Its been quite a while......

Yes I know I have become a slacker when it comes to this blog. 
This is a hockey blog.  There is no NHL season.  That doesn't mean that hockey has died.  Hockey is alive and well in many places worldwide. The NHL players are skipping town in most cases and giving us a world hockey education in the process.  If the time change is too much to handle in watching the KHL, Elitserien, SM-Liiga then there are plenty of leagues right here. 
You have ECHL, AHL, CHL, FHL, NCAA all as choices of hockey to watch.
 With the NHL being closed for business your top league is going to be the AHL.  Tickets in most of these teams are much more reasonable in price than their NHL counterparts.  The atmosphere is generally very kid friendly.  Many teams do special nights geared specifically for kids. Plus the hockey is still pretty good.  The overrall bonus is that you get to know some future players for your NHL team which could help you in fantasy hockey down the road.
The next level down is the ECHL.  This level will also have some of your NHL teams prospects and many who are just trying to work their way up to the show.  I have seen some really good ECHL games and some really bad ECHL games.  This level is much more likely to be a brawl filled game.  Their existing fan bases are quite passionate as well.  Still very worth watching and highly recommended. 
Then the next pro level is the FHL.  This tends to be more regional in focus.  For me this is close.  There may be another similarly leveled league close to you.  These guys aren't playing at this level for the money.  Truly the ones working hard to get just up to the next level. 
The hockey isn't bad the fighting is frequent.  These games can be highly entertaining. 
Then you go to amateur levels such as the CHL and NCAA.  Canadian Junior hockey is great.  Often you can watch their games online and it is truly exciting.  Sometimes it can be a bit rough but you will definitely enjoy seeing these young guys leave it all on the ice.  College hockey can go either way.  Some teams are club vs being an actual sport for a particular school.  Most programs the teams are decent and can help those in need of a hockey fix. 

Truly I am disappointed as an NHL fan that this lockout is happening.  My gut feeling is that this will be a lost season.  I can understand it from the players perspective.  They are not the types to roll over and play dead.  These are the guys we root for night after night year after year.  They are tough.  Many seem to have planned in advance where they would pick up some money this season to wait things out.  The players were prepared this time to go toe to toe with the commissioner and his tactics.  We the fans are just bystanders in all this battle.  We have a voice too.  Except that is not what either side will listen to, our voices.  What really and truly gets their attention is revenue.  That is right the money.  My recommendation is to spend less money on the NHL if and when it returns.  Do not buy gear.  Do not buy full season ticket plans.  Do not get center ice.  This is what will get their attention.  If we do not all do this as a hockey fan community what is happening right now will happen over and over and over again because the owners think that it doesn't matter if they lock their players out our fans are loyal and they always come back.  The owners see us as easy targets to get money from now and always.  Personally I don't want to be anyone's easy target.  I would rather see my money go to the ECHL & AHL then to continue to give money to the NHL.   We all know how much an empty arena makes a statement.  I think that is the statement we need to make to the NHL if this whole season indeed becomes lost. 

Thanks for visiting. 

I will hopefully have some hockey adventures to AHL cities near and far this season.  Plus maybe a few lower leagues too. 

Hockey Season is back

I should be writting so much more right now that hockey season is back.
With the return of hockey season there has been a flood of new players on twitter.  Because I definitely am not able to keep up with all of the players and their tweets I am discontinuing twitter points.  It may return now and then but overall I will not be keeping it as regular as I had been last season. 

 This season has been tough for me so far.  I physically can not stand to watch the Flyers because of Jagr.  I know its the crest on the front not the name on the back I am truly struggling with this and hope that he does not stay. 

I have lots of great road trips in the works.  I recently bought tickets to see the Flames for a portion of their east coast swing. 
I have to work in an AHL trip to see Danny Syvret and I have some obstacles at the moment. 

I have been to 2 Flyers games so far.  Here are the links for the pictures.  There are not many Flyers pictures as like I said I truly physically can not stand to watch with Jagr. 

