Sports Cafe & Grille a Neural Site?

Tonight marks the night that the Philadelphia Flyers play the Pittsburgh Penguins during the season. I want to go downtown to Sports Cafe & Grille because it may be my last time to relive my "glory days" of when I used to go there all the time dressed in my Penguins jerseys surrounded by Flyers fans.

There was one time where this Flyers fan shoved me in the back celebrating a Flyers goal. I didn't retaliate because the bartenders threw him out! hehehe... it's good to be one of 'da regulars.

League Invests in Developmental Think-Tank

There may be hope for the National Hockey League as it announced a brand new marketing agreement with the appropriately named, "The Hockey Company".

I can't write it any better than the paragraph or two mentioned in the article taken from NHL.com.

To capitalize on the opportunities and new demands of the agreement, The Hockey Company and the NHL will create a Research and Design Center in Montreal dedicated to developing innovative, high performance apparel products. The new NHL/THC Research and Design Center will serve as a key resource for the development of the NHL Member Teams' authentic uniforms. The agreement also includes an annual multi-million dollar marketing commitment from THC to the NHL and each of the 30 Member Teams.

Safety Netting Just Gets in the Way

I got this article from the Baby Pens Website talking about the growing concern that some hockey fans felt that the new safety netting was obstructing the view of people in the arenas. The First Union Arena at Casey Plaza took some focus group polling and found that the transparent fishing line was less bothersome than black nylon.

Best Buy Commercial Features Hockey Team Fantasy

I'm sure that you've seen some of the Best Buy commercials where the customers get lost in their daydreams while playing with the displays. While watching ESPN waiting for the Thursday night game to come back on, I was really genuinely surprised at the commercial I saw next.

A man dressed in street clothes was on the rink in the middle of a game. It seems as if he is the only one playing. Ducking and weaving on the ice, but from out of nowhere and before he is pancaked along the boards by 4 NHL hockey players in full gear (and recognizable jerseys) he passes to his female companion wife/girlfriend/mistress??) who is also in street clothes, does this great little spin move at center ice and then throws a backhand through the goaltender for a goal! From there the fantasy scenario turns to some reality as the man and lady were shopping at the Best Buy store.

The recognizable team was the Minnesota Wild featured in the commercial. This would make sense since the Best Buy Co., Inc. has their home office in Minneapolis, MN.

Don Cherry Sticks Up for America and National Anthem During Wartime

Ever since I talked about the controversial and shocking story of fans booing the National Anthem, "some guy" named Don Cherry waxes poetic on the issue, which in turn creates a bigger issue. Should athletes and celebrities way in on the war; swaying public opinion? This article from Mark Spector of the National Post delivers an opinion column of the way Cherry addressed the war. In the segment "Coaches Corner" in CBC's broadcast of Hockey Night in Canada, legendary NHL coach Don Cherry gave support to the U.S. for the war on terrorism and condemned his Canadian countrymen for being disrespectful to America for their lack of support.

Don Cherry, always a stand up guy, chose to take some flack, but has not strayed from his "old school" views.

NCAA Women's Championship

Harvard University lost the NCAA Women's Championship to University of Minnesota-Duluth. It took 4:19 left in the second OT for Nora Tallus to put one past goalie Jessica Ruddock.

I'm sure my gals here at Penn State could kick both team's buts!

Expansion Team Wins Playoff Berth

Congratulations to the Minnesota Wild for earning a playoff berth in their 3rd year of existence. The keys to some of their success was the excellent play by Dwayne Rolson and Manny Fernandez who have been platooning the net during the season.

They defeated the division rival Detroit Red Wings in a 2-0 shutout to clinch their post-season play.

Americans Retaliate Booing in Florida

FOX Sports Radio News had reported today that since word had gotten out that our anthem was booed by some really rude canuckleheads in Montreal, the Canadian anthem was booed by many just as rude fans in Florida in retaliation.

Okay guys, this is really getting out of hand. Stop it!!

WCHL Hits Closer To Home

Since I had been early to work, I chose to go to the QWK Rock studio next door and talk to the young lady working Saturday mornings.

