HELSINKI – As we approached the Southern Finnish shore and once I first caught a glimpse of the Senate Square church, tears began running down my cheeks.

I have been travelling all summer long and despite my having seen breathtaking scenery throughout 10 different countries, it was Finland that got me all choked up… ok, fine, I cried… but just a little!

It was a beautiful sight, the clouds were parted and the sun was hitting the water for the first time since I had left the foggy shores of Tallinn two hours prior. But to cry over such a sight still was slightly (greatly) exaggerated and I realised rather quickly that what had moved me in that moment was that I had just fulfilled a childhood dream of going to Finland.

It’s quite difficult to explain to someone who was not in Winnipeg during the 1990s what the Jets meant to the city. Beyond the age-old and, in my opinion, unfounded (yet self-inflicted) clichés of our city being boring, ugly and bitterly cold, it is true that Winnipeg had been suffering for quite a few years. The economy was not so favourable to us in those days and Winnipeg is not an old-money metropolis, although it had once been the third largest city in Canada.

Hockey was a diversion for us, yes, but it was also more than that. Much like kids in the schoolyard might overcompensate on their skills to mask their faults, we tied our Jets to our collective identity.

We had a team in the biggest hockey league in the world and that brought along some sort of reassurance as well as recognition on the highest and most important stage that we weren’t all that backwards after all. Unfortunately, throughout the 1980s, the Jets were a rather poor team, seldom making the playoffs and, when they did make it, they lost in colossal form. And so times were tough.

And then in came Teemu, aka God in Rémi’s Bible of Hockey. This young, fresh, good-looking Finnish kid walked into Winnipeg and swept the entire city off its feet.

And the funny thing is that it wasn’t because of His on-ice success. Ok, fine, I think 76 goals in a rookie season would have made even Richard Simmonds on skates a fan favourite, but this guy was a rock star in Winnipeg before He ever even hit the ice for the first time.

It was His kindness, His generosity and, most of all, His humbleness and modesty that won our hearts. Teemu was a living representation of what Winnipeggers should really be best known for and they recognised it and loved Him for it. And we, the kids of that generation, who best knew the Jets with #13 on the right-wing, looked up to this shy guy who came from some faraway land in absolute awe as our parents, uncles, aunts, school teachers and even strangers from every corner of society were head-over-heels and completely gaga over Him.

As Finland grew to recognise Selänne as one of their national heroes and came to cheer for the Jets, and so our love affair with Finland began. The Winnipeg Arena hosted Finland’s first ever televised NHL game and the club had given everyone in the crowd a Finnish flag, which, for a kid, was quite impressive.

In September 1994, the Jets also played a 2-game series in Finland, given the Jets also had a big name in Teppo Numminen and throughout the mid-1990s, it was not rare to see Winnipeggers cheer for Finns in other sports (Mika Häkkinen in the Formula 1, for example) and in the Olympic games.

But in 1995, Teemu was traded and the Jets followed soon thereafter – you all know the story – and a major part of our childhood was taken away from us. The city collectively licked its wounds as it had lost its seat among the bigs while other small cities like Edmonton, Buffalo and even Calgary (at the time) were still there. It was a bitter pill to swallow. From the moment Truth North Sports and Entertainment announced the return of hockey in Winnipeg, barely 3 sentences could be spoken without someone wishfully thinking that maybe, just maybe, He might come back to us for one last year just to give us all some closure over the way it all had ended. It would have been magical, just like His return to Winnipeg in December of 2011 proved to be.

Alas, a few days ago, in true Selänne fashion, the 43-year-old did the right thing and announced that he will be rewarding the loyal Duck fans for their many years of support on the golden beaches of California. Despite my knowing all along that He would do so, as I read the news on the cover of a Helsinki English-language newspaper, much unlike when I first arrived here, I longed for the part of my childhood that I had lost and was left to grieve for the days when the Finnish Flash represented what was and still is best of my hometown.

Follow Remi on twitter here. DO it!

I know it may have appeared that I have been hiding from this year’s NHL season due to the play of my beloved Ducks – but that isn’t entirely the case. It is almost as though when the Ducks replaced Randy Caryle, whom I respected greatly as a coach (Andrew I am wishing him the best of luck for your sake) my life turned into a whirlwind. Between lots of extra hours of work (love when people quit) and learning first hand during Movember about the importance of check-ups related to skin cancer (everything is fine just a few scars on some preventative removal) the time able to watch live hockey, and then write, diminished. I also missed about a month and a half of playing time myself, due to doctor orders.

