Are You Training?

With it being summer in the northern hemisphere, there are a lot of players who have begun their off-season training. This, of course, includes hitting the gym and lifting weights, a lot of cardiovascular training, some on-ice work, and, in some cases, stretching and yoga. All of these are recommended for a well-rounded player, and none are more important than the other when it comes to developing your skills and talent. However, there is one website that is asking you how many shots you've fired this month, and is willing to track your progress. Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to start your Ten Thousand Pucks quest!

I know what you're thinking: this isn't part of my training plan for the off-season. I'm not here to tell you that you have to use it or else. In fact, it's totally up to you whether you want to take 10,000 shots in the span of thirty days or not. What I am here to tell you is that this free website will track your shot count over a thirty-day span and, if you make the 10,000-shot total, a professional hockey player will email you with congratulations on reaching the goal! The practice is the most important part,of course, but how cool would it be to get an email from one of Boston's Brad Marchand or the Islanders' Andrew MacDonald?

The goal is simple: 10,000 shots in thirty days. It helps to "[i]ncrease shot strength, accuracy and overall shot performance. Encourage an active lifestyle. Improve your hockey skills". Most of all, you're outside playing hockey. You're looking at approximately 330 shots per day, so break out the gloves and stick and get started!

All you need is a puck, a tennis ball, or a hard orange road hockey ball. The latter two are important especially if you don't have a garage door that can be dented and left with black marks all over it. Find yourself a good shooting surface (driveway, road, etc.) and let the pucks fly! It's that easy!

Now you might be asking what the catch is behind this website. Josh Turk, the founder of Ten Thousand Pucks says there is no catch whatsoever. Every player who signs up gets a chance at hitting the goal as long as they do the required 10,000 pucks in thirty days. Once done, the pro hockey players who are associated with the website will email your shooter! It's all free!

Honestly, this is a pretty cool idea. If you do sign up for this website, please fire me an email, and I'll keep track of your progress as well! It would be great to see a bunch of HBIC readers on the leaderboard! There are only 22 shooters signed up right now, so get yourself going and start blasting pucks! You could be the first player to hit the 10,000 pucks goal!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

TBC: Crossing The Line

The life story of many athletes takes turns that are unexpected and unforeseen. There really isn't any way to predict that a player may derail his career through his own vices when it appears he's sitting on top of the world, but Derek Sanderson managed to find a way to not only go from being a beloved hockey player to being the world's highest-paid athlete, but he also found a way to lose millions and find himself sleeping under bridges and raiding dumpsters for food. The story of Derek Sanderson's life is chronicled in his excellent book, and Teebz's Book Club is proud to review Crossing The Line, written by Derek Sanderson and Kevin Shea, and published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. I have read books written by athletes that have been brutally honest in their examining of their own lives, but Derek Sanderson's book shows how far down the rabbit hole he went in terms of the darkness he was in before finally coming up for air.

From the book's dust jacket, "Derek Sanderson grew up in Niagara Falls, Ontario, and over a colourful 12-season pro career, he played for the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks and Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL, as well as the Philadelphia Blazers of the WHA. A former commentator on Boston Bruins broadcasts, Sanderson is currently an investment professional in Boston, where he serves as a financial advisor for athletes." Affectionately known as "Turk", Sanderson was a Memorial Cup champion with the Niagara Falls Flyers in 1965, and was the primary assist on the famous Bobby Orr goal against St. Louis in the Stanley Cup Final.

Also from the dust jacket, "Kevin Shea is the editor of publications for the Hockey Hall of Fame and the author of 12 hockey books, including Barilko: Without a Trace and Lord Stanley: The Man Behind the Cup. A native of Windsor, Ontario, Shea is the recipient of the 2012 Brian McFarlane Award for excellence in research and writing, awarded by the Society for International Hockey Research (SIHR). Follow him on Twitter @barilko." Among the various hats that Kevin wears, he is the Editor of Publications and Online Features for the Hockey Hall of Fame, he teaches hockey history courses at a Toronto college, he is a freelance writer and he is a frequent contributor to radio and television shows surrounding hockey. If nothing else, Kevin Shea is a human encyclopedia of hockey knowledge!

Crossing The Line highlights all of the highs and lows that Derek Sanderson went through in his life up to moment of publishing. Needless to say, there are many good times that Mr. Sanderson brings forth into the light, but they are contrasted by the darkest hours of his life. He pulls no punches in describing the personal hell he found himself in after succumbing to the pitfalls of substance abuse, and he makes it very clear that his career was destroyed because of his dependence on drugs and alcohol. And the only person responsible for his downfall? Ultimately, he comes to the conclusion that he is the only person responsible.

For all that Derek Sanderson accomplished - two Stanley Cups with the Boston Bruins, becoming the world's highest-paid athlete, and being viewed as one of hockey's greatest defensive centermen - Mr. Sanderson always brings the reality of his situation back to the story in describing his alcohol-fueled off-ice activities. He opened nightclubs which gave him a direct path to fuel his alcoholism. His monster contract with the WHA's Philadelphia Blazers allowed him to fund all sorts of crazy off-ice activities. His loneliness and inability to remain sober only gave him more reason to drink and do drugs. In short, Derek Sanderson was caught in the cycle and couldn't break out of it.

