The Tampa Bay Lightning and General Manager Steve Yzerman had a busy offseason, even if it was just signing integral pieces of its current lineup to new contracts.
It all started with the Lightning signing its associate coach, Rick Bowness, to a multiyear extension. Then on June 24, the Lightning had its first of many player contract extensions. They resigned defenseman Luke Witkowski to a one-year, two-way contract. Also, forwards Cedric Paquette and J.T. Brown signed new two-year NHL contract extensions. Yzerman then traded defenseman Anthony DeAngelo to the Arizona Coyotes for a second round 2016 draft pick. The big news heading into the following days was that Lightning Captain Steven Stamos was set to become a unrestricted free agent. Rumors were flying that he could possibly sign with the Lightning, Detroit Red Wings or the Toronto Maple Leafs.
On June 29, the Lightning resigned its Captain to a new eight year contract, and taking him off the free agent market. It was an eight year contract with a cap hit of $8.5 million. The next order of business for Yzerman and the Lightning was July 1, which just happened to be the day that NHL Free Agency started.
The day started off with the Lightning extended its top defenseman, Victor Hedman, to a new eight-year, $63 million contract that will have a $7.875 million cap hit starting in the 2017-18 season. Next up, the backup goalie, Andrei Vasilevskiy, was signed to a new three-year contract with a cap hit of $3.5 million starting in the 2017-18 season. The Lightning then added some depth to the organization with the free agent signing of forward Michael Bournival to a one-year, two-way contract. Forwards Gabriel Dumont, Jeremy Morin and Pierre-Luc Letrouneau-LeBlond were also signed to one-year, two-way contracts as more organizational depth for the Lightning’s AHL Affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch.
On July 2, goalie Kristers Gudlevskis was signed to a one-year, two way contract to remain in the organization, most likely playing with the Crunch this upcoming season. Yzerman and the Lightning then took a few days off, but were back at it on July 9, when they signed forward Mike Halmo to a one-year, two-way contract. Perhaps the most surprising offseason move by the Lightning was the signing of Cory Conacher to a one-year, one-way contract. He was with the team previously, but was traded
There were still a few big name Lightning players out there that were unsigned specifically restricted free agents Alex Killorn, Nikita Kucherov, Vladislav Namestnikov and Nikita Nesterov. Yzerman managed to get Killorn signed to a new seven-year contract with a cap hit of $4.45 million per season. Vladislav Namestnikov was signed to a new two-year contract and forward Yanni Gourde was signed to a one-year, two-way contact.
The Lightning and Yzerman did a great job of taking care of its own young players for the future while bringing in some depth for the Syracuse Crunch. There is still work to be done since Nikita Kucherov and Nikita Nesterov still are without contracts, but overall the Lighting were one of the offseason winners.
As the on-ice practices of training camp began in Boston on Friday, in addition to the absences of those playing in the World Cup of Hockey, it was also noticed that Frank Vatrano wasn’t on the ice in the Spoked-B practice sweater. Saturday, after both on-ice shifts Boston Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney announced that the injury to Vatrano would result in surgery.
Unfortunately Vatrano tore some ligaments in his left foot while training just before camp was to begin. After evaluation it was determined that he would need to undergo surgical repair, which he will have done by Dr. George Theodore at Massachusetts General Hospital on Monday, September 26, 2016. The recovery time is expected to take three months.
This is certainly a hurdle that Vatrano would change if he could. The East Longmeadow, Massachusetts native appeared in 39 games with the Bruins during the 2015-16 season, where he scored eight goals and three assists for 11 points with 14 penalty minutes.
The 22-year-old was then assigned to the American Hockey League’s Providence Bruins, Boston’s AHL affiliate during the season. He would take the AHL by storm, averaging one goal per game with 36 goals in 36 games to lead the AHL during the season, despite playing half as many games as the others in the minor league.
While playing in Providence he potted the puck for three hat tricks and six multi-goal games. He was also able to add 19 assists for 55 total points. His point total put him fourth in line for the highest point totals on the Providence Bruins this past season.
He clearly was looking forward to pushing for a permanent spot with the Boston club, so this is a set back. However, the diminutive forward has shown throughout his career that nothing eventually gets in his way. The undrafted University of Massachusetts Minuteman, who signed with the Bruins during his sophomore year, was a product of the USHL that helped his development and where he represented the USA twice.
