Category: hockey (Page 4 of 26)

Playing Up

18 May, 2011 / Kat

Tyler Seguin scores during Tuesday night's 6-5 Bruins win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. (Photo: NHL.com)

Tuesday evening, Boston Bruins rookie Tyler Seguin put on a clinic against the Tampa Bay Lightning, scoring two goals, two assists, and showing flashy skill and playmaking abilities that made even the least enthusiastic of hockey fans stand up and cheer. Seguin had been benched for the playoff run up to Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, where he was inserted in the place of an injured Patrice Bergeron. Bruins coach Claude Julien had been noncommittal towards playing his 2010 #1 draft pick in the playoffs, and had used him sparingly as the regular season drew to a close.

When Seguin finally saw playoff ice, he broke out, showing the abilities that made him so highly coveted last year. However, what motivated that after a so-so rookie season where his experienced coach who didn’t feel he was ready to play postseason hockey? Continue reading

Why Taking An Anti-Gay Marriage Approach Is Bad For Hockey Business: A Statistical Look At The Uptown Sports Controversy

9 May, 2011 / Kat

Hockey fans throughout the social media sphere were up in outrage on Monday afternoon when the Twitter account representing the hockey agent/PR firm Uptown Sports proclaimed statements against gay marriage. Representatives from the firm ended up on sports radio in Toronto, Canada Monday night further talking about their view.

Uptown Sports has a small stable of NHL players it represents, including Mike Fisher, the husband of American Idol winner and country music sweetheart, Carrie Underwood.

Aside from the moral argument for gay marriage (because gay or straight, everyone deserves the right to have someone to argue with over what to have for dinner and putting your shoes in the boot tray), there are statistical and marketing reasons why those who don’t agree with gay marriage may want to keep their thoughts personal. From a statistical perspective, hockey businesses of any kind may need to stay away from an anti-gay marriage perspective. Continue reading

The Everyone’s Favorite Goalie Watch: Because Even John Curry Needs A Montage

8 April, 2011 / Kat

It’s been too long since I wrote an edition of the Everyone’s Favorite Goalie Watch, but what better time to bring back this feature than the occasion of former BU goalie John Curry’s 100th career AHL win.

On March 27th, Curry led the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins to a 3-2 overtime win over their storied and constant arch-rival Hershey Bears. The win clinched the East Division regular season title for the Penguins, who as of Friday night, had a 56-21 record. Curry has 22 wins in net this season, splitting his time with AHL Goaltender of the Year and former Northeastern goalie Brad Thiessen.

T0 celebrate Curry’s win over the Bears – the 100th win in his four seasons in the AHL – the team played a montage at their next game and posted it on YouTube. Thanks to the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins, I present to you the John Curry 100th win montage, complete with questionable fonts, strange lyrics, and the same sort of acrobatic saves that BU fans long for to this very day.

Show, Don’t Tell: How To Move Beyond Using Stats As A Sportswriting Crutch

3 April, 2011 / Kat

A few days ago, Zac from Delayed Offsides wrote about his first season covering college hockey for the Something’s Bruin/Sieves The Day group. Among his excellent musings, he spoke about reporting on hockey from the view of someone who had played previously, which he has. Zac mentioned that as a hockey player himself, he relies less on stats, and more about watching the plays develop. Continue reading

Gnomeo and Juliet, BC and Cornell Style

19 March, 2011 / Kat

I was researching some stats for my Merrimack College-Boston College Hockey East Championship Preview on SBNation Boston (gratuitous plug!) on the Boston College Athletics website when the following item popped up in the sidebar.

It's a hockey gnome. (Photo: BC Athletics)

It’s a $29.00 Boston College hockey gnome.

I’m perplexed. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a hockey gnome for sale. Where are you to put this 10 inch tall gnome? Is it supposed to be a good luck charm? And $29 for a gnome? Is it just me, or does it seem a bit…pricey?

A quick Google search turns up a similar Cornell (who plays Yale in the ECAC championship game Saturday night) one, which is only $24.95, and half an inch shorter.

The Cornell hockey gnome

The BC gnome appears to be rolling his eyes at the silliness of it all, while the Cornell gnome looks at you head on, shaming you for purchasing a hockey gnome.

Have I been missing a whole line of college hockey paraphernalia all this time, or is this unique to BC and Cornell?