#canada men's ice hockey team

[f1tfballetc]

[Dedicated to ice hockey fans - especially those who are huge fans of Sidney Crosby. Requested by @tawnyow-l. ] P.S.: Not an ice hockey fan, but I wanted to make a fanmade edit about him as a "tribute".

Sidney Crosby aged like a fine wine especially with the achievements brought to his name in ice hockey... 🏒🇨🇦🖤💛

Made using: CapCut

Photo credits: I get most of the pics from Pinterest & Google Images....

[harry-hollands]

who does it better?

alex turcotte x f!hockey player smau

for all my alex turcotte lovers 🫶🏼: @hischierhaze @babydollmarauders

*PICTURES FOUND ON PINTEREST AND INSTAGRAM*

authors notes: reader is born in 2003 (2 years younger than alex, same year as luke hughes), takes place in 2025

*the girls in the pictures are not a depiction of you; they are merely placeholders bc my goal is to have you imagine yourself 🫶🏼*

WARNINGS: hate on an unspecified national team (you can imagine whatever country that team is from except team canada LOL), team canada (both men and women) wins bronze, soft and hard launches, language, relationships

part 2 (can be read as a standalone)

yourusername

liked by badgerwhockey, yourbsf, and 3,876 others

yourusername: off to a strong start 🫡

tagged yourbsf, kevinfiala22, badgerwhockey, lakings

view comments

mattboldy: why?

yourusername: @/mattboldy why what?

mattboldy: @/yourusername the last pic???

yourusername: @/mattboldy i’m a die hard kings fan and kevin fiala is my spirit animal

mattboldy: @/yourusername you need therapy

yourusername: @/mattboldy im my own therapist 🫶🏼

badgerwhockey: our favorite goalie

liked by yourusername

yourbsf: my teletubby !!! (affectionate) 🥹🫶🏼

yourusername: @/yourbsf my walking shin destroyer (derogatory)🥹🫶🏼

fan1: aint no way yn was referred to as a teletubby 😭

fan2: @/fan1 they’re so unserious i love them

fan15: kings fan confirmed??

yourusername: @/fan15 this is old news, why do you think my number is 32?

edwards.73: i stand by my statement that you’d look better in maize and blue

yourusername: @/edwards.73 you’re biased. and wrong. definitely wrong.

edwards.73: @/yourusername but you’d see me more often !

yourusername: @/edwards.73 all the more reason to stay! hope this helps 🫶🏼

markestapa: @/edwards.73 HAH

lhughes_06: eddy is wrong. red is definitely your color

yourusername: @/lhughes_06 you’re just biased because you wear red.

lhughes_06: @/yourusername no comment

yourusername: @/lhughes_06 i also distinctly remember you calling me every night practically begging me to transfer because and i quote, “wisco doesn’t need you, we do!”

lhughes_06: @/yourusername nuh uh!

yourusername: @/lhughes_06 you’re a fucking child

dylanduke25: goalie, noun; In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays in or near the area in front of the net called the goal crease.

yourusername: @/dylanduke25 pest, noun; an annoying person or thing; a nuisance. (affectionate)

dylanduke25: @/yourusername ☹️

yourusername: @/dylanduke25 AFFECTIONATE ITS AFFECTIONATE PLEASE DONT CRY

dylanduke25: @/yourusername 🤭

yourusername: @/dylanduke25 bitch. (AFFECTIONATE)

trevorzegras: red is definitely your color, just the wrong school

yourusername: @/trevorzegras oh im sorry i thought a college dropout said something to me

trevorzegras: @/_alexturcotte @/yourusername are all of you wisco students mean or just you two?

_alexturcotte: @/trevorzegras @/yourusername we’re nice! just not to you!

yourusername: @/trevorzegras @/_alexturcotte hope this helps college dropout 🫶🏼

trevorzegras: @/yourusername @/_alexturcotte ALEX IS A COLLEGE DROPOUT! WE SPENT THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME IN COLLEGE

yourusername: @/trevorzegras @/_alexturcotte and i like him better than you

trevorzegras: @/yourusername 🤨

_alexturcotte: hey we have a lot in common i think we’d get along great!

colecaufield: @/_alexturcotte stop the madness

yourusername: @/colecaufield @/_alexturcotte nono let the man speak!

_alexturcotte: @/colecaufield @/yourusername yeah let the man speak!

colecaufield: @/yourusername @/_alexturcotte 🤠

_alexturcotte: @/yourusername well, we both attended wisco, you’re a kings fan, which hey what a coincidence, im a kings player, and i know kevin fiala and can introduce you two!

yourusername: @/_alexturcotte interesting points, i’ll get back to you in a few business days

yourusername

liked by _alexturcotte, colecaufield and 4,917 others

yourusername: national champs and b1g 10 champs baby ! im so unbelievably proud of these girls and everything we’ve accomplished. not only are we back to back b1g 10 champs but we played our hearts out and got the national title too!

thank you wisco for being my home for four years, and thank you to this team who’ve made me the player and person i’ve always strived to be.

to the gophers, you played an outstanding game and im proud of the hard fought game you guys gave me.

next time i see you girls, we’ll be competing for worlds and some of us will be separated but that doesn’t mean it’s the end. LA and worlds, here i come 🫶🏼

tagged badgerwhockey, gopherwhockey, b1ghockey

view comments

yourbsf: i cant believe you’re graduating 😭

yourusername: @/yourbsf i cant either 🥺

yourbsf: @/yourusername i also can’t believe *they* convinced you to move back to california 🤨

yourusername: @/yourbsf what can i say? the offer was enticing 🫡

fan32: i’m violently ill. i can’t believe it’s been 4 years already, and she’s leaving 😭

fan15: AHHHH CONGRATULATIONS!!!

_alexturcotte: im so unbelievably proud of you and everything you’ve accomplished. glad to see that my negotiation skills payed off :)

yourusername: @/_alexturcotte it was an easy decision, i get my favorite canadians as roommates! best deal ever! @/jordanjs224 @/francesco.pinelli71 @/quintonbyfield @/brandtclarke55

yourusername: @/_alexturcotte but also, thank yous 🥹🫶🏼

_alexturcotte: @/yourusername i should’ve seen that one coming. but also, you’re welcome <3

jordanjs224: @/yourusername @/_alexturcotte ROOMIES

francesco.pinelli71: @/yourusername @/_alexturcotte ROOMIES

quintonbyfield: @/yourusername @/_alexturcotte ROOMIES

brandtclarke55: @/yourusername @/_alexturcotte ROOMIES

colecaufield: CONGRATULATIONS! BADGER NATION UNITE! THAT’S MY FAVORITE GOALIE RIGHT THERE! 🫶🏼

slknight35: @/colecaufield excuse me? 🤨

colecaufield: @/sknight35 uhh…gotta run!

yourusername: @/colecaufield THANK YOU! THAT’S MY FAVORITE FUNSIZED FORWARD <33

slknight35: @/yourusername @/colecaufield HAH! you’re my new favorite person

colecaufield: @/yourusername @/slknight35 i don’t like this 🤠

yourusername: @/colecaufield tough shit cockfield

badgerwhockey: unbelievably proud of you! thank you for four amazing years and helping us get back to back b1g 10 champs and back to back national titles. we’ll miss you endlessly ❤️

yourusername: @/badgerwhockey admin 🥹🫶🏼

lhughes_06: THAT’S MY BEST FRIEND!!

markestapa: @/lhughes_06 *OUR

edwards.73: @/lhughes_06 @/markestapa ^^

dylanduke25: @/lhughes_06 @/markestapa ^^

luca.fantilli: @/lhughes_06 @/markestapa ^^

adamfantilli: @/lhughes_06 @/markestapa ^^

yourusername: @/lhughes_06 @/markestapa i think im crying harder then i have ever cried in my life 🥹

erikportillo: 🤩

liked by yourusername

trevorzegras: 🫡

yourusername: @/trevorzegras a man of many words, the enemy of silence people

jackhughes: you’re way out of his league

fan38: @/jackhughes jack??? what do you mean???

_quinnhughes: @/jackhughes the only thing we can agree on

_alexturcotte: @/jackhughes @/_quinnhughes to be fair i don’t think anyone is on her level.

fan39: @/_alexturcotte ALEX???

yourusername: @/jackhughes no im just out of your league

_quinnhughes: @/yourusername welcome to the family you’re my new favorite hughes!

lhughes_06: @/_quinnhughes @/yourusername i would be offended but honestly? real. she’s already mom’s favorite. she said that her and dad were booking flights to watch her at worlds

kevinfiala22: congrats ���❤️

yourusername: @/kevinfiala22 oh.

_alexturcotte

liked by yourusername, quintonbyfield and 20,277 others

_alexturcotte: two teams, two world titles, two gold medals, one nation, and my girl

tagged usahockey, trevorzegras, arthurkaliyev34

view comments

fan32: the way alex included the women’s team too 😭

fan15: did not see alex soft launching his relationship on my bingo card for this year

trevorzegras: mr. game winner

_alexturcotte: @/trevorzegras mr. tournament point leader

jackhughes: @/trevorzegras @/_alexturcotte i’m mr. goal leader

_alexturcotte: @/jackhughes this ain’t about you

jackhughes: @/_alexturcotte BETRAYAL. BETRAYAL EVERYWHERE.

_alexturcotte: @/jackhughes i still love you babe 🫶🏼

usahockey: history. made.

liked by _alexturcotte, jackhughes, trevorzegras, colecaufield, yourusername, _quinnhughes, lhughes_06, and arthurkaliyev34

fan38: highlight of the men’s tournament is when the announcers practically had an aneurysm with jack, quinn, and luke on the ice 😭

fan39: @/fan38 my highlight was watching the guys get excited watching the gold medal game for the women. luke and alex (and a good chunk of the canadian men) looked like children in a candy shop watching yn make saves

colecaufield: WOAH WOAH WOAH (first proud of us) WHO THE FUCK?

yourusername: @/colecaufield language cockfield!

colecaufield: @/yourusername sorry i mean WHOMST THE FUCK?

yourusername: @/colecaufield yeah, okay.

_alexturcotte: @/colecaufield proud of us too!

colecaufield: @/_alexturcotte NO NO NO WHO IS THAT IN THE LAST PICTURE ???

_alexturcotte: @/colecaufield yes.

yourusername: we did that <3

_alexturcotte: @/yourusername we did, and im proud of us beyond comprehension <3

francesco.pinelli71: @/yourusername @/_alexturcotte whats going on here ? 🤨

quintonbyfield: @/francesco.pinelli71 @/_alexturcotte @/yourusername young love 🥺

francesco.pinelli71: @/quintonbyfield that’s crazy 💀

brandtclarke55: thank god you you both kicked *their* asses

jordanjs224: @/brandtclarke55 me and my homies hate *them*

yourusername: @/brandtclarke55 @/jordanjs224 i aim to please 🫡

lakings: 🥇 �� 🏒 🥅

liked by arthurkaliyev34, _alexturcotte, quintonbyfield, francesco.pinelli71, jordanjs224, and brandtclarke55

fan5: history was made for both team canada and team usa. both men and women for canada won bronze while both men and women for the united states won gold. im going to sob oh my god 😭

fan32: @/fan5 i’ve been crying since the conclusion of the men’s tournaments 🥹

usahockey

liked by yourusername, _alexturcotte and 153,839 others

usahockey: In honor of our men and women making history by both winning gold at the World Championships this past weekend, we highlight two players of the tournament, goaltender Y/N Y/LN, and center Alex Turcotte. The two of them both attended the University of Wisconsin and played for their respective hockey teams.

Y/N Y/LN spent four years with the Wisconsin Badgers and helped lead the women’s team to 3 consecutive B1G 10 Championship Titles (2023, 2024, and 2025), and 3 consecutive NCAA Championship Titles (2023, 2024, and 2025).

In the tournament, Y/LN had a .937 save percentage, and a 1.42 GAA, which propelled the U.S to a gold medal and a world title.

Alex Turcotte only spent one year with the Wisconsin Badgers and had 9 goals and 17 assists for 26 points in 29 games played.

Turcotte turned pro in 2020, and unfortunately dealt with a few setbacks with illness and injury before having a breakout year in the 2023-2024 NHL season. He is now a core member of the LA Kings alongside roommates, Francesco Pinelli, Quinton Byfield, Jordan Spence, and Brandt Clarke, all of whom also participated in the World Championships and won the Bronze medal for Team Canada.

Now comes the debate we all have been waiting for:

Who did it better? Y/N Y/LN or Alex Turcotte? Let us know down below.

tagged yourusername, _alexturcotte, badgermhockey, badgerwhockey

view comments

fan32: Y/N is the only correct answer. if you think anything else, that’s your opinion, but your opinion is wrong

fan15: im a huge turcs lover but Y/N absolutely did it better. she could literally wear a trash bag and she’d still look like a bombshell.

liked by _alexturcotte

fan15: TURCS???

yourbsf: Y/N 100%. she’s my wife and this is my biased opinion coming from a 100% certified turcs hater.

yourusername: @/yourbsf i love you 😭🫶🏼

trevorzegras: Y/N. it’s not even a competition. HAVE YOU SEEN HER???

