Friday Puckpourri: T-Birds love, 'Tips news, two ooh's + one OMG GWG

T-BIRDS LOVE
The Seattle Thunderbirds proved to be no match for the CHL-leading Kelowna Rockets, losing all four games in their WHL playoffs second round match-up. The T-Birds showed some flashes of brilliance, but unfortunately, the Rockets shined just a bit brighter, winning 3 of 4 games pretty handily: 6-2, 6-3, -5-4, 5-2. 

(Photo: Kelowna Rockets/WHL)

I'm not going to try to wrap up the season. That's definitely not my strong suit. I will say this: I thoroughly enjoyed myself this season, both as a fan and as an anthem singer. T-Birds fans are incredibly friendly, supportive and loyal. AND they sing along. I can't wait to see what next season brings.

In the meantime, here are write-ups from hockey minds I respect and admire:

Thom Beuning (The "Voice of the T-Birds"): The Last Harrumph
Andy Eide (T-Birds writer for MyNorthwest.com): T-Birds season ends with 5-2 loss to Rockets in Game 4

Player notes:
The team and fans said goodbye to Mitch Elliot, who wrapped up his fifth and final season. He played his entire WHL career with the T-Birds, which is a bit of a rarity in these times. He played in a total of 322 regular season games, scored 14 goals and had 20 assists. He played in 16 playoff games, scored 1 goal (against the Everett Silvertips in Game 5 of this year's playoffs), and had 2 assists. I had the chance to sit and chat with Mitch, his parents and his billet parents. That story will post very soon. I will say this about Mitch - he's a class act, and I expect this young man to succeed at whatever he puts his mind to doing.

(Mitch Elliot/Photo: Seattle Thunderbirds/WHL)



Captain Justin Hickman signed an ATO with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (the Islanders' AHL team). Here's the release. I wonder whether former T-Birds Captain Thomas Hickey (current d-man for the Isles) will be able to offer any tips.

(Justin Hickman/Photo: Seattle Thunderbirds/WHL)

D-man Shea Theodore has been called up to the Norfolk Admirals (the Ducks' AHL team). Here's the release.

(Shea Theodore/Photo: Seattle Thunderbirds/WHL)

'TIPS NEWS
The Everett Silvertips have got to be proud of goaltender Austin Lotz, who made the NHL Central Scouting Service's final rankings of North American goaltenders prior to the Entry Draft in June. Lotz came in at number 22 of the top 30 goalies. By all accounts, Austin had a stellar season: 57 games played, Record: 31W (including 5 shutouts), 18L, 3OTL, 2SOL. His GAA was 2.53 and SV% WAS 0.905%.

(Austin Lotz/Photo: Mast Images/Everett Silvertips)

 

Player notes:
Captain Matt Pufahl signed an ATO with the Lake Erie Monsters (the Avs' AHL team). Here's the release. The d-man will protect former enemy opponent, former T-Birds goalie Calvin Pickard.

 

(Matt Pufahl/Photo: Mast Images/Everett Silvertips)

Josh Winquist and Jujhar Khaira have joined the Oklahoma City Barons (the Oilers' AHL team). JJ signed a contract with Edmonton over the summer, while Josh signed an ATO. (Side note: The Silvertips Booster Club has this neat thing they do every year - they match each member up with a player in a "secret pal" program. The pals deliver good cheer to their players throughout the season, along with gift cards. At the end of the regular season, they host a party where the pals and players finally meet, and the pal gives his/her player one last gift. I was proud to be JJ's secret pal this season, although I couldn't make it to the reveal party because of a prior commitment. I'm told he thoroughly enjoyed his gift, a mounted photo of him in action against the Winterhawks, snapped by awesome photographer Chris Mast. I wish JJ the best of luck with the Barons and beyond).

 

(Jujhar Khaira/Photo: Mast Images/Everett Silvertips)

 

(Josh Winquist/Photo: Mast Images/Everett Silvertips)

Mirco Mueller has been called up to the Worcester Sharks (San Jose's AHL team). The Sharks drafted him 18th overall in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Read about all three players here.

