Black Hockey Players & Good Books

I mentioned in a recent post that I'm going to be making entries regarding my Sociology of Sport class at the University of Michigan (my homework readings, lecture comments, etc). Many posts will have nothing to do with hockey, but today's entry does involve both hockey and what we've been talking about in class, race in sport.Once my professor started lecturing on race in sport, I suddenly remembered this post from Vancouver Canucks Op Ed on black hockey players. I quickly ordered the book by Cecil Harris entitled Breaking the Ice: The Black Experience in Professional Hockey. The book talks about what it was or is like to play in the NHL as a black player (or in the leagues leading up to the NHL). The stories of black hockey players include Herb Carnegie, Willie O'Ree, Bill Riley, Ray Neufeld, Donald Brashear, Sandy McCarthy, Kevin Weekes, Tony McKegney, Mike Marson, Grant Fuhr, Mike Grier, Anson Carter, and Jarome Iginla. Many black players in the NHL looked up to black athletes in other sports. For example, Georges Laraque refused to quit playing hockey [after hearing a ton of racial slurs as a young kid] because Jackie Robinson didn't quit baseball.

"I felt that if he did it, I should be able to do it too…I think it became a mission for Jackie Robinson to make it in baseball, to shut all those people up, and it became my mission to make it in hockey – all the way to the NHL," Laraque said. (p106)

Tony McKegney didn't have any black hockey players to look up to who were playing when he was young so he looked at black athletes in other sports.

"I used to draw strength from what black athletes were doing in other sports," he said. "In the sixties and seventies blacks were making their marks in every sport but hockey. I looked to people like Muhammad Ali. I was a huge fan of his. And I was also a big fan of the NBA…" (p115)

It's the current black hockey players who grew up with other black NHL players as role models. Case in point, Jarome Iginla who admired McKegney.

"Tony McKegney showed me it was possible for someone like me to play in the NHL," Iginla said. "He set the example. He was a role model." (p115)

I've read just over half of the book so far and I feel like I've learned a lot! Don't just believe me, read Jeff and Alanah's review of the book.However, the Acid Queen had a differing view:

I would take the book with a large grain of salt. I have absolutely no doubt about some of the hate and nastiness that the guys interviewed for the book faced, but…..Cecil Harris is known here in the Triangle as somebody who hates hockey and who has told several fans that he feels it's a racist sport simply because there are so few black players. When he worked for the News and Observer, he viewed his assignment as Hurricanes beat reporter as punishment duty of the worst sort, and took every opportunity to take shots at the Hurricanes and their fans. Back in the days of the old Hurricanes Penalty Box message board, he used to come on and regularly call people that took issue with his articles "idiots" "fools" and "dumbasses". He's a rude, snide, arrogant and just plain nasty little man, and really the book is much like all his articles for the News and Observer were: half-assed, exaggerated, and self-important.

The book really falls short of what it could have been, thanks to the battleship-sized chip that Cecil Harris carries on his shoulder all the time. Just my 1/50 of a dollar.

Other Good BooksSpeaking of reading good sport books, specifically hockey, I wanted to list some of my favorite sport books here and they aren't in any particular order. I love reading sport books so if you know of a good book, please email me or leave a comment and let me know!

What's My Name, Fool? by Dave Zirin [covers issues from race to gender to steroids in sports]

Cinderella Man by Jeremy Schaap [the movie was based on this book about James Braddock and one of boxing's greatest upsets]

Eleven Seconds by Travis Roy [this book tells the story of Travis who became paralyzed from the neck down after an accident during his first college hockey game and the aftermath of it]

Rinkside by Craig McCarty [the story of Craig and Darren McCarty's relationship and the struggles they both dealt with, cancer and alcoholism respectively]

The Perfect Mile by Neal Bascomb [three male athletes race against time to break the four minute mile barrier]

Pre by Tom Jordan [the story of America's greatest running legend, Steve Prefontaine]

Funny Cide by The Funny Cide Team & Sally Jenkins ["How a Horse, a Trainer, a Jockey, and a Bunch of High School Buddies Took on the Sheiks and Bluebloods...and Won"]

Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger [the movie was based on this book about a Texas town obsessed with football]

It's Not About The Bike by Lance Armstrong & Sally Jenkins [an autobiography of Lance Armstrong and his fight with cancer and racing in the Tour de France]

No Finish Line by Marla Runyan & Sally Jenkins [Rendered partially blind by Stargardt's disease, Runyan tells the story of her trials en route to the Olympics.]

The Boys of Winter by Jim Craig [The Untold Story of a Coach, a Dream, and the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team]

Lance Armstrong's War by Daniel Coyle [One Man's Battle Against Fate, Fame, Love, Death, Scandal, and a Few Other Rivals on the Road to the Tour de France]

Raise the Roof by Pat Summit & Sally Jenkins [she recounts the Lady Vols' astonishing 1997-98 campaign when the team went 39-0 and won its third straight NCAA crown]

Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand [the movie was based on this book and the book was so much better in my opinion]

Little Girls in Pretty Boxes by Joan Ryan [the making and breaking of elite gymnasts and figure skaters / excellent book exposing the dark sides of the two sports]

A Season of Loss by John Manasso [looks at the tragic accident involving two Atlanta Thrashers' players, Dan Snyder & Dany Heatley]

Wingnuts essay

Here is the essay I did for my English 125 class. I'd like to thank everyone who left a comment in an earlier post with ideas or those of you who gave ideas at the Lets Go Wings forum! I couldn't use everyone's ideas and I had to add certain concepts after my entire class and instructor evaluated the paper. So here's my essay and thanks guys!Wingnuts
Head coach Mike Babcock’s whistle blows signaling the end of practice. The players gather at center ice for a few last words before heading to the locker room. As the athletes exit, a few remain on the ice, which is worn from the hour-long practice. Center Kris Draper scoops up close to 50 used practice pucks and skates around the rink tossing them into the hands of adoring fans who attended the public practice. Soon thereafter, goaltender Manny Legace is the sole player on the otherwise empty ice rink. With his goalie mask off and sweat trickling down his face after a strenuous practice, Legace skates towards a corner in the rink where a small rectangular hole in the glass lies. Fans shove jerseys, pucks, and photos through the tiny box in hopes of obtaining a signature from the number one goaltender in the NHL. While his teammates soak their bodies in hot showers, Legace signs jersey after jersey for the next thirty minutes. He signs every single item that is asked of him to autograph before slipping into the locker room. Later, Legace will tell the Detroit Free Press why he did it: “I just remember as a kid, I used to go to open practices. I remember the feeling when I got snubbed by one of the guys. They just walked by and wouldn’t sign. Kind of just took it to heart. Not a big deal. Just a half-hour out of my day.”

The Detroit Red Wings have a long storied history dating back to 1926 as one of the Original Six teams in the NHL. The organization has collected ten Stanley Cup victories including three since 1997. From the glory era in the 1950s to the “Dead Wings” of the 1980s to the dynasty of the moment, Detroit has followed the team as crazed Wingnuts, a term coined for the extremely passionate Wings fans. During the playoffs, the Spirit of Detroit statue in front of the City-County building is draped in a giant Wings jersey. After each of the three most recent Stanley Cup victories, over one million people packed Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit to cheer on the newly crowned champions in a parade. When the NHL was locked out last season due to a labor dispute, Detroit’s economy lost $2.2 million for every missed home game. Detroit makes around $80 million throughout the 41 home games every season according to financial experts. The team has helped enrich the city of Detroit at a time when the city is known more for its negative characteristics than positive ones. As Detroiters lose jobs with automobile jobs being sent overseas, the Wings have provided those living in Detroit and its suburbs a bright reprieve from its economic blues. The hockey team doesn’t change an individual’s employment status, but when the Wings win in Detroit, everyone feels like a winner.

An hour and fifteen minutes before the doors open, people start to gather outside Joe Louis Arena. The snow falls around us, looking beautiful on this early February morning. A family from Port Huron is first in line. The girl, who’s only two years older than her brother, frequently runs to the railing overlooking the players’ parking lot in hopes of catching a glimpse of her favorite hockey players. She laughs in delight at the sight of players driving shiny black Hummers and Suburbans into the lot below. Two college age females clasp their numerous 8×10 photos in hopes of obtaining an autograph from one of the athletes featured in the photos as they discuss previous acquisitions from similar events. As time passes, our toes and fingers go numb in the sub-20 degree weather, our breathing becomes shallow, and our noses start to run as our bodies attempt to ward off the frigid winter weather. The waiting line swells to encompass over 500 fans, just in time for the Fox 2 Channel cameraman to record the image of a freezing mass of waving Red Wings fans waiting to attend the public practice.

