The Lockout... (continues)

All summer all NHL fans were hearing was "CBA", "Labor Negotiations", "Potential Lockout"...

Well the NHL lockout has been going on for 7 weeks now, already 26% of the NHL season has been cancelled with more cancellations expected this week. This is a letter, a message to players and owners from a die hard fan who spends hard earned money to watch hockey.

To whom it may concern:

The NHL lockout is FUCKING REDICULOUS. There is absolutley no point to it. Fans are fucking angry, sad, and lost.

TO THE PLAYERS

It makes no sense to a fan that players aren't willing to take a 12% pay cut when they are making MILLIONS OF FUCKING DOLLARS. Money that fans could only dream to make. To the players, from a player who didn't make it, you guys are the 1% of the 1% of hockey players that get to play beyond the age of Juniors/College at a high level. You guys are the guys who get to play the fucking game of hockey everyday for hours and get paid to do it. Other hockey players PAY AS MUCH AS $25 AN HOUR TO PLAY FUCKING HOCKEY. We actually have to pay to play hockey. DO NHL PLAYERS REALIZE THE PRICE OF FUCKING HOCKEY EQUIPMENT, LET ALONE THE REDICULOUS PRICE TO PLAY ON A POORLY MAINTAINED SHEET OF ICE AND NOT TO MENTION THE PRICE TO HAVE WORTHLESS REFEREE'S WATCH OVER THE GAME AND MAKE STUPID FUCKING CALLS? To NHL players, for everyone of you there's 10,000 players who DIDN'T MAKE IT TO THE SHOW. For the players that didn't make it, the vast majority of them are willing to cut off a fucking testicle and pay $1,000 to pull on an NHL Jersey and play in a FUCKING NHL Game.

TO THE OWNERS
You the owners signed players to contracts. As employers, when you agree on a price for labor for employees you are expected to follow through ON YOUR FUCKING AGREEMENT. TAKE FUCKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROMISES YOU MADE TO THE PLAYERS. Look I get it why the Owners need the Players to take a pay cut. OWNERS ARE FUCKING BILLIONAIRES... They can't wait a 2-3 years for player's salaries to gradually decrease? To the owners, from a fan: FUCK YOU. YOU GUYS ARE HOLDING MONEY THAT I FUCKING PAID YOU FOR A PRODUCT I EXPECT TO SEE ON THE ICE, YOU'RE NOT WILLING TO REFUND MY MONEY UNTIL THE GAMES ARE FUCKING CANCELLED AND IT'S FUCKING BULLSHIT.

To BOTH NEGOTIATING PARTIES
You need to be negotiating. We're beyond offering proposals, it's now time to take proposals from both the PA AND THE LEAGUE on the table and come to a middle ground that satisfies both parties. MR. BETTMAN, MR. DALY, AND THE FEHR BROTHERS, SIT DOWN TO THE FUCKING NEGOTIATION TABLE AND DON'T LEAVE THE FUCKING ROOM UNTIL AN AGREEMENT HAS BEEN REACHED.

YOU ARE HURTING THE FANS, YOUR CUSTOMERS WHO PAY WHAT DISCRETIONARY INCOME THEY HAVE AVAILABLE ON YOUR FUCKING PRODUCT. FANS WERE LOYAL, FANS GAVE THE LEAGUE A SECOND CHANCE AFTER THE 2004 LOCKOUT. THE TIME IS NOW TO END THE GOD DAMN LOCKOUT.

Rick Nash trade pt. 2... Scott Howson is an Idiot.

Mr. Howson,

You have to trade Rick Nash, you absolutly have to trade him, if you bring him back as the captain in October, you will have made the dumbest NHL executive decision, even dumber than Mike Millbury trading for Alexei Yashin. You can't bring back a guy that ask for a trade and you yourself confirmed it to the media and public. If you bring back a guy like Nash he will be a poision for the Blue Jacket's roster, guys in that room will wonder why he's still there, they will question Nash's commitment to the team, they will question their own futures with the Blue Jackets, and even though Columbus isn't a high free agent destination, Howson will lose all credit and a significant amount of respect from future free agents.

Before the deadline, it was a RUMOR that Nash potentially on the trading block, and teams were willing to test the waters of what Howson would take, and teams like the Rangers who didn't want to pay the price for Nash at the deadline and who didn't want a huge shakeup of their roster going into the playoffs, they may have been willing to meet Howson's demands for Nash at the draft. But things changed, and Mr. Howson this is by far the dumbest, classless, and boneheaded move you made at the deadline when you announced to THE PUBLIC MEDIA that Nash REQUESTED a trade. There's a reason why no executive in any field, much less professional sports, much less professional hockey keeps these types of discussions behind the scenes.

Mr. Howson, now that teams KNOW that Rick Nash requested a trade they will not offer near as much as they would've if Nash's potential trade remained a rumor. Teams are betting that you are not stupid enough to bring Nash back as a Blue Jacket in the fall, and if you are dumb enough to hold on to him you will ruin the Jackets franchise for the next 5-10 years.

Game 6, the Turning Point.

After watching the 2011-2012 NHL season come to a close and watching the Kings skate around the Cup, and watching the highlights again and again, it's clear the game turned on one play. 

Those who watched the game know what play it was.  For those who didn't you'll see it on every highlight reel of that game, but I'll summarize it.  A little after the halfway point in the 1st period, Jarrett Stoll hit Stephen Gionta into the boards, it was a border line call, at most a 2 minute penalty.  Then as the play continued the puck ended up deep in the Kings zone and Steve Bernier of the Devils drove Rob Scuderi through the end boards, to-the-letter, a 5 minute boarding/game misconduct penalty.  During the 5 minute major penalty the Kings would score 3 times and thus put away the New Jersey Devils by the end of the 1st period.

If you play or coach hockey there is a huge lesson to be learned.  Immediatly after the penalty call was made the New Jersey Devil's bench lost their minds, the coaching staff, the players on the bench, and the players on the ice (including Martin Brodeur).  Their entire focus of the Devils went off of the game and directy on the referee.  If you play or coach hockey you know a referee in hockey will never change their minds on a call, especially a penalty call.  They can't, if they do it completely challanges the referee's control of the game, thus ARGUING WITH A REFEREE IS A WASTE OF TIME.  It's one thing to do it in "meaningless" regular season game or at any other point in the season but it's a whole other ball game doing it in Stanley Cup Final game where you're facing elimination and you're trying to come back from a 0-3 deficit in 7 game series, against a better/tougher opponent, and which you need to be almost perfect to beat your opponent. 

After a controversial series of plays like the series of play that went down in the latter stages of the 1st period of Game 6, there's going to be some anger on the bench and anger and argument directed towards the referee but, it's the job of the leaders on that bench, the coaching staff, and the head coach Peter Debour to make sure the players get onto the ice focused and are completely hell bent on escaping the penalty kill without letting up a goal.  If they were to kill off the penalty the game probably goes into the 1st intermission 0-0, 1-1 after the 2nd period, and anything could have happened in the 3rd period.  What if the Devils won the 3rd period? They had a powerplay to start the 3rd period, they got another powerplay shortly after.  Maybe the Devils get a Game 7, at home, where the Devils have all the momentum in the series after coming back from that 0-3 hole.

But that's all speculation... Maybe the Kings would've still won game 6, maybe they would've won game 7. But maybe the Devils would've won the cup.  It's over now, you learn your lessons, you let your bumps and bruises heal or get surgery if nessecary, you get back in hockey shape, prepare for the season, and begin it all again in September... That's the beauty of hockey.

Congrats to the LA Kings, you guys earned it.

Common Misconceptions about the Hockey Equipment Industry

Over the last 3 years of working in a hockey shop I've learned a lot about the industry and what shocks me is how little customers know about the hockey equipment industry. 