What impressed me the most about Crossing The Line was that Derek Sanderson never once blamed anyone but himself for his fall from grace. He accepted all of the responsibility, and rebuilt his life after he hit the bottom because he was responsible. Mr. Sanderson went on to speak in front of thousands of school children about the perils of substance abuse, and the experience of helping children see the pitfalls of making poor choices is the one experience that has stood out in his life above all else.

"I took every bit as much from the schools that the students, hopefully, took away from my visits. It was the greatest experience of my life - not hockey. The seven years I spent in Boston with the Bruins was the greatest fun I had in my life. I won two Stanley Cups with the greatest guys in the world. But the most rewarding experience of my life was talking to kids at the schools.

I have to say that Derek Sanderson's life is one of pain and pleasure, both in healthy quantities. Mr. Sanderson's story of his life spans 375 pages, but he probably could have filled several books with some of the experiences he has had. Throughout the entire book, though, Derek Sanderson shows true courage in discussing his life, especially the parts when he was at his lowest, and Crossing The Line gives full insight into why Derek Sanderson, once hockey's playboy, went from penthouse to outhouse in a matter of a few years. He does rebound from the darkness that he finds himself in, but the life that Derek Sanderson has lived is unique to him. Because of the stories he told and the lessons he provides, Crossing The Line absolutely deserves the Teebz's Book Club Seal of Approval!

If you're a fan of the "Big Bad Bruins", a Bruins fan in general, or a Derek Sanderson fan, this book is the perfect read for you. If you like hockey history, you'll enjoy Derek Sanderson's view of hockey history with his great stories about his time under the bright lights. Either way, though, Crossing The Line is an excellent read that is recommended for any adult!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Tracking Players

I have to say that Beans and I have been pretty lucky with some of the great guests that we've been able to feature on The Hockey Show. Personally, it's always interesting to hear where some of the players played, where they will be playing next season, and what the future holds for them in their views. We've been lucky enough to speak to a few former NHL stars, and we'll be tracking their progress all season as they play in Europe and Russia. We also want to track the progress of former Jets that left to play in other leagues across the globe. We'll highlight a few of these players today as we prepare for their seasons abroad!

JARED AULIN - HC Örebro 90

Beans and I spoke with Jared Aulin on the May 30 episode of The Hockey Show, and he gave us some great insight into his career. He will be playing in the Swedish Elite League this season with HC Örebro 90 who qualified to move up to the elite division after last season. Jared was a fantastic scoring and play-making centerman in his WHL and AHL careers, but never really got much of a shot with either Calgary or Los Angeles. He is one of the leaders on HC Örebro 90, and helped them to a First Divsion championship last season, resulting in their elevation to the Elite League. We'll be tracking Jared's progress this season as he looks to help HC Örebro 90 conquer the Swedish Elite League!

BRANDON REID - CSKA Moscow

Beans and I were lucky enough to have Brandon and Jessica Reid in the studio with us on June 13, and it was there that Brandon and Jessica spoke about their new adventure as Brandon signed with CSKA Moscow. Like Jared, Brandon was an elite scorer in junior hockey and a solid player in the AHL, but never really got much of a chance with the Vancouver Canucks. He played over in Sweden and Germany on a number of teams where he was a solid scoring threat each and every season. Brandon will be re-uniting with former Manitoba Moose teammate Fedor Fedorov and will play alongside former NHLers Viktor Kozlov, Alexei Morozov, Alexander Radulov, and Oleg Saprykin. Former Moose Sergei Shirokov is also a member of CSKA, so there will be a solid Manitoba contingent in Moscow this season. We'll be tracking Brandon's progress all season as CSKA looks to capture the Gagarin Cup!

DEREK MEECH - Dinamo Minsk

Derek Meech's time in Winnipeg was short due to injuries and underwhelming play, but he was a solid player with the AHL's St. John's IceCaps this season. Meech previously played with the Detroit Red Wings, earning a Stanley Cup ring, but the Winnipegger's play with the Jets couldn't crack the roster. As such, Meech took a pay raise to head over to Belarus where he'll suit up for Dinamo Minsk in the KHL this season. He and fellow Manitoban Jacob Micflikier make up the Manitoba contingent on that squad. They'll be joined by former Penguin Tomas Surovy and another former Moose player in Lukas Krajicek as the top guns in Minsk this season on their push for the Gagarin Cup. We'll track Meech's progress all season to see if his play warrants a second look from NHL squads.

ALEXANDER BURMISTROV - Ak Bars Kazan

The drama surrounding Alexander Burmistrov came to an end when the enigmatic Russian signed a deal with his hometown KHL club in Ak Bars Kazan. I'm almost entirely sure that Burmistrov won't return to the Jets in the next few years, so we'll track his progress for this season at least. Personally, I think his leaving the Jets will be good in the short-term, but he won't be much better in the long-term. However, we'll let his play speak volumes this season as we track how he's doing over in the KHL.

