Hockey in Seattle... and Everett... and Spokane... and Wenatchee... etc.

There's been a lot of talk lately about Seattle getting an NHL team. Some people have gone on and on about how much they miss going to hockey games and an NHL team can't come soon enough because it's too much of a hassle to drive up to Vancouver to watch the Canucks, not to mention the ticket prices.

*AHEM*

Hockey is alive and well in Seattle... and Everett... and Spokane... and the Tri Cities... and Wenatchee... and even across the border in Oregon (Portland, to be exact).  Okay, in all fairness, these are major junior teams comprised of players who are 16 to 20 years old. Some of the so-called "hockey" fans I've chatted with say they have no time to watch kids - bring on the big guys, the pros. Other fans I've chatted with talk excitedly about being able to watch NHL players like Marian Hossa (Portland Winterhawks), Patrick Marleau (Seattle Thunderbirds), Zdeno Chara (Prince George Cougars) and Carey Price (Tri City Americans) (to name JUST a few) hone their skills in the Western Hockey League, then watching those "kids" go on to have successful NHL careers. (For a complete list of WHL alumni - players AND coaches - currently in the NHL, visit WHL Network’s Prospect Central)

Here’s a list of teams within driving distance of Seattle:

Everett Silvertips (WHL, home arena: Comcast Arena)

Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL, home arena: ShoWare Center)

Spokane Chiefs (WHL, home arena: Spokane Arena)

Tri City Americans (WHL, home arena: Toyota Center)

Portland Winterhawks (WHL, home arenas: Memorial Coliseum, Rose Garden)

Wenatchee Wild (NAHL, home arena: Town Toyota Center)

There are a number of reasons to drive to Everett, Kent or take a road trip to Wenatchee, Spokane, the Tri Cities and Portland - or even a ferry over to Victoria or cross the border to Vancouver and support major junior hockey:

1. Games are affordable! You can score a ticket for as little as $10
2. There's not a bad seat in the house... err.. arena
3. You'll meet some awesome fans, many who also double as billet (host) families, giving players a "home" away from home.
4. You can help support these kids on their quest to attain NHL careers by showing up and cheering loudly. 
5. You can bask in the satisfaction of saying on NHL Draft day, "I knew _______ would make it!"
6. You can watch NHL games with your buddies and say, "I watched ________ come up in the WHL. I knew he'd make it."
7. Did I mention games are affordable?
8. Snacks and drinks are a lot cheaper than at NHL arenas (and a mere pittance when compared to food sold at Safeco & CenturyLink Fields)
9. You can join your team's Booster Club and take part in special events, meet and greets, and get special deals and promotions or sponsor a player as their "Secret Pal"
10. Without leagues like the WHL (and OHL, QMJL, NAHL, USHL, NCAA and others), there might not be an NHL - or an NHL filled with players from such diverse backgrounds. I mean, how many frozen ponds are there in Canada for up and coming players to hone their skills? (Just kidding, I know all Canadian boys are born with skates strapped to their feet and hockey skills embedded in their brains.

If this hasn't convinced you to plunk down $10 to check out a game, maybe the following people will. They're the men and women who cover the teams, driving to every home game (and even some away games), interviewing coaches and players, breaking down plays and offering their skilled analysis of the team they cover, as well as every opponent who comes to town. They know their stuff and are more than happy to chat with you should you happen to run into them at a game (or on Twitter). 

Let me introduce the writers who cover teams in Washington and Oregon, along with their Twitter handles (click on their names to visit their websites):

Everett Silvertips (WHL)

Nick Patterson - @NickHPatterson

Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)

Andy Eide  - @AndyEide

Tim Pigulski - @tpigulski

Portland Winterhawks (WHL)

Stuart Kemp - @BBBJr

Scott Sepich - @SSepich

Samantha Meese - @AbovetheGlass

Dylan Bumbarger - @dylandb

Spokane Chiefs (WHL)

Chris Derrick - @srchrisderrick

Tri City Americans (WHL)

Annie Fowler - @TCHIceQueen

Wenatchee Wild (NAHL)

Jon Frank - @JFrankWW

Want to know what life is like as a major junior hockey player? I can help you with that, too! Chris Rumble, who played with the Wenatchee Wild from 2009-2011 and now attends Canisius College on a hockey scholarship, filmed a documentary during his final year with the Wild. It’s called Into the Ice and is available on DVD. (Side note: if the name Chris Rumble sounds familiar, he’s the mastermind behind the “Stronger” video shot at Seattle Children’s Hospital that went viral)

So, you’ve been prepped. Now, sit back and think about what turned you into a hockey fan. Think about the amazing plays you’ve seen, the players who defied description, the players you believed in, even if others had already written them off. Did you wish you could have seen The Great One as a kid player? Super Mario? Bobby Hull? This is your chance to watch for the next generation of “Great Ones.” The challenge to you is to go to your local arena and see whether you can spot the next NHL star in the making.