One of the biggest misconceptions about the equipment industry is that manufactures strictly control their pricing, like states regulate tobacco and alcohol products.  If a company sells below the MAP pricing routinly they can get their account discontinued by the manufacturer.  That being said a big company like Monkey Sports or Total Hockey can test the MAP policy a lot riskier than your local pro-shop.  However at the end of the day, all retailers are supposed to be playing on the same field, thus the only way a retail company makes a profit is by selling as much merchandise as possible. 

Another big misconception is the profit margins on pieces of equipment, especially sticks and skates.  On most pieces of gear there is a 30-35% bump between the cost of goods sold (a term used in my accounting course) and the MAP price that it is sold for at the store level.  Because of this many stores have to order exactly what they are going to sell to avoid selling clearance items at or below cost.  For example the $799.99 skates from Bauer and Reebok have a cost around $540-560 (after shipping) so in order to make up the cost on 1 skate the company has to sell 3 skates.  This plays a huge role when items go on clearance.

Sticks in my opinion however are the biggest misconception that customers just don't know about.  Of all pieces of hockey equipment, sticks are the least profitable items that a company sells.  Especially the high end composite hockey sticks.  Sticks are what manufactures like Bauer, Easton, and Warrior make the majority of their profits from, and they don't share it with the retailers.  Because of the nature of composite sticks and their durability or lack there of I should say, retailers will not handle warranty claims of sticks.  Unless you're a perfect customer (buying everything from only one shop and buying at least $100 of merchandise a month on top of sharpenings and tape), retailers will not help you out.  The exception of this rule is knock off sticks such as the Powertech brand.  It's not that retailers don't want to help you out, most of them would be more than happy to help out with broken sticks but they just can't afford to help. 

Really what makes money for a retail shop is services that they offer - sharpenings, equipment repair, ect.  Next time you go to buy gear keep this information in mind, and if you're shopping for gear remember you may find an item cheaper online but you're really doing your local shop a favor by purchasing from them. 

LA Kings... What's going on here?

Going into the 2012 playoffs not many people expected the Los Angeles Kings to be where they are now.  After beating the Coyotes for a second straight game, the Kings are now 2-0 in their 3rd round match up vs. the Coyotes.  The Kings knocked off the top 2 seeds as an 8th seed in the Western Conference and with the last 2 games against the 'Yotes in the books the Kings have a 10-1 record in the playoffs.  They are also a perfect 7-0 on the road.  For many sports fans and for many hockey fans for the matter, the King's dominance right now is a complete suprise.  But really for any one that follows hockey closely, it should be no suprise at all. 

Going into the 2011-2012 season the Kings were considered by many as a top contender in the Western Conference.  With the additions of Mike Richards and Simon Gagne the Kings looked poised for a deep playoff run.  However the regular season was very turbulent and it took up until the last week in the season for the Kings to lock up the last playoff spot.  After two major changes (a coaching change and trading Jack Johnson for Jeff Carter) the Kings looked like a tough out but not really a contender to knock off the vaunted Vancouver Canucks much less the devilish St. Louis Blues.

Really though if you look at this team, there should be no suprises why they are where they are at.  The Kings have the perfect recipe for winning a cup, great goaltending, depth throughout the lineup, solid penalty killing, and a disciplined and defensive minded style of play.  This team has talent but guys like Dustin Penner and Justin Williams didn't play up to their capabilities during the regular season, they along with captain Dustin Brown (who is playing like a man possessed) have taken their games to the next level.  The Kings powerplay is starting to click.  They are big throughout the lineup, especially up front, and guys like Kyle Clifford and Dwight King are creating a nightmare for opposing defensemen on thier forchecking.  The Kings have a very talented core of superstars in goaltender Jonathan Quick, centers Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, and Anze Kopitar, and defenseman Drew Doughty. 

This team is the perfect playoff team, they are a nightmare to play against, and they are right now my top pick to win the Stanley Cup.

New Hockey Gear (player edition)

I haven't written a new post in almost a month, however in the last month brands have been releasing new gear left and right.  I've had the chance to evaluate most of the new stuff out and here's my opinions on them.

Reebok 18K and 20K skates:

The old knock on Reebok skates is they were that they fit huge, they are uncomfortable, and they aren't durable.  The new 18K ($599.99) and the 20K ($799.99) skates completely change that.  Even without the LS2 steel and holder these skates are almost as light as the Bauer $800 and $600 skates.  Reebok has upgraded their eyelets which was the least durable part of the skates.  New on these skates too is an exterior skeleton on the heel of the boot.  This feature also makes the skate much more durable as well as giving stiffness in the back of the boot yet allowing the tongue and the front part of the boot to have some flexibility.  Also on these new model skates, Reebok has gone with a more anatomical fitting skate, this gives the skate a much better fit, not nessecarily an out of the box fit but a better long term fit.  When shopping for skates check these skates out, they are legitimate.  They are a cross between the Bauer Vapor's construction and the Bauer Supremes materials.  Right now in my opinion these skates are a legitimate threat to Bauer's supremecy over the skate market, and for my money right now these skates are the top skates on the market, based on what Bauer just released in the Supreme NXG skate line.

Bauer NXG Skates

For the 2012 model year, Bauer updated their Supreme skates line.  There's not a lot to say about these skates becasue Bauer didn't do much to upgrade them.  They added a little more yellow, a honeycomb pattern and a few minor adjustments to the TotalOne skates and jacked up the prices throughout the Supreme line.  On the TotalOne skates the only adjustments are the improved gold eyelets and a full flex tongue (They still offer the tongue inserts for flexibility but the bare tongue comes very flexible out of the box).  Other than changing the names on the skates, for example the One.8 skates are the same as the old One80 skates the line didn't change at all below the TotalOne skate model. (The One.9 skates replaced the One100's)  If you're looking for Supreme skates, look for closeouts first, you'll save some cabbage that way and you'll have money left over to get an additional item.

Easton Mako Stick

This stick is an awesome stick.  Right now each brand of stick manufactures is selling to lines of stick, one stick is usually designed for power (Bauer Supremes), the other is designed for a quick release (Bauer Vapor).  The Easton Mako is designed as a power stick but it plays in between, giving the product a nice balance throughout the stick of power and release.  The stick has a nice, simple paint job, and the white paint makes it catchy in the stores.  If you were a fan of the SE 16 sticks as well as the ST line of sticks, the Easton Mako line combines both of them for feel and durability.  I currently use this stick and I love it more than anyother stick on the market today.

Easton Stealth Protective

The new Easton Stealth protective lineup is simple, a little more streamlined, not as bulky as other protective lines.  The main difference in the new Stealth protective lineup you'll see in stores is the Jet Black coloring you'll see on the gear with the yellow, green, red, blue trim on the gear to distinguish between price points.

CCM Crazy Light and Crazy Tough Protective



The new CCm Protective lineup is radical new innovation that keeps the gear as protective as anything else on the market, but the water resistance materials in the interior of the gear keeps it dry and light.  On top of that, the gear all provides a nice, natural fit.  And it's super comfortable, to the point where you will hardly notice it when you're playing.

That's a little bit on everything released in April, 2012.  May is going to see more released gear, such as goalie equipment, Bauer protective, as well as a sneak peek into the Bauer Nexus lineup set to be released in the summer and fall. 