And unlike NHL players, I pay to play hockey!

Right around the time I came back to playing was around when the Ducks season began to turn around. Jonas Hiller finally began playing like the All-Star goalie he was a year ago shaking off the vertigo symptoms. Not sure if anyone else notices this but I seriously thought that the dizziness must come back when people are behind the net because he always would be spun around and unable to follow the puck. New bench boss Bruce Boudreau’s systems and optimism began finally to take hold and the team started playing with confidence. (Either that or it was all the F bombs). 

As a Ducks fan, you started to get caught up in their magical run because of last season’s second half propelled the Ducks into 4th place at season’s end. This year, however, they were starting with a 17 point deficit on January 1st. (20 points at one point). With a January record of 9-2-1, they started to make up some ground.  As they trudged through a grueling 8 game road trip that spanned from Minnesota down to Florida in February, they finally were within 5 points of the 8th spot.

GMBM

While speculation all season at what GM Bob Murray would do at the trade deadline – and if any of our big names would be on the move – the team stood pat with their roster. It was hard not to start thinking what could be if the Ducks continued their hot play (at this point tied with St. Louis for most points since January 1st).  Things had changed now, as opposed to being outshot and outplayed for stretches at a time, the Ducks had been taking control in games. Suddenly this was a team you were fearful of having a 1st round match-up with in the playoffs. I didn’t want to jinx it, I just wanted it to keep rolling.

And it was almost like the deadline passed and a collective sigh was let out in the locker room (not that type of sigh!).  They lost to the Avalanche in Denver on deadline day and looked tired. They then outplayed Buffalo at home only to have Ryan Miller stand on his head and lost a frustrating 2-0 game. The problem is the Ducks have been in a position because of their horrible start that they can’t afford to go two games without any points. They have too many teams in front of them and are running out of time on this season even with San Jose and Phoenix giving them every opportunity to hang around in the playoff conversation.

Back on the road again for 3 games, the Ducks lost a close game to St. Louis Thursday night. They took a 1-0 lead but then failed to keep the foot on the gas pedal and wound up losing 3-1. Their powerplay has not been able to score – at only 8% over the past 6 games. With the top-level skill of Perry, Selanne, Getzlaf, Visnovsky, Ryan, Fowler and Koivu, they have to convert on those chances. Before heading out on the road the team had extra practice time to try to work through their kinks.

Boudreau made the adjustment of moving Visnovsky back to the top unit. Lubi has been having a rough year. He missed a significant amount of playing time early in the year due to hurt fingers. After last year putting up 68 points, this year he has only 22 points in 58 games. 

Lubomir Visnovsky

His lack of production on the powerplay has been what’s hurt most and the Ducks have not found the answer to finding it elsewhere.  Saturday in Dallas the Ducks look to hang around for another week. Unfortunately with some horrible officiating and a mediocre effort, they fell 2-0. Again failing to put up any goals for the 2nd time in their last six. Midway through the 2nd period on a questionable hit by Robidas, Corey Perry went shoulder first into the end boards.  Being the competitor and tough man that he is – he stayed on the bench – before eventually retreating to the locker room. He did take a couple of shifts in the 3rd- but he will have to be re-evaluated. 

While mathematically this team isn’t eliminated – last night’s loss felt like the knockout blow. Monday night at Colorado will be key. Perusing my twitter feed after the last two games – it was gut wrenching losses that pulled at the strings of the team’s faithful.  But like the team, the fans won’t quit- will still show up and still pour their heart into the remaining 13 games. And like all season whether it’s live or on DVR I’ll be with them too.

Stand with Ryan (and his Ducks) and follow him on twitter: @Hocky09

MVPerry shaves George Parros Photo: Jess Milcetich

The Ducks are in DC for a Tuesday night game against the Caps, and they got their faces shaved Monday evening, to kick off their Movember efforts. They’ll get their wings clipped on Tuesday night at Verizon (Sorry Ryan!) by the Boys in Red, who are also raising funds for Movember.  Closer to their home, our pals at Anaheim Calling are running their own contest, with a donation and an autographed picture of Bobby Ryan up for grabs.

