#nhl all star celebrity shootout 2017

[arerue4pic]

#RossLynch 2017 NHL All-Star Celebrity Shootout

[arerue-fiboo]

1月27日、「#NHL100」発表・表彰式典、28日はセレブリティホッケーへ出場

NHLオールスターイベントが続々開催中のこの週、27日にLAステープルズセンターで華々しく開かれた、NHL100年の歴史から選ばれる100名の名選手を発表する式典に出席したリンチｓ男子。　（マークパパ含む。最前列に座って。　『これティーンチョイスだったら俺らずっと後ろだよな?! 』  ：ライカー）

そして翌日28日は NHL All-Star Celebrity Shootout 。27日発表された#NHL100の選手とセレブの混成チームでの試合です。

ライカーが一昨日あたりから「出るぞ～」と予告していたのですが��ようやくメンバー表が発表になりました。

ロスやライカーが今まで名前を挙げた名選手、ジョー・サキックやピーター・フォースバーグ、先日の Outdoor Classicでご紹介したウェイン・グレツキー、リュック・ロビタイユほか、アイスホッケーのオールスター選手がラインナップ。

セレブ選手は、R5 からはロス（背番号32）ライカー（背番号91）が出場。同じチームにはリュック・ロビタイユと御子息で俳優のスティーブン・R・マックイーンやテイラー・キッチュ（X-Men Origins）

リンチｓと対戦するグレツキー・チームには、お馴染みマイケル・ローゼンバウムさんや、、映画プロデューサーのジェリー・ブラッカイマー（パイレーツ・オブ・カリビアンなど） そして目玉セレブはジャスティン・ビーバー！これは、ワクワクするなと言われてもムリですね！

ライカーも気合入れてたようですしね！

「明日に向けてスケート靴を準備中😎」

[arerue4pic]

riker lynch on Instagram: “This was insanely awesome. Thank you @ourechoesofhope for having us! #nhlallstarweekend”

[arerue-fiboo]

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A post shared by ああるふぁいぶtde.jp (@arerue_fiboo)

2017年1月28日、2017 NHL All-Star Celebrity Shootout

いやぁ、さすがNHL主催。メンバーコールからしてカッコいいッスね！

Rydel on Snapchat 「兄弟がNHLの人と試合するの～♪、それにビーバー♪」

ライランド　「NHLはリンチ兄弟のうち鈍いヤツ二人しか出せないって言ったから、ロスとライカーを出してやったんだ」

そんなわけで、レジェンド���NHL選手とのプレーがかなったロス＆ライカー。 ライカーは大好きな選手ピーター・フォースバーグと同チームで、「パスが貰えればそれでもう大満足」と言っていましたが、もらえたんでしょうか？

試合の方は、5－3で、ザ・ポップアイコン、ビーバーさん所属のグレツキーチームが勝利。ストリーム中継を見ていましたがビーバーさん2ゴール1アシスト？だったかな？で、かなりのご活躍でした。

ロスはずっと積極的にゴールを攻めてアシストも何度も出していたようですが、得点にはいたらず残念ながら敗北。Rocklandコンビに「俺が出てれば」と、向こう数週間は言われ続けることでしょう(笑)

試合の録画はNHLサイトなどで観られますのでこちらからどうぞ →NHLのFacebookビデオ

[mitchbeck]

