Peter Mueller warms up in one of his last games as a Coyote.

Well, I can’t say I’m surprised, or saddened to see Wojtek Wolski go. I know many Avalanche fans were hoping for Ruslan Salei or John-Michael Liles to be traded, and if Wolski had to go, they wanted a veteran in return.

I, for one, am happy to see the less-than-physical player leave our ranks. Rumors were that Wolski didn’t see eye-to-eye with the Avs management, and that he was on his way out. I take that to mean, they asked him to put his big body in front of the net and he didn’t want to take the beating.

Most Avs fans don’t watch a whole lot of other hockey, except what’s force-fed to them on the networks. That means, they don’t know a whole lot about the Phoenix Coyotes and Peter Mueller. I’m sure Goddess Amy will weigh in on this, since she saw him during his Junior days in Everett when he played for the Silvertips, but I really think this guy is going to be great. The Avs needed another center, and why not grab a young guy with tons of talent, a good work ethic and is easy on the eyes? ;-)

Getting rid of Liles would have been ideal. However, no one was going to pick up his inflated salary. The general public may not have been watching him the past couple of years, but the scouts were and he just doesn’t fit into too many team’s plans. After all, you can only have so many Mike Greens in the league.

Salei? Yeah, he’s carrying a bit of a salary, but for those people who never watched more than a couple of Ducks or Panthers games, they don’t understand what a talented, smart and crushing player he can be.  In his first game back this season, he threw some punishing hits and got an assist, looking as if he hadn’t missed a beat, and ended up +2 in a 3-2 loss. He is most physical defenseman next to Adam Foote, and he’s a smart player and great skater to boot. Why anyone would want to deal him is beyond me. I’d get rid of Brett Clark and even my lovely Scott Hannan before I’d ditch Salei.

Teasers:  I’ve promised KHL reporting and I will deliver soon.  Also, look for more rants on what else? Colorado Avalanche fan experiences.  Suffice it to say, we will not be renewing our season tickets next year.

Photo: Peter Mueller by Goddess Sasha. Copyright 2009-2010. All Rights Reserved.

I know I promised some KHL hockey observations, and I have many, but in lieu of what has transpired over the last 24 hours I feel it necessary to give some thoughts on the Kovalchuk trade. Fellow Goddess Kaatiya is still in mourning and like most Atlanta fans may be so for quite some time.

Colorado is my team of course, but Atlanta is my second. I love the diversity of the players in Atlanta, the Russians and the Swedes. My pal Salmela is unfortunately gone along with Ilya, but I still love the team.

As hockey fans, we often get attached to individual players. I know I sure do. While some people don’t separate the individual from the team, it’s the whole persona that individual players often bring that endear us to a team or a sport. Ilya was one such person. He was a fantastic player, a kind soul to fans and a wonderful father and wife to his family. People watched him grow up in Atlanta. It’s hard to take that he just didn’t want to be there anymore.

Fans will blame the owners and GM, but really, if he had wanted to stay he would have for the deal he was offered. Yes, people will argue past problems with the team, but with the ownership issue resolved this year, the team went out and got Antropov and Afinogenov per Kovy’s request. And it hurts those of us who truly loved him and believed he wanted to stay in Atlanta for his entire career.

I know, I know. You’re going to tell me it’s just business. But we’re all human. We want to believe that people aren’t just motivated by dollars and really care about the fans and the organizations that have given so much to them.

Despite the heartbreak many of us are feeling, I am a perpetual optimist, and I see much in this trade to be optimistic. Hurt feelings aside, I believe this isn’t the end for the Thrashers, but a new beginning – and a legitmate one at that. One only need to look as far as my number one team, the Colorado Avalanche, to see what a plethora of youthful talent can do for you. A solid goalie (Kari is about ready) and hungry youngsters is how all great teams start. Detroit has proven this time and time again.

Atlanta has made some savvy moves in this deal. Take Niclas Bergfors. He’s one of the top scoring rookies this year in a defensive minded system. Put him with Afinogenov or a passer like Kozlov and watch this kid bloom. Oduya? He’s just the defenseman the Thrashers have needed this year. One can argue this had been the team’s biggest weakness this year. It also doesn’t hurt to have another player of African decent in a city with a large African-American population. The Thrashers need to grow their fan base, and this could help market the team. I don’t want to overplay the ethnic issue, but as a Native American, I can tell you that any team with Natives on it sure becomes more interesting to me and is the reason I came back to hockey in the early 90’s. Then there’s Cormier. Suspension aside, let’s not forget that he was the captain of Canada’s World Junior team this year and is a physical force and exciting to watch.