A Breakdown of Hockey Terms Used by Hockey Players

ON ICE TERMINOLOGY

Bag Skate - A practice where hockey players skate until the point of complete exhaustion.
Barn – Hockey Rink/Arena
Bender – A lousy player who always seems to have his ankles bent. (Happy Gilmore)
Between the Pipes – In the net.
Biscuit – A Puck.
Breezers – Hockey pants.
Brain Bucket (or just Bucket) – A helmet.
Celly – A celebration, usually done after scoring a goal
Coast to Coast – When a player carries the puck from his own net all the way to his opponent’s and scores.
Chippy – Getting irritated with one another, usually on the brink of fighting.
Chirp – To talk trash.
Cherry Picker – Player who hangs out in his opponents zone awaiting a long pass. (Alexander Ovechkin)
Dangle – Misdirecting an opponent while handling the puck. See deke.
Deke – A fake out, perhaps derived from the word “decoy”.
Drop – To leave the puck behind or pass it to a trailing teammate.
Duster - The worst player on the team who only plays in the last 3 minutes of a losing effort when the team as given up.
Gongshow – A rough, intense game.
Grinder – A player who digs deep, hustles to make plays.Usually better known for checking and disruption rather than scoring ability. Like a lineman in football, he works hard but rarely gets recognized for his hard work.
Enforcer – A player who takes on the role of discouraging the opposing team from harassing his goal scoring teammate by imposing the threat of physical harm. (George Parros) 
Fisticuffs – A fight.
Five Hole – The area in between the goalie’s legs.
Hash Marks – The lines coming out of the faceoff circles providing a guide to where players should be lined up.
Hat Trick – Scoring three goals in one game.
Hoser – A loser. Orginated from the pre-Zamboni days when the losing team had to hose off the ice.
Keeper - Another term for the goaltender
Laser – A quick, well-placed shot.
Light the Lamp – Score a goal so the siren flashes.
Mucker – A physical player who lacks finesse but gets the job done by forechecking, working the boards, etc. He is not afraid to do the dirty work. Usually used interchangeably or in connection with grinder. (Thomas Holmstrom)
One-timer – Taking a hard shot right off the pass without pausing to receive it.
Pipe-fitter/Plumber – See mucker and grinder.
Playing the Point – When a defender positions himself in front of the blue line near the boards in order to keep the puck in his offensive zone.
Pylon – Skater who just stands still and is as easy to skate around as an orange cone.  (Rick Nash)
Schoolyard Puck – Pick-up hockey often played in a schoolyard, usually on inline skates.
Shinny – Pick-up hockey usually played on a frozen pond.
Sieve – A goalie with a lot of “holes” meaning he allows a lot of goals.  (Dwayne Roloson)
Sin Bin – The penalty box.
Slapper – A slap shot.
Slot – The middle area in front of the net.
Sniper – Player with an accurate shot who often scores from a distance.  (Steven Stamkos)
Top Shelf – To put a goal in the upper part of the net.
Tripod - A player who has to balance himself with his stick.  (Charley Conway)
Woody – A wooden stick
Wrap around – To come from behind the net and squeeze it past the goalie.
Wrister – A wrist shot.

OFF ICE TERMINOLOGY

Wheelin’ broads: Refers to the process of courting girls with slick lines and ruthless comments. In other words, shamelessly hitting on girls hockey players find in bars when they have perfectly loving girlfriends back at home. The process of wheeling broads normally takes place when the team is on a road trip, and is famous for being used by junior hockey players.
Ridin’ the pine: The act of sitting on the bench/sideline during a sporting event, but a member of the team.
Road kills: These are the hoes the boys manage to sleep with when they’re on the road. A pick up. One night stand, in other words.
Ditch Pig: Western Canadian expression to describe an ugly female that hunts for hockey players outside of bars, the arena and strip clubs. Normally they hang around the roadside or parking lot at the end of the evening hoping to get picked up by the desparate and dateless. Hence the ‘Ditch’ part of the name. ‘Pig’ is self evident.
Swamp Donks: Used to describe a girl who is every hockey players last resort. She is that one broad that waits around for your phone call all night and when that phone call comes (usually around 3 am when all the half decent broads are sleeping) she’ll be there on call. Be careful some tend to get clingly so lay the law down firmly. Shes not the best looking but shes dedicated to making your night better. What she lacks on looks she makes up for on expierence. They are generally treated like crap and dont care because the next day they are proud to tell their friends that they know the hockey studs personally. They are usually down for whatever which results in an intresting night for the boys. Many players regret and frown upon what they did the night before. Fortunetly this phenemonal night has its upsides like building team chemistry and chirping broads . the donksbecomechaw.
Dummied: To beat/completely annihilate someone in a form of competitive event so badly that it was like you were facing a non-living mannequin. aka. a Dummy.
Flow: Hair that would flow out the back of someone’s helmet and curl up around the back of the helmet. Someone can have a flow or be flowin. Long, curly or wavy hair. ex. Scott Hartnell’s flow.
Puck Bunnies: One of the lowest forms of lifestyles, they vary from young teens to women in their early 30s, and from appealing to grotesque. These girls are known for attending hockey games for the soul purpose of ending up in bed with one of the players. Their most common words used while in attendance of a game are “hot, ass, legs, body, arms, muscles, cute, tight.”
Bad Jibs: Bad teeth. One will usually see Bad Jibs on a hockey player who plays junior hockey or professional due to the lack of a face mask. Chipped, missing, teeth is also referred to Bad Jibs.
Gongshows:

• Generally regarding the shitstorm that takes place after games.
• A lifestyle defined and perfected by junior hockey players.
• A unique code of ethics shared amongst hockey players; widely unknown to others.
• Everything chaos.
• “Strictly a hockey term used to describe a random situation that was or could become out of control involving a lot of of booze. This term is unknown to civilians outside the dressing room and is a word used with pride and and class by some of the dirtiest hockey men alive. Strictly a class word.”

Beaks: Insults.
The Show: a.k.a : The National Hockey League/ The Big League.
The Chizzler: The guy on the team that steals everybody elses point because he can’t get his own.
The Knobhawk: The guy who keeps his head up on the ice, but down in the showers.
Ron Textall: The guy who just can’t stop texting either if its in the dressing room, in the car or in the bars. This guys always has his head burried in his celly trying to wheel.
The Word “Fuck”: Used all over the ice, all the time.

Post-Trade Deadline Top NHL Contenders

About a month ago, just before the NHL Trade Deadline I gave a list of who I thought the top contenders for the Stanley Cup were.  My, how a month has changed the entire landscape of the NHL.  A couple of the top contenders a month ago are falling below the waist, Detroit, Boston, San Jose to name a few, while teams like Pitsburgh, Philadelphia, Dallas, St. Louis (a month ago I didn't take them as a serious cup contender, I was wrong, yes I can admit when I'm wrong) are all surging into the playoffs.  And then there's teams like Washington, Los Angeles and Buffalo who I thought were Cup contenders at the start of the season but are in danger of missing the playoffs.  There's about 10 games left in the NHL schedule (3 weeks) and as the playoffs get near the races get better. So heres's the new list of the top contenders...

New York Rangers - They have scuffed their toes a little going 4-5-1 in the last 10 games, but make no mistake about it this team is for real.  Their only question going into the playoffs is does King Henrik (Lundqvist) have enough in the tank to take this team to the Cup?

Pittsburgh Penguins - This team is by far my favorite to come out of the East and depending on who they play against the West, they are one of the favorites to win the cup.  They already have the top line in the NHL with Malkin centering Neal and Kunitz, now with a healthy Crosby who was recently voted the top player in the game in a player's poll is back and playing at the level he left off when he got hurt.  The only teams in the East that can really slow the Pens down when they're playing on top of their game is New York, Boston (if Tim Thomas decides to pull his head out of his ass), and maybe and this is a big maybe, Philadelphia. 

Philadelphia Flyers - This team is a huge dark horse.  This team is wildely talented led by Claude Giroux but they have been incredibly inconsistent all year, largely due to their lack of defense and solid goaltending provided by Bryzgalov.  With that said, Philly has elite talent, and Bryzgalov is on pace to play the golden amount of games for cup contending goalies (Between 55-65 games).  If Bryzgalov gets hot they can knock off anybody, but their question is can they stay consistent for 4 playoff rounds?

