Yep, the Colorado Avalanche are out. I don’t know why, but watching the kids this year scrap their way into a spot this year has really endeared me to them  — more so than many other teams.  Yes, they weren’t supposed to make it to the playoffs this year, and were slated to finish last in the NHL.  Yet I can’t help but feel a bit of heartache for the kids.

Maybe it’s because I know that I’ve probably seen Darcy Tucker for the last time with the Avs.  It seems like just yesterday when Goddess Kaatiya called me to tell me we had signed him.  One of my all-time favorite players, I was ecstatic.  Tonight, he waited until the rest of the team had exited the ice before giving the fans a big wave.  How could have time passed so quickly?  Still, we saw almost every single home game he played with the Avs

Then there are the kids.  Who doesn’t love to see a bunch of 18-to-mid-20-year-old kids play their hearts out each night?  I don’t know about you, but I’d rather see a bunch of kids over achieve than the team of old talent reach a quarter of their potential year after year.  Yeah, they made the games worth attending this year, and my heart breaks a little bit for them.

Maybe it’s that we’ve finally given up our season tickets for next year.  I’ll save the details for another post, but it was time.  I actually love this team more than I have in years, but the folks at Kronke Sports Enterprises and team management have proven to me this year that it’s not worth dumping another several thousand into the least fan-friendly organization in the league.  And it makes me sad knowing that we no longer have those 40 games to go to in the middle of winter.

I hope the future holds more energy and fire, and I’d love to see them pick up a talented, skating European — a Swede or a Russian would be nice.  But alas, the Avs seem to be an “all American, all the time” team anymore (with a couple of exceptions.)  Now THAT might bring me back to season tickets.

But that’s all in the future.  For now, I think I’ll just listen to the down and depressing music of the Drive-By Truckers and wallow in some self-pity.  I went to almost all the home games this year.  I deserve it.

Photo: Darcy Tucker by Goddess Sasha. Copyright 2008. All Rights Reserved.

Goddess Kaat and I were in Russia last month and between studying, working and playing, we managed to get in four KHL hockey games.  We went to three different venues and saw six different teams in total.  With five teams in the Moscow area these “devochki” could have seen twelve games in the fourteen days we were there!

We also got to take a trip outside Moscow to visit a friend who used to play in the NHL but has now found a home in the KHL.  Listening to his experience was fascinating, and something that goddess Kaatiya will publish a feature in a major online news site.

We quickly discovered that Russia is a different world.  Whereas Americans have seemingly endless amounts of disposable income, Russians have very little. The middle class is almost non-existent.  People either have money or they don’t, and even with the top end tickets going for a mere 500 rubles (that’s about $16 US) few people can afford to spend that kind of money on a regular basis.

So how is the average KHL team financed? We’ve all heard about the insanely high salaries these former NHL players are getting and it certainly isn’t from game revenue.  No, KHL teams are hobbies of Russian Oligarchs who gained control of the oil industry after the breakup of the Soviet Union.  There’s some advertising and sponsorship as well, but the low attendance certainly isn’t a concern.  Yet let’s not write off the fan experience, because it’s something everyone should enjoy in their lifetime if they can.   Here are some observations as a fan that I found interesting and vastly different from the NHL:

1.)  Going to a KHL game is like stepping into a time warp.  Imagine a 1970s NHL game – minus the beer (No alcohol is sold in any of the arenas.)  If you miss the organic experience with small, but hardcore, audiences, you will love most KHL games.

2.)  Most arenas are small and old.  Most seat less than a decent college arena.  Even the new ones are quite small by NHL standards, maxing out at 8,000-10,000 seating capacity and at best two-thirds of the seats are sold.

3.)  Security is tight — in some respects.  Guards dressed in intimidating military-type garb are quite prevalent in some arenas, sometimes requesting to check your bag 4-5 times before you get to your seat.  However, once you’re in, no one cares if you sit in an open seat that’s not yours and people are very respectful of other people’s seats.

4.)  Food and drink are not allowed in the stands.  At all.