(Mirco Mueller/Photo: Mast Images/Everett Silvertips)

TWO OOH'S
Marc-Andre Fleury (Pens):  incredible flip to deny Red Wing Daniel Alfredsson in the shootout the other night.

Kris Letang (Pens): suffered a stroke six weeks ago. Wednesday night, he laced 'em up and hit the ice for the first time and played like he'd never left. I won't lie - seeing him back in the game makes me nervous, but as friends (and Tanger himself) pointed out, a stroke could hit at any time, no matter what he's doing. Why not at least be doing what he loves? I can't argue with that.



(Kris Letang/Photo: Pittsburgh Penguins/Getty)

Jonathan Quick (Kings): Kings fans know what a class act Jonathan Quick is - now, the entire nation knows. Watch what happened when he surprised a young fan on the Ellen Show:



OMG GWG
Justin Holl (University of Minnesota): This kid waited until the final 6 seconds of the final 4 of the Frozen Four to score his very first goal of the season. And what a goal! Holl's shot lifted the Golden Gophers over the UND Fighting Sioux team to land in the championship game against Union College, who beat Boston College Thursday. That game takes place tomorrow (Saturday, April 12) at 7:30pm ET on ESPN.



Talk about the ultimate buzzer-beater.


 

Friday Puckpourri: Ugh T-Birds, incredible comeback in Kootenay, baby "Blues" for TJ Oshie... + the King of Pop-- on ICE?!

1. UGH, T-BIRDS

Game 1 in the second round of the WHL playoffs is in the books and the Seattle Thunderbirds got the ugly end of the stick. The Kelowna (formerly the TACOMA) Rockets took advantage of a number of penalties and just plain outmanned the T-Birds to a final score of 6-2.

 (Photo: Kelowna Rockets/WHL)

Ugh.
Double Ugh.

I know Kelowna finished the regular season with a whopping 118 points, more than any team in the WHL, OHL or QMJHL. Powerhouse? You bet. Unbeatable? No team is unbeatable. Just ask the 2008-2009 San Jose Sharks, who won the President's Trophy with 117 points, only to lose 4-2 to the 8th seeded Anaheim Ducks in the first round of the playoffs. Or the 2009-2010 Washington Capitals, who finished the season with a whopping 121 points only to go down in 7 games against the Montreal Canadiens, also in first round action.

I'm not a sports psychologist, nor do I play one on TV. But I'd say the T-Birds are facing more than a formidable opponent in the Kelowna Rockets this series. Of course the Rockets are formidable - they've got the best record in the CHL. But they also have something else: history - and recent history at that. In the first round of the playoffs last year, Seattle won the first 3 games and seemed poised to finish off the Rockets and advance to the second round. Instead, Kelowna pulled off an incredible upset, winning the next four games and leaving a stunned T-Birds team (and fans) in their wake. (They didn't advance past the second round after hitting a brick wall called the Kamloops Blazers). 

So... this armchair sports psychologist thinks maybe *some* of the T-Birds may be remembering their massive fall from grace last season and the memory is (consciously or subconsciously) messing with their minds. If I'm wrong, I'll be the first person to offer a loud "mea culpa" at center ice of ShoWare Center. But I heartily believe Seattle has what it takes to bring down this Goliath-like Kelowna team. In fact, the teams split their four regular season games with two wins apiece (4-3 Seattle, 4-3 Kelowna, 4-1 Seattle, 7-3 Kelowna). 

Here's hoping the T-Birds roll into Prospera Place tomorrow night and show the Rockets they don't care about 118-point regular season records or what happened last year, then ride that momentum to Kent and show the hometown crowd, and most importantly, themselves, that they've got the heart and the talent to keep the post-season going.

2. INCREDIBLE COMEBACK IN KOOTENAY

And I'm not talking about the playoffs, although the Ice handily defeated the Calgary Hitmen 4-2 to advance to the second round (Game 1 against Medicine Hat is tomorrow night). 

