'Twas The Night Before

I took the pleasure of watching Rounders tonight as it was aired on one of the channels I stream, and I forgot how good John Malkovich is in the film. His character, Teddy KGB, isn't in the film for long until the end when he and Matt Damon, playing Mike McDermott, sit across from one another. It's another wonderful performance from Malkovich that is accented by Damon's character's poker-playing skills and Michael Rispoli's tension as Grama, but it dawned on me just how good Malkovich has been over his career in various character roles.

If you came for hockey chatter, that's not happening here tonight because Malkovich's performance in 1998 film is only one of a few I watched this evening. When one adds on the paranoid Marvin Boggs from Red and Red 2 and the hilarious Osborne Cox from Burn After Reading, it might sound starange to say that Malkovich has as much success playing oddballs as he does reading Shakespeare.

I'm not here for a career review of the 71 year-old actor, though. It's Christmas Eve, after all, and that means there's a mandatory reading of one poem on this night. For this reading, I turn to Mr. Malkovich because he is such an accomplished stage and screen presence, but also because his delivery of both the poem and the comedic elements added to this presentation are unequalled. Without further delay, here is John Malkovich on Saturday Night Live with his reading of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. Enjoy and have a laugh!
His factual additions to the story crack me up through the whole poem because he never once breaks "character" while delivering any of the insane information he provides. This is, in my opinion, one of his best performances because of how he deadpans his way through the entire poem. I know it's not the whole poem read in full, but it needs to be posted here as one of my favorite Malkovich moments.

Because it's Christmas Eve on HBIC, here's Michael Bublé's reading of the poem as he's a part-owner of the WHL's Vancouver Giants!

Best wishes to all on this Christmas Eve, and here's hoping that Santa is good to each and every one of you. As both John Malkovich and Michael Bublé read, "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Slightly Overpriced

I'll admit that I don't often find myself looking through Facebook's online "Marketplace" feature often. If you're unaware, it's a buy-and-sell site where people can sell things they make or unload items they no longer want or need. It's basically Facebook's version of Kijiji in that one can barter for these items with the seller until both parties are happy. Needless to say, there's a lot of stuff that may simply never be bought on there based on condition or price, and today's article falls into that category. The image you see to the left - a Pat Verbeek Pro Set hockey card - is the item in question, and I found it weird that one singular card would be for sale. That required a closer look, and it turns out I had a good chuckle over this posting.

Born in Sarnia, Ontario, Pat Verbeek had an excellent NHL career that saw him log 1424 games in the world's top league. He scored 522 goals and 541 assists in a career that included stops in New Jersey, Hartford, New York, Dallas, and Detroit, and it was in Dallas in 1999 where Verbeek was able to lift the Stanley Cup over his head as a champion. Since his retirement, Verbeek has worked in a few front office roles, but is now the general manager of the Anaheim Ducks. Needless to say, Verbeek has accomplished a lot in his time thus far.

Seeing the card on Facebook Marketplace had me wondering what this ad was going to reveal. Here's the moment where I had my first chuckle as I'm not sure how this individual card, let alone the entire set of cards, is worth $750 CDN. Pat Verbeek was a good player as I indicated above, but there isn't one card in the 1991 Pro Set hockey card lineup that is worth $750, let alone this Pat Verbeek card. Maybe it's autopgraphed by the NHL star? Further investigation was needed in order to determine the insane valuation given to this hockey card.

Clicking the post for the card led me to another chuckle because not only was there very little information given about the card, it would seem the valuation was based entirely on this seller's feelings about Verbeek. It's not autographed, it's isn't some specialty card, it has not been shown to be a rare card with an error on it - Pat Verbeek is just this seller's "boy" and he's "worth it". Again, I chuckled.

Escaping this moment of insanity, the actual value of that card based on a number of websites I've visited is between ten cents and fifty cents, so the markup on this buying opportunity may be a little high. Pat Verbeek's career in 1991 had him playing in his ninth NHL season, so one can't even hope to sell this card on the idea that it's a rookie card or some sort of accomplishment or accolade card. This is just a regular hockey card that someone wants to sell with a price that the seller is hoping someone will pay.

Dishonest? Maybe, but the rules of online marketplaces stand true: caveat emptor. After all, it seems that the price for one's man "Patty Verbeek" card is the next Wayne Gretzky rookie card!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Keep This Joke Going

This isn't going to be a long-winded entry as I'm not really not motivated to write any thought pieces on hockey today, but I did watch the trailer for the new animated comedy, If, that's scheduled for a May release in North America. Directed by John Krasinski, the movie is a live-action/animated feature that stars Ryan Reynolds and Cailey Fleming in live-action roles while Steve Carell Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Louis Gossett Jr. all have voice roles as animated characters. It looks like it could be pretty good as the movie deals with a young girl who gains the ability to see everyone's imaginary friend, but it seems the movie set might have been way too much fun based on a running joke that John Krasinski brought back.

For those who may be wondering about the lede photo, that's a scene from the John Krasinski-directed 2016 movie, The Hollars, where both John Krasinski and Randall Park starred in the film. These two actors have a bit of history together thanks to The Office TV show where Jim (John Kasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer) prank Dwight (Rainn Wilson) by hiring Steve (Randall Park) to play the role of Jim. The episode aired on October 4, 2012, so let the hilarity ensue!

The elaborate pranks that the writers of The Office dreamed up were often larger than life, but this one was funny because of how over-the-top it was. Granted, I can't imagine anyone in real-life falling for a prank like this, but the comedy of this prank gets a solid pass here.

Back to the topic du jour, it seems the joke started in The Office is still being celebrated today as seen in the teaser for Paramount's If.

Honestly, this joke has to keep going at random points in the future now. While there are some who struggle to see the comedy in this bit, Krasinski and Park have done a great job in not overusing this bit, allowing it to re-enter the public realm in place one may not expect. As they say, timing is everything, and a bit done in 2012 certainly still has legs in 2024 with the release of If.