5.)  Concessions are more like that at a high school football game: A couple of stands with candy or bread with salted fish and usually a table in the concourse with a woman pouring hot tea for around 25 rubles a cup.

6.)  At most arenas, both teams enter and exit at the end of the ice where the Zamboni doors are.

7.)  There are no rink-side seats.  Instead there is a walkway for rink/team personnel behind the glass.  Also, no one wants to sit low. The higher the better, and seats are sold from the top down.

8.)  Fans may be sparse, but they are extremely knowledgeable and are into it!  It’s like a European soccer match with organized chants, drums, bells and whistles.

9.)  Each arena reserves a section for the opposing fans that can also bring drums, bells, etc.  That section is understandably carefully guarded.

All this isn’t a negative from a fan’s perspective.  In fact, as I’ve said it’s a blast.

Now to the part you’ve all been waiting for and, of course, the hockey player in me won’t let me go without talking about the game.  As with the fan experience KHL hockey is really quite different than the NHL.

What makes it different?  It’s hard to grasp at first.  Our first game was CSKA (the famed Russian Red Army team) vs Ak Bars Kazan, a perennial contender in the KHL (and in the former Russian Super League.)  Talk to a few NHL players who play or have played there and they’ll give you contrasting opinions: “It’s slower, but more skilled,” or “It’s not as physical, but it can’t be because guys are so much faster.”  After watching, I don’t dismiss that these guys are fast or skilled, but as goddess Kaatiya artfully described, there was an awful lot of loitering at the blue line.

Like most of Russia, walking into the Ice Palace where CSKA plays is like walking into a time warp so perhaps the “ambiance” affected my perspective to an extent, but the first thing that struck me is how slow the game was.  It really looked like my husband’s recreational hockey team.  Sure, the guys were skilled and maybe the ice was a bit bad in the old arena but still, even sitting down low the play just looked slow.

The other thing that became immediately apparent was the lack of hitting.  Guys seem to go out of their way to not hit or get hit.  Seriously, I’ve seen more physical play in a women’s game, where hitting is illegal, than I saw in the KHL.

I have to say it was quite a shock.  I had heard so much about the league and the level of play. It has been touted by many players and staff as close, if not equal, to the skill of the NHL.  I often wonder if this isn’t wishful thinking, or some kind of justification for jumping ship when you just can’t hack the NHL.  Nikita Filatov of CSKA (and still property of the Columbus Blue Jackets) definitely stuck out as probably the most talented on the team, but even he has learned the art of slacking in the KHL.

I don’t doubt that the talent and skill are there. In Dave King’s book “King of Russia” he talks about the incredible training the teams do year round and the demands these players are met with every step of the way.  So one has to wonder where this tremendous skill is during the games.

The answer became clearer at our last game.  It was in Mytishchi, Moscow Oblast where Atlant plays.  This arena is new, built in 2007 and hosting that year’s World Cup.  Although small, it is incredibly modern for Russia.  One could enter from the lower level or above the seats and security forces were minimal.  More women and families were in attendance that night and the crowd was at near capacity.

Yet is the product on the ice that impressed us most.  Atlant was hosting Dynamo Riga of Latvia.  For those of you who know little of Soviet history, Latvia was once an unwilling republic of the USSR and now that they have their independence, hostilities run even deeper.  Of no coincidence is that two-thirds of the Riga players are Lativan and much to the annoyance of the Russians have added the Cyrillic “c” (which translates to a latin “s”) at the end of their surnames (e.g. “Janis Sprukts”).  Of course, these are displayed on the backs of their jerseys and are a proud statement of their Latvian ethnicity.

Such a rivalry produced a far better product on the ice than even the proclaimed “super match” between Moscow Dynamo and Atlant we had seen earlier that week.  Tempers ran high with former Columbus Blue Jacket, New York Ranger and current Atlant player Nikolai Zherdev playing an NHL-style, physical game.  Riga boasted former NHL players Sandis Ozolinsh and Marcel Hossa, clearly the best players on their team.

The pace of the game was fast and furious and, while still far less physical over than the NHL, we could finally see the speed of these players.  Atlant quickly got up 3-0, but Riga eventually found its wheels and began firing back, winning 4-3 in overtime.  It was by far the best game we attended, yet we were left wondering why it took four games to finally see the talent shine though.

All that being said, KHL hockey is a great product.  If you long for the nostalgia and  down-to-earth feel of the WHL days, this is the place for you. 

Like much of Russia, the production is a bit 1970s. Pre-game skates are rather informal and each team has its “puck bitch,” who has to collect the pucks at the end of the warm-up.  The same songs — pre-hair band, mid-eighties metal — are repeated throughout the game.  Both teams stand together patiently at the entrance of the ice during the pre-game festivities.  You can even see big stars like Nikita Filatov hanging out post-game at the pub adjacent to the arena with the few fans who can afford a beer out.  The big difference is, the talent on the ice is definitely 21st century, even if you don’t always see it.

That being said, we love Russia and its hockey-crazed fans, so much in fact that the goddesses are making a return trip next fall for more fun and hockey.  Heck, if I could land a job as a strength and conditioning coach for a KHL team I’d do it in an instant.  I love Russia and its people that much.  It’s not the fans’ fault they can’t attend more games.  And while the league is not dependent on ticket sales for revenue, perhaps it is going to take more fans to bring up the level of excitement and play in the league.  It may not be NHL quality, but it’s the closest you’ll find anywhere.

Only time will tell if they can compete with the NHL.  But don’t let anyone fool you.  It is a far cry from what the NHL is now and anyone who bolts from the NHL is doing so for the money, not for the level of play.

Photos: By Goddess Sasha and Goddess Kaatiya. Copyright 2010. All Rights Reserved.

College vs. the NHL. It seems pretty simple. One is professional, one isn’t. One has guys who have physically matured earlier than the other. Some people claim that college is more “pure” and prefer to follow the youngsters, others enjoy the level of play at the professional level.

Me? I’m finding myself more and more torn. See, I work at a university with a Division I NCAA team. That, combined with other circles I’m in, makes me privy to all the dirt and some of the most personal information on these kids. I know first hand what brats — and worse – they can be (don’t ask, I won’t tell). In the past, I’ve rolled my eyes and passed on the discounted tickets to the games, preferring the professionalism and focus of the NHL. We are talking men as opposed to boys, after all. But recently, I have found myself pondering this very issue and wondering if indeed, the NHL is the better product.

In my last article, The Increasingly Vanilla NHL, I expressed my disgust at the media cleansing these poor boys go through. Stripped of all personality, we hear the same mantras from the players: “We’re not getting pucks in the net,” “We need to play the whole 60 minutes,” “I like to golf and play Xbox in my spare time.” There’s no need to interview these guys live anymore. Just pull footage from the archives.

Conversely, college players have yet to be muzzled. For example, the NCAA playoffs this past weekend had creative features. Guys wittingly tease each other in interviews. Open hearted and honest discussion of the game, the opponents and the players themselves appear in all broadcasts, and post game interviews reveal frustration, heartbreak and yes, even that dirty player you play against. Clever and creative comments abound from the boys. What a treat to see that hockey players actually do have personalites. And I’m not buying that it’s because they’re in college and hence smarter than your average professional hockey player. Remember, I know these kids.

But that’s not all. Go to a college game in your city. You’ll see how different the atmosphere is. Hang out post-game at the favorite local bar near the school on a Saturday night and you’ll probably see the players. Not only that, but they’re approachable and might even have a drink or two with you. None of the pretense is present, no walls are erected and no one is getting in trouble for hanging out with “commoners,” or fans as they’re usually called. These guys are still just kids having fun. I don’t know about you, but I find it quite enjoyable to see that there are real people under those uniforms.  

