The Hockey Show - Episode 726

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back in the confines of the UMFM studios for another show this evening, but we won't be joined by Montreal Victoire defender Kati Tabin as she's far too busy to make an appearance. If you're attending her camp, have a great time, but we'll focus on some bigger stories tonight as the world of hockey has some good, some not-so-good, and some absolute treachery happening in it over the last week. There's a pile of stuff to chat about this evening, so settle in for another examination of the game and all its connections on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

They won't be looking for a dolphin like the pet detective shown, but Teebz and Jason will look at the newest gambling-trend-turned-investment-tool with which the financial world is hoping to capitalize. Beyond that madness, they'll discuss Rogers canning the HNiC Punjabi broadcasts, the OHL cracking down on fighting again, Jeff Skinner's new home, Fort Wayne's incredible jerseys, a pro ball player, championships in three leagues, there's finally a name and logo for one team, and whatever else comes across the desk at our hosts. There's lots to discuss tonight on the show, so settle in for an hour of hockey opinions and thoughts on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!

If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The UMFM website's streaming player works well if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store.

If you have questions, you can email all show queries and comments to hockeyshow@umfm.com! Tweet me anytime with questions you may have by hitting me up at @TeebzHBIC on Twitter! I'm here to listen to you, so make your voice heard! And because both Teebz and Jason are on the butterfly app where things are less noisy, you can find Teebz here and Jason here on Bluesky!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason chat high-stakes gambling, stupid decisions, expensive fights, Swiss chalets, historical accuracy, pro hits, winning teams, new names, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: August 20, 2026: Episode 726

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Reading The Manual

For the last couple of weeks, I've been spending a lot of time reading about, researching, and narrowing down my options for a new HBIC mobile, and my choice of the vehicle you see to the left is a good one! Jokes aside, I didn't buy that car, but I did take possession of a new vehicle today so anyone who knew my old vehicle will likely need to get used to this new one parked in my driveway. Being that I like to know everything about expensive purchases I make, I'm going to spend the evening reading the manuals that came with the vehicle.

No, I'm not listing what I purchased here, but I assure you that this blog contributed nothing to the purchase. What I can tell you, though, is that there is more technology in this car than I've ever had in a vehicle, so I need to figure out what everything does, how it all connects through my phone, and whether or not satellite radio is necessary in this new vehicle. I'm leaning towards no, but we'll see.

I've listened to the NHL Network radio channel they have on SiriusXM and I'm often wondering why I'm listening. There isn't a show on there that is "must-hear radio", so that's one reason I may scrap the subscription. Add in the fact that Howard Stern is dropping to one show per week according to a Page Six report, the playlists for the music stations rarely change, and I have no need for Pitbull's channel, Kelly Clarkson's channel, The Beatles' channel, Alex Cooper's music, Bruce Springsteen's channel, Pearl Jam's channel, the Grateful Dead channel, and so on. No, I'm not staying for Andy Cohen either.

I might show my age here, but I would load up my iPod Nano with all my favorite music and listen to it for hours on road trips. Unless there was something specific on satellite radio that I wanted to hear, there really wasn't a need to have it. I'll admit that I've enjoyed the Howard Stern Show over the years and used it to the listen to the Blue Jays' run to the World Series last season when I was travelling for work, but more commercials on channels and less and less variation is making it hard to justify the cost of satellite radio at this point.

I'll evaluate thst decision moving forward, but, being that the hockey stories are few and far between right now, I'm going to spend this evening getting smarter about all this connected technology so I can have the full experience with my vehicle. According to the first few pages that I've read, Apple's Siri might be useful if it's integrated with the car's technology! See? I learned something already!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

From Blue Lines To Foul Lines

I have spent more than enough time at a ballpark this season to know that baseball can be a funny game. Whether it be hot streaks, cold streaks, wild pitches, or diving catches, baseball, like hockey, is a game of momentum. If one has it, usually good things happen while those that don't are often looking for a momentum change. Lots of hockey players play baseball in the summer as there are several skills that cross-over between the two sports, and we've seen good hockey players like Tom Glavine, Justin Morneau, and Larry Walker opt for the summer sport over the winter one. We can add another name to the former-hockey-player-turned-pro-baseball-player list as former Alberta Pandas forward Madison Willan is a full-time infielder for the New York Heights of the brand-new Women's Pro Baseball League!

Make no mistake that it was a treat to watch Madison torch defenders and victimize goalies on a regualr basis for the Pandas, but her first sports love was clearly baseball. I first caught wind of Madison's talents on the diamond back in 2019 when she helped Team Canada earn a spot at the COPABE Women's Baseball World Cup Qualifier in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Canada earned a bronze medal there, but Madison made a name for herself with her excellent defensive play with the glove while being lethal at the plate for Team Canada!

Of course, hearing about how good she is second-hand doesn't mean anything unless there's some sort of evidence to prove that hearsay, but I got to witness how good Madison is in-person when she made her way to the 2022 Women's Invitational Baseball Tournament in Stonewall, Manitoba with Team Alberta. Unexpectedly, Madison pitched in the game I saw between Alberta and Nova Scotia, and she tossed a two-hit, complete-game 5-0 shutout where she hit a ground rule double for an RBI. It's pretty clear that Willan has the tools.

With Madison being part of Team Canada every year since 2017, it was almost certain that she'd get some looks from the upstart WPBL during their draft that happened on November 20, 2025. New York would make her pro baseball dreams come true when she was selected with the 15th selection of the second round as the 35th-overall selection! Officially, Madison was now a professional baseball player, and she'd be moving to New York to play for the Heights!

The WPBL kicked off its season on August 1, 2026 with a game between the visiting Los Angeles Queens and the host New York Heights. It didn't take long for the scoring to get started as the Queens put up two runs in the top of the first inning. New York would answer in the bottom half of the inning with Willan playing a role!
Willan would hit the 0-2 offering to left field for the sacrifice fly, allowing Kylee Lahners to tag up from third base for Madison Willan's first professional RBI! That run would push New York ahead by a 3-2 score, but they would eventually fall to Los Angeles by a 10-8 score in the first-evr game for the WPBL, but Willan 0-for-1 on the day with a walk and that RBI shown above as she played third base in the game!

We\ll jump ahead to August 8, 2026 when the Boston Hunters were visitng New York. New York came in at 1-1 while Boston was 0-2 early in the season. With fellow Canadian Raine Padgham on the mound for Boston, Willan stepped into the batter's box in the second inning with New York leading 1-0 with baserunners on first and second base.
Willan goes up the middle with a parachute single for her first professional hit in the WPBL! Unfortunately, Boston would rally for a 9-6 win over New York after being down six runs on the day, but Willan went 1-for-4 with one strikeout on the day for the Heights!

Madison would be a pinch-runner on Sunday's game against the Hunters, helping the Heights defeat the Hunters by a 7-6 score. Boston would exact some revenge on Thursday, August 13 with a 6-1 win over New York where Willan went 0-for-3 with a walk while playing second base. They'd drop a second-straight game to San Francisco by an 11-6 score on August 15 that saw Willan go 0-for-0 with a walk after taking over at shortstop when Keira Izumi went into pitch. Boston would record another win over New York on today, but Willan wasn't in the lineup. As it stands, Willan is 1-for-9 on the season with a .111 average, but she has recorded three walks compared to one strikeout to push her on-base percentage to .308!

