Tickets have already been on sale to both Kings and Ducks season ticket holders as well as VIP email fan lists and are now scheduled to go on sale through Ticketmaster.com beginning at 10 am (PT) Tuesday, November 19th. The game, scheduled for January 25th, will be the first outdoor regular season NHL game played in California and the first hockey game ever played at Dodger Stadium.
The NHL also unveiled the NHL Chrome Collection, chrome-treated team logos specifically designed for the 2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series™. The Chrome logo designs are inspired from the chrome details on the NHL shield. Each team participating in the Stadium Series™ had their regular logo chromed out with the exception of the New Jersey Devils which went back to their roots with green and red instead of the usual black and red, and the Kings using only the crown instead of the full ‘home plate’ logo. The NHL will unveil team jerseys for all four outdoor games of the 2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series™ in the coming weeks.
The game will be telecast nationally in the U.S. on NBC Sports Network and throughout Canada on CBC and RDS2. Sirius XM Satellite Radio will provide radio coverage. NHL Network™ and NHL.com will provide extensive coverage live from Southern California leading up to and after the game. NHL Social™ will have exclusive coverage on all social platforms, including the use of the hashtag #StadiumSeries.
The Islanders have released a sleek new logo designed specifically for the 2014 Coors Light Stadium Series game they will play against the New York Rangers on January 29th, 2014. The logo includes the regular Islanders “NY” design but with a chrome make-over. According to a statement released by the team, the four orange stripes on the stick represent the four consecutive Stanley Cups the franchise won in the 80’s. Jerseys featuring the Coors Light Stadium Series logo are available to season ticket holders now. Limited tickets for the game will be made available to the general public on Thursday, November 21st, at 10:00 AM EST.
The Coors Light Stadium Series game against the New York Rangers will take place at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, January 29 , 2014 at 7:30 PM.
It took 10 home games, but the Buffalo Sabres were finally able to win on home ice, 3-2, in a shootout against the Los Angeles Kings. After the last debacle in Anaheim last Friday, Sabres players and fans were getting fed up with the way the games have been going. Coach Ron Rolston even thought switching up the lines would help, and while fans are still having their doubts about this team, something tonight seemed to have changed in the eyes of the Sabres.
While their game play was still way off par, they were able to stay with the Kings and pull out a win in a shootout.
LA was first on the board, as is most teams against Buffalo this year, and they were able to get on the scoreboard a mere 1:17 into the first period. A couple quick passes off a face-off and the puck went off Justin Williams, his 7th of the season. Buffalo would be out shot 15-4 in the first period and did not record any real scoring opportunities.
The second period would show LA leading the shots again, this time 15-3, but Buffalo was able to get on the scoreboard and tie the game at 1. With a nice pass from Steve Ott to a streaking Cody Hodgson, Hodgson was able to tip in the pass, his 6th of the season, to get Buffalo on the board. That would be the only goal in that period and the crucial 3rd would hopefully decide the game.
Buffalo was still out shot 12-9 in the 3rd, but they were able to get on the board first and break the tie to go up 2-1, with a power play goal by Hodgson, now his 7th of the season. With just over 4 minutes left in the period, LA was able to tie the game up with a wrist shot from Dwight King, his 5th of the season. The game would end tied at 2 and off to overtime we went.
With only 5 minutes to show your stuff, it was all defensive play in overtime as the shots on goal were only 3-1, in favor of LA. Off to a shoot out we would go and Buffalo’s hopes were in the hands of three players. Matt Moulson, Cody Hodgson, and Tyler Ennis were on tap for Buffalo and Mike Richards and Trevor Lewis were on tap for LA. Moulson and Ennis were able to score for Buffalo and Ryan Miller was able to stop both shots from Richards and Lewis to lift Buffalo to the 3-2 win.
Buffalo still has yet to make a two game win streak, but they will have the chance against rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs on home ice on Friday. LA will have the chance to redeem themselves with a visit to the New York Islanders on Thursday.
Last week we covered the origins and development of the various games which contributed to the evolution of the ice hockey sport we all know today. For the next 3 weeks we will learn how the NHL came to be the premier professional ice hockey league in the world! Today, we begin with the pre-NHL era. It’s hard to imagine a time prior to the NHL (mostly because none of us were even alive) but several leagues predated or coincided the early years of the NHL, and they all play a significant role in how the NHL came to be. Listed are important leagues, people, and events for us to learn about and get a better understanding for the next round of how the NHL developed and evolved.
