Articles, Hockey

More Things That Amuse Chris During The Lockout

With the NHL continuing to alienate fans and sponsors at a rate not seen since the Foxtrax puck, I’ve taken to finding other ways to amuse myself recently. There remains an entire world of sport out there, and that world even includes hockey! Let’s take a look.

NHL Fans
 Yes, NHL fans, you amuse me. Your desperation amuses me. Your “cautious optimism” regarding the players and owners meeting without Bettman and Fehr amused me, too. Let’s be clear here: every time you send a rage tweet @NHL or @NHLPA you are sending the message loud and clear that you’ll be back. That makes you part of the problem. The NHL doesn’t fear its fans because its fans have given them nothing to fear. You know what would make the league perk up and take notice? Silence. We’re in this position right now because everyone involved knows they can get away with it. If you really want to help, be quiet. A lack of attention is the only thing these corporate scumbags will understand. “Oh wait,” they’ll say, “those people who used to care enough to beg and plead with us to bring the game back are now eerily quiet.” I seem to have trouble taking my own advice, but that is not the point!

(More after the jump).

Pucked in the Head is taking part in the 2013 Ride to Conquer Cancer. You can help us reach our fundraising goal by throwing a few bucks at our campaign, at http://www.conquercancer.ca/goto/jasonkurylo2013.

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Articles, Hockey

Canucks Minor Hockey Weekend: Vancouver Angels vs Richmond Ravens

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The puck dropped on the final game of the Vancouver Canucks Minor Hockey Weekend at 3:30 on Sunday afternoon, a 1-1 draw between the Vancouver Angels and Richmond Ravens. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.

The Vancouver Canucks Minor Hockey Weekend, which featured 24 minor hockey teams from across BC skating on Rogers Arena ice, concluded with a resounding call of “LET THE GIRLS PLAY!” Okay, it wasn’t the first female hockey game of the event, but with the leaps forward the women’s game has made over the past few years, it seemed fitting that the Vancouver Angels and Richmond Ravens Atom teams would face off to the final puck drop on Sunday afternoon.

These 9- and 10-year-old ladies played to a 1-1 draw, even tying the shootout before shaking hands and heading off the ice for tours of the Canucks dressing room and the chance to grill their own coaches in the media room. (Loads of pictures after the jump.)

Pucked in the Head is taking part in the 2013 Ride to Conquer Cancer. You can help us reach our fundraising goal by throwing a few bucks at our campaign, at http://www.conquercancer.ca/goto/jasonkurylo2013.

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Articles, Hockey

Canucks Minor Hockey Weekend: Semiahmoo vs Squamish

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The Squamish Eagles (in white) and Semiahmoo Ravens (#20 Cameron Cheney in black) faced off in the penultimate game on the Vancouver Canucks Minor Hockey Weekend at Rogers Arena. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.

With the lockout inexplicably extending into the Christmas season, it’s hard to for even the most ardent hockey fan to support their local NHL club. The fact is, however, that ownership represents a very, very small fraction of the personnel behind the logo — there are hundreds of incredibly decent human beings who work for each club, and they’re faced with the daunting task of trying to keep good will alive within the communities they serve.

Enter the Vancouver Canucks Minor Hockey Weekend, where 24 teams were invited to skate on Rogers Arena ice. Teams were randomly selected from over 1200 entries from across the province of British Columbia. (Loads of pictures after the jump.)

Pucked in the Head is taking part in the 2013 Ride to Conquer Cancer. You can help us reach our fundraising goal by throwing a few bucks at our campaign, at http://www.conquercancer.ca/goto/jasonkurylo2013.

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Articles, Hockey

Vancouver Giants woes continue, but the Xmas sweaters are awesome

Irish (and Aussie) eyes were smiling — and wearing glorious Christmas sweaters — at the Pacific Coliseum on Friday night despite the Vancouver Giants dropping a 3-1 decision to the Swift Current Broncos. From left to right are Brian, Breanna, Claire, Emilia and Donal. (In case you’re wondering, the boys are from Ireland and the gals are from Australia. No, we don’t know if that’s legal. Extra props to Donal for that serious ginger beard.) Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.

The Vancouver Giants suffered their eighth loss in nine games on Friday night, a 3-1 defeat at the hands of the visiting Swift Current Broncos. Despite some early chances for the home side, the Broncos were up 2-0 before the first period was half over.

Goal number one came on a bad bounce off of captain Wes Vannieuwenhuizen’s skate past Payton Lee. It was reminiscent of an early goal the Giants scored in Victoria just a few nights ago on the way to a 7-2 romp over the Royals.

Sadly for the 8,115 fans who stuffed the Pacific Coliseum on Friday, the Giants weren’t able to make it two in a row. In fact, the G-men’s only win since Remembrance Day came on the road, something that makes it hard to take full advantage of the NHL’s ridiculous, ongoing lockout. Thankfully, the crowd on Friday included not only the best-dressed fivesome in Pacific Coliseum history, which you see above, but also busloads of energetic students from a handful of schools across the Lower Mainland.

More after the jump.

Pucked in the Head is taking part in the 2013 Ride to Conquer Cancer. You can help us reach our fundraising goal by throwing a few bucks at our campaign, at http://www.conquercancer.ca/goto/jasonkurylo2013.

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Articles, Hockey

San Antonio Rampage steal four points from Abbotsford Heat

Zach McKelvie of the Abbotsford Heat (left) and Justin Vaive of the San Antonio Rampage battle along the boards during a Rampage 4-0 win on Wednesday, November 5. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.

Going into last weekend’s action, the Abbotsford Heat had only lost one regulation game on home ice this season — their play at home early this season was one of the major reasons the team led the league after 20 games played. Now, five days later, they can count three. To boot, they dropped two more games in overtime, and all of these losses came at the hands of entirely beatable teams near the bottom of the standings.

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Articles, Hockey, Uncategorized

Five Hole for Food – a hockey team worth following

Richard Loat (@mozy19 on the mighty Twitter) and the rest of the Five Hole for Food crew set to go bigger and better yet again in 2013. Photo ripped indelicately from the FHFF Facebook timeline.

In a year overshadowed by the greed and stupidity of hockey’s biggest players, let’s focus on the admirable work of less prominent, but far more important, hockey teams.

Like this one that generates thousands upon thousands of pounds of food for folks who need it most (not to mention at least that many smiles along the way!) Okay, okay, it sounds cheesy — mmmmmm, cheese — but in this case, it’s true. Five Hole for Food has quickly become one of Canada’s most inspirational charitable drives, and it encourages each and every one of us to get up off the couch and pick up a hockey stick to make the deal even sweeter.

Main website: http://www.fiveholeforfood.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FiveHoleForFood
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/fiveholeforfood

Articles, Hockey

Vancouver Giants Teddy Bear YouTube Challenge

Anthony Ast is one of the Giants featured in the Teddy Bear Toss promo video, which the organization hopes will go viral before their December 14 game versus the Prince George Cougars. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.

Like a lot of organizations, the Vancouver Giants make important gestures to the charitable community throughout the year, and especially so at Christmas time. A great Xmas event is the Teddy Bear Toss, which takes place this year on December 14. Fans are invited to bring an unwrapped, new teddy bear (or other stuffed animal), and throw it onto the ice when the Giants score their first goal of the night. The toys are collected and donated to the Province Empty Stocking Fund for underprivileged children and the CKNW Orphans’ Fund — it’s a treat to be a part of, and an impressive display of generosity to see all those airborne bears.

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Articles, Hockey

Bulldogs heel before the mighty Brustache

Jason and Chris shared an elevator with Hockey Hall of Fame inductee and TEN TIME STANLEY CUP CHAMPION Yvan Cournoyer.

The top-of-the-league Abbotsford Heat were back in action on Friday night to take on the decidedly not-the-top-of-the-league Hamilton Bulldogs. With hundreds of Canadiens fans in the building to watch les petits Habitants, Abbotsford arranged to have Habs legend Yvan Cournoyer – he of the TEN Stanley Cup rings – in the building to drop the puck for the ceremonial faceoff. Pucked in the Head absolutely did not intentionally delay our arrival so that we could share the elevator with him and get a picture. Mr. Cournoyer, who I’m happy to report is a very nice man who appeared not at all perturbed by two fanboys asking for his photograph in an elevator, cheerfully commented that he hoped it would be a good game. It was not. Well, not for the Bulldogs, it wasn’t.

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Articles, Hockey, Uncategorized

Somebody Approved This: EHC Wolfsburg Grizzly Adams

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Jersey: The 2012 EHC Wolfsburg Grizzly Adams Hallowe’en jersey.

Years worn: 2012, one game only.

Reaction: “Ha! Look, the bear’s brains are showing!”

Most famous players to wear it: Niko Dimitrakos had a good run in the NHL. Kai Hospelt is the lone Wolfsburg player to have played in the Vancouver Olympics.

Why it’s great: Wearers of European hockey jerseys tend to resemble NASCAR vehicles more than hockey players. On this jersey, however, the advertising is pleasingly subdued. The jersey also has a huge zombie bear with a scythe. And more zombies in the background. And a font that drips blood! If you love Hallowe’en, it’s impossible to dislike this jersey.

Why it’s garbage: Less is supposed to be more, when it comes to design. The crew throwing this thing together leaped on the space freed up by the reduced advertising like an American on the local 7-11’s last remaining Twinkie and used it to cram in every piece of clichéd Hallowe’en imagery they could think of. “Hey Helmut, you forgot about the witch on the broomstick flying across the moon!” “Ah scheisse, sorry Jürgen! The right shoulder’s free, see if you can squeeze it in there!”

Haiku to describe Chris’s feelings whenever he sees this jersey:
Braaaaaaaaaaaainnnnnnns
BRAAAAAAAIIIIINNNNNNNNNSSSSSS
Zombies suck at poetry.

Other jerseys we can’t believe somebody approved:
New York Islanders third jersey (rumoured), 2012
Seattle Sounders third jersey, 2012
Vancouver Canucks alternate jersey, 1995-1997

 

 

 

Articles, Hockey

Payton Lee shines in back-to-back losses

Vancouver has struggled this season, but 16-year-old Payton Lee has kept them close the last couple of games. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.

For the second game in a row, Payton Lee was the best player in a Vancouver Giants uniform. And for the second game in a row, the 16-year-old goaltender from Cranbrook earned a big fat regulation loss for his efforts, as his teammates were unable to put together much of anything at the other end of the ice. Lee stopped 29 of 31 shots, but his Giants left Kamloops on the wrong end of a 2-1 scoreline.

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