It’s not uncommon to find lines of frozen fans waiting outside in cold Michigan weather in the middle of January or February to partake in a Wings promotional event. At a Darren McCarty autograph signing at Hockeytown Authentics in Troy, close to one thousand fans stood in ten-degree weather for over four hours to obtain a signature on their favorite pieces of memorabilia. The fans, bonded by a single passion, would walk to a nearby café and bring back hot chocolate for their freezing counterparts. With his ties to the community, McCarty is one of the fans’ favorite Wings. Aside from running the McCarty Cancer Foundation, which is dedicated to fundraising research for the cancer that killed his father, multiple myeloma, he is also involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Motor City Mitten Madness. Susannah, a Detroit Wingnut, made this comment after McCarty’s father passed away, “Forget every unbelievably crass athlete demanding a higher salary or whining about the lack of respect he gets, McCarty has demonstrated the epitome of sportsmanship and integrity during a time that must be unbelievably hard on him and his family.”

McCarty isn’t the only Red Wings player to help out in the local community. Sick children at the Children’s Hospital in Detroit smile in delight at the sight of their favorite hockey players in their ward. The Wings make this yearly trip to encourage and lift the spirits of young ones fighting illnesses like cancer. Yzerman signs a hat, sweater, and puck for Michael Columbia, a 13-year-old boy who was diagnosed with brain cancer in April. "Stevie's my favorite player," Michael told The Detroit News. "My father has told me a lot about him. He said he hoped that my treatments are good and that I don't get sick again." It’s this sort of kindess towards the community by the Wings that has led to such fervor among Wingnuts.

The Wings organization is one of the few professional teams to place a premium on the athlete’s family, another reason Wingnuts respect the team and organization. Last fall on a road trip to the southeast, each player was allowed to bring a mentor, father, or son to follow every moment of the trip. Team players, coaches, and support staff had the opportunity to show what they do on a daily basis with those who helped them make it into the NHL whether it was on the ice or within the organization. Both Wingnuts and other NHL fans were really impressed with the organization placing family before hockey and acting on that priority. One Carolina Hurricanes’ fan told me, “More teams should host trips like the Wings father son trip.”

The sport of hockey is known for its aggressive play whether it’s a hard check allowed within the rules of the game or a fight that breaks out resulting in numerous penalties creating a negative image for many people regarding the sport. Some parents don’t want to expose their child to the fighting at a young age, but Wingnuts encourage their children to attend games and proudly dress up their young son or daughter in red and white. An enforcer, the fighter, has a primary job to protect the team’s star athletes. If an opponent checks captain Steve Yzerman too hard, the enforcer goes after that player to show that the Wings star players cannot be messed with or there will be consequences. It’s for this reason that Joe Louis Arena is at its loudest and most electric moments when a hockey fight breaks out during a game. All of a sudden all conversations stop and the mass of over 20,000 fans stand as one to cheer the home team’s enforcer on. Even though the Wings payroll went from $78 million to $39 million in one year, ticket prices remain just as high leaving Wingnuts to watch the games on television while corporate businessmen attend the games. Even with these negative qualities, Wingnuts around the world proudly cheer on their favorite team.

A young two-year-old boy named Michael wearing a tiny Wings jersey autographed by Manny Legace and Kirk Maltby peeks over the rink board trying to capture a glimpse of the white ice and spectacle of the impressive athletes. The dad scoops up his blonde haired and blue-eyed son who quickly erupts into tears at the thought of leaving the glass and sight of the players. Adults and older children in the nearby surroundings smile and laugh as the young boy is already expressing the Wingnut attitude at such a tender age.

For many fans, it’s the team history that fuels their passion for the Wings. Currently, about 14,000 individuals are on a waiting list for season tickets. As a result, season tickets are typically passed down from generation to generation. One fan noted this in his life, “My grandparents went to go see the Red Wings during World War II. My parents went to go see the Red Wings during the Vietnam era. I go to see the Red Wings today. I guess you could call it the Iraq era.”

In smaller markets, Wingnuts engulf opponent’s arenas like a group of ants attack a sugar candy. For example, in a game against the Washington Capitals, red and white hockey jerseys overwhelmed Washington’s MCI Center and “Lets Go Red Wings” dominated the arena for the entire night. Wings jerseys are the most purchased hockey jerseys globally so it doesn’t come as a surprise when one fan asked his friends living in Germany if he could bring them anything from the United States. All his friends requested were some Jack Daniels and a Red Wings hockey jersey.

Dissimilar to the NBA and NFL where athletes are mostly from America, the NHL is composed of Americans, Canadians, Europeans, and Russians. This eclectic mix of athletes brings together a variety of cultures that you usually only see in the United Nation meetings. From the Russian Five in the 1990s when all five Wings players on the ice consisted of star Russian hockey players to today’s Swedish Seven, Wingnuts have appreciated the organization’s superior scouting, especially of foreign countries.

It’s easy to be a fan when the team is winning during the regular season and playoffs, but Wingnuts appreciate the players behind the jersey whether it’s cheering on the athlete who scored a career high number of goals or welcoming a player’s new baby into the world. A Wingnut isn’t just a passionate fan, but a member of the Wings family. A self-proclaimed Wingnut once told me, “I love this team like a family. It’s like you grow up with these guys because you’ve watched them for so long. When they hurt out there, you can’t help but feel awful about it as if someone really close to you is hurt.”

Wingnuts religiously follow their team because of its strong tradition such as the throwing of octopi on the ice at Red Wings games. The tradition originated from April 1952 when an eight legged octopus was thrown on the ice to represent the eight wins needed to win the Stanley Cup and it’s been good luck ever since. Only in Detroit can one see 20,000 Wingnuts jump to their feet, scream so loud they go hoarse, stomp their feet until it sounds like the building will collapse to cheer on an out-of-shape middle aged man named Al Sabokta walking across the Joe Louis ice swinging a five foot wide octopus over his head with a huge grin on his face.

Kris Draper observational interview

For my English 125 class (aka freshman english), I had to write a one to two page "essay" as an observational interview. This assignment really isn't graded, just check plus, check, or check minus. Anyways, I was allowed to use my previous interview with Kris Draper, which you can read here, that I did in November 2003 for this assignment. As such, the essay I turned in is as follows…The Essay
Anne Marie Krappmann, the Detroit Red Wings’ community relations manager, has just informed me that I’ll be interviewing center Kris Draper following the team’s morning practice. My eyes wander down the hall passing over walls listing Detroit’s ten Stanley Cup wins and previous NHL award winners as I anxiously wait outside the locker room. Each time the locker room door opens, my heart skips a beat as I see players like captain Steve Yzerman, Darren McCarty, and Henrik Zetteberg walk past me into the adjacent room behind a bright red door. Finally the moment arrives, Draper emerges from the locker room wearing a casual sweater and jeans looking fresh from his recent shower following a strenuous practice and time spent talking to the media. After we introduce ourselves, he guides me into the room beyond the red door. My eyes widen in amazement at the sight of a restaurant setting with Wings’ photos galore and numerous players sitting in the back eating lunch. We sit down close to the door where the interview begins.

Draper appears confident, which is undoubtedly from his experience as the Wings’ go to guy for the Detroit media, and seems eager to answer my questions. He’s been playing professional hockey in Hockeytown since 1993 providing plenty of time for various nicknames to crop up. Most commonly, this 34-year-old redhead is referred to as Drapes, but occasionally teammates will call him Spike in reference to “the little dog who doesn’t stop, the little bulldog who keeps going.” Whether it’s killing the penalty on the ice, playing with his two kids at home, or cheering up a team grouch at practice, Draper always works hard to achieve his very best like his nickname infers.

Like many athletes, specifically hockey players, Draper is a very superstitious individual. His pregame routine is closely followed to prevent any potential mishaps on the ice. During the current NHL season, Draper wasn’t performing offensively like he had before the lockout so he made everyone move their locker room stalls back to the previous arrangement. Consequently, he scored a goal that night. A typical game day starts after Draper drops off his daughter Kennedi at school. He drives to Sonny’s Restaurant where he orders egg white omelets if the team won their last game. A recent loss results in an order of oatmeal. Following breakfast, Draper attends a half-hour long pregame skate to loosen up and prepare his sticks for the game that’s later in the evening. He promptly heads home to eat a home cooked meal and play with his son and daughter. An efficient nap re-energizes his body for the game as does a stop by Tim Horton’s where he orders a coffee and chocolate chip muffin because “that’s my lucky muffin.” Draper arrives at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit about two and a half hours before the game to warm up, stretch, and make sure all final preparations have been made. Once the game is over, the players and their wives will go out for dinner. However, the team often has to head for the airport following the game to fly to their next game’s location. But Draper finds it hard to complain about the busy schedules and late nights because “it’s something that I’ve wanted to do ever since I learned how to skate and knew what hockey was.”

