All my fellow women hockey players please stand up! Whether you’re 10, 20, 30 or 40 years old, I highly encourage any woman to give playing hockey a try. By try, I mean at least 10 ice times to get a real feel for the game. Why not also get behind-the-mask experiences from the pros to see what a day in the life is really like?
On December 11th, the Chicago Wolves hosted their 6th annual Hockey for Her fundraiser giving women a behind-the-scenes peek at hockey life at the Triphahn Community Center and Ice Arena in Hoffman Estates. All proceeds benefitted Chicago Wolves Charities.
The Wolves players and coaches shared their knowledge on all points of the game from off-ice preparation to the best way to get all those goalie pads on. The event featured appearances by goaltenders Eddie Lack and Matt Climie, right wings Andrew Gordon and Zack Kassian, centre Steve Pinizotto and defenceman Kevin Connauton.
Click here for photos from the event.
Team Canada announced their selection camp roster for the World Juniors this morning. Amongst the 37 players were a few familiar faces; players returning to Team Canada include Dougie Hamilton (BOS), Scott Harrington (PIT), Jonathan Huberdeau (FLA), Boone Jenner (CBJ), Mark Scheifele (WPG), and Ryan Strome (NYI) as well as Edmonton’s Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (injury permitted) and 2013 NHL Draft prospects Nathan McKinnon and Jonathan Drouin. Team Canada is expected to release their official roster Thursday.
Loving hockey is a beautiful thing; for some of us that love never amounts to more than ones ability to be the ultimate fan. For a select few, the love of the game skates glove and glove with talent. That talent is a necessary component in bringing new players to the ice every season, at varying levels.
One talent to look out for now and in the coming years, Massachusetts native Paul Carey (@PaulCarey28). After a successful collegiate career that included two national titles with Boston College, Carey signed a two-year entry level contract with the Avalanche in April. Currently showcasing his skills with Colorado’s AHL affiliate Lake Erie Monsters, Carey was kind enough to answer a few questions for The Pink Puck.
Pink Puck: Who has been the most influential person in your life, hockey wise?
Paul Carey: There are so many people that have influenced me throughout my career, but Coach Jerry York has taught me so much about life on the ice and off the ice.
Pink Puck: How has the transition from college to pro hockey been treating you?
PC: The transition has treated me well. It seems like everyone is bigger and stronger in the AHL in comparison to college, but I have been able to use my speed to create plays and help out defensively. The lifestyle is different too because of all the free time I have now.
Pink Puck: What’s a typical game day like?
PC: My day starts out with a breakfast sandwich and coffee from Starbucks then it’s off to the rink for a pre-game skate. I usually grab a big meal with my roommates, which is usually pasta and chicken. After filling up on food I play some Call of Duty and nap until it’s time to throw the suit on and head to the rink again.
Pink Puck: Playing with Lake Erie, you have an extensive travel schedule. What’s the best city/arena that you’ve played in?
PC: The best city we’ve played in this year is Austin because of the weather and the nicest arena we’ve played in is Houston.
Pink Puck: It’s still early in the season, but what’s your most memorable moment so far?
PC: It has got to be my first professional goal.
Pink Puck: You had a successful run with Boston College, capturing two national titles. What player(s) should Eagles fans watch out for this season?
PC: There are so many good players to watch out for but I’ve got to say my old lineys Pat Mullane and Johnny Gaudreau.
Pink Puck: Lastly, you can only listen to one song on repeat for the rest of your life, what would it be?
PC: That’s easy, Juicy by the Notorious BIG
For more information on Paul or his teammates check out the Lake Erie website!
Some hockey fans may remember the name Jordan Sigalet, playing three seasons in goal with the Providence Bruins and spending the majority of that time as an advocate for MS awareness. Sigalet, diagnosed in 2003 with the disease has had much success both on and off the ice. Currently in his second season as goalie coach for the Abbotsford Heat, the Vancouver Sun recently published a fantastic article about the 31 year old BC native.
Boston Bruins Brad Marchand and Gregory Campbell will be available this Sunday, December 2nd at the Westin Hotel in Providence, RI from 12-2 pm signing autographs. For more information about the singing and cost, visit Your Sports Memorabilia. Following the singing, head next door to watch the Providence Bruins take on the Worcester Sharks. Providence and Worcester have one of the fiercest rivalries in the league; puck drops at 3!
