And we're Back!

It was a great weekend of hockey in Magness Arena this past weekend. The Minnesota State-Mankato Mavericks rolled into town with their epic purple unis for the two game WCHA series that began on Friday night. In a hard fought game, the Pioneers and Mavericks battled to a 3-3 tie. Glenn Fisher looked great in net despite interfered with time and again. Tom May was welcomed back onto the team this weekend, garnering an assist in his first game back. Senior Zach Blom also saw time for the first time this weekend, netting the goal that tied the game on Friday. Read the full game re-cap here: DU Ties Minnesota State, 3-3

After their three game winless streak, Saturday night saw the Pioneers re-energized. Junior Ryan Dingle recorded his second career hat trick in a 5-1 win over the Mavericks. Peter Mannino made 21 saves and allowed one softie in his 3rd win of the season. Geoff Paukovich scored his first goal of the season to put the Pioneers up 4-1, after Kurtis Kisio scored on Mannino 9 minutes into the third. Patrick Mullen put the icing on the cake scored with 5 minutes left. Read the full game re-cap here: DU Skates Past MSU, 5-1

Senior Captain Adrian Veideman did not play this weekend after sustaining a serious concussion during the Saturday game of the CC series. He was however present on the bench. Ryan Helgason was also held out of the game, having broken a bone in his hand in the same game.

The week preceding this series was made quite interesting by an avid female Maverick fan as she ranked the Pioneers’ looks and several avid female DU fans took exception. Special thanks to LetsGoMavs for taking the objections into consideration! Check it out here: LetsGoMavs

Pics from the Weekend! All courtesy of PiosAvsFan..THANKS!

Everybody Makes Mistakes

Rivalry weekend in Colorado has come and gone...Now we DU fans are left with a sour taste in our mouths over opportunities squandered and heartbreaking injuries. DU faced its first sweep of the season at the hands of rival Colorado College. Prior to this weekend, CC had not beaten DU in their last 7 matches including several playoff games.

Friday night the Pioneers visited the Colorado Springs World Arena for the first game in the home and home series. Before the game, a small ceremony was held to celebrate the team USA’s win at the IIHF World Under-18 Championships in Sweden last April. DU freshman Rhett Rakhshani and CC freshman Billy Sweatt were both given their championship rings and exchanged a hug. Quite disturbingly the CC fans actually booed Rakhshani as he was accepting his ring. I found that entirely classless and felt bad for Rakhshani as they ruined a very special moment for him. Then the CC student section made themselves look ridiculous and rude as they yelled DU sucks during the singing of the National Anthem. There is no doubt that the Tigers outplayed DU during this game, as evidenced by the final score of 5-1. A big story line for this series was the meeting of the Testwuide brothers, older brother JP plays for DU while younger brother Mike plays for CC. It was reported in the Denver Post earlier this week that JP and Mike’s mom would be a sweater that was customized to support both her boys. True enough, we saw her as we entered World Arena and she was nice enough to take a picture with us! In an interesting twist to this story, Mike scored twice on Friday night for his second and third goals of the season.

Saturday night the Tigers visited Magness Arena for the second game of the home-and-home series. I saw the Pioneers play a much better game, taking better scoring chances, finishing their checks, and working hard. Then one of the scariest things I’ve seen at Magness propelled the Pioneers to a whole new level. In the opening minutes of the second period, CC’s senior co-captain Brandon Straub collided with DU’s Senior captain Adrian Veideman at the DU bench. Straub pushed Veideman nearly over the bench then threw him to the ice. In the process, Veideman’s helmet was thrown off, causing his head to hit the ice directly. After a small pile up Straub was pulled off of Veideman, who was not moving at all. After ten very tense minutes, Veideman was taken off the ice on a stretcher and taken to the hospital. I’ve read that he was diagnosed with a grade 2 concussion but has no other injuries. I wish him a full and very speedy recovery! After this incident the Pioneers seemed re-energized, coming back from a two-goal deficit, only to lose the game after Chad Rau scored late in the third. Also, senior Ryan Helgason’s hand was broken during the first period of the game.

