Get’cha Head In the Game

Posted on April 21, 2013 by

Here we are, coming to the end of a truncated NHL season. I should’ve written far more by now—a season preview, some quips of how the Red Wings are doing when they play the same night Glee airs, various write-ups on the highs and lows of the season. I should have three or four articles to my credit at this point, even with the short season.

The thing is, I  haven’t been engaged. The return of the NHL in middle January was anti-climatic for me. I was ready for the season to start in the fall—I think we all were. But as the lockout kept going, the Winter Classic evaporated and the All-Star game fell, my enthusiasm went with it.

Even going to a Dallas Stars/Chicago Blackhawks game and seeing long-time hockey crush Jaromir Jagr play in person couldn’t quite spur me to get into the NHL. That game should’ve done it too since the game was within the first couple weeks of the season start.

As un-interested as I’ve been, I have paid attention to a few things this season:

Wings minimalist logoThe Red Wings: Of course I have to at least keep an eye on my all-time favorite team. However, to say they have not done well this season might be an understatement. As I write this they are fighting for their playoff position–a fight that got harder as they lost to the Flames last Wednesday and Canucks on Saturday (although that got them one point since it was a shootout loss). It’s sad to see this once dominant team struggling to get the eighth spot. Will the Wings get their 22nd consecutive trip to the post-season? I wish I could say “yes” with any kind of confidence, but their performance this season leaves me drowning doubt, especially since there’s no room for error in the final four games of the season over the coming week.

Perhaps the season connects back to Glee after all. The show’s fourth season has been extremely disappointing with very few bright spots… much like the Wings’ season performance.

Pens minimalist logoPittsburgh Penguins: On the flip side, my other favorite team had a great season. There was a healthy winning streak mid-season. They didn’t collapse when Sid came out of the lineup with the broken jaw. They added Jarome Iginla, another crush of mine, to the roster. These guys had a season that I regret not paying more attention to. If anything is going to get me excited during the post-season it’s the hope that the Penguins will crush the competition.

WinterClassic2014The Winter Classic: The loss of the Classic this past January was something I thought couldn’t happen. I was sure NBC would send a clear message to the NHL and NHLPA to get it together and make the game happen. All I got was more disappointment. Now it is set up again for the Red Wings and Maple Leafs to go at it in the Big House. I’d planned to go in 2013. I’m still deciding if I’m going to try to put the trip together for ’14.

Realignment: Some of the best news of the season, and I know not everyone likes it, is the realignment for 2013-14. I’m thrilled that Detroit is in the East. It’ll be easier to see games on TV. I’ll potentially see them live far more since they’ll visit New York teams multiple times a season instead of once every two seasons. It’s going to be more difficult to maintain equal standing for me between Detroit and Pittsburgh since they’ll be in the same conference, but that’s a small problem compared to the many advantages of the change.

While I haven’t been enthused by the NHL, there’s been hockey that has made me quite happy over the fall and winter.

University of Alabama’s Frozen Tide: The Tide finished the season second in the South Eastern Collegiate Hockey Conference, losing in the finals to Arkansas. The Frozen Tide also made a return trip to the American Collegiate Hockey Association’s Division 3 National Championship tournament. While they didn’t make it out of the pool play, the Tide did win a game in pool play and that’s better than they did in the 2012 tourney. The season was another huge step in the Tide’s growth to become a dominant hockey force. I’m already looking forward to fall to see what this team does for 2013-14.

Road trip: I made my first trip to an AHL game when I went to You Can Play night at the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. The game was a lot of fun. It was also, of course, inspiring to watch YCP in action during the pre-game talk back and with videos showing on the rink’s big screen before and during the game. Plus, getting to play in the scrimmage that followed was a blast. It was an honor to share the ice with Patrick Burke.

YCP: Speaking of You Can Play, watching them go from their first night at a pro game with the Sound Tigers to the organization receiving the full support of the NHL and NHLPA was incredible. YCP, along with the hockey community, are such a powerful force for equality. It makes me proud to be a hockey fan and hockey player.