Finally, and what might get me into hot water, is my response to the fans that are crying foul on the management. Putting the past aside, I can’t fault the GM on this move, as much as I hated to see it happen. Hindsight is 20/20 but I think everyone believed that Ilya really wanted to stay in Atlanta. I’ve seen many fans on message boards saying they will no longer be Atlanta fans because of their disgust with the ownership and management. Yet based on the attendance at games, I wonder how many true fans there really are? Don’t get me wrong. I understand that there is enough corporate sponsorship for the survival of this team (something Winnipeg simply can’t rival – sorry folks,) and that poor attendance isn’t enough to move them, but if you love this team you need to come out and support them. If you claim to be a fan, why aren’t you at Philips Arena for games? If Ilya isn’t enough to bring people out to games, perhaps some exciting, passionate youth who might be willing to get out in the community and sell themselves will do the job.

Only time will tell, but I, for one, am not giving up on the team.

We apologize for the sporadic posting at Hockey Goddesses. Life really did get in the way, with both Goddesses having multiple careers and time is at a premium right now.

However, we have decided to revive our blog with a report from none other than the Atlanta Thrasher’s Casino Night. The night is always a great event, for a great cause. While many teams have charity events, I must say the Thrashers always put on a night to remember.

The event was held at the Opera House on a record chilly Atlanta night, yet it took no time to warm up as the festivities began. Goddess Kaatiya had brought a game program for our friend Tatiana whom we are going to visit in Moscow next week, with the intent of getting the Russians plus a few others to sign.

As much as I wanted to stop by Toby Enstrom’s table (in fact it took a while for it to fill up) tradition dictated that we stop by Slava Kozlov’s table first. Plus, I wanted to save the best for last in Toby. Slava remembered me as the crazy woman who was learning Russian, and we actually got to exchange a couple of phrases. Last year, he let the assistant deal but was determined this year to do it himself. As always, he was incredibly kind, signed a personalized message to Tatiana and gave me a yellow chip! After chatting with an apparent Russian friend of his at the table for a few minutes, I moved on to find my goal for the year – Maxim Afinogenov.

The ever serious Slava Kozlov © 2010, Geneen Pipher and HockeyGoddesses.com. All Rights Reserved.

You have to understand, as a speed skater of many, many years, I love Max and his speed. He’s so amazing to watch, and I’ve admired him for a long time. He is an incredibly sweet, genuinely friendly man, and had a smile on his face the entire night. He truly enjoyed himself and you can tell he’s having he time of his life playing for Atlanta. When I told him we were leaving for Moscow next weekend to see some KHL games, he got excited and told me I had to go see Moscow Dynamo because “They’re my team!” He was more than happy to sign the program, and humored me by listening to me make no sense in Russian. He played until they closed his table, keeping both men and women alike entertained.

The lovely Maxim Afinogenov. © 2010, Geneen Pipher and HockeyGoddesses.com. All Rights Reserved.

Next stop was Nik Antropov. Of course, his table was fully of young females batting their eyes at him, yet he gladly wrote a personalized message to Tatiana.

We stopped to chat just a bit with John Anderson, Evander Kane and get a pic with Boris “healthy scratch” Valabik and Johan Hedberg, who seemed much more relaxed this year.

Finally, we got to Toby’s table. You have understand, Toby is my favorite Thrashers player because a) I love Swedes, b) I love Sweden, c) I’m a fellow defenseman and d) He’s so damn adorable.

Unfortunately, as last year, we got to his table very late in the game. The goddesses had consumed much vodka and the tables were close to closing. Still, he was very sweet and I told him I may be making it to Stockholm or Gothenburg to coach hockey next summer so we talked a bit about Sweden. Next year, Toby, I promise to start with your table!

Toby Enstrom and Goddess Sasha. © 2010, Geneen Pipher and HockeyGoddesses.com. All Rights Reserved.

At that point, time was running out. Ilya Kovalchuk had long closed his table and like the wonderful husband he is had gone upstairs to be with his wife whom is 7 months pregnant. They left a bit early, but I was able to snag him and get his to sign for Tatiana. I refrained from begging him to stay in Atlanta – we had already made half a dozen signs doing that exact thing for the game against the Caps the night before.

As the night came to a close, I ran into Anssi Salmela. I told him I liked his hair and he got very excited, telling me he dyed it and that it was naturally lighter. The ensuing conversation was … interesting. And we’ll leave it at that. I did get a nice picture of us though.

Goddess Sasha and Anssi Salmela. © 2010, Goddess Sasha and HockeyGoddesses.com. All Rights Reserved.

I must say, the mood wasn’t as jovial as last year. With Kovalchek’s contract still far from being signed the future of the team is tenuous. It also may very well be Slava Kozlov’s last year in the league, which is also left us feeling a bit melancholy.