Quick Updates

One former Jet who left after the Jets' first season back in Winnipeg was Mark Flood. Flood signed to play with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, and competed well for the rebuilt Lokomotiv team. However, he returned to North America after the KHL season ended and signed a two-way deal with the Carolina Hurricanes for the upcoming season. We won't be tracking Flood due to his playing in North America this season.

Goaltender Steve Christie was one of the first guests we had on The Hockey Show on October 18. Steve was playing for the SPHL's Pensacola Ice Pilots, but was unceremoniously cut from the team mid-season. I can report that Steve has returned to Manitoba where he is working through the summer, and will focus on using his education degree to try to earn a teaching position somewhere in the province. I wish Steve well, and we'll try to bring him in later this summer to find out what went wrong in Pensacola last season!

We had several updates on former University of Manitoba goaltender Jesse Deckert as he signed with the ECHL's Florida Everblades. Jesse helped the Everblades to the conference finals of the Kelly Cup where they eventually bowed out. I have yet to see any information about Jesse signing with a team, but there's a good chance he'll return with the Everblades after his outstanding numbers last season. Once we confirm where he has signed, we'll add him to the list above as well!

If and when former Jets Kyle Wellwood and Nik Antropov sign, we'll track their seasons as well if they happen to sign overseas. If they remain on North American soil, they're easier to track, so we won't bring those updates to you. In any case, we'll report on where ever they happen to sign, and we'll look at the impact on those teams that these two could have.

Tune in on Thursday nights from 5:30pm to 6:30pm on 101.5 UMFM or via the web on www.umfm.com for all of the latest and greatest news from our point of view on The Hockey Show!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

RFAs Falling Into Place

There was a lot of chatter when free agency opened about who the Jets should try to land as their second-line center. While that chatter is still prevalent in Winnipeg, GM Kevin Cheveldayoff made it clear that he had a pile of work to do in trying to re-sign the dozen-or-so restricted free agents that the Jets wanted back. With the exception of Eric Bogosian at this point, Cheveldayoff has done exactly what he indicated he would do, bringing back the likes of Wheeler and Little to give his lineup some continuity for the next few seasons. While fans may still want someone to anchor the second line at the center position, the Jets have their top line secured for future thanks to the work done by the players and the general manager.

While it appears that Mikhail Grabovski is no longer considering the Jets to be a suitor for his services, the fact that the Jets have both Bryan Little and Blake Wheeler under contract for the upcoming season bodes well for a team that was slightly anemic offensively on occasion last season. Both players were part of a good unit last season, and should help the Jets be competitive in a tough Central Division this year. Power forwards like Wheeler are valuable commodities in the NHL, and you can never have too many play-making centermen like Bryan Little.

The Jets, for all the complaining I have done on missing out on key free agents, have positioned themselves nicely for the future by not overpaying for the talent they currently have, and by not throwing wads of cash at free agents who may not make the team better. They have some excellent talent to compliment their top line this season as they have brought in the likes of Setoguchi and Frolik to add to the second and third lines. With players like Scheifele, Adam Lowry, Lukas Sutter, Josh Morrissey, and Jacob Trouba all developing at excellent rates, the Jets might be two or three years out from having a fantastic offensive team.

I, like the Jets, believe that Scheifele will come into camp this season and have a spectacular time. His work in Barrie last season with former Jets captain Dale Hawerchuk showed why he's one of the best players in the junior game, and the step to the pro game should challenge him to continue to grow. It also doesn't hurt that his work this off-season is adding both weight and strength to his frame - something a lot of Jets fans said he could use.

Scheifele looked bigger better stronger and faster @ Dev Camp. But the real test is training camp. Scheif needs to show what he can do..1/2
— Jet Fuel (@OfficialJetFuel) July 24, 2013

Bigger and faster is what the Jets need down the middle with the likes of Little, Jokinen, and Slater under contract. Little and Slater are smaller guys, and Jokinen simply has no wheels. If Scheifele can come into camp and play hard, expect to see him in a lot of situations. He has the ability from all that I've read and heard, but it's up to Scheifele to put it all together now.

The Jets appear to be on-track for an improvement last season barring any unforeseen catastrophic injuries. They are playing in a tough division, but it appears the management of the Jets is asking only one thing of the Jets this season: raise your game. And that's a reasonable demand.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode Forty-Six

The Hockey Show only has two things on the show tonight, and both involve you, the listener. What are we doing?

TRIVIA!

PRIZES!

TRIVIA!

PRIZES!

If you want to win something, answer a somewhat-difficult question tonight, and you'll be rewarded! If you're a younger listener, we also have some kids-related prizes to give away as well. You'll want to call in to us at (204) 269-UMFM (8636) for a chance to win! Everyone likes free stuff, so get dialing!

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice!