More Links Than Sausages

I was wandering around the internet today only to find that there are a ton of incredible sites that have zero affiliation to the NHL that have done amazing things to make the world a little better. Like the eight-bit pixelated Vancouver Canuck to the right, this is some of the amazing work being done and posted to the internet for many people to enjoy. I'll talk more about this Mega Man-inspired Canuck below, but today is all about stuff happening outside the NHL's purview and marketing reach. There's a lot of fun stuff, so poke through these stories and enjoy the content. I know I did, and I want to bring a pile of these stories to light.

•  The Mega Man-inspired NHL players, as seen above, were created by Reddit reader and contributor adam4283 and posted to his imgur account. Adam created 31 Mega Man NHL sprites, including what appears to be his favorite non-NHL team in the Minnesota North Stars. From what I can see, Adam had been working at these for a little over eight months, starting with these original four. To see how far he's come with 31 teams now covered, it's a pretty impressive pile of work. Well done, Adam!
• I found an impressive Tumblr feed from Al Creed! Al does a ton of eight-bit renderings of everything from pro wrestlers (awesome t-shirt) to Bruce Lee to Kang and Kodos of The Simpsons fame. Cue the hockey theme, though, because he's made an eight-bit Tuukka Rask, an eight-bit Team Canada player from the Sochi Olympics, an eight-bit Eric Lindros, The Great Eight-Bit One, the new Dallas Stars and Carolina Hurricanes jerseys, and an eight-bit Patrick Roy! There are a ton of hockey-related eight-bit artworks on Mr. Creed's site, so I encourage you to scan through them all. He's done excellent work!
• While you're at it, if you really want something to eat up your time, here's an online version of the classic eight-bit NES game Ice Hockey. Yeah, I'm already addicted.
• The fantastic artwork of SixSix8 must be mentioned here as they've been doing some great eight-bit work in producing NHL-themed posters. I happen to really like their "Hockey Superstars Pixel Art" that shows Ovechkin, the Sedins, Toews, and Datsyuk in eight-bit format. There are a ton of hockey-related images on the SixSix8 blog, so head over there and get your fill of this fantastic work!
• Compliments of the Hooked On Hockey Magazine website, they give you all of the NHL All-Star MVPs in jersey form! Pretty cool little infographic, I must admit. That website is filled with a ton of hockey articles and stories, so if you need a little hockey chatter, hit them up!
• Some news out of the NCAA as the Wisconsin Badgers women's team are squaring off against Boston University in Vail, Colorado tonight in their new alternate uniforms! I really like the look of these new uniforms, and I'd be proud to wear it. It looks and feels traditional despite the rounded hems at the bottom, and Wisconsin looks sharp! Well done, Badgers!
• On the other hand, the Badgers seemingly have some issues when it comes to spacing on their normal uniforms. As seen on Stellarton, Nova Scotia native Blayre Turnbull's uniform, there's way too much going on in the upper-right corner of the jersey. I've never been a fan of numbers of the front of hockey jerseys, and this is a perfect example of why they shouldn't exist. Absolutely horrid design on that one.
• Word out of the KHL is that Sergei Fedorov's comeback to join the team he manages, CSKA, is not going to happen.While Fedorov signed a one-year, league-minimum contract, it appears the 43 year-old only did so in case the club ran into roster problems while having a number of players injured. The Red Wings alum will still reportedly play in the Winter Classic alumni game for the Red Wings, but it doesn't appear that he'll skate in any meaningful games before January 1.
• The AHL's Utica Comets, the AHL affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks, finally got their first win of the season last Friday after starting the season 0-8-1-1. Colin Stuart, captain of the Comets, attributed this win to one thing, saying, "We did some good things. We knew we were due. The magic ingredient is hard work. If we outwork the other team, we’re going to come out with a win, or be close." Officially, the first win in AHL Comets' history was a 3-2 victory over the Lake Erie Monsters on November 12, 2013. Note that in the old hockey history time capsule.
• Rick DiPietro is still toiling for the Charlotte Checkers in the AHL on an AHL tryout contract, but I can't see him staying on for the full 25 games at this rate. DiPietro is 0-3-0 in four games with a 5.57 GAA and an .839 save percentage. Those numbers aren't good enough for a peewee team let alone an AHL team, yet he's still trying to find a way back to the NHL. No offence to any DiPietro fans out there, but this guy is finished. It's nice that he's getting a shot with Charlotte, but those stats are the sign of a player who is finished.
• Ilya Bryzgalov started for the Oklahoma City Barons last night. He allowed five goals on 24 shots against the AHL-leading Abbotsford Heat including a pair of goals in the third period to Abbotsford's Ben Street after leading 4-3 through two periods. Same old Bryzgalov? Sounds like it. Best of luck, Edmonton. Yikes!
• If you missed The Hockey Show this week, you also missed a couple of announcements! This week on Thursday, we'll feature author and radio personality Grant Lawrence! I reviewed Grant's book, The Lonely End of the Rink, earlier this month, and we'll have him on to speak about his book, his hockey (mis)adventures, his life as a musician and radio personality, and much more! All of this and more this week on The Hockey Show!
• December 5 on The Hockey Show will see a regular guest return with a pile of news! Jared Keeso, who starred in Elysium and Keep Your Head Up, Kid! as Don Cherry, will be back to talk all sorts of hockey-related stuff including his beloved Calgary Flames, the Winnipeg Jets, and much more. We'll also get an update on what he's currently working on, and where the Letterkenny Problems YouTube series is headed. He'll have a ton of big news, so tune in that night for a fun show as Jared fills us in!
• Finally, December 17 will be another fun night as Beans and I hold our second annual SECRET SANTA show on The Hockey Show! If you want to win some free hockey gear, that's the night you want to call in. We have lots of stuff piled up in the old prize closet - Sauce Hockey gear, t-shirts, DVDs, books, hats, et cetera - and we want to clear it out to start fresh in 2014. Mark your calendars, kids, and we'll have some fun with the SECRET SANTA show that night. Free gear? Absolutely. All you have to do is call.

Lots of information on this one, kids, so read through, click through, and have some fun.I'm gonna go play some NES Ice Hockey on that link above, so practice up and maybe we can square off one day. FYI, I'm absolutely terrible.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!