Regardless, I’ll be back next year. The Avalanche don’t have a casino night (one of the few teams in the league that doesn’t) and really, the Thrasher’s event is top notch.

On a side note, I had considered handing out my business cards in case any of the guys were interested in a trainer, but I managed to only give out one and that was just to use the back to write on. It seemed like it might not be an appropriate venue to push my services.

Next week, Moscow! Yep, Goddess Sasha and Goddess Kaatiya are going to Moscow to catch some KHL games. Look for live Tweets from the games, as well as blogging.

До свидания!

Joe Sakic has retired, the Avs sat out the free agent frenzy, and they are still trading high ranked prospects for career minor leaguers.

I understand. Teams have to rebuild. The salary cap has changed the game. One would think that a team would have some foresight and get some creative marketing to keep the fans coming, or at the very least interested. No so for us Avalanche fans. Below you will find the letter I sent to the Avalanche (complaints are not welcome in the Avalanche organization and the only email on their or the Pepsi Center website is ‘webmaster@pepsicenter.com’ and it specifies that that it is for tech issues only – all other correspondence is directed to – get this – snail mail!).

Screen shot of the Avs website’s “Contact Us” page as seen on July 18, 2009 (click the image above to see full size).

* * *

Dear Colorado Avalanche,

It is with a touch of sadness (yet more frustration) that I write this letter.  We are wishing to rescind our initial 2nd set set of season tickets, the ones that were to be located in the “Avaholic” section.  Although it is quite a deal, we feel that we can’t invest any additional money in an organization that quite frankly does very little, if anything, for its fans.  For now, we are going to hold on to our current season tickets, although at this point we are uncertain as to what we will ultimately decide as we approach the beginning of the season.

My husband and I are long time hockey fans.  We come from families whom had season tickets for the original NHL team here in Denver, the Colorado Rockies.  We have been season ticket holders for almost 10 years, and since the inception of the team, before our incomes would allow for full season tickets, we were 14 game holders, our total investment equaling thousands of dollars. We love the team and the sport, yet the attention given to fans in Colorado is one of the poorest in the league.

Several times a year we travel to other cities to see the Avs.  Each time, we’ve had an experience that far exceeds any we have had in Colorado.  From San Jose to Atlanta, L.A. to Boston, Dallas to Calgary, and may others between we have seen organizations that care about their fans.

Little things such as allowing fans to go to the lower level and sit by the glass to take pictures or cheer on the team during game warm-ups are allowed everywhere we have been – except Colorado.  In fact, one is not even allowed to go sit by the glass with lower level tickets, unless you are going to sit in your assigned section.  Practices are much the same, with no access to the glass.  Instead, fans are forced to sit in the stands, obstructed by netting.  We have been told this is a liability, yet I can name at least a dozen venues I’ve watched practice at the past two years and not a single one denied fans the chance to watch from the glass.  Even in this years rookie camp, we were not allowed to watch from downstairs by the ice.

Other examples abound.  Special events for season ticket holders and other fans are nearly non-existent.  Go to other cities and you will find charity events such as casino nights where one can interact with the players.   Even a huge market team such as the New York Rangers has such events. Yet in Colorado, there almost nothing, save for a fashion show where players are highly protected from the constituents. Game promotions are few and far between, and the quality just isn’t what it is in other cities. I would be happy to expand on the above issues to any interested party.

Pierre Lacroix has asked the fans to be patient while he rebuilds the team, yet what incentive do we have to be loyal?  Sometimes, promises of a good team just aren’t enough.   Look at a team like the Washington Capitals, whose organization even in tough times has marketed the team to the fans and made them feel like the team truly is theirs.  Various programs, promotions, and simple access to the team (something that costs nothing), has lifted the team to new heights and was well on its way even before the arrival of Alexander Ovechkin.

I have considered writing this letter many times throughout the past few years, and have finally reached the point where our concerns should be heard.  In times of such economic strife, why should anyone spend their hard earned money on a team that quite frankly, has shown they care very little about us.  And, in a city where the economy is actually much more favorable than most other cities in North America, the already pathetic attendance supports our concerns.

Thank you for your time, and we wish the team better times in the future.