There were a total of 42 prospects that were split into two teams. One team was coached by former Philadelphia Flyers forward and US Hockey Hall of Famer, John LeClair. The other team was coached by former Flyers’ defenseman and U.S. Hockey Hall of Famer, Mark Howe. The game was played in Philadelphia for the first time in its five year history as part of the Flyers 50th Anniversary season. The game is meant to put a spotlight on some top U.S.-born prospects eligible for the 2017 Entry Draft.
Team LeClair defeated Team Howe by a score of 6-4. Team LeClair did have two penalties in the game, but Team Howe couldn’t capitalize on those chances. Team LeClair made the best of its opportunities scoring on six of its 21 shots, while Team Howe only scored on four of its 31 shots. While four players for Team LeClair were a minus for the game; nine of the prospects on Team Howe finished even or a plus player for the game.
The name of the game Thursday night was offense, which was to be expected since most of the prospects are known for their offensive skills. There were 10 goals scored between the two teams. There were some nice defensive plays and the prospects weren’t afraid to throw their weight around at times that night as well. All four of the goalies saw time between the pipes since there were scouts at the game.
Adam Scheel, who plays for the USNTDP team of the USHL, started the game for Team Howe and allowed three goals on the seven shots that he faced in about 30:00 of action. Team LeClair decided to start Jake Oettinger, a Boston University commit, who stopped 12 of the 14 shots he faced in a little over 30:00 of ice time. Keith Petruzzelli, who currently plays for the Muskegon Lumberjacks, had the tougher of the two goalies for Team Howe. He faced 14 shots and stopped 11 of them. He made some really solid saves on during his time in net with some highlight reel stops while some were just because he was in the right position to make them. Cayden Primeau, of the USHL Lincoln Stars and a Northeastern University commit, stopped 17 of the 19 shots he faced last night, and seemed to be square to the shooter most of the night, but he did allow a few big rebounds.
The top line of Patrick Khodorenko (Michigan State University commit), Casey Mittelstadt (University of Minnesota commit), and Kailer Yamamoto (playing with the WHL Spokane Chiefs) looked really good last night. The trio seemed to have extended time in the offensive zone almost every shift. They seemed to be around the puck all night long. If they didn’t actually have the puck then the trio was willing to work to get it, making a play to either clear the defensive zone or make something out of nothing in the offensive zone. It led to Mittelstadt finishing with two goals on the night, whie Yamamoto had two assists. Mittelstadt would eventually get Player of the Game honors.
Team LeClair didn’t have one specific player stand out, but made it a team effort. Yes, Brannon McManus had a goal and two assists but he did it quietly. Primeau had a decent night in goal. The team just seemed more in sync and their passes were crisper than those by Team Howe. There were things to work on, for both teams, but then no team ever plays a perfect hockey game. The difference was that Team LeClair looked like they’d been playing together all season long.
Team LeClair jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the second period, but allowed Team Howe to tie the game with just over 17 seconds left in the second period. The game was 3-3 going into the third, but then Team LeClair just took the game back and Team Howe didn’t have enough to get back in the game.
Both teams put on a show for the crowd while the players showed off their abilities for the scouts in attendance.
Friday marked the first on-ice day of the Boston Bruins’ pre-season training camp, something they have come to know with as much familiarity as traveling at high rates of speed on skates. However, this year’s training camp is anything but the same old camp. The team has a bright, brand new practice facility and because of the World Cup of Hockey, which has entered it’s semi-final stage, some of the veterans are not there as they continue to represent their countries in Toronto. In fact, head coach Claude Julien isn’t even in Boston, as he is behind the bench as an assistant coach with Team Canada, the favorite to win the World Cup of Hockey tournament. However, Julien did hop a plane so he could be at the off-ice opening day of this season’s training camp on Thursday to let the players know he’s keeping an eye on them and that he has great faith in his assistant coaches.
The players being who they are, though they clearly miss their core leaders for the moment, their absence certainly hasn’t stopped the others from jumping in with true commitment on day one. And not all the veterans are in Toronto. Both defenseman Torey Krug and forward David Krejci were on the ice in Boston, having been cleared to play after going through off-season surgeries. For Krejci, his recovery forced him to make a decision to opt out of Team Czech in the World Cup of Hockey to ensure he would be at his best when the Bruins season begins.