It's actually pretty awesome to see Willan doing her thing on the diamond, and you can watch her and her teammates over on YouTube as the New York Heights battle the Boston Hunters, the San Francisco Fireballs, and the Los Angeles Queens. It's honstly pretty good ball with lots of balls in play, so it makes for entertaining baseball! I'm hoping Willan catches fire, goes on a tear, and helps the New York Heights reach chanpionship heights in this inaugural season!

I have no idea what she plans to do this winter, but maybe she could be the first two-sport professional woman in the modern era if she tries out for the New York Sirens! Ok, that probably won't happen, but it's super cool to see Madison Willan playing professional baseball after her university hockey career. Keep up the great work, Madison!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Peppers Over Hockey

It's officially the first Monday of August where there isn't a lot of important hockey happening. I feel like it's going to be pretty slow for the remainder of the month, so I'm going to dive into a little cooking today as let my mind escape any thoughts of work, hockey, events, and everything else that has locked up hours of my life. If there's one thing that puts my mind at ease, it's making a delicious meal! And bonus points for what I'm going to highlight in this article because the main ingredient came straight out of the HBIC vegetable garden!

I had purchased an Asian pepper plant at the local greenhouse earlier this spring as I was looking for some variety for my pepper choices. There are the standard jalapeno and banana pepper plants that are growing with it, but this Asian pepper plant produced a ton of waxy, green peppers that have been waiting to be plucked from the branches! I fully admit I had no idea these peppers had when it came to spice level nor was I sure about their taste, but I was determined to find a dish or preparation method for these peppers that would make me appreciate them!

I went to the internet to find that I had planted shishito peppers which are green while growing, but turn red when ripe. The pepper is mild when it comes to the spice level with only 5-10% having noticeable heat, and this heat is brought on by environmental stressors such as high heat and drought-like conditions. Clearly, this was something to note so I wasn't biting into an eye-watering, mouth-burning pepper! Thankfully, we haven't been short on water.

Most recipes suggested simply pan-frying them in oil and lightly salting them. However, one recipe noted the irregular shapes that shishito peppers take on, and it was suggested to toss the peppers in oil so that the peppers' skins would be evenly coated no matter which side was on the pan. I opted for this route and I have to say that not only did it work well, but there has hardly any oil left in the pan once I was done cooking. That's a tip I'll use again in the future!

Cooking them was quite easy as I simply put the heat on medium, popped the peppers into the frying pan once it heated up sufficiently, and they started to do their thing. There was sizzling and popping that happened where I failed to poke a hole in the skin to allow the air to escape from inside the pepper, but it made no difference in the end. Nothing exploded thanks to the shishido pepper's thin skin, so I got out alive on that one. That being said, let the peppers blister and char as much as you like, and then remove from the heat!

Once they had cooled slightly, I drizzled them in lemon juice, sprinkled them with salt, and added them as the side to my grilled salmon entree. The real test for these peppers was moments away!

Before we get into the taste test, I didn't cut or open up the peppers in any way, so there could have been more absorption of the salt and lemon juice I added for a bit of taste. I'm not saying that adding any flavouring or spices is a guaranteed way to make the peppers taste better, but that waxy coating that was trying to blister off may have prevented some of that absorption. I'm all about the simple flavours, though, so this worked for my taste requirements. The peppers were also easier to eat with the small stems that I left on as I could eat them with my hands, but it was just as easy to stab them with a fork. Alongside the salmon, they provided a great side option that pulled the lemon flavours together, and a 100-gram serving is 4.7 carbohydrates, around 2-3 grams of fibre, and 2.5 grams of protein!

Overall, they have a slight peppery taste as one would expect from a bell pepper, but they are very mild and taste pretty good! The salt and lemon juice helps, but they could easily be tossed in garlic and tomatoes for a delicious side or, as some suggested, eaten raw in a salad. With another crop of peppers nearly ready on the plant already, I'll be going back for more shishido peppers this summer! And, of course, I will be planting these peppers again next summer!

I spent my Monday afternoon doing a little learning about shishito peppers, preparing some salmon, making sugar-free chocolate pudding, and cooking Big Mac meatloaf for quick meals this week! Don't think that I won't be enjoying that meatloaf this week at work or elsewhere because it sounds incredible. However, I was very impressed with the shishito peppers I'm growing as a side dish, and I may start incorporating them into more meals as the summer closes!

It's back to hockey on HBIC tomorrow, but it was worth getting to know the shishito pepper after tonight's meal! Bon appetit!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

What's All the Buzz?

I rarely get to enjoy a good baseball game from the perspective of a fan because I'm usually working in the pressbox for the local professional team. Last night, however, I broke free from the pressbox and sat in the patio area with a pile of my colleagues from my day job where we got to watch the Winnipeg Goldeyes baseball team don a new identity as they searched for their sixth win in a row! If you came here for hockey chatter, there will be some at the end as I relate this fun night of baseball back to hockey, but this article is all about having a good time as a fan, enjoying a beautiful night on a patio, and watching the home team as a fan rather than a stats guy for the first time in a long time! And if the Goldeyes could beat Lincoln, that's even better!

If you have a larger group who wants to attend a baseball game, the patio at Blue Cross Park is a great way to get that group to the ballgame. The Malibu Patio, where we sat, holds 65 people and located right in the left field corner above the Goldeyes' bullpen. The sightlines are incredible from this location as you can see virtually everything happening in the park, and it didn't hurt that this was prime seating for the fireworks display scheduled after the game!

The patio has serving staff assigned to it and a private bar so that the group never would never need to venture far if it needed food or beverages. We declined the serving staff as there were many different requests for food, but the private bar was used all night and was a solid added benefit. Combined with the patio tables, umbrellas, and bar-like seating around the railing, the Malibu Patio as perfect for a group of our size to enjoy a night at the ballpark!

The Goldeyes debuted their one-time-only alternate identities last night as they took the field as the Manitoba Mosquitoes to welcome the Lincoln Saltdogs to town, and the Mosquitoes were buzzing early in this game. Five runs in the first inning followed by two more in the second and four more in the third inning put the Mosquitoes up 11-0 early on the Saltdogs, and it seemed like all Manitoba had to do was nurse that lead. Adding to the fun was pitcher Ryo Kohigashi as the league's third-best pitcher for strikeouts was dealing again on Friday night, striking out nine Saltdogs to push his total to 79 this season. That leaves him ten punchouts back of the league lead, so the Fish have a hurler who could win one of the key stats races before the season is over! But the bigger question was if the Mosquitoes could keep the win streak going.

Despite surrendering four runs in the top of the fifth inning, the Saltdogs would get no more as the Goldeyes used that early run support to cruise to the 11-4 win on a gorgeous night at the ballpark. No homeruns were hit on night, but centerfielder Noah Marcelo led the way with three RBIs to pace the Goldeyes. On the fun side, Lincoln's Cary Arbolida struck out to send the fans home with free pancakes, and Lincoln's Nick Schumpert went home with a platinum sombrero after striking out swinging five times in the game! Ouch!

After the game wrapped up with high-fives and handshakes on the Goldeyes/Mosquitoes side of the field, the fireworks display literally happened right in front of us, giving us the best view of the night sky. A handful of brightly-coloured explosions brought oohs and aahs from the crowd that stayed behind for the display, and the kids who were part of our group were absolutely thrilled with the spectacle!