No, the incredible comeback I'm talking about happened before the March 29th game at Western Financial Place in Cranbrook, when Ice forward Tim Bozon took part in the ceremonial puck drop before his teammates skated to a 5-3 victory and knocked Calgary out of the playoffs.

(Photo: Barry Coulter)

Tim spent the better part of the month in a Saskatoon hospital, battling a form a bacterial meningitis so serious, doctors had to place him in a coma for two weeks while they treated him. He was released from the hospital on March 28 and watched his teammates win the next night. The Montreal Canadiens prospect is now back home in France with his parents, where he'll continue the healing process.

Here's the news conference with Tim and his father (warning: dad gets a little emotional)


Here's video of the ceremonial puck drop: 


3. BABY "BLUES" FOR T.J. OSHIE

Blues star (and Seattle Junior Hockey Association alum) T.J. Oshie has been tearing up the ice and helping St. Louis clinch a playoff spot and a whopping 111 points. But on the Today Show this morning, TJ and his fiancee Lauren shared the emotional challenge faced by their newborn daughter, Lyla Grace, who was born with a serious birth defect called gastroschisis (part of baby Lyla's intestines were outside her tiny body). Surgeons successfully repaired the problem and baby Lyla is expected to go home with her mom and dad next week. 

3. THE KING OF POP... ON ICE?!

The Hubby (@StuV94) spotted this photo tweeted out by @History_Pix today. He retweeted it, then texted me to check it out.

t

The photo is identified as a ceremonial puck drop between the Vancouver Canucks and Pittsburgh Penguins on November 16, 1984. According to a story posted by the Canucks in 2009, the only thing the team can confirm is that Stan Smyl is #12 for Vancouver, and we all recognize #66 in the Penguins uniform. But they couldn't confirm with complete certainty that the gentleman holding the puck aloft is actually the King of Pop himself. According to the story, Michael Jackson *was* in Vancouver at the time, performing for three nights at BC Place, so one would assume this was the real deal participating in the ceremonial puck drop. He looks real to me and it seems like the type of thing the kid in him would have enjoyed doing. 

I'd love to sit here and continue ruminating with you, but I've gotta go. I think a UFO just landed in my backyard - and I think Bigfoot's behind the wheel. #TheTruthIsOutThere

Hockey Talk.. or... Talking Hockey...

I like to talk about hockey. 
I like to hear others talk about hockey.
It's a good thing, then, that I get to co-host a weekly show about... hockey.

My friend Cassie McClellan, who writes for the Tampa Bay Lightning blog Raw Charge (and other websites) and I kicked off the fourth season of our weekly radio show "CCPT Hockey" today, with a fun chat about the season so far and a look at PIM leaders (players and teams).

Logistical issues prevented us from starting the season in August like most other hockey radio shows, but we're really not stressed about it. Our show is more a live chat than a "show" in the "official" sense of the word. We have the occasional guest and even the occasional "high profile" guest, but for the most part, we have a fun group of people who take part in the live, interactive chat that takes place while our show's on the air, and have our hockey loving friends call in to praise or bitch about their teams.

Don't get me wrong. Cassie and I can talk stats like everyone else, but why would we want to? How boring is it to tune in every week for STATS. Seriously. How many of you with college educations really *enjoy* your statistics class? Okay, I know some of you still enjoy statistics. Otherwise, we wouldn't have statistics to talk about, right? I mean, it takes a special mind to come up with the number of times a player has scored on a Saturday night in November where there happened to be a three-quarters moon in the sky. 

I kid. I respect all of you statistically-minded hockey fans out there. The world needs you. I mean it. I really do.

I also digress.