Now I’ll spend the next week hoping the Red Wings get it together and psych myself up for some playoff hockey. Maybe the race for the Cup can fully get me back into the NHL fold.

Posted in Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Guy Incognito

Posted on April 21, 2013 by

Eric Bolts pic“Well, you can’t fire the whole team,” is the hoary ol’ cliché everyone (and my mother) whips out when a coach is fired. The phrase itself implies the notion that really you should just clean house and start over, but there are signed contracts that must be honored. The coaches don’t have a union and every coach’s contract comes with the standard trapdoor clause which is installed under their desks. 

Still firing a coach before the end of a season (hell, before the end of a ROAD TRIP!) smacks of a desperation akin to a TV show bringing in a new character to boost sagging ratings.  In other words, if you have to bring in Chachi (or Poochie), you may have already jumped the shark.

Bolts Roloson Sadz Chris O'Meara AP

Dwayne’s World

But how did it get this bad for the Lightning? Surely, last season was a suckfest. Steven Stamkos still won the Rocket Richard with a sixty goal season but really I think that’s all that can be said that was positive. Many lay the blame on GM Steve Yzerman’s decision to resign Dwayne Roloson after an impressive playoff run. But Roli proved he wasn’t up to the task for another year and had an abysmal 3.66 GA and .886 save percentage leaving an inconsistent Mattieu Garon to take over – if he wasn’t hurt.

Mattieu Garon Bolts

Mattieu Garon

This season (once it finally started after the Dadaist farce that was the lockout with overripe melodrama and intrigue seemingly lifted from a late Tennessee Williams play was supposed to be different. Yzerman addressed the goalie issue by getting Anders Lindback who was working out well until the groin injury and the subsequent high ankle sprain (the high ankle sprain is to goalies what consumption is to soprano heroines in opera – it lingers until they die in Act IV) left us with the ever shaky Garon. 

Stevie Y also brought in more defense (since Mattias Ohlund’s knees are apparently only tissue paper now and he will never skate again) with Matt Carle and Sammy Salo who is considered a ‘stay at home’ defenseman (I really hate that term – it makes it sound like he’s at the blue line ironing and watching “Ellen” while the rest of the team does the work). 

Their job was to assist perennial fan whipping boy Victor Hedman and Eric “Bruiser” Brewer. To be fair, Victor has been improving. Yes, there’s still the odd reverse up the boards to the opposing team, or deflecting the puck into his own net, but he’s also shooting the puck more with four goals on the season. He’s even earned a spot in the shootouts. He’s currently plus six on the season despite the horrendous giveaways he makes usually every three games.

Vinny Lecavalier BoltsAnd certainly the Lightning started very well going 6-2. Captain Vinny Lecavalier was playing a more physical game getting into two fights (of course both of those were against the Flyers – which is no surprise – if those thugs had a mascot, it would be a mugshot). Inspirational feel-good story Cory Conacher made the team and was racking up points earning him consideration for Rookie of the Year. Then came the road trip. 

The Lightning have had their road woes in the past but this was truly something special. The only game they didn’t lose on that trip was the Boston game delayed because of huge storm. But once they got home, they still kept losing. It got so bad that our beloved homer announcers Rick Peckham and Bobby “The Chief” Taylor were trying to drum up excitement at one point by announcing that the Lightning were only SEVEN POINTS out of the playoffs. And this is in the Southeast Division (aka ‘The Losing-est Teams in The League’).

Oh right, and then the injuries. Practically everyone was injured once if not multiple times.  Ryan Malone pulled a groin during the pregame soccer game in the hallway. Once back, he injured his shoulder on a check. Vinny was out with his foot (again). Salo got hurt and when he got back, Hedman went out. The rotating roster (which sounds dirty but isn’t) allowed several callups from Syracuse which has gone well, and bodes well for the future of the organization. 