_quinnhughes: @/trevorzegras the only time i’ll ever agree with you

jamie.drysdale: @/_quinnhughes real.

trevorzegras: @/_quinnhughes i expected this from you. but @/jamie.drysdale FUCKING OFFENDED???

colecaufield: as much as i love alex it’s Y/N 100% 😭

liked by yourusername and _alexturcotte

lhughes_06: Y/N. no fucking competition.

edwards.73: @/lhughes_06 on behalf of everyone i think we can all agree that it’s Y/N no debate.

markestapa: @/lhughes_06 @/edwards.73 FR

yourusername: @/markestapa @/edwards.73 @/lhughes_06 my favorite and forever hype men 🥹

jackhughes: alex, buddy, you’re a stud, but i’d be fucking lying if i said that you do it better

yourusername:@/jackhughes ew you’re making me feel emotions 🥹

_alexturcotte: @/jackhughes @/yourusername please ignore her she does in fact feel emotions like a normal person

jackhughes: @/yourusername good. ❤️

francesco.pinelli71: on behalf of the roommates (oh my god and we were roommates) at our household meeting, we all came to the unanimous conclusion that my best friend, Y/N, does in fact, do it better.

quintonbyfield: @/francesco.pinelli71 as a witness to this household meeting, i can in fact, attest to this statement

jordanjs224: @/francesco.pinelli71 even if alex is my boyfriend, i, in good conscience, cannot state that alex did it better. Y/N does and continues to do it better.

brandtclarke55: @/francesco.pinelli71 no one can do it better than Y/N

_alexturcotte: can confirm, Y/N does it better

fan15: @/_alexturcotte WHAT DOES THIS MEAN

fan38: @/_alexturcotte ARE YOU SAYING WHAT I THINK YOU’RE SAYING

yourusername: @/_alexturcotte thank you <33

fan32: @/yourusername @/_alexturcotte WHAT IS HAPPENING

yourusername

liked by _alexturcotte, yourbsf, and 39,015 others

yourusername:

“i carry your heart with me (i carry it in my heart)

i am never without it

(anywhere i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done

by only me is your doing, my darling)” - E.E Cummings

in conclusion, i do it better.

tagged _alexturcotte

comments have been restricted

_alexturcotte: my love <33

liked by yourusername

yourbsf: yeah. okay. im fine 🥹

liked by yourusername

yourbsf: please take care of my girl 🥹

_alexturcotte: @/yourbsf always and forever

yourbsf: @/alexturcotte oh.

francesco.pinelli71: my roommates (my best friend and her boyfriend) 🫶🏼

liked by yourusername, _alexturcotte, quintonbyfield, jordanjs224, brandtclarke55, and lakings

quintonbyfield: my boyfriend and his girlfriend 🥹❤️

yourusername: @/quintonbyfield my boyfriend’s second boyfriend 🫶🏼

quintonbyfield: @/yourusername IM HIS SECOND BOYFRIEND??? @/_alexturcotte explain yourself right now.

_alexturcotte: @/quintonbyfield listen, i got seduced by @/jordanjs224 im sorry you found out this way

jordanjs224: @/_alexturcotte @/quintonbyfield is it me? am i the drama?

jordanjs224: homewreckers stick together 🫶🏼

yourusername: @/jordanjs224 we’re about to be the biggest headache for our boyfriend and roommates 🫶🏼

_alexturcotte: @/yourusername @/jordanjs224 i don’t like this.

jordanjs224: @/yourusername perfect.

_alexturcotte: @/jordanjs224 @/yourusername I REALLY DON’T LIKE THIS

brandtclarke55: MY PARENTS !

yourusername: @/brandtclarke55 MY SON !

_alexturcotte: @/brandtclarke55 @/yourusername that’s not our son

brandtclarke55: @/_alexturcotte @/yourusername ☹️

yourusername: @/brandtclarke55 don’t listen to your father he’s delusional

brandtclarke55: @/yourusername okay mom !

_alexturcotte: @/yourusername 🥲

colecaufield: NO WAY. AM I DREAMING??? IS THIS REAL LIFE?! OH MY GOD. IT’S HAPPENING! IT’S HAPPENED!

yourusername: @/colecaufield IT’S REAL LIFE, BUT COCKFIELD BABY, YOU NEED TO BREATHE BEFORE YOU HYPERVENTILATE

colecaufield: @/yourusername AHHHHHH (my best friend found someone who makes him happy and it happens to be my new best friend 😭🫶🏼)

liked by yourusername, _alexturcotte, lhughes_06, jackhughes, trevorzegras, and _quinnhughes

elblue6: ❤️

liked by _alexturcotte, yourusername, and lhughes_06

lhughes_06: i would kill for yn so tread carefully. i have a full college hockey team willing to do anything for her so consider that before doing anything. i don’t care if you are my billet brother and lived with me for a couple of years.

_alexturcotte: @lhughes_06 🤠🫡

_alexturcotte: i love you my sweet girl. now and forever.

yourusername: @/_alexturcotte i love you too, my love. forever and evers <33

_alexturcotte

liked by yourusername, jordanjs224 and 28,189 others

_alexturcotte:

“You’re where I stand, hearing the sea, crazy for the shore,

seeing the moon ache and fret for the earth.

When morning comes,

the sun, ardent, covers the trees in gold,

you walk towards me,

out of the season, out of the light love reasons.”

- Carol Ann Duffy

she definitely does it better :)

tagged yourusername

comments have been restricted

yourusername: my beautiful boy, thank you for taking a chance on me, and loving me for a little over a year. i know starting a relationship long-distance isn’t ever ideal, but we made it work and because of it we grew stronger. you are my present, and my future, and i can’t wait to see where life takes us, hopefully, together, side by side. i love you to the moon and to saturn <33

_alexturcotte: @/yourusername my beautiful girl, thank you for being there for me when i felt like i was alone. i wasn’t expecting to find someone as ethereal as you, but the universe always finds a way to shine a light when everything is pitch black. you helped me heal mentally through the frustrating setbacks at the start of my NHL career, and for that i have no words to express the gratitude i have for your abundant amounts of patience. you are my future, and i will be content anywhere as long as you are by my side. i love you to the moon and to saturn ❤️

~

a/n: thank you so much for reading !! feedback and reblogs are always appreciated! all my love !!!

-soph <33

[ravenpawraas]

Mikhail Sergachev on the cover of the October issue "Men Today" magazine

I've read his interview and found out that:

When Mikhail was a child, he wanted to quit hockey, but then parents bought him a new uniform and he changed his mind

When Mikhail move to Canada he was accompanied by depression due to the language barrier, "but hockey saved me. When you go out on the ice, there's only one language."

The guys from the teams are not as friendly as we like to imagine: "In sports movies, they like to show teams with some almost families, but in reality we don't spend so much time with each other and don't go somewhere together after the games. This happens more often in youth hockey, where no one has wives and children yet."

Sergachev likes Utah: "This is the first time I find myself in a situation where I am the only Russian in the team. It's going to take some getting used to, but hopefully it will work out. In general, I like Utah."

Sergachev's charity projects were launched in the his homeland: "I remember when I came to my native Nizhnekamsk and the guys and I just started buying tickets for Neftekhimik's home matches for people who needed support. We called it the Sergachev sector. We tried to instill a love for hockey."

"I want to win The Stanley Cup, the James Norris Trophy, of course, Olympic gold, if it would be possible. But for now, we need to reach the playoffs with Utah this season. In general, there is something to strive for."

I really hope that Sergachev will succeed in Utah and he will not receive such terribly injuries like last season.

Lets go, Mikhail 🩵

Thanks for reading, I hope it would be interesting! Sorry for the mistakes, I tried to translate as accurately as possible

[doctorhelena]

Steggy Fic: Teach My Feet to Fly

I’ve created something for every day of Steggy Week 2024 over at @steggyfanevents! This is for Day 3 (AUs and Crossovers). Previous Days: Day 1 | Day 2 | 

Summary: Peggy Carter, a world class ice hockey player learning to figure skate as part of a Canadian reality show, has an iron-clad rule about never, ever dating a teammate. Which means that she'll simply have to get over the ridiculous attraction she has to her new figure skating partner, Steve Rogers.

Note: This story is complete, and has 14 chapters in total. I'm posting Chapter 1 today for Steggy Week, and starting next week I'll be posting a new chapter weekly on Fridays.

It's also a very long-delayed thank you gift fic for the lovely @teaandatale!

Rating: PG

Read it on A03

Excerpt:

Tønsberg, Norway Winter Olympics, Day 12

The first time Peggy Carter met Steve Rogers, they’d both just won Olympic gold medals, and they bumped into each other - quite literally - during a raucous evening celebration at the athlete’s village.

The force of the unexpected impact very nearly caused her to spill her tumbler of whisky all over his Team USA sweater, but he caught the glass so neatly in the air that she stopped and stared at him for a full three seconds before coming back to herself and apologizing. He flushed slightly as he handed it back, then introduced himself.  “Steve Rogers. Pairs skating.”

“Peggy Carter,” she said, still blinking at him. “Ice hockey. That was an impressive catch, although I suppose in your line of work you do need rather good reflexes. It wouldn’t do to drop your partner on the ice, would it?”

Steve grinned. “No, they tend to take off marks for that. You’re British,” he added, and Peggy raised an eyebrow at him.

“Yes, I’m aware, actually.”

Steve flushed even redder. “I just - it’s just unusual to see a British athlete in a Team Canada hoodie. Not that it doesn’t look good on you, red really suits you. Not - I mean - ” he cleared his throat. “I mean , I’m just surprised you play for Canada.” The poor man was, by this point, nearly as red as Peggy’s aforementioned Team Canada hoodie. “Uh, do you play for Canada? Or is that someone else’s hoodie?”

Peggy blinked at him. How could a man who looked like he did, and who certainly seemed to be attracted to her, also appear to have absolutely no idea how to talk to a woman? It didn’t feel like he was unnerved, as some men were, by the discovery that she almost certainly had a far better slapshot than he did. No, he just - he was somehow actually just that awkward. 

It was oddly endearing.

Read the rest on A03

[yankstrash]

princess!gf x gabe perreault 🤍

✰ gabe and amelia

✰ playlist

✰ mood board

✰ tag (mini fics + blurbs & asks)

✰ au description

they met each other at amelias job. she works at a cafe & gabe went in once to get a coffee & ever since then he wasn't able to get the gorgeous barista out of his head

he asks for her number, and gets rejected

he starts showing up more & it does not go unnoticed by amelia

he continues to ask her out, all of which end in rejection because "all jocks are the same", according to amelia

they find out they have a mutual friend (gabes teammate & amelias childhood friend)

after much persuading from their mutual connection, amelia gives in and asks gabe to go with her to a sorority date party

he agrees without a second thought

then they go on a real date. and another one. and another one. and some more...

and now they're both head over heels in love with each other <3

✰ amelia

amelia l/n

freshman at boston college

majoring in neuroscience with a minor in psychology

originally from new york

her birthday is september 20 (virgo queen!)

her taylor swift era is 1989

she's 5'0 on a good day

long, wavy, light brown hair

big, beautiful brown eyes

her style

she's a sweet, energetic girl who laughs at everything and anything

she can also be very sassy & petty when she wants to be & has her little hissy fits

she is gabes princess, hence the au name. his #1 pet name for her is princess and he sure treats her like one

✰ gabe

gabe perreault

freshman at boston college

winger for the boston college mens ice hockey team

drafted #23 overall to the new york rangers in the 2023 nhl draft

originally from quebec, canada

his birthday is may 7 (taurus man!)

a complete and total simp for his girlfriend. would seriously do anything for her

✰ relationship timeline

september 2nd: their first time meeting (the first time gabe saw amelia at the coffee shop and tried getting her number)

september 27th: amelia finally agreed to go out with gabe

september 30th: their first 'date' (they went to amelias sorority event together)

october 4th: their first real date

october 28th: the day they started officially dating

✰ imagines

their first 'i love you'

meeting their parents

post game fight

cheating accusation

christmas present x 'call it what you want' inspired

daylight (taylor swift) inspired pt. 2

✰ daily thoughts

✰ relationship dynamics

✰ insta edits

[checkoutmybookshelf]

...Someone Get Me Back on the Ice

Ok, for a lot of reasons, I was never a competetive athlete. That said...I am Canadian and I was probably 3 or 4 years old when my grandparents bought me my first pair of skates and my parents took me to the (manmade) kiddie rink in the park to teach me to skate. My middle sister and I had skating lessons for a few years, our parents took us skating pretty often growing up, and when we moved into the big house in Alaska, we had a pond out back that we skated (and burned christmas trees--yes, it was always awesome) on every winter until I left the state. And even when I moved back to Canada, I brought my skates with me and still use the arenas and outdoor town square rink in the winter. All this to say that while I'm never going to be an Olympian, I deeply love skating, so when there was a cozy college skating romance between a figure skater and a hockey team captain...it was not a hard sell. And then I was absolutely delighted by this cozy, fluffy, very skate-y book. Let's talk Icebreaker.

CONTENT WARNING: I'm not going to cover much of this here, but if anyone wants to pick up this book, please be aware that it does contain disordered eating, a super controlling/abusive relationship, and a near-death experience, so take care of you when choosing your books!

The very last thing Anastasia Allen wants to do right before sectionals is be forced to share her rink with a hockey team. Then she gets adopted by a bunch of overgrown man-children with hearts of gold who enjoy body-slamming other overgrown man-children into the boards over a puck. It is possibly the most adorable thing I have ever seen, and it is the best possible embodiment of the healthy, non-toxic version of "boys will be boys" insofar as the team just genuinely love and support each other and make space for Anastasia and Lola in that world with care, respect, and joy. I love it so, so much.

Of course, Anastasia is not here just to be adopted by a hockey team. She's also very much in danger of falling deeply in love with Nate Hawkins, captain of said hockey team. Nate and Anastasia are a genuinely darling, adorable couple, and watching them together was just FUN.

Particularly in contrast to Anastasia's relationship with her skating partner, Aaron. Who is--to put it mildly--the biggest most manipulative toxic douchebag I have ever seen. There's something about his and Anastasia's relationship that managed to embody everything that can go horribly toxic with athletic partnerships and how difficult it can be when your dream relies on someone who is actively trying to drag you down.

