Hockey Chump

Sean Avery Placed on Waivers

2011-10-04T19:05:00.002-04:00

After scratching the professional agitator’s arse in the last two preseason games, the New York Rangers have made it official that they’re ready to part ways with Sean Avery by putting him on waivers today. If he clears, the team still has to make a decision on whether they'll send him to their AHL club or put him on re-entry waivers instead.

The only thing for certain is that he will not be recalled.

Avery’s agent came out and stated that they will explore all options, including the possibility of playing in Europe.

Rangers head coach John Tortorella, never an Avery supporter (see the New York Post's Larry Brooks assessment of the dysfunctional coach-player relationship), was fairly succinct in why the club has chosen to go this route with one of the team’s most popular – and polarizing – figures:

"I think we have better players than Sean Avery, plain and simple," he said. "I can dodge it 10 different ways without trying to run Sean over. I thought he had a good camp.”

"But I think with the makeup of our team, and some of the people we've added, and some of the youth we've added as far as depth put Sean in this spot."

In this Hockey Chump’s personal opinion, it’ll be a little sad to see the guy go. He certainly made the game entertaining, and whether you liked him or not, you paid attention to what he was doing every time he was on the rink. There aren’t many players like that in the league.

Given most clubs general disdain for him, it doesn’t seem immediately probable that he’ll be picked up by another franchise. A high-energy player when focused on playing the game, he also has a decent enough skill set to be somewhat statistically successful should he head overseas. The question, though, is how effective his physical play is in the softer leagues over there.

If all else fails, well, he always has Vogue.

Important Announcement

2011-09-29T21:20:00.005-04:00

Calling all amateur hockey photographers . . .

The Hockey Chump wants your photos!

We'll be doing a new series this season where we showcase your best personal hockey photos. So get your best shots together and send them in to hockeychump@gmail.com. JPEG files are preferred and feel free to send in as many as possible. We want to get them up here for the world to see :-)

They can be of you in action . . .

. . . or a cool action shot from a game you were at . . .

. . . or just something funny:

Get your photos in now so that we can get the on queue for the upcoming season!

Hockey News: No Punishment for Wayne Simmonds

2011-09-27T21:35:00.000-04:00

It’s been a busy week for new Philadelphia Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds.

Unfortunately for him, it’s not been the good sort of “busy”.

Last week, Simmonds was the subject of a racial incident at an exhibition game against the Detroit Red Wings in London Ontario. While coming in on a shootout attempt, someone threw a banana at him:

Luckily, though, the London Free Press is reporting that there may be a crack in the case.

Then, just yesterday, Simmonds was again in the spotlight following a game against the New York Rangers. That’s because New York forward Sean Avery accused Simmonds of using homophobic slur against him during the game.

During the post-game interviews, Simmonds sort-of defended himself:

"Honestly, we were going back and forth for awhile there and I don't recall every single thing I said to him, but he said some things I didn't like and I said some things he didn't like. But, I can't recall every single word I said."

Sean Avery also brought up a somewhat rather valid point – that the NBA fined Kobe Bryant $100,000 earlier in the year for using the same slur during a regular season game.

Then, Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke, whose late son Brendan was openly gay, and who has since become an advocate for the gay community, came out with the following statement:

"Hate speech and anti-gay slurs have no place on the ice rink. The word that Simmonds used is the same word that is hurled at LGBT youth on the playground and in our schools, creating a climate of intolerance and hostility. He should not only apologize for this anti-gay outburst, but the Philadelphia Flyers and the NHL have a responsibility to take action and educate their fans about why this word is unacceptable."

As a result of all this brouhaha, Simmonds was called into the League office today to discuss the incident. The verdict? There’s not enough conclusive evidence to prove that Simmonds was in the wrong.

Defending the League's stance, Colin Campbell had this to say:

"It is important to emphasize that the National Hockey League holds, and will continue to hold, our Players to higher standards with respect to their conduct both on and off the ice. While we recognize that the emotion involved in certain on-ice confrontations may lead to the use of highly charged and sometimes offensive language and commentary, certain lines cannot be crossed. Specifically, we have for many years emphasized to our Clubs and Players that commentary directed at the race or ethnicity of other participants in the game (or even non-participants), or that is otherwise socially or morally inappropriate or potentially hurtful -- including as it may relate to sexual orientation -- is absolutely unacceptable and will not be tolerated."