My favorite part about this entire weekend was “the Water Bottle Incident of ’06.” During a stoppage of play towards the end of the second period, junior forward Mike Handza casually strolled over to the net tended by Zaba the Hut, who was doing his usual skate around the goal line. Handza waited until Zaba doubled back and nonchalantly opened Zaba’s water bottle, took two squirts then spit the water at Zaba. Several of Zaba’s “teammates” witnessed this incident and did…NOTHING! Handza skated away with a huge smile on his face and is now my hero. Undoubtedly, Handza got the idea from UND’s Mike Prpich who did something very similar to this to Peter Mannino in the 2005 National Championship game, and Handza took exception then and received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty along with Prpich.

Favorite Quote of the weekend (and this was tough cuz there were SO many!):
Guy behind us: That was a great game ladies, maybe next time DU will do better...
Me: It was nice to meet you, we always like talking to other DU alums during games.
Guy: Oh I'm a CC alum...
Megan: That's okay, everybody makes mistakes!

Please enjoy a short slide show of our adventures this weekend. Some pictures are courtesy of my friend Julia and her AWESOME new camera!

Fisher takes the Reins

The DU hockey team swept their non-conference opponents this weekend in a convincing fashion. On Friday night, Ryan Dingle scored twice (once on the Power Play, once Shorthand) with the help of my favorite freshman, Rhett Rakhshani, to lead DU over the Air Force Falcons. Glenn Fisher put in another stellar performance allowing only one goal on 23 shots. That one goal should have been disallowed however as it appeared to have been deflected into the net using a high stick.

Saturday’s game saw the Pioneers with one of their most even efforts of the year. Ryan Helgason (1-0—1), Geoff Paukovich (0-1—1), Brandon Vossberg (0-1—1), Tyler Ruegsegger (1-0—1), Patrick Mullen 0-2—2), Adrian Veideman (1-1—2), Chris Butler (1-1—2), Rhett Rakhshani (0-2—2), Ryan Dingle (1-1—2), and Brock Trotter (1-2—3) all made their way onto the score sheet with goals and/or assists in the 6-2 win over the Robert Morris Colonials. Glenn Fisher, whose record improved to 7-2-0, got the start again and proved that he is capable of taking over the number one goalie spot on the team, allowing 2 goals on 27 shots.

Next week the Pioneers face their archrival, the Colorado College Tigers in a home and home series. The girls and I will of course be making the trip down there for the Friday night game. It should be a pretty even series. DU will be able to keep up with the Tigers on their Olympic sized ice and keep scoring to a minimum, as the Defensemen seem to be solidifying behind the expert upperclassman leadership of Adrian Veideman and Andrew Thomas.

Tidbits about the all time series numbers: DU leads all time series with CC 151-99-9 dating back to 1949-50 season. DU has outscored CC 29-12 during their 7 game unbeaten streak against CC. The Tigers have never beaten Peter Mannino in his career at DU.

Special to Hockey in Colorado

In a new feature I like to call "Special to Hockey in Colorado," I present a thoughtfully written article by my best friend Megan. This week's edition discusses the Rail Camera debuted in the Colorado Avalanche/Dallas Stars game last night on VERSUS.

Rail Camera aka the Blair Witch Camera by MeganDU

Last night VERSUS, the national cable television home of the NHL, debuted their high-definition rail camera (Rail Cam) during the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars game. “The Rail Cam gives viewers a unique perspective, bringing them significantly closer to the action," said Marty Ehrlich, Vice President of Production and Executive Producer for VERSUS. “The camera gives viewers an appreciation for the speed and strategy of the game with the way it tracks the action on the ice. We’re excited to introduce this new technology and we could not have done it without the help of the NHL, the Dallas Stars and the dedicated operations staff at the American Airlines Center.” While the rail camera, or the Blair Witch Camera as I like to call it does give the viewers a good idea of the speed and intensity of the game it detracts more than it enhances the viewing experience.

