A sad break from hockey….

I feel like I keep writing these posts.  Tonight I came home to find my cat has passed.

Maybe a few of you remember him, he was the little white fluff ball at my high school graduation party. He was fearless and yet scared all at the same time.  Ever my shower voyer loving to sit inbetween the shower curtains making sure I didn’t escape while showering.  The ball of white fluff that used to blend in with all the stuffed animals on my bed.  My fuzzy white alarm clock that told me when to get up and when to go to bed.  My source of constant entertainment as he would sit and watch hockey.  He loved to bat at players wearing red jerseys as they would appear on the TV screen.   That was good when I was watching the Flyers but not so good when watching the Flames.  Attacking the light on the vacuum cleaner was probably my favorite though.   Always interesting as he would beg for shrimp, ice cream, bit of sandwich or cheetos.   Watching him adapt to new friends Figaro, Lynx & Zeus.  Watching him adapt to the loss of each as well.

CB will be missed.    He was a good friend.

 

Friday night thinking: 5 reason I love hockey

Friday night thinking: 5 reasons I love hockey

I don’t know if any of you have caught this blog series on Puck Daddy’s blog

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy?keyword=5+Reasons+I+Love+Hockey

I have been thoroughly enjoying reading why other people love hockey.

I will say that it made me think if I had to knock it down to just 5 reasons what would I put about why I love hockey so much.

1. Egalitarian sport.  Ok I know this is almost always my argument with my football loving co-workers, everyone on the ice has the opportunity to touch the puck and make the score.  Yes, not everyone has the same minutes.  Yes, some players need to work on putting the puck in the twine but realistically anyone, including goaltenders, can score.  No need to switch from the offense to the defense to make the score happen either.  The squad that defends can be the same group that lights the lamp.

1. The beauty of the play.  Ok well I think we all know I am a photographer.  I love crisp passes and the up tempo style.  It is energetic and artsy all at the same time.  To me seeing a guy get the puck through a ton of bodies in front to another guy that deflects the puck, is art and skill.   You have to have the vision on what you want to achieve and see the route to get it there.

1. Hockey Fans.  Hockey fans are often just like the players. They are good people.  They are highly passionate about their sport and support of their teams.   They are big on debates about line combinations, salary caps, systems, in arena presentations, ice girls, hockey bloggers, Bettman as commissioner and collecting memorabilia.  They are mostly well informed on the game they love.   They make some of the most creative signs.

<a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/2266942088/” title=”Anna’s Sign by neat1325, on Flickr”><img src=”http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2177/2266942088_c86be4e970_o.jpg” width=”800″ height=”600″ alt=”Anna’s Sign” /></a>

<a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/2495758535/” title=”IMG_0028 by neat1325, on Flickr”><img src=”http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2207/2495758535_38561798c5_o.jpg” width=”800″ height=”600″ alt=”IMG_0028″ /></a>

<a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/2451083087/” title=”the price is wrong….. by neat1325, on Flickr”><img src=”http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3039/2451083087_b27519c732_o.jpg” width=”800″ height=”600″ alt=”the price is wrong…..” /></a>

1. The players.  Hockey players are some of the nicest, most down to earth people you will ever meet.  They understand hockey is a team sport.  They stick together and battle it out together.  Yes, this does often create what can seem a very boring team personality.  I would love to see the individuals under that media mask at times.  This is just all part of being good team guys though.  They care what they say and are willing to shoulder the blame.
2. Hockey is a family.  Hockey folks tend to all stick together.  They do things for each other out of love regardless of team they support.  The hockey community is one like no other that I have ever witnessed.

 

2nd Annual Cote Carnival

The 2nd Annual Cote Carnival was a great success. It was a great day and event for a great cause to knock out MS. Words can’t tell the story better then pictures.

Full set of pix
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157622000579083/

Ray Emery and Pat Maroon
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3850988266/in/set-72157622000579083/

Jeff Carter and Aaron Asham
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3850192885/in/set-72157622000579083/

James van Reimsdyk and Andreas Nodl
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3850989166/in/set-72157622000579083/

Danny Briere and fans
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3850237205/in/set-72157622000579083/

I hope you join us next year.

 

Friday night thinking: Hockey Road trips and giving back

This Friday I have a caught up DVR accept for ace of Cakes.  Amazing what getting injured in hockey tournaments does for your DVR.

The last couple weeks I have covered hockey withdrawal and Player fan interaction.

I appreciate the feedback you all have given.  I love hearing everyone’s stories.

The AHL schedule came out this week.  I think you all know that in the last 2 seasons I have become much more involved in following the Flyers AHL affiliate the Phantoms.  This season they have moved from Philadelphia to points north, Glens Falls, NY.

This has definitely been a loss for the local Philadelphia area.  I can not tell you how many people have told me how the Phantoms players have touched and changed not only their lives but their kids’ lives.  Kids could be close to the action and several kids only events with the team made the relationship between young fan and player very unique.

I hope those players realize the positive impact that they have had on those kids.