I guess Campbell doesn't pay attention to the blogosphere much:

*Stick tap to Puck Daddy for pointing out this video.

I'm not a certified lip reader, but I think we can all take a pretty good guess as to the point that Simmonds was trying to make to Avery.

These two ugly incidents, coupled with the ridiculous amount of head hits and subsequent suspensions, is making the NHL look like it’s out there on the rink with two left skates on. Not a good start.

Hockey Photo: Corey Perry

2011-09-25T20:39:00.000-04:00

Not sure if you saw this from earlier in the summer, but this is some pretty cool stuff.

Prior to the 2011 NHL Awards Show, Anaheim Ducks forward and Hart Trophy candidate Corey Perry performed with the Blue Man Group in Las Vegas. Here are some photos from the event:

Hockey News: Jody Shelley Suspended

2011-09-22T20:49:00.002-04:00

You ever see a douchebag on skates?

Now you have.

That's Philadelphia Flyers forward Jody Shelley who, today, was suspended for the remaining games of the preseason and the first five games of the regular season (a whopping 10 games total) for this obvious boarding incident on Toronto Maple Leafs forward Darryl Boyce.

The damage? Shelley got a five-minute major and a game misconduct. He will also have to forfeit $67,073.15 in salary.

Hope it was worth it, guy.

Shelley is the second player suspended for boarding this week. Calgary Flames forward Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond (who should really consider abreviating his name) was suspended for the remaining four preseason games and one regular-season game for hitting tryoutee Matt Clarkson of the Vancouver Canucks from behind.

Remind me again, guys - how do these hits help your team?

Idiots.

Hockey News: New Hockey Nets

2011-09-20T20:00:00.000-04:00

We’re back!

For the next few weeks, we’ll work on getting our stride back with some early preseason posts.

So what’s new?

The nets – the NHL started using their new nets during last night’s game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators.

Among the changes:
•    Green goal-verification line
•    Thinner mesh at the top of the nets
•    Clear plastic lining near the goal posts
•    Nets are four inches shallower — going from 44 to 40 inches

New green line in action.

The NHL’s Daniel Craig explains the changes better than I can write them:

Before the league goes forward and implements these changes, it’ll consult with the Players’ Association to make sure everybody’s in agreement with the changes. Personally, I don’t see why they wouldn’t. This’ll only help keep the game moving.

Both sides are shooting to reach a conclusion before the season so that they can implement the changes when the season begins.

Hockey Goals: Burrows, Marchand, Hansen

2011-06-09T21:39:00.000-04:00

Hockey Goals:
Burrows, Marchand, Hansen

What a topsy-turvey series so far – I love it! The Vancouver Canucks looked like the better team by far in games one and two, but the Boston Bruins have since roared back, outscoring their Stanley Cup opponents 12-1 in the last two games. While no one knows f’sure which teams will show up for game 5, one thing’s for certain, it’ll be entertaining.

Here are three of the best highlight goals from the first four games so far:

Alex Burrows:
I really don’t know what Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas was thinking coming so far out of the net on this play, but Alex Burrows took advantage of Thomas’s misjudgment . . . and then some, easily scoring the game winner for his Vancouver Canucks :11 into overtime:

Brad Marchand:
How ridiculous was this shortie-goal by Brad Marchand? Guy pulled a deck hockey move by banging the puck off the boards and skating around the defenseman, and then flipped the biscuit over a lackadaisically sprawling Roberto Luongo:

Jannik Hansen:
This goal had absolutely no impact on the game, since it was already 5-0 in favor of Boston, but the perimeter passing by the Vancouver Canucks’ players is worth watching. Tick, tack, tooooooe – Jannik Hansen buries one past a couldn’t-care-less Tim Thomas, ruining the Bruins’ goaltender’s bid for a shutout:

Hockey News: Aaron Rome Hit on Nathan Horton

2011-06-06T21:05:00.001-04:00

Hockey News:
Aaron Rome Hit on Nathan Horton

Ridiculous hit by Vancouver Canucks' Aaron Rome on Boston Bruins forward Nathan Horton.

Game misconduct was issued to Rome immediately - wouldn't be surprised if he gets suspended too. Horton was carted off with what I'm sure is whiplash and a concussion.