The super nice thing though, is that Aaron is absolutely the bad guy in this book. Neither Nate nor Ryan (the adorable himbo basketball player she begins the book in a friends-with-benefits arrangement with) descend to Aaron's level. They are there to support Anaastasia. That doesn't mean they don't get angry or jealous--they're human men in their late teens/early 20s, of COURSE they get angry and jealous--but they deal with those emotions pretty freaking healthily, and they don't descend into petty ego-based bullshit. Add that to Anastasia's therapy-honed communication skills, and the relationships in this book are just so well done. Sometimes relationships in romances can get weirdly toxic for drama, but that's not the case here, which made this cozy romance GENUINELY delightful to read.

The side characters are also super well-developed and full of personality, so everyone in this book feels well-rounded, real, and delightful. From Lola to Henry, Robbie, Russ, and JJ, you get to know an ensemble of strong secondary characters in the context of the main romantic relationship, and Anastasia and Henry's platonic love for each other might be the best platonic relationship I've seen in FOREVER. I would 100% read a spinoff novel about those two buddy-ing around.

Author Hannah Grace is a self-proclaimed "fluffy comfort book writer," and if Icebreaker is any example, then ACCURATE. And I cannot recommend this book enough, it was a delight to read from start to finish.

[readinginthestarlight]

Miscellaneous thoughts on the whole PHF & PWHPA situation

This is a hockey post. Also, much of this is based on what I've seen on twitter and tumblr since there's currently very little veritably true information about this situation. Scroll past this if you don't care, read more if you do.

Ok, moving on.

It sounds like the news leaked on twitter. I wonder if the press around this would've been handled better had it not leaked.

This is a shitty situation for the PHF players.

I'm wary of the supposed "early 2024" start date for a new league, which I think is what the PWHPA previously announced as their league start date. If my memory serves correct, the PWHPA has pushed back their league start date several times already.

A January 2024 league start means a gap of several months between the start of the hockey season overall and the start of the league. Professional women's hockey is still new and small in North America. I can't see this gap, combined with all the teams changing, doing anything other than hurting the sport. How many fans will move on to other teams? There's no shortage of college teams or men's teams. Ideally this will just be a dip in viewership, which will recover within a few years as the new league gets more established, but it's not a good start.

Season tickets at still on sale for the 23-24 PHF season. That should maybe be turned off.

I don't understand why the plan is for none of the PHF teams are going to persist through this whole thing. Some of them were regularly selling out games (Boston Pride maybe sold out all of their games this past year). Is there a legal issue with the trademarks or something?

At will employment is stupid and mostly shouldn't exist. This is only tangentially related, but I feel strongly about it.

Professional women's ice hockey leagues in Europe and Asia are maybe going to get a bunch of good talent out of this.

This has been mentioned by others, but the PWHPA players are not to blame for this. The group that owns the PWHPA bought the PHF. Getting mad the PWHPA is like getting mad at Pixar because Disney bought Marvel.

The PWHPA members are voting on their CBA this weekend. This will not include PHF players. People are mad about this on twitter. I think it's inane that people are arguing about it on twitter.

I'm maybe going to buy some Boston Pride gear before it's all gone forever. Probably a swearshirt.

The new league had better have a good inclusive name. For anyone who is unaware, the PHF (Premier Hockey Federation) used to be the NWHL (National Women's Hockey League). They changed it because they wanted a name that was inclusive for players of different gender identities [source]. I do think that "Premier Hockey Federation" is a stupid name, so maybe the new league can go with something else such as the North American Hockey League (NAHL) or American Ice Hockey League (AIHL) or USA & Canada Hockey Association (UCHA, best acronym imo).

Also good inclusive policies of course, but hopefully the players won't stand for anything less.

This will hopefully lead to an NHL partnership, which would bring advertising, viewership, and financial stability. The NHL has been unwilling to consider such a partnership while there were two different leagues at odds with each other.

Good places to find more information:

Melissa Burgess on twitter

@letabbyfight

PHF official news

PWHPA on twitter

The Hockey News (website)

[laresearchette]

Monday, April 01, 2024 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: VANDERPUMP VILLA (Disney + Star) THE SYNANON FIX (HBO Canada) 9:00pm

WHAT IS NOT PREMIERING IN CANADA TONIGHT?: 2024 iHeartRadio MUSIC AWARDS (FOX Feed) LOVERS AND LIARS (CW Feed) ALL AMERICAN (Premiering on April 08 on Showcase at 8:00pm)

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

AMAZON PRIME CANADA ALLAN QUATERMAIN & THE LOST CITY OF GOLD AT CLOSE RANGE BLAME IT ON RIO BLOODSPORT BREATHLESS BULLETPROOF MONK CASINO CLASS DARK BLUE DARK ANGEL DR. SEUSS’ THE CAT IN THE HAT EYE OF THE NEEDLE FLAWLESS FLESH+BLOOD HARLEY DAVIDSON AND THE MARLBORO MAN KOYAANISQATSI THE LAST WALTZ LOL: CHI RIDE E FUORI (Season 4) MOBY DICK NOT WITHOUT MY DAUGHTER THE PARTY ROLLING THUNDER TOP GEAR (Seasons 14-25) THE TRAIN VALLEY GIRL VAMPIRE’S KISS WARCRAFT WHITE NIGHT

CBC GEM DYLAN’S PLAYTIME ADVENTURES

CRAVE TV LITTLE JESUS THE SYNANON FIX (Season 1, Episode 1)

DISNEY + STAR VANDERPUMP VILLA (Three-Episode Premiere)

NETFLIX CANADA THE MAGIC PRANK SHOW WITH JUSTIN WILLMAN

CURLING (TSN/TSN5) 8:00am: LGT World Men's Curling Championship: Canada vs. Italy

NHL HOCKEY (SN) 7:00pm: Panthers vs. Leafs (SN Now) 9:00pm: Oilers vs. Blues (TSN3) 9:00pm: Kings vs. Jets

MLB BASEBALL (SN1) 8:00pm: Jays vs. Pirates (SN Now) 10:00pm: Giants vs. Dodgers

NBA BASKETBALL (SN Now) 8:00pm: Suns vs. Pelicans

MURDOCH MYSTERIES (CBC) 8:00pm: After a man dies in a drunken brawl at the Starbright Lounge, Murdoch's suspect is another detective.

WARDENS OF THE NORTH (Discovery Canada) 8:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE): Conservation officers crack down on boaters not complying with the law; a routine fishing patrol has officers tracking down over-the-limit anglers; a kayaker is reminded that lifejackets work best when worn, even when close to home.

SOCIAL MEDIA MURDERS (T&E) 8:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE): Alex Rodda, a 15-year-old teenager, is murdered by 18-year-old Matthew Mason in December 2019, six weeks after they first exchange messages via social media.

SECRETS IN THE ICE (Super Chanel Fuse) 8:00pm (SEASON PREMIERE): A grim discovery in a Swedish lake reveals ancient practices; in the Canadian Arctic, the fossil of a previously unknown mammal is found; bizarre ice formations in the Antarctic Ocean; a discovery off the east coast of Canada.

BELGRAVIA: THE NEXT CHAPTER (CBC) 9:00pm (SEASON FINALE): As Frederick grieves the loss of Clara, Enright receives a letter that pushes Frederick to confront his past; Clara and Davison adapt to life in the North, as Clara grapples with happy memories of home.

OUTBACK OPAL HUNTERS (Discovery Canada) 9:00pm (SEASON PREMIERE): The Bushmen bring in an explosives expert to blast through the toughest rock in Grawin; plus, a brand-new team brings cutting edge technology to the opal fields.

SPOOKED IRELAND (DTour) 9:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE): The team ventures to Charleville Castle, where they face a multitude of spirits who seem to have turned against the castle's current occupants by trapping them in cupboards and keeping them up at night with screams and singing.

EXPEDITION X (Discovery Canada) 10:00pm (SEASON PREMIERE): Phil and Jess explore the world's most haunted forest near the site of the Dracula legend and where Josh Gates had his most terrifying experience; during a night investigation, Jess finds herself being watched by someone or something sinister.

THE PLAYBOY MURDERS (Investigation Discovery) 10:00pm (SEASON PREMIERE): In the late '90s, Playboy twins Sandy and Mandy Bentley's fame soars until an affair with a Vegas High Roller leads to a fall from fame, stolen jewels, a shadowy buyer and a brutal double murder in the Hollywood hills.

MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA (CTV Life) 10:00pm (SEASON PREMIERE): A group of 12 home cooks will compete with 12 former contestants.

MURDER AT MY DOOR WITH KYM MARSH (documentary) 10:00pm/11:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE): The story of 17-year-old Thomas Griffiths, who killed his girlfriend and arranged the crime scene to look like a suicide after she broke up with him. In Episode Two, 19-year-old Mundill Mahil lures a young TV executive to his death in an act of revenge following an attempted rape six months earlier.

[f1tfballetc]

[Just another fanmade of a random sports athlete.... It's about Sidney Crosby once again.]

Love or hate him, he achieves a lot for Pittsburgh Penguins and Canada men's ice hockey team!

Youre the man, Sidney. 🏒🇨🇦🔥

(P.S.: Again, I'm not an ice hockey fan - but just want to appreciate the greatness even for some players from the said sport, like Crosby.)

[thenhlteaissuperhot]

are you looking forward to a home world championships? the last time the worlds was in the czech republic was 2015, no? any interesting stuff to share regarding it?

Oh, yeah, I am definitely looking forward to it.

Going to sound like some shameful patriot here, but the Czech fans are undeniably the best at cheering at hockey games - boasting, but the main reason why for example the para hockey worlds are held so often here is because it was the first location where the organizers experienced a sold-out arena and people genuinely cheering for the guys -, even when the Czech team is not playing, so I can't wait to experience the atmosphere in the arenas (as I am lucky enough to be able to visit both Prague and Ostrava for a couple of games).

You're right, the last time the tournament was held here was in 2015 when Canada with Crosby, Spezza, Burns, and others won the gold medal - so many hockey fanfictions came out of that championship, it's quite hilarious looking back at how much inspiration the writers got out of that thing.

Interesting stuff? Well, from the Czech perspective, we have come back to our old jerseys with the national emblem cause people hated the Scania-looking-like lion on the new design, the mascots are (once again, just like back in 2015) going to be the bunnies Bob and Bobek, who are famous cartoon characters over here, the symbol on the official logo of the tournament is this drawn puck, which the foreign media thinks is absolutely adorable while the Czechs thinks it's cringe, and they also started releasing the official commercials, in which Jaromir Jagr acts.

Oh, and a bit of gossipy stuff - we have also kicked out the Finnish coach, who won a bronze medal for us two years back only because some old men at the head of our federation desperately wanted a Czech coach for the home championship so they made up reasons why he allegedly wasn't leading the national team well and replaced him with a coach, who had been until then coaching the junior national team.

On a positive note though, if some Bruins fans are out there, David Krejci is going to be playing there, he wants the tournament to be his official retirement from ice hockey so definitely tune in for the Czech games if you want to see him play for the last time.

[lawyeryuri]

Naruto characters as high schoolers from rural(ish) canada

Naruto- naruto is like. literally the archtype of hockey boy. he's athletic. stupid. weirdly gay. what more can you ask for? iruka got him into hockey to help him let off steam when he was 12 (iruka hockey dad transformation) he's gotten out of so many fights on the ice by talk no jutsu-ing them down. Naruto is the type of guy to joke about being illiterate but also 🤨 what did he get on the literacy test last year

Sasuke- I've talked about this in another post, but CURLER SASUKE! that man curls. (as in, the ice sport of curling) he curls w team taka, and before his parents died, them and itachi. you might expect him to figure skate, but that boy has never skated in his life because he never learned and doesn't was to look silly. sasuke experienced the student-council-to-smoker-pit pipeline after moving out of his brother's house, and into some mysterious living situation with a guy everyone is pretty sure sells fentanyl.

Sakura- is the student council president. I can practically smell the school spirit on her. she scores a 92 on a test and is disappointed that it will bring down her average. idk. she also totally plays hockey, but I'm not sure if she plays in the women's or men's league. I'm told the girls in the boys league are kind of pick-me s, so do with that information what you will.

Ino- ino is a horse girl. hear me out. up here, horse girls have access to actual horses, and a lot of them aren't insanely rich because they work at the stables they ride at. also, horse girls have some sort of crazy horse network, so that would be where ino gets her information

Kiba- kiba is also a hockey boy. he's so hockey boy I feel like I know him. I really wish I didn't know him. I can perfectly sum up his character with the following interaction a friend of mine actually had with her brother.

"hana: are you homophobic?

kiba: yeah. .... please don't tell mom..."

Sai- moved to. konoha district school or whatever the fuck in grade 7 but he's still the new guy.

suigetsu: he is a former figure skater. he is the last person you would expect to, which is the same with the other (former) figure skaters I know. also its his transmasc swag.

those are the interesting ones anyway! 💛 yeah

[gay-jesus-probably]

okay idk how many fucks y’all give about hockey, but I give MANY fucks, and holy FUCK the mens world juniors quarterfinals game between Canada and Slovakia last night was fucking WILD, that was the most apeshit game I’ve ever seen, I loved it so much.

Like for a start it BEGINS with our boy Connor Bedard breaking the record for most points ever scored in the mens world juniors tournament, and that wasn’t even the wildest part of the night. He also went on to win us the game after five minutes of overtime, despite being exhausted from a hard game he powered through over a minute of play to carry the team home and score the gamewinning goal by dodging around THREE SLOVAKIA PLAYERS GUARDING THE GOALIE ALL BY HIMSELF. This boy is the most important Canadian in the world. He’s only seventeen. That was the single best goal I’ve ever seen in my life. Fucking CHAMPION.

One guy got checked so hard his helmet and stick went flying, and when he got up he tried to keep playing??? WHY?? Guess what, he did nothing except get a penalty for playing without a helmet. Good job buddy. If that powerplay against us had cost canada the game, we would’ve deserved it tbh, that was just embarassing.