Alex Killorn Bolts

Killer smile

For example: Alex Killorn has seven goals, plays very well, and has a killer smile. Ryan Malone still wins in the adorable smile category since his eyes sparkle and beam. Killorn’s smile is more intense – like maybe he’s thinking about beating you up. A quick digression on groin injuries: Why are there so many? Are there not enough people to massage the thighs of hockey players? I know plenty of people (me) who will gladly volunteer. Oh pardon me, I’ve just been informed that apparently you have to be certified to rub the genital area. Strange, I’ve never had anyone ask me for credentials before.

The biggest offender of the season was really apathetic play. Even Marty St. Louis, normally so energized and dynamic, seemed to be just ‘skating through the motions’ as though awaiting the endgame (not the fun Beckett Endgame). 

Boucher death stareNow I don’t have access to the locker room (Please Lightning, let me visit the locker room. I promise I won’t steal any gear), so I won’t pretend I completely understand the team’s mentality, but it seemed as though the players had given up on Coach  Boucher’s system.  But I’m also sure that Boucher wasn’t saying “Make blind passes that lead to giveaways in the defensive zone” which seemed de rigueur for each game.

Yzerman said that he decided to fire Boucher after the first period of the Ottawa game on 3/23. It should be noted that they Lightning did try to come back in that game, but the die was cast. (alia iacta est, bitches) Let’s also note that the Lightning have the best Third Period goal differential in the league.  That may also be because opponents are playing with, oh say a three or four goal lead, and they fall into a stupor and allow the Lightning to score.  Sure, it’s fun to watch the Lightning tie up the game with only seconds left, but you know what else is fun?  Watching your team actually play with the lead, that’s fun.

boucherderpfaceCoach Boucher, fired before the game in Winnipeg (which they still lost), was a class act all the way.  He wished the organization all the best and even flew back and thanked all the staff for their hard work.  He will be missed for his laser focused ‘Death Stare’ (patent pending) and his non PC mocking of officials. Also, I still long to ask him about his conversations with Scotty Bowman as I’m so curious what those lovers of head games might have discussed. 

Jon Cooper BoltsTo replace a coach who came from the AHL, you obviously find another AHL coach.  Although, it may be more about the fact that new coach Jon Cooper had already coached many of the team when they were on the Syracuse Crunch. He also seems to be more of a ‘player’s coach’ (And what does that mean? Is it like the ‘Player’s Club?’), but I notice that in interviews he still has the ‘deer in headlights’ look.  It can’t be easy to suddenly take over a struggling team filled with people you barely know and come up with some miraculous plan when the team still struggles to get the puck out of their own zone without coughing it up.

Bolts Lightning minimal logoSome help has arrived in the form of goalie Ben Bishop. True, the Bolts gave up Cory Conacher and a draft pick, but Bishop has proved pretty solid. He seems focused and calm, reads the play well, and possesses a fairly mean poke check. Plus, he’s a big body who moves well. (Another phrase I hate – if he moved poorly, he wouldn’t be a goalie) Still, in must win situations, the team still comes up short. There are flashes of brilliance: hard work in the corner leading to a goal, brilliant defensive play that looks effortless, but these are few and far between. Mostly, they manage to win games only if the other team loses them first.

Who will show up next season?  Will there be a new coach?  Maybe some buyouts of fan favorites suckling on the salary cap teat? Will the GM be replaced mid-season? There might be more changes in personnel than the new season of Downton Abbey. If only we could get Maggie Smith on skates. P.S. – Follow the adventures of #DowntonHockey.

Eric Pinder is an actor, writer, Director in Residence for Florida Opera Theatre, and performer of various theme park extravaganzas. He is writing a hockey opera currently titled “Das Rinkgold.” You can follow him on Twitter @operahockeyguy. His dad was once punched in the face by Jean Beliveau. Yes, that Jean Beliveau.

Posted in Tampa Bay Lightning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

For Boston

Posted on April 17, 2013 by

Mack twitterDear Boston, As a bleed blue-and-gold Sabres fan, it’s a general rule that I don’t often write nice things about the Boston Bruins. However, with any rule, there are exceptions. This is one of those.

