When it comes to fashion, I’m a minimalist. Playing dress up is always fun, but keeping it simple with a dash of pizzaz so to speak is more my style. Of course, nothing about the Nashville Predators has been simple this season, they’ve been dazzling opponents and fans across the league and skating their way up through the standings. Lately, I’ve had a bit of a love affair for the Tennessee team that’s treating the league as prey, and coincidentally, I’ve been a predator myself when it comes to statement necklaces and using them in my weekly clothing rotation.
This week uses the Nashville Predators color scheme, but may be the easiest look to date to interchange into your team of choice.
One thing that will never go out of style, is the jeans and t-shirt look. It’s a look that can be worn a million different ways and when game day skates around should be a g0-to before heading to any arena in the league. A navy blue and white striped long sleeve and boyfriend style jeans are a practical option for the female fan.
Adding a statement necklace to a simple t-shirt is an instant transformation. If you aren’t comfortable wearing something with so much bling, don’t be afraid to work your way into it. A smaller statement type necklace will still do the trick and take the basics to the next level.
A pair of ballet flats, or in our case, leopard print Keds will serve you well — a fun pair of printed Keds can brighten up any outfit, even if it’s not game day and is a highly recommended staple to invest in.
The type of bag you bring to the arena is key. Schlepping a monster tote that weighs almost as much as a hockey bag is a major faux paus. These days, you can’t smuggle much into an arena, so why not lighten the load and pick a wristlet or cross body style bag on game day. A smaller bag still fits the essentials, remember that!
Lets face it, there’s a few colors in the rainbow that just don’t suit some people. For me, yellow and orange make me cringe and growing up in Boston, an avid Bruins fan caused quite an issue for me, black and yellow gave me a bumble bee complex. So, to still support the team in a more subdued way, yellow nail polish became a staple. Painting your nails a team color is an easy and inexpensive way to still say go team go.
Lastly, the baseball hat. It’s a great debate. I’m all in favor of the hat look and wearing one on game day, no matter how dressed up or dressed down you are is a fun way to mix the team logo into an outfit. It’s also much cheaper than a jersey and something you can wear more day-to-day.
Have fun with the look and tailor it to the NHL, AHL, ECHL, team that makes you love the game!
Anything to do with hockey already makes for an interesting year, but 2014 has been especially big for the Anaheim Ducks with a few ups and downs. These are just a few of the major highlights for them so far. With everything from mumps, a few surprising trades and a playoff run in between, this year has still been one of the good ones for one of the best teams from the Western Conference, and 2015 will just be icing on the cake.
1. Anaheim welcomes Ryan Kesler
Let’s just say that the Vancouver Canucks aren’t too happy with Kesler and his decision to follow his Stanley Cup dreams with the Ducks, and that the cup was the main reason why he left.
“I’m going to Anaheim to win a championship,” Kesler said after the trade. “That’s going to be my sole goal and my team’s sole goal. That’s basically it.”
He waived the no-trade clause in his contract and the Canucks traded him and a third-round pick in the 2015 NHL draft. In exchange, Anaheim’s Nick Bonino and Luca Sbisa packed their bags and were off to Vancouver. So far this season, Kesler has definitely made his presence known and his physicality is exactly what the Ducks needed.
2. Cogliano is the NHL Iron man
There’s no stopping Andrew Cogliano from being up and ready to play every game. While everyone around him seems to be getting sick or injured, he’s pretty lucky to be alright every night. Earlier this December, the 27-year-old played his 571st consecutive game against his old team, the Edmonton Oilers. Even with mouth and face injuries during his time with Edmonton, he didn’t miss a game, despite those times where things were going pretty bad for him, like missing teeth and half of his tooth stuck in his lip. Hopefully there’s no jinx from this, but there is no doubt that this tough customer has worked hard to get where he is and it will be fun to see how long he can keep his record going for.
3. The infamous mumps
Oh yes, the big topic about mumps is not gone yet. This year, the contagious infection made its way around the Ducks’ locker room and affected some of the biggest named players. Of course some of the other teams in the league aren’t out of the woods yet, but cases from Anaheim can be traced to a few months back. The big question is just how did they manage to catch it? Who knows, but it seemed like Corey Perry and Francois Beauchemin were out for ages with the infection, but the team still managed to pull through without them.
4. Freeway Rivalry
The Ducks had a great playoff run and everyone thought that 2014 was going to be the year for their second Stanley Cup. However, their hopes ended during the second round to their rivals, and reigning champions, the Los Angeles Kings. After the Ducks defeated the Dallas Stars during the first round, LA dominated the seventh game 6-2 and left Anaheim in the dust. The Kings managed to score three times in the first 15 minutes and never took a chance to look back. The sellout crowd at Honda Center left heartbroken but this season has some high hopes for another chance for the cup.