CANTLON'S CORNER: LINDGREN GETTING PRIMED FOR THE NHL

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - The New York Rangers may be attempting to battle their way through a five-game losing streak down in the Big Apple, meanwhile, though, back on the farm, the Hartford Wolf Pack remain undefeated, their only blemish a shootout loss (5-0-0-1). They're currently preparing for their first weekend of three-games-in-three-days with the Laval Rocket on Friday and a home-and-home set with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Among the young stallions being readied for a possible NHL recall, is defenseman Ryan Lindgren. Among the last cuts from training camp, Lindgren has a natural sting for a player but is not taking the pouting route. “It wasn’t what I wanted, but Gord (Associate Head Coach, Gord Murphy) has talked to me since I got here about my work in the defensive zone, and he’s got us all on the same page, so I will be ready when we get to the NHL,” Lindgren, with a the sound of affirmation in his voice, said. The arrival of Murphy, with over 700 games of NHL playing experience as one of the league’s top defenseman,  and his 17 years as an NHL assistant coach, are being utilized every day by Lindgren. “I just love it. I try to get as much information from Gord as I possibly I can. A guy who's played over 700 NHL games and be able to make it, but also stay and stick around there, knows what it takes. I want to learn everything I can. I pick his brain every day. He’s been great to talk to, and very easy to talk to. He really listens to and helps you with what you ask." Last weekend the coaches instituted a defensive partner switch for Lindgren, moving him from Jeff LoVerde to Darren Raddysh. It's part of the master plan. “I played with Jeff early on here, and we hit it off pretty good. Now I’m with Raddysh, and Gord is trying to see what we can do together (as a unit). It’s good to mix things up,” remarked Lindgren. Murphy is already a Lindgren fan. “For some players, it comes naturally playing in your own end, and some it takes time. Ryan is a competitive athlete. He takes pride in his game and knows that's his strength. He is a very mature young man, and that's a benefit to his play,” Murphy said of the rugged, left-handed shooting rearguard. In fact, last week, Lindgren broke a 74-game scoreless streak with a gorgeous rush into the offensive zone during the Bridgeport game. “That felt so good after going all last year with none. Nice to get the monkey off my back,” Lindgren said with a laugh. He gave an extra fist pump after the tally. When asked if it was more like a gorilla, he replied, "It felt like that.” His last goal was game-winner in Hershey against the Bears and was the game’s first star on March 25, 2017, in a 4-2 win. It made Murphy smile as well. ‘We're working on having him make that rush. Make him a 200-foot player and the goal surprised a lot of people including himself. It was good to see him have that confidence with the puck. Everybody was happy for him and it showed he’s not a one-dimensional player,“ Murphy said while putting emphasis on the phrase one dimension. Murphy likes a lot in Lindgren and how despite his physicals style, and his self-admitted penchant for trash-talking, he doesn’t hurt his team. “He isn’t in the penalty box a lot for a player who loves contact. He is not taking selfish penalties or hurting his team. He has the ability to play physical or with intimidation if you will, and he makes sure the other guy is going to have a lot of ice bags on after the game.” The early season winning is important to Lindgren. “We want to build a winning culture here. Last year was my first pro season, and all the losing we did wasn’t fun. Now we have new coaches, and all the coaches and (management) have emphasized, is that this is a new beginning here.“ Lindgren is putting his imprint on this team, but he is clearly a player who might find his way to Broadway at some point his season in a way reminiscent of Ryan McDonagh, who was here some years back. NOTES: The Wolf Pack's first three-in-three begins Friday at 7:15 pm against Laval where it's possible that Lindgren will possibly skate against his older brother, Charlie, a goalie for the Rocket. The two have never played against one another as both took different paths to play and have four years apart in age. One organizational move - Foward Shawn McBride, who played one exhibition game and was nursing an injury playing up with the Pack's ECHL affiliate, the Maine Mariners, along with a full boat of other players, was recalled and reassigned to play to the Norfolk Admirals (ECHL). Ex-UCONN Husky captain, and defenseman, Miles Gendron, was recalled from Brampton (ECHL) to Belleville (AHL). Sam Gagner, the son of former New Haven Nighthawk, Dave Gagner, was recalled from Bakersfield by Edmonton. Ex-Pack, Drew Melanson, signs a try-out deal with EV Bayreuth (Germany DEL-2) Former Sound Tiger, Andrew MacDonald, signs a Euro deal with SC Bern (Switzerland-LNA). No news on the Ryan Gropp suspension front, Hartford, of course, has its arena issues, but they're not alone. As they celebrate the 15th year of minor pro hockey in the city, The Stockton Heat have problems of their own.  Read about it HERE. Read the full article

[junker-town]

The wildest summer ever in women’s hockey, explained

Everything you need to know about leagues dissolving, players boycotting, rivals uniting, and what to look forward to in the 2019-20 season.

Professional women’s ice hockey in North America has been shaken up several times this summer. If you don’t know what’s been going on, now is the perfect time to get caught up before the 2019-20 season begins. Although the future is uncertain, it’s an exciting time to be a fan.

The state of women’s hockey before this summer

At the beginning of 2019, two professional women’s leagues operated in North America. The Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) was mostly made up of Canadian teams, with one apiece in China and the United States. The newer NWHL was finishing up its fourth season and had five teams, all based in the United States.

Being a professional player in these leagues was not financially lucrative. The NWHL was the first of the leagues to pay its players, and salaries initially ranged from $10,000-$26,000, although they were reduced midway through the 2016-17 season due to low attendance and the league’s lack of a media deal at the time. The CWHL didn’t even pay its players until 2017, and even then the maximum salary was $10,000. Most players worked full-time jobs in addition to being professional athletes on the weekends, and additional resources provided by both leagues were minimal.

