately help recreate, by portraying Eruzione in the 2004 Walt Disney Pictures “Miracle.”
Recently, Demsey recounted some of his experiences during the filming, that one could say may show some parallels to the experiences of the young 1980 team. Demsey described his on-screen team by saying that they were “as much a team as any team I’ve been on. Most of us had never acted before or been on a movie set and the next thing we knew, we were living in a high-rise in downtown Vancouver and getting paid to act. It was a complete 180 from the life I knew. When you spend that much time together you become a family.”
Time spent together it was. The rehearsal and filming schedule for “Miracle” could also be contended to rival that of the training schedule for the Games. “We did a month of rehearsals, on ice and acting and we shot for four months, so it was a long haul. Especially when you are doing 16-hour days, six days a week. If I remember correctly, the Russian game took almost 6-weeks to film.”
To this day, Demsey is still displaying his film counterpart’s leadership qualities. He joked that he “dropped the ball” with planning a reunion (with his “Miracle” teammates, many he still remains in touch with) to celebrate the 35th anniversary. The similarities between Demsey and Eruzione don’t end there. As far as Eruzione’s style of play, Demsey said “Mike and I are very similar. We were never the best players but we were always good locker room guys. The guys who can motivate and get the team pumped up.”
Hailed the “Sport Event of the 20th Century” by Sports Illustrated, people light up at the chance to share where they were during the Miracle on Ice game and receiving the news of the 4-3 defeat over the Soviet Union. The same can be said of the experience casting and filming “Miracle,” as Demsey describes. “There was a moment, during our final auditions, before we had the job, when I was sitting with Mike Mantenuto (cast as Jack O’Callahan.) I said to him, ‘I just can’t wait to pull on that USA sweater.’ He looked to me and said, ‘you really are Eruzione.’ That’s how real it felt to us, it felt like we would be representing our country and in a way we still are.”
“A couple of weeks into our training camp, he (Herb Brooks) showed up at the rink, there was a lot of excitement because of his presence. We were all wearing white jerseys and helmets with face masks, so we were indistinguishable from one another. The director, Gavin O’Connor, brought us over to the boards and we formed a semi-circle around Herb who was on the bench. Gavin said, ‘guys this is Coach Brooks, Coach, this is our team.’ Herb looked us over and said ‘how are you guys doing?’ No one spoke up so I said ‘we’re a little bit rusty.’ He looked right at me and said ‘you must be Eruzione, he was always a little bit rusty.’ We all got a real kick out of that.” Later on during the practice, Demsey went up to Brooks to formally introduce himself. Brooks responded to him by looking at him and saying “I know who you are, Paddy.” That would become Demsey’s defining living Miracle on Ice moment.
“I didn’t really understand the magnitude of what was happening. It’s been 12 years since we filmed and every year I appreciate that film more and more. It’s hard to put into words how I feel when someone tells me how much that movie means to them. Everyone gets to enjoy the story of that event now, and we were luck enough to be the ones to tell the story. I feel grateful and appreciative that I was given the opportunity to work on it. It was and continues to be the greatest job I could ever imagine.”
Al Michaels opened the ABC broadcast of the Miracle on Ice game stating, “for people who don’t know the difference between a blue line and a clothesline, it’s irrelevant,” the same can be said for being able to relive this historical sports moment, from a visit to Lake Placid Olympic Center to taking in the film “Miracle,” both are a feel-good experience for generations to come.
Today was probably the most unprepared I’ve been for a game (like McDonalds for dinner and In-n-Out for lunch, bad) and yet I somehow feel like this is one of my favorite looks.I’ve been living out of a packed bag, so whatever I threw in last night was what I was going to wear to the game. As long as it was warm and it looked nice, I wasn’t complaining.
Thank God for over-the-knee boots. I just want to share my appreciation for their warmth when Gila River Arena is absolutely frigid. My legs have never been so warm thanks to the socks, tights and obnoxiously high boots. Not only are they just super cute, I was so toasty last night that I wasn’t twitching around trying to get warm during the periods.
I don’t wear dresses a ton, but I am running extremely low on clothing and so I was digging through my suitcase that I still haven’t unpacked since coming back from winter break. I figured if I threw some tights on and a jacket, I would look like a functioning human being who isn’t digging through her closet to find something to wear.
I threw on a leather jacket that I haven’t worn in a little while for warmth and once again, it was a wonderful choice. I love leather jackets, and I truly believe that you could never have enough (even if they are all black). This makes me feel like I should expand my blazer collection….
