CapsChick Has Questions

And I have answers! In one of the cooler things being done on hockey blogs this summer, CapsChick, from the always-awesome A View From the Cheap Seats, put together a major hockey questionnaire for hockey bloggers to answer. I was lucky enough to be included in the list of people she sent the questionnaire to, and I answered all of her questions. Huge thanks to CapsChick for including me, a Penguins fan, on a Capitals blog with this awesome questionnaire. Head on over to her site, and check out all the other people who have answered thus far as well! I'm honoured to be a part of this group.

Here are my answers. Feel free to cheer me or condemn me.

What is the first jersey you ever owned? An old-school Winnipeg Jets jersey with #10 Hawerchuk on the back.

What is the last piece of hockey memorabilia – jerseys, cards, figurines, etc. – you purchased? Ironically, three Florida Panthers jerseys at once. Much like their ticket prices, I basically got three for the price of one.

Keep your ticket stubs or throw them away? Toss them. They just collect dust.

Who has the more intriguing hair – Brian Engblom or Barry Melrose? Melrose. I'm sure he is the reason for our search for new energy sources with all the products he uses in his hair.

Who is the most underrated player in the league? The most overrated? Underrated? Bryan Little of the Atlanta Thrashers. How a guy can score 31 goals in his first full season and not even be mentioned as a sniper in the NHL is beyond me. The most overrated? I have to go with Mike Komisarek. Highly overrated as a defensive defenceman, and does nothing offensively to warrant his ridiculous salary.

What current rule or penalty would you remove from the game and why? The instigator rule. It serves no purpose at all. It was originally put in to protect players from thugs, but it did the exact opposite in allowing thuggery to become the norm. Remove the instigator, and the guys who play dirty suddently have to answer the call when they do something stupid.

What one rule or penalty would you add? Visors for everyone. I'd grandfather this rule in, though. Every single player that comes out of junior and the NCAA have worn a visor. There's no reason to take it off. Visors for everyone on the ice - players and officials. The only exception is if you aren't wearing one now. For every player that enters the league from this point forward, you have the shield on.

Forget predictions and rankings and who finished where last year – all logic aside, what two teams (one East, one West) would you love to see compete for the Cup this year? Pittsburgh and Dallas. I'm a huge Penguins fan (I know, BOO!) so I'd love to see a repeat. Dallas has some really good youngsters coming up - Neal and Fistric - and Mike Modano is still one of the classiest guys in the NHL.

Complete this sentence: The next Winter Classic should be between the Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars, and take place at the brand-new Target Field.

More disturbing image – Crosby with a “mustache” or Crosby in bed with the Cup? Mustache. He's got the teen angst/high school senior 'stache going on, and that screams "creepy".

Which team has the best mascot? Without a doubt, it is Youppi! of the Montreal Canadiens. He's a multi-sport mascot in two professional leagues, and he's still one of the most recognized furry team members on the planet. And he's orange. And he's awesome.

Whose press conference would you rather listen to – John Tortorella, Bruce Boudreau or Ron Wilson? Boudreau. He's the only guy out of the three that seems to be able to crack a joke without me wanting to punch him in the face. Wilson is far too smarmy, and Tortorella just loves to pick fights.

Who is your favorite all-time player? Who is your favorite active player? Mario Lemieux is my all-time favorite player. My favorite active player, however, is Jonathan Toews. Gotta show some love for the 'Hawks captain and the hometown boy. And he's a pretty decent player too.

Give us your favorite hockey saying that doubles as a dirty euphemism. "I hate players that go backdoor on our goalie."

What game(s) on your team’s schedule are you most looking forward to this season? Since I don't follow one team, I really want to see the Winter Classic this season from Boston. That game will always stand out on the calendar every year.

Do you read team-specific blogs about teams other than your own? Which ones and why? I read them all as often as I can. I love reading other people's perspectives on stuff. It's the yin to my yang. It also provides good contrast to what I may be thinking and/or writing.

Do you think the NHL will ever put a team in Hamilton, Kansas City and/or Las Vegas? Hamilton - yes. But not in the foreseeable future. Las Vegas - no. People go to Vegas to bet on sports, not watch them. There's too much stuff there to do without dropping big bucks on sports tickets.

Everyone's got a guilty pleasure - what player and/or team do you like that you really shouldn't? My guilty pleasure isn't a player or a team per se. It's a jersey. I love - and I mean, I LOVE - the New York Islanders' Fisherman jersey. I can't explain how great it is except that it was way ahead of its time. And don't even try to tell me it sucks. I've killed for less, you know.

What team has improved the most this summer? I like what Washington has done. The addition of the always-underrated Mike Knuble combined with their solid minor-league squads should allow the Caps to win another Southeast Division. Brendan Morrison isn't the guy I thought they needed down the middle, but he is a setup guy, and could fit nicely between the dangler in Ovechkin and the power forward in Knuble. Losing Brent Johnson's character sucks, but Varlamov showed that he is ready for the spotlight, and could supplant Theodore from the get-go this season.