Merging the two leagues would have been close to impossible due to various legal reasons. Though the NHL has expressed interest in supporting women’s hockey, and has provided some financial investment to both leagues, its leadership has not express interest in running either one. Commissioner Gary Bettman has said that the NHL would only explore running a women’s league if there were no other viable viable options for elite players in North America.

But even with two leagues operating on the same continent, things were looking up. The NWHL had recently expanded to include a team in Minnesota. The CWHL’s Clarkson Cup final was broadcast on three television channels in North America. Both leagues were now paying their players and seeing increased attendance. Despite huge obstacles for players and both leagues having their ups-and-downs, women’s hockey was growing.

March 2019: The CWHL announces that it will fold

On March 31, the CWHL announced that it would cease operations. This came as a surprise to players, GMs, coaches, fans, and countless other members of the league’s operational staff who thought that the league was growing, not failing, after 12 seasons of operation.

Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images

Players with the CWHL’s Calgary Inferno celebrate during the Clarkson Cup Final, the championship game that occurred just days before the CWHL announced it would fold.

In the aftermath of this unexpected news, the NWHL announced that it would be adding two teams based in Canada; however, the league never released a timeline for the expansion. The league later announced that commissioner Dani Rylan met with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman soon after the CWHL made its announcement and secured a $10,000 investment from the NHL to use toward the expansion.

As the situation stood, more than 125 ex-CWHL players would no longer have the opportunity to play professionally. Leaving to play in the NWHL or a European league would be difficult for many reasons, including visa issues and the fact that nearly every player would also need to find a second job in a new city if they wanted to cover living expenses while playing.

April 2019: Team USA wins gold over Finland at IIHF Worlds in a controversial victory

Photo credit: MIKKO STIG/AFP/Getty Images

You might remember Kendall Coyne Schofield (center left) as the player who beat Zach Werenski, Noah Hanifin, and Josh Bailey in the Fastest Skater competition at the 2019 NHL All-Star game.

OK, here’s some actual hockey to break up the heavy stuff.

The IIHF Women’s World Championships were held in Espoo, Finland in April. In an unexpected turn of events, the final didn’t come down to the U.S. and Canada as it had in literally every previous world championship in history.

The game was surprisingly close. The Americans outshot Finland in the first period; Finland came back and outshot them in the second. At the end of regulation they were tied 1-1. Then Finland’s Petra Nieminen scored a beautiful goal on an empty net and her team took to the ice to celebrate their first ever world championship.

Then, for immensely complicated reasons that no one understood at the time, and are still confusing after the fact, the goal was taken away minutes later.

Instead, the game went to shootout, and Team USA won its fifth consecutive gold medal. Many players in the tournament returned home without knowing when they would have the opportunity to play next.

May 2019: 200 players declare they will boycott the NWHL #ForTheGame

On May 2, more than 200 players announced through a coordinated Twitter statement using the hashtag #ForTheGame that they will not play in “ANY professional league in North America” until certain conditions are met. These players range vastly in age, nationality, league, and background, but they share a desire for better pay, health insurance, and other support.

We may represent different teams, leagues and countries but collectively we stand as one. #ForTheGame pic.twitter.com/O9MOOL8YOt

— Hilary Knight (@HilaryKnight) May 2, 2019

A few weeks later, some of the players behind #ForTheGame then established the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association, to promote “the creation of a single, viable women’s professional league in North America.” So far, the association has over 170 “due-paying members.” The leaders plan to use the association to provide resources and ice-time for member players, as well as host exhibitions.

The driving leadership behind this movement comes from several groups that no one ever expected to unify. Within the nine-member board, players come from the former CWHLPA, the NWHL, and the national teams of several countries. In particular, many vocal leaders are members of the American national team, who you might recall seeing in the news when they won Olympic gold in 2018, or when they held a successful boycott of their own in 2017 to secure better wages and conditions from USA Hockey.

Maybe the single most wild part of the summer is that members of some of the biggest rivals in hockey, the American and Canadian national teams, are working together in this organization. That said, stranger things have happened.

The future of professional women’s hockey in North America

For now, the #ForTheGame movement continues, although some players who initially voiced their solidarity with #ForTheGame have since removed the hashtag from their social media and signed with the NWHL. Other participants have signed with teams in foreign leagues such as the Swedish Women’s Hockey League (SDHL), but it’s unclear where most of the others will play, if at all, this fall.