• Is the first pick really going to be a surprise?  Really?  I think they’ve been touting Tavares as the first pick for 3 years now.
• Poor Tavares.  Don’t hate me Islanders fans, but, yeesh.
• Garth Snow, you are younger than this goddess and look a decade older.  What happened to you?
• Oh damn it just pick, Tampa Bay!
• Oh my broken heart.  I wanted Hedman.  Excuse me for a moment while I shed a tear.
• He’s beautiful too, what can I say?
• Ok, refocus.  The Avs are next!
• I know I am in the minority here, but really, I don’t want to see another center.  Sorry Matt Duchene, I just would rather have someone that isn’t a North American.  Just one, ok?
• Interesting trade there, but who really thought that Pronger was going to stay in Anaheim.  He sure seems to wear out his welcome everywhere, doesn’t he?
• Lucas Sbisa.  I don’t mind seeing him more in the west at all.
• Blah blah blah. Why do I have to listen to Pierre McGuire?  Why?
• Surprise, surprise.  Can we get to round two now?  Wait.  Did we give that pick away too?
• OK, on to my second favorite team, who will hopefully get my sympathetic favorite.  I can only hope … and be jealous in the process.
• Poor kid has yellow teeth, but I like his personality.  Seems like a good head on his shoulders.  Can we just get him now?
• Evander Kane?  Sigh.  Where is my other Swede?
• Oh wait. He’s black!  Get him in Atlanta!
• Ah, good move.  And he wants to be a 50-goal scorer.  Sweet.
• Ok, refocus.
• Brayden Schenn.  The Kings have got to be good soon.  They’ve got incredible talent.
• Ahahah!  Brian Burke!  Lol!  Need I say more?
• No respect to Alex, but I believe that Luc Bourdon was a Ron Delorme draft pick.
• Ooooh….trade with Columbus?
• I want to go to another draft again.  It’s been over 10 years.  What do you say, Goddess Kaatiya?  Are you with me?
• Another Swede. We could have had.  Sigh.
• I’m noticing that all these guys have cut their hair for the draft.  Interesting.  I hope that it isn’t a sticking trend.
• Interesting.  Toronto is always good for the multicultural pick.
• Oh Brian Burke you’re such a politician.  Not.
• Ok. Now I feel old.  Joe Nieuwendyk is in management. I think this is a sign.

( Had to take a break and take the cats out.  What do you expect?  It’s the off season! )

• So it takes my how many picks to see my Swede go. Will the Russian still be around for the second round Avs pick? Yeah, I know I’m crazy, but I can hope.
• Nashville picks Ryan Ellis?   Poor kid.  Looks like a 13 year old.
• Ooh.  Drama!  NYI and Minnesota?  What’s the deal guys?  Ok, nothing terribly exciting. Get me all wound up for nothing.
• I want to care about Ottawa, I really do. But I just don’t.
• Damn Oilers!  They got my Swede!  Booo!  A division rival too.  Sometimes life is just not fair.
• Chris Pronger — what a prick.  Sorry, it had to be said.
• More picks I’m really not interested in.
• Oh wait! The Russian.  Dmitry Kulikov.  Picked by Miami no less.  Well, if he’s going to sign in the NHL and bring his parents here, Miami is probably the best bet.  Good call.
• The announcers are really trying to get interesting stories where there aren’t any.  No disrespect to the guys getting drafted, but the stories are all starting to sound the same.
• Another Swede?  Wow. This time to St. Louis.  And he still has his hair ;)
• OK, the host city deserves some attention. I’ll give Montreal a bit of love.  And they pick a Quebecois.  And the crowd goes wild!
• Nothing else of note in the first round, except the lovely Philippe Paradis, who looked so mature and intelligent with his little glasses.  In fact, so much so, it deserves a picture.

I wrote this about a month ago, and now that Calgary is out of the playoffs it seems a little less timely.  Still, I felt it worthy of posting. Apologies for the lack of posting here lately, but as you can imagine, with both goddesses mourning (or pouting?) the lack of their teams in the postseason, sour grapes can often distract one.

The poor Steve Moore saga drags on, and the longer it drags on, the more furious it makes me.  I’m pretty much a “it’s part of the game” when people unfortunately get injured, but no matter how many times I look at the film, I can’t see any justification for this.  And I feel so horribly for the guy, who continued to be directly harassed.  Few things in professional sports make me want to cry, but the injustice in this whole scenario I  find incredibly depressing.  It really gives the league a black eye, more than a few “denigrating” words.

The latest on Steve Moore

The video of the incident (if you haven’t seen it)

And finally, an unsung hero who is someone I have always respected — Andrei Nikolishin, who was keeping an eye on the situation and immediately jumped on Bertuzzi to stop the attack.  He was only in Colorado a short time, but was loved by his teammates, and has wherever he has gone and, if you’re interested, is still playing in Russia, captain of Traktor Chelyabinsk in the KHL.

I’m not only saying this because I am a Colorado fan.  Anyone who knows me knows I try to be completely objective when it comes to the league. In fact, I tend to be more hard on my team than on other teams.  But as I’ve said before, I am more about the individual players than I am a team.  And when people’s livelihoods are effected, I can’t help but be saddened.