When Draper isn’t at Joe Louis Arena or on a road trip, he’s at home with his wife, Julie, and two kids, Kennedi and Kienan. He loves the summer when the NHL is in its off-season because the Toronto native can devote all his time and attention to his family in his hometown. Draper explained to me the challenges of being a father as an NHL player, “During the season there are some stretches when it gets pretty tough; you’re away from your kids on road trips and the kids are wondering when Daddy is coming home.” Between training camp, 82 games during the regular season, and a potential for 28 playoff games, the NHL schedule can place a lot of pressure on a family. Draper quickly admits that his wife makes plenty of sacrifices for the family to function, “Every guy here is lucky to have a wife to take care of the kids and kids that understand that Daddy has to go to sleep or Daddy has to go play hockey.”

In his NHL career, Draper has gotten his name on the coveted Stanley Cup three times in 1997, 1998, and 2002 as a member of the Detroit Red Wings. Each victory has been memorable for its own reason. The first Cup win because Detroit hadn’t won in 42 years and the city was ecstatic to have the Cup back in its grasp. The second victory was special because it was a very inspirational victory after one of the Wings defenseman and staff member were seriously injured in a limo accident in the previous year. However in 2002, Draper was married and had both kids at that point in time so he was able to do little things he had been unable to do in previous wins like placing Kienan in the Stanley Cup and eating “Fruit Loops out of the Stanley Cup with my daughter.”

Draper understands how fortunate he is at this point in his life, “Everyday I get to come down here [Joe Louis Arena]. I’m a Detroit Red Wing and I’ve won three Stanley Cups and everything in hockey is just going really good now.” Draper realizes his good fortune and does what he can to help the local community. He is the spokesman for D.A.R.E. and after the 2002 Stanley Cup win, he brought the Stanley Cup to Children’s Hospital in Detroit. When the hospital asked Draper to bring in the Cup, it was an easy decision for him to make. “You know as we wake up in the morning, while you guys go to school and I go play hockey; these parents go to the hospital everyday to visit their kids…Being as fortunate as I am and to go in there and see all the sicknesses and illnesses and be able to put a smile on a kid’s face and make kids forget about their illnesses for even just ten minutes; you know you’ve done something good. It’s very rewarding to go in there and do that,” Draper explained to me.

While the interview lasted nearly 30 minutes, the moment went by too quick. Before that morning in Joe Louis Arena, Draper was a speedy center who won three Stanley Cups and proudly represented the Detroit Red Wings. Following the interview, he became an individual who was extremely passionate about his hockey and who, above all else, deeply cared for his family. I left the arena with a newfound respect and admiration for the hockey player everyone calls Drapes.

Gift ideas for hockey fans

Since today is the biggest holiday shopping day of the year (and the one with the biggest deals), here's a list to either help you find the perfect gift for the hockey fan in your life or some ideas for gifts to add to your own wish list. I listed the cost next to the item and please note that they do not include the shipping costs as that will vary from person to person. Have an idea for the list, leave a comment!

General Hockey Gift Ideas
If you can't find these items in stores or are hoping to buy them a tad cheaper, be sure to check out eBay for all your hockey needs!

–> Center Ice Package. I *just* got it and it's amazing that I can finally watch any game that's being played and not just my Wings. Cost: $150

–> Hockey calendar. I personally love my Detroit Red Wings calendar which lists when all the games are as well as featuring 12 great photos of my favorite Wings players. Calendars.com has 12 calendars to choose from, including one featuring the Red Wings. Cost: $13.99

–> Jersey (or Sweater for you Canadians). Pick out a jersey of your favorite player or choose to customize your own. Cost: $160-250

–> Hockey trading cards. My brothers used to be obsessed with collecting hockey trading cards, especially when they found game used jerseys or autographed cards in the pack. You can treat a hockey fan to a few packs or a whole wax box from the likes of Upper Deck.

–> Memorabilia. Whether it's a signed puck, photograph, etc, you're sure to find the perfect item. Whenever I want a signed photograph that's reasonably priced, I go to this person on eBay. High quality 8×10 photos for decent prices and quick shipping. Cost: Varies

–> Bobbleheads. Most fans will enjoy a bobblehead or two featuring their favorite player. Others collect them. You can find a bobblehead in the likes ranging from Don Cherry to Steve Yzerman. Cost: $20-50

–> Action figures. Similar to the bobbleheads, you can find McFarlane figures of your favorite players minus the head bobbling part. Cost: $10-40

–> Tickets. Visit Ticketmaster to find tickets for your local or favorite team. Cost: Varies

–> T-shirts. Whether you're buying an NHL tee featuring a player or a custom shirt made courtesy of Cafepress.com, you're sure to find a shirt to fit. For example, my friend bought me a t-shirt from CafePress that said, "I survived the 2004-2005 Hockey Lockout" similar to this one. Cost: Varies

–> If they don't have it already, buy them a subscription to The Hockey News for one year (42 issues). Cost: $51.48

Do you believe in Miracles?
For fans who cherish the 1980 US Olympic victory or want to learn more, buy them one of the following gifts.

–> The Boys of Winter is an excellent book written by Wayne Coffey and it covers "the untold story of a coach, a dream, and the 1980 US Olympic Hockey team." I wasn't alive at that point in time, but this book made me feel like I really was there. Excellent read. Cost: $10.40 (paperback)

–> HBO created an hourlong documentary featuring The Story of the 1980 US Hockey Team. Cost: $6.97

–> If they don't own it already, buy them the movie Miracle which was released in 2004. Cost: $13.99

DVDs
Aside from the recent classic, Miracle, here are some other movies that would be a great addition to any hockey fan's collection.

–> Mystery, Alaska: A movie starring Russell Crowe, Hank Azaria, and Burt Reynolds. Cost: $10.99

Plot: This comedy is about the residents of a small town who get over-excited when their hockey team gets chosen to host a televised event. When Mystery, Alaska's amateur hockey team accepts a challenge to play against the New York Rangers, the entire population must put their petty differences aside and pull together as their small town becomes the center of a nationally televised event.

–> Slapshot: A comedy featuring Paul Newman and Strother Martin. Cost: $9.99

Plot: A failing ice hockey team finds success using constant fighting and violence during games. The player-coach of a nowhere small town hockey team must deal with an intractable owner, hostile crowds and on-ice thuggery in this warm-hearted and only slightly farcical look at ice hockey.

–> Lord Stanley's Cup: A NHL DVD that delves into the history of Lord Stanley's Cup. Cost: $6.97

–> NHL Stanley Cup Champions 2003-2004 Tampa Bay Lightning: Fan of the Tampa Bay Lightning? Or just want to re-watch last season's playoffs unfold? Then this is the DVD for you. Cost: $8.99

–> Ultimate Gretzky: A 205 minute long 2 disc DVD featuring The Great One, Wayne Gretzky. Cost: $13.97

–> Detroit Red Wings: As an owner of this amazing DVD, I highly suggest any Wings fan purchase this 4 disc set. It shows five games voted on by the fans (including "The Turtle"), highlights of their Stanley Cup wins, and history of the team. Cost: $24.97

–> Honor and Courage – Tough Guys of the NHL: A brand new DVD that takes an on the ice and off the ice look at the life of an enforcer. I believe ex-Wing Darren McCarty is one of the four individuals featured. Cost: $14.99

Books

–> The Game by Ken Dryden: Sports Illustrated named this book as the ninth best sports book of all time and the very best hockey book. Cost: $16.47

–> Ice Time: A Tale of Fathers, Sons, and Hometown Heroes by Jay Atkinson Cost: $11.16

–> They Don't Play Hockey in Heaven: A Dream, A Team, and My Comeback Season by Ken Baker Cost: $15.61

–> Eleven Seconds by Travis Roy: This is one of my favorite books of all time and a very inspirational read as well. Travis Roy was a promising hockey player when he joined Boston University's varsity team. Eleven seconds into his first shift, a freak accident happened paralyzing him from the neck down. The book covers his childhood, the accident, rehab, and life after hockey. Cost: $13.60

Games

–> NHL 2006: Brett Mirtle at Red Line Sports did a review on this new video game.
Cost: $29.99

–> NHL 2K6 Cost: $19.88

–> Sony Gretzky NHL 2006 for Playstation 2 Cost: $39.99

–> Original 6 Monopoly: All 30 franchises are up for sale and you play it just like the original game. Cost: $39.99

Hockeytown Fans

–> Official online Red Wings shop

–> For the Red Wings superfan, buy them this set. You get three books — "Hang 10," "Hockey Gods" and "Century of Champions," a $49.95 coffee-table book about the 20th Century of Michigan sports. You also get front-page posters saluting the Red Wings' Stanley Cup teams of 1997, 1998 and 2002. Cost: $59.95 I bought the 2002 front page poster from the Detroit Free Press and then framed it and it looks wonderful in my room. You can buy the posters separately for $7.95 a piece.