When disaster strikes, sporting events can contain a powerful healing element to them, creating a sense of community and togetherness. Perhaps no team knows this better than the Buffalo Sabres.

On September 11, 2001, terrorists crashed hijacked airplanes into the World Trade Center Towers, bringing down both and killing almost 3,000 people. On October 7, the Sabres and Rangers played the very first hockey game in New York City following the attacks.

On February 12, 2009, Continental Airlines Flight 3407 crashed into a residential neighborhood in the Buffalo suburb of Clarence, killing everyone on board and one on the ground. The very next night, the Sabres hosted the San Jose Sharks in an extremely emotional 6-5 shootout win.

bostonstrongAnd on Monday, two bombs were detonated at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, sending a day that was supposed to be reserved for joy, celebration, and our nation’s very independence into one of chaos, fear, and devastation. Tonight, the Sabres will visit the Bruins in the first sporting event to take place in Boston since.

Like New York after 9/11, or Buffalo after the 3407 disaster, I have no doubt that many who fill the stands at T.D. Garden tonight will have been affected in some way by the Marathon bombings. There will no doubt be an emotional tribute of some sort prior to the game, as we’ve seen done throughout the NHL this week. Both teams are likely to find an extra spark and play hard the entire 60 minutes. The CBS Sports blog Eye On Hockey posted earlier today with some of what to expect at tonight’s game:

“Prior to the National Anthem, a ‘Boston Strong’ themed video will be played on the Garden HDX followed by a moment of silence to honor the victims and the first responders.

The National Anthem will feature TD Garden legend Rene Rancourt and the Boston Fire Department Honor Guard and the Bruins organization will encourage all fans to join in the singing of the Star Spangled Banner.

The Boston Bruins Foundation and 50/50 raffle will be accepting donations throughout the various concourses tonight, which will be donated to One Fund Boston.

There will also be a special “8-Spoked-Salute” honoring the first responders during the second intermission. The “8-Spoked-Salute” takes place at select Bruins home games throughout the season and traditionally honors men and women of the Armed Forces and their contributions and service to our country.”

In addition, both the Bruins and Sabres will display “Boston Strong” decals on their helmets. Boston is a strong, resilient city filled with good, honest, hardworking people who have been dealt an unfair blow. Tonight, whether you wear black and gold or blue and gold, you are our brothers and sisters, our mothers, fathers, children, cousins, and friends. We stand in solidarity and support with all of you who are hurting.

nylovesbosThat’s why tonight is bigger than the Battle of the Thruway/MassPike. Tonight is bigger than hockey, bigger than the NHL, bigger than sports, bigger than all of us. Tonight is about giving the players, the coaches, the team staff, the fans, and the entire Greater Boston area a respite from reality, a place to feel together, and a perception of normalcy–if only for a few hours.

Whatever the score at the final buzzer, I hope that everyone will feel their spirits lifted, even if only slightly. From Buffalo to Boston–we’re all in this one together.

Stay strong, Beantown.  With love,  Buffalo.

nylovesbostonbam

Posted in Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Let’s Hab A Party

Posted on April 17, 2013 by

“Is party now!!! hahaha)))))))”  – Alex Ovechkin

The gang at Nellie’s, easily DC’s best sports bar no matter what team you play for, is hosting us again for a Caps watch party. This Saturday, April 20, the Caps face the Habs. Puck drop is 7pm, so we’re gathering there a little early to stake out some space in the 2nd floor “penalty box.” Our thanks to owner Doug Schantz for welcoming us back. The lockout precluded earlier watch parties, but better late than late – much like the late season streak the Caps are doing right now.Nellies 2013

At 9th & U Streets, NW, Nellie’s is a great spot and gets a very diverse crowd. Even immoral Penguins fans we’ve been told. That’s a kind of diversity we’re still trying to warm up to, maybe they were born that way. No matter, we’ve got the Habs on our minds and in our cross hairs. Hopefully Saturday night sees the Caps 10th 1st straight consecutive win.