“Ok dear readers, you may think that I have been hiding away in a dark cave as the Bruins have started the season 3-7, but I assure you that that is not the case.

While much of the Bruins team seems to have been hibernating (David Krejci! Wake up! The season started! Same to you Horton! And did I hear that Benoit Pouliot is on this team? I haven’t seen him yet!), I have actually been MIA due to some “real life” stuff, but I am here now with “A Very Special Episode of PuckBuddys.”

Phil Kessel - Mr. Universe

So all you Leafs fans, here’s an article for you to comment on and gloat about your impending President’s Trophy season and inevitable Cup run. Yes, yes, Phil Kessel is a shoe-in for the Hart, Richard, Lady Byng, NBA Finals MVP and Mr. Universe!

However, as October has drawn to a close, it’s time to remember that there is a long way to go in this wonderful ride we call the NHL regular season.

Justin Nugent-Hopkins Bieber

Which brings us to the topic of November. We’ve got nearly a full month of hockey under our belts and November is the month where things start to take shape. The pretenders fall back and we begin to see who is for real.

Is Kessel really going to be a 50+ goal scorer or is this just another fast start for him? Are the Oilers for real or will the rigors of the NHL season catch up with their Bieber-aged lineup? Are the Bruins really this bad or will they shake off their “Cup Hangover” and defend Lord Stanley for real?

Jonas Hiller's Movember Mask - Photo Jess Milcetich

November also carries a newer tradition in the hockey world, Movember. Players, coaches and fans are joining this movement, which promotes men’s health and raises money for various cancer charities, in growing numbers. (Pun intended…I love puns, so deal with it.) Last year, Bruins Shawn Thornton, Patrice Bergeron, Nathan Horton, Milan Lucic, Tim Thomas and Mark Stuart (now a Jet) were among those who participated. As 1 in 2 men will get some type of cancer in their lifetime, this is something that affects pretty much all of us.

Bourque

While the Bruins have a long tradition of moustaches, from Ray Bourques 1980s era mo’ to Dave Lewis’ middle manager ‘stache (Sorry Bruins fans, I will never mention the worst coach in Bruins history again), to the current beauty occupying the upper lip of Tim Thomas (one of the few Bruins actually performing this season), Movember gives everyone a little extra reason to rock that lip hair you’ve always dreamed of. There are those (Tuukka Rask and Tyler Seguin, for example) who may lack the ability to grow a workable moustache, but Movember is for everyone.

George Parros

If you can’t grow a ‘stache due to lack of lip hair, job requirements or merely a fear of scaring off potential bedmates, you can still give money, spread the word or merely cheer on those who submit themselves to a month of mockery and fun.

So, I encourage everyone to direct your browser over to Movember, where you can find your country’s site and do what you can to help.  If I get truly brave, I’ll post a picture of my moustache, which I am sure will put that of George Parros to shame…or at least that of George Costanza.

I'll play when my mustache says, "Play!"

In the meantime, go to your doctor, get yourself checked out and learn all you can about prevention and living a healthy life. Most of us of the male species are way too willing to ignore or own health out of fear, ignorance or just plain laziness. Don’t wait until it’s too late.

It doesn’t make you tough if you don’t take care of yourself, it makes you stupid. Don’t make me have Shawn Thornton and George Parros [Ed. Note: Or John Erskine, he of wicked ‘stache!] come talk to you, ignoring your health makes them angry and you wouldn’t like them when they’re angry.”

For more pics of the Ducks getting shaved, click here.

Follow Petr on the twitter, or he’ll send George Parros to kick your ass: @PTBents34

The Brothers Koivu, Mikko and Saku

“The Ducks are in the midst of a 7 game road trip that takes them across the country over 13 days. They opened the trip Tuesday night in Chicago, and despite leading 2-1 in the third- salvaged a point- in the shootout loss.

They were back on the ice yesterday in Minnesota, in a building that has not been very kind to the Ducks in recent years. 

