11/15 Notes
Wings’ fan attendance
In today’s Detroit News, they talk about the one thing that Hockeytown is missing: “the buzz.” While Detroit still remains at the top when it comes to ticket sales, that doesn’t mean everyone is showing up. It seems that season ticket holders are coming to less games especially during the week when one can find at least 20 empty seats a section (in the lower bowl). Some of the season ticket holders who do come, tend to come at the end of the first period, stay for the second, and leave at the beginning of the third. “That’s what happens here, especially on a work night, people come late,” season ticket-holder Steve Liddle of Birmingham said. “People roll in when they want, even if that means missing some of the game. This crowd acts a little more elite, more corporate than the Pistons crowds.”
The Wings organization has been trying to push the sale of single tickets by advertising during the broadcast and offering free t-shirts with ticket sales. “The early month or so of the season is always a challenge because there are so many things going on with sports, school, things like that,” said Lori Shiels, the Wings director of marketing and season ticket sales. “Fans will get back in the swing of things.”
23 of the 30 NHL teams have the same attendance as the 2003-2004 season or have improved. For example, Pittsburgh’s attendance has increased by 31% and Tampa Bay’s by 26%.
Others feel that the lack of “buzz” in Hockeytown is due to bad timing. The Detroit Lions’ suckiness seems to dominate sports radio along with football talk about Michigan State and the University of Michigan’s games. When it comes to broadcast, the ratings aren’t as high on FSN. This year, the games are averaging a 5.3 rating which is about 105,000 households watching the game. In 2003-2004, the average ratings by the end of the season was 6.1. Wings forward Jason Williams isn’t surprised by the lack of buzz in Detroit:
“It’s totally understandable that we’re not on the tip of everybody’s tongue right now. The season just started, and it’s early. It’s one of those things that build, I think. When football ends, and winter really starts, I think people more naturally turn to hockey. The fans have been great in embracing us back. Joe Louis is still a loud and supportive place to play, and we’re grateful for the fans for coming back. It’ll all be fine.”Â
Toys for Tots campaign
The Red Wings are hosting their annual Toys for Tots collection at three home games: November 19 (vs. St. Louis), November 21 (vs. Nashville), and November 23 (vs. Colorado). Fans are asked to bring an unwrapped and new toy (no stuffed animals) and place them in on of the collection bins at JLA. Those who donate have a chance to win autographed memorobilia by Kris Draper, the Wings’ Toys for Tots spokesman.
Over the Boards
This weeks’ Over the Boards featured Robert Lang. Here’s an excerpt from the interview:
Q: One thing you’d change about Joe Louis Arena …
A: Actually, I wouldn’t change a thing. I wouldn’t build a new one. I like old arenas. Keep them as they are. The way they have character, the way they smell, the intimacy of the crowd. This is my kind of arena. You can’t replace that. It’s funny, but I do like the smell.ÂQ: Favorite TV show?
A: I like “Grey’s Anatomy” and “House”. They’re good.
Q: So you’re into the medical dramas …
A: I like them because they’re the type of show you can miss a week and watch it again without missing too much.Q: MTV is supposedly bringing the “Real World” to Royal Oak. Which seven Wings would you nominate to live in the house?
A: I’d go for the maximum on TV — seven Chelis (Chris Chelios). That would be a show.
Babcock’s thoughts on Lidstrom
While head coach Mike Babcock expected Nicklas Lidstrom to be a strong player, he was pleasantly surprised when he arrived in Detroit. “He’s better than I expected,” Babcock said. “He’s beyond talented. Plus, he works so hard. He’s one of the classiest people I’ve met in my life.”
Wings’ Video Coach
The Detroit News has a really interesting piece on the Wings’ video coach, Jay Woodcroft, whose brother is a video coach for the Washington Capitals. It talks about what his job entails, how it’s affected the team’s play, and the fact that the organization has invested $50,000 into the video equipment. “Mike felt real strongly that we need to be on the cutting edge in the video end of things,” Wings general manager Ken Holland said. “So we went out after he got here and spent another $50,000 on video equipment.”
Woolley ready to return
Jason Woolley feels ready to play tomorrow when the Wings take on the Flames tomorrow evening after suffering a groin injury.