As I watched past films of the NHL back in the 70s and 80s, the words a wise man closely tied to the NHL once told me suddenly rang in my ears.  Yes, the game as major-league sport was in its infancy, but the intensity and tenacity of these players once they hit the playoffs was incredible.

We’ve seen it this year in some of the teams, and we’ve seen it completely lacking in others.  We’ve seen it expressed in the wrong ways, which to me is probably the most disappointing.  Cheap shots to the head were almost unheard of back in the days of helmetless players.  Players had some level of respect.

But I digress.  What I really wanted to expound upon is the fact that there are teams out there that don’t know how to play in the playoffs.   Washington?  Look at the talent on that team!  They brought excitement to their fans every game this year.   We “ooohed” and “ahhhed” at Alexander Ovechkin’s exuberant tenacity, at Alexander Semin’s incredible hands and Mike Green’s brilliant slapshots.  What have they brought us in the playoffs thus far?  Nothing but frustration.

Beauty isn’t going to get you very far in the playoffs.  Neither is clean play.  And let’s face it, hooks and frustrated cross-checks aren’t going to get you anywhere but the box.  Look at teams that historically have had great success in the playoffs.  They have grit, brawn, and yes, some sneaky, chippy, and sometimes cheap play.

Ironically, it’s one of the players that is the most despised in the league that is playing an old style of nasty, grinding, playoff hockey.  Say what you will about Sean Avery, but no one can deny the impact he has had on the Capitals-Rangers series:  Getting under the skin of opponents, distracting them on the ice and giving the goalies a whack here and there to throw them off.

Washington?  Where is their Sean Avery?  Where is their forward camped out in front of Henrik Lundqvist, smacking his stick when the refs aren’t looking, giving him that extra little bump?  Give the goalie too much respect and you’re going to end up with a big goose egg in your goal column.

Don’t like the Sean Avery adulation?  How about Detroit, who has at least three — maybe even more — pests in their entourage, with Chris Draper and Tomas Holmstrom leading the pack.  Take a look at any team leading their series and you’ll find they have at least one or two guys who play that role and another one to two who will join their ranks in the playoffs.

And that, my friends, is what brings intensity and fans to playoff hockey. 

Because if you’re not cheating, you’re not trying.

Yesterday, Sean Avery scored 2 goals and received 1st star of the game.  He also had 5 hits, and a goalie interference penalty.  Clearly, the Rangers are as good for Avery as he is for them.  Has he “rehabbed?”  One can only hope not too much.  His personality is part of what makes him the player he is.  And in a sport that his struggling for US viewership, is his controversial personality really *that* bad of a thing?

But it doesn’t stop at Avery.  Last night’s Coaches Corner’s Don Cherry effused at the fact that Ovechkin has toned down his over-exuberant goal celebrations (all the while taking credit for being the one leading to it after his anti-Ovechkin-celebration Coaches Corner a couple of weeks back).   While many of us think there is an awful lot of Ovechkin Overload going on right now, to muzzle him and his celebrations is detrimental to the game.  HIs celebrations (of not just his goals, but of teammates as well) get the rest of the team excited, which in turn gets the crowd excited and creates new hockey fans that happen to see what kind of excitement hockey can bring.

Ilya Kovalchuk pointing at Sidney Crosby in the penalty box after scoring a power-play goal a couple years back was pricesless, as was Slava Kozlov chirping at Ulf Sammuelson after scoring a shootout goal against Phoenix, sending coach Wayne Gretzky into fits of rage.  Let’s face it.  American’s like drama.  We like scandal. The world would be a boring place if we just all got along and sent each other flowers after hockey games.

Now I know some hockey elitists are going to argue that such celebrations and taunting are the “gateway drug” to further misbehavior such as illegal gun-toting and off-ice violence (and yes, I have heard this argument many times) and that hockey will lose it’s appeal to the intellectuals who can look past the fighting and actually enjoy the game.  I argue that competitive sports bring out primitive instincts in people, and we really should be worrying more about ridding the game of head shots, cheap shots and abusive stick fouls rather than who said what about whose girlfriend and what the appropriate level of celebration of a goal is.

On a personal note, I played in my own high-level, intensity filled game.  A rivalry quickly developed between two former Division I NCAA players.  A bit of smack talking on the ice led to a penalty and one of my teammates scoring and immediately skating by the other teams bench, mocking them and the penalty.  The fans were soon in an uproar, and the opposing coach nearly blew a gasket.  The rest of the game was nasty, but never lost it’s intensity and we won by a single-goal margin.  Let me tell you, nothing compares to the energy that brings.  No harm, no foul.