When Cassie promoted our first show on Facebook, someone asked her why our show was named CCPT Hockey Show - and what's up with the Russian-looking logo? If you listened to today's show, you'd know the answer to both questions. If you haven't listened to the podcast version yet, here you go:

"CCPT" stands for CONNECT COMMUNITY PUCK TALK.  The show was created a number of years ago by our friend Justine (aka "Juice in LA") as a gathering place for hockey fans who became friends on NHL.com's (now pretty defunct) fan site: NHL Connect. In its heyday, NHL Connect was a breeding ground for fans who expressed their hockey love via essays, stories, limericks and more. I stumbled onto the site in 2008, while licking the wounds left by the Pittsburgh Penguins' heartbreaking SCF loss to Detroit. Juice and others welcomed me warmly, and quickly became my family away from home. Looking back, it's funny how most of my early Connect friends were Red Wings fans... I did some of my best writing while a member of that site, including my ode to the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" team (and my dad), which was featured on NHL.com's homepage for several days (I wish I had saved a screen grab).

A handful of Connectors even managed to meet up in San Jose for a German dinner and game between the Sharks and Red Wings (Juice, JoJo, Al, Shannon, Kevin - did I leave anyone out?). Ahh... those were the days!

Alas, as so often happens in many Utopian societies, TROLLS discovered NHL Connect and tromped all over our thriving community, testing friendships, creating alliances, and basically shitting all over the place. A small group of us took our leave and our Flyers friend Matt told us about BlogTalkRadio.com. Juice created the show and we all happily joined in. When Juice's schedule became too hectic to continue, Cassie and I took over. We tried to make it an "official" show for a while, but reverted back to our carefree hosting style when we realized we weren't really having a lot of fun trying to be "official."

Which brings us to today.

Season 4 of the CCPT Hockey Show launched at 6pm ET/3pm ET on BlogTalkRadio.com. Cassie and I managed to fly through an hour of talking about standings, divisions, wild card (huh?), the incomprehensible, early implosion of the Flyers, the unbelievably great play of the Avs, Coyotes and a TEAM-THAT-SHALL-NOT-BE-NAMED (but whose initials are TBL). We also discussed PIM leaders so far:

Players:
1. Derek Dorsett (NYR) - 73 PIM in 17 games (fmr. Medicine Hat Tigers/WHL)
2. Radko Gudas (TBL) - 57 PIM in 16 games (fmr. Everett Silvertips/WHL)
3. Steve Downie (COL, PHI) - 53 PIM in 12 games (fmr.Kitchener/Peterborough/Windsor/OHL)
4. Antoine Roussel (DAL) - 52 PIM in 17 games (fmr. Chicoutimi Sagueneens/QMJHL)
5. Erik Gudbranson (FLA) - 51 PIM in 18 games (fmr. Kingston Frontenace/OHL)

Teams:
1. Flyers - 311 PIM in 16 games
2. Blues - 274 PIM in 15 games
3. Leafs - 279 PIM in 17 games
4. Caps - 273 PIM in 18 games
5. Rangers - 252 PIM in 17 games

Well, I seem to have encapsulated a lot of what we talked about on today's show, which means you have absolutely no reason to listen to it. In the event you do, here's the link to a story on CCPT Hockey Show's website that includes the podcast, and a few more statistics that are blowing our minds right now:  http://ccpthockey.blogspot.com/2013/11/were-back.html

If you find yourself with nothing to do next Sunday at 6pm ET/3pm ET (or the Sunday after that, or the... you get the idea), join us on the air or in the chat room. Here's our show page:  CCPT Hockey Show

You can also follow the show on Twitter: @CCPTHockey

Here's Cassie's Twitter handle: @dagmar27
And here's mine: @Motley_Su

An interesting take on Crosby's recent behavior

My friend (and CCPT Hockey Show co-host) Cassie McClellan wrote a thoughtful (and thought-provoking) piece for Raw Charge about Sidney Crosby's recent personality changes and how they could be related to his concussion issues.

She is IN NO WAY trying to excuse Sid's behavior, but her story does make one take a step back and look at things in a different way.