5. Jonas Hiller shipped off to Calgary
How surprising was this really? After John Gibson made his NHL debut and completely impressed the crowd and with Frederik Andersen doing what he does best, some fans started questioning if Hiller was really needed in Anaheim anymore with the club filled with young talent. There were still way more than a handful of fans that supported the veteran goaltender in Anaheim, but free agency gave him a chance to pick a new team to call home.
Anaheim General Manager Bob Murray confirmed the move for the 32-year-old player.
“We’ve got younger players coming along that we had to move into the lineup,” he said. I thought it was best for this organization that we move forward a little bit. It was just time.”
Hiller had some great years with the Ducks and his time doesn’t go unappreciated at all. It was all a matter of how it was just his time to move on, now he’s excelling with the Calgary Flames. This season, there have been a few issues on the goaltender side of things, but with Andersen and the legendary Ilya Bryzgalov back, Anaheim will be just fine.
Long time New Jersey Devils GM Lou Lamoriello announced yesterday, December 26th, that Pete DeBoer was relieved of his coaching duties after 3+ years at the helm. DeBoer’s first season was his most successful, leading the Devils to Game 6 of the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals but went 66-65-35 since that run with no playoff berths – and certainly not on track to make the playoffs this season. Lamoriello has yet to name a replacement for DeBoer, announcing he will address the team upon their return from the holiday break before publicly releasing the information.
WHY IT HAPPENED:
Based on the reaction both on social media and the traditional outlets – there are two main consensuses. First, that this change was needed, if not long overdue based on the team’s performance this year; and second, that the team’s performance cannot be solely, maybe even the majority blamed on DeBoer. The Devils organization has been a symbol of stability since arriving in New Jersey and the envy of many throughout the NHL (save for maybe Wayne Gretzky) with their ability to acquire and develop talent and remain competitive over such a long period of time. The Devils are no longer that organization and the sooner they can admit that, the sooner they can regain that status. And it starts at the top.
In many of the DeBoer retrospectives that have been drafted today, the 2012 Stanley Cup run has been labeled a fluke. Winning the Stanley Cup (or even making it to the Finals) is regarded as one of, if not the hardest championship to win in professional sports. I’m hesistant to call such a tough run to the Finals – twice staving off elimination and beating two hated rivals – a fluke, citing luck or chance. Instead it would seem to be a perfect coming together of circumstances before an epic collapse that would begin in the ensuing off season and continue through today. 2011-12 was the last season that the Devils featured a complete and talented roster and not coincidentally was the last time many were impressed with Pete DeBoer as a coach. Lou Lamoriello has long been regarded for his ability to build a complete team through trades and drafted talent. He hasn’t made many mistakes in the last 27 years, but the most recent ones have piled up and this team is paying for it.
Drafting hasn’t been the only mistake Lamoriello has made of late. While its known that Lamoriello wasn’t the main driver behind bringing in Ilya Kovalchuk, both the initial trade and subsequent contract went against many of Lou’s usual standards for player acquisition. He not only overpaid for a player, but did it for a guy who wasn’t known for his sytem play. He also did it in a way that later cost him a draft pick (subsequently re-awarded) and on top of that, many believe cost him the chance to resign Zach Parise. Even if former Devils owner Jeff Vanderbeek did push Lamoriello to do the deal, it seems Lamoriello should have been savvy enough to do it without hurting his team in the years to come. No one predicted that Kovalchuk would bolt for Russia so early in his contract, but between his and Parise’s departure and the poor drafting and development, the Devils are left with a huge void of talent at the forward position – something that if it happened 10-15 years ago, would have gone unnoticed on a well rounded team.
Lamoriello tried to compensate for these holes with aging veteran role players – the likes of Steve Sullivan, Michael Ryder, Ryane Clowe, and Tuomo Rutuu are no longer top choices for rebuilding an offense. Combining the poor free agent additions with aging talent like Patrik Elias, Marek Zidlicky and Jaromir Jagr and DeBoer’s hesitancy to include young players in his lineup and you have the situation the Devils are in now. Players the team needs to turn to for the future have minimal or inconsistent experience at the NHL level – or have been flat out mismanaged. The Devils have some work to do to get out of this mess and it all starts now.
WHAT COMES NEXT:
We know the Devils have new ownership who are committed to creating a successful franchise in Newark and are willing to pay for it. With the assumption that Lamoriello will retain his GM position (whether that’s right or wrong is a separate debate) – the next step forward is a new coach. Many candidates have begun to surface and yet no real favorites have emerged from the rumor mill. Lamoriello may have some flaws in his game, but his reputation for the unlikely still stands tall and keeps the media guessing. Instead of trying to get inside Lou’s head, it’s probably a better opportunity to look at what the Devils need in a coach.