Boston Bruins - A month ago I thought this was the best team in hockey, better than the Rangers, Canucks, and Red Wings.  Within the last month Tuukka Rask has injured his groin, Tim Thomas game has "gone to shit" (A little Herb Brooks reference), they brought in Marty Turco who has just exposed how bad this team has played the last month.  I don't know if it's just me but it definetly seems like Tim Thomas's game has been incredibly inconsistant since he skipped the White House ceremony.  And yes the Bruins are banged up.  The bottom line is however is this team looks like the Cup hangover that they started the season with has returned and I don't think this team has what it takes to win back-to-back championships.  But then again they've proved me wrong.

Vancouver Canucks - Like the Rangers a month ago, this team looked like the top team in the West, they ended Detroit's record home win streak in dramatic fashion and were in cruise control for the top spot in the conference.  But like the Rangers, they've struggled in their last 10 games and only able to manage 3 wins in that time span.  For my money this team is my favorite still to come out of the West.  They just have a calm yet confident swagger about them like the Penguins did in 2009 when they went back to the finals for the 2nd year in a row and beat Detroit.

St. Louis Blues - At the start of the season who would've thought the Blues would be leading the league in points and would be the 1st team to clinch a playoff berth?  If you claim to have said this you are either a liar or the biggest Blues fan.  If I am a GM in the Western Conference I would not want to play the Blues.  Even though they lack a premier player like Ovechkin, Iginla, Datsyuk, Toews, ect. this team is dangerous.  They are very talented, very physical, incredibly detail oriented, they have incredible goaltending, and Ken Hitchcock is by far the favorite to win the Jack Adams for best coach.  The only teams that I could see giving the Blues trouble are Detroit and Vancouver because of their star power. 

Detroit Red Wings - Let's face it, their recent slide is completely tied to their injury situation.  Losing Datsyuk, Lidstrom, and Howard in a week hurt, and not to mention when they came back into the lineup this week guys like Franzen and Helm got hurt and they'll be out for a while.  In my opinion this team is the "sleeping giant" (Pearl Harbor reference, what a terrible movie) in the entire NHL.  The way this team can win when they are on is unmatched by anybody, and they've been doing it my entire life (20 years, 6 months, 18 days).  Their Cup dreams like so many other teams reside in their goaltender's play in the playoffs.  And the Wings will either sink or swim depending on Howard's health and his performance in the playoffs. 

Nashville Predators - This team is the perfect playoff team, top 10 in offense, defense, power play, penalty kill.  In the playoffs teams win on special teams and goaltending.  This team has qualities in the 3 categories that match any other team in the NHL.  The moves this team made at the deadline bringing in the other Kostitsyn, Gaustad, and Hal Gill solidify this team's roster.  There's no holes in this line up, and their top-6 forwards, top-4 defensemen, and goalies are all healthy going into the playoffs.  On top of that Alexander Radulov, for my money the top player not playing NHL hockey, may decide this week whether he is going to return to the NHL after a 4 year hiatus.  Because of his contract situation with the Predators, if he comes back he doesn't have to pass through re-entry waivers, and he is fully elidigable for the playoffs (Marty Turco who signed with the Bruins after the trade deadline isn't elidgeable to play in the playoffs).  Make no mistake about it, if the Pred's get Radulov they're adding a top-6 forward into their lineup.

So there's my list.  If I were a betting man I would put my money with one of those 8 teams to win the cup.  With that said though any team in the playoffs, especially out of the West, can beat any other team, no question about it.

Women's Hockey... Controversies surrounding it...

For all the years I've been around the game of hockey it's given me an incredible ride.  For a long time too, it's given my sister who also plays hockey an awesome ride.  Over the years I've seen countless games of my sister's teams, as well as coached some of them.  And then recently in the last week my sister and I were having an argument about hockey.  In skipping all the unnecessary details, somewhere in there I made the statement "Women's hockey isn't real hockey".  Boy did my sister make me pay for that, and on top of it my mother was sitting in the other room and she got mad too.  But then it dawned upon me, Women's Hockey isn't really real hockey. 

Let me start off this argument that I think Women's Hockey is great, it's growth has been amazing for female hockey players who 20 years ago only had the option of playing hockey against boys/men, and most female hockey players had to drop out at the Pee Wee levels when boys started checking and "maturing".  I think it's awesome what women's hockey has done. 

With that said, here's where I think Women's Hockey should look at changing, and the reason they should look at changing is because for every male fan, coach, player, scout that loves and completely respects Women's Hockey, there's ten fans, players, coaches, scouts, etc. that have little respect for Women's Hockey, and they see it very much unequal compared to Men's Hockey or "Real Hockey".  Here's my problem with Women's Hockey: NO CHECKING.  Because girls/women can't legally make a clean hockey check to defend against a puck carrier, there's more time and space for a player to carry a puck.  Thus in non-checking leagues (Mites, Squirts, Old-Timers/Beer Leaguers included), the most skilled team always wins.  At times watching my sister's games, it looks like the better team in the game is on a 5 on 5 powerplay, and there's many times in Women's Hockey where the score gets run up by 6, 12, hell even 20 goals.  In my sister's travel league she played in one year the toughest team they faced one season, they beat all 3 times they played them by a total score of 16-6.  That year her team won the State Championship and went the whole entire season with 5 losses, all against Canadian teams.  In the end, because Women's Hockey is all about skill and puck possession, there is a tremendous competitive imbalance. 

And here's an even bigger piece of evidence of a competitive imbalance in Women's Hockey, the Women's Olympic Hockey Tournament.  Since the Women's Olympic Hockey Tournament has been around (1998 Winter Olympics was the 1st tournament)  In the 4 Olympic tournaments, the only time a North American team lost a game was when the Americans lost to the Swedish in the 2006 Gold Medal Semi-Final Game.  During it's 4 tournaments, Women's Olympic Hockey has featured teams from China, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Russia, Italy, Japan, Slovakia, and Kazakhstan.  However other than the 2006 Olympics, the 3 other Gold Medal games featured America and Canada.  In the most recent 2010 games the Canadian and American teams out scored their opponents 41-2 and 31-1 respectively.  And this has been the same exact case the previous 3 tournaments.  Clearly the North American teams have tremendous skill over teams from all other continents which is why there is a major debate going on in the Olympic Committee of whether or not Women's Hockey should be a competitive sport. 

Hockey is an incredible sport.  It is a balance between offensive skill and defensive skill, speed, grit, determination, physicality, and many other attributes.  In men's hockey all games are competitive, just look at the NHL.  I was watching the Phoenix Coyotes v. Columbus Blue Jackets game the other day, Phoenix a team battling for their playoff lives went in to Columbus to face a team that is dead last in the NHL, Phoenix had all the reasons to win yet Columbus managed a way to squeak out a win.  With checking in the game of hockey it gives teams with lesser skill than their opponents a legitimate chance to win, and a lot of times in checking leagues, the skill discrepancy between two teams is erased by hard work and determination.  Women's Hockey is all about skill and puck possession and 99.9% of the time the most skilled team wins, usually leaving little doubt of who was the better team.  When it's routine for a team to lose by 4, 5, 6, 7, even 10+ goals  it's not competitive hockey. 

And that's why I feel Women's Hockey is to an extent, NOT "REAL HOCKEY".

Pictures of some of the New Skater Gear...

Here's a glimse of what's coming out for Spring, 2012.  (Bauer Nexus is scheduled to be released in Summer, 2012)

Heres a quick look at the Bauer Nexus lineup.  It's going to fit kind of bigger, designed for the bigger power forward such as Ryan Kessler.

New Bauer Supreme Total One skates.  Not a lot of upgrades other than the honey comb design, the APX tongue, and improved eyelets (the gold eyelets in the picture)

Reebok 20K Skates.  They brought in theVapor style quarter package, which makes the skate a little lighter.  The first brand other than Bauer to release an $800 skate.

