The 2011 NHL All Star Game

The 2011 NHL All-Star Weekend is upon us and it is and event that is very near and dear to my heart. Through my Uncle’s connection,s I attended many sporting events but my favorites were always the NHL All-Star Games. I went to four between 1998-2001 (during the peak of my hockey career) and I have to say that during their hay-day the NHL really knew how throw a party.

This year’s festivities kick off today at 5pm with the first ever All-Star Fantasy draft. I have alluded to different marketing strategies the NHL has undertaken in the past like the Winter Classic, different rules, and they have made their latest move with the selection of the All-Star Teams. Instead of leaving it up to the fans to select the teams and having the Yao Mings of the world start just because they are the fan favorite, when he has played 7 games in the last 4 years, the NHL has taken a completely new strategy.

With the growing popularity in fantasy sports, the NHL was smart enough to recognize an opporunity that is really exciting. They picked two Captains and are letting them pick their own teams “playground style,” much like a fantasy draft. This year’s captains are Nicklaus Lidstrom of the Detroit Red Wings and Eric Staal of the host, Carolina Hurricanes. Lidstrom is one of the best defenseman of all time and it was smart in choosing Staal for the hometown team bringing as many fans from Carolina as possible.

The NHL has dabbled with many broken strategies in the past varying from opposing conferences, World vs. North America, among others and I really am excited to see how this version of selection pans out. There is the possibility that teammates can actually play against each other, although they probably won’t, the fact that it could happen definitely adds some more tension to the fantasy draft. Not only that but they are given the free rein to trade players much like MTV Rock n’ Jock did back in the day with Las Vegas Local and Palms Hotel regular,  “The Big Hurt” Frank Thomas.

The actual All-Star Game isn’t until Sunday afternoon at 1pm but there are plenty of other exciting events throughout All-Star Weekend. The Superskills Challenge which, I feel is extremely underrated, is tomorrow at 4pm. This year’s events are Fastest Skater, Breakaway Challenge, Accuracy Shooting, Skills Challenge Relay, Hardest Shot, and Elimination Shoot Out.

I miss the days of Mark Messier when he’d nail ever corner of styrofoam in Accuracy Shooting, when Sergei Fedorov would break his own records at Fastest Skater year after year, and when Al MacInnis would shoot the puck 250 mph in Hardest shot but hopefully this year’s contestants can live up to their predecessors.

However, it may be hard for them to accomplish the tasks at hand with two of the league’s biggest names and linemates, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, not participating in All-Star Weekend festivities. Malkin is suffering from a sinus infection (which can be one of the most painful things in the world, if you’ve never had one) and Sid “The Kid” is still out of commission resting his domepiece from the concussion he incurred a few weeks ago.

With two of the league’s biggest stars not in attendance, the NHL had to find someone with some star power to make up for the deficiency, and who better than Clay Aiken? Yes, Raleigh native and American Idol runner-up will be honoring our country by singing the National Anthem on Sunday before they drop the puck. I understand he is from Raleigh, but I don’t think too many Carolina hockey fans are rushing to buy the their tickets because a broadway star will be singing the “Star Spangled Banner.”

I usually agree with a lot of the NHL’s decisions to spice up the game a little by adding new and exciting elements but Clay Aiken doesn’t exactly speak to me or the rest of the causal hockey fans in America. I would have preferred it if they would have brought in North Carolina superstar, Petey Pablo, to come in and perform during the 1st and 2nd intermissions. If a fight breaks out, it would only be fitting if they played this song, in hopes that one of the fighters can take the other dude’s shirt off while he upper cuts him.

Aside from Clay Aiken’s performance, I am genuinely excited for this weekend’s festivities for the first time in a few years. It is just sucks that they will be aired on”Versus.” It is sad that the one of NHL’s crown jewels has succumbed to being aired on a cable network that most people probably couldn’t tell you what channel number it was if they had to. Thanks God there is such thing as DVR though as I will busy during the game Sunday testing out our caterers food

*P.S. Thank you everyone for the feedback yesterday. Today’s blog is representative of all of your suggestions being: more pictures, less videos, length, and sports-related. If this type of blogagge peaks your interest, I always appreciate the feedback even if you are not crazy about hockey. Thanks!

Top Ten Hockey Players of All Time

First of all, I would like to apologize for my Top Tensday Wednesday last week. I knew trying to rate bands and music that I rarely listened to was a shot in the dark and would like to apologize to anyone who felt discouraged by my attempt to broaden my horizons of music culture and writing abilities. However, I did appreciate the criticism (both constructive and not) and have put together a more versed and accurate list for this week.

I miss hockey. I wish I liked it as much as I used to when I was a kid. I remember a time around 4th/5th grade where I liked hockey more than football, basketball, and baseball combined. And during this era soccer wasn’t even on my radar outside of my gifted 1994 World Cup t-shirt. As most American hockey fans have, we have become less interested in hockey and more interested in football, basketball, and soccer.

However, within the last year the “working man’s” league has started a slow yet steady resurgence. Renewed rivalries, young superstars, and well-calculated marketing has brought hockey back almost to the point for ESPN to take “NHL Tonight” with John Buccigross and Barry Melrose off the shelves and put back on the air. And just in case they do I will be ready for their comeback with my correspondence and top ten hockey players of all time.

10. Sergei Fedorov: Sergei may not have made the list for being the 10th best hockey player of all time. But he has made the list for his contributions to the game and his era. He made the game fun and interesting to a younger generation of viewers in mid 90s. He played on the one of Hockeytown’s best teams with Stevey Y, Igor Larionov, Nicklaus Lidstrom, and Dominik Hasek (who I sat next to at the All-Star Game in Toronto). He claims he was married to Anna Kournikova (although her reps denied it, which I don’t know how you can allegedly be married but whatever). He was extremely fast, Russian, and brought a new style of finesse play that hockey was missing at the time.

9. Martin Brodeur: I feel Marty is the best goalie to ever wear an airbrushed helmet. You could easily make arguments for Patrick Roy, Dominick Hasek, or even for Ryan Miller to eventually top the list. But Marty has been doing it, and doing it, and doing it well in the league for 20 years and he’s still playing. He’s been a consistent wall for Canada in the Olympics both playing and as a mentor. He has spent his entire career in Jersey which if it weren’t for hockey would suck because come on it’s Jersey. He’s got 4 Vezinas, 2 Gold Medals, and has kissed Lord Stanley 3 times.

8. Jaromir Jagr: What do you think of when you see a Jofa helmet? Jaromir right? His game was in Czech! Get it? He’s from Czechoslovakia. Anyways, not only was one of the best players ever but also the right hand and right wing to Mario Lemieux. He had possibly the dirtiest mullet ever known to man, however he is a handsome man with his hair short and corporate-like. #68 has 2 cups, tons of records, Arts, Harts, and his only fault may have been his affinity for the adrenaline rush of gambling.

7. Mark Messier: Mess was my favorite player of all time. When the Rangers won the cup in 1994 and he held it up I cried and that is saying something because 7 year-olds don’t really cry happy tears. Him, Richter, and Leetchy brought home a long-awaited Cup for one of the greatest series ever. He came up with Wayne in Edmonton, branched off, and did the damn thing elsewhere. I was at his birthday dinner All-Star Weekend in Vancouver in 01 and it was a grand time. He’s a nice guy, old school, and no one rocked a bald head amidst a Cooper helmet better.

6. Ray Bourque: Hockey players are tough and they play forever if they want and Ray Borque was one of the toughest. He’s the not the only Boston defenseman on the list. He wasn’t the biggest guy or an enforcer but he was a great leader. #77 will forever be known as a Bruin but it took him going to Colorad(a) to win a cup and when he did there weren’t a whole lot of people who weren’t happy for him and it was one of the better moments in hockey. Put a sweater on because you are about to get chills.

5. Bobby Hull: Takin it back to the old school, cause he’s and old fool, who’s so cool. And if you wanna get down he’s gonna show you the way. Lefties were always a little qwerky, not Jared Loughner qwerky, just a little off and Bobby was the best at being a little nuts. Bobby and his Blackhawks were some of the toughest guys around. Not to mention he had good genes producing son, Brett (hockey legend), Bart (Boise State RB), and Blake/Bobby Jr. who played Juniors. He won a shitload of trophy’s but won the most expensive award in all of sports in only once in his 26 year career in 1961.

4. Bobby Orr: I probably know the least about Orr of anyone on this list so I had to bust out the archives for him. 8 NHL All-Star Games, 3 OHA First Teams, 8 NHL First Teams, Calder( ROY), 2 Ross Trophies, 8 Norris Trophies, 3 Hart Trophies, 2 Conn Smythes, Voted 2nd Best of All Time, Best Defenseman, Best Boston Athlete of All Time, and probably best known for this goal…

3. Gordie Howe: What is there to say about Mr. Hockey? He pretty much did it all. Cups, awards, and records. Most of which were broken by these next two guys but it doesn’t take back the fact that he did it and that he did it in a caveman’s era. He didn’t wear a helmet and did it from both sides of the rink. He was a right winger but presented issues for defensemen as he was ambidextrous. He played in Canada and in Hartford but it is only fitting that Mr. Hockey played and retired in Hockeytown. He is an ambassador to the game, a toothless gentleman, and a scholar. He makes Brett Favre’s career look like Terrell Davis’. His last season was Wayne’s first as it was extremely symbolic of his passing of the torch.

