Cornucopia Of Hockey Goodness

It's a holiday in Canada thanks to Thanksgiving, so there's a pile of stuff that I need to clean out of the old inbox. I don't have any pumpkin pie or turkey, but I do have some rather cool stuff from readers and some stuff for you to possibly win. It also gives me a chance to say thanks to the readers and the generous people who contribute stuff to contests, so I'll take a little time to do that as well. After all, it is Thanksgiving in Canada, and HBIC is proud of his heritage. Let's get cracking on some of these items in this horn of plenty today.

CHANGING PANTS: I received an email from Brian who read the article on the game between the Los Angeles Kings and the Vancouver Canucks. In that article, I had stated that "the Canucks wore breezers with Bauer on the thigh". While it's true that some of the Canucks did, there were also a number of Canucks who wore the standard Reebok breezers. Brian pointed this out, sent me the linked picture, and has counted a total of eight Canucks in the Reebok breezers from that game.

Now I understand that some players have contracts with equipment manufacturers that override the Reebok contract, but it's hard to believe that fourteen players from the Canucks have equipment deals with Bauer. As JTH stated in the comments from yesterday, perhaps the breezers are a personal preference item like the equipment worn under the uniform. However, I am almost positive that Reebok's contracts states that all visible equipment must be a Reebok-endorsed item unless the player has a contract with another manufacturer. Can anyone elaborate more on this?

Big thanks to Brian and to JTH for their input on this one, and thanks for reading, gentlemen. You guys are awesome!

RED LINE INGENUITY: I got an email from a gentleman by the name of Mackenzie Swartz. For the majority of people in the hockey world, that name doesn't really ring a bell in terms how popular Mr. Swartz is. However, I'm here to tell you that he has done something absolutely incredible in Toledo, Ohio. Here is his email.

My name is Mackenzie Swartz, and a year ago I stumbled into an operations job at the newly-built Huntington Center, which is the home for the ECHL expansion Toledo Walleye. Being the only lifelong hockey geek, my supervisor decided that I'd be the one learning everything I could about running zambonis, building ice, etc.

"The team is now going into their second season, and for this ice build, I was given permission to do whatever I wanted - make it my design. The first thing that came to mind were letter stencils, something that would be different and classy-looking. It was either going to be Toledo Hockey or Walleye Hockey, and I let the team choose that.

"I measured and laid them out on the concrete weeks ago to see how they looked. As for how they came out for real, you can decide. All the feedback I've had here from the team, management, fans, even some officials, has been very positive."

How cool is that design? I'm completely impressed with what Mr. Swartz has done in Toledo, and he should be proud of what he has accomplished in his first season of full creative control.

Big thumbs-up from me, Mr. Swartz. You have essentially gone outside the box in terms of center ice design, and I commend you for it. Thank you for sending in the pictures and the email about your design!

What say you, readers - yay or nay on Mr. Swartz's red line design?

KEEPING IT CLEAN: I've worked with a number of companies to offer up a variety of free stuff for my readers, but this email caught me a little off-guard simply due to what is available for you to win.

"OxiClean’s newly-launched stainbusting site is offering your readers a chance to win a brand new LG Steam Front Load Washer and Dryer! To enter, visit stainbusters.ca, and tell us how with the help of OxiClean, that nasty stain came out. Be sure to include all the messy details!

"Keeping your hockey equipment clean is no easy feat – well, at least your other half thinks so. Maybe it’s time you showed them your gratitude with this brand new prize!"

You read that correctly - a brand-new LG Steam Front Load Washer and Dryer is up for grabs! All you have to do is explain how your stain came out with the help of OxiClean! This prize package is worth a bundle of cash, so get in on it!

Thanks to OxiClean for the heads-up about this contest!

There's your cornucopia of hockey goodness on this holiday Thanksgiving Monday. Enjoy!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!