The last replay is the closest view:

Hockey Photos: Lapierre Taunts, Lucic Gets Rocked and More

2011-06-06T18:47:00.001-04:00

Hockey Photos:
Lapierre Taunts, Lucic Gets Rocked and More

Great Stanley Cup series so far! No doubt the Vancouver Canucks look like the better team so far, but don’t count out the Boston Bruins yet. They’re a scrappy bunch – I wouldn’t be surprised if they win the game at home tonight.

The series is only two games deep right now, but I’ve already collected a whole bunch of great photos from the 120 minutes and 11 seconds of hockey played. From Milan Lucic getting absolutely rocked to Maxim Lapierre making fun of the whole Alex-Burrows-going-all-Hannibal-Lecter-on-Patrice-Bergeron’s-mitt, here’s the best of the best:

Rogers Arena employees getting the rink ready for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Apparently, it was dress like a fool day at work:

Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic gets his world turned upside down by Vancouver Canucks defenseman Dan Hamhuis:

Boston Bruins forward Mark Recchi using the old noggin’ before Game One of the Finals:

Roberto Luongo heads out for warm-ups amidst a wave of back-pats:

Former chief disciplinarian Colin Campbell explains to new chief disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan and reporters on hand just how much of his job he truly enjoyed:

Apparently this youngin’ found a lapse in security at Rogers Arena (I make fun because I’m actually jealous of this kid);

Manny Malhotra farts in the general direction of Boston Bruin Michael Ryder (btw, all kidding aside, great to see Manny back in the game after his injury):

Maxim Lapierre taunts Patrice Bergeron over “Finger-Gate”:

Hockey Photo: Alex Burrows Bite

2011-06-02T21:23:00.000-04:00

Hockey Photo:
Alex Burrows Bite

Yeah, so, last night during Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals, Alex Burrows of the Vancouver Canucks got into a bit of a tussle with Boston Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron. The fight culminated with Burrows chomping down on Bergeron's finger, specifically, his pointer finger, as evidenced in this photo here:

The result? No disciplinary action for Burrows because, as the league explained, they could "find no conclusive evidence that Alex Burrows intentionally bit the finger of Patrice Bergeron."

Seriously? Seriously. with a ton of photos already circulating the Web, at all different angles no less, plus clear video evidence, I think it's pretty obvious what happened here.

Burrows should be suspended, but it looks like he'll get away with it by the skin of his teeth.

Hockey Music: Canucks Stanley Cup Finals Song

2011-06-02T21:20:00.000-04:00

Hockey Music:
Canucks Stanley Cup Finals Song

So it's down to the Vancouver Canucks and the Boston Bruins for the Stanley Cup. Let the YouTube Stanley Cup song wars begin!

Up first is an only-slightly-annoying parody of "Lazy Song" by Bruno Mars. It's called the "Canucks Stanley Cup Finals Song". The lyrics are, well, okay. The best part of the video is the Green Men impersonations.

Enjoy - I hope:

Sing. Dance. Play hockey!

Hockey Goals: Horton, Bieksa, Burrows

2011-05-31T21:38:00.000-04:00

Hockey Goals:
Horton, Bieksa, Burrows

A bit late from the Hockey Chump’s normal Thursday post, but it’s better late than never. Enjoy last week’s goals of the week:

Nathan Horton continues to earn his paycheck for the Boston Bruins, scoring the game-winning, series-clinching goal to launch the B’s into the Stanley Cup finals. Personally, I feel like I would like him more if he didn’t look like such a d-bag:

Bit of an odd goal, but I feel kind of obligated to include here since it’s a double overtime, game- and series-clincher. The Vancouver Canucks Kevin Bieksa gets the luck of the bounce with this one here:

B-e-a-utiful pass by Henrik Sedin to Alex Burrows, who could’ve been blindfolded, handcuffed and coming down the rink on one skate, and still would’ve scored this goal:

Hockey Music: The Vandals

2011-05-25T20:32:00.001-04:00

Hockey Music:
The Vandals

Going with a throw back for this week’s hockey music of the week. The Vandals – yes, the hard-ass punk band from California – are big hockey fans and in fact did an AWESOME hockey-themed song called “Change the World with My Hockey Stick” that I did not know about until five minutes ago (shame on me).