The Nellie’s menu is top drawer , the bartenders pour a great drink and there are TVs-a-plenty. They’re just steps from the Vermont Avenue exit of the Green Line Metro, and that’s the best way to get there. We’ve hosted a watch party last season and any statutes of limitations have since expired, so WE’RE BACK! Please join us and wear your fave Caps sweater. Habs fans welcome, too. Diversity!

Saturday, April 20 - Hockey Night in Canada and DC. #HNICandDC

Caps Habs HNICandDC

Posted in Montreal Canadiens, Washington Capitals | Tagged | 3 Comments

Hockey Diplomacy

Posted on April 16, 2013 by

Embassy terraceTuesday afternoon saw a nice crowd of hockey aficionados turn out for the Canadian Embassy’s annual Hockey Day luncheon. This event is held every spring and it coincides with a Canadian team’s visit to Verizon.

Travel timing didn’t work out for Leafs players or brass to show up in big numbers, but that didn’t dampen the spirits of over 100 attendees or detract at all from the hockey chatter.

And what an appropriate week to hold this – Canada Week for the Caps.

May DalyIt was a great event. Guests were encouraged to wear their favorite jerseys – so refreshing from the typical DC garb of drab dark suits. We spotted gear from the Leafs, Jets, mystery Euro leagues, and a couple from area men’s league teams. My colleague Bill had a very cool Baltimore Bandits (AHL, 1995-1997) sweater while I was sporting my Caps Winter Classic Laughlin #18 jersey. The only one not impressed by that was CSN’s Alan May. OK, Alan May – cool guy or coolest guy ever? Hint: the latter.

GMGM EmbassyThe luncheon was held in a beautiful room high atop the Pennsylvania Avenue embassy and offered a commanding view of the Capitol. Attendees were treated to a beer and wine bar, and in the case of your intrepid teetotaler reporter, plenty of soft drinks. Servers brought out trays upon trays of tasty snackies – sliders and some yummy mini-pizzas loaded with bacon. Mmmm!!!! Bacon.

Headliners for the luncheon were dozens of members of the USA Warrior Ice Hockey Program, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, Caps GM, George McPhee and from TSN, hockey analyst Gord Miller.

We were welcomed by Canadian Air Force Attaché, Colonel Scott Howden. In brief remarks, he first offered condolences to those lost and injured in Boston – a sober and appropriate reminder given that the suffering seen Monday was an all too familiar sight to the many active duty military and veterans in the audience.

WW 3 shotCol. Howden then talked hockey, specifically his wish to see all Canadian NHL teams make it to the playoffs (at the expense of the Rangers and Isles). For one particular Canadian team, he hoped that they weren’t peaking too soon – the Edmonton Oilers. Chuckles rippled through the hockey-savvy crowd.

Next up, Canadian Defence (we’re spelling this the right way) Attaché, Major General Nicolas Matern, spoke of the great work the Warriors program – a transition for soldiers to rehabilitate. He recognized them for their military service off the ice and their hard work on.

Amb. Doer, Col. Howden, Maj. Gen. Matern

Amb. Doer, Col. Howden, Maj. Gen. Matern

Canadian Ambassador Gary Doer wrapped the program and reminded all to enter the raffle for two sweaters that were up for grabs, Caps and Leafs. Funds raised from that go to the Warriors program. We were then ushered out onto the terrace for a group photo, my pal and I taking a knee in the front.

All in all, a great afternoon and our thanks to the embassy staff for making us feel welcome. These events usually see an Eastern Conference Canadian team featured, but we can expect one from the Western Conference for the 2014 luncheon. I’d say which team it is but that wouldn’t be very diplomatic of me.

20130416-212411.jpg

Posted in Toronto Maple Leafs, Uncategorized, Washington Capitals | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Agony & Ecstasy: Caps’ Canada Week

Posted on April 15, 2013 by

JasonRogersAs I’ve said before, the distance between winning and losing is the width of a skate blade. Witness Mike “The Slot Machine” Green: the puck bounces off his skate and left, and the other team has a layup on the doorstep.  The puck bounces right, Green catches it on the toe of his stick and rips it, and all the straight ladies and gay dudes swoon in top-shelf rapture.