–> Customize your own locker room photo

–> Stiga NHL Stanley Cup Rod Hockey Table featuring the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs.

For everything else, visit the online NHL Catalog.

Carnival of the NHL #13

Welcome to the Carnival of the NHL #13, which features a wonderful assortment of rides for your pleasure. Whether it's the rollercoaster that is Sean Avery or the Rookie Ferris Wheel, you're sure to find a ride to suit your taste and interest.

Ride #1 – Merry Go Round of Officiating
It seems lately that fans and players alike have plenty to say about the officiating in the new NHL thus far this season. However unlike players and coaches who get fined for talking negatively about the officiating, us hockey bloggers can talk about the refs all we want. Dubi at Blueshirt Bulletin doesn't have a problem with the new rules, rather the inconsistency of calling them. In a few games he watched, "you couldn't get a call unless you dove (both teams)." Tom Benjamin noted in a Vancouver-Calgary game the numerous phantom calls made by NHL officials as well as critical penalties that were missed entirely. Mike finds fault with the referees going overboard on calling minor penalties and ignoring flagrant penalties.

Paul at Kuklas Korner helps clarify Steve Yzerman's comments about the officiating. He doesn't have a problem with the rules, but the fact that the refs need to use some judgment. Off Wing Opinion's Eric McErlain also had some thoughts on Yzerman's comments and other officiating observations.

Mike Chen steps up on his soapbox to proclaim that players control the outcome of the game and not the referees. Red and Black Hockey cover the controversy surrounding LA's Jeremy Roenick's shootout goal in this post.

Ride #2 – Rookie Ferris Wheel
On this ride, we'll view the rotating views on who is the #1 rookie thus far this season. It seems most everybody has an opinion on Sid Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin, whether good or bad. A common view is that Crosby didn't deserve October's Rookie of the Month honors, but he is certainly proving his case this month. Among those views are James Mirtle and Eric McErlain. Michael was impressed with Crosby's shooutout goal that won the game for the Penguins over Montreal. You can read more at his blog, Confessions of a Hockey Fanatic. He also covered the Battle of Pennsylvania (Part 2) where Crosby also got the game winning goal. However, Jes asks that everyone keeps things in perspective when it comes to Sid Crosby.

Matt at Battle of Alberta thinks Dion Phaneuf is deserving of winning the Calder if he keeps up this pace, but unless Ovechkin and Crosby get injuries resulting in a loss of 12+ games, that won't happen. Greg at Puck Stops Here believes that Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers should be considered as a Rookie of the Year favorite.

Carnival Food
Let's take a break from the rides to enjoy some carnival snacks courtesy of Washington Capitals owner, Ted Leonsis. Lately he has become the league's most fan friendly owner as seen through his jersey giveaways and owner's box invitation extended to blogger Eric McErlain. Jordon at Hockey Pundits discussed the benefits Leonsis would receive from giving season ticket holders a black CCM Caps replica jersey of their choice. You can also read Eric's detailed account of game night in the owner's box with Leonsis here and here.

Ride #3 – The Sean Avery Rollercoaster
Avery's big mouth and brash actions continue in this rollercoaster ride. Martin at HockeyDirt.com pokes fun at Avery and his new "agent," Drew Rosenhaus. Red and Black Hockey takes a look at Avery's problem with a diving call and consequent $1000 fine and David believes he should just let it go. And like they say at Vancouver Canucks Op Ed, every time Avery gets a fine, an angel gets its wings.

Ride #4 – Poor Blues
Not until the two past games, the St. Louis lost 11 straight games. Eleven. Jes Gölbez talks about the Blues, both the good and bad. There's obviously a lot more bad to talk about then good. Just yesterday, Stephen at Back in Blue also gave his thoughts on the good, bad, and ugly of the Blues before they faced Detroit. He also believed Yzerman should stop whining about the rule changes and officiating. And now that David Checketts withdrew from negotiations to buy the St. Louis Blues, things don't seem to be looking up for the Blues.

Ride #5 – Small World After All
On this ride, we get to see that while fans may differ in their favorite team and hometown; they aren't so different afterall. Some of us bloggers, myself included, have debated over the type of fans and and others have asked if we can or should even classify fans.

Another common topic of conversation is hockey sweaters or jerseys. Michael Fedor talked about why he thinks its okay to wear a jersey with your name on it. Jes also added some more rules to keep in mind before wearing a sweater. David Lee at Red and Black Hockey has his own thoughts on the sweaters whether it's a couple of rules, his favorite sweaters, or the worst ones.

Ride #6 – Business Stop
Well, the next stop isn't as fun and enjoyable as making fun of bad jerseys, but it is an important ride. Here you can see the business world in the NHL from high atop Space Mountain. To the right, you can view the perils of the salary cap courtesy of James Mirtle. JJ, who recently got engaged (congratulations), had additional comments on this topic.

Go through the tunnel where Kevin at BFLO Blog takes apart ESPN's Scott Burnside's column through the eyes of a Sabres' fan. Outside the tunnel to your left, look as Jes compares ticket prices, beer costs, and attendance. And to conclude the ride, Tom Benjamin dissects the trend in goals whether its goals with even strength, shorthanded, or on the powerplay.

Background Music
Stop for a minute to observe the surroundings. Hear anything? Perhaps some classic hockey tunes? Martin uncovers the reasoning behind playing songs after a certain player scores and also finds a website run by Glen Gower, the Ottawa Senator's Director of Entertainment & Events, featuring the top hockey songs.

Ride #7 – The NHL As We Know It
Jeff at Sisu Hockey posted his Quarter Pole awards for biggest hit, best goalie name, most lethal shooutout team, etc. Ranger's Pundit, Mike, compares the old NHL to the new version. Matt Barr has a few suggestions in changes that need to be made in this new NHL.

Kuklas Korner's Paul is waiting for the day when _____ (you'll have to click on the link to read his list).

Matt at Battle of Alberta takes a look at home and road records and how that could impact coaching. The Puck Stops Here comments on Matt's theory.

Tom at Sabre Rattling examines the pronunciation changes in names of late. For more humor, don't forget to visit Vancouver Canucks Op Ed for their weekly quote sheets (posted every Thursday) and daily NHL Odds and Ends feature. Additionally, Habs Blog pokes fun at Sheldon Souray for his amazing performances of late [note the sarcasm].

Sidearm Delivery brings up the possibility of a NHL-IIHF series.

HockeyAnalysis.com came out with its Entertainment Index Version 2.0. David Johnson created a formula to rank teams based on their entertainment factor. He determined that Toronto is the most entertaining team thus far this season while Tampa Bay finds itself on the bottom of the list. You'll have to visit his website to find out where your favorite team falls in the rankings.

Ride #8 – Hockey Fights
Odd Man Rush covers the noticeable decrease in fighting majors this season; 42% less than the 2003-2004 season. Jon at Sharkspage features Drop the Mitts exhibition featuring hockey fighting. You can also view a "toughness preview" of all the teams at HockeyFights.com where you can also purchase Honor & Courage: Tough Guys of the NHL.

JP at Japers' Rink portrays the glitches in this season's scheduling and then provides an alternative with a solid explanation for his reasoning.

The Acid Queen also discusses the lessons we should take from the Bertuzzi incident at Sweet Tea, Barbecue, and Bodychecks. And that we all need to just let it go. Give it a rest. Move on.

Ride #9 – Hockeytown
This carnival wouldn't be right without a stop in Hockeytown, my hometown. Grampapinhead discusses who he thinks will take the Western Conference after reading this post. Be sure to check out Blue Line Comics take on Chris Chelios cheering for the Chicago White Sox.

Matt at On the Wings talks about the trade that brings ex-Wing Sergei Federov back to the Central Division. Grampapinhead rounded up some quotes on this trade aka salary dump. Steve Ovadia at PuckUpdate believes that this "trade" is more like a personality dump.

Kevin wrote in his Rinkside Ramblings about the Wings' past week including all the highs and lows. And finally, a tribute to the Red Wings captain, Steve Yzerman.

Ride #10 – Hail to the Victors
Not only have the Michigan Wolverines ice hockey team gotten off to a strong start (9-1-1), they are doing so with a large influx of freshmen. The Wolverines are coming off a sweep of the Wildcats and will face the University of Minnesota this Friday, which I will be attending.

Penn State seems to be slipping in their control over the ACHA division according to Michael Fedor. For other college hockey news, visit Inside College Hockey.