Some people ask me why I love minor-league professional sports, and it's stuff like this where the local team dons a new identity for a fun night at the ballpark or rink. We've seen lots of teams rebrand to represent their communities, and I honestly love that minor-pro teams do this as often as they do. I get that the professional teams are tied to their communities as well, but minor-pro baseball and hockey teams always seem to have fun rebrands and jerseys they roll out every season. Seeing these ideas come to life is so much fun!

If you want to know why I support leagues like the AHL and ECHL more than I support the NHL, it's for this very reason. Sports are supposed to be fun and every time a minor-pro team rebrands or has a crazy bobblehead night or some other zany promotion, the end result is a fun night at a stadium or arena. Our group had a blast last night, there was a buzz about the Mosquitoes jerseys and how good they looked, and the Mosquitoes showed up in a big way to send the crowd home happy. Add in good food, good baseball, an awesome fireworks display, and ticket prices that didn't put anyone into financial distress, and the end result was an incredible night at Blue Cross Park in Winnipeg.

I'm not telling you not to cheer for your favorite NHL teams and players, but I am saying you should go support the minor-pro teams whenever you can. Having fun nights as the Manitoba Mosquitoes, in my view, should be encouraged as often as possible so we see more fun jerseys like the Manitoba Polar Bears and the Winnipeg SeaBears' Space Jam jerseys. And if minor-pro teams can attract more fans with these fun rebrandings and a winning attitude, that helps the minor-pro franchise and the community it serves in a big way!

I'm off to the ballpark again tonight, only I'll be doing stats in the pressbox. There's serious buzz coming from downtown Winnipeg, though, as the Goldeyes search for their seventh win in a row and their third series win in a row. Maybe the bigger question is who could have thought that Manitobans would love Mosquitoes?

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Trading Hockey For Laughs

I'll be completely honest in saying that I'm not even paying attention to hockey today. Normally, I spend a little time reading news stories and scrolling through social media for something that catches my attention, but today is not one of those days as my plans this evening will see me sitting in a park under sunshine while listening to a handful of comedians tell their best jokes. It's not often I buy early for comedy shows, but the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival was one that I couldn't pass up based on tonight's comedians and marquee act!

If you're not aware, Winnipeg will play host to the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival for the next three days as comedians like Aziz Ansari, Pete Davidson, Jeff Arcuri, Matt Rife, and Adam Ray as Dr. Phil take the stage. Undoubtedly, this will be a heckuva weekend for laughs in the Manitoba capital, and it starts tonight with Ryan Hamilton, John Crist, and one my favorite comics in Jim Gaffigan!

I first really figured out who Jim Gaffigan was thanks to the 2001 Broken Lizard film Super Troopers where Jim Gaffigan plays the unsuspecting victim to Mac's and Foster's "Cat Game" in a scene.


According to an interview done with Interview Magazine's Ben Barna, Broken Lizard had given the part for which Gaffigan auditioned to someone else, but offered him the "Cat Game" role as a part to remain in the film. Jay Chandrasekhar, who plays Officer Ramathorn, said in the interview, "Jim was originally going to play one of the local cops, but we ran out of spaces. He was not a famous stand-up at the time. Thank God he did it, because he became massive."

That appearance, along with the corresponding joke, gave Gaffigan some notoriety to the point where people were saying it to him after his shows. Gaffigan told Barna, "There was a stretch when it felt like everyone who approached me after a stand up show would do the 'meow' thing to me. 'Great show, meow. How you doing meow?' Mostly guys in their twenties that were either drunk or stoned or both."

Since that time, Gaffigan's popularity has grown immensely as his comedy delves into being a parent, being married, and observations of things to which virtually everyone can relate. I've watched a number of his comedy specials and found myself in fits of laughter at a lot of his material. When it was announced that he was the headliner for the Friday night lineup of the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival, buying a ticket was a very easy decision for me.

I don't know about John Crist or Ryan Hamilton, pictured in the middle and on the right, respectively, in the lede image, but I did see a few Ryan Hamilton bits on Instagram where he was pretty funny. Crist seems a little edgier in his comedy, but he still has some funny bits as well. In short, tonight should be an entertaining and hilarious night at Assiniboine Park in beautiful weather as the Winnipeg edition of the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival gets underway!

If anything important in the hockey world happens, I'll get caught up tomorrow. Tonight, I'm going to have a great time at the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival. Enjoy your evenings, folks, because I'm expecting a great night of laughs with Jim Gaffigan and friends!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

All-Powerful Mother Nature

The image to the left isn't from some new movie or television show. That was one instance of the sky over Manitoba last night, and the storm that hit the southern portion of the province left behind a pile of problems including flooding and power outages for many people. I am happy to report that HBIC Headquarters suffered no major damage, but I am very limited in my efforts to do anything surrounding this blog thanks to having no internet for a second day. I do realize that this is a first-world problem and my complaining about it matters zero in the grand scheme of things when farmers are trying to put their lives back together and people try to clean up following the localized monsoon that hit. I'm hopeful that everyone was able to remain safe.

It became apparent to me after getting home from the ballpark last night during the initial rainstorm just how fragile some of our infrastructure is and how much we rely upon it to ensure we're well-informed. My cell phone was working fine, but a power outage in the north portion of the city killed power to a cell tower that is near my workplace, causing people all sorts of difficulties. Stuff like that shouldn't happen, but it does. Will anyone address it? Hard to say.

What I can say is that I am writing this article while using my phone's hotspot because internet at HBIC HQ has not be restored since it went out on Tuesday night. As per my internet service provider, the outage is apparently known, but there is no ETA on service being restored. I get the crews and technicians are busy, but inclement weather doesn't care about whether I have a wifi signal or not. I'd like to know if we're aiming for more storms tonight so I can be ready.

I'm off to the ballpark again tonight, so internet won't be a huge issue for me. The double-header scheduled for this evening will likely keep me at the ballpark until close to midnight, so I doubt I'll be worrying about internet when I get home. It just makes me think how, for all the technological and engineering advancements we've made, we still haven't solved a simple matter like power and internet outages.

Hopefully, there won't be a torrential downpour tonight like there was last night. A quick sprint across the parking lot to get to my car saw me drenched by the time I got in my vehicle, and the flooding on streets seemed to happen quickly. Knowing how fast that flooding happened is pretty scary knowing that some communities had very little time to prepare for the rising waters. Living in the "information age" is worthless if the medium for that information isn't available.

Stay safe and dry out there, folks. Mother Nature remains undefeated when she wants to unleash her fury, and not being able to access the information as to what might be coming can be devastating.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Absolutely Zero Time

If there's one thing that I realize as I get older, it's that time is a finite resource. People always tell me that I could "make time" if I really wanted to, and I'm sure that's true if I simply didn't care about obligations and responsibilities. Tonight will be the third-straight night of me working all day at my normal full-time job before heading to the ballpark for some minor-pro baseball which will see me arrive at home some 14 hours after I left this morning. This schedule will continue right through until Sunday.

This scheduling has, of course, put a damper on my hockey-watching schedule as I was gearing up for the ECHL's Kelly Cup Final while trying in vain to pretend like I care about the Stanley Cup Final. The AHL's Calder Cup Final is yet to be determined with four teams still in the semifinal series, and there's AIHL hockey to be watched later at night when possible. Clearly, baseball is cramping my hockey viewing.

It's funny how quickly two weeks go by when you're constantly working, and it made me realize that the speed of time likely moves differently for everyone. For anyone playing in a championship hockey series right now, it will feel like time passed in the blink of an eye. For those souls who are locked in a prison cell, time may crawl slower than I ever know. It's all relative based on what one is doing, yet time is a constant. It neither speeds up or slows down for anyone.