Yes, the trade deadline is upon us. By this time tomorrow we will see many teams completely changed. While we all are going to have a few “they did what?” moments about our favorite team, and some of us are going to shed a tear for our non-playoff contenders who will inevitably been blown apart, but I have to admit, I still love the excitement trade deadline brings.

If we’re talking about drama, we can’t ignore that the Drama Queen himself is back in the league.  Am I the only one that is actually glad to see Avery back?  I hope they haven’t beaten the personality out of him. Does he go too far sometimes? Perhaps. But I do enjoy a bit of drama he brings to the squeaky-clean NHL. What will be more interesting is to see how John Tortorella, who said Avery shouldn’t be allowed to play in the NH after his incident in December, handles him.

Speaking of hockey drama, I am digging Ovechkin and Crosby’s little tiff. People around the league are picking sides, with no clear-cut majority. A little rivalry never hurt anyone, in my opinion. Don Cherry? I agree with you many, many times, but I have to side with Bruce Bourdreau on this one. You’re just wrong. Let the guys celebrate. Let them have fun. Give the American fans the excitement they want. It is about entertainment after all, isn’t it?

And in what’s been coined (by me) as “The Battle of the Bottom Feeders” I bring you the Avs fan point of view for this live blog.

1st period:

• Yay!  Paul Stastny is finally back!  We’ve missed him and his gap-toothed grin.
• Mike Haynes, Avalanche play-by-play guy starts by saying “Watch for #17 for Atlanta.”  Really? Duh!
• Toby Enstrom!  Short handed goal?  I can’t help but get excited.  It’s Toby!
• Ilya! Scores on a fantastic tip.   My fantasy! (On my Yahoo! Fantasy team.  Geesh, get your mind out of the gutter).
• Oh, Darcy Tucker.  He went to the wrong penalty box.  It was definitely a LOL moment.
• I’d pay Ruslan Salei to hold me as long as he’s holding Colby Armstrong.
• Ugh, but I wouldn’t pay him to throw me into the boards like that!  Ouch!
• Uh….Reasoner?  Wow.  The Avs don’t look so hot.
• I’m wondering why Budaj hasn’t been yanked.
• They guys are mentioning that John-Michael Liles has been out and will return later this road trip.  I hadn’t really noticed he was gone, to be honest.  Yes, that’s the kind of year the Avs have been having.
• Ilya loves playing the Western teams.  It suits his run and gun style.  I think he’d be quite at home on a team out here ;)
• Milan!  Hejduk!  He’s been a bright spot all year.
• I’d love to say something nice about Kozlov but haven’t found a way to yet.  Not that there’s anything bad, just nothing outstanding.
• Awww, little Toby. It just had to be said again about my little friend
• And the period ends 3-1

2nd Period:

• Ilya is so fast.  So very fast.  I think I was that fast at one point. And then I woke up.
• I’m actually almost missing the Thrashers’ play-by-play guy and his strange affinity for calling the guys by their first names.
• Oh no!  Laperriere blocked a shot from Kovalchuk and went down.  I think it got the side of his knee.  Aww, and Ilya asked him if he was OK.  Love!
• Ouch!  Guite!  Shoulder pain is certain to follow that crash into the boards.
• Oh, Laperierre and Ilya spoke before the face off.  I wonder what was said. “Ilya, can you *not* shoot right into me when I’m clearly not in direct line of the goal?”
• Wrong team, Slava.  This has not been your best game.
• Thrashers have won 6 of last 7 faceoffs?  Wow.  Colorado seriously needs to look at a faceoff man in the off-season.
• Toby almost scored again!  He’s having a splendid night!
• Milan part 2!  3-2 now.
• OMG! So many posts are being hit!  There have been a good 4 “almost” goals in the past 2 minutes of this game.
• Peverley goes and …. uh, yeah.  Yank Budaj!
• Melee!  Gotta love a good scrum, although not much came of it.
• And the second period ends 4-2.

Third Period:

• Oh goody. Let’s start the period on a penalty kill, Avs.
• Now a power play.  Looks like we might get out of those tonight without giving up another shorthanded goal.
• Oops.  Spoke too soon.  Another powerplay.
• Five minutes into the period and there has been hardly any even strength play.  Like no more than a few seconds.
• Fact:  Atlanta only has 9 home wins this year.  I think they’re on their way to 10 tonight.
• When did I become such a pessimist?  Couldn’t be the fact that the Avs are last place in the Western Conference, could it?
• If I had a dollar for every time Smyth  hit the boards behind the net I’d be rich … or I’d at least I’d be able to buy a nice dinner at Russia House.
• Slava Kozlov?  In the box?  I know one goddess who isn’t going to be happy….
• The skating in this game is crazy!  Crazy good.  Wow!
• Empty net already?  This is sad indeed.
• Wait!  Wow!  One goal game now.  Stewart has been good for us.
• Salei has been a much more dirty player lately.  And I like it.
• Oh!  Almost!  So close!  Yet…..yeah.  :-(
• Final score: 4-3, Atlanta.