Adam McQuaid (Photo: Alan Sullivan)
“It is a little different obviously missing a few guys,” said veteran defenseman Adam McQuaid. “It’s still the beginning of training camp and there’s still that element of wanting to be ready for the season and get sharper and sharper and prove your worth out there.”
It’s a little bit different, for sure, you know, missing especially some of the important players,” concurred newly contracted forward Dominic Moore. “The most important players on the team—obviously everyone’s important on the team. But these are the guys that are leaders and so we’ll be excited when they get back.”
Captain Zdeno Chara (Team Europe), assistant captain Patrice Bergeron (Team Canada) and Brad Marchand (Team Canada) are those still actively playing. However, Tuukka Rask (Team Finland), David Backes (Team USA) and David Pastrnak (Team Czech), while eliminated, are traveling back to Boston and will be evaluated and slotted in. Pastrnak actually stopped by the training facility to say hello to his teammates and before he knew it he was back in a media scrum with everyone wanting to know about his game and his development. So some things never change.
Getting back to the new Warrior Ice Arena in which the team has now begun to call home, it is indeed a fine building. Everything is state-of-the-art and it is clear that the Bruins’ ownership believes in their team, having invested so much in the new site. With their own chef, dietician, and players’ lounge, one wonders if they will ever check in at home.
During the grand opening, which took place September 8, media were invited to wander around checking out all the rooms from the locker room to the equipment room, the strength and conditioning room to the medical room. Well, as most expected it has not taken long for the team to settle in and for that new building smell to be overcome by “hockey smell.” Of course, that just means that everything is on schedule for the coming season.
The team continues their on-ice practice sessions this weekend at Warrior Ice Arena beginning at 10:45am on Saturday and Sunday. It’s open to the public, so if you’re in the neighborhood, you may want to stop by and see the depth in the Bruins’s roster.
The game featured 42 of the top U.S. born players eligible for the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. Of those 42 players, 35 are on the 2016-17 Central Scouting Futures List, which means they have the potential to be selected in the first three rounds of the 2016-17 NHL Entry Draft.
The players represent 18 different states and six different hockey leagues. There are 33 players that have roots in the USHL, which is the top junior league in the United States and it prepares players to compete in NCAA Division I programs and even the NHL. There are 30 players verbally committed to NCAA hockey programs.
Mark Howe (Photo: Centpacrr at en.wikipedia)
The coaches for the game were be John LeClair and Mark Howe.The two are former Philadelphia Flyers and U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Members. Howe spent 16 seasons in the NHL and 10 of them with the Flyers, while LeClair also spent 10 seasons with the Flyers.
John LeClair (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
The rosters for each team include some notable players such as Cayden Primeau, son of former NHL player Keith Primeau, who is one of the goaltenders for Team LeClair. Kyle MacLean, son of former NHL player John MacLean, was on Team LeClair. Casey Mittelstadt and Kailer Yamamoto were on the Team Howe roster. For the full rosters and more information on the game, you can visit www.allamericanprospectsgame.com
This is the first time in the five years of the game that it has been held in Philadelphia. The CCM/USA All-American Prospects Game is one of two events being held in Philadelphia as part of the Flyers 50th Anniversary season. The other event will be the induction of the nominees into the US Hockey Hall of Fame. It was previously held in Pittsburgh, New York and Buffalo.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS ANNOUNCE ‘FREE’ ALUMNI GAME SUNDAY DURING
TRAINING CAMP FESTIVITIES IN HALIFAX
Tickets previously purchased to be refunded as team hosts free charity game to thank East Coast Leaf fans
As the Toronto Maple Leafs begin preparations this week for the official start to the team’s Centennial Anniversary, a collection of distinguished Leafs Alumni will play an exhibition game against the Halifax Mariners at Scotiabank Centre on Sunday, September 25 at 7 p.m. The game is one of several activities the team is participating in during training camp from September 23-26 in Halifax.
The Maple Leafs roster for the Alumni game will feature four past captains, two Hall of Famers and a 50-goal scorer. Among the players in attendance are:
Darryl Sittler Rick Vaive Brad Marsh Todd Warriner
Wendel Clark Dan Daoust Tomas Kaberle Bob McGill
Doug Gilmour Tom Fergus Tiger Williams Nik Antropov
Ric Nattress Shayne Corson J.S. Giguere Dave Hutchison
“We’re excited about the chance to return to Halifax for our Centennial Anniversary training camp and making this Alumni game free to our fans was a great way we thought to say thank you to the city and our fans here for their tremendous support,” said Brendan Shanahan, Toronto Maple Leafs President and Alternate Governor. “Some of the most beloved players in Leafs history are coming to Halifax to participate in the game and help make this a very special start to our season.”
