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There’s a unwritten rule in professional hockey that says a player must never actually celebrate anything — a goal, a save, a hit, a fight, a victory — in any sort of exuberant manner that an opponent might somehow consider insulting. This is stupid. Hockey is a high-spirited sport and intentionally trying to stifle that … Continue reading
Clint Malarchuk, the former NHL goaltender best known for suffering a gruesome skate-slash-to-the-neck injury in his playing days, recently attended the Rendezvous With Madness Film Festival to promote his new book The Crazy Game a showing of his ESPN 30 For 30 doc, Cutthroat. Throughout his playing days and into retirement Malarchuk dealt with obsessive-compulsive … Continue reading
Since the beginning of time man has asked himself, “How good am I?” It’s why people compete in marathons, why they wrestle each other, and why they get into drinking contests with the Bytown Billionaires. It’s partially a test against one’s competition, but it’s just as much a test against oneself. Where do I rank? … Continue reading
The big sporting viral video of the week is something called “14 Minutes Of Pissed Off Goalies.” The medley, which is exactly what the title sounds like, had an uncomfortable sting to it. That’s because when I was watching it I saw myself in those videos. Not literally. I wasn’t in any of them. But … Continue reading
I wrote this list up about my team the Hack HC’s blood enemies the Parkdale Hockey Lads a few years ago. Some of these facts are outdated now, but it’s still worth a revisit. Check it. 13 Reasons To Hate The Parkdale Hockey Lads 1. Blue uniforms remind you of the Smurfs, except more “rape-y.” … Continue reading
One of the best players I’ve ever played with what a fellow named Scott Graham. He was in his 40s at the time and worked in advertising, but in his hockey past he had played pro in Europe. He organized a weekly high-end shinny game that I’d play in, until, one game he had a … Continue reading
Last Saturday I played one of my easiest/toughest games in a very long time. A day earlier I started experiencing paralyzing back pain. It was awful. I couldn’t bend down, couldn’t walk, couldn’t lift anything… heck, I couldn’t even put my socks on. So it was abundantly clear I was still playing hockey the next … Continue reading
And so it was spoken, in the book of Goaltending, by the apostle Jacques Plante, on page 104, about quitting: “Playing goal when a team is leading is easy, but when it falls behind, the pressure mounts to the point where some goalies can’t stand it and stop trying. Without realizing why, they get mad … Continue reading
The first international ice hockey championship the United States won after the Miracle On Ice came in 1987 when a U-17 team featuring future pros like Jeremy Roenick, Mike Modano and Tony Amonte served notice that America was about to become a hockey power. The goalie that anchored that team was Buffalo native Ken Baker. … Continue reading
Your slapshot does not scare me. Trust me, it doesn’t. The mask I’m wearing is made of kevlar. That’s the stuff they use in bulletproof vests. And having seen you play, if anyone on your team ever calls you “bullet” they’re being ironic. Oh, you just bought yourself a new $250 Bauer Supreme One 95. … Continue reading
The Poke Check Diaries 