Here's the link to it - I highly encourage you to check it out and join the discussion.

http://www.rawcharge.com/2012/4/16/2953166/the-cult-of-personality-sidney-crosby-concussion-problems-linger-on

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.

History Will Be Made: Marc-Andre Fleury

The NHL Network created a HWBM ad featuring Flower.
I approve. Click here to see it.

"IRON MAN" Jordan Staal skates in full pads

Talk about a REAL Iron Man. Jordan Staal had surgery Friday night to repair a tendon, following an ugly collision on the ice with Montreal D-man P.K. Subban. Yesterday, he skated for a few minutes in sweats at practice. This morning, he skated in FULL PADS.

Click here for more from the Pens' website.
Aaaand.... click here for the video!

Confession Time

Thursday morning. 3:45 am.

My news anchor, Brad, enters the newsroom. Usually, he says “Good Morning.” Not this time. He strides up to me and says loudly, “Rematch!” Brad’s from Detroit and a rabid Red Wings fan. I am a rabid Pittsburgh Penguins fan. I hold up my hand for a high five and he slaps it. “Let’s have a great series!” we agree, and he continues to his desk as I turn my attention back to proofreading scripts for the newscast.

But as I sat there, I felt a little guilty. I just identified myself as a “rabid” Penguins fan. But I have a confession to make. Several short months ago, I wasn’t so rabid. In fact, I doubted very much that the Pens would even have an outside shot at the post season. They were in 10^th place. They weren’t gelling as a team. The lines seemed out of sync. Even pairing Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin together didn’t really yield the results everyone hoped they would. Okay, so Malkin and Crosby were the scoring leaders for most of the season. But that exalted statistic didn’t do much for the team itself. They would win one, lose 3. Win 2, lose 4. They’d win 6-0, then lose by the same margin. They’d blow 3 to 4 point leads and lose in overtime, or a shootout. Friends who are diehard Pens fans stuck with them, though. “Just wait,” they insisted, “they’ll turn things around.” Even my friend Doug, who is a New York Rangers fan, tried to boost my spirits. “It’s only December,” he reminded me. “There’s a lot of time left in the season.”

But I didn’t agree. By Christmas, I had lost most of my faith in the team. Oh, I still loved them as much as I ever did, but I had resigned myself to the fact that the Pens would be one of those teams who went to the Stanley Cup Finals one year, only to finish out of the running the next year. I told myself the Pens had lost too many key players, like Ryan Malone, who I considered to be the “swagger” of the Pens. Like Gary Roberts, who I considered to be the hard-nosed, grizzled veteran. Like Mark Recchi, who I considered to be the legacy of the team. Like Marian Hossa, who only joined the Pens in the post season run, but who fit in so well, it seemed as though he’d always been part of the black and gold. My husband kept telling me to calm down, that the Pens would make some decisions come trade time that would give the team the boost it needed. But to be brutally honest, I did not believe him. And listening to Coach Michel Therrien did not make me feel any better. He gave press conferences but he never SAID ANYTHING. The only thing I remember about any of his press conferences was “Call me Mike.” Huh??

Then, the Pens gave all of us the best Valentine’s Day present. On February 15, they fired Therrien and called Dan Bylsma up from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to man the helm of this decidedly listing ship. And something happened.

The Penguins started winning.

They won 18 of the next 25 games. They lost 7, including 4 in overtime. The Pens added a couple of key players at the trade deadline: feisty sharp shooter Chris Kunitz and solid veteran Bill Guerin. Other players stepped up: Maxime Talbot, Matt Cooke, Kris Letang. Sergei Gonchar came back. Malkin continued his tear up the scoring charts, with Sid right behind him. And the Pens steadily moved up the ranks. By the time the regular season wound down, they were 2^nd in the Atlantic Division and had secured a solid playoff spot. And it seemed that the Pens just got stronger with every game, even ones they lost. And they looked like they were HAVING FUN OUT THERE!