For those asking, watch for the Krasinski-directed If, released by Paramount Pictures, in theatres on May 17, 2024. If nothing else, If should be a fun movie for kids!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Kissinger My Grits

I'll be upfront on this article and tell you that I have nothing good to say about Henry Kissinger except that he passed away at the age of 100 today. Frankly, not only are his politics abhorrent and repugnant despite earning a controversial Nobel Peace Prize, but the former Secretary of State under two Presidents is seen by some as an unpunished war criminal for the chaos he unleashed geopolitically thanks to his aligning with anti-communist dictatorships. How he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 after it was found that the US bombed Cambodia which killed millions is still one of the most inexplicable world events of all-time. However, we're here to talk hockey, not geopolitical upheaval and warmongering, and it seems that The New York Times linked him to a hockey team through a humourous piece they published in 1976.

If your sharp eyes caught the logo I attached to his jacket lapel, that would be the NHL's Detroit Red Wings logo which he's sporting. Back in 1976, it seems the Red Wings had dismissed head coach Doug Barkley, leaving a vacancy on their bench that needed to be filled. That's where writer Gerald Green stepped in, writing a humourous piece about Kissinger's future jobs after his role under Gerald Ford came to an end when Jimmy Carter defeated Ford in the 1976 Presidential election.

Let me be clear: this is a satirical piece that Green wrote for The New York Times on April 26, 1977. It should not be taken seriously nor should it be used as a reflection of Kissinger's character when it came to his life and career. In saying that, here are the first few paragraphs of The Indispensible Man, a column written by Green that ran in the April 26, 1977 edition of The New York Times.

"The announcement that Henry Kissinger will coach the Detroit Red Wings hockey team next season came as no surprise to those who know of the former Secretary of State's long‐time interest in ice.

"Although Mr. Kissinger does not know how to skate, he has observed a lot of ice, particularly on visits to the Soviet Union. 'When you get down to basics,' Mr. Kissinger said recently, 'forechecking isn't much different from disarmament.'

The fact that Mr. Kissinger will also be coaching the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association in autumn does not faze him. 'I believe I can handle both jobs,' he told a sports writer. 'I won't be spreading myself too thin, as some claim, and besides I'm fascinated with basketball. It reminds me of open diplomacy.'"

Of course, Henry Kissinger did NOT coach the Red Wings in the 1976-77 season or any other season for that matter. The only sport he seemed to care for was soccer, and he was actually named as the chairman of the North American Soccer League board of directors in 1978. Because of his obsession for a sport played on grass and not on ice, having Green link him to the Red Wings is clearly satirical and should not be considered fact in any way.

This will be the only mention that Henry Kissinger ever gets on this blog. Had he not been linked to the Red Wings by Gerald Green's satirical column, this article wouldn't even exist. He brought terror and death - both directly and indirectly - to many people in many countries, and he deserves no further recognition for the destructive and devastating plans that were set in motion while he was one of the most powerful men in America. Henry Kissinger is dead tonight, and that's ok with me.

I suspect Red Wings fans and Spurs fans are also ok with that.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Another Day At "The Office"

I wanted to finish off September with something fun, but I'm posting it here today on the last Friday of September because I've had a bit of a trying week. You likely know the guy to the left as "Jim Halpert" from the sitcom The Office, possibly "Jack Ryan" from Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, maybe as Lee Abbott from A Quiet Place and its sequel, potentially as Reed Richards of The Fantastic Four in upcoming Marvel movies, or less commonly as Mr. Emily Blunt. That's John Krasinski who never played a second in the NHL, but did skate with Joe Thornton, Lyndon Byers, and Rick Middleton of the Boston Bruins!

Before anyone goes back and points out that Mr. Krasinski never suited up for the Bruins, you're technically right. He never wore the jersey in an official NHL game, but he is a Bruins superfan as we saw during the 2019 Stanley Cup Final when he and St. Louis Blues superfan and co-star on The Office Jenna Fischer had a little running feud during that series.

Back to the main reason we're here, Krasinski did skate with those three hockey legends, though. Kraskinski is on the record as stating that his very first commercial that he did as an actor was for US coffee chain Dunkin' Donuts for a contest they were running called "Sports Dreams Instant Win Game". Here's that commercial!


Pretty awesome, right? There's actually a story that John tells in a WIRED Autocomplete Interview where he and Michael Kelly are discussing various roles they played, and he elaborates on acting in his first commercial and what happened during the filming. Here's that interview featuring Krasinski and fellow actor Michael Kelly!

If you rewatch the commercial above, you'll see John's skates in the air after Thornton hits him. If that's where John hurt his knee, I can understand why because that's some height he got on that hit if his skates came up that high!

In any case, I saw that interview today and thought that story was pretty cool if one went back and watched that commercial again. It doesn't sound like there were lifelong friendships made between the then-unknown John Krasinski and the three Bruins on the ice, but perhaps that friendship has now blossomed thanks to John's role on The Office and Joe Thornton's legend in the NHL.

For six years, though, John Krasinski had a memory of Joe Thornton every time he bent his knee. That's gotta be worth something, right?

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Don't Ever Fight Tie Domi In A Bar

If the guy to the left passed you on the street, I doube many people, including Canadians, would stop and talk to him. He's a pretty famous Canadian actor who also dabbles in music, but it's his work on television that most Canadians would recognize in a heartbeat as soon as he jumped into character. That man to the left is Mike Smith, and the character he plays on TV is none other than Bubbles from Trailer Park Boys! Smith is from New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, and he's a long-time friend of Trailer Park Boys director Mike Clattenburg who saw him in his "Cart Boy" character while on the set of the television program. Clattenburg immediately saw the depth of Smith's character, and originally put him in an episode as a bit player. Fans loved Bubbles, though, and he quickly became one of the biggest breakout characters on Canadian TV!

I don't normally post videos on here unless they include some major highlight or historical moment, but I was scrolling aimlessly through Instagram today and someone had posted a small clip of Mike Smith appearing as Bubbles on Hockey Night in Canada. Listening to him tell his hockey stories had me in stitches - specifically, his story about fighting Tie Domi in a bar. I'm chuckling as I write this because of the story he told in that clip, but kudos to Smith because he IS Bubbles when he puts those spectacles on!