To pick up their free tickets to the alumni game, fans are able to visit participating Atlantic Superstore outlets in person or go online by visiting http://www.ticketatlantic.com/en/home/events/maple-leafs-alumni-game/info.aspx. A $2 administration service charge will apply to tickets booked online. Tickets will be limited to four per person.
Fans that previously purchased tickets to the alumni game online or over the phone will have an automatic refund of their payment applied to the credit card used to purchase their tickets. Their tickets, seats and barcodes are all still valid for entry. Please allow 5-7 business days for the refund to reflect on your statement. For tickets purchased in person at the box office or Superstore outlets, they must be brought to the Ticket Atlantic box office at the Scotiabank Centre for the refund prior to game time on Sunday, September 25. Call 902-451-1221 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. with any questions.
A donation from the game will also be made to the Halifax & Region Military Family Resource Centre, a not-for-profit organization that aims to strengthen the well-being of those who share the unique experience of military life.
“We’re looking forward to starting the Centennial Season celebrations in the great city of Halifax as part of the Maple Leafs training camp,” said Wendel Clark, Toronto Maple Leafs Community Ambassador and Alumnus. “Not only will it be great to take to the ice with some of my former teammates, but also help make a positive impact on the lives of military families.”
To receive information for all Centennial Season events and activities, fans can sign up for Leafs Nation by visiting: MapleLeafs.com/LeafsNation.
The game will be held on Thursday, September 22 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
They are CCM-designed jerseys that also include matching gloves, helmets, pants and socks for the two teams competing. The blue jersey, which Team Howe will be wearing, consists of a blue body with red sleeves. The numbers on the back will be white trimmed in red. The white jersey, which Team LeClair will be wearing, consists of a white body with blue sleeves. The players’ numbers on the back will be red trimmed in blue. Both of the jerseys will have a big logo on the front that says, “USA Hockey CCM All-American Prospects Game Philadelphia, Pennsylvania” On one of the sleeves will be the Flyers logo, while the other sleeve will contain another logo and the players’ number.
The roster will feature 42 of the top American-born prospects eligible for the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. Of those 42 players, 35 of them are on the NHL Central Scouting List, which contains players that have the potential to be selected in the first three rounds of the draft.
A few notable players are Cayden Primeau who is the son of Keith Primeau. Keith is a former Philadelphia Flyers teammate of John LeClair. Kyle MacLean is the sone of former NHL player, John MacLean. There are 33 players that are either committed to college or about to begin their first collegiate season. Of the 42 players, 33 of them have ties to the USHL, which is the top junior league in the United States.
This is the first time that the game will be held in Philadelphia. The three cities where the game was previously held are Buffalo, New York and Pittsburgh.
The Philadelphia Flyers, veterans and rookies alike, will be hitting the ice on September 23 to open up training camp.
The Flyers will hold training camp at the Virtua Center Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees, NJ. There are 64 total players at this year’s camp including the seven players that will be representing their countries at the World Cup of Hockey. The players will be separated into two different groups, which means two different practice sessions on Friday and Saturday.
On Friday and Saturday, one group will take the ice from 9:45 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. while the other group will be on the ice from 1:15 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. On Sunday the players will skate from 10:20-10:50 a.m. and then play a scrimmage game from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00p.m. All on-ice sessions at Virtua Center Flyers Skate Zone are free and open to the public.
This year the fans in attendance from Friday, September 23 to Sunday, September 25 will have a chance to get some giveaways at each practice session. A Flyers 50th Anniversary jersey will be available to purchase during the weekend of activities as well. All updated on-ice practices past the first weekend of training camp can be found at philadelphiaflyers.com or by following the team’s official Twitter account (@NHLFlyers).