If you see me there, come say hi. I’ll buy you a beer. 

Monday Puckpourri: Pens net some Stars, Carey channels VINCENT Price, plus one HECK of a WHL game

So... the Penguins' lineup changes again. I found out via Twitter that the Pens have traded Alex Goligoski to Dallas for James Neal and Matt Niskanen.  I don't know much about either player, except that I think Sid got into a fight with Niskanen earlier this season.

Will this trade make a difference to the Pens, who have struggled without Sid and Geno, but still managed to win a number of games? I guess we'll just have to tune in and see. Here's the news release from the Pens' website:  http://penguins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=553656&navid=BN|PIT|home

Lyle Richardson from Spector's Hockey wrote up a good analysis of the trade. Just click here.


Carey Price's new goalie mask has sparked a lot of chatter; not all of it good. He unveiled it yesterday for the Heritage Classic and calls it a tribute to Jacques Plante. I'm not sure what to think of it, but many say it "creeps them out." 

Okay. Maybe it IS a little creepy.


Last night, I attended my first hockey game in months, heading down to ShoWare Center in Kent for the T-Birds/Chilliwack Bruins match-up. I arrived early (2pm) to co-host the CCPT Hockey Show from ShoWare. That was an interesting experiment, lots of fun but cut short by about 45 minutes because of the music that started blaring from the speakers. The game that followed was one that I will not soon forget. It had everything, including a line brawl! I wrote up the game for the KING 5 website.
Here's the link: http://www.king5.com/sports/HockeyWHL-T-Birds-win-a-Sunday-night-shootout-at-ShoWare-Center-116597843.html

By the way, MANY THANKS to Brian Liesse for letting me use his photos. He's part of the awesome Washington Prep Sports Network, but also has his own amazing website.

Class of 2005

(Note: I know the 2005 draft had some phenomenal players. I'm only focusing on 3.)

A young man stands in front of a bathroom mirror in an Ottawa hotel room. He peers at himself as he smoothes his dark brown hair down, then tries to make the ends curl up. He does this repeatedly, talking to an unseen reporter as he does. He is already dressed; his lime green dress shirt looks freshly pressed; a green silk tie is knotted perfectly. He admits feeling nervous. He stops to pick up a can of hair spray, revealing blond streaks in the dark hair. He sprays about a third of the can on his hair, then tries valiantly to curl the ends up again.
In another room at the same hotel, two young men lounge. They are as relaxed as the first teen is keyed up. Both are dressed in shorts and tee-shirts. One lies on a bed, while the other pokes his head out from the bathroom, wielding a razor. They are arguing, good naturedly, about who makes a tidier roommate. The one with the razor makes a comment that sends his roommate off into a fit of hysterical laughter.
These three are among thousands who have waited their entire young lives for this day, and the moment that will either propel them on to the next phase of their quest for hockey greatness, or send them home to think hard about a future that doesn’t involve pro hockey. All three of the featured boys know they will go in the first round, but only one knows his exact fate.
Sidney Crosby has known for weeks, maybe years, that he will be the Number One pick this year. He’s definitely known for weeks where he’s going. The Pittsburgh Penguins won the lottery to pick first and they’ve made it clear that they fully intend to do what everyone expects, and make Sid the newest Penguin.
Sidney Crosby, Rimouski Oceanic


Crosby’s roommate, Jack Johnson, and Benoit Pouliot, the teen fussing with his hair, aren’t so sure where their futures lie. For them, everything is uncertain, even what order in which they’ll be drafted. The only thing that’s certain is that they have the talent to go in the Top 5.
But how did they get here?
This is where their stories take interesting turns.
Jack Johnson grew up in Detroit, a great place for any American kid wanting to play hockey to live. He already had the hockey genes; his father was a former NHL’er. If adding the legends of Gordie Howe, Steve Yzerman or the Red Wings’ amazing history weren’t enough to motivate a young hockey player, then he should hang up his skates. Jack soaked it all in and it showed in the way he played. His education continued at the prestigious Shattuck-St. Mary’s prep school in Minnesota, where he met Crosby, who would become his teammate and best friend. As (the team’s only) sophomores, the two helped the team win a national championship.
Jack Johnson, USA Hockey