“The last three days I haven’t even felt it,” Woolley said. “Yesterday I skated for a good half-hour, really testing it, after the pregame skate, and I can’t feel it, and that’s really what it’s all about. Now it’s just a matter of getting a little more conditioning. It’s been really hard watching all these games. I felt really good when I was in there for the short stint. Things went really well for me on the power play — I just felt like I could see so much out there, and hopefully that continues.”Â
Carnival of the NHL #13 Reminder
Just a reminder that I’d like to have all the submissions for Carnival of the NHL #13 by midnight tomorrow. I haven’t gotten very any submissions so please turn your’s in! Thanks to those of you who have turned in a submission, much appreciated. Just drop me an email with a entry you’d like to see featured. Thanks so much!
If enough submissions are turned in by the deadline, expect to the see the Carnival up sometime this Sunday, the 20th.
Behind the Blog: Rambling Hockey Fangirl
For the sixth edition of Behind the Blog, we’re going to learn more about Melissa Tee, the girl behind Rambling Hockey Fangirl. Not only is she a funny, interesting read, but she really knows her hockey whether it’s the Avs or Leafs. Aside from Rambling Hockey Fangirl, she also writes for Most Valuable Network (MVN) and Hockey Cagematch. So thank you to Melissa for participating in this week’s feature and I hope you all enjoy!
Q.1 - When did you create Rambling Hockey Fangirl and what made you want to do so?
Well, RHF opened on August 23, 2002, but it actually had its beginnings in mid-May that summer. I had (and still have) another blog at the time, but it was mostly about anime/manga and my daily life. Then I got into hockey BIG TIME and started posting these mega-long hockey posts there all the time. Eventually I realized that my non-hockey-loving friends/readers were probably being bored out their minds by all of my hockey ramblings, and so Rambling Hockey Fangirl was born.
Q.2 - You recently joined the Most Valuable Network to cover the Colorado Avalanche. What made you want to write in a second hockey blog?
Well, Dan Benton left a comment on RHF one day asking, strangely enough, if I’d be interested in covering the Penguins for MVN. I was pretty flattered that someone was asking me to write a column, so I checked out MVN and it seemed like a pretty good site. The Penguins weren’t really my team, but luckily I noticed that they didn’t have the Avs covered yet and replied back asking Dan if he’d be interested in having me cover them instead. I was also interested in writing for MVN because it would “force†me to write in a more analytical, thoughtful style than the rambling/stream-of-consciousness style I’d gotten used to with RHF.
Q.3 - Ok, so you live in Canada and cheer for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but you are also a big Avs fan. What do you do when they play each other? And what made you become a fan for the Avs? The Leafs?
Well, they only play each other once a season, so it’s not something I have to worry about too much, but when they play each other, I cheer for the Avs and hope that Kaberle isn’t on the ice when they score! =P I consider myself an Avalanche fan first.
I started watching NHL hockey during the conference finals of 2002 because I was surprised and intrigued by the fact that the Leafs were actually in the playoffs; if I thought about them at all, I simply assumed that the Leafs—like most other Toronto professional sports teams—weren’t any good. So I meant to watch a Leafs-Hurricanes game, but somehow the scheduling didn’t work out for the first couple of games, and I decided I might as well watch an Avs-Wings game.
Even though at first I said “after the Leafs, I’m cheering for the Avs,†I actually fell in love with the grace, skill and speed of the Avs right away. The Wings were also good, but I was biased in favour of the Avs because I had watched the Olympics and there were more Olympians on the Avs than the Wings. Then too one of my best friends was already an Avs fan, so that also influenced me.
The Leafs, well, they were the local team. My summer/part-time job is in Toronto, and I live in a suburb outside of Toronto, so following the Leafs gave me a lot to talk about with people. Also, they seemed like the underdogs against the Hurricanes whom I also liked—remember, I hadn’t paid any attention to the NHL before that series—so I really admired their tenacity.
Q.4 - You’ve also created fanlistings for some players and teams. What made you create those and what’s your favourite one?