It also pitted brother versus brother, as Saku squared off against younger sibling Mikko. The Koivus saw a lot of time against eachother early in the game- and with both being centers, squared off head to head in the face-off circle.  It was the 10th meeting for the brother’s, and heading in the younger Mikko held the advantage in the win column 5 to 4.  As far as gay hockey fans are concerned- this is a matchup worth watching….

Ryan Getzlaf

The Ducks, who had been struggling on the powerplay heading into the game, capitilized on their first opportunity of the game.  After a Getzlaf face-off win back to the point, Fowler slid the puck to Visnovsky. After fumbling the pass he managed to punch it just past the pressing winger to Teemu.

Teemu won the loose puck to Getzlaf who put it through the Wild defenseman right to Corey Perry for an easy goal, his 4th of the year.  Most of the 1st period was played in the Wild’s zone and the Ducks skated to a 1-0 lead .

Teemu!

Bobby Ryan padded the lead when he dug out a rebound around 7 minutes into the 2nd. Toni Lydman’s point shot, with Teemu Selanne screening provided enough trouble for Backstrom to handle the rebound. Selanne kicked the puck back out of the crowd so Ryan could bury it. 

The Wild finally got on the scoreboard when they took advantage of their own powerplay when Hillers rebound from the point went right on the stick of Jared Spurgeon for his 1st of the year. The young defenseman had most of the net to shoot at. 

The Ducks looked to close out the Wild when Ryan Getzlaf scored his 4th of the year on a nice feed down low from Teemu Selanne on the powerplay.  The 3rd assist of the night for Teemu, his 28th 3 assist night of his career, tied him with Mats Sundin for 26th all-time on the NHL points list. The sure to be Hall of Famer now has 9 points in his last 6 games.  Do I need to remind anyone that he is 41?! 

Jonas Hiller

After the Wild converted on the powerplay again to get back in the game they wound up being there own worst enemy with 2 penalties in the last 5 minutes. Just as they were about to kill Guillerme Latondresse’s delay of game penalty, Matt Cullen got called for a trip on Bobby Ryan.  Although the Ducks did not convert on either powerplay- they controlled the game and killed the clock. 

Not to be lost was Jonas Hiller’s 23 saves on 25 shots. He as usual made some big saves when the Ducks needed it most.

MVPerry

The Duckies continue there road trip this weekend with back to back games. Saturday they travel to Nashville looking to avenge last year’s first round playoff ousting.

Pekka Rinne was a beast in the series. Ryan Suter and Shea Weber are sure to see the ice every time Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry take a shift. Both teams are again playoff hopefuls.

Sunday the Ducks visit the Columbus Blue Jackets, who have struggled mightily to begin the year. The Blue Jackets did get ex-Duck James Wisniewski back from his lengthy suspension earlier this week, he helped them get their first win versus the Red Wings on Tuesday night.

Last night they lost to the Sabres- sending them to a 1-8-1 mark 10 games in.  Rick Nash however is always good against the Ducks, and both teams will be coming off Saturday games so anything can happen. It should be an exciting weekend of hockey.

Follow Ryan, our favorite Duck, on Twitter: @Hocky09

Corey Perry and his Heavy Metal

“If you told me before the season that after 3 games in to ’11-’12 season the Ducks top line of Bobby Ryan, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry would have zero points combined, I would say it probably would be a pretty ugly start and an 0-3 record for the team. However- with solid play of Jonas Hiller, a restructured 3rd and 4th line focusing on speed, and commitment to team defense, the Ducks sit at 2-1 after their win on Friday in their home opener.

Ryan Getzlaf

Heading into Sunday’s game, they may have no points, but “the Big Line” had plenty of shifts where they dominated stretches of the game. With the talent this trio has, the goals were bound to start coming- in bunches.

Sure enough, Sunday night they all collected their first points, Bobby Ryan with two goals, Perry notching his first and Getzlaf with a couple of helpers.

In my post last week on the Ducks and their past success, I primarily wrote about Teemu, as the team was in Finland for their season opener. However, it is the Big Line that makes this team tick. They set the tone for the team and are expected to carry them for periods of time.

Last season this was especially the case and it led to Corey Perry capturing the Hart and Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophies.

I know that many of you L’ Eastern team boys rarely have the opportunity to watch MVPerry as he’s being referred to out here, but what he did last season was pretty amazing. Ducks fans take pride that he may be one of the most hated players to play against in the NHL.