The NWHL will continue operations with its five teams (based in Boston, Buffalo, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Minnesota) this season, albeit without some of the best players in the world. But that doesn’t mean that the league isn’t growing: teams will now play 24 games rather than 16 like in previous seasons, new sponsors have partnered with the league, and many players have spent the summer running NWHL youth development camps to help train the next generation.

Additionally, leaders from the NWHL such as Players Association Executive Director Anya Packer (née Battaglino) have expressed a desire to communicate with the PWHLPA and #ForTheGame movement about their demands and needs.

Several NWHL teams have had partnerships with their local NHL counterparts in the past, so the possibility of a future relationship with the biggest pro hockey league in the world isn’t out of the question. For example, Pegula Sports and Entertainment (the organization that owns the Buffalo Sabres) owned the NWHL’s Buffalo Beauts for one season, but they returned ownership to the league this summer. The Bruins have maintained their relationship with the NWHL’s Boston Pride, and it’s unclear whether the Minnesota Wild and Whitecaps have maintained a partnership.

For now, these are the five professional women’s hockey teams in North America for the 2019-20 season:

Boston Pride- Warrior Ice Arena in Boston, MA

Buffalo Beauts- Northtown Center in Amherst, NY

Connecticut Whale- Danbury Arena in Danbury, CT

Metropolitan Riveters- ProSkate in Monmouth Junction, NJ

Minnesota Whitecaps- TRIA Rink, St. Paul, MN

Even with the boycott, the NWHL will still feature some of the best players in the world this year. The available roster spots left behind by the #ForTheGame players will give traditionally underrepresented players a chance to play professionally, such as women from the national teams of Slovakia and Kazakhstan, as well as some top DIII players. Games start on October 5, and you can follow along with our coverage of the league and other women’s hockey news at the Ice Garden’s site and Twitter.

[arerue4pic]

riker lynch on Instagram: “Still buzzing about this #nhlallstar @ourechoesofhope”

[yahoo-puck-daddy-blog]

Sidney Crosby at 30: Ranking his 30 greatest hockey moments (so far)

Sidney Crosby hit the big 3-0 on Monday, as “Sid The Kid” officially became an ironic nickname.

The Pittsburgh Penguins captain has been playing hockey for more than half his life, as his first season with Dartmouth in the NSMHL came at age 14.

Sixteen years later, Crosby is the best player in the world (work on that defense, Connor) with three Stanley Cups, two Olympic golds, a IIHF gold, world junior goal, whatever they gave out for the World Cup of Hockey and so much more. He has 1,027 points in 782 games, with 383 goals. He’s pretty good.

With all that Crosby’s accomplished, it’s hard to narrow the list down to 30 moments in Crosby’s hockey life. But here they are, ranked for your enjoyment.

30. Youngest player to win a IIHF World Championship scoring title

When Sidney Crosby was 18 and the Penguins weren’t playing for the Stanley Cup in, like, every season, Crosby represented Canada at the 2006 IIHF World Championships. He scored 16 points in nine games – including a point in Canada’s first eight games – to win top forward honors and set a IIHF record for the youngest player to lead the tournament in points.

29. Gets Referenced in an SNL Joke

It’s not that Sidney Crosby was name-dropped in a joke on “Saturday Night Live” in 2012. It’s that someone in that writer’s room acknowledged that Andy Samberg is a Sid doppelgänger.

Did the joke bomb? Eh, we’ll blame it on Lindsay Lohan’s delivery.

28. Crosby’s 66 in 41

In 2010-11, Crosby had 66 points in 41 games to lead the Penguins in scoring (and lead the NHL with a 1.61 points-per-game average). He set an NHL record in the process: No other player led his team in scoring in so few games played in a non-lockout season.

27. Sidney On The Street

Notable mainly for one of the greatest hockey players to ever live just standing around while teen Jack Johnson tries to make time with some unimpressed ladies.

26. Penguins Rookie Record

The Penguins have had a few decent offense rookies through the years, but none better than Crosby when it comes to total points: His 102 points were two better than Mario Lemieux (100 in 1984-85). Sure, Mario got him in points-per-game, having played 73 games to Sid’s 81, but in Crosby’s defense he had to play against goalies that knew what they were doing and wore actual padding.

25. Homers At PNC Park

Proving he could have been the best hockey/baseball star since Tom Glavine, Sid went yard during batting practice at the Pirates’ stadium in what we imagine is Doc Emrick’s wet dream.

24. Crosby scores in OT vs. Lightning

Sid’s only playoff overtime goal won Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final for the Penguins to knot their series with the Lightning, and it was a key point in the series.