Well, I’d joined a lot of fanlistings and I thought that they were a fun idea, but it wasn’t until my friend Lisa (from http://www.obliviousmind.net/) started offering to host hockey-related sites that I was actually willing to make one of my own. I didn’t want to make one on a free site that would have lots of annoying pop-ups or banners. The Ducks were well into their playoff run at that time and I saw that there wasn’t a Giguere FL yet, so I rushed to apply before someone beat me to it.
My favourite one is (Tomas) Kaberle’s since he’s my second favourite player, after Sakic. Plus I always thought I was a bit weird for liking Kaberle so much, so it thrills me to see that so many others also admire him. LOL.
Q.5 - Aside from missing hockey in general, what aspect of the game did you miss most during the lockout?
The social aspects. I’m a pretty introspective, anti-social person apart from my passions (hockey—and anime, which doesn’t have such a wide appeal), so I really missed having people over for HNIC (Hockey Night in Canada), and interacting with my fellow “blogging hockey chicks.†Also I’m a terrible conversationalist, so without hockey or hockey pools to talk about, I didn’t really know what to converse with people about during the lockout.
Q.6 - Where do you see the Avs and/or the NHL in 10 years? How about the Maple Leafs?
Well, I think the Avs will be just as good as they ever were. I have no doubt that they’ll quickly adjust to the “new NHL†and win another Cup or two. They’ve got a good development program, so I don’t see any reasons why they shouldn’t be able to continue to ice solid teams year after year.
The Leafs, well, I also think they’ll be the same old team. Although they’ve actually managed to draft and keep some good young players in recent years, I don’t think they’re ever really going to make the transition from perennial playoff participant to an actual Cup contender. So long as the Leafs continue to make money (and their very faithful fanbase will ensure that they do), I don’t think the team management will ever have any incentive to make significant changes.
Q.7 - What is your favourite hockey moment ever? Why?
Favourite hockey moment? I don’t know if I have one per se, but the World Cup Final in 2004 was pretty amazing. My friend Steph and I eBayed tickets for the game, and the energy in the ACC was just awesome. It’s really quite impossible to describe the feeling of standing in an arena full of people singing “We Are The Champions†and waving the Canadian flag. The semi-final game against the Czech Republic was awesome too: not only did I get to watch my first OT game, but I also got to see a lot of Kaberle! =P
Q.8 - Who is your favourite hockey player? Why?
Joe Sakic. He’s got skill, determination, and most of all, class. Lots of other players can be described that way, I suppose, but “No Ordinary Joe†truly earned my favour with his performance during the Olympics—my first major hockey exposure, remember!
Q.9 - I know you’re a big fan of hockey memorabilia whether it’s a photo, autograph, jersey, etc. What’s your favourite memorabilia item?
This is really hard. The Avs jersey I got signed by Aebischer and Liles when I went to Denver in February 2004 is definitely something I cherish.
There’re also my international jerseys: one Forsberg MoDo, and both of the Kaberle Kladno (home and away) jerseys.
And I swear I’m not a puck bunny, but I also really love this black-and-white 8×10 close-up shot of a smiling Kaberle that I paid a ridiculous amount to get printed from a Toronto Star feature on him.
Q.10 - What do you think of the NHL’s “My NHL†ad campaign?
Ugh. I HATE the first two commercials. It’s so cheesy. And what’s with the woman? Were they trying to get an Angelina Jolie Tomb Raider look-alike or something? The second one is less annoying, but I still find it rather silly. I’ll reserve judgment on the entire campaign until after I’ve seen all the commercials, however.
Q.11 - What team and/or player do you think will have a breakout year this season?
I think Svatos is going to have an amazing season. (I can’t believe I dropped him in my hockey pool for Legwand!!! ARGH!! Too impatient!) Liles was good last year too, but I think this year he’s going to really come into his own. And I hope that Tellqvist will finally prove himself an NHL-calibre goaltender; he was amazing in the Leafs’ first win of the season against Philadelphia. My friend Matthias played with Brad Boyes this past summer and in the past in triple-A hockey (or something along those lines), so it’d be nice if he had a good season with the Bruins this year. (He used to be a Leafs’ prospect too.) I think Gerber could also do pretty well. Watching the TSN broadcasts of some of the Swedish Elite League games last year, I remember hearing that Gerber was doing really well over there, so he might end up being a sleeper. There are really just SO many good young players that I think could really shine in the new NHL.