The philosphical side of me thinks about how time was figured by the Egyptians, Romans, Sumerians, and Babylonians in terms of time over days, seasons, months, and years, and part of me wonders if this time convention we've adopted would make sense to other beings.

Meg, HBIC's Cat Executive Officer, likely understands day from night, but time has minimal value to her outside of "hey, I'm hungry and you usually feed me now". I wonder what time systems aliens species may use and whether creatures living miles down in the ocean where sun never reaches understand or even need the concepts of time.

In thinking about all this, it occurs to me that me complaining about my two weeks of having no time that I chose where I can't watch hockey isn't even close to being important in the grand scheme of the world and planet. Do I want to watch hockey? Sure. Will I be able to? Yes, at some point. I can still catch the highlights and the social media posts, so it's not like I won't see the most important parts. I just likely won't see them happen as they occur in real time.

Maybe I should rely on Terrance Mann's speech about baseball and time as delivered by James Earl Jones in Field of Dreams. He said, "The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It's been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time," and it's how I'm marking my days as I'll be at the ballpark tonight, Friday, and Sunday while umpiring a tournament on Satuday.

Alice Walker wrote in The Color Purple, "Time moves slowly but passes quickly." As I've gotten older, she's entirely right.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

A Needed Break

With playoffs in progress for some leagues and ending for other leagues, this is clearly one of the busiest times of the year in the hockey world. The NHL Draft Lottery just saw Toronto claim the top pick, there was a new expansion team announced in the PWHL, there will be a new name and logo for the AHL team in Hamilton announced soon, and there are stories from around the globe that should be examined. I'm not doing any of that tonight, though, because my life has been busy enough with the installation of a new fence at HBIC HQ. Officially, the backyard has been upgraded.

The above fence in the picture is not mine, but this new fence replaced one that was built by someone who has zero carpentry or engineering skills whatsoever. Add in an unprotected electrical line that run along the length of the fence stringer on one side just for fun and I had myself a disaster waiting to happen. Needless to say, I needed the fence replaced with something that not only improved the curb appeal and aestehtics of the house and yard, but also was structurally sound for both me and my next-door neighbours.

I realize that I have limitations when it comes to my ability to construct a fence. I don't know all the ins and outs of putting up a good fence despite my research into fence post anchors, depths required for those anchors, and the advantages and disavantages of vertical boards versus horizontal boards. I am not a carpenter nor a fence specialist, so I went the professional route for this fence.

The end result is that the new fence is stunning, and the company I hired installed it in three days! Something that likely would have taken me all summer to replace is now fully ready for patio parties, barbecues, and quiet evenings around the firepit, so I'll be leaving the company I chose a very positive review. The work done by their employees is second-to-none in terms of craftsmanship!

That being said, I cast no fault on them for my new problem, but I cannot find a suitable lock for the sliding gate on the back of the fence that is accessible from both sides in order to access the lane. There are many locks out there that will work from one side, but not many that are accessible on both sides. Magnetic locks are already out due to the winter temperatures and requiring a constant power source, and I don't really want to have a numerical keypad on the gate when it comes to a keyless option. A padlock would be fine.

That's the new task when it comes to this new fence: find adequate locking mechanisms for both the swinging gate at the front and the sliding gate at the back. I'm open to recommendations if you've experienced this same problem when it comes to locking a sliding/rolling gate, but my quest for some sort of lock that looks good and functions better continues. I know that, at the end of the day, it's likely going to be some sort of 90-degree hasp lock that will require me to move the padlock depending on whether I'm inside or outside the gate, but we'll see how thing shake out here.

With construction coming to an end tonight, it's been a busy and occasionally noisy few days around HBIC HQ, but it looks so much better than how it did before. I'm going to sit outside this evening, unwind a little, and admire the skill and craftsmanship that was put into this new fence. I don't have a Fortress of Solitude like Superman, but I can find some peace in my upgraded backyard when needed.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

A Huge Win By Any Measure

Having heard about some of the experiences that Team Manitoba's parahockey players have endured in trying to practice and play here in Manitoba, I have a better understanding about why accessibility matters. Manitoba's sledge hockey players are begging for resources and ice time so they can play more often, but those pleas often finds silence when it comes time to hitting the ice. I can't imagine what it was like for the two para athletes above when it came to mastering their chosen sport as Polina Rozkova and Agris Lasmans did something that no other Latvian has ever done: win a medal at the Paralympic Games!

That's not to say that Rozkova and Lasmans aren't great curlers. They won a 2023 World Paracurling Championship gold medal and have participated in every World Championship that has taken place since the last Paralympic Games in Beijing. They're recognized as one of the best mixed doubles curling pairs on the planet, and they brought that skill and tenacity to Milano-Cortina where they captured the bronze medal over the USA duo of Steve Emt and Laura Dwyer with an 11-10 score in an extra end. As stated, the Latvians are good!

This win should be celebrated back in Latvia as if it were the biggest victory in the country's history in any activity. I say that because Latvia, in 2013, had just a single curling rink in the entire country, and that number has grown to two rinks in the last 13 years. Imagine wanting to curl in Latvia as an able-bodied person only to find out one has to travel to Riga or Ventspils to do so. Now add in those who have a disability who want to curl, and you can see why this bronze medal is the most significant medal ever won in Latvia's history.

The commitment shown by Rozkova and Lasmans to improve in their sport will never be questioned as they've overcome some significant hurdles to earn a bronze medal against the best paracurlers in the world, but consider that USA has 185 curling clubs, China has built some 500 ice rinks in the last four years, and Canada has nearly 1000 curling clubs. Having just two rinks in a country of 1.86 million people already puts them at a disadvantage, so seeing Rozkova and Lasmans on the podium is nothing short of incredible!

Rozkova and Lasmans will likely return to their homes in Latvia following the Paralympics, but they should be greeted with all the fanfare that celebrities get. They have a significant chance to be leaders not only for paracurling, but for all para athletes across Latvia thanks to to their win. Winning a medal despite Latvia's lack of rinks should put Rozkova and Lasmans alongside the likes of ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov and NBA star Kristaps Porziņģis.

I don't know enough about Latvian culture to know if their Paralympians are held in high regard, but Rozkova and Lasmans have a chance to change that perception if that's how it is. Making history for one's country should always keep someone in regard, and Polina Rozkova and Agris Lasmans have proven they are among the best paracurlers on the planet, and they have the hardware to show for it.

Perhaps them being recognized by the country will lead to more opportunities at curling rinks for disabled folks who want to try the sport. Perhaps them being recognized by the country will lead to more fully-accessible curling rinks being built in Latvia. Perhaps them being celebrated will lead to better opportunities for all disabled people in Latvia. That's why this medal is a huge win: it could change a lot when it comes to accessibility for people of all abilities.

Congratulations to Polina Rozkova and Agris Lasmans, Latvia's first-ever medallists at any Paralympic Games, and let's hope this is the catalyst for seeing Latvia be a bigger player on the parasports world!

Until next time, keep your brooms on the ice!

I'm Declining

I was invited to a Super Bowl party tomorrow, but I have decided that I won't be going. I know there will likely be amazing food there based on who invited me and the always-delicious dishes this person seems to have available, but I'm declining the invitation for one major reason: I can't stand the NFL. People always seem to assume that because I'm a sports fan, I must love the NFL. I'm here to inform everyone that it's not true. In fact, if given the option of watching any NFL game at any point in the season or piercing my own ears, I'll choose earrings. I have zero desire to watch the NFL and any of the storylines leading up to and within the Super Bowl itself are non-starters for me.