Speaking of embarrassing though, Slovakia’s second goal was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Bedard and another guy are chasing a trio of Slovakian’s with the puck to our net. Both Canadians eat shit at the exact same time. Bedard slams face first into the net pole, right as the other guy goes sliding past in the background. Slovakia scores while they’re down, and then the puck bounces out of the net to land directly on Bedard’s stick, and he thunks his head against the ice as he gives up on life entirely. Funniest thing I’ve ever seen in a game, it was like a fucking Looney Tunes sketch.

Also y’know what’s NOT embarassing, the performance of Slovakia’s goalie holy SHIT. The commentators were describing him as a living forcefield over the net, and honestly they were so right, that man cannot be human. To be clear, the game ended five minutes into overtime with 4-3 for Canada. Over the entire course of the game, Slovakia got 30 shots on net, so our goalie saved 27 of them. Meanwhile Canada took fucking 61 shots on Slovakia’s net, and their absolute fucking legend of a goalie saved fifty seven shots that night. Holy shit. He might get honorary canadian citizenship for his work, this man has truly earned our respect, when he got an award after the game the entire crowd lost their shit cheering for him. The most incredible performance I’ve ever seen. Not even joking, look at the official highlights video on youtube, about 90% of the comments section is just Canadians raving about how amazing Slovakia’s goalie was. Fucking hell, one of his teammates got his stick caught in the fucking gap above the blade of the goalie’s skate, and he still made a save like that with his own teammate yanking his damn foot around!!! Slovakia had better be damn proud of that man, he is a fucking hero.

[seedlessmuffins]

hi k!!! idk if the post abt random asks to get to know someone better expires but, what got u into football AND what got u into hockey??? sports origin stories r always so endearing to me!!!

hi darling!

that post will never expire don't worry i love the asks! they're so much fun to answer. both of my answers are pretty basic though 🤭

edit: this is so so long so im hiding it under the cut, sorry abi 😭

for hockey, it was the canucks 2011 stanley cup run. i'd been around hockey my whole life, all my brothers and my dad play, and hockey culture is canadian culture there's virtually no separation. i'd watched the 2010 olympics as well where canada won gold in vancouver, but i was too young to really process anything about the game, just the emotions after we won. the city was alive, im pretty sure the men's hockey team couldn't walk anywhere without someone buying them a beer. but the canucks 2011 stanley cup run really solidified it for me. the stanley cup (the ucl of hockey) has 4 rounds, each round is a best of 7 series. it lasts a long time. the canucks team at the time was the best it had ever been, with the most skilled players in the nhl. there were so many iconic moments, like the canucks vs blackhawks (their rivals at the time) in the opening round, the aaron rome hit (big, controversial check), and the entire final series against boston. idk how to describe the energy in vancouver, but it was like nothing i'd ever felt before as a kid. everyone had canucks car flags on their cars, and people wore their jerseys to school on game days. i went with my mom and my siblings to a local library to watch game 7 of the finals on a field with so many other people in my jersey and we painted our whole faces. the song the canucks used to skate onto the ice to during that playoffs gives me chills. i watched every game i was allowed to, and i remember having a debate with a teacher at my school (who was a boston fan) about which team was better, and i got so passionate about it i ended up in tears. it made me love the sport, for everything that is, because the city experienced all the joy of getting to the last game, with the cup in the building in vancouver, only to lose on home ice. but we won and lost together as fans! the canucks slogan is "we are all canucks" and i feel that way every time i lovingly hate on the team or watch a game. i am a stats/tactics nerd, but that came later and this is already too long (i can make another post about it if you really want)

for football, this is kind of cliche but the world cup. again, similar to hockey, i had been around football my whole life and i played when i was younger, i also lived close to two retired soccer players who played for team canada and other semi-pro teams in the vancouver area. during the world cup though, everyone at my university was watching, and i was just excited to see the canadian mnt play at a world cup for the first time since 1986. but then i started watching other games, and highlights took over all my social media, and now i am obsessed 🤭 what really sealed the deal for the obsession was the final, i got up early to watch it live and it was honestly the most exciting sports game i had watched in a long time (because the canucks are suffering currently). i had always thought of football as kind of boring because there was less scoring and nobody was allowed to fistfight, but i can admit when i was wrong! and i was very wrong about that. watching leo get crowned world champion >>>> all other feelings idc!

[gothgaymoth]

i feel like tumblr would enjoy the products of the first time i took adderall, in which i decided suddenly i wanted to watch hockey and choose which team i watched based on AO3 Men’s Hockey RPF (Real Person Fic), M/M pairing statistics.

anyway

BASED UPON AO3 POPULARITY (M/M MEN'S HOCKEY RPF, NO CROSSOVERS; APPROX. 11,000 FICS) #1 Sidney Patrick Crosby OC ONS is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League #2 Jonathan Bryan Toews OM is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League #3 Patrick Timothy Kane II is an American professional ice hockey right winger and alternate captain for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League #4 Evgeni Vladimirovich Malkin is a Russian professional ice hockey centre and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League #5 Tyler Paul Seguin is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and alternate captain for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League #6 Mitchell Marner is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger and alternate captain for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League #7 Jamie Randolph Benn is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger and captain of the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League #8 Auston Taylour Matthews is an American professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League #9 Alexander Mikhailovich Ovechkin is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League #10 Patrick Sharp is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player... in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers, Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Stars (RETIRED) #11 Marc-André Fleury is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League

BASED UPON A03 POPULARIY (M/M MEN'S HOCKEY RPF, NO CROSSOVERS) #1 Patrick Kane/Jonathan Toews (1654) #2 Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin (1521) #3 Jamie Benn/Tyler Seguin (704) #4 Mitch Marner/Auston Matthews (438) #5 Nicklas Backstrom/Alexander Ovechkin (244)

STATISTICS

Teams, with Multiple Patrick Sharps

Blackhawks 3/10 Stars 3/10 Penguins 2/10 Maple Leafs 2/10 Capitals 1/10 Flyers 1/10

Teams, with Final Patrick

Blackhawks 3/10 Stars 2/10 Penguins 2/10 Leafs 2/10 Capitals 1/10

Teams, sans Patrick (Fleury added) Blackhawks 2/10 Stars 2/10 Penguins 2/10 Leafs 2/10 Capitals 1/10 Wilds 1/10

Teams, sans Patrick II, for some reason Stars 3/10 Blackhawks 2/10 Penguins 2/10 Maple Leafs 2/10 Capitals 1/10 Flyers 1/10

Nationalities Candaians 6/10, Russians 2/10, Americans 2/10

1 Canada 8857 2 United States 5395 3 Sweden 2189 4 Russia 1067

Total number of players in the top 4 NHL nationalities: 17,508

Captainality Captains: 5/10 Alt. Captains 4/10 (5 incl. Sharp, Blackhawks) Other 1/10 (Fleury)