The song is great because, well, it’s by the Vandals. That in and of itself makes it amazing. The sound is awesome and the lyrics are straight up kick-ass, especially with lines like:

I’ll practice in my yard
Or in the showers every day
Until I get so damn good
That someone really super rich will say
"Here’s a million dollars
You can spend it how you like,
You can change the fucking world
Or turn it into something nice"

/and/

I’ll change the world
I’ll make a difference man
I’ll change the world with my hockey stick
Solving all our problems…
Like crack and aids and murder, violence, syphilis…
Global warming, floods and arson, rape, and birth defects
And things affecting ever person
War on crime and racism are problems of the past you see
Thanks to the greatest hockey player
That would be me

While you can’t be the guy who walks around with the big world-changing hockey stick, you can take a few minutes to enjoy a great song by a solid, fast-paced punk band. Honestly, if you've never listened to The Vandals before, this is the perfect introduction to what you've been missing out on.

Enjoy the Vandal’s “Change the World with My Hockey Stick” (WARNING – IF YOUR VOLUME IS ON HIGH AND YOU LIVE WITH AT LEAST ONE OTHER PERSON, MAKE SURE TO TURN IT DOWN BEFORE YOU PLAY THIS SONG):

Hockey Quote: Bob Essensa

2011-05-24T21:38:00.002-04:00

Hockey Quote:

Bob Essensa

After 15 long years, it looks like Winnipeg will once again have its own hockey team. Rumors are swirling around the league right now that the Atlanta Thrashers move north is all but a done deal.

The Phoenix Coyotes, the original Winnipeg Jets before the team relocated a decade-and-a-half ago, were first said to be heading to the ‘Peg, however, Glendale, Arizona officials recently agreed to a $25 million subsidy for the Phoenix Coyotes’ 2011-12 season to allow the team the time necessary to finalize new ownership. When that happened, the attention turned to the league’s other cash-strapped organization, the Atlanta Thrashers.

Atlanta Spirit, the Thrashers owners, has claimed approximately $130 million in losses since 2005 and has made it pretty clear that they no longer want the team. A buyer interested in keeping the team in Atlanta has not yet stepped up, and so Winnipeg has become the next best option for the financially sinking franchise. True North Sports and Entertainment, a Winnipeg based company, is willing to buy the team for $110 million and pay $60 million to the league as a relocation fee.

While Atlanta fans are bummed, the city of Winnipeg is rejoicing at the possibility of having an NHL team represent their town once again.

One fan of the move is former Winnipeg Jets goaltender Bob Essensa, who started his career with the team. In this week’s hockey quote of the week, Essena reflects on all the possibilities that this move has to offer:

For Canada:

"I feel as a Canadian, that you felt a loss when you saw teams move from Quebec (Nordiques when they became the Colorado Avalanche) and Manitoba, areas that can support and love the game of hockey," said Essensa. "From a purely hockey standpoint, it's nice to see them get another team in that market."

On the financial struggles some Canadian teams have experienced in the past:

"Back when I was in the 'Peg, I think the exchange rate was 40 cents on the dollar. That was a long time ago," he said. "It was tough for those cities to compete and on the free agent market it was even tougher."

On the talent that the team has and who it will attract:

"I think they stand a much better chance of attracting players. I know what coach Ramsey stands for and he'll certainly attract players as well," said Essensa. "They are already starting from the base of a nice hockey club so they shouldn't have much to worry about."

Hockey Pictures: Roloson, Heatley, Campbell and More

2011-05-23T20:40:00.000-04:00

Hockey Pictures:

Roloson, Heatley, Campbell and More

Kevin Bieksa gets a taste of what visiting opponents at the Vancouver Canucks' Rogers Arena feel like when sitting in the penalty box as these San Jose Sharks “Green Men” impersonators give Bieksa the business while he does his time:

Quite the 5-hole-o you get there Rolo! Patrice Bergeron’s shot gets past a capsizing Dwayne Roloson:

Awesome shot of HP Pavilion as the San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks warm-up prior to Game 3:

What looks like Vincent Lecavalier dodging a barrage of punches to the face, is actually the Tampa Bay Lightning captain coming out to fists of love before the start of his team’s game three against the Boston Bruins:

San Jose Sharks forward Dany Heatley prefers to do his pre-game warm-ups to a light show:

Greg Campbell practices his levitation skills during his pre-game warm-up in what is clearly the shittiest part of TD Garden:

Hockey Goals: Stamkos, Granlund, Seguin

2011-05-19T20:17:00.000-04:00

Hockey Goals:
Stamkos, Granlund, Seguin

Steven Stamkos.

Mikael Granlund.

Tyler Seguin.

