What Just Happened?


Greetings fellow Bloggies/Blogettes! Yesterday, I awoke with no words to describe the sense of astonishment that I felt! What Just Happened? Did This Really Happen? Somebody please pinch me and awake me from this dream of disillusionment! Could this be the year of the "Underdog?" We will have to wait and watch patiently, with some nerve racking anticipation of course, to see who will ride through town - the noble stead - in this proverbial one horse town!

The NHL Eastern Conference looks something like this: 4th Place Team Pittsburgh Penguins vs. 8th Place Team "Les Habitants;" and the 6th Place Team Boston Bruins vs. the 7th Place Team the Philadelphia Flyers!

As for the Western Conference, not as unpredictable, but they do have some interesting series ahead! As the regular season statistics go: San Jose vs. Detroit - Detroit may prove to be the favored on paper, winning 3 out of the 4 games against the Sharks. As for the Vancouver vs. Chicago series: there seems to be a tighter rivalry between the two teams splitting the regular season series 2 games apiece!

Whatever the results, I hope the series are exciting and injury free!

Until the Next Blog,

Cheer Loud, Cheer Long, Cheer Often!

Tom's Poetry Corner


Greetings Fellow Bloggies/Blogettes! Today I would like to share with you two very special literary works that I hold, oh so close, to my life vessel - My Heart!

1st Piece of Literal Culinary Work that nourishes the depths of my soulful being:

"Why Can't I Skate?"

by Thomas G. Barker

With My Two Legs I walk, I run

I jump, I skip, I play, Have Fun

But on the ice their existence ceases

As I lay flat between the creases

The Puck is passed from left to right

As, with my legs, I continue to fight

Why, Oh Why, can't I skate?

Who is to blame, myself or fate?

Whatever the case, I do declare

I least I have my Hockey Hair!

***

2nd Linguistically Colourful and Rhythmically Challenged Masterpiece:

"Ode to You Zamboni Guy"

by Thomas G. Barker

Ode to you Zamboni Guy

With your Magic Machine on which you fly!

Your graceful dance, hypnotic it seems

As you prep the ice between the screams.

Those lengthily nights where you sweep and pry

A thankless job to the passer by.

But Deep in your soul the truth lays low

For the Ice helps to make the players grow!

With attentive eyes and detailed care

The Ice built perfect, layer 'pon layer.

As the players come to take the ice

They scurry around like little mice.

Your reward is simple, yet discrete:

The smile from players of which you meet.

Ode to You Zamboni Guy

With your Magic Machine on which you fly!

With You I share my deepest pride.

P.S. When will I get to have a Ride?

***

Until next blog,

Cheer Loud, Cheer Long, Cheer Often!

Congrats HHN Honoured Members!

Congrats to HHN's honoured members that are moving on to the next round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs! Still in the running are; Claude Giroux with the Philadelphia Flyers, Tyler Kennedy with the Pittsburg Penguins and Coach Claude Julien with the Boston Bruins. Also still fighting for a playoff spot is Todd Bertuzzi with the Detroit Red Wings!

Dated: Friday, April 23rd, 2010

Pick Me Up off the Floor ... I Just Met Canada's Polka King!

You will not believe who I just met ... the One & Only Canadian Polka King: Mr. Walter Ostanek!!!! That's Right - "The Walter Ostanek!" What a fantastic experience. There is no describing the glow I am exuding at the moment from this soulful experience! Walter Ostanek, in person, was just here at Hockey Heritage North!

But I have a confession to make ... Walter, if you are reading this, I am sooo sorry for not cluing in earlier into who YOU ARE! You are a Canadian Legend & Icon! But you already know this! Walter, you are cordially invited back to Hockey Heritage North to come and sign our Wall of Fame. I am sorry for dropping the ball on this one, I should of had you sign it while you were here! Again, I am soooo sorry!

Folks, it just goes to show, coming to Hockey Heritage North can be a life altering experience. You just never know who you will run into here!

Playoffs & Gardening - You Diggin' It?

Playoffs & Gardening – You Diggin’ It?



Greetings Fellow Bloggies/Blogettes! As I stick my head out the window to breathe in some revitalizing, fresh spring air, I am presented with the most fitting of Blog ideas: no, I am not blogging about stooping and scooping, instead I will be talking hockey and gardening! I know, I know, it sounds as exciting as watching dust gather on a window sill, but here me out.

Hockey and gardening have a great deal in common. The most important aspect starts in the spring: planting your garden. For hockey fans, this entails a complex combination of skill and availability. What I am referring to is the Entry Draft: the start to any franchise! It is vital for a flourishing NHL franchise to draft or “plant” the right prospects in order to grow a fuller and more fruitful garden. With some of the top prospects sown in Canadian Soil, it is very exciting to be a Canadian Hockey Fan and watching our neighbors, friends, relatives and fellow countrymen make it into this elite league of extraordinary gentlemen.


Hockey and Gardening also share in the adage: “You Reap What You Sow!” Translated it means, hard work and dedication, with so good ol’ TLC (Training, Lots of sweat & Carbs), will yield better results. I could go on with all types or parallelisms, but I do not want to overwhelm you with my lack of gardening “savoir-fair” and the destruction of your perception of the game!


Until the next blog,


Cheer Loud, Cheer Long, Cheer Often!


Thomas Barker – Conference Event Coordinator
Hockey Heritage North

THIS DAY IN HOCKEY HISTORY!

This day in hockey history! April 21st


1938 Toe Blake scored the winning goal in overtime, as Montreal beat Detroit 5-4 before a crowd of 8,000 in Earlscourt, England, in the first of a nine game European tour between the two teams. Games were played in England and France.


1951 Toronto's Bill Barilko scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal at 2:53 of overtime to defeat Montreal 3-2 in Game 5 of the Finals. It was the only Stanley Cup series in NHL history in which every game ended in overtime.

And, We Are Back ...

Greetings Fellow Bloggies/Blogettes! What a gorgeous day! And what a spectacle the Playoffs have become. Can you believe each Conference has some major upsets in the making? I know it's "Early," "Anything can happen," and "it ain't over until the glandularly challenged, robust-esk lady with the great personality sings," but hey, the statistics are proving friendly to those in the lead at the moment! Besides, it is the rise of the so called "underdogs" that help make the playoffs what they are - extremely unpredictable and exciting to watch.

I must admit, I am guilty of not paying closer attention to the games, as I have a great deal of "wading" to do as I traverse through the proverbial pool of life. Unfortunately, on my list of To Do's, watching Playoff Hockey must remain a few rungs lower on the ladder of responsibilities. But I am grateful for Sports Highlights and the wonderful invention of the cyber source - the Internet~! I rely so heavily upon it to keep me updated on the status of the quest for the Stanley Cup. That, and I enjoy following our beloved Toronto Blue Jays as they continues their journey towards Baseball's World Series Championship Title. If it were not for the Blue Jays, in '92 & '93 I would not have witnessed and experienced the joys of celebrating the success of a professional sports team that I choose to associate myself with, despite having no direct connection with or contribution to, in any way. It is one of life's little mysteries! But I digress!

As the NHL playoffs move forward, I continue to cheer on the HHN Honored Members as they strive for excellence in the pursuit of ultimate success! Go Fellows Go!

Until Next Blog,

Cheer Loud, Cheer Long, Cheer Often!