While doing a little shopping of my own at Pure Hockey in Berlin, MA this week, I found a lovely little display of Brady Brady books. I’d never heard of them before, but thought it was worth a mention with the upcoming holidays. Trying to find age appropriate hockey books for the young fans and players in your life can be a bit daunting. Brady is a fun kid that we can all relate to, (I fell victim to reading quite a few of the books while my skates were being sharpened). With the books retailing at $6.95 USD/ $6.99 CDN, it’s an affordable book for any collection and one that any hockey fan (or parent) won’t mind reading on repeat at bedtime.
The Leafs, who have not won a Stanley Cup since 1967, are worth $250 million more than the next most valuable franchise, the New York Rangers. Stanley Cup champions the Los Angeles Kings are worth $276 million, 10th overall according to Forbes Magazine.
The average NHL team is now worth $282 million, 18% more than one year ago. The spread between the rich and poor teams is dramatic. The top five teams – Maple Leafs ($1 billion), New York Rangers ($750 million), Montreal Canadiens ($575 million), Chicago Blackhawks ($350 million) and Boston Bruins ($348 million) are worth $605 million on average. On the other hand, the least valuable Carolina Hurricanes ($162 million), New York Islanders ($155 million), Columbus Blue Jackets ($145 million), Phoenix Coyotes ($134 million) and St. Louise Blues ($130 million) are worth just $145 million on average.
Sunshine states have had enough time to prove that the viability does not work. In time, Quebec will soon have a team, where ground has already been broken for a new area. The City of Seattle has approved a new area, and Portland, where minor league hockey is ever popular, are better cities to house NHL teams than Arizona, North Carolina and Florida where they have remained in the red for some time.
Wishing all of our readers a very Happy Thanksgiving!
The Toronto Marlies are leading – both on and off the ice. The Leafs farm team is being hailed as an inspirational trailblazer joining the You Can Play project to promote LGBT equality in sports. Founded by Patrick Burke, son of Leafs GM Brian Burke, the You Can Play movement has been embraced by many professional athletes and teams; the Marlies own YCP video was released on Monday. For the players, a video simply wasn’t enough.
Urged by head coach, Dallas Eakins, who Burke describes as “a big supporter” of the project, the Marlies created their own pledge.
“At the end of the meeting, a few guys asked us what else they could do to get involved with YCP,” Burke said. “So for the first time we drafted a pledge… The Marlies had it made into two big signs – one for the concourse/fans, one for the locker room – and had every player and coach sign it.”
The Marlies are the first team to sign a pledge banner, which will be hung in both the dressing room and in Ricoh Coliseum, promising respect for all players regardless of race or sexual orientation.
The You Can Play project has seen exponential growth since its inception in February, 2010. YCP began in memory of Brendan Burke, Patrick’s younger brother who was killed in a car accident a few months after coming out publicly in an interview with ESPN.
The Marlies pledge reads as follows:
The Toronto Marlies pledge to support all of our teammates, coaches, and fans – gay or straight. We stand for the idea that athletes should be judged by their character, work ethic, and talent. Not their sexual orientation. Racist, sexist, and homophobic comments have no place in our arena. Everyone contributes. Everyone is valued. Everyone matters. We pledge to make our locker room a place of unity. We pledge to support and encourage each other, on and off the ice. We pledge to make Toronto proud to have us represent them. On behalf of the Toronto Marlies, we pledge: If you can cheer, you can cheer. If you can coach, you can coach. If you can play, You Can Play.
Portland Winterhawks defenceman Seth Jones is the top-ranked WHL skater in NHL Central Scouting’s fall preliminary rankings for the 2013 NHL Draft.
Originally drafted by the Everett Silvertips in the first round of the 2010 WHL Bantam Draft, Jones was acquired by the Winterhawks in May 2012. He is no stranger to professional sports as the son of former NBA player Ronald “Popeye” Jones, who played 535 games over 11 seasons with Dallas, Toronto, Boston, Denver, Washington and Golden State. Although he grew up surrounded by the courts, ice arenas was more appealing to Jones as a fan of the Colorado Avalanche.
Number 2 on the list is Medicine Hat Tigers’ forward Hunter Shinkaruk who has been a force for the Tigers last season scoring 49 goals and 91 points.
Number 3 is Brandon Wheat Kings’ defenceman Ryan Pulock who currently leads WHL defencemen in scoring.
Seattle’s Shea Theodore is the fourth-ranked WHL skater in NHL Central Scouting’s preliminary rankings. The Aldergrove, B.C. product posted 35 points in 69 games as a 16-year-old rookie last season and currently sits among the T-Birds’ scoring leaders this season.
Rounding out the top 5 ranked skaters for the 2013 NHL Draft is Regina Pats’ star forward Morgan Klimchuk.
For a complete list of WHL Players in NHL Central Scouting’s fall preliminary rankings, visit WHL.ca.
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