Easton Mako Stick... Although the White paint doesn't really do what it is supposed to (camoflouge the stick from the goalie), it still is an incredible stick.  The stick is light, it has great feel, and it's designed off of the very popular SE16 sticks.



New Goalie Gear Pictures

Just so you know what you're looking for if you're buying goalie gear this up coming year here's a few pictures of all the new stuff coming out.

                                                              Reebok Premier 4

Vaughn Velocity 5



Bauer Supreme Total One

 Warrior Ritual

Steve Mason.....

In the 2008-2009 NHL season, something incredible happened, something completely unexpected happened.  In the early part of that season, the Columbus Blue Jackets had incredible injuries to their entire goalie staff.  They were desperate so they called up a guy from their minor league system.  They said, "we need you to start a few games for us, just try and keep your head out there."  61 games later and 4 playoff games later, the Columbus Blue Jackets finished with the best season in the entire history of their franchise.  That season was backstopped by Steve Mason, who at that point emerged as a legitimate starting NHL netminder.  Fast forward 3 seasons, Steve Mason has completely faltered.  Each season since his incredible rookie year his goals against average has been over 3.00, his save percentage has been around .900, both stats no where near his rookie year, and he hasn't come close to hitting the standard 30 win plateau for NHL starting netminders.  In fact this season has been pitiful for Mason who has a goals against average of 3.40 per game, a save percentage of .890, and has only 9 wins in 35 games played.  At this point Columbus seems to be ready to throw in the towel on Mason, who still is only 23 years old.  There are so many questions to be asked about Mason, like What does his future hold?  Will he ever be able to hold down an NHL job?  Is Columbus going to just give up on him?

Before asking and answering all the questions surrounding Mason, let's look at what went wrong.  In the 2008-2009 campaign when Mason first came up, he came up into a perfect situation.  Mason was one of the Jacket's last options in net due to injuries.  When he came up he had hardly any pressure to perform as an elite starting NHL goalie.  That's when a goalie can be the most dangerous.  Because of the lack of pressure on him, Mason was able to thrive in that environment.  On top of that too, the Jackets were coached by one of the greatest NHL head coaches all time in Ken Hitchcock.  His strict, defense first system has worked with every team he as coached but he also tends to wear out his welcome.  So in the winter of 2010, Hitch was relieved of his coaching duties and had been reassigned to a job within the Columbus organization.  Since then there have been 3 different coaches working the Jacket's bench.  None of Hitch's replacements emphasize a defense 1st scheme, and thus since Hitch's dismissal, Columbus's defensive game has been terrible and that is a major contributor to Mason's struggles.  Also with 3 coaching changes within the last 2 years, Mason has been the highlight of the Jacket's struggles to adjust to new systems from each hired head coach.  That's the clear on-ice struggles of Mason, but his problems go beyond that.  Steve Mason has incredible talent, great technique.  There's nothing wrong with his physical game, his problems are all mental and are all based on his confidence.  Hockey goalies are a different breed of hockey player.  Many times forwards and defenseman are able to break in to the league and thrive at a very young age, even as young as 18.  However, goalie's are different.  Goalies need to develop the mental and confidence side of their game before they can face the pressures of playing in the NHL, most goalies don't break into the league at least until their 23rd birthday.  Most goalies need the experience of playing at a high level in critical junctures of a hockey game but with minor league pressures from fans, media, and all other hockey personnel.  Steve Mason made his debut in the league at the very raw age of 20.  Having only played 3 games at the AHL level, he excelled when he came up in the NHL.  Since his tremendous rookie season, Mason has been under constant pressure from an NHL market, all be it not a good one, to return to form he had in his rookie season.  That type of pressure Mason should have had experience with in the minor leagues before having to deal with it in the NHL.  And because of that pressure he's facing, he hasn't been able to find the confidence that he played with when he broke into the league. 

So what does the future hold for Steve Mason?  I think his time in Columbus is dwindling.  I think he will be traded or let go from that franchise sometime in the upcoming 2012 offseason.  I think for Mason, what's best for him is to go to a franchise where he isn't expected to be the starter right away, where he can develop the mental aspect of his game, and where he can go and play behind a solid defensive team.  I don't know where he's going to end up but a team like Florida, Tampa, maybe Washington, maybe Chicago are great examples of where he can go and take a step back and work to remodel his game.  If he does that I think he will still be a force to be reckoned with going forward.

WHY RICK NASH DIDN'T GET TRADED

In the weeks before the NHL trade deadline, the big name with rumors swirling around him was Rick Nash.  A player that is an elite power foward but has severly underpreformed in Columbus over his 9 years with that franchise.  Finally he's had enough with losing and Nash wants out.  It's completely understandable from Rick Nash's point of view.  And eventually he will be traded. But why didn't Nash get traded today?

The main reason Rick Nash didn't get traded is because of the price to bring him in.  Columbus was asking for 2 legitimate roster players, 1 or 2 high draft picks, 1 or 2 high level NHL ready prospects.  That amount of pieces is extremely difficult for a team to give up, much less a top contender on Nash's list (a part of his limited movement clause he selects 10 teams he would accept a trade to, teams rumored to be included now were the New York Rangers, Vancouver Canucks, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, among others).  For example if the Rangers made the trade the return Columbus would ask for is Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan McDounough or Derek Stephan, either a 1st and 2nd round selection in the 2012 draft or two 1st round picks in the 2012 and 2013 drafts.  That trade requires a major restructuring of a roster and also major restructuring in the offseason to fit in his $7.8 million over the next 6 years (courtesy of CapGeek.com).  The restructuring it will take to bring in a Rick Nash is similar to what the Philadelphia did to bring in Bryzgalov.

It's no longer a matter "is Rick Nash going to get traded", but "when and where does Rick Nash get traded to."  Just an hour ago, Columbus GM Scott Howson publicly stated that Rick Nash requested a trade, this is incredibly bizarre because no one ever says what happens behind the scenes.  Because of this Rick Nash's time in Columbus is almost certain to end within the next 6 months.  He is going to get traded, I think it's almost certain that he gets traded at the draft where all General Managers meet in one place.  I think going into the draft the favorite to land Rick Nash is the Vancouver Canucks.  I think they'll package Cory Schneider (Columbus is desperate for a legitimate starting netminder) with a few other roster players such as Keith Ballard and David Booth (both making $4 million +) to match Nash's salary.  I think other teams in for Nash include the Toronto Maple Leafs, the New York Rangers, the San Jose Sharks (based on his friendship with Joe Thorton), the Dallas Stars (a team with the prospects and depth that would suit Columbus's demands), and maybe an outside chance of either the Detroit Red Wings or the Nashville Predators. 

From here on out until he gets traded, the Rick Nash topic will be the top rumor and subject that will be talked about.  He will get traded this offseason, if he doesn't it's going to be a poisonous situation for Rick Nash to stay in Columbus, and I think it will benefit both parties for Nash to get traded.

NHL Pre-Deadline Trade Analysis

So far within the last 2 weeks there have been 9 NHL trades (trades not including ones for minor leaguers).  Here's a little instant analysis on each one.

Jeff Carter traded from the Columbus Blue Jackets to the Los Angeles Kings for Jack Johnson and a conditional 1st round pick. (2/23/12)

At first sight I think the Kings paid too much.  Especially since Columbus traded a lesser value asset in Jakub Voracek and a 1st round pick (even though it was a top-10 selection).  But I think it can help fix the King's scoring problems.  I think it definetly gets the Kings into the playoffs this season but going forward I think they're going to miss Jack Johnson.  On the flip side I think Columbus won big.  In getting Jack Johnson they're getting a bonafide number 1 defenseman.  He can provide some offense, and he will help in the defensive zone relieving pressure.  Also the 1st round pick is going to get the Jackets a solid piece.