This clip of Bubbles telling his stories on Hockey Night in Canada is from the 2012 production of Hockey Day in Canada that CBC did. It aired on February 11, 2012 as CBC went out to Prince Edward Island for the day! Without further adieu, though, here's Mike Smith as Bubbles from Trailer Park Boys talking about everything he's seen, done, and liked about hockey. If you just want to see the part about Tie Domi that had me in stitches, scroll to 6:06!

It's hard not to miss great characters like Bubbles, but I'll give Smith credit for squeezing every last second out of that character. Most recently, people may have recognized Smith as Attorney McGurk in the Woody Harrelson film, Champions, but his work as Bubbles continues today in various spin-offs and projects involving the Trailer Park Boys. Bubbles may just live forever at this rate!

I had actually written about the clip above on HBIC back in August 2013, but I'll admit that I've come to appreciate this CBC segment a lot more after seeing it again today. Again, the part about Sean Avery and the story about fighting Tie Domi had me chuckling like I had never seen it before, but it seems pretty obvious that good comedy never goes out of style... even if that Cooper helmet did.

I needed a good laugh today. Bubbles' stories did the trick in putting me in a better mood than when I woke up, and it's bee keeping me chuckling throughout the day. If there's one thing we should do everyday, it's have a good laugh. If there's one thing everyone should avoid doing, don't ever fight Tie Domi in a bar.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Heat Of The Moment

The young man about to deposit the puck into the yawning cage is London Knights forward Ryan Humphrey. Humphrey is an American forward who hails from Northville, Michigan who began his OHL career with the Hamilton Bulldogs before the London Knights swung a trade for him on January 2, 2023. Humphrey had a good season with the Bulldogs last year as he scored 25 goals and 62 points in 68 games, but he's shifted into a new role with London where he's contributing offensively while playing a more physical brand of hockey. However, he's been a solid player in this year's OHL playoffs where he has seven goals and 11 points in London's 19 games. I'll also note that he has 29 PIMs.

I make that note because Ryan Humphrey was in the penalty box tonight, and he was unhappy about a call made against him in London's game against the Peterborough Petes. As he was chirping the officials, the official in the penalty box made a comment to which Humphrey replied with an animated way of saying "be quiet". From here, I'll let the video posted to Twitter by natalie speak for itself in what is a rather funny sequence between Humphrey and the official!
As you can see, Humphrey was caught up in the heat of the moment of the OHL playoff game, and his choice of words to tell the official to keep quiet seemed to spark the disagreement between them. Once Humphrey and the official had a discussion, I assume that Humphrey apologized for his choice of words towards the official and all was good in the London penalty box between the two men!

People often say that hockey is an "emotional game" when describing how players react in situations, and it seems that the video above is proof that Ryan Humphrey got caught up in the moment when he disagreed with the referee's penalty call. While he summarily dismissed the penalty box official using rather obscene words, it was clear that Humphrey meant no disrespect as he simply was in that emotional moment of being frustrated with the call against him. In the end, though, we get a happy ending between these two.

For the record, Peterborough won the game 5-3 tonight, and now lead the OHL Final by a three-games-to-one count. Humphrey and the Knights will have their backs against the wall when they take the ice on Friday in London, and it's win-or-go-home in every game now for Humphrey and the boys. The winner of this series will represent the OHL in the Memorial Cup in Kamloops from May 26 until June 4, so it's do-or-die for the Knights every time they step on the ice now.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Joe Biden: Honourary Canadian

There are certain stereotypes that Canadians simply can't shake when it comes to the rest of the world's perception of us. Yes, there are likely too many Tim Hortons restaurants per capita, but we'd really like the chain to owned by a Canadian and not a Brazilian restaurant conglomerate. Yes, it's cold up here for long stretches of time, but we embrace winter as part of our identity. Yes, hockey is the national sport, but so is lacrosse and, no, not everyone plays one or both. Yes, French is a nationally-recognized official language, but not everyone can parlez-vous with the best of them.

For years, Canadians have been stereotypically-identified a numbers of ways - we apologize for everything, we're too polite, we say "eh" a lot, and we apparently pronounce words like "out" and "about" as "oot" and aboot" - and we're pretty accepting that this happens. However, if you really want to test someone's "Canadian-ness", all you have to do is crack a joke about the Toronto Maple Leafs!

If you've read this far, you likely know that the Toronto Maple Leafs are a polarizing team in that people either like them or hate them. There's not a lot of gray area in between, it seems, and the historical nature of this polarization extends back to the team's Original Six days for Canadian fans. Leafs fans will go out of their way to defend their beloved team while those who detest the Leafs will make that known in no uncertain terms as well.

Being that I am of the latter group - I live by the ABT mantra of "Anybody But Toronto" - hearing US President Joe Biden's comments today will speaking to the Canadian government brought a smile to my face. Here is Joe Biden's speech where he references the Leafs.
I'll give Biden a pass for referencing his wife's commitment to her hometown Philadelphia Flyers, but he could have just stopped at "except the Leafs". All jokes aside, Biden making the crack in Ottawa in front of sitting Members of Parliament from across Canada was a pretty fun moment during the political theatre to which Canada was treated over the last couple of days.

Because President Joe Biden took a shot at the Leafs on a very public stage today, he's earned himself an Honourary Canadian badge. That doesn't give him any additional rights or privileges, of course, but Joe Biden can now crack jokes about the Leafs at any time without Canadians giving him a puzzled look. Make a very public Leafs joke on Canadian soil? You too can earn yourself an Honourary Canadian badge! I feel like the low entry point for this badge might mean we're going to need a lot more badges made in a short time!

Like him or hate him, Joe Biden is welcome here at HBIC thanks to his membership to the Honourary Canadian club after cracking a great joke about the always-hated Leafs!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Art Imitates Life

If there's one player who takes his headshots seriously each year, it's Brandon Tanev. And by seriously, I mean not very serious at all. As you can see from the image, the eyes-wide-open face that Tanev makes has progressed from not overly wild-eyed his rookie season in Winnipeg to his most recent efforts in Seattle where he has others replicating his unique style of photo. If nothing else, Tanev will likely be remembered for his annual photos more than his career once he retires from the game. That's not said negatively, but rather for taking something so mundane and making it fun.