The top 10 most popular NHL Teams (# of fans is online only) # NHL Team Number of Fans Stanley Cups 1 Chicago Blackhawks             2,735,079      6 2 Boston Bruins             2,141,162        6 3 Pittsburgh Penguins             1,981,607           5 4 Detroit Red Wings             1,937,141           11 5 Montreal Canadiens             1,638,437       24 6 New York Rangers             1,479,947           4 7 Toronto Maple Leafs             1,342,357        13 8 Philadelphia Flyers             1,142,950        2 9 Vancouver Canucks             1,002,049        0 10 L.A Kings             920,989          2 source: https://www.stadium-maps.com/facts/nhl_facebook_table.html#fbtable

CONCLUSION The most popular players to fic ratio is not correlated to the number of Stanley Cups. The correlation between general popularity and AO3 popularity seems hit or miss. The Bruins, Red Wings, Rangers, Canucks and Kings do not have any players in the top 10 on A03, despite being in the top 10 most popular. The Blackhawks are the exception- taking in to consideration multiple Patrick Sharps cannot exist at the same time- they have the most players in the top 10 on AO3 and are also the most popular team. The Penguins have two players and are the 3rd most popular. THe Maple Leafs have two players and are the 7th most popular. The Flyers are the 8th most popular and have no players, if Patrick Sharp is in his final form.

Position as a captain or alternative captain seems to give you a distinct advantage as all top ten players on AO3 were either role at some point.

Nationality may over-represent Russians in fic. There were no Swedish players in the top 10, despite there being almost twice as many Swedish players as Russian players. This is taken out of context of teams, however, and has a low sample size for popular players.

This is not statistically noted, however on further research Olympic medalists make up the top four most popular players on AO3, along with 2 other players in the top ten (3 including Fleury). Skill may be a factor in AO3 popularity.

"Sidney Crosby" is tagged in more fics than "Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin" and is, as a whole, the most popular player. "Jonathan Towes" is the second most tagged player, despite "Patrick Kane/Jonathan Toews" being the most popular relationship tag. "Patrick Kane/Jonathan Toews" and "Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malki" and their respective players seem to be the focus of Men's Hockey RPF on AO3. Both of these tags are of their respective team captain and alternative captain. All of the top five most popular relationship tags are between team captain and alternative captain. Three of the top ten most popular relationship tags are between (alt.) captains and non-captains.

i chose to watch the bruins

[atlanticcanada]

'The biggest rivalry': Bedard, Canada set for world junior semifinal against U.S.

Brandt Clarke was a month short of his sixth birthday.

The moment, however, remains etched in his memory.

John Tavares scored a dramatic hat trick for Canada against the United States in a wild 7-4 victory on New Year's Eve at the 2009 world junior hockey championship in Ottawa.

Clarke and his family were in the building -- hanging off every shot, save and hit from the stands.

"The electricity in the building," he said of what still resonates some 14 years later. "The red jerseys all the way to the top ... 20,000 people, winning the game against the Americans.

"It's unmatchable."

With another mouth-watering instalment of the bitter rivalry set for Wednesday thanks to Connor Bedard's overtime heroics for Canada in the quarterfinals, Clarke is confident his teammate and the country's best player -- just like Tavares that frigid night in the nation's capital -- will rise to the occasion.

"I don't expect him to take any steps back," the Los Angeles Kings defenceman said following Tuesday's brief practice. "All I've seen so far is him take steps forward. Even when it's hard to imagine him still being able to take steps forward, he's done it.

"I don't think that'll change."

Bedard has not only changed a couple lines in record books at the men's under-20 tournament.

He's torn it to shreds.

The presumptive first pick at the 2023 NHL draft set five national or tournament marks early in Monday's triumph against Slovakia before a breathtaking solo effort in OT nearly blew the roof off a frothing Scotiabank Centre.

Bedard has registered the most goals (16) and points (34) all-time by a Canadian at the tournament. He's also set the national record for points (21) and assists (13) at a single event, and has the most points ever by a player under age 18 from any country.

But for all the accolades, the 17-year-old North Vancouver, B.C., native has made a habit of quickly turning the page.

His headline-grabbing performance in the quarterfinals was no different.

"That's really incredible for him to be able shut out or ignore all the media and how much attention he's getting," Canadian goaltender Thomas Milic said. "He's a team-first guy. A quote I like is, 'A rising tide lifts all boats.' Us having team success is contributing to him and everyone else."

"He doesn't sit there and dwell on the biggest goal of the tournament," Canadian head coach Dennis Williams added of Bedard, who didn't speak to reporters Tuesday. "You wouldn't have known that after the game -- his focus was already on to the next challenge."

That comes Wednesday in the latest clash of the sport's North American powers.

"Every kid's dream," said U.S. forward and Winnipeg Jets prospect Rutger McGroarty. "Playing in a barn like this against your rival, it'll be a fun one.

"It just gets us juiced up to see that atmosphere, see how crazy it's going to be."

Whether it's the Olympics, world juniors, world championships or any other level, extra motivation isn't necessary when the countries hit the ice.

"Don't think we need to go in as coaches and get the room going," Williams said. "If anything, we've got to calm them down."

Tavares, Sidney Crosby, Joe Sakic, Haley Wickenheiser, Marie-Philip Poulin and many others have risen to the occasion in similar moments.

This Canadian iteration is hoping for the same.

"All of us dreamed of this as kids," said winger Brennan Othmann. "This is the game, this is the moment."

"The biggest rivalry," added forward and Ottawa Senators prospect Zach Ostapchuk. "And for us, personally, it's, big. It'll be really exciting."

For all the points Bedard has put up, the Americans are also dangerous, especially the top line of Logan Cooley, Jimmy Snuggerud and Cutter Gauthier, who sit second, third and fifth in tournament scoring.

"Skilled guys," said Canadian centre Logan Stankoven, who plays alongside Bedard and is No. 4 in the points race. "They strike fast and quick."

Taking the body will be a big part of Canada's mindset against the Americans, including trying to make life difficult for their undersized defence corps.

"They don't like the physical play," Clarke said.

For all the drama Monday, one area where the Canadians will look to improve is faceoffs after a success rate of just 45 per cent.

"We're chasing the game too much there," Williams said. "We were going to position before possession."

Canada lost to the U.S. in the final of the 2021 tournament in the COVID-19 bubble in Edmonton in the countries' last meeting at the world juniors.

"Super special," Milic said. "These are games I loved watching growing up. We're pretty fortunate to be able to be in this position to play in one and really have a big battle for our country."

Canada got to this point thanks to another spectacular performance from Bedard, who dropped to one knee for his own version of the "heartbreaker" celebration made famous by U.S. great Patrick Kane after scoring the winner against the Slovaks.

"That was pretty cool," Clarke said. "Especially in a big setting like that. The whole building's going crazy, the whole building's chanting 'M-V-P' for him.

"That's what he's been doing all tournament -- just breaking hearts."

Bedard and Canada will look to do the same against the Americans.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 3, 2023.

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/uDa4pFx