The National Hockey Association (NHA): The NHA was founded in 1909 with teams in Quebec and Ontario, Canada. It is the direct predecessor to the NHL and the first major league of pro hockey which introduced ‘six-man hockey’. The league suffered due to disagreements between owners. Unable to resolve their disputes the majority of the owners decided to permanently suspended the NHA in 1917.
Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA): The PCHA was started in 1911 by brothers Lester and Frank Patrick, professional hockey players from Montreal who later moved to Vancouver. Hockey had never caught on in the west coast of Canada, most likely due to little natural ice that formed. The Patrick brothers solved this problem by building arenas in Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia. The brothers lured players from the NHA with higher paying contracts that the NHA could not match. Starting in 1915 the NHA and PCHA entered into an agreement where the Stanley Cup was to be contested between the two leagues after their regular seasons were finished. Over the course of the PCHAs existence they introduced to hockey, blue lines and goal creases, the forward pass, numbers on players sweaters, the penalty shot, playoffs, and they removed the rule that goalies must stay on their feet. Over time the league struggled financially and in order to survive, merged with the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) in 1924.
Eddie Livingstone – As a member of the NHA, Livingstone suffered a series of disputes with the rest of the league due to several shady moves (one included his manipulation of a draft where he ‘hid’ several players, and the second by buying a second team without first consulting with the league) resulting in a league meeting where he was not present (nor invited) where they realized the leagues constitution did not allow them to force Livingstone out of the NHA, so in turn the remaining four teams voted to suspend the league.
World War I – By 1915 between the War and the Patrick brothers luring players over to the PCHA, the NHA was left with few quality players. The 1915-1916 season was played with only 5 teams (instead of 6) due to Eddie Livingstone’s previously mentioned shenanigans which resulted in one team not being able to play each week. Instead of two games to cover travel expenses from other cities, there was only one game per trip, this infuriated owners, limited team revenue, and instead of two games to cover travel expenses from other cities, there was only one per trip. In 1916 the league put together a team from the 228th battalion and made them a member of the NHA during the war. The team consisted of hockey players who had enlisted for wartime duty, they played in khaki military uniforms and became the league’s most popular and highest scoring club until the regiment was ordered overseas and forced to withdraw in February 1917. The Battalion dropping out left the league at five teams once again and instead of continuing on, the league decided to suspended Livingstone’s team and disperse its players to the remaining four clubs. Livingstone then sued the NHA which infuriated the owners (who were still upset over Livingstone’s previous antics) and the 1916-1917 season turned out to be the last for the NHA.
Now that our pre-NHL history lesson is out of the way we will continue on next week with the formation of the NHL!
The Vancouver Canucks will once again attend the Sports Celebrities Festival tonight at the Vancouver Convention Centre held in support of the Canucks for Kids Fund and Special Olympics BC. The Sports Celebrities Festival will featuring local sports members of the Vancouver Canucks, Canucks Alumni, Vancouver Whitecaps FC (MLS), BC Lions (CFL), comedian Brent Butt and Special Olympics BC athletes.
Every year the overarching theme of the event is to empower athletes with intellectual disabilities to gain confidence, acceptance and recognition. The Sports Celebrities Festival presented by Silver Wheaton is about celebrating the power of sport to create champions, unlock potential and break down barriers.
Each year a member of the Vancouver Canucks a Special Olympics athlete comes together to share a story with over 600 attendees. My favourite story to date is of The Smithers Duo, where Ben Walker explains how much his hometown hero Dan Hamhuis means to him. Both hailing from Smithers, British Columbia, Ben now sports the logo that Hamhuis sports on his chest tattooed on his arm.
This must-attend fundraising gala brings together Vancouver’s most prominent sports celebrities and influential members of the local business community to support two fantastic charities. Prior to the dinner, Canucks players will participate in photo booth sessions and fan-interactive games, including the always fun ‘Pucks for Bucks’ and a Nintendo Wii gaming zone.
Yesterday was November 11th. A day to remember our fallen soldiers and to give thanks.
Very few hockey players died in wars. Joe Turner WW2, Red Garrett WW2, Russell McConnell WW2 and in World War 1: George Richardson and Allen Davidson. I found a website that states all the players who died in wars. www.sihrhockey.org
One person who gave me the love of the game died one day after, on November 12th 2003, my dad passed away. He took me to games when I was little. He and I would stay up late to watch Stanley Cup games. He gave me the love of the game, the joy and spark when my team was winning. He taught me to scream out loud when my team was having a bad day or when they tied. Without my dad, hockey would not be in my grammar and I would be writing for another website.