 Kings at Flyers
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157627905890426/
Hurricanes at Flyers
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157628010819898/

I did get my Winter Classic, Alumni and Phantoms outdoor game tickets.  I am very excited for these games.  I promise to blog and take as many pictures as possible for these games. 

Ok that is all for tonight I promise to write more frequently in coming weeks.  Take care and good hockey!

Why isn't it hockey season yet?

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First a twitter points update:

@commie22 10 points for the Commodore 64 decision
@biznasty2point0 5 points for tweeting for Giroux
@tomsesito23 20 points for Getting harry on Twitter & banter with Jen F from Fox
@dannysyvret 5 points for letting us know he is alive and winning at poker




Brings totals too


@commie22 70 points
@tomsesito23 30 points
@martybiron43 20 points
@nedluka 20 points
@mcammalleri13 20 points
@b_ryan9 5 points
@ryanwhitney6 5 points
@miketestwuide 5 points
@biznasty2point0 5 points
@dannysyvret 5 points

Please share with me anything hockey players say on twitter that is interesting.

I know in about a month or so rookie camp will start.  I don't have that much longer to wait but its very hard right now with out hockey.  Hockey is a big portion of my time 9 months of the year.  Most of my friends I see at game or go on roadtrips with to see games.  My TV habits are about watching hockey or hockey related programing.  Right now there is just nothing going on.  What is going on is like oh that happened.  It keeps your attention for maybe an hour.   I am a restless soul in need of a hockey fix.  I just have to wait it out at this point.  It is hard epecially with the very hot weather.   Ok take care everyone!

Dog days of hockey off season & twitter points

Twitter points awarded

@commie22 20 points for fan interaction.
@ryanwhitney6 5 points for making me laugh
@miketestwuide 5 points for fishing Pix
@tomsesito23 10 points for politics

Brings totals to

@commie22 60 points
@martybiron43 20 points
@nedluka 20 points
@mcammalleri13 20 points
@tomsesito23 10 points
@b_ryan9 5 points
@ryanwhitney6 5 points
@miketestwuide 5 points

Please share with me anything hockey players say on twitter that is interesting.


This is the point in the off season that I have the hardest time with the waiting. I am waiting to know where Danny Syvret will end up. I am waiting for the AHL schedule. I am waiting for training camp information.

Since there is not much I can do about any of the things I am waiting for I thought I would come up with a write up on why a team should sign Danny Syvret.

Gm's

Does your team need a reliable, puck moving, 6th or 7th defenseman?
I have got your guy right here. Danny Syvret has just under 60 regular season NHL games and 10 NHL playoff games. He has averaged .73 points a game in the AHL over the last three seasons and 7 points in his limited NHL career.
Danny knows how to control the pace of a game and makes a great quarterback for a 2nd or 3rd power play unit. His point shot gets to the net through the traffic. Danny keeps it simple and makes that great first pass out.
Aside from his on ice offense Danny is an off ice leader. Great with fans, well spoken with the media and all around team player.
Danny was apart of the OHL London Knights memorial cup team in 2005 as well as the World Junior championship team.
Danny would come at a very cap friendly price as well.
What are you waiting for GM's sign him now!

Thanks as always for reading!

Flyers Prospect Camp and Twitter points

First the Twitter points.

As previously noted we have

@nedluka 20 points (Psycho Airport wife was very entertaining yesterday)
@martybiron43 10 points for his reaction to the Flyers trades
@mattcarle25 5 points for chirping about the Pens draft choice

The new standings are

@commie22 40 points for fan interaction and Commodore 64
@mcammalleri13 20 points for fan interaction
@martybiron43 10 points for fan interaction
@b_ryan9 5 points for various player interaction
@jvreemer21 5 points for chirping


Bringing totals too

@commie22 40 points
@martybiron43 20 points
@nedluka 20 points
@mcammalleri13 20 points
@b_ryan9 5 points
@jvreemer21 5 points

Ok on to the real post:

7/10/11 Flyers Prospect camp
I have gone to a few of these now and never have I seen so many basic drills.  I get the feeling that is very much the message being sent here.  That when it comes to these drills no one really stands out and everyone could use work on the basics.  I think that it is a great foundation for these players to make sure that their basics are in line.
For many of the players attending this years camp it is their 2nd or 3rd round of this preparation.  I do not know what it is like inside their meetings but to me the message of back to basics shines through in the on ice part.