After a weekend of skating and playing a scrimmage, the Flyers preseason starts on Monday, September 26 with a split-squad session. One team will visit the New Jersey Devils while the other squad visits the New York Islanders.The next night Tuesday, 9/27 the Isanders visit the Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center. On Wednesday, 9/28, the Devils face the Flyers at the PPL Center, home of the Flyers’ AHL Affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
The Flyers then get a break and have a few days off until the Boston Bruins come to town on Saturday, October 1. The New York Rangers then visit the Flyers on Monday, 10/3 and then the Flyers visit the Rangers on Thursday, 10/6. The last preseason game for the Flyers will be on Saturday, 10/8 when they visit the Bruins.
The Flyers open the season on the road against the Los Angeles Kings on Friday, 10/14. The home opener for the Orange and Black is on Thursday, 10/20 against the Anaheim Ducks.
TORONTO (Sept. 14, 2016) – While the world’s best players face off in the World Cup of Hockey at the Air Canada Centre, Toronto’s historic Distillery District will host the Scotiabank World Cup of Hockey Fan Village, the biggest free hockey fan festival in tournament history and the epicenter of the two-week international tournament. From Sept. 16 through Sept. 25, Fan Village will offer daily, can’t-miss live musical performances; special appearances from World Cup players, NHL Alumni and 2016 Olympians; chances for premium prizes and giveaways; international food offerings; hockey skills challenges and attractions; big screen viewing parties for every game of the tournament; cultural experiences; and much, much more.
A full schedule of events, directions, transportation information, maps and fan reminders are available at wch2016.com/fanvillage.
Scotiabank World Cup of Hockey Fan Village Super Weekend
While the celebration may begin on Sept. 16 with the Pepsi World Cup of Hockey Premiere Party, the merriment continues with Scotiabank World Cup of Hockey Fan Village Super Weekend. Fans visiting on Saturday, Sept. 17 and Sunday, Sept. 18 will get the chance to win more than $8,000 CAD in prizes, including two (2) economy class Air Canada tickets valid to anywhere in North America (including Hawaii); a Samsung Galaxy S7 smartphone and Samsung Gear Fit 2; a digitally-signed Team Canada Molson Canadian Fridge; or a one-year supply of free Tim Hortons coffee.
Opening weekend also will feature special appearances from World Cup of Hockey defensemen Morgan Rielly of Team North America (Sept. 17) and Brent Burns of Team Canada (Sept. 18) and former NHL players Adam Graves (Sept. 17) and Theo Fleury (Sept. 17). Visit wch2016.com/fanvillage for times.
Distillery Fan Village & East Fan Village
The Scotiabank World Cup of Hockey Fan Village is comprised of the Distillery District, renamed ‘Distillery Fan Village,’ and the nearby untouched lot east of Cherry Street known as ‘East Fan Village’ for the 10-day festival. East Fan Village will feature a wide variety of free hockey attractions and interactives; the Pepsi Live Main Stage for musical performances, special guest appearances and viewing parties; the World Cup of Hockey official flagship store; a World Cup trophy display; and an international food café, plus more. The Distillery Fan Village will host the Young Fans Zone; the Stanley Cup trophy display; World Cup Tower; the World Stage for viewing parties and special appearances and performances; and food offerings from the participating hockey nations among other activities. (Media note: Maps of Fan Village are available here.)
Public Hours of Operation, Getting to Fan Village & Schedule of Events
The Scotiabank World Cup of Hockey Fan Village will be free and open to the public on Saturday, Sept.17 from 11:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.; Sunday, Sept. 18 from 11:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.; Monday, Sept. 19 from 2:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.; Tuesday, Sept. 20 from 11:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.; Wednesday, Sept. 21 from 2:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.; Thursday, Sept. 22 from 2:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 24 from 11:00 a.m. – 11 p.m.; and Sunday, Sept. 25 from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. The Fan Village will be open for paid ticketed concerts on Friday, Sept. 16 from 3:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. and Friday, Sept. 23 from 3:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Fan Village at the Distillery District is best accessed via public transportation (TTC). Fans should utilize buses and street cars that operate in the area. In addition to the TTC, World Cup of Hockey shuttles will run every 10-15 minutes and depart from Bay Street between Harbour Street and Queens Quay, two blocks south of the Air Canada Centre and Union Station.
For Fan Village schedule updates and news, follow @NHL and join the conversation via the official hashtag #WCH2016.
Below are some highlights from the 10-day, free fan festival:
Special Guest Appearances: Team North America defenseman Morgan Rielly (Sept. 17); Team Canada defenseman Brent Burns (Sept. 18); Former NHL players Adam Graves (Sept. 17), Theo Fleury (Sept. 17), Mike Weaver (Sept. 17), Todd Harvey (Sept. 17), Darcy Tucker (Sept. 20), Lanny McDonald (Sept. 20); women’s hockey legend Cassie Campbell Pascal (Sept. 20); 2016 Olympians (Sept. 23); illusionist Darcy Oake (Sept. 24); and more to be announced in the coming days.
Live Music: Pepsi World Cup of Hockey Premiere Party headlined by The Killers with special guests Sam Roberts Band and Daya; (Sept. 16; tickets via ticketmaster.ca); Theo Fleury & The Death Valley Rebels (Sept. 17); Choir Choir Choir & Canadian Covers (Sept. 17); ABBA Mania (Sept. 18); country music star Tim Hicks (Sept. 21); World Cup of Hockey Celebration of Champions featuring Green Day (Sept. 23; tickets via ticketmaster.ca); Francesco Yates (Sept. 24); plus much more.
Young Fans Zone at Distillery Fan Village: Hosted by Mark ’Suki‘ Suknanan, best known for Canada’s top-rated kids show, “The Zone,“ the young fans zone in the Distillery Fan Village will feature kid-friendly entertainment, including daily games, face painting, DIY crafts, cheer squads and costume characters; Paw Patrol appearances (Sept. 18, Sept. 24-25); “Brady Brady“ (Sept. 17-18) and ”Hero the Hero“ (Sept. 17) author readings; daily screenings of the classic hockey film, “The Sweater”; and much more.
Legacy Project: 100 new Canadians will be sworn in as Canadian citizens in a special ceremony with presiding official Cassie Campbell-Pascall (Sept. 20).
Attractions, Interactives & Experiences
Sign up for the free Scotiabank Fan Passport to receive information on on-site activities, collect and share moments, and enter for a chance to win a grand prize of two tickets to a luxury suite for Game 2 of the World Cup of Hockey Final with NHL Alumni.
The Scotiabank 360 Arena will give fans the chance for a virtual reality viewing experience, and youth hockey players can test their skills in real life at the Scotiabank Sport Pad ball hockey rink.
Fans of legal drinking age looking for the ultimate hockey challenge can face off in the first-of-its-kind Molson Canadian Human Bubble Hockey three-on-three experience.
Fans 19 and older can stop by the Molson Canadian Hockey House for a $10 entry fee, can enjoy live musical performances, NHL alumni and special meet-and-greets – including visits from Miss Canada Anastasia Lin and Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi play-by-play announcer Harnarayan Singh – World Cup of Hockey trophy viewings, and premium food and ice cold beer.
Come visit the Samsung #GALAXYLIFE tent to compete in daily Air Hockey Challenges for a chance to win tickets to World Cup of Hockey 2016 games and Samsung products.
Hone your hockey skills at the SAP Skills Challenge Zone with four hockey skill games as well as leaderboards with stats, and player and puck tracking videos.
Stop by the World Cup Today, a large-scale, immersive experience that informs hockey fans about the tournament’s history and spectacular moments from The Canada Cup and the first two World Cup tournaments. World Cup Today is a must-see anchor of Fan Village, with new and up-to-the-moment game artifacts on display daily, including player of the game jerseys, game-winning pucks and action-weathered player sticks, among other items.
Discover the highly anticipated 2017 Civic Hatchback in the Honda Tailgate tent while tailgating with the All-New 2017 Ridgeline. Plus, enter the #CivicSeats contest for a chance to win World Cup tickets.
Visit the Rogers Fan Hub for innovative and technology-driven interactive experiences, showcasing virtual and augmented reality to unite fans and players from all over the world.
Visiting adidas’ team-themed Zamboni brand ice resurfacing machines and take the adidas #GetMeToTheGame social photo daily challenge for the chance to win two tickets to World Cup games.
Step inside the Pepsi World Cup of Hockey photo experience to share your passion for your favourite team in a 360 shareable photo.
Enjoy live musical performances and unite with thousands of fans to watch every World Cup game on giant screens at the Pepsi Live Main Stage.
Stop by the Tim Hortons Coffee Truck for a free cup of Canada’s favourite coffee.
Visit the 2,600 square feet Fanatics Authentic store for officially-licensed World Cup merchandise and memorabilia.