I felt so special when I went to the games with him. It felt like we shared more than the game, we were connected. His face would lit up when his team won and he would growl a bit when they lost.
As you are reading this column today, please just think of those around you who have fought in a war or who have passed away that you miss.
The Stockton Thunder hosted the San Francisco Bulls for an early evening tilt in what was the first of fifteen meetings between the teams for this season. The Thunder played against the Bakersfield Condors in Bakersfield the previous evening and the Bulls last played for their home opener on Friday November 8th. Stockton showed their fatigue, with the Bulls getting the win 3-2 with a late goal by Bulls points leader Mark Lee.
The first period started out slow for both teams with the first shot on goal coming at 13:44 by Matt Bergland of the Stockton Thunder. The first penalty of the evening got both the Thunder and the Bulls into the game when Bulls forward Kris Belan was called for holding. The Bulls quickly followed up with another penalty as Collin Bowman would go off for boarding, giving the Thunder over a minute with a 5 on 3 advantage. The Thunder would put their stellar power play unit to work and Andrew Clark would find the back of the net as he shot from the left circle off a feed from Nathan Deck and Ryan Hayes. The puck crossed past Bulls netminder Beskorowany through his stick side and found the left corner of the net, putting the Thunder up 1-0. San Francisco would answer back with a power play goal of their own, when Thunder Ryan Constant was called for hooking. Stockton put the pressure on but the Bulls set up shop in the Stockton zone.The Bulls Jordan Morrison sent a pass to Kyle Bigos who fired on Thunder goaltender Milner. Chris Crane for San Francisco was waiting on the doorstep and deflected the shot in to tie the game 1-1 with 3:06 left to play in the period.
photo: Misty Wichman
Stockton found themselves in penalty trouble for most of the second frame, taking 10 minutes in the box. Ryan Hayes would be the first to visit, tripping Bulls defenceman Dylan King less than 2 minutes in to the period. Nathan Deck put the Bulls on a 5-3 advantage, grabbing a boarding call. Dean Ouellet would grab a rebound and put it over the stick side of Milner with Collin Bowman and Steve Tarasuk notching the assists on the power play, putting San Francisco ahead 2-1. The Thunder put the Bulls on another power play when Mathieu Gagnon shoved Luke Judson from behind, drawing a cross-checking penalty. Despite being hemmed in their zone, Stockton kept the puck out of their net, holding San Francisco off the scoreboard on their third power play. Stockton took yet another penalty, this time a double minor went to Shawn Boutin, his extra two minutes for his boisterous disagreement with the holding penalty on his way to the box.The Thunder again had a successful kill, allowing the Bulls to tally only 3 shots on goal during their four minute power play opportunity, with none finding their way past Milner. Stockton would then rallyas Corey Trivino, who played well all night, raced in on the Bulls’ Beskorowany but was stonewalled by the large-framed netminder. Sean Escobedo and Joey Martin would all try to get past him but could not sneak any pucks in the net.
The Thunder began the third period with urgency, down a goal and looking for the equalizer. It would come on the power play when Nathan Deck was able to tap it in past Beskorowany’s shoulder off a good feed from Andrew Clark and Ryan Hayes.
“It was a big goal at the time, we were down 2-1 and I kind of came in late. It was a change from the other d-man so I snuck back door. Clark made a great pass through a guy’s feet and I just put it on net low blocks and it found its way,” said Deck.
With just a little under 3 minutes left to go, and overtime looking like a possibility, Bulls forward and points leader Mark Lee took a feed from Chris Crane from behind the net off a steal from the Thunder to edge San Francisco ahead 3-2.“It was just a quick play behind the net. I think he grabbed it off of one of our guys pretty quick and pushed it out front and it got redirected in. It’s definitely one I have to have,” said Milner of the Bulls late goal.
photo: Misty Wichman
Stockton was plagued by second period penalties. “It’s not good for momentum, they took over there, they got a bunch of shots and we played in the d-zone a lot the second period. It’s hard to come back when you are killing the whole period, we did it but its tough, you don’t want to be doing that in back to back games, “ said Deck.
