Get used to seeing rinks like this one. (Photo: Natalie Litz/ Flickr.)

Yesterday a report was released that the Winter Classic between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs at the Big House will not be the only outdoor game of the 2013-2014 season. Instead, the plan is to start a “stadium series” which will include five more games taking place outdoors during the second half of the season.

Here is the proposed schedule:

• Anaheim Ducks vs. LA Kings at Dodger Stadium, Jan. 25
• New Jersey Devils vs. New York Rangers at Yankee Stadium, Jan. 26
• New York Islanders vs. New York Rangers at Yankee Stadium, Jan 29
• Pittsburgh Penguins at Chicago Blackhawks, Soldier Field, March 1
• Ottawa Senators at Vancouver Canucks, BC Place, March 2

Rumor is the Devils and Islanders will be the home teams for the games at Yankee Stadium, while no word on who is the home team between the Ducks and Kings. The other two, the home team is obvious due to the location.

The difference between these games and the actual Winter Classic? These games don’t get the 24/7 treatment to our knowledge. (If they do, my reaction changes.)

» Continue reading “Why Have Only One Outdoor Game Per Season When We Can Have Six?”

Don’t know about on the ice but off it, these two teams are going to miss each other once realignment goes into affect next season. (Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr)

Today we’re going to do something different for this feature. Usually we mention the best player tweets from the past week. While I’m sure some players have said some crazy things, I want to focus on what some official team twitters have been saying. Apparently there are a couple of teams that want to be like the Los Angeles Kings.

Speaking of the Kings, let’s start with their tweet to the New Jersey Devils last Monday:

» Continue reading “They Said WHAT?!? – Team Twitters Edition”

2012-13 Score Net Cam #NC6

There are times in a game when there’s nothing better than seeing those rare zip-a-dee-doo-dah shots taken by a net cam. They’ll tell us where the puck was, who crashed the net, and provide the “I didn’t do it” and “It wasn’t me” voices on the ice with a “Stop being so silly” slap of photographic evidence. They can also capture some fantastic moments from outstanding goaltenders, utterly lousy goals and garbage goals where the puck seems to dance around in the blue paint, mocking everyone on the ice before sliding past the goal line.

» Continue reading “Hump Day Hockey Cards: Through The Net Cam, and What Score Found There”

What does this man have to do with today’s tweets? Keep reading to find out! (Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr)

Today we have tweets from all over the spectrum. The best we saw was a conversation between Ryan Kesler, Roberto Luongo and Kevin Bieska of the Vancouver Canucks last night regarding two of them apparently looking alike and hair gel (I kid you not). Since conversations are difficult to screenshot (especially since this one was all over the place), you can check it out here, here and here.

So what other tweets do we have for you?

» Continue reading “They Said WHAT?!? – Great Points + Confused Hockey Players”

Martin Brodeur and David Clarkson. Consider each on their own and they’re better than a slice of pie à la mode. Together you think they’d take the cake but, in fact, they turn into their own different kind of dinner party with no other guests invited.

Delightful? Sometimes. Entertaining? Always. And it’s been going on for years now. This is no “strangers in the night, exchanging glances” situation, this is a bromance of epic proportions.

The thing is that they’re both very easy on the eyes. You wind up watching their special moments unfold when you weren’t intending to. It’s like eating a delicious jelly-filled doughnut, sugar on your lips and the expectation of raspberry in the middle only to have custard squirt into your mouth. It’s just not right but you’re left with the thought that it was pretty good up until the custard and you know you’ll be back at the doughnut counter ordering up more sooner than later.

» Continue reading “The Hawt Trophy: True Bro(deur)mance”

In case you haven’t heard, the NHL officially approved realignment today. Although let’s be honest – as soon as the players put their okay on this it was basically done. Above is a pretty little chart that shows the new divisions courtesy of our fabulous Blackhawks writer Kat Velez. For those who still aren’t sure which team is now where, you can read all about it here.

I, for one, love the new division names. (I know, I know. They’re temporary. At least they aren’t calling Division C the Central Division anymore.)

Anyway, so what does this have to do with our weekly They Said What post? Because some official twitter accounts decided to voice their opinions and it was…well it was amazing if I’m being honest.

» Continue reading “They Said WHAT Bonus Edition – Team Twitters Discuss Realignment”

Score thought it could contain the mullet but Upper Deck has wisdom.

Picture it: June 16, 1990. BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia was buzzing with anticipation as the 1990 NHL Entry Draft kicked off. Who would go when? Would the top prospects indeed be drafted in order? Would there be any surprises? Utter atrocities?

Enter The Hair. But was Jaromir Jagr’s mullet really an atrocity? From a fashion standpoint in 1990, well, not so much. And his being drafted 5th overall? That really wasn’t cause for shock and awe either, just case in point as to why NHL Central Scouting needed to include European players in their rankings.

But wow, whoever was behind one of the cameras that day taking portraits of the newly drafted players clearly had a single goal in mind: To make the rookies look like rookies. They succeeded at gold star level and in the process took massive liberties with a number of things, most notably Jagr’s sassy Czech fashion sense. Just where was his hair? His glorious mullet? Now you see it, now you don’t? If they had the opportunity, they likely would have made him wear socks and sandals, too. For all we know, they did.

» Continue reading “Hump Day Hockey Cards: Release The Mullet!”

There’s a lot of Eric Lindros hockey cards that make you scratch your head. It’s easy to forget that he was kind of a big deal before suffering so many concussions. Whether it was that star power or just a fluke of the 1990s, we’re definitely glad for it.

Happy Wednesday!

» Continue reading “Hump Day Hockey Cards: What The What?”

Martin Brodeur 1990-91 7th Inning Sketch QMJHL Edition Rookie, the very first Brodeur card ever. It’s true.

Last night Martin Brodeur was awesome again, making 24 saves in the New Jersey Devils 3-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers, and recording his 120th career shutout in the process. 120 career shutouts. C’est magnifique!

Sure, Marty might not yet have captured the most shutouts in one season – that record has stood since 1928-29 when George Hainsworth somehow did it 22 times. And okay, he might not yet have the league’s longest continuous shutout by a goaltender – that’s Alec Connell’s miraculous feat from 1927-28 when he went for 461 minutes, 29 seconds (7 gms, 2 pds) – but Marty’s recorded the most playoff shutouts, most career wins, most this, most that, the most everything else. Just ask Patrick Roy.

To celebrate another milestone in Marty’s career, today’s Hump Day Hockey Cards gives you a chance to take a look back at both his rookie cards and his somewhat spectacular fashion sense.

» Continue reading “Hump Day Hockey Cards: Martin Brodeur, Rookie Sensation”

I’ll be completely honest with you. There’s no point in pretending there’s any theme with this week’s cards. It’s the day after Christmas and we’re all still working through our food comas. Just a little light WTF for you on December 26th.

Yes, Tony Amonte did play for the Chicago Blackhawks and the Phoenix Coyotes. The cubist hockey playing desert dog is just kind of hovering next to him like a peyote induced specter.  Trippy…

» Continue reading “Hump Day Hockey Cards: Holiday Leftovers”