I was told that I should come and just enjoy the party, but that also won't be done. It would be disingenuous of me to simply show up, eat food, drink beverages, and pretend to care about who scored a touchdown or which quarterback was sacked. The only reason that I know that the Seattle Seahwaks and the New England Patriots are playing tomorrow is because ten minutes of a work meeting on Friday was devoted to two people who cheer for each side. Needless to say, my focus for that portion of the meeting was less than zero.

I'm not here to tell anyone not to watch. If you enjoy the game, please indulge! There will be a great halftime show with Grammy Award-winning artist Bad Bunny, there will likely be intrigue as the clock counts down towards the final, and I'm pretty sure one side will go home while the other will begin regrouping for next season.

Before anyone starts with "Teebz hates the NFL", I want to be clear that it's the presentation of the game that I don't enjoy. I watch and apprciate CFL football. I spent two hours watching the Kevin Costner-led film Draft Day and enjoyed it for its Hollywood-imagined look at how NFL drafts can go. I have the utmost respect and appreciation for how hard the atheletes train and play, so this isn't about me hating the NFL or having my heart ripped out by a team.

The easiest way I can say this is that I just don't care. At all.

I'm happy to follow hockey as closely as I do and make that my focus. I love the game, I love the stories within the game, I love the history, and I love the aesthetics. Fans of any sport can say the same things, though, and I understand that. I've heard baseball fans wax poetic about the game and its rich history. I know basketball fans that talk about the dynasties and the legends like they were family. But every sports fan has their one sport they favour more than the others.

For some, the NFL is that sport. Granted, the NFL's version of football is one of several variations of American football that is played across the planet, but the NFL has positioned itself through marketing and promotion as the best of the best. Its revenue streams and profits don't lie when it comes to its popularity, but the endless stream of TV commercials and sports betting advertisements and experts breaking down every play for ten minutes between snaps drives me bonkers.

In saying all that, I'll be at home on Sunday night. I plan on watching two guys who look like they should have played football in Dave Bautista and Jason Momoa in The Wrecking Crew rather than watching the NFL. That story appeals to me more than the one written by the Seahawks and Patriots so that'll be my entertainment.

If you're going to a Super Bowl party, please be responsible if you're going to enjoy adult beverages. Call an Uber, Lyft, or taxi if you're going to enjoy the food and drink, and get home safe and sound. If you like, we can swap stories tomorrow about the action that went on in the Super Bowl and the action in The Wrecking Crew!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

TLC Day

If there's one thing I tried to do this year while sitting in a cold rink for four straight days, it was bundling up as best as I could. I went to great lengths to layer clothing so that heat wouldn't escape, but the colder temperatures across southern Manitoba brought a chill inside the rinks at the Hockey For All Centre that eventually infiltrated my layering. As a result, I was going in and out of the rinks all weekend, trying to reclaim some warmth between games in the lobby and the hospitality room with coffee. Despite my best efforts, the chill just continued to work its way through the jackets and sweaters I was wearing, culminating in a case of the sniffles and some grogginess yesterday that bled into today.

Granted, I did go to bed earlier last night as I was tired, but it was very clear that I had myself a head cold this morning as my sinuses were clogged and my nose was a runny mess. After a shower, some medication, and a box of tissues, I was ready to tackle the day as best I could despite the setback. Would I make it through work?

The good news is that I did make it. The bad news is that I'm feeling pretty lethargic tonight, so it's going to be another early night for me as I work to fight off this cold bug. Honestly, I hate being sick, so getting through this as quickly as possible is my goal. If it takes a few days, so be it, but I'm hoping the ol' immune system opens a can of whoop-ass on the cold so I can get back to my healthy, normal self.

I do want to point out that going in and out of the cold literally has nothing to do with catching a cold, and the fact that I was around a vast number of people all weekend likely led to the sniffles. That being said, the Mayo Clinic's Dr. Jesse Bracamonte does point to the fact that colder weather can lead to catching a cold indirectly.

"If you're a little bit colder outside, your body's immune system may just drop a little bit because it's spending extra effort to keep you warm. That's not with everybody, but, in some cases, it may predispose you to a cold," says Dr. Bracamonte.

"When it's cold outside," he continued explaining, "typically people gather around the fireplace or around your home. Therefore, if people are sick, you're more likely to be in close proximity to someone who is ill, thus catch the cold."

See? Being around people at the rink was the problem. I assume that I probably was in the vicinity of someone who had a touch of this cold bug, and now I have it as it settled into a new host. These are the unforeseen health risks I take to broadcast great hockey for people!

Jokes aside, I'm off to medicate and get some rest. I'm sure I'll bounce back tomorrow and be back with something to say about a hockey story of some sort. It seems to be what I do here on HBIC!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Office Christmas Party

I don't work with Kate McKinnon nor Jason Bateman, and there aren't even employees in our office who would resemble their characters from the 2016 over-the-top comedy, Office Christmas Party. That might actually be a good thing for our business, but I could use a little more of the actors' form of entainment most days. Nevertheless, tonight is my office Christmas party where we'll have a nice dinner, have some fun in a team-based trivia game, and certain people will be able to go with something nice thanks to our social committee's silent auction. I doubt we'll have any hostile takeovers nor will we see anyone laid off, so don't expect me to be here tomorrow talking about some epic moment.

The doors open at 5:45, the party will continue until midnight, and I have the responsibility of giving thanks before the meal. This is something I wouldn't normally do, but when the Vice-President asks you personally you have to reassess. Long story short, I am giving a quick, succinct speech about grace and gratitude that I hope will resonate with my colleagues. There are a lot of people who are currently less fortunate than all who will attend tonight, so I hope to put in context just how grateful we should be for having good jobs, good friends, incredible families, and a good meal to share.

There are a few hockey-themed prizes being offered up tonight in that silent auction. In speaking with one member of the social committee, there's a Mark Schiefele jersey that available to be won, and they've also obtained two tickets to the January 8 game between the Jets and Edmonton Oilers. I'm not certain that either of these prizes will be celebrated as much as they should considering how the Jets are floundering, but that's just a footnote on the fun tonight.

According to the schedule, there will be a quiz-style team event where those gathered around the numbered tables will join forces and flex their gray matter in an effort to win prizes as well. I have no idea with whom I'll be sitting nor is there assigned seats or tables, so it should be interesting to see who sits with whom. My guess is that birds of a feather will flock together, but there are some smart people in all positions. This could be a battle of brains tonight!

In saying all this, my attention will not be on hockey tonight. The Jets are in Denver for a game against the Avalanche, the Moose host Rockford tomorrow, there's another pile of snowing currently falling and scheduled to fall all evening, and I'll likely have to clear snow before going to the party tonight. Or, if the drive home is treacherous, I'll clear snow after the party tonight when it's quiet. The only guarantee? I'll have the snowblower out at some point.

Being that it's that time of year, please be responsible if you're attending a party. Don't drink and drive, make sure none of your colleagues do, and find alternate ways home if you do indulge in adult beverages. Your car can always be recovered the next day when you're of clear mind, and that last thing anyone or any family wants during this time of year is tragedy. Be smart, be responsible, and be home for the holidays so everyone can have a merry holiday season!