She had on this long sleve red t-shirt on. I noticed that there was a little logo on it that looked like the state of Idaho. The blond female D.J. told me that she was originally from there and it was an Idaho Steelheads t-shirt. She told me that is where she was originally from.

I researched the franchise after I told her that I wasn't that familiar with the team. The Steelheads are an WCHL minor league team that plays other west coast teams. The WCHL is comprised of several teams in cities like Las Vegas, Fresno, San Diego, Bakersfield, Long Beach and Ankorage. Idaho is in first place in the WCHL with 100 pts after 65 games played.

Go Idaho!

Canadians President Offers Appology

Thank God for someone in Canada with some class! Montreal Canadians President Pierre Boivin issued this appology:

On behalf of the entire Montreal Canadiens organization, I would like to express my deep regret over the conduct displayed by certain fans prior to Thursday night's game against the New York Islanders.During the performance of The Star Spangled Banner, some of the fans in attendance at the Bell Centre chose to express their political beliefs by jeering the American national anthem. It is our firm belief that this kind of behaviour has no place in the context of professional sports. The Montreal Canadiens organization has always held a high respect for its neighbours and friends in the United States, and we look forward to maintaining this strong and positive relationship. We apologize to anyone who may have been offended by this incident, and would encourage all fans at the Bell Centre to conduct themselves in a manner worthy of our game and our two great nations."

I think I might write this guy and say thanks for trying to set things straight.

Vanbiesbrouck Accused of Using Racial Slurs

From the Ottawa Citizen

The Ontario Hockey League has fined the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds $50,000 and suspended former coach and general manager John Vanbiesbrouck indefinitely from the league for the racial slur (the "n" word") he directed at team captain Trevor Daley.
"It is imperative that the Ontario Hockey League make a strong and unambiguous statement to the effect that any statements or comments of this nature will not be tolerated by the league," Branch said in a release. Vanbiesbrouck may apply after five years for reinstatement, he said.

Cute, guys. Real cute.

I am not in the kind of mood to hear this news. I'm not defending at all for what he did, it was wrong and that word should be erased from American-English lingo, but my gosh!! The thought police are on a roll! Way to take a man's livelyhood for one stupid remark.

Like I said.. I'm not having a good week and just reports like this are rubbing me the wrong way.

Canadians Boo American Anthem at Hockey Game

Canadians that boo us during our National Anthem at the time we are trying to do the good thing and take down a dictator that will surely kill us all in a bink of an eye.

Okay.. this is going too far.

Classless people, truely classless.

[Via: NY Post]

Straka Reaches Career Point Total Milestone

Tonight Martin Straka scored his 500th career point against the Detroit Red Wings at home by scoring a terrific backhanded goal on Manny Legace. Congrats to him! Unfortunately, The Pens lost another one 5-1 tonight.

Sundin Reaches Career Point Milestone

Congratulations to Mats Sundin for scoring his 1,000 career point in a game at Edmonton yesterday.
Upon returning to the bench, he picked up the puck, pitched it to a equipment manager and plopped down in his seat. Job well done, Mats!

NHL Trading Deadline Highlights

Well, the deadline for the NHL to trade was at 1 PM MST.

Many teams went nuts trading for draft picks, vying for the best player to get them either into the playoff hunt or carried through the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Lots of key veterans, overpriced and taking up salary on teams that can't afford to keep them, guys like Tone Amonte wound up with his best frien Jeremy Roenick and the Philadelphia Flyers. Phil Housley went to the Toronto Maple Leafs along with old man Doug Gilmour.

If you are a Penguins fan, you are pissed like me to see the entire team get thrown away and young guys only making $40,000 a year.

Leafs Trade Prospects for Owen Nolan

After returning to State College from a brief vacation to see my brother perform as The Near Professionals, I checked my email & the news around the NHL world.

I was surprised to see that the San Jose Sharks had traded Owen Nolan to the Toronto Maple Leafs. In return, they got Alyn McCauley and Erie Otters standout Brad Boyes.