Now, the entire city of Washington is balancing on that skate blade. Like the morning shift at a strip club, the Capitals’ season is up for grabs. It is a testament to how awful this team was at the start of the season that the playoffs are still not a sure thing despite this recent streak, but the way this lockout season will be remembered in Washington will be decided this week. Let’s get into it.

Canadian_Flag3The Capitals play three games this week: against Toronto on Tuesday, at Ottawa on Thursday, and at Montreal on Saturday. Canada Week has begun in the nation’s capital like a syrup-soaked apology, and the Caps’ season is teetering on the precipice like a tipsy canuck sipping Molson. Yes, the Mighty Mighty Washington Capitals have won a league-best seven games in a row and are currently driving the Southeast division like the mad captain of a sinking ship.

We need to not kid ourselves, though; this baby is far from a sure thing. The Caps are only two points ahead of the eighth-place Rangers, and only four points ahead of fellow Southeast bottom-dweller Winnipeg. One loss, and we’ve slipped out of the top eight. Two losses, and it’s a long, lonely summer for the Capitals. That’s how close this thing is, so let’s not get too comfortable.

I’m going to propose two alternate realities to you: one optimistic, one pessimistic. Let’s examine how the next few months might play out if the Caps manage to cry havoc and let slip the dog sleds of war, tearing through Canada like the Keystone pipeline, and how things might go if the wheels fall off this Miata before we reach May.

Scenario 1: The Capitals Lose

Pens Hendricks Interference my ass Toni Sandys WaPoA good groin is hard to come by in this town, and it comes back to bite the Caps. Brooks Laich never makes it back into the lineup, and his grit and good decision-making are sorely missed. Erat needs more than six games to learn a system it took the entire team several months to figure out, and he isn’t able to produce enough to fill the void. As a result, tough customers Matt Hendricks and Jason Chimera are brought back up to the top line to inject some sort of testosterone-driven urgency into the team, but everyone forgets that they can’t score.

CarlsonUpCloseMeanwhile the defense, like a non-profit pimp, gives away too many scoring chances. John Carlson is hearing the calls from Hollywood for his services as a carpet cleaning spokesman, and that extra time on set is less time on the ice. Ol’ Spike Strip reverts to his early season habit of blowing tires on the back check, and Jack Hillen, like Obi Wan wailing that Anakin was supposed to be the chosen one, is unable to save him. The Capitals implode like a neutron star, and there are no playoffs this year for DC.

It’s a long off-season in Washington. The old echoes of “no top-six talent” come floating back like the damned wails of the ghost of Jacob Marley. This time, George McPhee can’t claim he’s backloading for the future; Filip Forsberg has by now been elected mayor of Nashville and has cut a platinum album with Carrie Underwood. 

GMGM, breaking out in a cold sweat, runs to his red emergency phone and dials the Too-Good-For-Their-Age-Defensemen Hotline in Hershey, but there is no answer. Hershey has no more young studs to send to Washington to shore up our defenses; the well has finally run dry.  McPhee collapses on the floor of his office, and is shaken awake by an aid. “It’s Kuznetsov,” the aid whispers. “He says he’s not coming anymore.”

Meanwhile, Ovi and Maria spend the offseason on a goodwill tour, visiting theme parks and defeating all comers in any conceivable athletic endeavor. Alex Semin pens his tell-all memoir, and Ted Leonsis declares that the Wizards are now his top priority.

There is no joy in Mudville in this scenario. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Continue reading →

Posted in Washington Capitals | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hockey Proud

Posted on April 11, 2013 by

There always has to be a first. Today, with much pride, that honor goes to the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association.