Let me explain, the Blair Witch Camera runs along a long black rail that is attached to the top of the glass on the opposite side of the players bench. Its purpose is to run along this rail as the play goes from one end of the ice to the other and catch the action. What it actually does is race up and down the rail and attempt to keep up with play or in a few instances whizzes past the play and gets an awesome shot of an empty piece of ice. In fact I did not know this prior to the game but Dr. Pepper Sponsors the Dallas Stars, I discovered this due to the many times that the Blair Witch Camera was focused on the Dr. Pepper logo in the ice, while play was a good ten feet away.

I like to call this camera the Blair Witch Camera because while watching it you get that sick feeling in your stomach that you get when you watch the Blair Witch Project due to the camera shaking. I know what you’re thinking, that sick feeling comes from seeing Modano on the ice, and you would be correct, but it was intensified by the constant movement and shaking of the rail camera. When the camera is whizzing up and down the rail it shakes the glass and in turn makes the camera look like it is being held by a CC fan in 1957.

When the Rail camera does catch up to the play and gets a shot of players they are always in the corners fighting for the puck, inevitably on the opposite side of the ice. This makes it impossible to see what is going on and the puck looks like a piece of pepper. After a couple seconds of this VERSUS would switch to the regular camera at center ice and the audience would have a much better view. That is until they moved the rail camera across the blue line and in to the shot. It never failed during the entire time I was watching the Avalanche Stars game every single time the rail camera would come in to the shot I though it was a player doing a spread eagle on to the ice. I would then laugh followed by the quick realization that it was a camera and then proceed to feel stupid and hate the Blair Witch Camera even more.

All in all in my opinion the Rail Camera was a waste of time and money. The debate now is whether or not it should be used during the All Stars Game which will take place in Dallas. From just watching a single game with the Rail Cam I would say that it would not in any way enhance the viewing of the game, unless it is improved and does not detract from viewing when regular cameras are in use.

I'm Back!

WOW…what a weekend! That was easily the best weekend of my life. Here’s what went down.
-After arriving in Chicago, the girls got our car (a very nice 2006 Chevy Impala) and immediately looked for some place to eat. We discovered that Chicago natives must love Subway as there was one of every corner. We searched for about 20 minutes before we just went to a Subway.
-We got back on the road ready to begin the 2 ½ hour drive to Madison and scarf down our subs. Then we received a call from the other car from our group telling us to NOT take I-90 as it was packed. So we headed to I-294 to Milwaukee. After stopping at no less then three gas stations, we finally found the on-ramp and were finally on our way.
-4 hours and about a foot of snow (no really it was only like 6 inches of slush) we arrived in Madison. We met a very nice young man who directed us to the Kohl Center and a parking lot. We’d missed about 15 minutes of the game, which actually meant we didn’t miss anything.
-After Fisher’s beautiful 2-0 shutout of the Badgers, the crew headed to a restaurant for post-game festivities. We ended up at Gino’s on State St. It was this great little hole-in-the-wall Italian place with amazing food. Fun was had by all! The boys headed to the bars, while the girls headed to our hotel. One of our number has yet to turn 21 (Poppit, I’m talking about you), so there was no beer for us. We had planned at stopping at a liquor store; however, we learned that they close at 9pm in Madison (how lame is that…).
-Saturday rolled around and the girls wanted to explore the beautiful city of Madison. We drove around campus, taking pictures of everything and stopped at Amy’s Café. They had some amazing food there! Our next adventure took us to the sound side of Lake Monona. I wanted to get a shot of Madison from the south side of the lake so I found this neat little park to walk through. On our hike, Rrrrob was viciously attached by a sticky bush! I have never laughed so hard in my entire laugh as we tried to pick all the stickies off of her! Needless to say, I got my perfect shot.
-For dinner we stopped in the Badgerland Bar and Grill located in our hotel. We met some of the nicest Badger fans while eating cheese curds and chugging beer (they don’t sell beer at the Kohl Center so we had to stock up before the game).
-During one of the most exciting games this season, Poppit was groped by an old female Badger fan who then told us that it was inappropriate for us to cheer for our team. We were also flipped off and called *insert expletive here*. This all made the 4-3 OT victory all that much sweeter!
-Also during the game we were approached by an older DU alum living in Madison. He said he could hear us cheering four sections away and that he was proud of our spirit! We met up with him after the game to celebrate the win. Once again, the crew headed to Gino’s for dinner. It was another excellent evening spent in great company with amazing food.
-We woke up at 5 in the morning on Sunday so that we had plenty of time to drive back to Chicago (it only took us three hours!). Our flight was delayed as something was wrong with the front wheel. After an hour and a half of waiting, they decided the plane was safe to fly in, so off we headed. Our pilot hauled ass, as we arrived only half an hour later than expected!