He was asked about it in Pittsburgh during his stint there, and he didn't even both to try to dissuade the reporter who asked him about his brother, Chris, commenting that Brandon may have seen a ghost prior to the picture being taken. His answer shouldn't surprise you.
Tanev, it should be noted, has continued the tradition in Seattle where his headshot photographs just keep getting weirder and weirder in a good way. It caught the attention of Seattle Seahawks running back DeeJay Dallas who replicated it, former teammate in Pittsburgh Kasperi Kapanen tried to pull off a "Tanev", and members of the PWHPA tried their best "Tanev" look as well.

Seattle, however, may have just raised the stakes in this game.

On Thursday night with the Ottawa Senators in town, the Seattle Kraken took it upon themselves to send 10,000 people home with a limited-edition Brandon Tanev bobblehead that features the Kraken forward in his typical photographic self. For real. This isn't a joke.

Imagine seeing Brandon Tanev with that look on his face every day on your desk. It's almost surreal how close the bobblehead looks to the real guy! I don't live in Seattle, but I'm seriously considering a trip to the Pacific Northwest on Thursday just to get me a bobblehead.

Jokes aside, this might be one of the best bobbleheads ever produced by an NHL team for any reason. Tanev found something where he could have fun, and now the Kraken are doing the next logical thing by immortalizing him in plastic and a spring to give him his very own bobblehead. That's just good marketing, folks!

I feel there may be a couple available on eBay at some point after Thursday's game, so I'm going to keep an eye on prices because this bobblehead is just too good to pass by. If you're going to the Ottawa-Seattle game on Thursday, get there early to grab your very life-like Brandon Tanev bobblehead! No ghosts included!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

'Tis Christmas Eve!

If you had been listening to The Hockey Show on Thursday and you caught the intro and the outro, you have heard John Malkovich's distinctive voice. I have to admit that I'm a fan of John Malkovich's acting, and there are a number of movies in which he stars that I can watch again and again such as Burn After Reading, Red, and Rounders. The breadth of his acting roles has seen him in action films, dramas, and comedies all with great success, but it's his monologue on Saturday Night Live in 2008 that cracks me up every time I see or hear it.

Being that it is the night before Christmas, it feels only right to post that monologue here on HBIC where John Malkovich reads the Clement Clarke Moore poem 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. I hope you enjoy this clip from the sketch comedy show as much as I do!
Honestly, his asides delivered straight-faced make it even funnier than just hearing it, and this is why I appreciate Malkovich's deadpan delivery in reading this famous poem. It's comedy at its finest, and I watch this every Christmas Eve just for a laugh.

Let's leave the religious aspects out of the equation, and focus on spending time with family and friends who make our lives so incredibly rich. The Christian holiday should be seen as a celebration of all those things important to us, and getting to spend some quality time with the ones you love and cherish is far more important than the trees, the gifts, the lights, and the commercial aspects of this season. For those that are religious, practice accordingly.

For those not partaking in this holiday, this weekend would still be a good time to connect and/or reconnect with those who are most important to you. Have dinners, spend time with one another, toast good health and long lifetimes, and make it clear how impotant these people are to you.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, folks. My day starts early, so I'll get back online sometime during the day to post something. I doubt it will be hockey-related since there's very little hockey happening tomorrow, but HBIC will check-in tomorrow at some point. Be merry, be safe, and we'll see you then!

Until next time, Merry Christmas!

Kostin Reads Twitter

If there's one thing I could never understand when it came to the St. Louis Blues, it was how Klim Kostin was always playing for their AHL affiliates. While he played in 40 games last season for the Blues, it always seemed like he had way too much talent to be toiling in places like San Antonio and Springfield. The Blues may have been waiting for him to break out in a big way which, admittedly, never happened, but something prompting an October trade from St. Louis to Edmonton where Kostin could start fresh. He has played nine games in Bakersfield, but he may have endeared himself to Oilers fans forever with his locker room interview today where he was honest, funny, and absolutely took one member of the media down a few notches.

The Russian-born winger has scored a couple of goals and four points in 16 games since joining the Oilers, and he's played well enough to justify Jay Woodcroft keeping him in the lineup. His English seems to be good enough to answer questions from reporters, but he's very straight-forward and, perhaps, too honest when it comes to answering some questions. Case in point? His answer to reporter Jim Matheson's question about whether he still follows the Blues.

If we step back for a second, I have absolutely no problem with Kostin poking fun at Matheson. All sports reporters fall into the mundane by asking the same questions of players, and it's a big reason why clichés are the way of life for all NHL players. Kostin's honesty, while unintentional, was funny, unexpected, and it showed a level of humanity in that he reads Twitter!

The above exchange was part of a five-minute interview that Kostin gave to Edmonton reporters today. The full interview is below, so get ready to chuckle at Kostin's exchanges on a number of topic.
How refreshing is it to hear a player just tell it like it is? I understand the "public relations" angle that most teams impose on players, but I like seeing a little personality come out in players. Kostin's honesty and openness may not be entirely intentional as a foreigner trying to answer questions, but he tells it like it is with most of the questions and I appreciate that.

While he likely won't skate with McDavid or Draisaitl, maybe some of that honesty shown by Kostin can rub off on the two Oilers stars when it comes to the interviews they give. They can still be stars and represent the league and themselves well, but there's nothing wrong with having a little fun when answering the same dozen questions in every city. A little personality never hurts.

Not that it will matter to GM Ken Holland nor head coach Jay Woodcroft, but it appears that Kostin's personality has already endeared him to Oilers fans thanks to the above interview. If he can score a few goals, make some solid defensive plays, and continue to be a good teammate, he'll remain in Edmonton where fans can only hope he'll keep delivering answers like he did today.

Sometimes, a little personality can do a lot of good.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Winter Classic Day In Stripes

With the calendar flipped to 2022, the NHL grabbed the spotlight once again today as the Winter Classic took place at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota as the Wild welcomed the St. Louis Blues to the city's professional baseball field. Admittedly, as I stated on The Hockey Show this past week, I'm not overly excited for this game as it will be played in rather arctic temperatures which usually means that the hockey won't be all that spectacular. If there is a reason to tune in, though, I'll be keeping an eye on the stripes thanks to good friend and NHL linesman Ryan Galloway taking part in the game!