Michigan Junior Hockey covers all that is junior hockey in Michigan, including my favorite the OHL Plymouth Whalers. For more OHL coverage, visit Ottawa 67s Fan Blog.

SoVeryObsessed.com's Heather Creegan attended the AHL Manchester game to cheer on their opponent, Lowell. You can view her game recap and beautiful photos here.

In Conclusion…
We hope John at BoltsMag makes a quick recovery from his wrist surgery. I also hope you all enjoyed the many rides and stops that this Carnival had to offer and good luck to the next host of the Carnival of the NHL.

Types of hockey fans

After reading the highly entertaining (and sadly true) entries by Jes Golbez and Bill Simmons about hockey and baseball fans, respectively, I decided that I wanted to give my two cents. Unlike the two previously mentioned individuals, I have not been able to go to many games of my favorite team. It is nearly impossible to get 2+ tickets that are somewhat decent in the Joe without knowing someone who has season tickets (and it isn't their parents' tickets).

That said, I've gone to more Pistons games then Wings games because I know plenty of people who have Pistons tickets and they aren't that hard to get (unless it is playoff time). So I'm just going to list some of the sports fans I've noticed whether it was at a Wings' game or another sporting event. Please feel free to leave a comment with what fans you love/hate the most because I *know* you have opinions on this matter.

The Good

The fun fan. The person who wears an appropriate amount of team gear and cheers when the team scores, makes a good play, etc. You can strike up a conversation with this stranger about the team because they actually know enough information to have a real conversation with you about it.

Cute hockey kids. I love watching kids who come to the games. Whether they are dressed up in a Pistons jersey or decked out in Wings gear, they are adorable. And it makes me happy to see them growing up with a passion for their hometown. However, there is a fine line. The children must be old enough not to be a pain to those around them. But aside from that, they can always make me smile.The Bad

The stat freak. Have you ever been around someone who just lists stat after stat while you're trying to watch the game? Sure, sometimes it's actually interesting and useful information. But most of the time, it makes me get annoyed like they're just trying to impress you instead of inform you.

Always wrong. Like the stat freak, this individual spouts off stats like they're going out of style. However, this time the person gets the information all wrong. I went to game against the Coyotes and the guy two seats down from me would be trying to explain the rules or like how many games the Wings have won in a row, etc. and he kept getting them wrong. I wanted to just say something because he was totally misinforming his wife, just wrong. Jes had the same thoughts:

I don't want to be "That Guy" who corrects people, but I do get irritated when I sit near a guy that is explaining rules or something else hockey-related to his pals and gets EVERYTHING wrong!! His buddies, who are even more clueless than he is, nod their heads and soak it all up as gospel. Ugh!

People who swear all the time. Why do you have to swear every other word at a sporting event? While you may be comfortable with swearing, some people find it offensive or have young kids around and don't want them to hear it. My Dad and brother went to the Opening Night game this season and left after one period because there was a hockey team sitting behind them and they were cursing so much that my Dad and brother weren't getting much enjoyment out of the game. If you don't want to be surrounded by people who swear at games, do not and I repeat, do not attend a college football game. The University of Michigan football games, while very much fun with my fellow college friends, also consists of a disgustingly large amount of swearing. When we played Notre Dame this year, the student section had some chants that were repeated throughout the game with the F-bomb. I could see the family in the next section over (but still in the student section) get increasingly uncomfortable with their small kids hearing those chants. But then you shouldn't expect family friendly atmosphere at a big college football game, or at least from my own personal experience.

Bandwagon fans. These are the people that can afford nice tickets and only come when the team is doing well. Case in point, in 2004 when the Pistons were on their way to winning the NBA championship so many people became sudden Pistons fans. Also before the NHL season started, my friends from high school made fun of me for thinking the Wings would do well and just watching the games. But now that they're off to such a great start, they're all acting like they expected this and are starting to watch games. You either are a fan or you aren't one. I try to watch the Lions' games every week even though I know they will most likely lose. That's just what real fans do.

Puck Bunnies. The girls who watch the game because they think the players are hot. I'm not dissing the individuals who find a player or two cute, but it's not the reason they watch the game. It's because they actually enjoy the sport. Can't really say that for puck bunnies.

Best jersey fans. Why do you root for the Wings? Because I think they have the best logo (or jersey)! You don't choose your team based on its jersey unless you're like four years old! If that was the case, the Preds would have like zero fans because there jerseys right before the lockout were awful (mustard yellow should never be a jersey color).

The grump. This is the fan who shows no emotion during the game. While my Dad might not be excitedly cheering every other minute, he'll certainly clap and cheer after the Wings score a goal or jump out of his chair when the Lions actually score a touchdown. But why go to a game when all you do is sit there with a frown on your face and you don't cheer for anything? It really brings some negativity to the area and most definitely unappreciated.The Ugly

Beer guzzlers. There's nothing wrong with having some beer at a sporting event. But when you've had so much that you're spilling it on other people, you need to stop (it's happened to my Dad before – he was not happy with the drunk person, let me tell you). Plus, when you're that wasted, you aren't a very enjoyable person to be around even though you may disagree.

Hometown haters. My youngest brother is a prime example, and I told him I am writing this. He refuses to cheer for the hometown team. He doesn't follow hockey that much, and whatever team is playing against the Wings, he cheers for them. I hate that. We could be watching a Lions, Pistons, or Wings game (sorry, we really aren't baseball fans) and he'll cheer for whoever is playing Detroit and it just drives me crazy. That really wasn't a specific type of fan you commonly see at arenas, but a huge pet peeve of mine.

Social hour girls. I get so annoyed when I see these girls/women, whatever you want to call them, come in not to watch the game, but to socialize. Sure, sports are entertainment but people pay lots of money to watch and enjoy the games. Not to hear you loudly gossip about what's going on at your school or workplace. And they don't dress appropriately for the games. It's cooler in the ice rink, wear some clothes! Come because you want to watch some quality hockey, not because your boyfriend or best friends will be there. Ugh.

Business people. Hockey games and other sporting events are meant to be enjoyable entertainment, not a place for you to make a business deal. Get a suite if you want to be on your cell phone during the whole game or if you want to be drawing up business proposals. I hate when I see all those empty seats at the Joe because the business folk buy the season tickets and never come. And if they do come, they aren't really watching the game. Plus, there are other people like me who would actually use those lower bowl tickets. These are also the people who come during or after the first period and leave before or during the third period so they miss the traffic.

Favorite player fan. These are the "fans" who cheer for a certain team because their favorite player is on it. And then they don't realize that their favorite player has been traded and once they do, the players' new team is suddenly their favorite team. Sure, there is nothing wrong with rooting for a team that has a player on it that you admire. But that should not be your primary reason for picking your favorite team.

Delusional fans. I used to have these fans under a different name, but after a couple convincing comments, I decided just to adapt it across the border. These are the fans that think any and every big player is coming to their team. They have no basis for this belief (aside from enough money to afford the player), but they don't see how this said player couldn't come play for their team.Certain Teams' Fans

Colorado Avalanche fans. As a Detroiter, I hate the Avs with such a passion. Thus, I also strongly dislike their fans. But that's just for personal reasons.

Visors in Hockeytown

Between injuries of players like Kris Draper (Detroit) and Mat Sundin (Toronto) along with The Hockey News' survey, hockey players and visors have become a major reason for debate among players, the league, and fans alike over the past week.

The Injuries
Hockeytown has had two distinct cases where a visor would've really helped over the past two seasons. One incident ended captain Steve Yzerman's 2003-2004 season in the midst of the playoffs. The other took Kris Draper out of the game and to the hospital. Both had pucks deflected into their face causing injury. While Yzerman's injury was much more serious, neither cases were something to blow off.

Courtesy of The Oakland Press
Courtesy of The Detroit News

Yzerman's injury resulted in an immediate four and a half hour surgery to repair a scratched cornea and numerous fractures of the orbital bone. Here's what Yzerman had to say after the incident:

"I have a small tear in the iris, which controls how the pupil dilates. I have some eye drops that temporarily paralyze my pupils to keep them open. It acts as a cast to let that part of the eye heal. The only uncertainty is how much my pupil will expand and contract. Down the road, I don't know how my eye will respond in bright light…I don't think I'm going to have any significant permanent loss of eyesight. Both eyes were 20-20. My whole life, I never had an eye injury. I don't know if it'll get back to 20-20 in my left eye, but I don't think it's going to get to a point where I can't play.Sitting in the hospital that night, I really wished I'd been wearing a visor. I played 21 years and never had an eye injury…My cheekbone didn't really hurt at the time. The first thing that went through my mind was, 'I don't want to lose my eyesight.' I really believe guys should be wearing them. I didn't say that a week ago."