23. Crosby Checks Boris Valabik’s Undercarriage

The moment we all realized how delightfully sneaky dirty Crosby was (with apologies to Mark Methot on the “delightfully” part). Sid speed-bagged Boris Valabik of the Atlanta Thrashers in a moment that would have made Ric Flair proud.

22. Rookie With 100 Points and 100 PIMs 

OK, maybe we should have seen the “dirty” part from miles away. Crosby had 102 points and 110 penalty minutes in 2005-06 – the first NHL rookie to record 100 points and 100 penalty minutes in a season. He had 55 minor penalties and no majors. So, still a Good Boy.

21. ESPYs, 2010

While no one will mistake the ESPY Awards with anything as prestigious as, say, the NHL Awards (although admittedly the stage banter is much better), Sidney Crosby has dominated ESPN’s exercise in largess since entering the League. We’ll put the spotlight on his 2010 win for Best NHL Player, which was his fourth straight win and fourth total one – one more than Lemieux had for his career.

Please note that the “selection committee” voting process for the ESPYs ended in 2004, and was replaced by an Internet fan vote. Crosby won from 2007-2010 and 2013-14 and 2016-17, forever dispelling the notion that he won’t be winning any popularity contests.

20. World Junior Gold

 Crosby had nine points in six games as the Canadian “all-star team” rolled to 2005 World Junior gold. The only downer was that he had but one assist in their 6-1 rout of Russia in the final.

19. Crosby Exhibits Actual Personality In Commercial For Famed Canadian Doughnut Shop

Give the assist to Cole Harbour’s Nathan MacKinnon for being the John C. Reilly to Sid’s nascent Will Ferrell.

18. MVP, World Cup of Hockey

Crosby’s line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand was one of the best things about the World Cup of Hockey, along with Team North America and Ralph Kruger. Canada could have won this tournament with its fifth string, but Sid’s 10 points in six games was good enough to MVP honors.

17. That Contract

In a league where each new superstar contract leads to a slew of new cap headaches for their teams, Crosby’s 12-year deal with an AAV of $8.7 million (thanks, numerophobia!) set up the Penguins to contend for Stanley Cups through its conclusion in 2025.

16. Hey, Look, Jay Leno

Not only did Sid get a chance to shoot pucks into a dryer on “The Tonight Show” but he got to meet ROB SCHNEIDER in the process, guys…

15. Winning the Richard Trophy in 2017

It wasn’t the best season for goal-scoring – Alex Ovechkin going MIA in the Richard race didn’t help – but Crosby’s 44 goals were good enough for his second Rocket trophy.

14. Winning the Art Ross in 2007

Sid’s 120 points were six better than Joe Thornton to lead the league and net him his first Art Ross trophy in a (spoiler) MVP season. He was the youngest player to win the Art Ross.

13. Sid The Kid Goes Back-To-Back 100s 

Crosby had 102 points as a rookie and 120 points as a sophomore, becoming the youngest player in NHL history to record two consecutive 100-point seasons. Would McDavid have broken that if he were healthy as a rookie? A great “what if?”

12. Winning Richard Trophy in 2010

Crosby broke 50 goals for the only time in his career to capture his first Richard Trophy – an award he shared with Steven Stamkos, one goal better than Ovechkin.

11. Winning the Stanley Cup in 2009

Crosby had 31 points in 24 games for the Penguins during their run to the 2009 Stanley Cup, including a playoff-best 15 goals. Alas, Evgeni Malkin’s 36 points in 24 games netted him the Conn Smythe. But Crosby would get the better of another Russian …

10. Game 7 vs. Washington

In one of the greatest playoff series of the modern era, Crosby dueled with Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals for seven games in 2009 – including Game 2 in which both players had hat tricks. But in Game 7, in Washington, Crosby had two goals and an assist in a 6-1 rout to eliminate the Capitals – including the game’s opening goal.

9. Winning the Hart Trophy in 2014

Crosby’s 104-point season made him a runaway winner of his second Hart, getting 128 first-place votes. Ryan Getzlaf was second with five. That said …

8. Winning the Hart Trophy in 2007

… Crosby’s 2007 Hart Trophy, at 19 years old, was a remarkable achievement. His 120-point season was 35 points better than Malkin, i.e. basically one Colby Armstrong’s worth of points.

7. That Breakaway Vs. Lundqvist in Sochi

From a production standpoint, Crosby didn’t have the best tournament in Sochi with three points in six games. But he saved the best for last, including this breakaway goal against Henrik Lundqvist in the gold medal game – Crosby’s first goal of the Olympics. That made it 2-0, and put a dagger in Sweden.