Does anyone else remember the good ol’ days of the All-Star weekend when it was eagerly awaited?  In an attempt to make the game better with more parity and greater fan appeal, the game is tweaked each year.  Yet it seemingly only appears to continue to lose its luster. With that in mind, I have some of my own suggestions.

  - Let the players choose the participants.  Who knows the talent better than those who play against these guys?  GMs picking the roster?   Seriously, guys.  It’s gone downhill since they switched the selection process.  Yes, I know why it was done, but it probably wasn’t the best solution.

 - Allow competitors into the skills competition that may not make the All-Star team.  We know there are exceptional skaters, stick handlers and shooters that don’t always make the squad.  Let’s see more talent represented there.  That might woo audiences a bit more.

-  Speaking of wooing audiences, can we get rid of the lame breakaway goal competition?  It was a big flop, in my opinion.  Trying (largely unsuccessful) trick shots on non-NHL goalies did nothing for me.  Of course, Alexander Ovechkin did bring some character to the game with his silly props and use of long-time enemy Evgeny Malkin to assist him (although I found the actual story behind the “make-up” of these two much more interesting.)  However, call me old fashioned but I preferred the class that fellow Russian Alexei Kovalev displayed in the All-Star game the next day, taking the game seriously, giving it his all and showing the fans what a fantastic stick-handler he is.  So, let’s bring back skill competitions where real skills are highlighted.

 - Finally, as we move back towards more intra-conference play, let’s resurrect the North America vs. The Word format.  East-West has little intrigue to most people, but pitting the two different playing styles against each other gets Don Cherry and others ranting about the non-North American players and at least resurrects a real rivalry.

So what do you say guys?  You have two years to think about it.

That’s right, kids.  For those of you newer fans you may not remember that there was another Lemieux — Claude.  No, he never reached legendary status, but he did win four Stanley Cups with three different teams and a Conn Smythe trophy.  Not bad.

But what we really should be admiring him for is not the amount or hardware he owns, but for his drive and determination to come back to the sport after five years in retirement at 43 years of age.    Yeah, yeah.  I know some of you youngins’ are rolling your eyes wondering why such fossils bother to play past their prime, much less make a comeback at such an “old” age.

Well, for those of us who have attained four decades of life, just walking the dog can be a challenge, much less training literally hours every day for months just to prepare for a fourth-line position on a team with guys who weren’t even born when you broke into the league 25 years ago.  Sure, defensemen like Chris Chelios and Teppo Numminen prove that there is a life in hockey after 40, but in that position it’s much easier to avoid contact and pick and choose your spots.  It’s a bold move for a forward who is inevitably going to take abuse every day.

I watched his debut last night and I was quite pleased to see him play well (and he doesn’t look half bad either!).  And remember folks, Lemieux has always been what they call a “playoff performer” (aka sandbags it in the regular season.)

So, if old habits die hard, watch out for the old guy come the post season!  This is one 40 year old who will be pulling for him.

I know this blog is a bit Thrasher heavy right now but having attended the Atlanta Thrashers’ Annual Casino Night this past Sunday with fellow goddess Kaatiya and her hubby, I feel the Thrasher organization deserves some kudos for actually doing something right.

Not that getting to the event was without issue. Apparently, the ticket coordinator for the event took a three-week vacation a month before the event and fans that called the number advertised for the event had to leave voice mail. But I digress.

Traditionally, each NHL team has held an annual charity event that allows fans to come interact with their favorite players. However, the term “interact” is used loosely. The amount of access one has to these players varies by team. Some teams charge an arm and a leg and while the notion of the proceeds going to charity is certainly commendable (and having a chance to write off the event on ones tax return), one can’t help but wonder if the high price is intended to keep the event just out of reach of your average fan. Not-so-coincidentally, these are also the organizations that give you 10 seconds twice in the event (if you’re lucky) to give your table’s designated “player waiter” to suffice as player “interaction.”

Living in Colorado, I have never been tempted to spend $250 for the charity brunch the Avalanche organization holds each year. From speaking with former attendees, I have gleaned that your meal is served by a less popular player and are lucky if he has time to say more than “hello” and sign a program. Big name players are explicitly shielded from the (cough) average fan, merely speaking to the audience from the stage.  Oh yeah, there is that fashion show (and if you don’t have Sean Avery on your team, how exciting can it be?)