After getting hit in the face with a puck on Monday, Kris Draper already has his visor on. While Draper's injury did not require surgery, he did have a lot of stitches, bruising, and retinal swelling and fluid buildup. Here's what Draper had to say following his injury:

"I feel all right, lucky, from how it could have been. It was a freak thing. Sometimes the use of sticks, something happens and it's accidental. This, all it was, I was backchecking and it (the puck) deflected off a stick and I never saw it coming…I know how lucky I was. It was pretty close. Talking to the doctors, they recommended it, as soon as I come back playing, I'd have to wear it anyways. It's something that I'm going to give it a real strong effort.It's kind of different now. You wake up in the morning and the kids see you, and obviously it scares them, and it puts everything into perspective. This is different [regarding a previous eye injury a few years ago], it's not just about me anymore. All of a sudden you look at your kids and they look back at you and they're squinting and trying to find their dad behind the mask he's wearing right now. It's a little bit different, and puts a scare, not only in myself but my kids as well. That's something that has hit home the last couple of days.

You have (players) like Pavel (Datsyuk) and Hank (Zetterberg), Joe Sakic and (Peter) Forsberg (all wear visors), it doesn't seem to bother their game. There's no reason I can't get used to it."

The Hockey News' report
The Hockey News surveyed 640 hockey players in the NHL. Of that group, only 244 are wearing visors this season (38%). Before the lockout, 227 players (32%) wore visors. The average NHL team has 8.1 players wearing a visor. Colorado Avalanche leads the league with 14 players wearing visors while Chicago and Tampa Bay only have four players apiece wearing visors.

Players' Thoughts
While playing in the Czech Republic during the lockout, Jiri Fischer was required to wear a visor.

"I got used to it, and at the end, it didn't bother me at all. I wouldn't mind it (wearing a visor) at all. It has its benefits, but there's downsides to it, also. Everybody sees the pucks in the face, and getting hit around the eyes, and thinks it would prevent injuries. But if you get (hit) in the visor with a shoulder, easily it'll smash your nose no matter what."

Managements' Thoughts
While head coach Mike Babcock believes that player should be able to make a personal decision in regards to wearing a visor, he also thinks that the decision should be changed once a player has kids. "When you have kids at home, you decide life would be better with my eyes than without them," Babcock said. "Nobody plans on getting injuried. It's an individual preference thing."

Wings GM Holland wants to see more players wearing visors.

"I just believe it protects the players more," he said. "The league has done a good job of keeping the sticks down (a significant source of trouble a few years ago). But nowadays, after you see what happened to Steve Yzerman, and Draper last night, and you look at Mats Sundin, the puck is just flying all over the place. I just think it (a visor) gives you a little more protection."

My Thoughts
I understand why players don't want to wear visors because it does affect their play to some degree. But without a visor, you're at such a great risk to injure your eye that could cause permanent damage to prevent you from playing hockey, surgery, and it could cost you money as well for not being able to play. I personally believe that the risks totally outweigh the benefits to not wearing a visor. But then, I'm not a hockey player either.

What is your guys' view on this whole visor issue?

Reactions to new scheduling format

With the introduction of a new scheduling format, fellow hockey bloggers and news organizations are voicing their strong opinions regarding the matter. I want to first present many of the opinions out there before presenting my own.

Before getting to the opinions, let me cover some of the basic highlights of the 2005-2006 season regarding the Detroit Red Wings schedule. The season opener is against the St. Louis Blues at home on October 5. Every team will be playing that day to start off the regular season with a bang. In total, the Wings will play seven home and home series. Each team plays their division opponents a total of eight times. In the Wings’ case, they will see Chicago, St. Louis, Nashville, and Columbus at home and then away four times a season.

They will also play all of their Western Conference opponents outside of the division (10 other teams). Against their Eastern Conference foes, the Wings only get to play a total of 10 games. Five Eastern Conference teams from one division will host the Wings. This season the Southeast Division, consisting of Tampa Bay, Florida, Washington, Atlanta, and Carolina, will all be visited by the Wings. Detroit hosts another five teams in the Eastern Conference. The Atlantic Division, composed of the Devils, Flyers, Rangers, Islanders, and Penguins, will visit Hockeytown. On December 12, Detroit will see Pittsburgh with their newly acquired phenom, Sidney Crosby.

For the traditional New Year’s Eve game, Joe Louis arena will feature Columbus v. Wings. On February 1, during Super Bowl week, the St. Louis Blues will visit Detroit. In the last week of October, the Wings play away in Columbus for two consecutive games then go on to play Chicago for three straight games.

While Hockeytown fans are pleased with the return of hockey, many aren’t overjoyed with the new schedule.

"It's an absolute joke," said David Miller, a 25-year season-ticket holder from West Bloomfield. "It used to be that there were games you wouldn't give up your tickets for, regular-season games you looked forward to. That isn't the case anymore."

Missing from this season’s schedule are fellow Original Six teams, Boston, Montreal, and Toronto. Instead, focus will be placed on divisional rivalries. Even Red Wings general manager, Ken Holland, acknowledges the increase of games against divisional foes. "There are some quirks in the schedule, where the league is trying to emphasize the divisional rivalries," Holland said.

Original Six teams have been rivals for ages and always marking special and competitive games. However, the new scheduling changes will only allow the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, and New York Rangers to visit Joe Louis only once every three years. The Wings host the Rangers on January 14. In an exhibition game on September 30, Toronto will make a brief appearance in Hockeytown. Unlike other leagues, the NHL stands apart with the history of the game and its Original Six teams. Many fans view this new scheduling format as ridicule to the sport and its history.

Rick Schulte of Wyandotte: “You can't forget the history of the game, but with this schedule, the league is turning its back on that history.”Jennifer Starchenko of Woodhaven: “You're taking away from the tradition of the game. Those rivalries are a big part of the NHL.”

Laura Agemak of Flat Rock: “Detroit is part of the Original Six. The hard-core hockey fans are going to be upset with this. They'll miss those teams.”

Holland understands the fans’ frustration, but understands the NHL’s attempt to foster stronger divisional rivalries.

”I can go both ways,” he said. “On the one hand, not to play Toronto, Montreal and Boston, I can understand (fans' frustration). You need rivalries and those are, and were, great rivalries. But we're going to have to build other rivalries. The feeling around the league is when you start seeing teams more and more, you can build rivalries…I'd love to see more Montreal, more Boston and more Toronto. But there are some teams in the East that we don't have any relationship with. Could they have handpicked certain teams? Maybe that's something I can bring up at a general managers meeting down the road.”

The Detroit News conducted an online poll asking readers the following: “No Toronto, no Montreal, no Boston for the Red Wings this season. But plenty of Columbus and Nashville. Is an NHL schedule that emphasizes intradivision play good for the game?” 90.06% of those who responded believed that it was not good for the game while 9.94% believed that intradivisional rivalries would help the game. Fans were also given the option to leave comments regarding the poll and their individual opinions. Here are some of the comments left:

GhostofProbert from Toledo, OH – “In a way, this is a totally rational move by the NHL, in that it essentially pits Original Six teams with huge drawing power (Detroit, Toronto) against smaller market teams, the very teams that need that boost to revitalize their fan base. Having said that, as both a fan and student of the game, this strategy totally ignores the history of the game. There should always be a special category of match-ups, in my opinion, the "Original Six" match-ups. This category of games should be ranked very highly in any optimization model (which is the technique used to devise the schedule) with the goal of maximizing these matchups (with other constraints). Unfortunately, hockey fans such as Detroit fans (of which I am obviously a member) are the least of the NHL's worries…we are so loyal and Detroit such a strong market that, paradoxically, our wishes are ignored. I'm sure people in Toronto and Montreal are feeling the same pinch.T Unit from Sterling Heights, MI – “This is an outrageous demand that you put upon us as Detroit Red Wings fans. Gary Bettman and the NHL have already alienated so many fans with their stupidity in the last year, it is sad that we must go through yet another hardship. First we have to wait a year to see "professional hockey," although it was entertaining to watch the mechanics play on UPN in place of the Wings. Then we have to ship out fan-favorite players because we're not allowed to pay so much for them anymore under this new salary cap. Finally we have to play this annoyance of 24 games against St. Louis, Columbus, and Nashville. I'm not sure what the NHL is trying to do, but if they wanted the Red Wings to not be as dominant under this cap, it seems they might have made the wrong move. ‘Red-Wing-Proofing’ the NHL seems improbable when you give them 24 wins for free.”

Phil at The NHL is Back voiced his concerns, “Hey, at least you aren’t a Hawks or a Wings fan. They play each other back to back to back. That’s right. Three games in a row versus the same team.”

Brett at Red Line Sports believes that the 2005-2006 schedule really stinks.