Bobby Ryan as Corey Perry looks on

Perry’s growth over the last 6 season is spectacular. Coming into the league with his “twin” Ryan Getzlaf (drafted along in the 2003 entry draft) in the 05-06 season, they provided an invaluable 2nd line behind Teemu Selanne and Andy MacDonald as the Ducks made a surprise run to the Western Conference Finals before being knocked off by the other Cinderella team that post-season, the Edmonton Oilers and cheater/flopper/goalie Dwayne Roloson.

I’ve never seen a goalie fall onto his back when another man gets near him like Rollie did that playoff year!  In fact he flops on his back faster then any gay man I know.

In his sophomore season, Perry fed off his experience from his rookie year and posted 17 goals and 44 points before he exploded in the post-season for 15 points in the Ducks Cup run. 

Drinking from the Cup so early in his career could have led to him resting on his laurels but the 22 year old was just coming into his own. Perry continued to develop his agitating style, playing hard, edgy and getting under opposing teams skin. He always drives hard to the net, often bumping the goalie in the process. He has now posted 4 straight seasons with over 100 PIMs, but he does his best work with his hands in close.

It’s amazing watching him stick handle in those tight places. [Insert many gay jokes here].  His creativity is masterful, making top pairing defensemen look like the should be back in the AHL. As he’s shown, he isn’t afraid to mix it up with opposing players, as evidenced by his tussle with Brandon Dubinsky in last Saturday’s game.

When Ryan Getzlaf took a puck to the face on December 28th last season and wound up missing 14 games as the Ducks tried to get themselves back in the tight Western Conference playoff picture, it was Corey Perry who took the team upon his back and carried them with 8 goals and 6 assists as the Ducks posted a 10-4 record.

But more impressive with the season on the line in the stretch, Perry notched 4 GWGs from March 19th on to have the Ducks catapult into 4th in the West. He finished with 11 on the year, including his hat trick against our bitter rivals the San Jose as the season wound down.

If you think that’s clutch, it’s only the beginning. 25 of his 50 goals last season either tied the score or put them ahead.  When most opponents were trying to clamp down their defense, he scored 21 goals in the 3rd period. The guy is a beast.  When the Ducks game is on the line, you want the puck on his stick.  He is near the top of the league if you were to poll defensemen on players they least want to play against, because he’s so strong and so talented and such a pain in the ass.

Sunday, we celebrated his Hart trophy (the first in team history) and his Maurice Richard Trophy (Teemu is the only other Duck to win goal scoring crown) as well.  I celebrated by attending the game with my partner Peter @ptbents34 and a friend who happened to be a Blues fan. He’s straight but has a huge man crush on Bergland, who had a nice tip in goal. Luckily we’re cordial; the Ducks won 4-2.

We had the pleasure of seeing the trophy up close and personal in between periods. I can’t tell you how ecstatic and how amazingly deserving of this award Perry is. The talk out West is that this will only fire up his buddy Ryan Getzlaf to get one of his own.

The fact that Bobby Ryan is considered the 3rd best player on the line, when on many teams he would be the best offensive player only speaks to how good the trio is.

It’s scary how good this team is when they get going.  If the secondary scoring continues like it has early on the Ducks might be positioning themselves as a team that can make some noise.

Game notes:

Bobby Ryan got the Ducks on the board when he buried a rebound off Halak’s pads from the face-off circle 2:20 in on the power play. The powerplay was set up by who else, Corey Perry,  forcing a penalty to be taken by the defensive after he accepted a nice pass in the slot and created a scoring chance.  Bobby Ryan added his 2nd of the night late in the 3rd.

After a give-away by Francios Beauchemin led to Patrick Bergland’s redirection goal that tied it  in the 2nd , the teams skated even the rest of the frame. Both goalies made some great saves to keep the game knotted up.

Beauchemin redeemed himself with a blast from the point to regain the lead- as time had expired on the powerplay to begin the 3rd. Beauchemin’s goal was his 25th in a Ducks sweater.

Only fitting, Corey Perry scored a power play goal on Corey Perry night. It was set up by a nice pass from Getz down low to Teemu- who fed Perry at the top of the crease. The goal put the Ducks up 3-1.

