I’m a big time New Jersey Devils fan.  This season has been super enjoyable as the Devils take on the Los Angeles Kings in the Stanley Cup finals.

One thing in particular I have enjoyed about this season is the uprising of a rookie.  He started with the team, then was sent down, and brought back up and has been extremely dominant in the line with Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk.

He’s had a playoff run to remember scoring two series ending overtime goals.

Not to mention that he is also extremely good looking.

I present to you Adam Henrique!

No, I wasn’t lying.  He is extremely good looking.  I like a man in a good suit. » Continue reading “Monday Morning Motivation: Adam Henrique”

The Los Angeles Kings have been quite a Cinderella Story through the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs.  They were the 8 seed going into it and have been on fire.

One of the biggest reasons the Kings are in this position is because of their goalie.  He has to looks, but most importantly, the talent.  He’s aggressive, extremely talented and (no pun intended) has quick reflexes.

Ladies and gents, I present to you, Jonathan Quick!

Quick is super good at this game.

» Continue reading “Monday Morning Motivation: Jonathan Quick”

He’s only 22-years old, but Braden Holtby of the Washington Capitals is one of the better goaltenders in the NHL.

Holtby has proven his place in the game this past series against the New York Rangers.  Although the Capitals lost in seven games, you can’t deny Holtby’s talents.

You can’t deny his looks either…

Yes.  I like Braden Holtby.

» Continue reading “Monday Morning Motivation: Braden Holtby”

So I couldn’t quite narrow down this week’s FAIL, so you get 3.  Deal with it.

1.   Well, Boston fans across the world must be really proud right now.  Apparently, after Wednesday’s Game 7 OT loss to the Washington Capitals, some Boston Bruins fans took to the Twitters to demonstrate exactly how upset they were.  Were they upset that their team didn’t win?  No, apparently they were infuriated over the color of Joel Ward’s skin.  (WARNING: There is some very vulgar language in that link.)

» Continue reading “Friday FAIL: Racists, Thieves, & The Machine”

Since the playoffs are here for the NHL writers we decided that this week’s Tune In Tuesday would revolve around songs associated with the Playoffs.Specifically the goal songs for each team currently in the 2011-2012 Playoffs.

1. New York Rangers

Every time Prust, Callahan and Dubinsky light the lamp at the Madison Square Garden, fans cheer along with this lovely rendition.

» Continue reading “Tune In Tuesday: NHL Playoffs”

With the playoffs here for the National Hockey League, all of the Aerys NHL writers teamed up to compile a list of motivational men from our playoff teams. That’s right, we are bringing you motivation from sixteen different teams. What’s not to like?

For those non-hockey fans, after this post, you will understand where our love and devotion to our teams comes from. I promise.  Two posts and 156 comments later, this is what we bring to you:

What is not to love about this 30 year old Swede? Seriously.(Henrik Lundvquist)

Starting in the East we have Henrik Lundvquist of the New York Rangers. Lundvquist is 6’1″ and 195lbs and plays for the number one team in the Eastern Conference. Through 69 games played this season he had 39 wins and 18 losses, with only 5 games needing extra minutes and was ranked among the top THREE goaltenders in the entire National Hockey League. If you don’t find that impressive, then you may want to reconsider reading the rest of this article.

Next on the hot seat we’ll take a look at Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators. Granted there wasn’t a whole hell of a lot to choose from because, well, it’s the Senators. Nonetheless the man to drool over is 21-year old Norris Trophy nominee Erik Karlsson. This kid has been phenomenal this season for the Sens, leading all NHL defensemen in points with 78 as 19 of them are goals and 59 are assists. Karlsson is one of the most fluid defensemen I have ever witnessed play and isn’t bad to look at either. Take a look for yourself.

That crooked half-smile, yeah, who wouldn't die for that? (Erik Karlsson)

Moving on we shall take a look at the currently atrocious Pittsburgh Penguins. All season long they have done tremendously without their Captain Sidney Crosby, but it seems that the Playoffs presented the Penguins with their match as they went down 3-0 in the series today against Philadelphia. However, despite the efforts of the team (or lack thereof) there is one player who stands out in all Penguin fans minds. Blonde-haired, blue-eyed Jordan Staal. Seriously, what isn’t there to love about a blue-eyed blonde combination? That is genuinely almost every person’s dream. The fact that he looks good with long hair or short hair proves that he is even more perfect, especially for the sake of this post.  However, we also have to give an honorable mention to a member of the Pittsburgh Squad as Sidney Crosby‘s voluptuous rear end made the nominee board and is too fantastic to pass up. » Continue reading “Monday Morning Motivation:NHL Playoff Series”

Hello, handsome. (Photo: Chicago Magazine)

It boggles the mind that Monday Morning Motivation has gone on this long without a post about arguably one of the most handsome men in hockey. I suppose this is because I haven’t gotten off of my behind and written one myself. Well, today, I am rectifying this grave error.

He’s number 10 in your programs, but number one in your hearts (and perhaps other, lower places) — the Chicago Blackhawks’ very own Patrick Sharp.

You’re welcome.

» Continue reading “Monday Morning Motivation: Patrick Sharp”

Project Runway All Stars Judges (left to right): Isacc Mizrahi, Georgina Chapman, Angela Lindvall, and Sean Avery

Sean Avery, left wing for the New York Rangers, was a guest judge on Project Runway All Stars this past Thursday. Yes, you read that right. A NHL player was on Project Runway.

If you know me or read my blog, you will know that I watch PR religiously every week. I was pretty impressed that Avery was on the show. Come on, it is not every day you get to see a sports star guest judge on a fashion design show.

In this episode, the challenge was to walk the streets of New York and find a muse/s  in which they are willing to give or sell you the clothes off their backs. Each muse was given a garment to wear instead. Each designer was to create a look using 50 percent of their muse’s clothes. The rest of the fabric used was from Mood.

» Continue reading “Sean Avery On Project Runway All Stars”

On Thursday October 27th, Madison Square Garden finally reopened its doors to hockey fans after major renovations forced the New York Rangers to play their first seven games on the road. The updates to the lower bowl are part of multi-year updates being done in the NHL and NBA off-seasons, while the New York Liberty played their WNBA games in nearby New Jersey.

Extensive work in this phase began in April, and the lower areas of the arena have practically been gutted and re-done completely. Some of the features of the “new” Garden are updated locker rooms, concourse areas, retractable seats for NBA games (whenever those may start up again!), and the new architecture I’m most excited about: catwalks above the ice so fans can watch the action overhead. Lord knows I can’t afford season tickets, but I feel better about my vantage point when you throw the word “catwalk” in there.

While the overhaul is being touted as a “transformation”, Madison Square Garden is no stranger to complete upheaval, and is certainly old enough to need some facelifts. The current location is also known as “MSG IV”, and opened in 1968 after historic Pennsylvania Station was demolished in favor of moving the rails to below the city.  It’s the oldest active sports facility in the New York metro area, but the previous Gardens were pretty impressive too. The first two were located at Madison Square (hence the name, of course), but the latter two were moved farther uptown to 49th street and 31st streets respectively.

We’ve previously looked at this Garden’s more memorable moments. This week, let’s flashback to the first three versions of the World’s Most Famous Arena:

MSG I, circa 1876

MSG II, circa 1890

MSG III, circa 1940