Jack’s free time was spent taking part in hockey camps and further honing his skills with the USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program. Also during this time, he helped the U.S. Under-18 team win a silver medal at the 2004 World Championships. The hard charging defenseman compares his style to that of Scott Stevens or Scott Niedermayer. He comes to the draft with quite a reputation. Sports Illustrated calls him “one of the most well-rounded and revered American defensemen to come along in the past decade.” Pretty high praise, but where would this put him in the draft? A few hours would tell.
Benoit Pouliot’s path began at home, in St. Isidore, Ontario. He was introduced to the game by his dad Sylvain, who coached Benoit and his two brothers in hockey during the winters and baseball in the summers. By his own admission, Benoit grew into a tall, skinny kid. But his skill and the promise of talent yet to be revealed intrigued the Ontario Hockey League’s Sudbury Wolves enough to pick him in the 11th round of the OHL draft in 2002. He attended the Wolves’ training camp the first two summers after being drafted, but the team sent him home both times. The second time he came home, he received devastating news. His father’s leukemia, which had been in remission, was back. But Sylvain urged Benoit to keep pursuing his dream. Benoit played most of the 2003-2004 season with his brother’s team, the Hawkesbury Hawks of the CJHL. In February of 2004, the Sudbury Wolves called Benoit to join the team for a couple of games. Benoit remembers his father telling him to take advantage of the opportunity and show the team just what he could do. By this time, Sylvain was very sick and basically living out his last days at home, with family. Benoit played his first game with Sudbury on February 13, 2004. He took his father’s advice and gave it all he had. That night, Benoit scored his first goal in the OHL. He called his mom afterward, and asked her to share the news with his dad. His mother, Diane, shares what happened next.
Benoit Pouliot, Sudbury Wolves



“I told him about the goal and he looked at me and said, ‘I knew it.’ Those were the last words he spoke to me.”

Sylvain Pouliot died the next day.
Benoit channeled his energy into hockey. He gained weight and muscle. He played several more games with Sudbury in the 2004 season. He tore up the OHL the next year, leading the league in rookie scoring, helping the Wolves get to the playoffs and taking home the “Rookie of the Year” trophy. His play had improved so much in such a short time, his style drew comparisons to Vincent Lecavalier, and he entered the 2005 draft ranked Number 2 by the “International Scouting Services”, right behind Sidney Crosby.
Which brings us to July 30, 2005 and the NHL Entry Draft.

Sid went first, to the Pens. No surprise.
Bobby Ryan from the OHL (Owen Sound Attack) went Number 2, to Anaheim.
Sid’s roommate, Jack Johnson, went third, to the Carolina Hurricanes. He would later be traded to the L.A. Kings because he wanted to play college hockey for a couple of years before making the jump to the NHL. The ‘Canes wanted someone who could play immediately.

With the fourth pick, the Minnesota Wild chose Benoit Pouliot. And maybe his lime green shirt and green tie served as an omen. The colors perfectly complemented the red and green of the Wild sweater he pulled over his so carefully-coiffed head.
Talented goaltender Carey Price rounded out the Top 5, going to the Montreal Canadiens.

The requisite photo shoot followed the draft selection. Photographers snapped the players in a variety of poses.

Sidney Crosby and Jack Johnson fulfilled a promise they made to each other in high school- standing side by side dressed in their NHL best.


Benoit beamed, no longer seeming to mind that his carefully styled hair was mussed.


Their roads since that July day in 2005 have also taken different turns.

Sid joined the Penguins right away and has held his own, to say the least.



Jack spent two years playing NCAA hockey with the University of Michigan, before joining the L.A. Kings and making an immediate impact. He’s currently nursing a torn labrum and itching to get back on the ice.




Benoit spent the first two years after being drafted playing mainly for the Wild’s AHL affiliate, the Houston Aeros, although he made a number of appearances in the Wild lineup. He has been a solid part of the team since last season and faces a solid future with Minnesota.


Somewhere, his father Sylvain is smiling and saying, “I knew it.”