This is how the NHL pays back the seventeen fans it has left? With all of the NHL's jabbering about fixing the game and making it more fan friendly, which one would reasonably think should include marketing the snot out of it, the best the NHL think-tanks can come up with is this flaming dung-muffin.

While Brett believes that emphasizing inter-conference especially intradivisional play will help build rivalries and limit travel costs/time, he is especially concerned with the inability to play most of the opposite conference. Forty percent of the schedule is spent playing within one’s division. You don’t need to play a grand total of eight games a season to develop a rivalry.

Some may say that the added divisional emphasis is long overdue. But, keep in mind that it comes with a price tag. A steep one. There will be no visits to Canuck-ville (or many Western teams) from the likes of Mario Lemieux, Martin St. Louis, Vincent Lecavalier and the defeding Cup Champs, Dan Heatley & Ilya Kovalchuk, Martin Brodeur, Alexander Ovechkin, and more importantly, the NHL's new poster child, Sidney Crosby.As a fan of hockey in general, I'm a little ticked off. As a fan of the Canucks, I'm downright choked.

A reader of Brett’s blog with the username Rethinking the NHL voiced his own thoughts:

They should consider making each team play 4 games against each divisional rival (16 games), 2 games against each team in the other conference (30 games), and 3 or 4 games against nondivisional foes within the conference (32 games). All in all, a nice 78-game schedule where every team hosts each of the other teams at least once and NO team plays more than two home games against the same team. Also, they should return to the win-loss-tie format that they never should have messed with in the first place (2 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, zilch for a loss).

Hockey Country, an Ottawa Senator blog, talked about how the new format affected the Sens:

With the new schedule set-up and a greater emphasis placed on inter-divisional play (which for the Sens means facing the Leafs and Habs eight times), we will unfortunately see less of the Western Conference clubs. In fact, the Sens don't play a Western Conference team until December when the Kings come to town on the 2nd. Under the new-set up, every year, a team only plays teams from one division of the other conference. For the Sens, it's the Pacific, which means the grueling West Coast road trips are still on tap (something I'm sure most Eastern teams are glad to be seeing less of).

Eric at Off Wing Opinion has similar concerns to many fans and in a recent entry, his thoughts were covered in sarcasm:

In Denver, this means two more games with Vancouver. On Long Island, that means two more games with the hated Rangers.Here in Washington, it means six more games with Carolina, Atlanta and Florida. I've died and gone to heaven!

David Singer at The Ice Block strongly opposes Eric and others with the same opinions. He believes that Wings fans and other Original Six team fans should stop complaining.

The NHL can do no right according to some.You want more passion in your games? Have some rivalries says the NHL, and out come the whiners. “We don’t get to see every ‘Original Six’ team every year!"

Huh?! So? Who cares – the Wings played the Canadiens once in the 2003-04 season. Memorable it wasn’t – but hey – the jerseys were old school and we wouldn’t want to miss that! Complaining that the Habs-Wings game is being replaced by a divisional game against the Predators or Blue Jackets is just asinine. The Predators and Wings are developing a nice rivalry, one that probably would have blossomed well if there was a season last year (as they played a six-game playoff series against each other during the 2003-04 playoffs). The Blue Jackets are another new team, yes, but you’re also talking about adding games against the Blues and Blackhawks – and remember, rivalries will only grow with the increase in number of games played.

The reality is the Wings will play the Habs, but instead of once per season, it’s twice in one season every three years. The reduction is one game per three seasons. Wow, break out the Kleenex, I can only imagine the intense game that we’ll all miss.

But David seems to be in the minority, Boltsmag doesn’t even want to think about all the games Tampa Bay plays against their divisional foes: “I get sick looking at how many times the Lightning play the Panthers or Hurricanes or Thrashers (sidenote – any other Tampa Bay resident mistaking THrashers for Threshers lately?). The Panthers and Bolts play a home-and-home series on the 7th and 8th of October and 2 games within a week in April.”

Melissa, who just started a blog covering Colorado for Most Valuable Network, believes that this format will make certain teams (like Tampa, Detroit, or even San Jose) easy conference titles while weakening other teams’ chances.

She points out that in the Central Division, Detroit brought in a divisional, conference, and league title with 109 points. St. Louis and Nashville nearly missed the cut with 91 points. Other division teams, Chicago and Columbus, weren’t even close. Respectively, they had 59 and 62 points placing Chicago second to last in the entire league. Melissa is worried about her team, Colorado. The Avs took fourth overall in their conference with 100 points placing only second in their division. The Canucks were up by one point and the Flames finished behind the Avs with 94 points (3 more than Nashville and St. Louis). While Minnesota and Edmonton did not make the playoffs, they at least were up on the Blackhawks and Blue Jackets by over 20 points.

By adding two more games against each divisional opponent, her worries only compound. Melissa can only hope that with the new salary cap teams like Chicago and Columbus will now be placed on a more equal competitive level with Detroit. This makes Colorado in a similar boat with Detroit instead of last season’s disparity. “That way, if the Avalanche are facing relatively equal and tough opponents, at least their non-divisional opponents will also have to work harder to earn their points.” Another chance to even out the field will be the new points format. Without ties, stronger teams in weak divisions won’t gain as many points. At least hopefully for her team.

She also noted a similar or even worse difference in the Eastern Conference between the Northeast and Southeast divisions.

The Northeast Division is probably the most competitive division in the entire league: 4 out of the 5 teams made it into the playoffs, and of the 4 teams, 3 teams had over 100 points. Furthermore, the only team that didn’t make the playoffs, Buffalo, was only 6 points behind the last 3 playoff teams, and ranked second among non-playoff teams, eighteenth in the league overall. Meanwhile, the Southeast Division was probably the least competitive in the NHL. Tampa was the only team in the division to earn a playoff berth; the other 4 teams, Atlanta, Carolina, Florida and Washington weren’t even close, together averaging a mere 72 points total.

In my mind, everyone brings up very valid points. As a hockey fan, I really don’t want to play any team eight times a season much less Columbus. While our rivalry with Nashville was already building in the 2003-2004 season, I don’t want to watch back-to-back games against the Blue Jackets. And the fact that I can’t watch my beloved team face off with historically strong Original Six rivals is really disappointing. I realize that even before the lockout the Wings didn’t yearly play Toronto or Montreal, but I had hoped that with the new CBA a change would happen.

My favorite aspect of the game is the rivalry. I remember last Christmas watching the infamous Wings game against Colorado with “The Turtle.” My Dad and I started off watching the game at a party. Within ten minutes, the room filled with cousins and uncles surrounding the big screen cheering on Darren McCarty, Brendan Shanahan, and more. I especially took great delight in watching Roy take a beating. While I realize that the Wings will play Colorado four times this season, they’ll be losing competitive rivalry games against the Rangers, Bruins, Canadiens, and Maple Leafs.

Hockey is back

Over the next few days, I'll be posting in regards to how the new CBA would affect the Red Wings, Mike Babcock as the new coach, and speculating about who will stay and who will go. The first section today features Mike Babcock, the new head coach of the Detroit Red Wings, who will help the team transition from big spenders loaded with hall of fame players to suppressed spenders relying more heavily on the youthful stars.

It finally came. The announcement that the NHL and NHLPA had finally reached a tentative deal after 301 lost days. All it takes to ratify the agreement is a majority vote by the NHL board of governors and NHLPA. Assuming that the new CBA deal is ratified, the Detroit Red Wings will come back as a different team. New coach with a fresh approach of coaching. Many of the older players will have to move on because the Wings simply cannot afford them or would rather go in a younger direction. In the 2003-2004 hockey season I started thinking that the Detroit Red Wings were becoming a stale team. Same core of players and coaches. They became stale. The younger Tampa Bay squad took the Stanley Cup.

Ken Holland started thinking the same way and decided to finally switch things up. When he saw the tentative deal on the horizon, Holland started shopping around for coaches. Mike Babcock was the coach for Holland. Holland believed that Dave Lewis, who has been with the Wings organization for the last 18 years, would be an amazing coach with a team other than the Wings. “I can understand where Kenny was coming from,” forward Kirk Maltby told WXYT-AM (1270). “Maybe the one downfall was that (Lewis) was too nice of a guy. That's not to say he couldn't make the tough decisions, but that he didn't. I'm not sure if he was afraid to step on toes.” A friend of mine recently bumped into Ted Lindsay at a funeral. He was quite upset that Lewis was leaving and believed that Dave was doing a solid job.

Holland thinks Babcock is exactly what the organization needs at this important time. “He has tremendous passion for the game. He has tremendous energy,” Holland said. “He's got specific ideas in mind on how he wants to the team to play, how he wants the players to play. He's the boss. He'll give the players the parameters whereby they can do whatever they do, and if they step outside the boundaries Mike will deal with it.”