I'm off to get ready for a party. Enjoy hockey if you're watching games tonight, and I'll dig back into some puck chatter tomorrow!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Canadian Turkey Day

Today is Thanksgiving for those of us living in the Great White North, and it means that a lot of us will be enjoying a day with a glorious feast among friends and family. The only catch on this whole thing is that I'm not one of those people. I appreciate the time spent with my family and I'll be seeing them today, but the "glorious feast" I mentioned is something I won't be doing. There are so many parts of traditional Thanksgiving dinners that I simply do not like, so I'm thankful for having a day off to spend with loved ones. That's important to me.

Being that I'm not a fan of this holiday, I call on Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Jake Peralta for an important message about Thanksgiving today.

I'll double down on food choices on this day by referring to actor Daniel Craig who appeared as a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on November 21, 2022 and shared his thoughts on stuffing.
Daniel Craig is entirely right: you don't need it. Stephen Colbert's comment of how it's "wet bread mixed with herbs" makes it sound entirely unappealing, and I'll pass on it entirely since I'm already avoiding turkey. Both of those food choices are a hard no from me.

Being that today is a holiday, this is all being said in jest for a laugh as I really hope anyone celebrating Thanksgiving today is thankful for all the great things in their lives, and that includes the meals being eaten today that likely will include both turkey and stuffing among all the other good stuff. I know I'm thankful for a lot, I'm grateful for the great people in my life who make it better each and every day, and I'm happy to spend my time with some of those people today.

For those that like turkey, I imagine that there will be no shortages of turkey sandwiches and turkey soup to be had all week, and with the weather turning colder that soup might be a welcome addition to school and work lunches! If that's your thing, enjoy it for as long as you can before it's all gone. Heck, you can even have my portion too!

All jokes aside, Happy Thanksgiving to anyone celebrating! For those in the US who may not be, it's also National Indigenous Peoples' Day as 23 states and over 200 cities recognize that there was a soceity already built from hundreds of Indigenous nations with their own languages, governments, and cultural practices before Christopher Columbus set foot on North American soil. I know it's another six weeks until Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, but today is a good day to pay respects to the other people who sat at that table with the pilgrims. They were vital in helping establish US colonies!

Today marks two important days where people from a number of different backgrounds came together. Be grateful for all that you have, be respectful of those around your table, and enjoy the day no matter where you call home! Happy Thanksgiving from us Canucks!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The New Wing

For the longest time, I've disliked the drop-down list of hockey books I've read and reviewed here on HBIC. That's not to say that it didn't serve a purpose, but it was good when there were a dozen books and slowly descended into chaos as I read more and more books. Anything that was read a couple of years ago essentially disappeared on that list as no one was scrolling to the bottom. In any case, I wanted a new option for searching and looking up books, and I spent my Labour Day coding that new wing of Hockey Blog In Canada!

Ok, it's not that great, but Teebz's Library is now open! The Library link can be found under "Extras" at the top, and it will now be the home of all the reviewed books on HBIC. I still have to go through a list that I compiled to ensure that they're all on there, but I'd say that there's a good number of books shown on that page. The best part? Clicking on any book will take you directly to the review found here on HBIC! Not bad for a Labour Day of coding, right?

I'll admit that the books don't go in any sort of organized order, and that might be a future upgrade if/when I get to it. The only organizing I did was to put the covers who were the same size on the same line like they're shelves, and all of the books intended for younger readers are at the bottom of the list. Beyond that, some of the more recent books I've reviewed are at the top as they're the books with which I was testing various coding designs.

If you're thinking you may have seen this layout somewhere else, you may be a GoodReads member. I grabbed their code and changed a few things around in order to make it fit within the blog's current formatting, but, again, that may change. If you look closely, there are edges cut off on some of the book covers, so that may have to be adjusted at some point as well. All in a day's work.

Click the library link here or click the library icon under the "Extras" menu option at the top. Either way, you can now see titles and covers of each book as well as scrolling through the vast number of books I've already added to the library. The drop-down list will disappear next weekend, and newly-reviewed books will be added to the library page from this point forward. Yes, that means I'll read more.

I've always wanted a library in my home to feel posh, but this will likely be the closest I ever get to that. I will, however, be able to say that I coded my own rudimentary library in a day. Goal achieved!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Summer's Unofficially Over

I don't officially make calendars nor do I hold any meteorlogical degrees, but summer officially ended for me yesterday as my final shift at the ballpark for this summer was fulfilled. The local professional team isn't going to the playoffs this season after being eliminated a couple of weeks ago, but it was still a fun season of baseball that allowed me to witness a triple play, a handful of balks, and a couple of other rarely-seen calls. With baseball season coming to a close, though, that means my focus can return exclusively to hockey and, in turn, this blog. This article is just a few shy of 6600 in HBIC's existence, and that brings me to the crossroads once again.

I've been quietly working on something new for this blog that I've wanted to add for a while, but I couldn't quite get the formatting right. I'm still not completely satisfied with the results, but Version 1.0 of this addition accomplishes what I wanted. I'll release that tomorrow for all to see, but it'll be something that I'll keep working on as time passes. Or for however long this blog keeps running.

I promised changes this summer to how this blog works and functions, and I've been quietly testing a number of things to see how I like some of these changes. A few have worked, a few have not, and I'm trying to figure out some other options for the things that did not work. Not taking a day off all summer from both jobs has contributed to less testing time that I would have liked, but I have no one to blame for that situation except for myself. C'est la vie, I guess.

Speaking of not taking a day off, let's get to the crux of this article on the final day of August. I had never envisioned this blog lasting as long as it has, but there are stories, both old and new, that are worthy of some examination. There will certainly be more stories over the coming days, weeks, and months that can be examined, dissected, and debated. The question I have struggled with for the past two years as another hockey season looms is "for how long do I want to keep doing this?" when I never expected it to get this far.

Three years ago, I said I would stop at 6687 articles as a tribute to the two players who I've admired the most in my career - Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby. Both men came into the Penguins franchise as game-changers, and they lived up to expectations by winning multiple Stanley Cups. That number is still in play as I approach 6600 articles, but the days would be numbered as this blog neared 6687 entries in total. That's something to ponder.

Maybe I just need hockey to start again. Of course, I spent most of yesterday sleeping before doing more of that today, and I find that I'm really starting to like sleep. Feeling constantly tired isn't something I envisioned for the summer, yet I found myself constantly running on empty all summer. Some of that lack of sleep could be solved simply by pushing this blog aside to allow me more time to do more of what I want, but old habits are hard to break.

With another summer in the books, I can honestly say that time is fleeting. Time waits for no man, and time is a limited resource that becomes much more valuable as it decreases in quantity. I never seem to have enough of it, and I'm always looking for way to gain more. One of those ways is to sacrifice some activity that occupies that time which could be better used elsewhere, and, at the end of the day, HBIC might be the sacrifice. No pun intended.

For now, though, I'll see you tomorrow. There's more to write.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Honouring A Hero

Officially, it's a holiday in Manitoba today as we celebrate Terry Fox Day. In honour of one of the greatest Canadians to ever have walked the Earth, HBIC is taking the day off. If I'm being totally honest, I have about a bazillion little things I want to get done, so I'm going to do some of those tasks today. Let's not forget the task that Terry Fox undertook, though, back in the summer of 1980 when he started his journey on April 12 in St. John's, Newfoundland and was forced to end his Marathon of Hope on September 1 just outside of Thunder Bay.