We’ll definitely be seeing these three names in the hockey highlight reels for years to come. Especially if they keep pulling out jaw-dropping goals like this three-some. Enjoy:

Check out this ridiculous snipe by Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos. Youch:

I don’t know what possessed Team Finland forward Mikael Granlund to give this move a shot in the semi-finals against Team Russia, but one thing’s for sure – nobody was expecting it:

Boston Bruins rookie forward Tyler Seguin undresses the Tampa Bay Lightning’s defenseman and then goes on to put goaltender Dwayne Roloson to sleep:

Hockey Music: Finnish Hockey Mafia

2011-05-18T21:10:00.004-04:00

Hockey Music:
Finnish Hockey Mafia

Hysterical music video from the Finnish Hockey Mafia that highlights Finnish hockey announcer, Antero Mertaranta’s call on the Mikael Granlund Michigan goal against Team Russia during the recent hockey Ice Hockey World Championships.

As much as I wanted to turn this video off (not a big fan of club music), the beat is just so damn catchy, and the guy’s reaction so unbelievably funny, that I actually watched it till the end.

One bonus from watching it is that you get to see Granlund’s ridiculous goal again and again, from all different angles.

Enjoy “Finnish Hockey Mafia featuring Antero Mertaranta – Taivas Varjele”:

Sing. Dance. Play hockey!

Hockey Quote: Wes Walz on Derek Boogaard

2011-05-17T21:14:00.000-04:00

Hockey Quote:

Wes Walz on Derek Boogaard

Obviously, the news of former New York Rangers forward Derek Boogaard’s passing was a heart wrenching headline to deal with this past week in the hockey world (unless you live in Sweden). There’s still no word yet on what exactly caused the death, but his brain was donated to medical specialists in Boston who will study it to determine if his “role” as a fighter in the NHL – and the resulting beating to his head – contributed to this untimely passing.

Boogaard was as much feared on the ice as he was respected off it. He was known to be the type of player who frequented charity events and went out of his way to spend time with fans. Being such a good guy, he developed a unique, devout fan base who cheered for him every time he was the ice. Some of these “Boogeymaniacs” staged a memorial service this past weekend at the Xcel Energy Center, home to the Minnesota Wild – Boogaard’s former team – with Boogaard’s family’s blessing to honor his memory.

Among those who attended the event was Boogaard’s former teammate, Wes Walz. While the service itself was often heartfelt and a bit sad, Walz offered some reprieve by describing his experiences with Boogaard as his teammate.

This week’s hockey quote of the week is a recap of everything Walz said. Enjoy –

Wes Walz started out by calling Boogaard “a true gentleman.” Going on, he explained that Boogaard was “soft spoken, kind hearted, and a gentle giant.” He then went on about Boogaard’s first training camp: “He was 21 years old, and there’s this guy skating around who is 6-8, 270 lbs, and a lot of us did not want to be on the ice with him. Guys were changing quicker, taking 15 second shifts and getting off the ice.”

Walz next went on to explain how Boogaard worked hard on his game, both in Houston, and during the summer, with the specific focus being on his skating, balance, and conditioning, so that if “fights went 45 seconds or a minute, he would always have the upper hand.” He explained that Boogaard was well aware of his role, and what he had to do to keep himself in the league.

Speaking about Boogaard’s fighting abilities, Walz said that there was a “stretch five or six years ago, we had seen nothing like it, we saw him knock about eight or nine guys out in a row. Usually you see one or two a year, but guys were dropping left and right.”

Walz added, “We loved having him on our bench. We were a small, quick team. We needed Derek in that lineup. I can tell you a lot guys on our bench grew an inch or two and were a lot braver when Derek was on the bench, which made our team better.”

Here’s a great tribute video to Boogaard circulating on Youtube. Enjoy. Rest in peace, Derek.