2. Mario Lemieux: Much like the preceding few players, Super Mario has countless records and awards that mean nothing when it comes to what he did for the city of Pittsburgh. He did his impression of Michael Jordan by retiring and “comin’ back like Jordan wearin’ the six six.” However, he has done what Jordan could not do, become successful in the front office, post-playing career. He has put together a cast of players to win a cup and as long as Sidney Crosby doesn’t get subsequent concussions there should be more for him to hold up as an executive. He is probably the best stick-handler ever and produced some of the best goals ever scored.

1. Wayne Gretzky: The Great One. He holds almost every offensive record. He is synonymous with the game. For people who don’t know or like hockey they know who Wayne is. He’s been in movies, commercials, and is the best to ever to play the game. It is even fair to say that Michael Jordan is the Wayne Gretzky of basketball because Wayne did that much for the sport. He took hockey mainstream with his boyish good looks and flashy play. He won with my Rangers, in Edmonton, and short stint in St. Louis but his glory days were with the Kings. No other hockey player could have had N.W.A. wearing an LA Kings hat. I mean you don’t see to man gangbangers rockin Columbus Blue Jacket jerseys. He like MJ isn’t the best in the office but whatever. His older son got lost in the shadow like Jeremy Jordan but his younger son is one of the better football prospects in the country playing with Will Smith and Joe Montana’s kids. The Great One.

24/7 Penguins/Capitals: Road to the NHL Winter Classic

HBO is a leader is the sports documentary world with big hits in “Hard Knocks,” “24/7 Pacquioa/Whoever,” and now a newfound rivalry between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals. The main characters in the drama are NHL stars Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin.

This mini-series showcases the road to the 2011 NHL Winter Classic of the these two Eastern Conference rivals playing outdoors at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. HBO is allowed unlimited access to both benches and locker rooms giving us uncensored insight into the inner workings of the rivalry.

The Pens are one of the league’s best teams with the league’s best player. Sid “The Kid” gets a lot of flack for being kind of a “pretty boy” for whining and not wanting to mix it up in years past. However, on multiple occasions this season Sid has dropped the gloves to prove the he is not a pansy and that not only can he score on you but he can pull a sweater of your head and punch you a couple of times too.

The Pens are led by young Head Coach, Dan Bylsma who won the Stanley Cup with the Pens only 4 months after being called up from their minor league system. He is the NHL’s version of Josh McDaniels except he actually wins games and he isn’t a doucher. He brings a fun and intense atmosphere to the team in by having a monthly shootout contest in which the last player to score has to grow out his mustache until the next month’s practice.

Hockey players are different than other new-age athletes. They have a stereotype of being tougher than other players. They are allowed and encouraged to fight and fight well. The grow out funny mustaches and beard combinations. They add the letter “Y” to the end of someones name to better identify themselves through nick of name. These hockey player traits are also brought forth by the struggling Washington Capitals.

Russian phenom Alexander “The Great” Ovechkin wears the “C” for the Caps. He isn’t as corporate as his young counterpart. He has the signature missing teeth, scratchy beard, of which he recently shaved due to his new deal with Gillette. AO is known for his flashy play and playboy nature off the ice. He is known well by the ladies in competing cities as well as the bartenders who keep fine Russian vodkas in the well for him.

The Caps are stuck in a bit of a rut right now that Head Coach Bruce Boudreau (who reminds me of an angry roly poly) cannot seem to pull his players out of. Losing streaks, spreading flu viruses, and poor defense have kept the Caps a foot the bottom of the Eastern Conference this year, which adds to the building competitive antimosity towards New Years day when they enter into the Winter Classic.

The Caps got kids in the nurse’s office and the Pens are trying to fend off others till they can get back to full strength with the return of league leading point getter Evgeni Malkin. The both have their work cut out for them as they are taped taping their sticks on their skate to playing on the pond outside in the Burgh.

It is outdoor played games like this that I feel brings the NHL back to where it should be as a top 4 sport in America that has been taken over by UFC, NASCAR, soccer, and golf. The NHL has also implemented a playground system of selecting their 2011 All Star Team. The team’s capitans will select their remaining players in hopes of hosting a more competitive game with a playoff atmosphere rather than that of an exhibition.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=543059

Obviously hockey isn’t as popular as football in America, but this is a great show if you like hockey or can at least tolerate it. It is on Wednesdays at 7pm on HBO and I highly suggest you DVR it. Most people who watched Hard Knocks weren’t avid Jets/football fans they were just people who liked getting an insider’s view into a cool reality show.