Wojtek Wolski traded from the New York Rangers to the Florida Panthers for Mike Vernace and a 3rd round pick. (2/25/12)

This trade is simple for both teams, the Florida Panthers add a top 6 forward.  The Rangers get $3 million + to open up cap space, probably to make a push for Rick Nash. 


Minnesota Wild trade Marek Zidlicky to the New Jersey Devils for Kurtis Foster, Nick Palmeri, Stephane Veilleux, 2012 2nd round pick, conditional 2013 3rd round pick

Marek Zidlicky is one of the most underrated defensemen in the game of hockey.  He is a solid skating, 2-way defensean.  This is a great piece for the Devils to add.  I think they may have given up a little too much, especially considering Zidlicky's age (35) and lack of production this season (0 goals, 14 assists, -6).  But I think it will work out for both teams.


Tampa Bay sends Steve Downie to the Colorado Avalanche for Kyle Quincey. Tampa Bay sends Kyle Quincey to the Detroit Red Wings for a 2012 1st round selection and a defensive prospect. 

I like this trade for Colorado because they add a top-6 forward that can provide a great combination of grit, toughness, and offense.  He was a critical piece in Tampa's playoff run last season.  I like this for Detroit because they add depth on defense and this move gives them insurance if Brad Stuart leaves after this season or if Nick Lidstrom retires.  I think Tampa could've gotten more for Quincey, a quality top-4 defenseman of Quincey's status should've brought in another piece, either a roster player or another prospect.


Phoenix Coyotes get Antoine Vermette from the Columbus Blue Jackets for a 2nd round pick, a 5th round pick, and goaltender Curtis McElhinney

This is a good trade for both teams.  Vermette is a solid second line center but like many Jackets he was underperforming this season.  The Jackets get a nice return. 

These are the major trades that happened before the deadline.  I think this is what I expected, a lot of trades before the deadline, and I think other than a few minor moves, deadline Monday is going to be relativly quiet.  And I don't think the Blue Jackets are going to trade Rick Nash at the deadline.  I think they will wait until the draft to trade him if they're giong to at all.  But I could be wrong. 

Top Stanley Cup Contenders (Today, February 19th, 2012)

Hockey Day in America.  A great day.  A great day also to evaluate the top contenders in each conference.  This evaluation is based on if the regular season ended today.  The current updated rosters are taken into affect (Philadelphia Flyers acquisitions of Nick Grossman and Pavel Kubina) as the trade deadline is 8 days away and big names (Rick Nash) could be moved before the deadline.  So here's the list.

Eastern Conference

New York Rangers.
Let's start with the New York Rangers.  This team is on top of the Eastern Conference.  They have arguably one of the top 2 goalies in the game today in Henrik Lundqvist (in my opinion the other one being Johnathon Quick).  They are by far the top team in goals against per game, even better than Boston who has consistantly led the league in team defense the past few seasons.  Questions exist though in the Ranger's offense, yes they have elite talents in Brad Richards and Marion Gaborik and great depth in Ryan Callahan but they lack an elite power forward which most other cup contenders are loaded with.  And because they're missing a power forward their powerplay has been a disaster compared to where it should/could be.  Also their question going down the stretch is how often they give Lundqvist rest.  This is going to be a huge factor if they intend on making a cup run.
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Needs:  A power forward. I don't know if they want to pay the price they would have to, to bring in Rick Nash (3-5 NHL quality assets) let alone add his $7.8 million contract to their books with Lundqvist, Richards, Gaborick, and even Wade Redden (even though he's not in the NHL the Rangers are still paying him every penny off of his rediculous contract) all making over $6 million dollars per season.  That's around the same number of guys the Blackhawks had when they won the cup and the reason they had to shed half of that team's roster.  I would wonder if the Rangers might go after a guy like Ryan Malone. A guy who has extensive playoff experience, can score, is a big body, and could be had for a combination of picks and prospects, which for a team chasing down a Stanley Cup is a small price to pay.

Teams the Rangers will struggle against: Pittsburgh Penguins


Boston Bruins
Next let's look at the defending champs, the Boston Bruins.  I like this team a lot. Before the NHL All-Star break this team was in my opinion the top team in the league.  But ever since Tim Thomas decided to skip the White House visit this team has struggled to find consistant wins.  I still like this team to go deep and make another run in the playoffs.  This team still has great goaltending, great team defense, and great special teams.  All part of a recipie for playoff success.  I also love the emergence of Tyler Seguin as an elite forward. 

Needs:  They don't really have a specific need, I think they may want to add a rental forward and/or defenseman. 

Teams the Bruins will struggle against: Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers


Philadelphia Flyers
I like this team a lot.  I like their balance up front and on defense.  I like the emergence of Claude Giroux as well. But this team is struggling to keep the puck out of their net.  Ilya Bryzgalov isn't living up any where near his big contract.  But it's not all on him, the absence of Chris Pronger is really what is bringing this team down.  We'll see how their recent additions of Nick Grossman and Pavel Kubina pay off. 

Needs: They could use a nice two-way center, with a little grit, a little offense, and someone with experience.  I would take a long hard look at Antoinne Vermette in Columbus, a guy that could be had for the right price. 

Teams the Flyers could struggle against: Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins.


Pittsburgh Penguins
This team is stacked, they are solid offensivly, defensivly, in net, and in special teams.  As of today I like them to contend in the East.  But this team has the biggest "if".  Does Sidney Crosby come back in time to help in a playoff run.  If he does, no one in the Eastern Conference can go toe-to-toe with Pittsburgh.  If he comes back, Pittsburgh is the absolute favorite in my mind to win the cup.  If he doesn't this team will have to compete to get through the Eastern Conference.

Needs:  Sidney Crosby, this guy is flat out the best player in the game of Hockey.  He is this team's unquestioned leader.  If he doesn't come back I would like to see the Pen's add a top-6 forward.  Someone that can score, brings some veteran leadership, and someone that wants to win a cup.  A guy like Shane Doan would be a perfect fit although I don't think the Coyotes are willing to give him up that easily.

Teams that will challenge the Penguins: New York Rangers, Boston Bruins

Teams with an outside shot of contending:
Washington Capitals: They need Nick Backstrom and Mike Green back and playing at a level they're capible of.  They should both be back next month but it may be too little, too late. 

New Jersey Devils:  This is a veteran led team that knows how to win when they want to.  If Martin Brodeur can return to some of the form he had 2 years ago this team can be dangerous for the East's top contenders. 


Western Conference
For my money 7 teams in the top 8 that make the playoffs have a legitimate shot at winning the cup this year. 

Detroit Red Wings
Let's face it, the Detroit Red Wings are the elite team in the NHL, they have been consistantly over the last 2 decades.  This team has elite two-way talents in Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg leading their offense.  Nick Lidstrom is still an elite talent on defense leading the way of an incredibly talented group of 5 other defensemen.  And Jimmy Howard is emerging as a top-5 goaltender in the game.  This team's only question is can they win consistantly on the road.  Their record now 23 straight home wins is impressive but their road record is quite pedestrian.

Needs:  Any piece this team goes after isn't really a need but more of a want.  I think if this team adds either a top-6 forward or a top-4 defenseman they will keep the first seed in the West.

Teams the Red Wings may struggle against: Vancouver Canucks, San Jose Sharks

Vancouver Canucks
This team by far is the deepest team in the NHL.  At forward, defense, and goaltending.  The only team that can challenge the Canuck's talent is the Detroit Red Wings.  That being said there are some questions surrounding Roberto Luongo.  If he can't be the goalie to lead this team to the cup they may sturggle, even with an elite backup netminder in Cory Schneider.

Needs: The only thing this team needs going into the playoffs is minimal injuries to their top end talents and rest for Luongo. 

