there is too much going on

in hockey right now. going right from the Olympics to 12 NHL games today (and one yesterday) and the trade deadline tomorrow. since I'm not trying to be the timeliest blog around, I'll still post my favorite links and screenshots and photos of last month. but a few quick notes now. I know I WILL be glued to Twitter & blogs before the trade deadline Wed. afternoon, and until I have to leave to go to the Blackhawks' first post-Olympics home game. even though I'm not wild about trade deadline stuff. some of it is for the reasons listed in this piece; some because maybe I just haven't been following the sport long enough.

 

some trade news so far: well, interesting that a couple of the Hawks' minor-league deals involve former Bruins picks/players (Hannu Toivonen, Nick Boynton). and Chris Chelios officially getting signed to the Atlanta Thrashers at age 48? whoa. looks like he'll stay here with the Chicago Wolves (I've seen him in several games) unless they really need him. (I'd been wondering, with all the injuries the Red Wings had this year, if Detroit would ever be desperate enough to get him back for a few games.) obviously he's the oldest player in the NHL, and has the most penalty minutes of any active NHL player...because he's played more NHL seasons than many of my blog/Twitter hockey friends have been alive. and with Alexei Ponikarovsky going to Pittsburgh from Toronto...the Penguins have the only two Ukrainian-born players in the NHL that I know of (Ruslan Fedotenko is the other). (the Bruins' Johnny Boychuk has a name that looks Ukrainian to me, but he's from Canada.)

 

other news (not involving the horrible losses for the teams I follow tonight...): my first podcast appearance yesterday went reasonably well and I'll have a little post about it. I realized I might have to create a Facebook page so people can be "fans" of this blog, and get updates. and today I confirmed that in a week I'll be taking a friend to her first hockey game--my first time taking someone to their first game. (Calgary @ Detroit, so there'll be a few Olympians to point out...)

oh and if you like trendy Internet crap, I gave in and got a formspring account, where you can ask me questions (anonymously or not). from my Twitter followers who have them, I got the impression people just want to ask female hockey fans which players they'd have sex with. I seem to be immune to questions like that (relief? disappointment?). if you're bored, ask me things (not just about sports)!

(images above from Better Ice Hockey for Boys, 1965)

winning streaks

right now I have overwhelming, irrational hate for any NHL team with a long winning streak. all the active ones below were increased tonight, by the way. I'd thought Chicago had only made it to 7 this season, but it's 8, so at least the Hawks are tied for 3rd. admittedly it's just for bragging rights that don't really mean that much, but did you see my previous post? I like winning streaks...for the Blackhawks.

if forced, I had to pick the Senators over the Canucks in tonight's game, though, and they won. I lost the feed to the game more than once and missed the fights.
 

I know they have to get these headlines up fast, but damn, what's more hilarious than a team's name spelled wrong?

bonus from NHL.com: not a silly headline, but the blue highlighted part at the bottom? sheesh, if that'd been the headline it would have qualified for my silly headline series. I feel deprived!

I'm gonna say it: one part of sports I'm just not interested in (and thus don't cover here)? trade rumors. and cap space and all the relevant issues. I don't begrudge other people their interest in it...but other than keeping up with the major trade stories (about hockey--I'm not paying much attention to baseball; I'll just learn the teams' rosters when the season starts, okay?) and knowing the basics of the Blackhawks' situation...my eyes glaze over and I skim through ALL OF THIS. except, for some reason, on Twitter, where I kind of enjoy it. Kovalchuk was a friggin' WORLDWIDE trending topic today!

 

something I didn't think of when I first posted this--since Patrice Cormier was in the trade, he's now in the Atlanta Thrashers system, and therefore could end up playing for the Chicago Wolves. uh-oh. not that that'll happen anytime soon...