Q.12 - What do you think of Sidney Crosby, both as a player and an ambassador for the NHL?
I like him. He’s a good kid and I think he’s got both the maturity and enthusiasm (not to mention the personality and boyish appeal) to acquit himself well as an ambassador for the NHL. As for his playing ability, he seems to be doing well enough so far; I just hope all the expectations that he’s going to be the next “great one†don’t bog him down.
Q.13 - What advice would you give to fellow hockey bloggers, especially the newcomers?
Get to know your fellow hockey bloggers—they’re a great group of people!
Develop your own style and express your honest opinions, but try to keep a balanced perspective on things and maintain a sense of humour. Admit it when your team sucks but continue to support them anyway.
Above all, be passionate! Hockey is the best sport in the world! ^_^
Q.14 - If you had to predict who’d be playing in the Stanley Cup finals this season, what teams would they be?
Hmm…I’m no good at making predictions until after both the Avs and Leafs have been knocked out of the playoffs (I said Devils-Ducks two years ago after the first round, and Lightning-Flames after the second round last time—although that wasn’t particularly inspired), so I’ll just say that my dream is—as it is every season—that the Avs could face the Leafs. Too bad I’m 99.8% sure that isn’t going to happen.
Q.15 - Is there a hockey blog or site that you look up to for inspiration?
Well, I really admire a lot of blogs, for their comprehensiveness, humour, depth of insight, etc. etc.—like “Vancouver Canucks Op Ed,†“On the Wings,†“Sharkspage,†“Predator’s Den,†Jes Golbez’s “Hockey Rants,†Debbie’s “Starstruck†on MVN, and of course I’ve complimented you before on your “Behind the Jerseyâ€â€”but in terms of inspiration, I’d say there isn’t really any one.
Any additional comments?
A little shameless self-promotion: I’m running a small Avalanche fan contest with PRIZES from my MVN site (details available at http://avalanche.mostvaluablenetwork.com/?page_id=53). There’s lots of time left (the contest closes on Feb 12, 2006), but I’m a bit sad that no one has entered yet!
Also, I recently joined yet another hockey writing/blogging site called Hockey Cagematch. It’s a fun little site that pits fan writers of Northwest Division teams against each other whenever their teams play. Unfortunately I haven’t quite learned how to write from a completely biased fan perspective yet, but I’m working on it! =P
I’m also the “owner†of a “Hockey Blogging Chicks†Yahoo hockey pool. It’s very small this year, so I think next year I might open it up to hockey bloggers in general. I usually post info about the pool on RHF, so if anyone’s interested for next year, keep an eye on RHF and let me know!
Steve Yzerman Quote Sheet
I had promised a Behind the Jersey feature on Steve Yzerman and you will get it sometime this week. However, it’s taking much longer than anticipated because of all the research needed and all. It’s currently a little over 2000 words and I still have much to write. So please keep an eye out for that feature, it is coming soon. To hold you over until then, here is a collection of quotes from Steve Yzerman and others about him. Have a quote that should be on this page? Leave a comment or drop me an email!
Steve Yzerman Speaks
Yzerman: I’d tell him the same thing I tell a new guy whenever he comes in: This is a great area to live. There are excellent schools, and it’s especially a great area to live if you have children who are into sports. The minor hockey community here is as good as anywhere. I always use the example of Chris Chelios – he and his family came here from Chicago, and his kids are very active in sports and they really enjoy it here.
Yzerman: I’m fortunate to have quite a few now. Winning the Stanley Cup in ’97 was fantastic, and then we won it again in ’98, and in 2002. Those three, and then being part of the Canadian Team at the Salt Lake Winter Games that won the Olympic gold medal.
Yzerman: I’d like to stay in the organization and work in management in some position. I enjoy the game of hockey outside of playing it, and I’d be happy to stay in it after I retire from playing. I’ve always said I don’t want to be a coach, but these days being a general manager is a 12 – month job, so I might lean in the coaching direction just so I’d get some time off to play golf.