As a team with a lot of veterans (we’ll see how the CBA effects that number), Babcock refuses to let them take it easy.

"I believe in leadership. I believe in being the best in the world at what I do…When you don't make people accountable, it leads to a superstar mentality where not everyone on the team is important…Maybe the most exciting thing is that I'm coming here to join a family in Detroit that's philosophy is based totally on a passion for winning," Babcock said.

Babcock received a degree in physical education from McGill University in Montreal and later performed graduate work in sports psychology. His education background helps him coach the players’ mental and emotional aspect. Babcock focuses on how the mental and emotional state of a player affects his game.

"Jimmy (Devellano, vice president of the Wings) and Ken (Holland, general manager) got a competitive, fiery guy, who can kick over a garbage can or slam a door," said ESPN analyst Barry Melrose, a former NHL coach with the Los Angeles Kings. "He's a motivator and a passionate guy. He got more out of those guys in Anaheim than other guys could have, and to me that's a sign of a good coach. Do the same with Detroit's lineup and you'll win a Stanley Cup."

Babcock loves to use a grinding style of hockey to physically beat the opponent when their on the defensive. This brand disrupts the opposing team’s offensive flow and creates offensive opportunities for his team. This style fits the Wings’ style of play – grittiness and hard work as seen in the “Grind Line.”

“He's a very intelligent coach who I think has been unfairly portrayed as a defensive-only coach,” said Al Strachan, a columnist for the Toronto Sun and a regular contributor on CBC's Hockey Night in Canada telecasts.

“He's a coach who has that ability to see what's needed to win and he has a subsequent ability to take advantages as they exist.When he was in college hockey, he was very offensive-minded. And if the rules are changed to reward offense (the NHL is considering changes ahead of the 2005 season), he's smart enough to institute a system that will take advantage of it.”

Strachan also believes that Babcock could put fear in his players where they’ll produce. Lewis couldn’t do that after being with the organization so long especially as assistant coach.

“People were terrified of Scotty," Strachan said. “Players will tell you fear is a good thing — that being afraid of losing, afraid of a coach, motivates better players to play as well as they can. I don't think anybody was afraid of (Lewis). He was just too nice of a guy. But Babcock can be tough, he can be very sarcastic. He can put guys in their place. He has almost a Hitchcock-like (current Flyers coach Ken) ability to be a friend and a psychotherapist. He's a modern coach and that's a good thing to have in Detroit.”

Babcock will be responsible in this upcoming transition season where he must develop younger players like Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Jiri Hudler, Jiri Fischer and Niklas Kronwall while pushing the veterans. These players will be whom the Wings rely heavily on over the next season.

“There are some great, great players here. Unbelievable passers. I think on the backend that you have some guys who can really get the puck going upfront,” Babcock said. “You have so much skill and obviously the leadership of Stevie Yzerman. You can't say enough about that. We want to play an uptempo game, we want to get after the other team and we want to be entertaining, but we want to win.”

Scotty Bowman has called Babcock a “passionate man.” While living in Cincinatti, Babcock grew close with the neighborhood kids who he’d spend time with whether it was hockey, football, etc. His neighbors’ son, Jeffrey Hayden, was diagnosed with brain cancer when he was coach of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. Jeffrey died in September of 2003 where upon Babcock delivered the eulogy at the funeral. Along with Jeffrey’s parents, they created a website, www.jthf.org, to try to increase awareness of pediatric brain tumors. “He's been a great friend of our family,” Tim Hayden said. “He gave a wonderful eulogy that people still talk about today.” Babcock also lost his mother, Gail, to cancer. “Mike and his mom were extremely good friends,” Mike Sr. said. “When she died, I would say that was the biggest loss of his life.” Babcock’s agent’s brother and his friend’s son both died of brain cancer. With so many close ties to brain cancer, Babcock has remained involved in the Jeffrey Thomas Hayden Foundation since its start 10 months ago. “There were some kids in California that were going through some bad times,” Hayden said. “Mike gives the parents his cell phone and says, ‘Tell the kids to call when they're feeling down.’ And Mike ends up calling and asking how they're doing." He doesn’t mind giving his phone number to so many kids because “if I can talk to someone on the phone for five minutes and make their day, I’ll do it.”

During the lockout, he worked with the foundation, which hopes to give parents a place to share experiences and a safe place to disclose medical information with families who can’t travel far for a second opinion. Babcock then met with several cancer organizations and then got the NHL involved. "I'm not surprised," Hayden said. "That's Mike. It's his thing. What he dedicates his free time to, this is it."

The Haydens are excited for Babcock to move closer to Cincinnati and believe that Mike will appreciate Detroit. “He's not afraid to be in Hockeytown,” Tim Hayden said. “I think he's going to like it a lot better than Hollywood. Detroit's a hockey town, and he's a hockey guy. The guy breathes hockey. I hope the people take to him.”

Look for Post #2 of Hockey is back coming soon (sorry it wasn't finished Saturday like originally promised)!

My day with the Detroit Red Wings

I wake up early morning Tuesday, November 18th, and the first thought that races through my mind is “I can’t believe it, I’m going to the Red Wings’ practice today!!” After sitting through two long blocks in eager anticipation, it is finally time to leave for Joe Louis Arena. Amanda and I get there half an hour early so we just chill in her bright lime green Volkswagen Bug in the small parking lot in front of all the steps of the Arena. Being the Red Wing dork that I am, I watch each car drive by hoping to catch a glimpse of one of the hockey players. The vehicle of choice seemed to the black Navigator and the Hummer. 10:45 am arrives and its time for us to head in. We go in through a side door (the one all of the players and Red Wing employees go through) and the security guard greets us. He has to call Anne Marie, Community Relations Manager, who is the one that set everything up for us. We then sign in as visitor #115 while waiting for Anne Marie to come down.

She comes over and quickly explains where to go when watching their practice. We are to sit with the other media representatives at center ice about 20 rows up. As we walked in, I was amazed with how empty the Arena was. I’ve gone there for games and a tour of the facilitated, but its always jammed pack. Aside from the players on the rink, there were three other individuals in the Arena when we arrived. When we sat dpwm. The players were warming up and taking shots on one of the two goalies – Curtis Joseph and Manny Legace. During the practice, I listened to the media people discuss stats and future games. Amanda went through five rolls for the one-hour practice.

The practice started out with the basic warm-up routines one would expect such as stretching and shooting on the goalie exercises. As I looked down on the practice, I noticed the colorful array of jersey colors – blue, teal, gray, white, black, and red. However, there seemed to be no pattern or purpose for the large assortment of colors. It wasn’t until after they completed their 5-on-5 and 5-on-4 practice scenarios that I realized the purpose of these colors. The team does 3-on-3 drills starting on one end of the rink and then shooting on the goalie of the opposing side. The groups of three were based on the jersey colors. For example, the white ‘team’ consisted of Steve Thomas, Brendan Shannahan, and Steven Yzerman. Kirk Malthy, Tomas Holmstrom, and Kris Draper composed the teal group. Conditioning followed with this speed skating of sorts around the rink. Yzerman left right before the conditioning because he doesn’t want to push his knee too much during practice so he goes and works off ice.

While the players stretched at the end of practice, all of the media stood up and headed down to the hallway where the locker room was located. After waiting about 15 minutes, the media was able to enter the locker room. Since Amanda and I were high schoolers, we were told to wait out in the hallway. Anne Marie promised us one or two interviews and went in the locker room to figure out whom we would be able to talk to. She came out and told us that Jason Williams and Kris Draper would be coming out for us to interview. 30 minutes later, Jason comes out and I talked to him for about 15 minutes. Williams is one of the team youngsters and provided a different perspective than that of a veteran.

While we waited for Draper to come out, we kept seeing team members such as Yzerman and Maltby come out of the locker room and enter another room with a red door and Stanley Cup on the front. The crowd manager then came out and gave both Amanda and I an official Red Wings practice puck. 30 minutes later Draper came out and since it was really loud in the hallway suggested that we come with him and go through that red door. Behind the red door lies a room where the players eat lunch after practices and it looks to be a nice restaurant with a bar. I interviewed Draper just inside of the room and all of the other players sat further back. It was a great experience interviewing a veteran such as him. I would pick Draper as the jokester of the team. His passion for hockey and his family were quite evident during the interview. After talking to him for about 25 minutes, Amanda and I left for school. We stopped by the Little Caesars that Ms. Ilitch worked at as a teen to further the Red Wing themed day.

Looking back on the day, it had to be one of the most memorable experiences of my life. I hope that this was the first of many visits to Joe Louis Arena as a member of the media. And Draper has scored in six of the seven games following the interview; he’s off to the best offensive start of his career.