I encourage anyone near and AHL team to take in a game.  It is good action and if you have kids take them.  Introduce them to the love of hockey you have maybe they will love it too.

Last night I made a whole scenario to work in what Flyers games I want with the Phantoms will be with in 3 hours of Philly games.  I have a list of about 15 games for each team.  I am going to several new arenas and a few I haven’t been in for a long time Like the Hartford Civic Center.  I love hockey road trips.  You bond with your fellow travelers have all kinds of experiences that  few would understand like how cool was it to find out the team is in the same hotel you are in.

I want to hear the road trip stories.  Please share them.

I also wanted to talk about how Players and Fans work together to give back to their communities.  I love seeing that players are running camps for kids to help them improve.

I think it is probably a great experience for both the player and the kids.

The next level of giving back is the charity event.  There are a number of these through out the summer.   Most seem to be golf tournaments which I think is every NHL players favorite past time.  There are a few original things.  I saw a ball hockey tournament and some type of barbeque.  I love hearing of great turnouts and charities benefiting from these events.  I think it is great that players want to give back to charities and communities.  To me that means that there is still good and hope in the world.

I love to hear when organizations are also in that giving spirit like the Flyers Wives Fight for Lives Carnival and various Casino Nights through out the season.

Please get out and support your local team & the charities.

Flyers faithful you have a chance next weekend.  Riley Cote is hosting his 2ns Annual Cote Carnival at Swanky Bubbles.  Players to appear Jeff Carter, ray Emery, Aaron Asham and James Van Reimsdyk.  Proceeds go to help knock out MS.

You can buy tix at Cotecarnival.net.

 

Friday night thinking: Hockey Withdrawal

For the record I am still working on my DVR for off season it is at a hefty 58%.   Tonight I am catching up on Burn Notice.

Most of you know I am the picture girl.  I take tons of pictures I love trying to pick out some new thing to try and capture about hockey players on the ice.  Famous sets I have are

Happy Camper (pix of players laughing or smiling)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157604089089556/

Funny Faces

http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157604093362867/

Tongue Out

http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157611572144287/

The one thing I have notice among my pictures sets is the steady stream of views.  I don’t know how to insert my flickr stats here but I have had a steady 1000 views per day.   Last summer I was averaging 500 per day.

To me that says folks have hockey withdrawal and are looking to have their hockey appetites whetted.

I see evidence of this in other places

Eklund’s buzzcast talking about the number of unique views

ttp://www.talkshoe.com/tc/57507

Like the Yahoo Puck Daddy blog

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/It-s-a-long-way-down-the-holiday-road?urn=nhl,181492

I have seen evidence of it in my twitter & facebook streams also.

If you have all these people starving for hockey information what are NHL teams doing to satisfy their fan bases.

Well I can tell you a few things:

the Flyers had Braydon Coburn and Riley Cote swim with the sharks at  the aquarium

http://flyers.nhl.tv/team/console.jsp?catid=772&id=45410

The LA Kings are having hockey fest

http://kings.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=41295

The Boston Bruins are covering Tim Thomas’ vacation

http://bruins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=449780&navid=DL|BOS|home#&navid=nhl-home-dl

What I see is a huge opportunity for NHL clubs to drive folks to their sites that is being missed.  Yes, it is the off season but you still have advertising and sponsors.  Why not take advantage of these hockey folks in withdrawal?

Tell me if you were the NHL team PR person what would you put on your website right now to attract those in hockey withdrawal?

 

Friday night thinking :NHL players and their fans

It is a Friday night during the summer and I am watching Sci Fi no surprises there.

My ponderance of the evening is player fan relations in the NHL.  I think most of you know me.  I am one of the diehards that waits for the Flyers players mostly after games but often after practices too.  I have a jersey project the jersey is for me and me alone.  I intend to frame it and put it on my wall.  I do go to autograph appearance and events where I can get autographs that way but to me the coolest thing still is watching how a player interacts with the fans, especially the kids.

There is truly to me not a cooler thing then to see a kid meet a player for the very first time.  You can see the awe inspiring moment happening right there.  It truly makes me feel good watching those moments.  The little kid gets an unprecedented smile and they talk about it for hours after.

Heck, I am how old and I can still tell you who the very first Flyer I ever met was where I met them and how much that moment changed my life forever.

I also can tell you the first Flames player I met was and that they are the only player that was never a Flyer to sign my very precious Mark Howe jersey.

Anyways back to my ponderance, I know who the Flyers players that stop everyday with out fail are, who have stopped often but not everyday and who stops so randomly that you would never in a million years guess that they actually would stop.   Now that is just in my experiences.  I definitely do not go everyday.  I know people who do (not sure how they do it).  The thing that worries me is that the majority of the young core to this team do not stop.  Several of the players who are regular stoppers are not even with the Flyers any longer.