6. Winning the Conn Smythe in 2016

Crosby had 19 points in 24 games, including two assists in the Game 6 elimination of the San Jose Sharks. That was good enough to earn Phil Kessel’s Conn Smythe in winning Crosby’s second Stanley Cup.

5. Scoring In a Snow Globe

The first Winter Classic remains one of the most picturesque hockey games in NHL history, what with the snow falling and all. (The constant Zamboni delays are best left out of this memory.) Crosby scored the shootout game-winner against Ryan Miller on Jan. 1, 2008 to give the Penguins the win over the Buffalo Sabres in snowy Ralph Wilson Stadium. Remember those names…

4. Winning the Conn Smythe in 2017

Crosby’s 27 points didn’t lead the playoffs, but the sheer will of his performance drove the Penguins to their second straight Stanley Cup. That including a dominant three-assist effort in their Game 5 rout of the Nashville Predators. Crosby had 13 points in his final 11 playoff games, and with a second straight playoff MVP, entered a new echelon on greatness.

3. The Sidney Crosby Lottery

The NHL literally rewrote the rules because Sidney Crosby was available in the entry draft. After the 2005 lockout, the NHL decided to award the No. 1 overall pick through a revamped draft lottery, dubbed the “Sidney Crosby Sweepstakes.”

All 30 teams were entered into a lottery, with each team having as many as three or as few as one ball to be drawn based on playoff qualification or draft lottery wins over the previous three seasons. The Penguins, who lost the previous lottery that resulted in Alex Ovechkin going to the Capitals, had around a six-percent chance at Crosby. Yet they won, and the rest as they say is Brian Burke being infuriated by the process after settling for Bobby Ryan.

2. The Comeback

As we celebrate Sidney Crosby’s 30th birthday, and his incredible career, let’s pause for a moment to reflect on (a) how lucky we are that Crosby’s been reasonably healthy, by comparison, for the last few years and (b) how much it sucks that we didn’t get to see him at 100 percent (or at all) for much if this career.

That’s why we’re putting his return in Nov. 2011, after 11 months out of action that totaled 61 games, so high on the list. It was a moment the hockey world celebrated because, for a time, we were all a bit afraid that we’d never see that day arrive. (Best of health, Sid.)

1. The Golden Goal

With due respect to the other 29 accomplishments on this list, this is a Canadian hockey star, scoring in overtime in the Winter Olympic final, on Canadian soil, to win the gold medal over the United States. There’s no telling what Sidney Crosby will do in his years past his 30th birthday. But because of the unique conditions of this accomplishment, there’s no topping it.

—

Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

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[justinbiebergifs]

“This is one of the highlights of my life. For real.” - Justin at the 2017 NHL All-Star Celebrity Shootout, January 28th.

[itsjustascarecrow]

so. today marks a pretty special occasion for me. today officially marks the 5-year anniversary of the first LA Kings/hockey game i’ve ever been to. on Thursday, April 4th, 2013, my dad and i went to the Kings v. Wild game and saw Justin Williams score one minute and twenty nine seconds into the first period for what would eventually be the game-winning goal, as former Kings backup goaltender Jonathan Bernier posted a shutout.

so i’m making a post to sort of commemorate this achievement(? i guess you can call it that)--5 awesome years of being a hockey fan, and all the amazing games and events and players i’ve seen in these past 5 years.

first i’ll start w/ some totals (that do not include the game i’m going to tonight):

Games:

NHL: LAK (46); SJS (9); COL (5); STL (4); CBJ DAL (3); ANA ARI BOS CHI EDM MIN PIT (2); CAR CGY FLA NSH NYR PHI TBL TOR WSH WPG (1)

2012-13: 6 total (2 regular season, 4 playoff) 2013-14: 9 total (6 regular, 3 playoff) 2014-15: 8 total (all regular) 2015-16: 12 total (1 preseason, 10 regular, 1 playoff) 2016-17: 12 total (2 preseason, 10 regular)*’**

*2017 NHL All-Star Game (not included in total) **includes a non-LAK game (CBJ @ ANA)

AHL: ONT (6); BAK (2); CLE IWA SAR SDG (1)

2015-16: 4 total (2 regular, 2 playoff) 2016-17: 2 total (all regular)

NWHL: BOS NYR (1)

2016-17: 1 (regular)

Goals Scored:

NHL: -Kings: total - 127 by season:  2012-13: 18  2013-14: 28 2014-15: 24 2015-16: 30 2016-17: 27