So, where does this leave me? It leaves me foregoing my season tickets to the Colorado Avalanche this year and instead purchasing NCAA hockey tickets for the first time ever. Yep, they’ve not only succeeded in driving any personality from the NHL, but they’ve succeeded in driving loyal fans from the game as well.

Gary Bettman, are you listening? I know I’m not the only one.

Photos: By Goddess Sasha. Copyright 2009-2010. All Rights Reserved.

Last night at the Avs game, my gay friend asked why I had fallen down on the job and failed to send him the shirtless pictures of Patrick Kane in the Limo. See, if there is a naked or semi-naked picture of a hockey player, I’m going to find it. It’s just a talent I have. Needless to say, when I got home I started combing the Internet for said pictures that I missed while traveling to Moscow.

Not only was I disappointed that the pictures weren’t more racy, but I was flabbergasted at the media’s attempt to make a mountain out of molehill. Headlines still abound about the “scandalous” pictures, talking about the shocking behavior of an NHL star.

Excuse me, but when did being male and shirtless become scandalous?   Was it the beer he was holding?  He is of legal drinking age, after all.  There was nothing illegal in what he was doing.  He didn’t even appear drunk.  I mean this isn’t a raging frat party with naked girls and cocaine.  And he didn’t get drunk and get behind the wheel of a Ferrari. Yet based on some of the media reaction you would think he was caught with a crack pipe and gun under the drivers seat of his car trying to cross the state line.

But that’s not all. The kicker was that the organization (presumably) made him issue an apology, which he did in true NHL fashion by saying he was sorry for embarrassing the team and that it was time he grew up.

At that point, I think I threw up in my mouth.

Not only has the NHL media training stripped every ounce of personality from these kids, but now we’re supposed to believe that they are complete robots and simply tools of the NHL business; that those guys we go watch play every night exist for one reason only – to play hockey. Maybe they’re even bred that way! (I want to know are they Deltas, or Epsilons, but I suppose that’s too much information for the public to know.) I can’t say how much this attitude disgusts me, and I’m not the only one.

Of course, a few traditional purists from unmentioned regions commented on some of these stories, stating that this was a disgrace after Kane’s alleged “taxi driver assault” (a accusation that was actually unfounded in the end.) These are probably the same people that thought the NHL’s scare tactic video about the dangers of social networking was a great idea.

I guess the primary reason this story makes me so sad is Patrick Kane seemed to be the sole tasty piece of chocolate in the bland sea of vanilla that the NHL has become (see the latest Colorado Avalanche Mailbag for painfully boring player quotes.) He had the cockiness, the swagger and the audacity of a Brett Hull or a Jeremy Roenik. We all know that these guys are human, that they have differing opinions and that they have a life outside of hockey.

What is it about hockey culture that makes it necessary to hide something as simple as an opinion? Let’s face it – the NHL is filled with classy guys. We don’t have the gangsters, meth users and murders. So why do we have to keep every little thing they do a secret? I don’t know about you, but I miss the stories about Dino Ciccarelli getting arrested for indecent exposure for walking around his front yard naked or Ed Belfour getting drunk and puking in a police car and trying to bribe the cop with a million dollars. People love a good scandal – it brings fans to the game. We’re all human. We all screw up. We all like to have a good time. What’s wrong with letting these guys be human? Let us enjoy their humanity!

And if you’re trying to tap into a potentially huge population out there, say, one that represents over 50% of the population, let those shirtless pictures circulate!

Photo: Patrick Kane by Goddess Sasha. Copyright 2009-2010. All Rights Reserved.

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.

Let’s talk about the Atlanta Thrashers’ annual Casino Night — always a spectacular event for a worthy cause, and Goddess Kaatiya and I go every year. 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.

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.

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!

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.

I must say, the mood wasn’t as jovial as last year. With Kovalchuk’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!

Photos: Slava Kozlov, Maxim Afinogenov and Tobias Enstrom by Goddess Kaatiya. Copyright 2010. All Rights Reserved. Anssi Salmela by Goddess Sasha. Copyright 2010. All Rights Reserved.

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.