All posts by Chris Withers

Episode 31 – Top 7 Canuck Nicknames – Part 1

The Canucks have no decent nicknames at the moment, unless you count Sami Salo’s Balls of Steel. With guests Kennedy Goodkey and Rob Tarzwell, we look back over the forty years of team history to discuss the best nicknames in Vancouver Canucks history. Here’s part one.

  • Intro by the Orchid Highway
  • Top Seven Canuck Nicknames of All Time, Part I
  • #7 – “The Russian Rocket”
  • #6 – “Bones”
  • #5 – “Spider”
  • #4 – “Cowan the Bra-barian”
  • Outro by the Orchid Highway
  • Thanks for listening
  • Neener neener neener

Guests


Kennedy Goodkey
Centre
Shoots right
Chirpy, with bad knees, but tends to score big goals in the playoffs.

Kennedy is an actor, writer and film-maker in Vancouver, BC. You can check out his YouTube series Best Picture, or his serialized novel Necropolis, or see his film The Beast of Bottomless Lake on Super Channel in Canada. Kennedy grew up watching the Canucks, but admits not getting a true handle on just how deep the roots were till he hit university. Ironically, that’s about the time the Canucks had a decent team for the first time.


Rob Tarzwell
Defense
Shoots right
5’4″
140 lbs
Dig, dig, dig. Check like you won’t survive. Inadvertently screen the goalie as often as possible.

Dr. Rob Tarzwell is a Vancouver psychiatrist with a second specialty in nuclear medicine. His clinical interests include the use of radiotracers to study blood flow, glucose utilization, and neuroreceptors in brain disease and psychiatric disorders. Speaking of psychiatric disorders, Dr Rob has been a fan of the Canucks since 1988, when Gretzky got traded to the Kings. He narrowly escaped the 1994 game 7 riots downtown Vancouver, and still sometimes wakes up in cold sweat to the sound of a ringing post.


7 May 2011 – Killer Instinct, Chuck Kesler and Fandom

Seven Things – 7 May 2011

1 – The Canucks had a chance to close out the Nashville Predators this evening at home. They failed. For the second time in these playoffs, Vancouver has put themselves in a position to close out a series early and then failed to get the job done. The Canucks are now a woeful 1-4 in games where they can send their opponent packing. For a team that’s shown an exquisite ability to get the key goal and the key win all season, that simply won’t cut the mustard. Continue reading 7 May 2011 – Killer Instinct, Chuck Kesler and Fandom

Episode 30 – 2011 Round 1: WC Predictions

The Vancouver Canucks are the first team in the expansion era to lead the NHL in both goals for and goals against. Daniel Sedin won the Art Ross trophy, and they won the Presidents’ Trophy going away. Will that push them through to their first Stanley Cup? Pucked in the Head explores the first round of the 2011 playoffs, Western Conference style.

  • How the West Was Won
  • Opening theme by the Orchid Highway
  • Bring on the first round!
  • #4 Anaheim vs #5 Nashville
  • #3 Detroit vs #6 Phoenix
  • #2 San Jose vs #7 Los Angeles
  • #1 Vancouver vs #8 Chicago
  • RK17 raffle
  • Time for a Change by The Orchid Highway

 

Episode 29 – 2011 Round 1: EC Predictions

Every year, we try to wrap our pretty little heads around the playoff picture. We fail miserably, but we hope you’ll enjoy listening to us devolve into grunting, excrement-flinging monopods during this 20-minute chat anyway.

  • Intro
  • Sofa Surfer Girl by the Orchid Highway
  • 2011 Playoffs
  • #1 Washington vs #8 NY Rangers
  • #2 Philadelphia vs #7 Buffalo
  • #3 Boston vs #6 Montreal
  • #4 Pittsburgh vs #5 Tampa Bay
  • Wrap Up
  • Time for a Change by The Orchid Highway
  • Chris Can’t Count

 

Episode 28 – Interview with a Fangirl – Cathy Chuchro, a.k.a. @KeslerGirl

Hockey fans are everywhere. One at a time, we’ll bring them to you. Here is Pucked in the Head’s first episode of… Interview with a Fangirl.

Introduction to a Fangirl

Cathy Chuchro
Defense
Shoots right
Famous for a spinorama and a mean left hook

Since the age of 11, Cathy Chuchro (a.k.a. @keslergirl) knew that acting was her passion. After High School drama and a few nudges from her teacher, she enrolled in the Theatre Studies program at Red Deer College and continued on with the Motion Picture Arts program. Appearing in numerous plays and films that went onto various festivals around the world, Cathy is also co-founder of Ignition Theatre, a company that helps emerging artists gain professional experience. Cathy has always been a hockey fan, but attending her first Canucks game solidified it. The moment Ryan Kesler stepped onto the ice Cathy became intrigued. His passion, determination, and drive for the game – as well as media attention being in the spotlight – is something she can relate to. She continues to audition and perform for productions in Vancouver, and Ryan still inspires her to dream big. Case in point, Cathy looks forward to the day she’s modeling for the RK17 line.

Episode 27 – The Hockey Song

In our latest foray into the wonderful world of hockey-themed tuneage, Jason and Jamie dissect the famousest (yes) hockey ditty of all: The Hockey Song by Stompin’ Tom Connors. Want a new drinking game? Take a sip whenever Jamie says “Golden Mean of Songwriting” during this episode of Pucked in the Head.

  • Intro
  • Who the hell is Stompin’ Tom?
  • The Hockey Song by Stompin’ Tom Connors
  • Jamie sings Stompin’ Tom.
  • Jason holds his head in his hands.
  • Comments from the Peanut Gallery.
  • Time for a Change by the Orchid Highway
  • Oh crap, there’s more.

Note: Jason in fact does know that Jellyfish is a band from San Francisco, California, not a British power pop trio. He also knows Etobicoke is a suburb of Toronto, Ontario, and not a remote northern mining town. It’s called sarcasm, people.

James Macdonald
Right Wing (Guitar, Stage Left)
182 cm
75 kilos
Shoots left
Not afraid to go hard in the corners

Guitarist for Vancouver-based rock band The Orchid Highway, ‘Jamie’ is a grizzled veteran of many tours across Canada, the US, and the UK. (They took their sticks on tour for the shinny games!) A fan of the game, he began cheering for Swedes back in the WHA Winnipeg Jets days, and was overjoyed when Vancouver drafted the Sedins 2nd and 3rd overall. An opinionated bastard, Jamie always has something to say.

 

 

Episode 26 – I Feel Like Gerry Cheevers

As regular listeners of this podcast will be well aware, we at Pucked in the Head believe that life isn’t solely about hockey. It’s also, occasionally, about hockey music. Here is the third chapter in our look at excellent hockey-related music. Today we ponder, peruse and play… (I Feel Like) Gerry Cheevers by Chixdiggit.

  • Intro
  • Sofa Surfer Girl by The Orchid Highway
  • Gerry Cheevers – the man of a thousand stitches
  • Chixdiggit
  • I Feel Like Gerry Cheevers by Chixdiggit
  • A little critical review action
  • Wrap up
  • Time for a Change by The Orchid Highway

James Macdonald
Right Wing (Guitar, Stage Left)
182 cm
75 kilos
Shoots left
Not afraid to go hard in the corners

Guitarist for Vancouver-based rock band The Orchid Highway, ‘Jamie’ is a grizzled veteran of many tours across Canada, the US, and the UK. (They took their sticks on tour for the shinny games!) A fan of the game, he began cheering for Swedes back in the WHA Winnipeg Jets days, and was overjoyed when Vancouver drafted the Sedins 2nd and 3rd overall. An opinionated bastard, Jamie always has something to say.

 

 

Episode 25 – Top Five Skater Nicknames of All Time

Continuing our look at the best hockey nicknames of all time, we bring you the best nicknames that didn’t play goal or for the Canucks.

  • Intro
  • Sofa Surfer Girl by the Orchid Highway
  • An ode to old-timey nicknames.
  • Top 5 Skater Nicknames of All Time
  • #5 – “Captain Serious”
  • #4 – “Cyclone”
  • #3 – “The Little Ball of Hate”
  • #2 – “The Rocket”
  • #1 – “Boom Boom”
  • Wrap up.
  • Time for a Change by The Orchid Highway
  • Thanks for listening

 

Episode 24 – Top Seven Goalie Nicknames of All Time

The Canucks recent callup of Lee Sweatt, dubbed “Rudy” by his new teammates, reminded us of the dearth of good nicknames in hockey today. To spur on the creativity of today’s NHL players, here’s some examples of great hockey nicknames. And this is just the goalies!

  • Intro / theme by the Orchid Highway
  • Top Seven Goalie Nicknames of All Time
  • Nicknames in Other Sports
  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • American Football
  • Boxing
  • Hockey Nicknames – First up, goalies.
  • #7 – Georges “The Chicoutimi Cucumber” Vezina
  • #6 – Cecil Ralph “Tiny” Thompson
  • #5 – Frank “Mr Zero” Brimsek
  • #4 – Lorne “Gump” Worsley
  • #3 – Andre “Red Light” Racicot
  • #2 – Dominik “The Dominator” Hasek
  • #1 – Nikolai “The Bulin Wall” Khabibulin
  • Wrap it up, boys!
  • Pink Floyd – One of These Days (1971)
  • Thanks for Listening

Episode 23 – Mid-season reflections

Keeping up the age-old tradition, “If Kevin Weekes can do it, why can’t we?”, Chris and Jason cobbled together some opinions and rugged good looks to create our very own show. The result? Broadcasting gold. And so we bring you Episode 23 of Pucked in the Head: Mid-Season Trophies

  • Mid-season reflection
  • Intro
  • Sofa Surfer Girl by the Orchid Highway
  • The Hart trophy would go to…
  • What’s Russian for “Olympic Hangover”?
  • Coach of the Year thus far…
  • The Norris trophy winner is…
  • Best between the pipes thus far…
  • Rookie of the Year…
  • What IS the Selke, anyway…
  • Time for a Change by The Orchid Highway
  • Thanks for listening