What is your favorite hockey memory? The 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games ice hockey gold medal games. For obvious patriotic reasons.

Which team has the worst jersey? How about the worst third/specialty jersey? I hate the apron jerseys. Colorado, Edmonton, Nashville... you know what I'm talking about. I cannot stand the useless piping that makes the players look like they are hosting a BBQ. As for worst third jerseys, the "Bolts", "Sens", and any black-for-black-sake jerseys - Carolina and San Jose, for example - are tied for the worst. Nicknames - you play in a PROFESSIONAL hockey league. This ain't the beer league, kids. BFBS - simply stupid. Black uniforms are so 1990s. Get with the times.

Roll out your favorite homemade player nickname. Tyler "Bang Bang" Kennedy. It came about on the goal he scored against the Red Wings in last season's Stanley Cup Final from Kunitz and Crosby where it was a tic-tac-toe play... and I just sort of yelled "bang-bang-Kennedy" during the goal. The guys I was watching the game with have never let me live it down.

If you could move any uprooted team (e.g. Quebec Nordiques, Hartford Whalers, etc.) back to their original home, which one would you move? Hartford Whalers. I love the Whale. They had one of the all-time greatest logos, and I loved their colour scheme. Their battles with Boston in the playoffs were always epic as well.

What will Jeremy Roenick’s next career move be? I'm hoping he replaces Pierre McGuire on TSN. Roenick should be a panellist for TSN at least.

Have you ever stopped rooting for one hockey team and started rooting for another? Nope. Always was a Penguins fan. Always will be.

Who had the better mug shot, Kane or Finley? Patty Kane. It's a 20-cent photo booth picture. What? Too soon?

Toss out the current divisions and propose a new divisional alignment for the league. I did that a while back. I hate the geographical divisions and conferences.

Do you follow other sports besides hockey or are you a one-sport fan? Leisurely, I follow other sports. But I have no allegiances to any teams.

Which free agent acquisition do you think will have the biggest impact on his new team? Martin Havlat. I think he could have a big season for Minnesota's anemic offence if he stays healthy.

Of the five lottery teams last season (Tampa, Atlanta, NY Islanders, Phoenix, Colorado) which one(s) will make the playoffs this year? None of them have made significant enough improvements to make the playoffs this coming season.

What is your favorite hockey reference in a non-hockey movie/TV episode? Mallrats. Jason Lee's championing of the Whalers defeating the Canucks is awesome in its 10 seconds of screen time.

What player from the other 29 teams would you love to have on your team? Duncan Keith. There is no greater player to have than an offensive, shutdown defenceman. Ask Detroit how important Nicklas Lidstrom is. The difference? Keith is younger.

Superlative time!

* Best one-on-one offensive player - Mario Lemieux.
* Best one-on-one defenseman - Duncan Keith.
* Best assist man - Wayne Gretzky.
* Best pure goal scorer - Brett Hull.
* Power-play specialist - Tim Kerr.
* Shorthanded specialist - Dirk Graham.
* Worst referee - Mick McGeough
* Goalie when you need one save - Vladislav Tretiak
* The guy you never heard of (but should have) - Valeri Kharlamov.
* When it gets chippy - Bobby Clarke.
* Coach for a must-win game - Scotty Bowman.
* Get under your skin guy - Scotty Hartnall.
* The home crowd - Winnipeg in the playoffs.
* Worst arena to play in as a visitor - Wachovia Center.
* Worst arena to play in as the home team - Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

And finally, quick picks. Do you prefer:

* Crosby or Ovechkin? - Crosby.
* Ovechkin or Malkin? - Malkin.
* Overtime or shootout? Overtime.
* 4-on-3 or 5-on-4? - 5-on-4.
* Sakic or Yzerman? - Sakic only because of his 2002 Olympic performance. Otherwise, both men rank extremely high in my view.
* Kerry Fraser or Bill McCreary? Fraser. That hair is legendary.
* Montreal Forum or Maple Leaf Gardens? The Forum.
* Roy or Brodeur? Patrick Roy simply because I share a birthday with him.
* Touch-up icing or no-touch icing? No-touch icing. Prevents unnecessary injuries.
* Fedorov or Mogilny? Fedorov. Better leader, and better two-way player.
* Top shelf or five hole? Top shelf. I like popping water bottles off the net.
* Eddie Olczyk or Pierre McGuire? Olczyk. I abhor McGuire.
* Slapshot or wrist shot? Slapshot. I'm a defenceman.
* Orr or Coffey? Bobby Orr. He left the game far too soon. Coffey stayed far too long.
* Coffee or tea? Coffee.
* Canada or Russia? Canada. For obvious reasons.
* Miracle or Mighty Ducks? Miracle. The other is crap.

Thoughts? Comments? Hate mail? Hit me up in the comments with them. And get over to CapsChick's site and check out the other people who answered the questionnaire!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!