-Opponent: total - 109 by season: 2012-13: 10 2013-14: 26 2014-15: 16 2015-16: 26 2016-17: 31

**CBJ @ ANA: 4-0 CBJ final score (not included in any above totals)

AHL: -Reign: total - 13 by season: 2015-16: 8 2016-17: 5

-Opponent: total - 9 by season: 2015-16: 8 2016-17: 1

NWHL: -Pride: total - 4 -Riveters: total - 3

largest amount of goals scored by a single team: 6 (Kings x3, Stars x1) number of shutouts: 9 (includes all leagues: Kings x4, Sharks x1, Penguins x1, Blue Jackets x1, Condors x1, Reign x1)

Wins vs. Losses:

NHL: Kings: 26 Opponent: 20 by season: 2012-13: 5-1 2013-14: 5-4 2014-15: 5-3 2015-16: 7-5 2016-17: 4-7**

**does not include CBJ @ ANA

AHL: Reign: 4 Opponent: 2 by season: 2015-16: 2-2 2016-17: 2-0

NWHL: Pride: 1 Opponent: 0

there’s probably a hell of a lot more info number-wise i could put on here, like which individuals we’ve seen score the most for and against each team, etc., but honestly idk if i have the patience to figure that out, lmao. also i’m sure there’s plenty of games we’ve been to where so-and-so or what’s-his-face got a milestone goal/point/game career total but again, can’t be bothered to go back and look it up. for those who may want more info tho, here’s a post i made a while ago that i update regularly w/ all the games i’ve been to w/ a final score and the goal-scorers.

for real tho like. i don’t wanna get all sappy and shit and suddenly turn this post all emotional (just watch me do so anyway) but i honestly cannot express how much this sport means to me. like insert tragic backstory(tm) here and how hockey was what saved me and all that jazz but shit like. i mean yeah this shit’s got it’s ups and downs but at least whenever i get frustrating about personal stuff, i can distract myself w/ a game. or if the game’s pissing me off, at least i’m not focusing on all the shit going on in my personal life. b/c before i started watching, i really.. didn’t have much, kinda?? 

basically i went through a major bought of depression throughout 2012 which sorta peaked in early 2013 w/ stuff i’d rather not discuss here, but if my dad hadn’t taken me to that game 5 years ago, i honestly don’t know if i’d still be around today. i felt like i’d lost a lot. nothing interested me anymore. my favorite band at the time broke up when i felt like i’d already hit rock bottom. i had like no outlet for what little strong emotion i did feel at the time b/c otherwise i just felt empty. but when Justin Williams scored that goal a minute and twenty nine freaking seconds into that game, i knew that was it. that’s what sealed the deal for me. 

i had zero idea what to expect, even w/ my dad giving me a basic rundown of the roster and some basic rules about the game. like we watched the wild warm up (b/c that’s where our seats were) and my dad kept pointing out Zach Parise to me damn-near every time he skated past us b/c he’s a former UND alumni, as is like half my family on my dad’s side, but after a while it was like “okay dad, i get it. Zach Parise. UND. pretty cool,” lmao. and then the game starts and it was so quiet. like i’ve been to like a million high school football games, a good number of pro baseball games, and one pro basketball game, but all of them were.. well a hell of a lot louder, for one. like people were watching the game, but at the same time they weren’t. people in and out of their seats all the time, tons of idle chit-chat, etc. but when that first puck dropped, people sat down and shut up. they watched, like. really watched. and when Williams scored, the utter elation of the entire building (save the wild fans of course), the horn, the “hey hey hey!” chant complete w/ fist-pumping--it was just. i honestly can’t even describe it properly. but what i can say was that it was the first time in a looong time i felt genuinely happy. 

and here i am exactly 5 years later. going back to Staples for my 47th Kings game. and i like to think i’ve seen some pretty wild shit in these past five years. league rule changes that ultimately changed the entire ASG format, amazing players both leaving and joining the league (i.e. Teemu Selanne, Auston Matthews), the 2014 Olympics, a few All-Star games, and a World Cup, the first paid pro women’s league and the U.S. women’s team fight for equitable wages, the first transgender athlete to play pro hockey (i.e. the amazing and inspirational Harrison Browne), a freaking expansion team in Vegas. 

and speaking of Vegas, i went to the first ever hockey games held in the new arena, and while it wasn’t the result we wanted, at least i got to spent two nights in a row in the coolest new arena in town, plus i got to see 3 native players on the ice in one game on the second night vs. the Avalanche, which is probably more than any other team/match-up in this league could boast. and i could not have been more proud.