Sonnet – Canada’s smart new insurance, done completely online – is celebrating the optimism of Canadian hockey fans at this year’s World Cup of Hockey. Check out the Sonnet Cheer Station to share your hockey excitement and focus on the best that can happen.
Watch for Esso brand representatives to receive PRICE PRIVILEGES™ cards.
Make a free personalized hockey card and check out the latest and greatest in hockey cards and memorabilia at the Upper Deck and Tim Hortons Trading Card Zone.
In April, Sarah Spain and Julie DiCaro allowed themselves to be videoed while sitting across from men who read comments directed to the two female sports reporters that had been posted on various social media networks. As the men read the comments they were visibly uncomfortable, often unable to look the two women in the eyes and in some instances unable to finish reading the message. Let’s be clear, the men reading the comments were not the individuals who had written them. One has to wonder if those who actually wrote the horrific comments would have ever even considered saying them to the two women in person. Unlikely not.
Yes, I realize that this event is likely categorized under “old news” in this era of 10-second news cycles, but a recent cyber bully event directed at the girlfriend of a hockey player brought it to mind again—along with so many of the other comments that are directed at “celebrities” on a daily basis.
This weekend, for whatever reason, a parody Twitter account that I will not even name so as not to give him the limelight he so desperately seeks, decided that it would be appropriate to taunt the girlfriend of a former Belfast Giant with graphic tweets of a sexual and completely inappropriate nature. Fortunately the backlash of Twitter users resulted in the deletion of the tweets, which sadly doesn’t happen often enough.
(Photo: Cyberbullying.org)
The anonymity of the keyboard gives the biggest of cowards a feeling of superiority and power. The fact that they cannot see the reaction of the human to whom they are spewing their abuse makes it all the easier for them to continue.
There have been horrible things sent to wives and girlfriends of hockey players before, usually blaming them for the level of play of their spouse or significant other. This was one of the first examples that I was aware of in which the girlfriend was bullied in this manner with sexual abuse and props.
Cyber bullying is often mentioned in regard to schools, but it is not limited to them, nor is it a new thing. While laws are beginning to catch up to technology, the taunts of cyber bullies continue. Some of the comments that were directed to Sarah Spain and Julie DiCarlo were violent in nature.
I had my life threatened via email many years ago, long before “cyber bullying” was even a term. It ultimately resulted in police being involved—though the laws were far behind the times then—and the person making the threats creating multiple fake online identities. As the online company with whom I had a professional connection would shut one down, the person would create another. It was an education for sure. That abuse though was directed at me because the individual felt I had wronged him in some way online.
Unlike the taunts directed at Sarah and Julie, when I was being threatened it had nothing to do with the sports world, or a female being in the sports world. In fact, it was the innocuous world of genealogy—family history—well known as an interest to women. I mention this to show that such bullies can be found everywhere.
In the case of the event this weekend it stemmed from the fact that over the summer the hockey player elected to sign a contract with another team for the coming season. Perhaps if he had done so to be closer to his girlfriend a person with no morals could justify picking on her. The reality in this instance was that he is now farther away from his girlfriend and he made the decision that was best for his career. So now in addition to seeing her boyfriend even less she has been subjected to a vile online attack.
There is absolutely no excuse for the types of hate and violence that cyber bullies post. Perhaps if more individuals reacted the way the Belfast Giants and EIHL hockey fans did this weekend, more such horrible messages would be pulled. Sadly, the parody account is still active.
No one deserves the treatment this girlfriend was subjected to this weekend. Just because it is bits and bytes instead of sticks and stones doesn’t make it hurt any less. No one, regardless of their job, deserves to be threatened or taunted with violence.
The next time you see such a post online, perhaps you will consider how you would feel if you were the subject of such a taunt. Then perhaps instead of ignoring it, you will call out the cyber bully and get the company behind the social media involved so that it can be deleted.
It’s okay for people to be angry. It’s okay for them to be disappointed when a favorite player doesn’t return. What isn’t okay is to textually attack that person or any of their family or friends. Some of us are strong enough to consider the source and dismiss the cowards, but some will take it to heart and the outcome could be disastrous.
Note: This was updated to address that the tweeter deleted his tweet. He has also since apologized to the party he offended.
Update 13 Sep 2016: The individual has also deleted his parody account and seems genuinely sorry for what he did.
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