What happened? I think that “Disco Dan” Bylsma injected some personality into the team. Was it his age? At 38, he’s the youngest head coach right now in the NHL. (Therrien is 46). And even though he doesn’t have a lot of head coaching experience (He was in his first season as the top guy for WBS), he seemed to “connect” with the guys. They fed off his energy and he fed off theirs. And it seemed to propel them; first, as they met the Philadelphia Flyers and won in 6 games. Then, the much-anticipated 2^nd round match up with Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. This series went to 7 thrilling games, but the Pens kept their cool and prevailed. The Carolina Hurricanes came next, fresh off an upset of the Boston Bruins and hungry for their own return to the Stanley Cup Finals. But the Pens persevered here, too and swept the ‘Canes in 4 games to clinch the Eastern Conference Championship.

In the West, the defending Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings were also steadily blasting through the competition. They swept the Columbus Blue Jackets in 4 games. They battled the Anaheim Ducks in 7 games, then dispatched a tough young Chicago Blackhawks team in 5 games.

My faith wobbled in December, but as the Pens started believing in themselves and playing better, my faith grew stronger. I still feel a stab of guilt that I doubted, and once my friends who are Penguins fans read this, they may think less of me. But confession is good for the soul, isn’t it?

My husband did say “I told you so.” He told me that Guerin especially would be good for the team. He was absolutely right. So, I won’t begrudge Stu his moment in the sun.

This morning. 3:15.

My friend Rex sneaks over to Brad’s desk and tapes a Pittsburgh Penguins banner to Brad’s computer monitor. Then we get to work. 3:45 am. Brad comes striding into the newsroom. “Good Morning!” he booms. “Happy Friday!” we reply. We chat for a few seconds about the stories on tap for the newscast, then he makes his way to his desk. A few seconds of silence, then a booming laugh.

“Su! I think you need to come get this!” he calls out, and I rush over to rescue my beloved pennant. It’s now proudly affixed to the wall by my desk. Brad and I have a “friendly” wager. He thinks the Red Wings will win it in 6, like last year. I think the Pens will pull out an exciting upset in 7 games. The loser buys the winner breakfast in the cafeteria.

It’s a bet I can handle, no matter who wins the Cup.

Crying in Hockey

We’ve all heard the saying “There’s no crying in baseball.”  Tom Hanks made that abundantly clear in one of many unforgettable scenes in “A League of Their Own.”  There’s. No. Crying. In. Baseball. Period. 

If that’s the case with a sport where contact is mostly incidental (barring hitting someone with a pitch, sliding into them or engaging in a good, bench-clearing brawl), then crying is definitely outlawed in the rough and tumble sport of hockey.  There’s just one problem with that. 

Someone forgot to tell me.

I am emotional by nature.  I cried when Bambi’s mother was killed.  I cried when Racer X saved Speed’s life in one cartoon episode and just when I thought he would reveal himself to be Speed’s brother, he walked off into the sunset instead.  I cry at Folgers’ coffee commercials.  I could go on, but you get the picture.

When I started liking hockey back in the 80’s, I saw the game differently. It was pure, superficial entertainment, like a bar brawl on skates.  When I got to college in the 90's and became our school’s national anthem singer, I started learning the nuances of the game, taught to me by hockey players who became friends, and friends who loved hockey.  I grew to love hockey and the UAH Chargers so much, a loss would leave me devastated, and not just for myself.  My heart went out to my friends who gave it their all out there on the ice, only to fall short.  Of course, no team could win EVERY game all the time, but I never said I was rational about this.  I cried after every loss, but in private.  The players would not know just what a wimp their national anthem singer was.

That was several years ago.  And I can say that I am now even more emotional about hockey than I was in school.  Last year, my beloved Penguins took it to 6 games in the Stanley Cup finals, only to lose on home ice to a very talented Red Wings team. I spent hours after that loss curled up in my bed, weeping my heart out.  The looks on the faces of the guys, who fell short after coming so far, remain fresh in my mind’s eye.  And if I think about it too much, I will fall apart all over again.