The NHL normally asks officials who are local to the Winter Classic's or Heritage Classic's venues to officiate in those games, and Ryan, along with his wife Rhonda and their dogs, live in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, so he was honoured to receive the invitation from the NHL to participate in this game today despite the frigid cold. Ryan's experience growing up and officiating on outdoor rinks in Winnipeg might come in handy today!

Having worked with his wife at a past job, I got to know Ryan quite well, and it's always exciting to see him work. It feels like just yesterday when he was working MJHL games and both IHL and AHL games with the Manitoba Moose. In fact, #82 began working as an IHL linesman in 1996, and he'd receive his big break when the NHL offered him a minor-league officiating contract at age 30 in 2002. His dream of working lines in the NHL was closer than ever, and it was exciting to see him pursuing that dream in living colour!

Since that time, Ryan worked his first NHL game on October 17, 2002 when he was on the lines for a game between the Florida Panthers and Chicago Blackhawks. He was part of the officiating crew who called the first game for the Winnipeg Jets after moving from Atlanta as the Montreal Canadiens met the Jets that night. The Jets were the home team again as they met the St. Louis Blues in Ryan's 1000th NHL game on February 9, 2018. Ryan's first NHL playoff game was in sunny and warm Anaheim where the Nashville Predators met the Anaheim Ducks on April 13, 2011.

Some of the bigger games that Ryan has worked included the 2019 NHL All-Star Game in San Jose, California, the 2014 Stadium Series game between the New York Rangers and New York Islanders at Yankee Stadium on January 29, 2014, the 2016 Stadium Series game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Minnesota Wild at TCF Bank Stadium on February 21, 2016, and the 2016 Heritage Classic game between the Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets at Investors Group Stadium on October 23, 2016.

Ryan's officiating career has seen a few scary moments as well. He was injured on January 7, 2015 in a game between the San Jose Sharks and Minnesota Wild when Justin Braun's pass was deflected by Matt Nieto directly into the noggin of Galloway. Ryan would miss a few games after getting stitched up before doctors would clear his return to the ice.

The scarier event took place two years later in a game between the visiting Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche. Ryan, who wears a visor for obvious protection on the ice, caught the Martin Hanzal dump-in near the cheekbone and cut Ryan wide open under the visor. Ryan didn\t fare so well in this one as he broke his jaw and was bruised all over, but he survived another scary moment. If anyone thinks being an official doesn't come with an element of danger, Ryan Galloway would be able to tell you otherwise.

Ryan nearly earned himself a contract from the Columbus Blue Jackets last season as he showed everyone some hockey sense in going to the net, but I can honestly say that this play he made was never in the plans when it comes to future employment. After getting tied up between Nashville's Matt Benning and Columbus' Eric Robinson, there wasn't a lot that Ryan could do in terms of getting to the boards, and the circumstances of the events saw the Blue Jackets score on Juuse Saros thanks, in part, to Ryan's inadvertent screen.

Of course, sometimes Ryan is doing his job as he's supposed to be and still gets caught in a mishap with a player. This time, it's Jamie Benn.

Ryan delivers a clothesline of which Vince McMahon would be proud, and Jamie Benn went to his bench to take some ribbing from his teammates over his run-in with Ryan. For the record, Ryan did apologize to Benn after hitting him accidentally.

I can honestly say that I'm excited for Ryan's participation in the game today, and I hope he stays warm in what looks like a very frigid night in Minnesota. He add this game to his list of achievements that he worked so hard to reach, and he's living proof of a man living out his dream. It took a lot of hard work and sacrifices, but skating in the Winter Classic as an official now makes him one of the few men in stripes to skate in a Winter Classic, a Heritage Classic, and a Stadium Series game.

No pun intended, but how cool is that?

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice!

He's Got Fans

While I'm still honoured and a little starstruck by the fact that we had Canadian actor Jared Keeso on The Hockey Show a few times before he became a household name with his show Letterkenny and the former police drama 19-2, the announcement of a spinoff from Letterkenny is something that proves that Jared Keeso might be the hardest-working man in Canadian show business. Shoresy, the foul-mouthed, advice-giving, refereeing bud of Reilly and Jonesy, will be getting his own series, aptly named Shoresy, in 2022 with the tenth season of Letterkenny set to premiere on Crave TV on December 25, 2021.

The plot of Shoresy is that the title character moves to Sudbury and joins a struggling Triple A-level hockey team with the idea that he's turn the team around and never lose again. Some of the names Keeso has recruited to appear in the show are recognizable from their work on the ice, and they include Terry Ryan, Jon Mirasty, Brandon Nolan, and Jordan Nolan. Needless to say, Shoresy looks like it's going to an absolute blast with the actors he's assembled for the show!

However, I realize that The Hockey Show doesn't have the same listenership as, say, a Jim Rome Show or a Tim & Friends on either side of the border, so it's a little mind-blowing when you see some of the names who have talked about Letterkenny in the public's eye, and it proves that all the hard work Jared put into making these shows successful is paying off when his A-list acting peers start name dropping the show.

There's a definite Fight Club theme to the people mentioning Letterkenny, but check out Edward Norton's comments from last September about the Canadian-made, Jared Keeso-created show!

Ok, so one Hollywood star knows about Letterkenny. You're not that impressed yet, I can tell, so let's double-down on Fight Club stars who mentioned Letterkenny without being asked or prompted. Yes, that's Brad Pitt name-dropping Letterkenny in the eTalk interview with Ben Mulroney, so it's pretty clear that the Ocean's 11 star has been watching if he just threw that comment into the mix. How cool is that?

It's not just the Hollywood types who are noticing the show, though. Edmonton Oilers forward Devin Shore admitted to NHL.com's Jeff Svoboda that he watches the show as well. He doesn't mention when he started watching it, but the interview was from his days in Columbus during the 2019-20 season, so it seems pretty clear that the had been watching it while with the Anaheim Ducks as well. That prolonged watching of the show would make Devin Shore a Letterkenny fan in my humble opinion. Perhaps he'll be a Shoresy fan too once it debuts on Crave TV?