The Options:
Young Blood – These guys have either been part of the Devils system as a coach or player (or both) and are well versed in the system. While they may not have a lot of NHL experience, they bring a Devil mindset which Lamoriello has always favored. The question is whether they know how to bring this team together and help develop young talent. High risk, high reward and likely an interim title that accompanies any of these possible selections.
examples: Scott Stevens (former Devils player and assistant coach), David Barr (current Devils assistant), Mike Foligno (current Devils assistant), Adam Oates (former Devils player and assistant coach), Rick Kowalski (current Albany Devils head coach), Tommy Abelin (former Devils player and current assistant).
Outside the Family – Seems unlikely for Lamoriello to go this route, but maybe some new ideas is what this team needs. There are a lot of big names in coaching looking for work with resumes that feature proven success. Bringing in a fresh voice and new perspective might be welcome for a New Jersey team that still plays a very old school style of hockey. Lamoriello certainly won’t allow a new coach to completely abandon the Devil way but some tweaks may be welcome; especially from a coach with a record of successful young player development.
Lamoriello Guys – Probably the most likely option based on the last 13 coaching moves that Lamoriello has made. Guys who have coached with or under Lamoriello at some point in their career. They are known quantities and will allow Lamoriello to continue to shape this team as he sees fit. While this could be considered the safe route, it certainly hasn’t proven any long term success and may instead epitomize the aging decline the rest of the organization is already dealing with. That said, its also unknown whether any of these names would be eager to get back behind an NHL bench, let alone one with as many question marks as the Devils.
The Devils do have a lot of question marks, but there is some room for optimism. They are seemingly set between the pipes for the next decade between Cory Schneider and Keith Kinkaid. They also have a young and talented set of defensmen, that with the proper management will make up a formidable blue line as they mature. As discussed, the offense is where they need help and whatever coach they bring in will help select the direction this team goes. Either they are ready to admit this season and this roster is a wash and it’s time to start building for the future or they continue down the path of aging forwards. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Lamoriello finds a way to bring in a big and unexpected name – hopefully not just for the remainder of this season, but for many to come. We’ll find out tomorrow which route Lamoriello decides to go and that is where the Devils rebuilding process begins.
USA Hockey has invited 40 of the nation’s top women hockey players to its winter training camp Dec. 27-31 in Blaine, Minnesota.
The roster includes 16 members of the USA 2014 Olympic team, including Hilary Knight, Kacey Bellamy, Alex Carpenter, Meghan Duggan, Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson, Monique Lamoureux, Molly Shaus, Jessie Vetter and Brianne McLaughlin-Bittle.
A number of women hailing from Massachusetts (six) and Minnesota (six) made the roster. While more than half are still in college (25), a handful of others are playing professionally with the Canadian Women’s Hockey League.
USA Hockey invited six goaltenders to camp; in addition to Shaus, Vetter, and McLaughlin-Bittle, Alex Rigby, Chelsea Laden, and Nicole Hensley will attend camp. Rigby made her first USA Hockey tournament appearance recently in the Four Nations Cup. Hensley currently plays for Lindenwood University (CHA) and Laden plays for Quinnipiac (ECACH). Seven of the women are not currently playing in college or professionally.
Ken Klee, who coached the USA National Team recently at the Four Nations tournament, will serve as coach at the camp. He will be assisted by Bob Deraney (Head Coach of the women’s team at Providence College) and Brett Strot.
USA Hockey holds camps periodically throughout the year for training purposes and to monitor the progression of its players in the active player pool. The winter camp will include on-ice testing, on-ice practicing and scrimmages. The team’s strength and conditioning coaches will also be in attendance, as well as team doctors, athletic trainers, scouts and video coordinators.
All practices and scrimmages are open to the public and take place at Schwan’s Super Rink in Blaine, Minn.
After having spent a week practicing at Walter Brown Arena on the Boston University campus in Boston, the team that began with thirty players eliminated three players after their first exhibition game against the Boston University Terriers Men’s Hockey team on Friday, December 19.
That first game looked like Team USA wasn’t going to see much competition, and it wasn’t helped that the Terriers’ best player, Jack Eichel, was playing against them instead of for them. After the first period, which had seen Team USA outshoot the Terriers 15-1 and score two short-handed goals on the same penalty kill just about 30 seconds apart, the Terriers came back and managed to give Team USA a little more of a real game in the second and third periods.
Postgame interviews asked how Terriers’ head coach David Quinn liked having to try to contain Eichel instead of coach him. Quinn was honest in his answer and said he now had an understanding of how the other coaches felt when their teams play against the Terriers. But could it also have been a little USA Jersey awe?