Not at the Atlanta Thrashers Casino Night. No, for $200 you get 3 + hours of full access to all the players whom are held prisoner by their respective poker tables, an open bar, and delightful appetizers and pastries (that is, if you’re not too busy ingratiating yourself with the players and actually have time to eat). And really, if you’re a diehard fan of that team, it’s the least the organization can do.

Young puckbunny looking to chat up the new guy? This is your gig. Cougar who just wants to sit and stare at Bryan Little all night while your wealthy husband chums around with Garnet Exelby? You’ve come to the right place! Fellow hockey player who wants to gab with her (new) favorite defenseman, Tobias Enstrom? Much obliged. Long-time fan wanting a picture with his man-crush Ilya Kovalchuk? The new captain will be more than happy to indulge you. Best of all, if Slava Kozlov is your hero, butter him up with a bit of Russian and a pinch of fawning and the usually reserved legend will give you a big smile.  And let’s not forget — it’s all for a great cause!

Yes, this fabulous event was enjoyed by all and has made this goddess into a new Thrashers fan. The only negative comment I can offer is that it could have been better attended with a bit better coordination by the organization, which is seemingly lacking in the marketing department. But, that topic is reserved for another post, coming in the near future.

Congratulations, Thrashers. You now have a new fan in Colorado!

I watched the Montreal Canadien’s Roy jersey retirement ceremony of Saturday night. In true Canadian fashion, they honored him with a lengthy celebration before the start of the Canadiens/Boston game. It was like any other ceremony, with the introduction, Patrick coming out on the ice and a nice little video of him from his mini-mite days to his NHL games, complete with a cheery background song.

Now, I fully admit I’m sick of the usual tunes. “Simply the Best” by Tina Turner has lost it’s impact, and how many of us would die happy if we never heard Cool and the Gang’s “Celebration” again? But what did the Canadiens decide to play to celebrate the legend? Whitney Houston’s “How Will I Know?”

That’s right folks. That upbeat love song from the 80’s was the (mostly likely carefully) chosen ode to Patrick Roy.

And what says “Thank you, Patrick” more than Whitney? Take these fine lyrics from the song:

“When I wake from dreaming, tell me is it really love” or “How will I know (don’t trust your feelings).”

Now, granted English is not the native language for most members of the Francophone organization, but you would think someone there would have a good enough grasp of the English language to look over the lyrics and say “Hmm…this doesn’t quite fit for a jersey retirement ceremony.” But alas, we were stuck listening to Whitney cry out “How will I know if he’s thinking of me, I try to phone but Im too shy (can’t speak)” trying as hard as we might to find some kind of significance to Patty.

If anyone can figure out this mystery, please tell tell this goddess. Otherwise, “How will I know?”

In case you were wondering, Goddess Kaatiya was visiting this weekend and we watched a couple of games to give you a unique perspective.  Here are my observations:

Thrashers at Sabres 11-7-08 , 3rd period

- Hedberg in net.  Kari still “under the weather.”  Someone on the Thrasher’s forum said they wondered when he’d be “above the weather.”
-  Kotalik fanned on the rebound. I’m glad I’m not the only one that does this.
-  Which Kovy is a smoother stick handler?  That’s what I want to know.
-  Oystrick who?
-  Kovy is working on a creepy molester moustache today
-  Why does the color guy call Enstrom “Tobi?”
-  Does everyone have a man crash on Hainsey?
-   Slava Kozlov. Dirty Russian.  ;)
-   4-4 Now.
-   Wow. Let’s state the obvious, guys. I think it’s pretty obvious you’d like the Thrashers score next.
-   Left buttock.  What is this?  A medical physical?
-   “Tobi.”  I am beginning to wonder what kind of relationship they have.

Calgary at Chicago 11-9-08

-  Patrick Kane scores.  He is such an adorable young man
-  Ouch, Kiprusoff.  Need I say more?
-  Double ouch.
-  Frost and Brouwer going at it. Who? Yeah, that’s what I was wondering.
-  Ouch, Sharp.  Are you ok?  Sarich – you should know better.
-  Can I say Patrick Sharp is cute without sounding like a puckbunny?  No?  Ok, well I’m going to say it anyway.
-  Oh, linesman hit dead on with a puck.  No sign of life yet.
-  Prust and Walker now go at it.  Hey boys, lets stop the dancing.  Start throwing them or stop torturing us.
-  Oh, Kipper.  I even feel sorry for you tonight.
-  Patrick Kane is so diminutive.  But awesome all the same.  Second star of the game.  First star personality.