That is where my question begins.  I remember the days of the 90’s when you could wait at a player’s car after practice to get an autograph.  Today’s players have it fairly easy.  Their cars are in a security protected lot.  They have an alternate way out where they do not have to stop or pass any fans.  I understand in this day and age there are the autograph hounds, as we that wait call them.  The people that have no idea who the player is that just pulled up, but they have stuff for all the players to sign and then they resell the items.  I strongly dislike the people that do that.  I dislike them even more when they send their kids up to the player to get them to sign items.  To me they are a big reason as to why many players do not stop.  (note to players these guys go to the autograph appearance things too so you don’t stop them completely by only signing at appearances).  I also understand that there are some truly weird and scary people that stalk these players, people that follow the players around and then back to their houses.  I think that is horrible that people do that.  Hockey players are people too and deserve their privacy.

Majority of hockey players are the best people you will ever meet.  They are so awesome with kids.  They give back to their communities.  They are average folks just like you and me.  I fear the loss of the fans knowing their teams in this manner because the players have gone to an age where they do not interact with fans anywhere but planned events and even then not always so well.  (I am referring to a few Flyers carnival stories I have heard about players being on their cell phone the entire time in the autograph booths).

I have heard stories from around the league where the majority of the players stop they talk with the fans and sign things.  That those teams that I have heard about that they players do it everyday and they have a good rapport with the fans.  I think that is awesome and encouraging.  I give kudos to all those that do that and do it often.

Tell me, I want to know how your team does with this and I want to hear your stories about that first time you ever met a pro hockey player.

 

the blahs of summer and hockey withdrawal

Ok even though Flyers prospect camp was only a couple of weeks ago my appetite for hockey is insurmountable.  

I tend to go through this at this point in the summer and generally my own hockey endeavors seem to handle things.  Hopefully mother nature will stop causing rain on my outdoor hockey games. 

Right now I know that Flyers Full camp will open September 12th.  I am guessing that the rookies will have 4 days worth camp prior to that.  That mean to me that labor day weekend will signify the start of hockey season as we know it. 

There is a few things I would like to know.  The number one thing right now is the status of the Philadelphia Flyers RFA’s.  I find it odd that I can not find if these players were even given qualifying offers.  Also to me the players that were no longer seemingly fitting into the Flyers plans Zarb, Guenin, Alberts, Munroe, & Kane all have already signed elsewhere.  I take it that Syvret, Dingle and Ross will continue to be Flyers property.  Only time will tell at this point.

Lastly please if you will be in town support the Cote Carnival to knock out MS.  Last year was a good time and it is for a great cause. 

http://www.cotecarnival.net

 

Flyers prospect camp: Friday and Sunday

HI everyone Flyers prospect camp fell during my busiest week of the summer.

I had the pleasure to go Friday and Sunday.

Friday the Orange team again beat the very talented black 2-1.
Today the black team won in a shoot out care of Mr Dingle.

Pat Maroon continues to dominate during this camp.  He really is a presence there.

Riopel and Morrison did excellent jobs in goal.

Friday was very physical on the ice.  The players were really taking one another to task.  Today it was not that way.  There were definitely still some physical moments.  Bellamy continues to hit like a truck.  Clackson and Lauridsen had some moments together today as well.

One of the most interesting things to me is Hatcher’s son.  He seemed to hold his own with these guys.  He participated Friday but not today.

Here are the pictures
Friday
Upclose and personal with Riopel
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3708098408/in/set-72157621110660165/

Ratchuk defends against Wellwood
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3708148420/in/set-72157621110660165/

Maroon runs over Ratchuk on the rush
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3711059735/in/set-72157621110660165/

Nodl comes in to take shot during a drill
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3707292737/in/set-72157621110660165/

Sunday
Klotz and Maroon
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3713399933/in/set-72157621223745835/

Van Reimsdyk, Clackson, Riopel
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3714260006/in/set-72157621223745835/

Matt meet Oliver
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3714498758/in/set-72157621223745835/

Oliver meet Matt
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3714519892/in/set-72157621223745835/

Full sets

Friday
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157621110660165/

Sunday
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157621223745835/

For my Saturday I attended the Meigray Jersey expo.  The guest speaker was Leonhardt the Caps web guy that subbed as a backup.  It was a pretty cool thing and I look forward to going again next year.  It was pretty amazing to see all the hockey enthusiasts.

Pictures from the expo are here

http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157621218939317/

 

2nd Annual Cote Carnival

Well first my job search was successful.  Thanks everyone who helped.

A cause near and dear to my heart is the battle against MS.  I think it is fabulous that Philadelphia Flyer, Riley Cote, promotes fighting this condition.  Please help join that fight and attend the 2nd Annual Cote Carnival, August 23rd at Swanky Bubbles.

http://www.cotecarnival.net/index.php

pictures from the event last year can be found here

http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157606797506365/

Thank you and I hope to see you there.

 

The economy effects the die hards too

Well last week I got a big does o the economy.  Now I find myself seeking a new direction.  I see this as my opportunity to ask for some new cards in the game of life.

This round I would like to work in hockey in some capacity.  Many of you are familiar with my reports and pictures.

If anyone has suggestions or would like to talk to me.  Please feel free to contact me through Flickr.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325

Thank you all for reading.  I appreciate that you all love hockey as much as I do.