Teams that this team could struggle against:  Detroit Red Wings

San Jose Sharks
Right now this team isn't playing near a level they were expected to be at going into the season.  But the moves they made this past offseason in acquiring Brent Burns will greatly affect this team going into the playoffs.  Trading away Dany Heatley and Devon Settuguchi hurt this team's offensive depth which was their regular season strength over the last 5 years. But the addition of Brent Burns brings in a legitimate #1 defenseman which they lacked and was a huge reason for their past playoff struggles.

Needs: I think this team just needs some depth, the recent addition of Dominik Moore will help but they could use another piece.  Trading Nittymaki could help attract a piece or 2.

Teams that they may struggle against: Vancouver Canucks, Detroit Red Wings

The top 3 contenders in the West are the clear-cut top 3, but there are other contenders in the West that could make a dent in the playoff race.

St. Louis Blues: This team is has played incredible since Ken Hitchcock took over the team earlier in the season.  This team however lacks an elite talent, a special player that can take over a game.  Also the Blues alternate starts for their goalies, so who takes the reigns for the playoffs is a question that needs to be answered in 2 or 3 weeks.

Nashville Predators:  This team has 3 elite talents in Shea Weber, Ryan Suter, and Pekka Rinne.  I think this team could make a splash in the playoffs but I think they need help in their offense. 

Chicago Blackhawks:  When this team wants to be the best they can be the best team in the Western Conference.  But right now they're struggling mightily.  I think this team needs to add a top-4 defenseman and they need their goaltending to pick up, if both pieces come into place I think they can contend for a cup.

Los Angeles Kings: This team is a bit of a wild card.  Going into the season they were my favorite to come out of the West.  This team is incredibly defensivly, and Johnathon Quick is playing out of his mind.  Yet with elite talents in guys like Anze Kopitar, Mike Richards, Dustin Brown, Drew Doughty, and Jack Johnson, this team bottom feeding in offense and powerplay.  But with the way they can keep a game within 1 or 2 goals, any team in the West will struggle to beat them in a 7 game series. 

That's the list of contenders.  I'll revisit this issue after the trade deadline and evaluate any big trades to any of these contenders.  And then we'll see how the rest of the season and playoffs play out.

Here's my cup prediction today.

Vancouver Canucks over Pittsburgh Penguins in 6 games.

What type of Goalie gear is best for you?

When most goalie's go gear shopping they don't know exactly what they're looking for.  They usually shop for gear that their favorite players wear or based on what a salesman tells them they need.  I know because I've gone shopping countless time for gear and I also used to be an equipment salesman.  So here's a breakdown of gear that's out there.

First decide what level of gear you need.  Usually most manufactures offer a pro level series, an elite level series, and a recreational level series.  Some brands such as Vaughn offer these levels in different pads, and some brands such as Brian's only offer 2 serieses.

Pro Level Series - This series is for the elite netminder.  An elite netminder practicing at least 3 times a week, as well as playing 70-100 games a year.  For someone skating 3-6 times a week, this gear level will last about 2 years, maybe 4 years if the gear is taken care of extremely well (taking it out of the bag to air out each time it is used).  At a senior level, pads run about $1400-1600, catch gloves run about $400-470, blockers run about $300-350, skates run about $600, chest protectors about $400-500, pants about $200-300, and masks run $600+ depending on the brand and paint job. 

Elite Level Series - This series is for a netminder looking for the design qualities in pro-level gear but without the price.  The main difference between elite series gear and pro-level gear is quality and durability.  This gear set is great for someone using intermediate pads and who will grow out of them quickly.  At a senior level these pads are good for someone skating 4 times or less per week, and it should last 2-5 years depending on how well the gear is taken care of.  Pads run about $600, catcher and blocker about $500, skates around $300-350, masks about $400, chest protector about $250-300, pants about $120-180.

Recreational Level Series - This series is good for a goalie just starting out or a goalie skating once or 2 times a week.  If taken care of properly, this gear probably will last 2 years at most.  If you're skating more than once or 2 times a week this gear level is the wrong set for you.  You won't be happy with the performance you're getting out of the gear not to mention the gear will deteriorate quickly.  Usually pads run $300-500, gloves around $200-250, skates around $200, and mask around $200.  (There isn't usually a chest protector or pant offered at this price level)

Now once you've decided what level of gear you want next decide what pads are good for you.  Here's a quick breakdown of each pads out there, usually it's best that you buy within the equipment brand you select for your pads (especially with gloves as they are meant to fit best in the butterfly).

There's 2 exclusive styles of pads out on the market.

There's the butterfly design of gear that is designed stiff that are designed for a pure butterfly goalie, these pads usually flat faced with no brakes in the pads. The leg pads are all flat on the inside of the pad to provide a seal along the ice to not allow pucks to squeak through.  And butterfly pads are designed to give off hard rebounds.  Because of the stiff design leg pads allow for easier lateral mobility within the butterfly. These pads and gear lines take a very "new school" approach and each time something new comes out it pushes the boundries of the old.

Then there's the traditional or hybrid style of pads/gear.  They are very flexible.  They usually fit tight into the five hole.  These pads don't offer the lateral mobility in the butterfly like the previously mentioned style but they allow for better mobility in the goalie's stance when they're standing up.  These pads usually offer soft knee roles along the knee cradle, and some pads offer rolls vertically along the pads. 

Here's a breakdown based on style of play. 

Pure butterfly - almost exclusivly using the butterfly to make saves, usually using a very large stance with a wide five hole.  Examples of this style include Henrik Lundqvist, Roberto Luongo, Carey Price, Marc-Andre Fleury.  The gear styles are usually very squared up and stiff. 

Reebok Premier Series - This pad is the most extreme design for a pure butterfly goalie.  It is the stiffest pad series by far.  It also holds it's "out-of-the-box" shape longer than anyother pads. These pads are very deep in the leg channel, thus those who wear them usually wear the pads very loose compared to other brands.  If you feel comfortable in these pads, and you feel they fit best with your game stick with them because all other pads that are designed similar to the Premiers are designed closer to a hybrid pad.  The Premier is the most customizeable set in terms of what a customer can ask and thus will be produced.

(Each brand on the rest of this list has features that are more alike a traditional style pad.)

Bauer Supreme Series - The front face of this gear series is very similar to the Premier series.  But the gear usually fits tighter to the body than the Reebok series.  This series offeres the most customizable options once the gear is purchased and in the customers hands. 

Warrior Ritual Series - This series is probably the 2nd most customizable series on the market behind the Premier series.  This series isn't yet in the market (Release date April, 2012), but it is peeking it's head out for big retailers.  This pad is designed by Smith Goaltending which never made it to the NHL but produced high quality that was used by college level goalies.  This gear is going to have a similar feel to the Bauer Supremes but it won't look as big as the Supremes or Premiers.

Brian's Sub-Zero - This gear set offers a lot of feel like a hybrid series but it still has a flat face.  Unique for these pads is the strapless design that makes this set of gear the lightest on the market. 

Vaughn Vision - Similar in shape to the Brian's Sub-Zero's but it has the normal strapping systems. 

Hybrid/Traditional Style - This style of gear is best for a goalie that is quick, uses a smaller stance, and uses a variety of saves from their toolboxes.  Examples of this style include Ryan Miller, Jimmy Howard, Tuuka Rask, and Tim Thomas (his style is more of a traditional stand-up style than a hybrid butterfly style)

Vaughn Velocity - By far the best selling gear set over the last 5-6 years.  This gear set offers a moderate flex in the gear with traditional knee roles in the pads.  Vaughn is good too with making custom factory modifications on the gear too to fit a goalie's specific needs. 

Bauer Re-flex - This series is realitivly new to the equipment market but it is gaining in popularity.  It is more squared up than other pads designed for this style.  The gear series often too offers different flex options. 

Reebok Larceny - This gear set was the first hybrid/traditional set created by Reebok.  The gear in this set is very flexible and very well designed for quality. 

There's a quick breakdown of the main manufactures of gear.  If you're going to purchase gear in the next little while and you want the opinion of a unbiased third-party I'm more than happy to help.  Good luck with your future gear shopping as well. 

The one word you never say to a goalie.

Tonight I played a hockey game.  I was the starting goalie. The game was going pretty good.  Our team was up 3-0 after the second period.  During the intermission as we were about to head out for the 3rd my defenseman tapped me on the pads, gave me a fist pump, and said keep that shutout going.  For time sake the game ended and we won 4-2.  I gave up 1 goal, and one goal was an own goal as it went in when I was pulled for an extra attacker on a delayed penalty.  I'm happy we won. But this bugs me, the guy said the word shutout. Now I'll admit it, goalies are mentally different and even a little bit wierd, but you never say the word shutout during a game when your goalie has a shutout going.  Don't say that word to the goalie, don't say that to the players on the bench, don't even think it.  Just play the god damn game.  Again, don't say the word shutout while your goalie has a shutout going.

Winter Classic...

Today the NHL announced that the 2013 Winter Classic will be held in Ann Arbor, Michigan at Michigan Stadium.  The game will feature the Detroit Red Wings playing host to Origional 6 rival the Toronto Maple Leafs.  Now being from the Detroit area, I'm completely stoked for this game and I will be at that stadium but I think the NHL made a mistake.  I think playing a hockey game in a football stadium is a terrible idea.  Last year I went to the Big Chill at the Big House, and the year before I went to the Frozen Four which was held at the home for the NFL's Detroit Lions, Ford Field.  The beauty of going to a hockey game is being right up against the glass and watching the game from an intimate distance.  When a hockey game is held at a football stadium, the stands are so spread out that you lose the the intamacy of the game.  In the future if the NHL is going to continue with the outdoor games, they should always be played at a baseball stadium.  The ice surface can be put fairly close to the diamond and that brings the game a lot closer to the fans.  Hopefully someone from the NHL who selects where the Winter Classic is held is reading this.

Reebok Premier 4 Goalie Gear.

Within the past week, Reebok is beginning to show off on their website and other retail websites the new Premier 4 goalie gear.  After viewing it I am completely in awe and I plan on purchasing a pad and glove set sometime after their release date in April.

Here's some of the features.

Leg Pads-
Solid front face and outer roll, the breaks in the pads are all interior and are not visible on the outside of the pad.

Flex Core - More flexibility at the boot/leg joint of the pad, allowing for more flexibility and mobility within the butterfly.

Quick Release Knee Cradle - New materials in the knee cradle as well as a wider base allow for the pad to fit differently to an individual goalie's preference.  It can fit losely and allow the pad to hang lower giving the appearance of better 5-hole coverage ina goalie's stance.  It can also fit tight for someone who wouldn't like their pads fitting extremely loose.  Also new is the max coverage knee lifts.  Similar to the knee lifts in the Bauer Supreme One100 pads, if you don't completely close off your 5-hole in your butterfly, the knee lifts come together to help close off.

The old knock on Reebok pads is that they don't provide good five hole coverage.  The new Premier 4 pads are changing that while still keeping the traditional Reebok style.

Blocker

The big new feature is the additional padding around the hand.  There is a lot more padding around the index finger that goes over the paddle (the finger Jimmy Howard broke by taking a puck off).  The padding around the index finger will fit around the paddle to allow for maximum mobility with the stick.

Catch Glove

The Premier 4 glove will be offered in both the one and two piece models.  New on the one piece glove is the interior cuff is not attaced to the main padding of the glove.  This feature allows for flexibility similar to a 2 piece cuff. 

The 1 piece glove is very similar to the old Premier 3 glove with a few tweaks, the main one making the pocket deeper, making the glove a better catching glove.  Also with the deeper pocket, it is now easier to see the puck in the glove. (Allowing Ref's to see the puck easier will allow for quicker whistles when the puck is covered.)

I am getting new gear this year, the Bauer Supreme One100's I'm using are not holding up the way a pro-level pad should hold up.  Reebok Premier 4 is on the very short list of gear I'm looking at. 

Release Date sometime in April - Reebok is taking custom orders on the pads, Goalie Monkey is one of the retailers offering the service.

Expected Goal Pad Price - $1599.99
Expected Catcher Price - $449.99
Expected Blocker Price - $349.99

Hockey Player's Routine

Every elite level hockey player has one.  A pre-game ritual or routine.  Every game, every practice this routine is done like clockwork.  Over my hockey playing career I did the exact same thing for every game.  Here's my routine.

1. Wake up, Drink a bottle of water
2. Breakfast - Eggs, Whole Wheat Toast with Peanut Butter, Hot Oatmeal with fruit and skim milk
3. A quick 1 mile run
4. A quick 30 minute workout - Squats, Sit Ups, Push Ups, Shuttle Runs (Sprints, High Knees, ect.)
5. A bottle of water
- Depending what time the game is

Afternoon Game -
Lunch - Turkey Sandwich, Trail Mix (No Candy), Banana (For Potassium, prevents cramps)
Nap - Depending on what time the game is 30 min. - 2 hrs.
Bottle of Water
Go to the Arena
Equipment Maintanence (Skate Sharpening, Tape Sticks, Check Screws on Skates & Helmet)
Pre-game workouts, stretching, Goalie Reflex Drill (Coach throwing a ball against the wall behind the goalie)
Game

Night Game-
Lunch - Grilled Chicken Breast on top of angel hair pasta and marinara sauce, 2 bottles of water, almonds
Nap - 2 Hrs
Snack - Bowl of cereal (cinnamon toast crunch), banana, bottle of water
Go to the Arena
Equipment Maintanence
Pre-Game Workouts
Game

Post-Game snack - trail mix (w/candy), Bottle of water
quick workout - 1 Mile run or depending on the weather 10 min. on the bike


When I was playing, if I didn't stick closely to my routine I didn't play well.  It wasn't so much about my physical abilities but it definetly threw me off my game mentally. 

Go To a Hockey Game.

If you call yourself a sports fan, you should go to a hockey game.  Watching hockey doesn't do you any service.  Hockey isn't video taped well.  It is incredibly faster in person than on the television tube. 

Let's face it Hockey is the greatest sport on the planet (Opinion).  It is the fastest sport (Fact). There's scoring, there's hitting, there's fighting, and there's blood.  Soccer is slow and boring.  Football is great but their offseason lasts longer than their entire season including preseason and playoffs.  Baseball is great because of it's rich history and traditions (Hockey is rich in history and traditions too), but in hockey there isn't a 20 second break in between every pitch.  The only reason why hockey isn't the most popular sport in the world is because it is tremendously expensive, both in equipment and keeping the ice frozen. 

With that said, if you're a sports fan and you enjoy hockey, you have to go to the games to get the full experience of the game.  In North America, where ever you live, you're no more than a 2 hour drive to the home barn of a high level hockey team. 

Here's a few reasons why you should go to a hockey game.
1. Hockey is a great place to go on a date.  Girls and women for that matter LOVE hockey.  Something about watching 20 men go into battle sparks their interest.  I can't tell you how many chicks I've gotten to go out with me because I played or because I had tickets to a game.

2. There's fighting. In the sports fan dictionary there's a saying, "I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out." Hockey is the only sport on Earth (other than UFC, Boxing, "Wrestling") where fighting your opponent is allowed.  Camera angles can not capture the excitement of seeing a fight live in person.

3.  Hockey players are entertaining, what they say to each other, the other team, both on and off the ice is incredibly entertaining.  An example being the All-Star game or the 24/7 television series on HBO.  When you're at the game you can hear some of what is said.

4. Hockey fans are unlike any other sports fan.  Their passion and excitement for the game of hockey can not only be seen and heard, but it can be felt.  It is intoxicating.  And you can't get it sitting on your ass watching it at home. 
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Hockey Season is about halfway through with most teams finishing up between March and June.  Go to a hockey game, I promise you that you will not regret it.