Fittingly when Alex Steen made the score later in the 3rd, it would make this goal stand up for the game winner.  How many game winners will he wind up with this year?!

The Ducks traveled to San Jose on Monday night. [Ed. Note: way past our L’ Eastern bed time]. The Ducks will try and take advantage of San Jose’s poor start and injuries. Goaltender Antti Niemi , back-up goalie Antero Niittimaki and  their top off-season scoring acquisition Matin Havlat have all missed the first 3 games.  Whenever these two teams get together it is often high intensity and lots of fisticuffs. 

You can follow Ryan on the twitters: @Hocky09

"Old time hockey, like the LA Blades!"

The biggest news for gay hockeydom next to the Ryan Kesler nude photo surfacing, is another addition to the team.  If we get a few more correspondents writing for us who play hockey, we might be able to have our own squad. And now that Sean Avery is up for grabs, we’ may have found our coach.  Ummm, maybe not.

Our Ryan plays for the LA Blades, and he’s been a Ducks fan since… since he was just a wee little Duckling. In his first piece, he gloats talks about the many successes the Ducks have had in their relatively brief history. Must be nice. His partner Peter, also a member of the Blades, is a Bruins fan. Talk about a mixed marriage. We’re thrilled to have them on board. – Craig

“I didn’t think I had much to say when my partner, who I met playing on the LA Blades Gay/Lesbian hockey team, asked me If I was interested in being a correspondent for  PuckBuddys writing about the Ducks.  But then I started thinking about it – while I don’t have much of a journalistic background – I have been following the Ducks since their first season when I was 12.

I grew up learning to play hockey right with the team- trust me we were both pretty ugly playing in the early 90’s. Although at that time I was only playing roller hockey, till I finally switched to ice when I was 18 and played a year of low-level intercollegiate club hockey. Now I watch over 70 games a year either on TV/DVR or in person.”

“I’ve pretty much been in the building for every historic moment in Ducks history.

From game 7 winning victory over Phoenix in their first playoff series in 1997, to Jiggy’s shutout streak vs the Wild in Conference Finals in 2003 and Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final that same year when Scott Stevens knocked my boyhood crush Paul Kariya out- to have him come back minutes later and drill a monster slap shot to beat Broduer.

The many memories from the Cup winning night in ’07 – the chills when Rob took the Cup from his brother Scott or the tears streaming down my face (and half the Pond)when Teemu lifted it moments later.

I know what some of you are thinking- you hate that in only 18 years we’ve had  a Cup, 2 Cup Finals appearances, and 3 Western Conference Finals appearances.  I’d hate us too. So much success – so quickly. But that can be more for another day. Or California hockey? As more and more kids start skating out here – and California born talent rises to NHL ranks like Jonathon Blum in Nashville- you’ll change your mind. Take it from a gay hockey player that grew up behind the orange curtain.

Dreamy Teemu

The Duck’s are off in Finland for their opening game on Friday vs Buffalo.

Yes I already saw tweets that the boys enjoyed some Finnish saunas…. For the Ducks this means 3 players returning to their homeland. Teemu Selanne is a hero if not far from a god in his home country. Him and Saku Koivu have been mainstays of the Finnish national team the last 20 years.

Toni Lydman

The ovation for them and fellow countrymen Toni Lydman should be deafening on Friday.

Please no one tell me the score, it will be 10am on the west coast and I will be at work!

This season- like the last 4 prior- seem to be Teemu’s farewell tour. Last season, he put up 86 points, 8th highest in the NHL.

Needless to say, even though off-season knee surgery may slow him some, he still produces at an extremely high level for any player – let alone one who has been in the league for 18 years already.

As someone who has gotten to watch him play 12 seasons in a Ducks jersey – it is truly a treat that he is back.

I encourage everyone to watch him whenever the Ducks play your team- his love for the game and zest for life is infectious. If that’s not enough he’s still one Finland’s sexiest men at 41.”

You can follow Ryan on twitter: @Hocky09

Addendum: And speaking of Ducks we love. An adorable pic of who we’re pretty sure is former Caps and Hershey Bears fan favorite, Andrew Gordon, surfaced in our mailbox the other day.

We wish him all the luck our west and can’t wait to see him again when we host the Ducks on Tuesday, November 1.

Horny hockey players rule.