Jeff Svoboda: "I've never watched Letterkenny, but I know there's a Shoresy on the show. Have you ever seen it?"
Devin Shore: "I've seen the show, yeah. I'm not crazy up to date, but Shoresy has always been my nickname even before that show. That's the standard hockey nickname -- you add an -ey or an -er or an 's' to the end of the guy's last name or shorten it up and it seems to work."
JS: "Shoresy is a great hockey nickname."
DS: "For sure. I don't say it much, but I would like to think it rolls off the tongue for others."
JS: "You're nothing like the TV Shoresy though, right?
DS: "Ha. I don't think you ever see his character. He's a guy who's always chirping in the background. He's a little different. I don't think I'm much like the character on the show."

It's pretty clear that Letterkenny has a great following from it's grown into an entire spin-off from its original debut as a YouTube short. It speaks volumes to the effort that Jared Keeso, Nathan Dales, and producer/director Jacob Tierney have put into the show from its humble beginnings to where it stands now. I'm proud of "the boys" for realizing their dream, and having some A-list celebrities pay them their respects.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Wheel Of Playoff Fortune

I'm not one who watches a lot of gameshows. Usually, I'm at work when they're on during the day, and the primetime gameshows have been definitely left me wondering how they were green-lit by executives. While I understand that reality television and gameshows are relatively cheap to produce compared to the ratings they may attract, one set of eyes that isn't watching are mine. Sorry, network executives.

When I was younger and home over summer from school, I used to watch gameshows like Family Feud, Jeopardy!, and Wheel of Fortune because soap operas were rather lame to my teenage self. There were challenges that each show presented, and I used to play along in trying to guess the top-six answers, the correct answers, and the word puzzles presented on these gameshows. While they weren't hockey, they filled my needs when it came to my television entertainment as a kid.

I grew up and lost the summers off of school, thankfully, and my tastes for televised entertainment changed. I became more interested in live sports and I certainly watched a ton of hockey. Every year, the Stanley Cup Playoffs would roll around, and sixteens would have an equal chance at winning the Stanley Cup depending on a few breaks, a little luck, a pile of hard work, and an equal amount of skill. It's a little like a gameshow if one were to spin a wheel when trying to determine who will win each and every year.

Obviously, I'm not Merv Griffith when it comes to producing a gameshow, but what if the NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs were made into a Wheel of Fortune-style gameshow? You spin the wheel, and the team you land on is your chosen team that will win the Stanley Cup! While I can't lock anyone in on these picks, here's a wheel that will allow you to randomly pick your team!



Ok, so maybe you're looking for something more definitive to help you in choosing the winner of the Stanley Cup. What if, using the same wheel, we eliminated the team you land on, leaving just one team standing at the very end as your Stanley Cup winner? Again, I can't lock you into the team you end up with at the end, but post it in the comments if you want!



None of these spins mean a whole heckuva lot of anything in the grand scheme of things as teams still need to play the games to determine a winner. You could spin sixteen different times on the first wheel and get a different team each time which means nothing more than the odds are accurate. It is a fun way, though, to pick a team and see how far they go.

Give the wheels a spin, and have some fun with this!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

May The Fourth

According to the calendar, it's May 4 today which means it's a big day if you're a Star Wars fan. Personally, the three movies that were made in the 1970s and early-1980s were good enough to stand on their own over the course of time, but my feelings on every movie that has spawned since The Return of the Jedi aren't important here. What is important is that we have a little fun today with some Star Wars-inspired creativity on behalf of Canada West and the great hockey programs seen there.

One of the great things that the Star Wars franchise does in every movie is each movie leading off with the iconic music and text setup of where the story begins. You know exactly what you're getting into in terms of the story, and the music sets the stage for what you're about to see on the screen. Before we get going too far here, though, I should lay down a disclaimer and say I own none of this, and that all rights to everything Star Wars belongs to the Walt Disney Company.

In disclaiming that, what if we made a scrolling text introduction like we see in Star Wars for the upcoming season of Canada West hockey?

How's that for a little "May The Fourth Be With You" fun? Personally, I'm excited for the upcoming season. While we still have a ton of work to do in reducing case numbers across western Canada, the fact that there's real hope and opportunity for a season to begin in October has me fired up for some live hockey after the rinks have sat quiet for far too long.

I had planned to make up all the various logos as Canada West teams before realizing that there aren't good examples for a handful of teams. For example, there were no dinosaur logos in Star Wars, so the Dinos would have needed a lot of creative liberties to exist. Instead, I opted for the scrolling text and the iconic music to get us ready for another Canada West season!

Besides, when you have Baby Yoda as a fan, you already have an edge on every other team!

Until next time, may the Force be with you!

The New Face Of Hockey On TNT

When a new person is hired at any company, it's always good to see people lending a hand and helping that person settling into his or her new role. I've been in that situation before, and it makes the initial apprehension of getting into the swing of things that much easier. Occasionally, mistakes will happen, and I know I've called someone by the wrong name in my first few days at a job because I hadn't yet gotten everyone's names straight, but those people were really good about it and we can laugh about it now. Little mistakes like that will happen when you're new to any workplace and you can't let those moments of "oops" ruin the day or experience.

With the NHL announcing the new broadcastingn deal with Turner Sports today, there were some real eyebrows raised at the amount of money and services that Turner Sports will be giving the NHL when it comes to the deal. Don't get me wrong: this is good for the NHL when it comes to getting their product out to the public through as many broadcast offerings as they can find, so you'd expect that Turner Sports was going to be excited about having the NHL on its networks.

Turner Sports, in that thought, published this graphic near the end of their NBA on TNT broadcast this evening, and, well....

You may look at that graphic and think, "I don't see the problem here, Teebz." To that, I would implore you to look a little closer at the number worn by the captain of the Edmonton Oilers, though, because Connor McDavid, current captain of the Edmonton Oilers, doesn't have a "2" in the number he wears on the ice. Nor has he ever worn a "2" in his career.

That #21 Oilers captain is defenceman Andrew Ference who captained the Oilers prior to his retirement in 2015-16. While Ference was a very serviceable defender during his time in the NHL, I'm not certain that the NHL wants him as the face of the NHL on TNT, most notably because he's been retired for five years and won't play another second in the NHL when TNT begins its broadcasting contract.

