Day 31 – June 1, 2010 – Love him or hate him?

For me, the best part of the being new to hockey at this time of year is having the luxury of watching the Stanley Cup and not caring who wins; I’m just rooting for good hockey. This is certainly a different type of feeling than what Blackhawks and Flyers fans are experiencing, living and dying with every pass of the puck. The only challenge not having a team to root for during the finals is figuring out whether I love or hate Chris Pronger.

Without reading or researching, it would be easy to really dislike Pronger based on his antics during the first two games of the Stanley Cup. He’s taken cheap, after the whistle, shots on Chicago captain (and fellow Canadian national teammate) Jonathan Toews; cross checked Chicago big man, Dustin Byfuglien, dangerously to the neck; and stolen the puck from the Blackhawks at the end of the two Stanley Cup games that have taken place so far. Even taking into consideration his role as an agitator, and his team being down 2-0, this kind of behavior feels not below that of a veteran that wears an “A” on his jersey but amateurish.

And after some quick research it doesn’t look like Pronger’s good guy resume gets any stronger. As an Anaheim Duck, Pronger received an eight game suspension for stomping on Canuck forward Ryan Kesler’s leg with his skate. He also got national attention for a back of the head hit on Tomas Holmstrom that left the Red Wings forward needing 13 stitches.

Could Pronger be, though, one of those those guys that every professional sports has? Is he loved by his teammates and their fans and hated by everyone else? In a sport that only seems to get attention when either something huge or horrible happens, has Pronger been judged based on isolated incidents? He may have enemies, but rarely will you find a teammate not willing to support or appreciate him. And in most cases, it’s Pronger’s willingness to stand in front of the media and take the hard questions that makes him so valuable to his team.

During the Olympics, as a member of the struggling Canadian team, Pronger assured reporters that the national team would solve their issues. They went on to win the gold medal. During the last week of the season, when the Flyers needed a win in the final game of the season to make the playoffs, Pronger calmly told reporters it was just another challenge the team needed to overcome.
Take into account that his teammates named him team MVP, that he has been in the Stanley Cup finals three of the last five years (and the other two teams, the Oilers and Ducks, missed the playoffs the year after he left), and his puck-stealing attempts to get under the skin of the younger, less experienced Chicago Blackhawks, and maybe the question isn’t whether anyone should hate or love Chris Pronger but shouldn’t we all wish our favorite team had him?

Day 10 – May 11, 2010 – Ten Signs You Are Becoming A Hockey Addict

Two weeks into this adventure to learn everything I can about hockey and the NHL, I am beginning to notice the twitch. You guys know all about the twitch, right? The one that inexplicably starts about three hours before the start of a hockey game on TV (or for those of you lucky enough to still have a home team in the playoffs, right before you start the commute to the arena).

For the seasoned fan, the twitch brings with it a knowing sort of grin. “It’s almost time,” you say to yourself. It’s almost time for flying pucks, spraying ice and the comforting voices of Emrick, Lange, Jeanneret, Thorne and Beninati to take you away from everything else for a couple of hours.

For some of us, like the newbie that I am, the twitch is at first confusing, and then comes the realization that this isn’t the only sign that you are becoming addicted to hockey.

The top 10 signs that you’re becoming addicted to hockey (newbie version):

10. You wonder if the Slovakia/Belarus match-up from the World Hockey Championships is being broadcast online somewhere

9. You start saying your 18-month old son’s name as if he is being named MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs

8. You think you can make the drive to Game 7 of the Pittsburgh/Montreal series and still be back in time for work the next day

7. You get misty-eyed watching the NHL’s “History Will Be Made” commercials

6. You consider growing a playoff beard

5. You begin to think Brian Engblom’s haircut might look good on you

4. You can remember how to spell Byfuglien and Ovechkin but have no idea what your wife asked you to pick up at the grocery store

3. You begin to plan your January vacation…to Minnesota to see the U.S. Pond Hockey Championships

2. You try to structure your work outfit to make a hockey jersey fit the “business casual” dress code

1. You practice Bobby Orr’s game-winning goal from the 1970 Stanley Cup every night while getting into bed

So like a friendly support group, share with us your twitch! After all we have to stick together right?