Others’ Thoughts on Yzerman
Types of hockey fans
After reading the highly entertaining (and sadly true) entries by Jes Golbez and Bill Simmons about hockey and baseball fans, respectively, I decided that I wanted to give my two cents. Unlike the two previously mentioned individuals, I have not been able to go to many games of my favorite team. It is nearly impossible to get 2+ tickets that are somewhat decent in the Joe without knowing someone who has season tickets (and it isn’t their parents’ tickets).
That said, I’ve gone to more Pistons games then Wings games because I know plenty of people who have Pistons tickets and they aren’t that hard to get (unless it is playoff time). So I’m just going to list some of the sports fans I’ve noticed whether it was at a Wings’ game or another sporting event. Please feel free to leave a comment with what fans you love/hate the most because I *know* you have opinions on this matter.
The Good
I don’t want to be “That Guy” who corrects people, but I do get irritated when I sit near a guy that is explaining rules or something else hockey-related to his pals and gets EVERYTHING wrong!! His buddies, who are even more clueless than he is, nod their heads and soak it all up as gospel. Ugh!Â
Blog update
Over the past week and a half, I’ve been taking particular note of my website statistics: what pages are the most popular, what websites are people coming from, etc. The most popular pages on a consistent basis are my features whether it’s Behind the Blog, Behind the Jersey (even though I haven’t made a new one in quite some time), or one of my four interviews. You can view all of those features by clicking on the proper links to the right of the screen under the appropriate title. While the more newsy posts (ie. game summaries and the like) are popular pages the day or two after being posted, the features are what most people view when they come to this blog.
As such, I still plan on posting game summaries and talking about news around the league. However, I’m going to really try to work on posting feature “articles” on a more regular basis. The Behind the Blog are becoming the most frequently viewed pages so I’m about to send out a new batch of email interviews to fellow hockey bloggers so keep an eye out in your email inbox. And now that my exams are done until after Thanksgiving, expect a new Behind the Jersey feature shortly. I’m going down to Cincinnati to see my orthopedic surgeon and thus plan on doing some work on my website during those 8+ hours of driving (well, sitting in the back as my Mom drives).
Anyways, I’m really trying to get my domain, behindthejersey.com, up because I have some more features that I think you all will enjoy, but until my Dad (a computer consultant/programmer) gets my domain back up and working, you’re out of luck. I’ll post the link here when it’s up and running.
I’d also like to thank all of you who have more recently added Behind the Jersey to your blogroll. Your links are very appreciated and if you aren’t on my blogroll already, you will be shortly. I’d also like to thank those of you who left a comment under my Comment Card post. Your comments were appreciated and I’ll be taking your advice. Thanks.
Expect an update after the Wings’ game tomorrow night.
Behind the Blog: Sharkspage
For our fifth Behind the Blog feature, I’d like to introduce Jon (PJ) Swenson at Sharkspage. His blog hosts a variety of photographs whether it’s of hockey (professional or college), boxing, lacrosse, soccer, etc. Additionally, he covers sporting news in the San Jose area in depth with special attention to the local ice hockey teams. Thanks to Jon for answering all of my questions.
Q.1 - On your blog, you cover the San Jose Sharks along with other local sports teams whether it’s hockey, boxing, lacrosse, etc. Why is hockey your favorite sport to cover?
Hockey and Boxing are my favorite sports to cover. Boxing is easier to write about, the segmented action makes it easier to describe the flow of a bout, and boxers are easily the most accessible athletes to journalists and fans that I have seen. Hockey is a mix of so many exciting elements, every game is different. Whether it is a pile of bodies in front of the crease, a big open-ice hit, or a breakaway OT goal to win the game like San Jose last night.
Q.2 - When did you first start Sharkspage and what made you want to do so?
Hard to answer. Around 1993 I put up a page of information about the team on a college webserver in gopherspace. In 1995 it morphed into a home webpage with much the same information. In 1998 it became some semblance of a blog, with multiple contributors, photos, and me copying and pasting each post into an archive. In 2001 I moved it to blogger. It was started to learn about the technologies and to write about a sport that was not receiving a lot of coverage at the time.