As the new employee walking around the NHL Offices, you can probably forgive Turner Sports for calling the guy in cubicle 21 by the wrong name, but I would think it's much harder to mess up who McDavid and Ference are since the only common thing they share is captaining the Edmonton Oilers. Adn whoever signed off on this graphic designed by some employee below them also needs a crash course on the NHL's most biggest and marketable stars.

My congratulations go out to Andrew Ference, the new face of the NHL on TNT! As for Connor McDavid, he'll have to win a few more scoring titles and a Stanley Cup before Turner Sports will recognize his excellence in the game. Standards have to be met, after all.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Girls Of Winter?

With Major League Baseball officially starting the season on Thursday, you know summer is right around the corner. In one city, though, you could have been forgiven if you thought it was mid-October with all the snow that feel. That place was Detroit, one of the most northern cities in MLB, so maybe we shouldn't be skipping past spring just yet, but the idea of baseball coming back gave me another idea when it came to having a little fun in mashing up Canada West hockey with something new!

MLB's 30 teams don't really offer a lot of logo choices that would fit the nine Canada West women's hockey teams well. Of course, we should remember that when the boys of summer return, there are also a ton of minor-league professional ball teams that hit the field to support the pipeline of talent that Major League Baseball needs, and that opens the door to all sorts of logo mash-ups!

With baseball back in full swing, let's take a fun look at what Canada West teams would look like if they mashed up their identities with baseball logos! If you missed the movie mash-up and the music mash-up, I suggest checking those out as well as they were fun projects, but this one had me put my baseball thinking cap on a little tighter to find proper teams for the mash-ups!

Alberta Pandas

Logo: Chicago Cubs
League: MLB

The Pandas are one of the most storied teams in Canada West who play in one of the oldest buildings in the league, so it made sense to choose the Cubs. While no one really views Wrigley Field as the place where dreams go to die, the Pandas have made Clare Drake Arena a nightmare for the opposition. Like the Cubs, there have been multiple championship banners hung in the arena, but the big difference is there has never been a 108-year drought for the Pandas! Just as the Cubbies do, the Pandas also share their city with another team in the same league and are the older of the two franchises.

UBC Thunderbirds

Logo: Toronto Blue Jays
League: MLB

This logo is literally a "T" and a bird, so it made sense to have the T-Birds adopt it. Like the current crop of Blue Jays, the Thunderbirds will give the kids starring roles in their lineup in 2021-22 as they look to shake up the balance in Canada West. The veterans who remain have played in big games so the experience factor won't be lost, but this could be a fun season in watching a pile of talented women find their games at the Canada West level. If a few of them do, this team could go long in their quest to win the division!

Calgary Dinos

Logo: Ogden Raptors
League: Pioneer League

Yes, the dinosaur is the tie-on to Ogden for Calgary. However, like Ogden, the Dinos have sent some really good players on to bigger stages such as the Olympics. Like the Raptors, the Dinos have found winning ways recently thanks to great player development and recruiting, and this Dinos team should be in the conversation when it comes to favorites to win the Canada West championship based on their current roster's construction They could be this year's apex predator in Canada West!

Trinity Western Spartans

Logo: Nashua Silver Knights
League: Futures Collegiate

No one is expecting the youthful Spartans to win Canada West this year, but their development should mean great success in the future just as we see in Nashua in the Future Collegiate League. Nashua, like TWU, finds great players for their team every year, and they've found a ton of success on the ball diamond by bringing in great people and great players. With what is being built in Langley with TWU, the Spartans should start seeing success sooner than later with the talent they're amassing. It won't be this year, but the groundwork being laid this year means that Canada West will only get harder to win thanks to Trinity Western. And I'm not gonna lie: if TWU could some how license this design as a secondary logo, I'd be an instant fan and buy any and all merchandise with this logo!

Regina Cougars

Logo: Kane County Cougars
League: American Association

The Cougars are always a competitive team, but championships elude them - true for both teams. Like the ball team, the Regina Cougars will give the kids a shot to fill some important roles this year as they seek scoring upfront, from the blue line, and a solid stopper in the blue paint. It sounds like there shouldn't be a lot to be excited about, but this team always find some incredible players who become the backbone of the squad, and I have no doubt there will be scorers and leaders who emerge this season for the Cougars.

Saskatchewan Huskies

Logo: Huskies de Rouen
League: Fédération Française

Yes, this is a baseball team that plays in France which is nowhere near Sasaktchewan. However, the success that the Huskies de Rouen have had certainly sounds like the success that the Huskies de Saskatchewan have. The Rouen Huskies are one of the most successful teams to have ever played in the Fédération Française not unlike the Saskatchewan Huskies who always find themselves near or at the top of the standings. Both teams have had the fortune of having incredible players play for them, and they have built reputations of being exceptional teams due to the talent they have.

MacEwan Griffins

Logo: Royse City Griffins
League: Southwest

This defunct team is the only "Griffins" team I could find in baseball, and they only existed from 2016-19. That being said, the MacEwan Griffins are an expansion franchise like this team was when the Southwest League got off the ground, but I suspect MacEwan's fortunes will be much better in Canada West. Head coach Lindsay McAlpine is building a fast, skilled team that can score and defend with the talent she has assembled, and it seems that MacEwan is aiming for Canada West supremacy in Season One after years of championships in the ACAC.

Mount Royal Cougars

Logo: Lynchburg Hillcats
League: Low-A East

Mount Royal, like Lynchburg, found a ton of success in other leagues in their past. However, the Cougars are now carving out their own success in Canada West thanks to great recruiting, solid player development, and excellent teamwork. They're great on both sides of the puck, and are backed by perhaps the most underrated goaltending duo in Canada West. That being said, no one will take them lightly after last season's appearance at the U SPORTS National Championship where they won their first game. The Mount Royal Cougars are the best "small ball" team in Canada West, and they don't mind putting in the reps when it comes to success!