I'm not sure what Desmond Mills of the Ottawa Citizen was thinking when he penned his January 6, 2025 opinion column, but I'd like to stress that his opinion doesn't mean a lot when it comes to his thoughts on Terry Fox appearing on the Canadian $5 bill. In his view, "[o]ur currency should be reserved for those who built up our nation and contributed to the development of its identity and culture" which is a bold statement when one considers that Canada is tied with Australia for its World Giving Index score when it comes to being charitable - something that the world associates with Canadians.

Terry aimed to change lives for Canadians stricken with cancer with his goal. He originally set out to raise $1 million, but upped the total to $10 million and, later, aimed to raise $1 for each of Canada's 24 million citizens by inspiring people to give through his efforts. Again, this goes directly to our identity and culture of giving and looking out for one another, so I'm hard-pressed to understand how Mills missed this obvious trait in Fox. It's like Mills didn't know him at all.

Mills also tries to make a case that images on Canadian money should be for "non-political figures of renown who helped define the Canadian national consciousness or contributed or helped raise awareness for Canada on the international stage" after "stately political figures" have been honoured. Again, I'm not sure what Mills is thinking here because the Terry Fox Research Institute states that "$800 million has been raised worldwide for cancer research in Terry's name through the annual Terry Fox Run, held across Canada and around the world." I'd say that's awareness on the international stage, and Terry's name is well-known from coast to coast in Canada.

Mills tries to prove the work done by Serbian inventor Nikola Tesla is superior to the effort given by Fox, but it's an apples-to-oranges comparison. Tesla, arguably, is an important figure in Serbia and that country can put whomever they like on their banknotes. It's a false equivalency to compare what Tesla's done in Serbia to what Fox has done in Canada, especially when Mills' arguments above are specific. For the record, Nikola Tesla made all his major accomplishments while living in America, having emigrated to the country when he was 28 and becoming a naturalized citizen seven years later.

I'll concede that Desmond Mills is entitled to his opinion, and he's certainly allowed to express it. The comment section on his linked opinion piece speak loudly about what Canadians think about Terry Fox, and the vast majority believe he embodied what Canadians pride themselve to be. As one commenter suggested, having Fox on the $5 bill is more Canadian than long-dead political figures who are now, as history shows, "some long dead colonizer with blood on his hands."

Whatever your feelings are towards Terry Fox, I think I made mine clear. I have deep respect for people who put their entire bodies, minds, and spirits into making life better for others, and Terry Fox did that while he was alive. His efforts have helped millions of people around the world, raised close to a billion dollars for cancer research, and his legacy lives on today through the annual Terry Fox Run.

I've said my piece, so I'm off to get a handful of those tasks done. Terry Fox Day might be a holiday in Manitoba, but it's a good day to reflect on what it means to be Canadian in this strange world.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Movie Review: Happy Gilmore 2

It's likely not a stretch to say that I've watched the 1996 film Happy Gilmore more than fifty times since it came out on February 16 of that year. It seems to be on television every now and then for a weekend movie series, and it's still pretty funny today. In saying that, I had some time this morning to kill as I working on something else, and that gave me the opportunity to tune into Adam Sandler's newest romp on the fairways in Happy Gilmore 2. The early reviews I had read on Saturday evening were mixed at best, so I wanted to see if the jokes were still funny, the cameos were still as good, and the stars of the show continued to score big on the golf course. Was Happy Gilmore 2 a solid laugh after thirty years, or would this long-awaited sequel be a shank at the bottom of a fairway pond?

Let me be quite upfront in saying that I wasn't expecting any Academy Award-winning acting in this movie. Based on how the first movie was panned by critics everywhere who seem to forget that comedies aren't supposed to be life-changing dramas, I was hoping that Happy Gilmore 2 would continue to score some goofy laughs while bringing cameos from the golf world into Happy Gilmore's golf-by-mistake world. Instead, I found myself surprised by the film.

The movie is filled with flashbacks to the first movie and to the time in between the two movies as the story builds. Julie Bowen's Virginia Venit plays a large part in the plot, but not in the way that one may think. I won't spoil the film here with key details, but Bowen's inclusion in the film is a welcome presence, and I wish she was actually used more than just in the way she portrayed her character.

It's hard to imagine Sandler and writing partner Tim Herlihy having to rewite the entire script, but you may have heard the recent story about the duo needing to rewrite the movie after Carl Weathers passed away. It's a bit of a shame because it seemed like Sandler really wanted to give the character of Derick "Chubbs" Peterson a fantastic backstory, but everything changed with Weathers passing away at age 76. Not for nothing, that's a movie that I'd like to see.

Of course, the main rivalry in the first movie returns, albeit later than expected, in the second movie as Christopher McDonald's Shooter McGavin plays a large role in furthering the plot of the movie. McDonald embraces the same undying hatred for Gilmore as he did in the first movie, but there comes a point in the film where the protagonist and antagonist finally work out their differences. How they do that needs to be seen, but let's just say that having Shooter back on the course brings back the biggest part of the original movie. No matter what he does as an actor in the future, McDonald's portrayal of Shooter McGavin may be his most iconic role.

The story of Happy Gilmore 2 focuses on Gilmore's retirement with golf following a major trajedy in his life, and that spiral downward affects his family - four sons and a daughter - in a big way. What is discovered is that Gilmore's daughter, Vienna (played by Sandler's daughter, Sunny), is a talented dancer and gets an invitation to dance at exclusive Paris ballet school that costs $75,000 per year. Needless to say, Gilmore needs to earn himself some big money quickly, and the family, including permanent house guest John Daly, convince Gilmore that he should get back to golf to win that cash.

To do that, Gilmore has to kick an alcohol addiction that was a running gag throughout the entire first half of the movie as anything that Sandler could imagine was turned into a flask. To kick the addiction, he ends up at an alcoholics' meeting where we are re-introduced to Ben Stiller's Hal L. who terrorized Grandma Gilmore in the nursing home in the first movie. Hal is running the alcoholics' meeting, but he seems to have the same attitude as he did in the first movie which rubs Gilmore the wrong way. However, he needs to make it through these meetings to play golf, so he bites his tongue while receiving positive encouragement on his path from meeting attendee Charlotte (played by Sandler's daughter, Sadie).

A chance meeting with Maxi Golf CEO Frank Manatee in a grocery store where Gilmore is working gives us the long arc and plot of Happy Gilmore 2 as Maxi Golf is looking to destroy the traditional game of golf with faster play, obstacles, and a seven-hole course that has all sorts of crazy holes laid out for golfers. Needless to say, Manatee (played by Benny Safdie) and his golfers appear to mimic the same idea that the LIV Golf Tour had in trying to upend the PGA Tour.

From this point on, you'll need to watch the movie because anything else I write could be considered spoilers for what happens. Needless to say, the hijinks and craziness seen in the original movie are brought back in Happy Gilmore 2, and the laughs follow as we see the likes of professional Tour Championship golfers Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau, Rory McIlroy, and Brooks Koepka join Gilmore for what turns out to be an outrageous finale in Happy Gilmore 2.

Honestly, the cameos in this film never stop, and it's almost hard to notice some of them with how fast they seem to appear on the screen. Among the notable people who return from the original film are Dennis Dugan who resumes his role as Tour Championship commissioner Doug Thompson, sportscaster Verne Lundquist who plays himself again, Kevin Nealon who plays Gary Potter again, and Robert Smigel who turns from IRS agent to lawyer. There are nice tributes to the late Richard Kiel, Happy's fan with the nail in his head; to the late Joe Flaherty, the "Jackass" guy hired by Shooter who loves The Sizzler restaurant; and, of course, to Carl Weathers.

