Some Hockey Notes

Today's entry will just be a quick entry as we get ready for the first games in the NHL season on Saturday. I know I said I wouldn't support the NHL as much, but I do miss hockey on Saturday nights - and a pile of other nights - because, well, most TV programming is pretty horrible. That being said, I have received some pretty interesting emails as of late, and I wanted to skim through those so that you have an idea of what's happening in other parts of the hockey spectrum because the NHL is great, but it's not the be-all and end-all. I'm also very excited about the guest who will be appearing on The Hockey Show tomorrow, so stay tuned to the end of this article in order to read a little about this fascinating guest!

The ECHL's Orlando Solar Bears - still one of my all-time favorite hockey team names - is going pink for their games on January 17 and 19! The Solar Bears will don pink jerseys and help to raise money for cancer research and cancer initiatives by auctioning off these glorious threads! I can't really criticize the Solar Bears for wearing pink if they are donating money to cancer initiatives, and I think that the community involvement shown by the Solar Bears in their return to pro hockey has been outstanding. Well done, Solar Bears, and thumbs-up from me!

I received an email from a kind lady by the name of Pati. Pati works in the legal industry, and she wanted to know if I would give my blessing for her to use an article of mine at a ceremony. Curious as I was, I had to know what type of ceremony she wanted my work for considering I'm not the best wordsmith despite my best efforts. She responded by informing me that the man to the right - The Honorable Redfield T. Baum - is retiring from his role as a judge in Phoenix, and that they wanted to use my article for a poster that will be presented to Judge Baum about his time dwelling over the Phoenix Coyotes saga! While I'm not overly impressed with my writing in the article about Judge Baum's decision on the Coyotes, I am thoroughly honored that someone wants to use my work and I wish all the best in your retirement, Judge Baum! May good fortunes and great weather find you always in your next adventures!

If you haven't seen it yet, you're probably not using Google as your search engine. Today's Google page features a fun Zamboni game in honor of Frank Zamboni's birthday! Mr. Zamboni passed away on July 27, 1988, but his link to ice hockey is anything but normal.

In 1927, Frank and his younger brother Lawrence entered the block ice business by adding an ice-making plant to his supply shop. They ran their ice-making venture until 1939 when electrical refrigeration units began making their way into everyday life. With their experience in making ice, Frank, Lawrence, and a cousin opened a new ice rink, called the Iceland rink, near to their homes in Hynes, California.

The popularity of this rink was immediate as Frank Zamboni had devised a way to prevent rippling in the ice. In 1949, he came up with his finest invention: a machine that could replace the laborious three-man resurfacing crew that cut ice resurfacing from 90 minutes to a mere ten minutes. Originally built on top of Jeep CJ-3Bs, the Zamboni has evolved and been redesigned over the years. The 10,000th Zamboni ice resurfacing machine prouduced is still in use today at Montreal's Bell Centre, and the company is still operated by Frank's family. Pretty cool, right?

Well, if you want to play the Zamboni Google Doodle Game, it's linked up right here and waiting for you. The Google Doodles site has a ton of interactive doodles that you can look through and interact with, so I suggest taking some time and checking out all of this amazing work done by Google. Some of may favorites include the Star Trek Doodle, Les Paul's Doodle (where you can record your music), Robert Moog's Doodle (again, recordable), and the Charlie Chaplin Doodle (Google's first live-action Doodle). Enjoy these doodles, find some other good ones, and even kick back and enjoy a game of PacMan!

Finally, we welcome our first female guest who, like Frank Zamboni above, has an interesting story about how she got involved with hockey, specifically an OHL team! We'll be chatting with her tomorrow about her work with the OHL's Kingston Frontenacs, and how she turned a passion into a full-time job! Tune into The Hockey Show tomorrow night at 6:00PM CT on 101.5 UMFM and we'll chat with the Frontenacs' Social Media Coordinator Missy Deyo!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!