i was there for Andy Andreoff’s NHL debut where he got into a fight w/ Matt Hendricks in his first shift on the ice. 

i accidentally met Matt Greene’s parents b/c his mom happened to notice my dad was wearing his jersey and asked for a picture. 

i ran into Bob Miller outside Staples and he let me see his 2014 Stanley Cup Championship ring, the same night they raised the banner. 

the first time i saw my next favorite team, the Avalanche, was three years ago on the 2-year anniversary of my first Kings game, and i took @gofredthefish​ along for the ride. 

i stood and cheered and cried for Mike Richards and Justin Williams on their return to LA after both had signed w/ the Capitals. 

i was there to see Jonathan Quick’s epic scorpion kick save against Winnipeg three seasons ago (the night before we drove down to San Deigo so i could catch an Of Mice & Men concern, then drive back to LA the following day so i could catch a flight to Bismarck, ND to visit family for senior year spring break).

i jokingly put a “native curse” San Jose’s bench before warmups back in 2014 during the first round of the playoffs, the night the Kings started their reverse sweep (as well as it being Tyler Toffoli’s 22nd birthday).

the first shootout i ever saw went to the Blues, courtesy of Troy Brouwer’s goal in the 7th round.

sent our 2014 Olympians off on a high note w/ a 2-1 overtime win against the Blue Jackets where Robyn Regehr scored the gwg from right in front of where i was sitting.

went to my first game in Honda Center and the Ducks were gloriously shut out. (i was also one of maybe ten Blue Jackets fans in the entire building.)

saw Dwight King score on Marty Brodeur from the blue line, Alec Martinez score on the Avs twice on the same play, Milan Lucic’s first game in Staples Center as a King, got a video of the signature Nick Foligno/Sergei Bobrovsky Hug(tm)--twice, since they shut out the Ducks that one time, saw the home team get a 3-0 shutout in both my first NHL and AHL games, was there for the Luc Robitaille statue unveiling outside Staples, and stood less than 10 feet away from Cam Atkinson outside Staples before the 2017 ASG. 

i went to a Reign game where they knocked the San Diego Gulls out of the playoffs just a couple of weeks after i was released from the hospital after falling into a diabetic-induced coma (also i had a cold but i’ll be damned if i wasn’t gonna persevere).

i went to two separate You Can Play-sponsored LGBT+ Pride Nights for both the NHL and NWHL--and speaking of which, that particular NWHL Pride Night was my first ever women’s hockey game ever. and Boston kept their “undefeated since last january” record alive and well.

and the one moment that still makes me cry every time i think about it was when i��saw Matt Duchene score his first goal of the season in 2015-16 in what would eventually be his first 30-goal season. i was sat in the second row right in front of where he threw himself into the glass in celebration, so i like to think we kinda celly’d together.

but best of all, i got to meet @hockeyacegrace earlier this season on Native American Heritage Night, and took @kylorenedict to the Kings’ opening night against the Flyers to kick off the 50-year anniversary of the First Expansion. and not to mention the many other wonderful friends i’ve made in this fandom, who also include (but are not limited to) @brandoncarlo, @jodrouin27, @sadchihuahua, @elzaechelon, @marianyossa, and @dominic-turgeon​. 

basically just. here’s to 5 gods damned years of selling my soul to this hell on ice. and gods damn it, here’s to 5 more.

[teampiazza]

Vinny at the 2017 NHL All-Star Celebrity Shootout (Jan 28, 2017) 

Last pic credit to tammyrohrer

[arerue4pic]

2017 NHL All-Star Celebrity Shootout | JJJ

[everythingrosslynchr5]

Ross at the 2017 NHL All-Star Celebrity Shootout.

[polandjustinbieber]

Justin na charytatywnym meczu hokeja ( 2017 NHL All-Star Celebrity Shootout) w Los Angeles, CA (28.01)

[panic-at-the-goalline]

for anyone who would like the watch the all star celebrity shootout sportsnet has a link; http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/watch-live-2017-nhl-star-celebrity-shootout/ !!!

[nationalpostsports]

Justin Bieber got a taste of NHL hockey and the Staples Center glass Saturday, courtesy of NHL great Chris Pronger. The pop star responded by showing off skills that would not have looked out of place in his native Canada during a celebrity exhibition game. Bieber was driven into the boards in the first half by a laughing Pronger, who spent 18 years in the league as a hard-nosed defenceman. The singer responded with an empty-net goal and an assist as Team Gretzky beat Team Lemieux 5-3 in the 2017 NHL All-Star Celebrity Shootout. Read more…