Hockey Photos: Selanne, Boogaard, Marleau and More

2011-05-16T20:54:00.000-04:00

Hockey Photos:
Selanne, Boogaard, Marleau and More

Enjoy some of the best hockey photos from this past week:

Teemu Selanne might not be sure if he’s coming back to the NHL next season, but one thing’s for sure, he’s done with Team Finland. The good news – he’s going out as a champion. Here he is shaking the hands of Team Sweden after his team’s 4-0 championship victory:

Vancouver Canucks forward Raffi Torres warms up – minus some essential items – prior to Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against the San Jose Sharks:

Touching moment as Derek Boogaard’s sister Krysten hugs their father, Len, after talking for a bit about her brother at a memorial service at the Xcel Energy Center this past Sunday. Derek passed away this past week for unknown reasons. The family has opted to donate his brain to medical researchers:

Brad Marchand of the Boston Bruins- and the reflection of Brad Marchand of the Boston Bruins – gets checked by Brett Clark of the Tampa Bay Lightning and the reflection of Brett Clark of the Tampa Bay Lightning:

Cool shot prior to Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals of San Jose Sharks forward – and eventual hero – Patrick Marleau:

Fish bowl view of San Jose Sharks forward Joe Thornton giving Detroit Red Wings Henrik Zetterberg the business in the corner while Z’s teammate Todd Bertuzzi looks on:

Nick Spaling of the Nashville Predators uses every part of his body - including his face - to pressure Christian Ehrhoff of the Vancouver Canucks:

Hockey Goals: Lidstrom, Kesler and Jagr

2011-05-13T18:39:00.000-04:00

Hockey Goals:
Lidstrom, Kesler and Jagr

No hockey games tonight, no problem! Here’s a great trio of highlight goals from Nicklas Lidstrom, Ryan Kesler and Jaromir Jagr. Bonus video of that ridiculous backhand goal by Pavel Datsyuk from last night included, too, at the bottom.

Without further ado, do enjoy:
Detroit Red Wings Nicklas Lidstrom scores a great – and timely – goal off the hop against the San Jose Sharks:

Vancouver Canucks forward Ryan Kesler shows that there’s just no stopping in him with this great split-the-D-and-fire-a-twisted-wrister of a goal against the Nashville Predators:

Even at 39 years old, Team Czech forward Jaromir Jagr shows he still has more game than some of the best younger players in the world. This (long) video shows him going the distance for his team and country, scoring a hat trick against Team USA at the World Championships:

One day removed and I’m already missing Pavel Datsyuk highlights. At least he went out in style with yet another ridiculous goal:

Hockey Music: Patrick Kane – I’m in Chicago Trick

2011-05-11T20:56:00.000-04:00

Hockey Music:
Patrick Kane – I’m in Chicago Trick

HockeyGods.com has struck again on the Hockey Chump. Yes, the creators of such priceless gems as . . .

Carey Price – Tik Tok

(Pittsburgh Penguins) Black and Yellow

(Maple Leafs) – Love to Hear the Boos

Highly Unlikely

and

Sidney Crosby Rap

. . . released another hilarious video this past December called “Patrick Kane – I’m in Chicago Trick” done to the tune of LMFAO's "I'm in Miami Trick".

The video features the lyrically gifted MC Five Hole and some of the best on- and off-ice Patrick Kane moments of his young career (wait for the Grand Theft Auto Clip – genius!)

My two favorite lines:

I hit like a wimp,
But I shoot like a pimp
Like a real O.G.

and

Drink all day,
Skate all night
Let’s play some hockey,
I’m in Chicago trick

Okay, so enough with all the preview, lead-in b.s. Let’s get down to it. Here’s “Patrick Kane – I’m in Chicago Trick”. If you like it, make sure to share it – these guys deserve the exposure:

Sing. Dance. Play hockey!

Hockey Quote: Sean Avery

2011-05-10T21:07:00.001-04:00

Hockey Quote:
Sean Avery

New York Rangers forward Sean Avery became the first New York sports athlete to publicly voice his support for legalizing gay marriage in the state. Check out the PSA he did for “New Yorkers for Marriage Equality”:

Stick tap to Avery for having the guts to come out and make such a bold statement. Two-minute minor for those ridiculous fish bowl glasses.

The only unfortunate thing to come out of this otherwise positive story is what’s going on with ~~troll~~ hockey agent Todd Reynolds. Using Avery’s shoulders as his own personal soapbox, the otherwise hardly known Reynolds went on a tweet-spurt last night criticizing Avery for his message:

"Very sad to read Sean Avery's misguided support of same-gender 'marriage.' Legal or not, it will always be wrong."

After this first tweet, Reynolds – who represents NHL players Chris Neil, Cody McCormick and Mike Fisher – immediately went into damage control, tweeting:

"To clarify. This is not hatred or bigotry towards gays. It is not intolerance in any way shape or form. I believe we are all equal."

. . . and . . .

"But I believe in the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman. This is my personal viewpoint. I Do not hate anyone."