Coach Kromm felt that several of the penalties were “a little undisciplined and unnecessary….and that changed the momentum of the game. It took a while to get back and start playing again.” He believes his team can generate the offensive push and that they had their chances but the Bulls goaltender played very well for them. Kromm said “ I think our group looked a little bit tired at times tonight, I think we are going to have to regroup here in the next few days and get some energy back.”
The Bulls capitalized on the Thunder’s lack of discipline and showed a power play with a bit more bite than has been evident in their early season games. Coach Curcio impressed on his team the necessity of shooting the puck before tonite’s game. “We showed a lot of video this morning .We pulled about 20 clips of the most recent NHL power play goals and every one was just getting pucks to the net and finding loose pucks, and you are outnumbering guys in front, that’s the hardest thing.” He talked about the challenge of facing the Thunder, one of the better teams in the division and he wanted his team to match their energy and work ethic, something he felt they were able to do and get the win.
Notes:
The San Francisco Bulls have lost three forwards to injury and call-ups. Ryan McDonough is out indefinitely with a possible concussion from an illegal check to the head by Ontario Reign defenceman Van de Mosselaer. Dale Mitchell is out with a lower body injury after colliding with Bakersfield goalie Chiodo during the Bulls Home Opener. Riley Brace has been recalled by the Worcester Sharks having played just two games with San Francisco.
The Stockton Thunder have lost defenceman Mike Dalhuisen as he was recalled to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers earlier in the week.
The Thunder will head out on the road to face the Bakersfield Condors on Thursday November 14th before returning for a six game homestand.
The Bulls begin a three game homestand with the Idaho Steelheads on Friday November 15th.
Hockey Hair. It’s almost an age-old tradition for male players. The style and cut hasn’t seen much of a change throughout the years, although thankfully mullet popularity has decreased. For men, it’s a wash and go mentality; for women it’s sometimes not that easy. The cold temperatures and the constant movement of skating around the ice can often lead to frizz and snarls. Not to mention your hair coming loose and flying about your helmet while you try to skate red line to red line.
Trying to find that hairstyle that will stay intact from the moment you leave the house until the moment you get back home and every workout, game, practice or daily life scenario in between can be frustrating. While the option of popping home after the rink is viable, occasionally we just don’t have that luxury. For some ice time falls mighty early, mid day or late night; for all of us life goes on at lighting speed once we leave the rink.
Which hairstyles can lead you through your workouts and into the classroom, office, meeting or drinks with friends?
When kids are interested in something, they struggle to understand when their parents say they can’t participate because of costs. In today’s economy, many families struggle to make ends meet and still be able to let their kids participate in sports and other activities. However it is sometimes even harder when it comes to families with a parent in the military who is deployed or worse if the parent has been injured while serving or killed in action. Enter Defending the Blue Line.
Defending the Blue Line is a non-profit organization created by a group of National Guard soldiers from Minnesota. The charity assists families of all branches of the military in the United States and Canada with costs associated with hockey. Their assistance comes in a variety of ways from helping deserving families attend National Hockey League games through tickets to providing financial assistance when it comes to registration fees, free equipment and summer hockey camps.
Many colleges, NHL players, and companies have become involved with this great cause. During the Boston Bruins Military Appreciation Night game against the Tampa Bay Lightning held on Veterans’ Day, November 11, 2013, Patrice Bergeron donated his “Patrice’s Pals” VIP box for the second year to Defending the Blue Line. After the game, those attending will get an opportunity to meet Bergeron and get autographs and pictures.
One of the newest companies to get involved is Upper Deck, the leading sports and entertainment trading card and collectibles company.
Upper Deck announced on Veterans’ Day that they have donated more than 6,000 packs of new NHL cards for Defending the Blue Line to share with kids in the program during the holiday season.
We couldn’t be more excited about helping Defending the Blue Line by providing the organization new packs of NHL cards to be used with kids throughout the holidays.
“We couldn’t be more excited about helping Defending the Blue Line by providing the organization new packs of NHL cards to be used with kids throughout the holidays,” said Jason Masherah, President of Upper Deck. “Upper Deck loves to assist charities involving the military and kids, so to find a charitable organization that targets both those key demographics was very exciting for the company. We are looking forward to continuing our efforts to help the organization in the future, and we know this donation will be a great way to share the fun of collecting NHL cards with these very worthy kids.”
On this day of remembrance many people are saying thanks to those who have served and are serving in the military. One way for that thanks to extend to the family of that service man or woman is through a donation to the Defending the Blue Line charity.
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