Manitoba Bisons

Logo: Buffalo Bisons
League: Class AAA

Like the Bisons did a few years for the Blue Jays, the kids will see a ton of ice time in Manitoba. After a recruiting class that featured 10 players in 2019-20, two more solid recruiting classes were brought in to push for roster spots. The internal competition, like the ball team had a couple of years ago, should hopefully lead to players who are ready for the major leagues, and the Bisons will be looking for those performances as they hope to return to the Canada West playoffs after a one-year absence. The future is bright for the Bisons with the talent they have assembled, and they will be an entertaining team to watch!

With a little Photoshopping, some deep dives into minor-league baseball, and a touch of Canada West magic, there are your nine CanWest women's hockey teams as baseball teams! Honestly, these projects I've been doing have really allowed me to learn to Photoshop in a constructive way, and I feel like I have a new skill set thanks to this work.

Is there a ball team I missed that would work for one of these teams? Let me know in the comments and we can discuss! Of course, with baseball season upon us, you may just want to keep an eye out for former and current Canada West women's hockey players Amanda Asay (UBC), Madison Willan (Alberta), and Kaitlin Ross (MRU) who are making names for themselves on the diamond as much as they have on the ice!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Ten CDs For A Penny?

I used to scan the page of Columbia House music as a kid that would make its way to my house. The offer - a random amount of CDs for a penny - was a no-brainer to me until I presented it to my parents who told me that I should read the fine print. At the time, I was never concerned about fine print when ten CDs could be had for a penny. Heck, let's order a hundred CDs for a dime, right? Sadly, that was never the case.

Why am I writing about ordering CDs for a penny? Music, it seems, has a way of finding its way into all our lives for a number of reasons. Whether it's a song that triggers a memory about a time in one's life or a song that a group of friends sang along to when everyone didn't have the pressures of adulthood, music has a way to stir memories and evoke feelings in all of us.

Perhaps one of the more overlooked aspects of music is the art featured on album covers. Whether you prefer CDs or vinyl, there were always incredible pieces of art featured on alubm covers for a vast number of bands. There are a number of instantly-recognizable album covers out there - Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, The Beatles' Abbey Road, and Nirvana's Nevermind to name a few - but a lot often are missed simply due to lack of commercial success for the band. We're heavily-influenced by the songs we hear on the radio as youngsters, and often those songs end up in our collective playlists through the purchase of albums. If bands with incredible album art aren't played on commercial radio, would you even know they exist?

It's that question of existence that sees two ideas merge together in another Canada West hockey marketing idea as I tackle the music world just as I did with the motion picture world one week ago. And because we're talking about Columbia House's incredible offer, let's make it easy by offering ten albums for the low, low price of FREE!

Here are the various albums chosen for the ten CDs you can get for that low price as I perform a mashup of Canada West with music!

Team: UBC Thunderbirds
Band: The Fabulous Thunderbirds
Album: Roll Of The Dice

People will remember this album as "the second one without Jimmie Vaughan", but Roll of the Dice was a return to the Thunderbirds' rocking ways. Like the band, there will be new faces to play parts on ice, but you'll be rocking with the UBC Thunderbirds.

Team: Calgary Dinos
Band: Alice In Chains
Album: The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here

Well-received by fans and critics, the fifth Alice in Chains album was a chart-topper. Based on recruiting and returnees, we might see the Calgary Dinos at the top of the Canada West charts by the end of the 2021-22 season based on their 2019-20 success!

Team: Alberta Pandas
Band: Desiigner
Album: Panda (Single)

Rolling Stone named Panda as one of the best hits in 2016, but the Alberta Pandas have been one of the best teams for a long time. The song spent 17 weeks in the top-ten whereas the hockey team is there annually thanks to good tempo on the ice and excellent arrangement by the coaches.

Team: Saskatchewan Huskies
Band: No Metal In This Battle
Album: The Husky Tape

NMITB is a punk band from Luxembourg who rock hard on good melodies without a vocalist. Like the band, the Saskatchewan Huskies play hard as a team to generate the sound of success. That teamwork is why they're always near the top of the CanWest charts!

Team: Mount Royal Cougars
Band: The Stranglers
Album: Feline

A 1970s English punk rock band, The Stranglers still perform today after mainstream success in the past. The Cougars, like the band, found success in the past in the ACAC, but have rose to the challenge and are back to successful form in Canada West! Could we see a chart-topping album in 2021-22?

Team: Regina Cougars
Band: Koen Holtkamp
Album: Field Rituals

Holtkamp's music combines synth, guitar, and earthly sounds for a unique album. The Cougars, like Holtkamp, rely on some very basic building blocks for success such as hard work, good teamwork, and sound defence. The end result when combined is an enjoyable experience!

Team: Trinity Western Spartans
Band: Harlem Spartans
Album: Bye Bye

The British hip-hop group started making music in youth centers in the UK. Like the band, the young Spartans hockey team will look to hone their skills after joining the Canada West label, and there's hope that they'll rise to fame like the rappers did!

Team: Manitoba Bisons
Band: Foo Fighters
Album: Five Songs and a Cover

The Foo Fighters are certainly a recognizable band, but this album is one of their lesser-known releases. Like the Foo, the Bisons are well-known, but their 2021-22 album is all about singing a new tune that involves wins, successes, and growth! They're looking to shoot up the charts!

Team: MacEwan Griffins
Band: Griffin
Album: Flight of the Griffin

Griffin's heavy metal sound is unmistakable for its thrashing speed by its guitarists. Expect the same from the Griffins on the ice as they'll be using their speed to thrash their opponents as they look to hoist the heavy metal of the Canada West Championship after owning the ACAC for the past few years!

Team: Canada West
Band: Queen
Album: Greatest Hits

Everyone has a Greatest Hits album in their collection, so we will too as we honour the teams no longer with us. This album remembers teams of the past like the Lethbridge Pronghorns, the Brandon Bobcats, Lakehead University, the University of Winnipeg, and the Victoria Vikings.

There are your ten albums available through HBIC House for a single penny! While HBIC House doesn't formally exist, the nine teams who have album art dedicated to them do, and I'd suggest checking those albums out this October when they're delivered. There's always excitement and a good show at each of the rinks these "bands" will perform in, so get down and support your local hockey music acts when you can!

Did I miss on any of these album covers? Drop a note in the comments, and we can discuss!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!