. . . and finally, in a radio interview, further clarifying by saying,

"I believe in voicing your opinion and not being part of the silent majority," he said on TSN radio. "If Sean Avery or any other player can comment on one side of the discussion then -- I work in hockey, I'm in hockey 24-7 -- why can I not comment on it as well?"

Now, everyone has the right to voice their opinion, and I agree with that last Reynolds quote – he has every right to say what’s on his mind. But dude, make something of yourself first and then stand on your own two feet to let people know what you think. Don’t use someone else’s positive publicity to mainstream your counter-message.

This whole Reynolds situations reeks of lameness. Tsk-tsk.

Hockey Pictures: Thornton, Weber, Howard and More

2011-05-09T21:35:00.000-04:00

Hockey Pictures:
Thornton, Weber, Howard and More

There’s a cool goal-cam shot in here, and some funny fan ones, too. We’ve got players warming up behind the scenes and a cool in-the-moment still-frame shot as well. Basically, there’s something in here for everyone. It’s all from this past week in the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs.

Enjoy:

San Jose Sharks forward Joe Thornton does his best impression of a turtle while Detroit Red Wings forward Johan Franzen helps him get better into position:

Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne looks mighty afraid of Shea Weber’s ball hitting him in the face (off the subject – I tooooootally did not know that Rinne was THAT skinny – jeeze, eat something, guy):

Awesome shot of Detroit Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard making a close-range save on San Jose Shark’s forward Logan Couture with Dany Heatley looking for a non-existent rebound.

Decisions, decisions. Vancouver Canucks defenseman Alexander Edler warms up prior to the team’s game against the Nashville Predators:

Because their series against the Washington Capitals didn’t last too long, the Tampa Bay Lightning fans had to get in all of their smack talking in just two games:

More funny Lightning fan stuff: Lightning fans take turns throwing snowballs at an Alex Ovechkin statue:

Boston Bruins forward David Krejci strikes a pose after being checked by Philadelphia Flyers’ Braydon Coburn:

Hockey Goals: Vauclair, Moore and Pavelski

2011-05-05T22:27:00.000-04:00

Hockey Goals:
Vauclair, Moore and Pavelski

Another week, another threesome of the best goals the hockey world has to offer. Check out these three gems, including Julien Vauclair of Team Switzerland, Dominic Moore of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Joe Pavelski of the San Jose Sharks.

Enjoy:

Julien Vauclair of Team Switzerland takes it to the hole against Team France in the International Hockey World Championships. Check out the speed on this kid – made the French look like they had one too many croissants before the game:

Dominic Moore of the Tampa Bay Lightning cashes in on an empty net goal. Afterwards, he pays for it. The goal is what it is, but the highlight is the hustle he shows in getting it:

San Jose Sharks forward Joe Pavelski shows great eye-hand coordination banging in this rebound against the Detroit Red Wings:

Hockey Quote: Sidney Crosby

2011-05-03T20:37:00.000-04:00

Hockey Quote:
Sidney Crosby

This past week, Pittsburgh Penguins All-Star center Sidney Crosby came out and admitted – shortly after his team’s first-round loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning – that he did, in fact, experience a set-back in his attempt to come back from a concussion this season.

It was the first time Crosby addressed the media in well over a month and it was his silence that led to so much speculation around the extent of his injury. The extent of his setback was not discussed, but he did admit that he was never ready to get back to competing.

On training:

"I started trying to ramp things up a bit as far as working out and skating, and I got a little bit of the symptoms," he said. "So, I had to take a step back. The progression had gone pretty well, but at the same time, I still wasn't ready."

Crosby went on to say that he and the physicians haven’t laid out plans for a summer program and that he has to wait a tad longer before he can continue developing his physical progress. His workouts are almost back to normal, but recent setbacks caused him and the staff to be a bit more cautious.

The Penguins captain closed things off by saying that he isn’t worried about being ready for the start of next season:

"I feel like, from where I was a couple months ago, things were a lot better," he said. "Just being able to skate was encouraging. Hopefully, the next step doesn't have any hurdles and I can get ready for next season as usual."

Good for the Pittsburgh faithful. While the Penguins made a valiant attempt at competing with the Lightning, it’s pretty clear that without Crosby and there other star forward, Evgeni Malkin – who was injured mid-season and ended up missing the rest of the year with a torn ACL and MCL – the team isn’t deep enough to get deep into the playoffs.