Q.4 - What advice would you give to other hockey bloggers, especially the newcomers?
Enjoy it.
As to what to post on your blog, at a bloggercon conference at Stanford a former Pentagon reporter said there was three types of journalism: hard news, analysis, and opinion. Blogs are more than capable of delivering the last two, and occasionally on the first. I would add a fourth to that list, acting as a filter by collecting information and links on a subject and organizing them in an easy to read format.
The more you post, the more people will come back to visit.
Q.5 - How do you balance your time between running a very thorough and popular website with having a life?
Only post when you have something to say, and do not feel the need to post only about one subject. A number of bloggers apologize when they are not able to post for a day or two. Not neccessary in my opinion. I post instead of getting a morning Starbucks or watching the late night Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
If it is possible to bring in other contributor, or guest posters, it makes it a lot easier than relying on one person. Or some days you can just post photos like me and not any text at all.
Q.6 - What made you become a San Jose Sharks fan and how long have you been one?
Since 1990, a year before their first season when they announced that San Jose would get a team. I remember driving by the spot where the arena was going to be built and being a little puzzled at the location. Before the Sharks I followed the Bruins mostly because I could not force myself to root for the Red Wings, where a lot of my family is from. The Wings had an almost 49ers-like hold on Michigan, and you could not go anywhere without seeing an advertisement on a billboard, a tshirt, or a coffee cup. It was Orwellian.
Now I would say I am more a fan of the NHL than I am of the Sharks. I follow players and story lines more than I do any specific team.
I have always followed international hockey, but kind of passively. Last year I was not only able to follow it from the team websites and the local papers, but I had fans send in notes and photos from Finland, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, France, Russia, Japan, and Korea.
It was cool.
Q.7 - How do you think the Sharks will do this year compared to the rest of the league?
Before the preseason I had them in my top 4 overall. After the free agent signing bonanza, I would have put the Sharks fighting for the last playoff spot in the West, with a number of streaky offensive players and rookies as the major factor. Surprisingly, goaltending and defense has been shakey early. Two areas where the Sharks were strong.
Starting goaltenders Nabokov and Toskala are both injured at the moment, and Nolan Schaefer and Dimitri Patzold may have to fill in for a game or two. On defense, all that is needed is for the Sharks to cycle through very able prospects to find a fifth and sixth defenseman who are solid in their own zone. There are about 5 or 6 candidates who can get the job done. If a competition is created for those positions, it will pressure the defenseman into playing up to their ability.
Q.8 - Who is your favorite hockey player? Why?
Ray Bourque and Al Iafrate were my favorites on the blueline. Ray because he was a complete player on offense and defense, and Al he was one of the few defenseman who other players would get out of the way for when he wound up for a slap shot. Cam Neely and Owen Nolan were two of my favorite forwards because I thought they played the game the way it was meant to be played, by mean Canadians.
San Jose has been blessed with solid goaltending for many years, and not just at the NHL level. From Irbe to Vernon, to Shields and Nabokov, it has been interesting to examine the different styles. Martin Brodeur and Grant Fuhr were goalies I would make an effort to see. Andy Moog still has the best hockey name of all time.
Q.9 - What do you think of OLN replacing ESPN as the NHL’s TV provider?
There are going to be glitches for sure, but I think it is a positive step. The NHL will lose a little audience at first, and OLN has taken a hardline stand with Echostar and Cablevision, but I think it will work itself out and prove to be a boon for the future.
ESPN not only cancelled the NHL2nite highlight show, and passed on the NHL television broadcast contract, but several executives openly took potshots at the league in the months leading up to the decision. Mark Sharpiro’s legacy will be a number of non-sports shows that take ESPN away from what it is, a sports network. Losing the NHL will just be one more bullet point. It is a shame because ESPN had done so much for the sport up until now.
Q.10 - What would you do to draw more fans into the NHL or even just to keep the current fans?
On the West coast, it is a whole different issue than it is in other parts of the country. The biggest thing I think could be done is to make playing hockey more involved with the NHL. Whether it is sponsoring hockey leagues, or expanding on the youth ice or roller hockey the NHL is currently involved in, that is the thing that will get new fans to stick with the sport.