YouCanPlayToday’s announcement that the National Hockey League and NHLPA will begin building inclusive policies and practices for LGBT players, coaches and fans puts the league squarely at the head of the line. Much credit goes to Commissioner Bettman, the players and top management across the league, and “You Can Play” founder Patrick Burke, who has so ably continued the pioneering path first blazed by his late brother Brendan.

Being first often can’t be easy. Just ask Willie O’Ree. There’s no place to hide when you’re the first one in line.

But not hiding is so much of what being first is about, and what today’s announcement means for players and fans of the great game of hockey.There always have been, and always will be, players and coaches and equipment managers and owners and fans of the game who are LGBT. We’re already here. The only change is that, hopefully, everyone connected to the sport can feel respected for who they are.  The only agenda being pushed is a call to treat those around you with decency, as human beings should.

Patrick Burke likes to say that so much of this is really just about eliminating five or so words. You can still call your opponent an asshole; just don’t call him a fag. That goes for those on and off the ice. Seems like a fairly simply request.

Today is a big day, but rest assured, it is just the start. Sure as the sun’s rising, other major sporting leagues will join suit, in time. Athletes and owners will continue to come out in greater numbers. Those in the stands using homophobic slurs already are increasingly being shunned or shamed.

Change comes in fits and starts. There will be setbacks. But overall, to paraphrase another man at the head of another line, the arc of history generally bends toward justice.

Who ever you are, whatever your team, today is a great day to be a proud hockey fan.

The full text of the NHL statement follows:

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE, NHL PLAYERS’ ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU CAN PLAY

NEW YORK/TORONTO (April 11, 2013) – The National Hockey League Players’ Association and the National Hockey League today announced an historic partnership with the You Can Play Project that formalizes and advances their long-standing commitment to make the NHL the most inclusive professional sports league in the world.

“The NHL sets the standard for professional sports when it comes to LGBT outreach and we are incredibly grateful for their help and support,” said Philadelphia Flyers scout Patrick Burke, the founder of the You Can Play Project, an advocacy organization that fights homophobia in sports. “We will work with League and NHLPA officials, teams and players to ensure that we create a more inclusive hockey community at all levels.”

Said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman: “Our motto is ‘Hockey Is For Everyone,’ and our partnership with You Can Play certifies that position in a clear and unequivocal way. While we believe that our actions in the past have shown our support for the LGBT community, we are delighted to reaffirm through this joint venture with the NHL Players’ Association that the official policy of the NHL is one of inclusion on the ice, in our locker rooms and in the stands.”

“NHL players have supported the You Can Play Project since its inception, which we are pleased to formalize and expand upon with today’s announcement,” said Don Fehr, NHLPA Executive Director. “The players believe our partnership with the NHL and You Can Play will foster an inclusive hockey environment from the grassroots level to the professional ranks.”

The official partnership with You Can Play includes a significant commitment to education and training for teams, players, media and fans plus the production and broadcast of more public service announcements.

“As NHL players, we all strive to contribute towards helping our teams achieve success on the ice. Any player who can help in those efforts should be welcomed as a teammate,” said Ron Hainsey, Winnipeg Jets defenseman and NHLPA Executive Board member. “This partnership solidifies the message that the hockey community believes in fairness and equality for everyone.”

You Can Play will conduct seminars at the NHL’s rookie symposium to educate young prospects on LGBT issues. In addition, You Can Play will make its resources and personnel available to each individual team as desired.

The NHLPA and NHL also will work with You Can Play to integrate the project into their Behavioral Health Program, enabling players to confidentially seek counseling or simply ask questions regarding matters of sexual orientation.

The You Can Play Project, founded by Philadelphia Flyers scout Patrick Burke, celebrated its one year anniversary on March 4, 2013. From its inception, it has had tremendous support from the hockey community and beyond. NHL players Tommy Wingels and Andy Miele, and former NHL General Manager Brian Burke all serve on You Can Play’s Advisory Board. Over 100 professional hockey players have  voiced their support for gay teammates and have been joined by athletes from numerous sports representing approximately 20 NCAA organizations.

###

Posted in Heroes | Tagged , | 1 Comment