If there's one person who had an incredible breakout role, it's Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio - better known as rapper and singer Bad Bunny - whose character Oscar Mejías steals a number of scenes. I honestly enjoyed Bad Bunny's portrayal of Happy Gilmore's caddy, and his efforts were the best of the bunch for those with long cameos in the film. Happy Gilmore's four sons - played by Maxwell Jacob Friedman, Philip Schneider, Ethan Cutkosky and Conor Sherry - are solid comic relief at times. Other notable cameos included Eminem, Guy Fieri, Steve Buscemi, former Happy Gilmore caddy-turned-professional golfer Will Zalatoris, and former NHL players Chris Chelios and Sean Avery! Oh, and there's some guy named Travis Kelce.

There are so many more cameos from famous people, so you'll have to watch the movie to see them all. What I want to stress is that this movie feels like a solid sequel that comes thirty years after the original, and it fits as a Happy Madison production in that it's a goofy, funny, not-to-be-taken-seriously Adam Sandler feature film. No, it's not going to win any Academy Awards. No, it won't be featured in any classic film study. No, it won't be in a Criterion Collection.

Instead, Happy Gilmore 2 is a fun, goofy, mildly-vulgar-at-times look at a hockey-player-turned-golfer trying to fix his life for him and his kids after everyting falls apart that becomes a story of the former golf outcast trying to save the sport that gave him so much... with the help of some people who were there for his first breakthrough thirty years ago. Happy Gilmore 2 brings the same twisted look at golf as it did in the original film, and all of Adam Sandler's friends and family get in on the action. Laugh at it - Happy Gilmore 2 is fun!

Teebz's Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5 stars)

Happy Gilmore 2 is streaming exclusively on Netflix. The movie was produced by Adam Sandler, Tim Herlihy, Jack Giarraputo, and Robert Simonds for Happy Madison Productions and Pro Shop Studios, and was released on July 25, 2025 exclusively on Netflix. Happy Gilmore 2 has a running time of 118 minutes.

Until next time, keep your clubs in the bag!

Taking A Day

Technically, I should be posting this tomorrow, but it's being done tonight because I'm coding and writing the article for tomorrow which is Canada Day, and that's a pretty big day up here in the Great White North. I have 101 things I need to get done before this Monday is history, so I want to get to some of that too. In short, I'm taking a day off tomorrow by getting ahead of the never-ceasing wave today.

It's the last day of June, though, so get outside, touch some grass, and enjoy a day without hockey chatter from me. Heck, if you really feel up to it, mow the lawn like I need to do and get that chore off the list. No matter what you're doing today, though, be safe and get ready for some fun on Canada's birthday tomorrow.

I'll be posting the known recruits for the 2025-26 Canada West women's hockey teams tomorrow, so make sure you drop by for that. We'll get back to regularly-scheduled postings on July 2 as the summer swings into high gear. For today, though, I'm taking the day to ensure that everything is done so I can relax on Canada Day.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Movie Review: The Accountant 2

After spending the day outside doing yardwork so that HBIC Headquarters isn't condemned by city inspectors as a vacant building, I spent my evening needing a break from everything. Normally, this involves me escaping into a movie, and tonight's choice was one I had been wanting to see since it was released. Since I rarely have time to do yardwork, getting to the theatre was something that simply wasn't in the cards so I waited until I could find it on a streaming service. I really enjoyed the original movie that starred Ben Affleck as Christian Wolff, aka "the accountant", so I was puzzled when I read reviews that didn't find this movie entertaining. Were they right? Was The Accountant 2 another sequel "dud" that should be avoided? Let's find out!

In a year awash with sequels such as Another Simple Favor and Jurassic Park: Rebirth, getting something a little different in a sequel should set it apart. The Accountant 2's focus on Wolff's autistic mathematical savant character trying to find some sort of brotherly harmony with his overconfident, overly-lethal brother, Braxton, played by Jon Bernthal. It was obvious in the original movie that these two don't have the best relationship, so how would they interact? How would they reunite? Are they able to work together?

It was clear that The Accountant 2 attempts to work more humourous situations into the script by exploiting some of Christian's neurodivergence and idiosyncracies. Braxton elevates that more by calling out Christian's social shortcomings and forcing him to acknowledge them in key situations, but the backstory behind the female voice on the phone who works with Christian is explained entirely in The Accountant 2. I won't reveal that backstory as it closes off a few questions left unanswered from The Accountant, but it becomes very clear that Christian has never been working alone.

The story of The Accountant 2 starts with the death of Ray King, JK Simmons' treasury agent character, in an assassination attempt surrounding his mysterious contact, Anaïs, played by Daniella Pineda. Simmons, in an attempt to keep his investigation going, scrawls "find the accountant" on his forearm that director of FinCEN Marybeth Medina, played by Cynthia Addai-Robinson, sees and immediately understands. She eventually tracks down Wolff, and he begins his method of investigating King's loose ends on his seemingly cold investigation. Wolff realizes he needs some additional help, and he reaches out to Braxton. Medina, uncomfortable with a lot of the illegal methods being used by Christian and his team, opts to investigate on her own. This is where the plot thickens.

Without revealing a lot details, the investigation points back to the unknown identity of Anaïs and her involvement in a number of incidents across the globe. When Medina discovers some important information, Anaïs attempts to eliminate her and is only stopped when Anaïs comes across some of the evidence that Christian had found. This shifts the plot into overdrive as Christian and Braxton piece together who Anaïs is and what needs to be done to right the wrong that has haunted her. Can they solve this mystery?

Admittedly, I didn't reveal a lot of the plot because the few major plot points that push the story need to be seen, not told. That being said, I'll fully admit that there's chemistry on-screen between Affleck and Bernthal in their two characters as they work well together. There are moments of humour between the two that will make you laugh, but seeing those moments gave me a deeper appreciation of what it may be like for each of them to accept the other.

Bernthal's Braxton really tries to push Christian out of his safe zone by having him experience more social situations and by simply expressing his feelings while Christian's attempts to be warmer towards Braxton seem to bridge the gap between the two brothers. I can't speak to the portrayal of the non-verbal, autistic savant, Justine, played by Allison Robertson as I have mo experience with that kind of neurodivergence, but the character arc does follow the arc shown in the original film. Pineda's portrayal of Anaïs comes across as cold and emotionless until a certain point in the film, and she fits the assassin characterization almost perfectly.

Let's be honest in saying that no one is expecting The Accountant 2 to win an Academy Award for Best Picture, but writer Bill Dubuque and director Gavin O'Connor stayed true to the material as established in The Accountant. Toss in some added action scenes with more Braxton, some humorous moments thanks to the brothers, and a story that keeps the pace moving, and The Accountant 2 is a fun action movie with heart that fills an hour and a half nicely.

With a third movie in the trilogy due out in the future, fans of Christian Wolff would be wise to watch The Accountant 2. It won't wow you with any sort of profound movie magic, but the work turned in by Affleck and Bernthal are worth the 132-minute story.

Teebz's Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5 stars)

The Accountant 2 is streaming exclusively on Prime Video. The movie was produced by Ben Affleck, Lynette Howell Taylor, and Mark Williams for Amazon MGM Studios, and was released on April 25, 2025 in theatres and on June 5, 2025 on the streaming platform.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!