In college, at a gradeschool I volunteered with, my group of fifth and sixth graders could not name one NHL player. After my 2 years, many of them could probably only name Ray Bourque, not sure why. But a cheap street hockey setup I bought at a sporting good store became one of the most popular sports we offered. We had to move to grass for safety, and rules and scores became kind of arbitrary, but they enjoyed it.
Q.11 - What team and/or player do you think will have a breakout year this season?
Everyone is on the Crosby bandwagon, but watching a few highlights from Alexander Ovechkin I think he is going to be the next allstar power forward. If he can make this kind of impact at 20, he is going to be scary good in a year or two.
Q.12 - Do you think the new rules will improve the game of hockey? Are there any more rules that you’d like to see created?
I think it has had a positive effect for the casual fan early, but it has been a little confusing for those who have been following the sport for awhile. Overall I think the more goals and shootouts will result in a entertaining product. With the trap and clogging up the neutral zone, it was becoming too much like soccer. Where 1 or 2 goals could seal a win.
Not sure about what new rules should be created. Something needs to be done about diving. There was a diving list proposed a few years ago. Bring that back. It might help prevent people from taking advantage of the new system.
Q.13 - Do you get upset when people say that markets in the south or west (like California) shouldn’t have a team because there isn’t a big enough market to support one?
I think it is a valid point. What upsets me more is when people call out the fans for supporting, enjoying, or turning out to watch hockey. There are a few local reporters who seem annoyed whenever they have to cover the sport, which is usually when there is a violent act, a lockout, or someone is fired. If you don’t want to write about hockey, we are probably not going to want to read what you have to say about it.
I think ice hockey is growing in popularity, on the youth, college and minor league levels. There are hundreds of fans showing up for club college games, and the ECHL has a new all-California 5 team Pacific division. There was a spike in the popularity of roller hockey in the 90’s, but that is fading. There used to be pickup games at Yahoo, Netscape, Apple, and whatever parking lots and tennis courts were not being used. Now those are a rarity.
Q.15 - Is there a hockey blog or site that you look up to for inspiration?
The first was a BBS by Chuq of Teal Sunglasses fame. With very little hockey in the paper, TV, or radio in the small northern California town I was in, I used to dial into his BBS messageboard from 91 on and discuss/argue the latest about the sport.
The other was LCS hockey, which was more of an internet magazine covering the NHL with a decidedly sarcastic slant. I posted a few highlights from 94-99 in an LCS tribute post.
Other hockey blogs I follow are Off Wing, Jes Golbez, James Mirtle, and Puck Update among others. I like them all.
11/06 Notes
Carnival of the NHL #13
Behind the Jersey has the wonderful opportunity to host the next Carnival. And while it will be hard to follow Acid Queen’s performance, I’m looking forward to the challenge. I would like to receive everyone’s submissions by Wednesday, November 16. Carnival of the NHL #13 will be posted here on Sunday, November 20. Please email me your posts and I look forward to reading your entries.
Red Wings v. Coyotes
I went to last night’s game at Joe Louis and there is one word to describe the game: frustrating. In the second half of the first period and the second period, it seemed like we were always on the penalty kill or we acted like we were. The Wings lost 4-1 to the Coyotes while playing with a complete lack of discipline. To view the photos I took at the game (from the upper bowl), click here.
Red Wings v. Blues
The Wings are now 7-0 on the road after defeating the Blues, 4-1, in St. Louis. In those seven games, Detroit has outscored the opponents 31-10. In the past three games, Tomas Holmstrom has scored five goals including two tonight. “He’s got a little magic going right now,” Detroit coach Mike Babcock said.