The trade looks great to the Maple Leafs who are looking to a strong push towards the playoffs. Their offence was lagging a little and looked for a way to boost a quiet Mats Sundin. I was really impressed with Brad Boyes having seen him play in Erie for major Junior OHL hockey. He looked to be a great prospect. Both new S.J. Sharks Boyes and McCauley have both been rumored to be offered to the Penguins for Alexei Kovalev.

The trading deadline for the National Hockey League is March 11th.

Yahoo! Fantasy Hockey League Update

Okay... so I got my brother, my best friend, and my radio co-worker into a Yahoo! Fantasy Hockey league over the internet. For the most of the begining of the season, I was ahead in point totals. Then, people started to lose interest because it wasn't fair that the one guy running the leage was ahead. It wasn't any fun.

After teaching some tricks and advising the other players, I found myself and my team in a serious scoring slump. I am now in last place. The Ruthless Agression has now been reduced to a mild advancement.

I have now decreed that for the rest of the year my players will wear a patch with "WTF"

Sergei's Secret Love

This week's The Hockey News has a cover story that has the hockey world gone ape shit.

Sergei Fedorov, center for the Detroit Red Wings has admitted in an article that he did have a serious fling with tennis/model (and fellow Russian) Anna Kournikova. In the article, he admits to a brief marriage to her. Something like this was kept a very closely guarded secret, but comments by Barry Melrose would have you believe that it is not that big of a deal to a hockey team such as a Detroit. They all new about Sergei and Anna's relationship.

I think Sergei is one of the luckiest guys on the Earth! But much like most Hollywood marriages, it never works out due to conflicts in interest. Stars and famous celebrities often marry or "hook up" because very few people can relate to fame the way other stars do. Sergei and Anna have similar cultures and used to the limelight, working in America they more than likely formed a common bond. However, the questionable nature of their relationship is that Anna is very very young. Sergei and Anna were also never in the same country together long enough to make a relationship work. The constant traveling and touring that celebrity pro athletes have to do is very stressful and makes for a life of living out of a suitcase. Their eventual split was no doubt an effect of the aforementioned problems.

NHL 2night Lends Stanley Cup Prediction

While flipping through the channels & getting my weekly Monday Night "Stratusfaction". I watched a little bit of the NY Rangers and NY Islanders game. During the intermission, the ESPN Commentators John Buccigross and Barry Melrose gave their picks for the Stanley Cup Finals.

• Barry: New Jersey and Dallas


• John: Toronto and Detroit

I would like to agree with fellow Pittsburgh fan Buccigross be right, but Barry knows the teams better. Since I hope Pittsburgh overachieves and sneaks into the playoffs I'd natually pick them for the finals. Realistically, I'd want the two other favorite teams to root for to get to the playoffs. I have a growing respect for the history and tradition for the Toronto Maple Leafs. They have a realistic chance of making it in the Stanley Cup finals representing the Eastern Conference. The team that surprised the leage in the Western Conference is the team currently sitting in 6th place. The Minnesota Wild should surprise somebody and play spoilers in the playoffs like the San Jose Sharks a few years ago.

• Mike: Ottawa and Vancouver

Today in Hockey History 1920

Montreal Canadiens set an NHL record for most goals in a single game. Montreal defeated the Bulldogs 16-3 in Quebec City.

ACHA Divisions 1 and 2 Championship Tournaments

ACHA D-I Championships @ Athens, OH (Ohio University-Bird Arena)

#2 Penn State is looking for a 4-peat and 7th national title overall.

Today they face off today at 2:00pm

ACHA Division II Championships @ Anaheim, CA (USC-Disney Ice)

#2-Northeast, Penn State (D-II) and #3-Southeast, Indiana University of Pennsylvania both look for their first ever national championship. Both teams have been to the 16-team dance several times in the past few years.

IUP begins with #2-West, Colorado State today at 12:45pm on the NHL rink and PSU takes on #3-West, Weber State at 4:00pm on the Olympic Rink.