This year, I confess that things got even worse.  Why?  I added two more teams to my “favorites” list: the Everett Silvertips and Seattle Thunderbirds.  I went to games, interviewed players and somewhere along the road, forgot to remain unbiased.  Sitting up in the media section at ShoWare Center, I cried every time they lost.  It’s a good thing that area up there is pretty dark, although I think one of the WHL people saw me wiping my eyes once.  I cried when the Silvertips lost their final home game of the regular season to Chilliwack.  The 'Tips had already made the playoffs, but that didn't matter.  And I wept when both the Silvertips and T-Birds were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs by Tri City and Spokane.  My heart went out to these kids, because they are kids, no matter how mature they sound or act.  They played their best, but their opponents played just a little better.  I cried for their heartbreak and then I cried for the players who would be moving on because they had reached the WHL age limit.  I had gone to games in years past, but the teams had been at arm's length then. I didn’t keep up with who was going and who was staying.  

This year, things were different.  I knew I would miss Taylor Ellington, Graham Poteur, and Daniel Bartek making great hits and plays at Comcast Arena.  It would hurt to not see Chris Cloud, Devon LeBlanc, Greg Scott, Jim O’Brien and Thomas Hickey in T-Birds blue, ruling the ice at ShoWare Center.  I’m happy for the guys who moved onto the AHL, one step closer to fulfilling their NHL dreams: Taylor with the Manitoba Moose, Jimmy with the Binghamton Senators, Greg with the Toronto Marlies and Thomas with the Manchester Monarchs.  As a fan of these guys, I now have new teams to learn about and cheer for. I hope that Graham, Daniel, Chris and Devon find new opportunities to continue their hockey careers as well so I can expand my horizons even more. But that doesn’t change the fact that I miss them, along with a host of Everett and Seattle fans.

This brings me to today.  My favorite team is once again in the hunt for the Stanley Cup.  The Pens opened second round action today against a very strong and determined Caps team.  When Varlamov somehow denied Crosby what looked like an easy goal, I knew in my gut that it would come back to haunt the Pens. And it did.  My guys lost 3-2, and as the clock ran out, the tears came.  Jeez. It’s only Game 1! If the Penguins actually make it to the Finals, I may have to be committed because I’m sure to have a nervous breakdown!

Back when I was crying about the T-Birds' and ‘Tips' seasons ending in the first round of the WHL playoffs, my friend Shawn tried to make me feel better about being so emotional.  After all, I am a sports writer.  I edit a hockey page at a TV station website. I should not cry!  The newspaper reporters who covered the games with me surely did not cry after each loss.  Shawn, being the good friend he is, pointed out that he doubted any sports writer who had covered Ray Bourke for as long as they did, could remain stoic when, after 22 seasons, he finally won the Cup with the Avalanche in 2001.  I remember watching that game and seeing Joe Sakic hand the Cup to Bourke on what would turn out to be his final night as an NHL player.

But of course, that’s not nearly the same.  That was a momentous occasion more than two decades in the making.  It’s OKAY to cry at times like that.  What I do is much more trivial and has me thinking hard about giving up hockey as a sport to watch.  I mean, really.  I cannot be taken seriously if I dissolve into weepy tears over games that I should be IMPARTIAL about.  I should not care so much about the players. I should just do my job and go home and be done with it.  But in my heart of hearts, I know I can’t do it.  I am emotional. I’ve always been emotional. (Remember Bambi?) On the other hand, I love hockey.  I love watching the game, from the Pee Wee level to the Big Show itself. 

So, where does that leave me?

Well, I guess I could undergo surgery to plug my tear ducts up.  Or, not go to T-Birds or Silvertips games next season and just report the scores like most everyone else. Or, I could go and hope no one sees me wiping my eyes after a particularly difficult loss.  I still have a few months to decide. But do me this favor if you think you see me crying at a hockey game: please don’t laugh. Or at least, have the decency to turn away first.  

'Cause I know there’s no crying in hockey.  But someone forgot to tell that to my heart.