The Los Angeles Kings have been hibernating in December, and now, although it’s still a month too early for spring, the reigning Stanley Cup champions have awoken from their slumber with a jolt, winning 6-games straight starting on February 5th. The Kings’ emergence out of their prolonged slump has boosted them up to the second Wild Card spot, forcing the consistently inconsistent San Jose Sharks. Not including the Anaheim Ducks, the point differentials between the top teams in the Western Conference is slim, The Kings shouldn’t be comfortable, but they’re in a better position than the Sharks, who should be filled with at least a degree of panic on their upcoming flight to take on the Dallas Stars.
The Kings appear to have returned to form. Their matchup Wednesday night against the Colorado Avalanche in the mile-high city reminded everyone just how talented their team.
On the backs of the Kings’ line nicknamed “that 70’s line” (named after their jersey numbers), the Kings managed to turn the game around after Colorado dominated the first.
It was Jeff Carter with his 17th of the season, from Tyler Toffoli and Dwight King that got Los Angeles on the right track. King’s efforts to take advantage of a turnover in the Avs’ defensive zone put the puck right on the tape of Toffoli’s stick, who eventually threw it toward the net for Carter to tip in. Toffoli then continued to aid the Kings’ efforts to advance in the standings by scoring the 2nd goal of the game. The Avs’ young star, Nathan MacKinnon isn’t the only player on the ice with speed, and Toffoli took advantage of his rocket boosters to backhand the puck past goaltender, Seymon Varlamov. Los Angeles’ ability to turn a great defensive play on the other end of the ice into a goal should have the remainder of the Pacific Division groaning. The momentum picked up after that and LA captain, Dustin Brown, netted his 10th of the year from Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar to cap off the scoring in the second period.
The Avs sustained pressure through the third, but a solid Kings defense and a few nifty plays from netminder, Jonathan Quick, left Colorado empty-handed. Carter tacked on one more goal for LA, scoring on the empty-net to make the final score 4-1 Los Angeles.
The Avalanche didn’t look bad. Patrick Roy’s group is fighting hard for a play-off spot, and their play against the Kings reflected their efforts. Captain Gabriel Landenskog and Mackinnon helped to generate quality scoring changes. Again, however, LA’s ability to stifle the pressure from the Avs should have Kings’ fans smirking at their doubters.
The Kings are still looking for production from all their lines. Their 5-game win streak has increased all-around participation, but the key is consistency. After sending Mike Richards down to the AHL, players who haven’t been struggling more than others (looking at you, Jarret Stoll), should be playing with an increased sense of urgency. There’s no wiggle room and in the standings and little to no room for mistakes. Tied 66 points apiece, the Kings’ one less game played has allowed them to take-over the second Wild Card spot.
The stakes are now much higher for the upcoming Stadium Series game. The battle of SoCal and NorCal is now not only a battle for pride, but an important match-up in the push for the play-offs. The outdoor game will be played in an audience 70,000 plus at Levil’s Stadium and is expected to light a fire under the butts of the defending Stanley Cup Champs as well as the Sharks who are looking for redemption. Fortunately for the Los Angeles, the Kings are used to playing in front of an electrified crowd, which will be useful because they will need to be able to feed off of the energy.
The Kings’ defense will need to be present and accounted for in front of netminder Jonathan Quick. Although the Sharks have struggled in their past six or seven match-ups, their last game against the Dallas Stars in the big-D, San Jose’s offense looked alive yet again. Spurred by a locker room speech given by Sharks’ alternate captain Joe Pavelski during the first intermission. The Kings lines from top to bottom will need to be producing against this Sharks group, who have successfully been getting sparks of offensive production from their top two lines, as well as their fourth line.
It will no doubt be a blast to see such a historic rivalry in an exciting new venue. Despite the novelty of it all, the Kings still need to keep in mind that these are points that will matter in the over all race to the postseason. Their play against the Avalanche was promising and they’ve been on the rise for the past 6-games. They will have to sustain this kind of elite play if they hope to reprise their domination against the San Jose Sharks.
Marian Hossa‘s recent hot streak has the NHL hailing him the first star of the week for the week of Feb. 9 to Feb. 15, a stunner for fans, and a motivational force for his own team.
(Los Angeles Kings forward Tyler Toffoli was named the second star with four goals, two assists. The first place Nashville Predators‘ netminder Pekka Rinne took third star, going 3-0-0 with a .954 save percentage and a 1.30 goals-against average.)
In that time, Hossa led the league with five goals and tied for second with six points in a string of home games Feb. 9 against the Arizona Coyotes, Feb. 11 against the Vancouver Canucks, and two days later versus the New Jersey Devils.
But, throwing in an additional day, Feb. 8, Hossa tallied another two goals against the St. Louis Blues. This was the warmup for multiple points per game in four consecutive games.
The next day, across the Mississippi River and just under 300 miles away back at the United Center, Hossa scored Chicago’s two regulation goals with the help of Captain Jonathan Toews in their shootout loss to the Coyotes.
The team was unable to score in overtime and lost the shootout for an ultimate 3-2 loss–Coach Joel Quenneville said after the game that Hossa would have been up next had it gone to another round.
Marian Hossa is 8th on the career goal list among players born outside of North America (478). 5 behind Sergei Fedorov for 7th. #Blackhawks — Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) February 10, 2015
Vancouver Canucks
Two days later, Hossa teamed up with Saad, Toews, Michal Rozsival and Patrick Kane for another two goals in the Blackhawks’ 5-4 overtime loss to the Canucks.
After a relatively uneventful first period, the goaltenders stopped a flurry of 77 shots and allowed nine by, counting overtime.
Hossa had one goal and one assist in the Blackhawks 3-1 victory over the Devils. With Toews, Saad, and Brent Seabrook, Hossa was able to continue a points streak on his hot week.
This game was a bit of a slump for the Slovakian forward, who, despite 21:34 of ice time didn’t tally a goal or assist in the Blackhawks’ 2-1 shootout win.
Detroit Redwings
Hossa was back in action, though, against his former team. Even though Chicago fell 3-2 in the shootout, his second period assist helped keep the Hawks alive.
In the first 52 games of the season, Hossa scored 10 goals. Now, he is in the Blackhawks’ top three scorers and top-50 for the league.
He told the Chicago Tribune he attributes new skates, additional workouts, and persistence to his recent burst of offense.
“There are lots of great young kids in the league who are strong and fast so I need to do a little bit extra to keep up with them,” Hossa said. “I try to keep working on my speed by doing exercises away from the rink and in the gym on my legs. Little things are helping. I try to keep up.”
His teammates beg to differ.
Versteeg on Marian Hossa at age 36: “Have you seen him with his shirt off? He’s like a Greek god. There’s no slowing down in that frame.”
Hossa’s boost is just what the Blackhawks need as they chase the Predators. And it’s a reminder for any players who may be slumping.
“All of a sudden, the puck is going in for you,” Hossa told the Chicago Tribune. “You’re getting more confidence and you start doing more right plays. You start taking people one-on-one and things are going your way. … It’s a little bit of luck with more confidence combined. You have that feeling when you have the puck good things will happen.”
The Blackhawks finish their eight-game homestand with games against the Colorado Avalanche at 7:30 p.m. CT tonight, against the Boston Bruins at 2:00 p.m. CT Sunday, and at 7:30 p.m. CT Feb. 24 against the Florida Panthers.
The Luck o’ the Irish: it’s something that some posses when it comes to DIY projects and something others are hoping to find at the end of a rainbow.
Transitioning your home from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season into a normal year-round decoration rotation can be hard. From January until Spring, it’s difficult to find a workable decoration flow for many people. But adding a versatile wreath to the mix can bring color, holiday spirit and fun. By now you may be asking how our lucky charm wreath can be “versatile,” but we promise, it can be. Once you have the basis of the wreath, you can change out the felt design and replace it with something for each holiday. As an example, keeping ziplock bags labeled with each holiday allows for a quick change over. Hearts for Valentine’s Day, shamrocks for St. Patrick’s Day, and flowers for Spring. Red, white and blue stars go perfect with Memorial Day or the Fourth of July. Leaves work in the Fall, and snowflakes in the Winter. Christmas has endless possibilities. During hockey season, you could incorporate team names in team colors, and a stick and puck. Felt is any beginner or intermediate crafters friend; it’s easy to use, inexpensive and comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns. Not sold yet? Try it for yourself, we don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
Our Lucky Charm Wreath is fairly easy for any DIYer, no luck needed to complete!
You’ll need:
Felt: two pieces in different shades of green Twine: you could also use burlap ribbon, it depends on personal preference. The twine will take longer to wrap, but has a longer lasting durability. Straw wreath: you can purchase this from your local craft store, Walmart, etc. If you’re looking at a craft store, check your paper or online for coupons. Places like ACMoore and Michaels have 40-50% off one item coupons on a weekly basis, so save yourself some money. Silver or gold pins Scissors
Tracing paper
Pencil
Overall, the total cost for the project rang in at less than $10.
Directions:
1. Grab a glass of vino, curl up by the fire and get wrapping. The vino and fire aren’t necessary, but getting comfortable is — especially if you’re using twine, because it’s time intensive, about 45 minutes. More than likely, your straw wreath came wrapped in plastic, don’t take it off, it’ll be easier to wrap and more comfortable for your hands with the plastic still on. Keeping the twine on the roll, wrap once around and secure in a knot, then start wrapping, and wrapping and wrapping some more.
Wrap in sections, you’ll find it will come to a point where it’s not sitting correctly, when you reach this point, pull the twine at an angle across the back and start wrapping again at a different slant as seen in the picture to the left. You’ll find yourself with a “v” shape of straw between the bunches of twine, don’t panic you’ll go back over these patches later.
1a. Once you’ve completed the twine wrapping with the straw patches of the entire wreath, secure your last piece similar to the first.
1b. Now, you’re going to do the same thing to your straw patches, covering them with twine and securing the pieces. There will be some overlapping, but it’ll add to the rustic charm of the wreath in the end.
2. Once your wreath is covered, set aside. Next, grab your tracing paper and carefully trace a shamrock in two different sizes of your liking off your laptop or iPad — emphasis on the carefully here! Or if you’re fancy and have a printer, you can just print out a shamrock. For shamrock outlines, click here. 2a. Once you have your outlines, grab your scissors and cut them out.
3. Next, place your two pieces of felt on top of each other, it’ll save you time in the end if you cut both sheets at once. Place your shamrock outline on top of the felt and pin with one of your pins.
3a. As steadily as you can, cut out your shamrock and repeat until you have the desired amount of shamrocks. Our wreath has about 8-10 shamrocks in varying sizes, but visualize to your own tastes, you can always add more easily.
4. Take your wreath and lay out your shamrocks in the desired pattern, play with the design until it’s the way you’d like it to look. Does it look good? Great. Pick up your box of pins and push one pin into the center of every shamrock to secure.
5. Lastly, you’ll need a piece of twine for hanging the wreath. Pick a length that will hang the wreath at a good height for your desired location. Make a loop with your twine and double knot it. Then, secure it with a few pins into the back of the wreath.
Voila, you’ve got a festive St. Patrick’s Day wreath to transition to other holidays. Keep in mind, if you’re transitioning to different holidays, just pull your shamrocks up and replace them with whatever your next group of felt pieces may be. Don’t forget to throw your shamrocks in a ziplock sandwich bag for next year, they’re reusable. As spring nears, we will do a feature on making felt flowers for a spring version of the wreath. Stay tuned!
The New Jersey Devils announced in January that they will be hosting a 20th Anniversary Celebration of the ’95 Cup event. The event will take place on the weekend of March 6-8, 2015.
Starting on February 17, they will feature unique content on their new website to lead up to the -95 Cup Celebration weekend.
One of the main events of the weekend is the ’95 Stanley Cup alumni game, which will be held on Saturday, March 7 at 3 p.m. The game will lead up to the Devils’ rivalry game against the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday, March 8 at 5 p.m.
Leading up to the event weekend, the Devils organization will have a variety of multimedia content involving the ’95 Championship team. Fans can find all of the content on the new website dedicated to the event, www.NewJerseyDevils.com/95Cup
The site will be home to all-things Devils circa 1995. It will also include highlight footage from the Red-White Alumni game at Prudential Center’s AmeriHealth Pavilion. Some notable players in the alumni game are Martin Brodeur, Scott Stevens and Claude Lemieux; in addition to nearly 20 more players from the 1995 team. Funds raised from this event will go towards the New Jersey Devils Alumni Association.
Content from the game against the Philadelphia Flyers on March 8, during which the 1995 team will be honored, will also be on the site.
Where Are They Now?
Some of the content will include interviews with members of the 1994‐95 team, starting with Tom Chorske and Randy McKay. In their interviews they talk about how the Stanley Cup win affected their lives at the time and how it continues to influence them today.
’95 Cup Spotlight
The website will also feature a page with a series of 10 vignettes produced by MSG Network. The segments will include behind-the-scenes stories from players and coaches.
NHL Vault: The Road to the 1995 Stanley Cup
Ten of the biggest games from the Devils 1995 Stanley Cup run will also be featured on the website including:
Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Boston Bruins: Game 4, Game 5
Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Pittsburgh Penguins: Game 2, Game 5
Eastern Conference Finals against the Philadelphia Flyers: Game 5, Game 6
Stanley Cup Finals against the Detroit Red Wings: Game 1, Game 2, Game 3, Game 4
This Week in 1995
Another section of the website will include a page where fans can see what was going 20 years ago to the day in music, movies, and more.
Photo of the Day
Every day the website, a photo will be posted of a moment, person or play from the Devils’ 1995 Cup run.
Tickets for the March 8 game against the Flyers are available at NewJerseyDevils.com/95Cup, Ticketmaster.com and the Prudential Center box office. They also offer a ticket package which includes a t‐shirt and tickets for games against all three Eastern Conference teams defeated in the Devils’ 1995 Stanley Cup run: Boston Bruins on Feb. 27, Philadelphia Flyers on Mar. 8 and Pittsburgh Penguins on Mar. 17.
We are in the back half of the American Hockey League (AHL) season, with playoffs up next as the season culminates. “Fan experience” continues to be a buzz word in the sports world. With the minute to minute improvements in technology, this can both enhance and hinder the fan experience that sport teams try to create for the fans.
Media coverage has improved so much, that for some sport leagues that is their main source of revenue. When a game or event is televised, it can be hard to justify trading the comforts of home (complete with expert opinions and views of the event from commentators) to venture out in potentially harsh weather conditions, struggle with traffic and parking, enjoy high-priced concession items and possibly poor customer service. For these reasons we continuously see sport facility upgrades and teams offering behind-the-scenes experiences.
More and more sport facilities are looking to out-do the next (or just to stay competitive), by offering tickets to suites that resemble living rooms, car service, unlimited concessions, etc. Other teams are offering access to the teams via locker room visits, meet and greets, and access to the teams media. In a day in age where we are used to having information at our fingertips, fans have become more accustomed to having access to their favorite players, which is why holding events such as the AHL All-Star classic can be so important to the league.
The 2015 AHL All-Star Classic was held in Utica, New York, the home of the young 18-month old Utica Comets, AHL affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks. The strong fan base of the Utica Comets jumped at the opportunity to attend. Having your hometown as the hub for such a high-profile event, especially for a young team, can be a great way to put a spotlight on your organization. Their geographic accessibility to other teams and fans in the league also drew in a fairly well-rounded, sellout crowd. Teams such as the Syracuse Crunch, Rochester Americans and the Albany Devils are only New York State Thruway stops away. Three players represented the Utica Comets and at the Skills Competition garnished an enthusiastic fan reaction during introductions.
However, a friendly rivalry with the Syracuse Crunch (AHL affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning) who most notably had won in a contest against the Utica Comets at the first ever hockey game played at the Carrier Dome on the campus of Syracuse University (the attendance of 30,715 also set a new United States indoor professional hockey record), also garnered quite the fan reaction. When Vladislav Namestnikov and Jonathan Marchessault of the Syracuse Crunch were introduced they also received possibly the loudest fan reaction of the night – of “boos.” After the event, three-time All-Star Classic participant Marchessault summed it up by saying, “It was fun, those weekends are always fun. It’s fun to meet the other guys. I was happy to be a part of it. It was a good honor.”
As a first time attendee of a sports All-Star Classic, I was especially impressed with how the personalities of the athletes were able to be showcased, along with the fan interaction elements. For the Skills Competition, the players all wore jerseys representative of their home teams, however the competition elements were still categorized by their conference. After the event, the players were accessible to fans for photos and autographs, again creating that connection that fans are unable to receive from watching the event from coverage through a television. Fans requested autographs from players on rival teams, just as many of the rival mascots in attendance joined together for light-hearted stints of air boxing.
Many of the players who are active on social media also were encouraged to have their phones accessible on the bench in order to utilize their social media accounts. The historic Utica Memorial Auditorium, which hosted all the on-ice action, was able to display all of its facility upgrades as well. The utilized their video boards for player interviews and up close action shots.
Its easy to be cynical about professional sports when your team is having a tough season. However sports allow us the opportunity to connect with others and have experiences that can last a life time. Fans having the same experience as you, no matter what your background is in your daily life, can bring strangers together for that emotional moment of connection. Having events such as the AHL All-Star Classic is another way to not only see the most successful players in one place, at one time, but to have that experience with fans of your favorite sport, a sort of fan community, from around the league, even if you are never going to see them again.
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