I did not feel any one player stood out above another.

Here are pictures and videos.

Pictures
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157627164100568/

Video
Video 1
Video 2
Video 3
Video 4

trades & off season twitter points

First lets do some twitter points. 

Stanley Cup being awarded means now it is really the off season and Summer Twitter Points can begin.
I have opened this up to any OHL, CHL, WHL, AHL, or NHL player on twitter.
Folks I recommend you follow
Ned Lukacevic @nedluka
Michael Grabner @grabs40
Marty Biron @martybiron43
Bobby Ryan @b_ryan9
Joffrey Lupul @jlupul
Matt Carle @MattCarle25


Sadly Stefan Legein no longer has a twitter.  I will miss his tweets

Ok points
@nedluka 20 points (Psycho Airport wife was very entertaining yesterday)
@martybiron43 10 points for his reaction to the Flyers trades
@mattcarle25 5 points for chirping about the Pens draft choice

I know I don't see everything that gets posted so if you see a player tweet some thing memorable please please share with me for points consideration.


Flyers and Calgary trade the players whose jerseys I have....
Maybe I am to blame my curse still holds.  Players I get jerseys for get hurt & traded/don't resign. 
I definitely understand and don't understand all at the same time the flyers decision to trade Mike Richards and Jeff Carter.  From the legal department point of view a huge sigh of relief these guys are gone.  Their off ice reputations proceed them.  From an educated fan view these guys were the core of our team.  They are in their prime and put up points.  I think they needed something to kick them into gear again that they had plateaued.  We won't get to know what it would have been like to have Richards with out Carter.


Flames have done a similar thing to the Flyers.  They got rid of a leadership person who was once rumored to have led their own faction in the locker room.  Regher seemed fine once Neon Dion was gone.  Back to his steady veteran presence controlled self.  The Flames were back on track but only in the 2nd half of the season.  Maybe the locker room did need more of a shake up. 

It will be interesting to see how both of the teams do after all these changes.  I do not think either team is done tweaking their rosters. 

now that I have had time to digest it...

    I have had a month to deal with the Flames not making the playoffs after their great stretch run.  I have had only a couple of days to deal with the Flyers elimination from the post season. 
Neither of the above scenarios left a good taste in my mouth Flames deserved a better fate.  They had the heart, grit and momentum going for them.  I would have loved to seen them tare it up as an 8th seed. 
    The Flyers stumbled their way into the playoffs and failed to perform in the 2nd round.  Considering how Jekyl & Hyde they were down the stretch I am not at all surprised they had an early exit.  I do not think anyone who has watched the Flyers since February should be surprised at the Flyers early exit.
    It has been interesting reading all the post assigning blame.  Pronger said it best in his CSN interview "you win as a team and you loose as a team".  Winning and loosing are both infectious at times.
    For me I know when I lose I question myself completely.  I question and analyze my entire performance.  I am my worst critic.  That doesn't build my confidence.  At times that is what takes it down.  Just going off of what I do I can't imagine how those players feel.  They can't play another game til September or a game that counts til October,  That is a long time to chew on your last performance.  No one is going to put any greater blame on each of them then themselves. 

For all the couch critics out there think about if you were in the players shoes a bit.

ok other things now....
I did not accomplish near enough shenanigans as I would have liked to have accomplished this hockey season.  For next season I hope to have a little more fun and make things a bit more shenanigans for those following along.  Suggestions are always welcome. 

There will be summer updates.  You can count on that.  Check in after the Stanley cup is awarded for summer twitter points.  Can Danny Syvret maintain his grip on the top spot guess we will find out?