Goals:
1st Period
Det1 - Brendan Shanahan (10:07) assisted by Jason Williams and Robert Lang
2nd Period
Det2 - Tomas Holmstrom (1:06) assisted by Pavel Datsyuk
Stl1 - Mike Sillinger (4:04) assisted by Scott Young and Doug Weight
Det3 - Tomas Holmstrom (8:35) assisted by Henrik Zetterberg and Nicklas Lidstrom
3rd Period
Det4 - Henrik Zetterberg (1:31) assisted by Datsyuk and Holmstrom
Comment Card Time
I wanted to ask the visitors to Behind the Jersey to post a “comment card” in the comments of this entry. Basically, I’d like to hear what you, the visitor, think of my blog. What do you like about it? What do you wish I talked about more? Should I have more stats, features, etc? I welcome and encourage all constructive criticism and feel free to leave an anonymous comment, I just want to know what would make you enjoy my blog even more. Thanks.
This next week is pretty crazy for me: exam on Monday, quiz Monday, midterm Tuesday, speech Tuesday, and presentation Wednesday. But I hope to be working on a new Behind the Jersey feature, which I haven’t done in quite some time. To see what I’m talking about, read the features I did on Kris Draper, Darren McCarty, Pavel Datsyuk, and Chris Chelios. Additionally, expect to see a new Behind the Blog post on Monday.
11/03 Notes
Rename the Grind Line
You have from now until November 14, to login to detroitredwings.com or foxsports.com to submit your suggestions for a new name for the “Grind Line” of Kris Draper, Kirk Maltby, and Steve Yzerman. The top ten choices will be posted for the fans to vote for the line’s new name on November 16th before the game against Calgary. So send in your idea and who knows, maybe you’ll be responsible for the creation of a new name! I am so bad at coming up with nicknames and the like. I would hate having to come up with headlines for my high school paper because I suck at that kind of stuff.
Manny Legace Conference Call Transcript
David Keon of NHL.com interviewed Legace in a conference call and here’s some clips of what they talked about. To view the entire transcript, visit NHL.com.
Q. What is the difference in Mike Babcock and Dave Lewis? Mike had this reputation in Anaheim as a defensive coach, which was carried a little too far. The personalities are obviously different. What else have you noticed? Â
MANNY LEGACE: That’s the big thing between Mike and Dave. Dave was here for nine years, and he was always that guy you went to. He was always that assistant coach where you could joke around with or if you had any problems, you went to. Great guy, great family man, great personality, great everything about the man. To jump into head coaching on this team, you know, it’s hard to flip a switch to be the guy to tell you what to do. To scold guys when he’s already best friends with everybody on the team, it was a hard situation for him.
Mike comes in, and he’s already in that position to be able to tell somebody, like a Shanahan or Yzerman, you’re doing this wrong, you got to get your head out of your butt. He was already in that position, where Dave could never comfortably get in that position. He was already good friends with people here. It was a tough situation for him to be in.
He did a heck of a job. We finished first in the year every time he was here. We finished both years top of our division, top of our conference. We just ran into two hot goaltenders in the playoffs, and that’s what hurt him.
Do I think he should have had another kick at the can? Yes, I do. I think he did a pretty good job as the coach here. Mike has come in and done a phenomenal job to get everybody on the same page. His work ethic is, bar none ?? I’ve never seen a coach work as hard as he does preparing himself and his coaching staff, preparing the hockey team. They do a great job.
Q. Wanted to get your idea, what you think and the players’ perspective on how the league has been re-embraced by the fans, the excitement level from you guys, what you see from on the road and at home.
MANNY LEGACE: We get kind of a different view being here with Detroit. Pretty much everywhere we go there’s been a lot of excitement this year. Its been that way in the past years, too, luckily being an original six team, wearing the Red Wing on our jerseys. Everywhere we go, people seem to come watch and excitement fills the arena.
Overall, talking to other guys, other cities and stuff, everybody seems to be getting back into the swing of things. I don’t know if it’s just luck or just we have great fans, but everyone seems to be enjoying the game, enjoying more scoring opportunities. The big thing we’re hearing is none of those boring hockey games, clog up the neutral zone after somebody gets up one or two goals, shut it down. People just flying through the neutral zone, scoring chances right and left. The people are just enjoying it a lot more.
Looking for Wings tickets
In totally unrelated news, I am trying to get my hands on 2 lower bowl tickets (reasonably priced) for the Jan 26 game against Vancouver for my birthday. If you have some you’d like to sell or have ideas on where I should look, drop me an email or leave a comment. Thanks!