Team USA and BU Terriers (Photo: Steve McLaughlin/BU Athletics)
“I don’t think so. We hadn’t skated in a week. We just went through exams. I’m sure some of them—half of their mind is already home. I think there was a lot that went into it,” Quinn told The Pink Puck. “And [Team USA] is good. It’s a heck of a team we played so, I think you add all that up and you get a pretty big discrepancy in the way the period was played. And then I thought we did a really good job of collecting ourselves and putting up a fight to start the second period and got on the board and hung around and made it four to two. That might have been some of it, but I think also the fact that it was just the circumstances.”
However, during a unique opportunity to interview a couple of the Terriers after their Friday morning practice about the upcoming game against Team USA, one of them did allude to the fact that he was pretty sure most of the Terriers were secretly hoping that Team USA won. To their credit, though, in the second and third periods the Terriers did regroup and push back in a much harder manner. And that speaks volumes of the Terriers and the team that Quinn has put together.
The remaining twenty-seven players headed out to Kingston, Ontario where they would play two more exhibition games.
The first took place on Sunday, December 21, against Team Germany. And unlike the Terriers, Team Germany got steamrolled by Team USA. It was predominantly all Team USA all the time. And after the game the team announced that two further players had been cut, leaving them with just one more player to release in order to get to their final roster.
The second of the two games in Kingston took place Tuesday night, December 23, against Team Sweden and it was expected to be a close-scoring game. And while the first period appeared to support that theory as the teams traded goals to end the period with a 3-2 score in favor of the USA, the remainder the game was again an impressive display of USA talent as the final score was 10-5 with Boston College’s Alex Tuch scoring a hat trick and saw Plymouth Whalers’ Sonny Milano getting five points on the night.
Steve Santini
After this game, the USA made the last of their cuts, which was perhaps the most difficult for them and for the player, as it was Boston College’s Steve Santini, who spent the practice days in Boston wearing a yellow “no contact” jersey and doing very little as he waited to get the pins removed from his left wrist, which he injured in October. Santini had unfinished business and really wanted to make this year’s team.
“When I first got hurt, I was obviously devastated because this tournament means a lot to me. I thought walking off the ice last year against Russia, I felt like I had unfinished business in this tournament,” Santini told reporters on day one of camp in Boston. “Everything I’ve done since the day I got hurt was to get back and be healthy for this tournament. I’ve come a long way. I’ve been working out five or six times a week and hopefully everything will work out.”
Unfortunately he did not get the pins removed until December 22, and that didn’t leave a lot of time for Santini to practice with the team and begin to gel with a line mate before the first game against Team Finland was to take place on Boxing Day. Perhaps Team USA will use his “unfinished business” and the fact that he couldn’t join them as added motivation during the tournament.
Miles Wood
With the release of Santini though, the roster for Team USA was finalized and included Nobles and Greenough Prep School, and late invitee, Miles Wood, who was expected by many to be let go and only at camp for the experience. However, he came to play and has a very level head on his shoulders considering the unique path he has traveled to get where he is.
“I think pressure is all self-induced,” he told The Pink Puck. “I’m here to just have fun and then at the end of the day if I’m there, I’m going to be prepared to go up to Canada and see if we can win the gold.”
And he’s there and he is pulling on the USA jersey to represent his country for the first time when the puck drops against Finland.
“It would be something special. There’s something about doing something for the first time,” he told The Pink Puck, eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. “If I could do that, I’m going to skate a little faster, compete a little harder, so I’m excited for it.”
He certainly has the determination that Team USA is looking for and as they have displayed already in the exhibition games. Of course, those games, while great for experience and to assist in building chemistry among the various lines, do not count in regard to points. That happens with the first game against Finland. But given the approach to the tournament that Team USA has displayed so far, it is likely they will continue to bring resolve and grit.
Nothing says the holidays like an NHL team singing about holiday sweaters, at least that’s the case for this year.
This year, there have been some:
1. The San Jose Sharks created the rap that went viral for their 2014 holiday video. When it was released at the beginning of December, the hockey world (and even the outside) went crazy for this hilariously awkward new Christmas jingle.
2. The Pittsburgh Penguins normally have a theatrical video to release during the holiday season. Last year it was a fake holiday album sung by the team, and this year it was a remake of the Christmas classic Christmas Vacation. The Pens show off their acting skills….and you just have to see it to appreciate it.
3. P.K. Subban went undercover to surprise a group of unsuspecting kids during this holiday season. His disguise is impeccable, but did it help him go unrecognized?
4. The Philadelphia Flyers Jakub Voracek and Michael Raffl show off their present wrapping skills after having been voted as the worst wrappers by their teammates. They should probably just stick to the gift wrapping store in the mall.
5. The Montreal Canadiens had an elf on the shelf watching over them this Christmas season. So while they were competing on who could make the best gingerbread zamboni, and having a dominating month of December, the Elf on the Shelf was judging whether they were naughty or nice.
So Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from everyone over at The Pink Puck…Enjoy these tacky videos and we hope your Christmas is as wonderful as our readers are!
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