Enjoy a slide show of my favorite pics (We took over 300!)

Roundup...and i'm not talking weedkiller...

So here I am scrabbling to put something together as I busily slave away at my favorite university before I head out on my mini-vacay to Wisconsin…

Here are the results for the Colorado Avalanche for the last two weeks:
10/29 vs. Minnesota Wild W, 4-1
11/1 @ Columbus Blue Jackets W, 5-3
11/2 @ St. Louis Blues L, 1-4
11/4 vs. Vancouver Canucks W, 3-2
11/7 vs. Los Angeles Kings L, 5-6

The Avs next face the Nashville Predators in Tennessee, on November 11. The standings in the Northwest Division are as follows:
Team Points
Minnesota 20
Vancouver 17
Colorado 16
Edmonton 15
Calgary 12

This weekend, the University of Denver Pioneers will travel to Madison, Wisconsin to face the defending National Champions at the Kohl Center. I and 6 other highly devoted (read fanatical) DU fans are traveling to catch the action first hand. I’ve been excited about this trip for about two months now and can barely stand sitting in my office right now. I’m ready to leave!!!!!

The Badgers traveled to Anchorage, Alaska last weekend to take on the Sea wolves. They split the weekend with a win on Friday night in OT and a loss on Saturday. This week the Badgers lost freshman defensemen (and Colorado’s 2nd round draft pick) Nigel Williams. He was apparently unhappy with the amount of ice time he was given, having played only one of the 10 games the Badgers have competed in. Best of luck to him as he moves to the OHL to play with Saginaw.

Another split weekend and a steamroller...

The DU Pioneers, once again, split the weekend’s games. This time the opponent was the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs. Their first meeting since the Dogs bounced the Pioneers from the 2005-2006 playoffs ended in a 2-1 OT loss for the Pioneers. Glenn Fisher played another exceptional game, making 36 saves, once again giving the Pioneers a chance to win. Ryan Dingle started the scoring off on an even strength score from Brian Gifford and Rhett Rakhshani in the early minutes of the third period. About 7 minutes later, UMD got on the score board while on a power play. Finally, in OT, UMD sophomore Justin Garrison scored the game winner. In a fun (or maybe not so fun depending on who you are) fact, Justin Garrison has scored 4 goals in his career, all them against DU…

In the second game of the series, Junior goalie Peter Mannino garnered his first win of the 2006-2007 season in a 4-2 decision at the DECC. Nobody says it quite like Coach Gwozdecky so, “We played our best game of the season tonight, Our power play came to life and we had a dominant third period. It was good to see Peter get his first win and Rhett score his first goals as a Pioneer." Ryan Dingle started things off again with a tally in the second period. Rhett Rakhshani scored twice, Tyler Ruegsegger netted the game winner, and Geoff Paukovich got his first point of the season with an assist on one of Rakhshani’s goals.

The Pioneers now stand at 4-4-0 in over play, 2-2-0 in WCHA play. They are tied for third place in the WCHA with Michigan Tech, Minnesota, and St. Cloud State. DU gets a rest this week as they prepare to face the Wisconsin Badgers at the Kohl Center. I personally am looking forward to these games more than some of the others this season as I will be in attendance! The countdown is down to 10 days…

The Colorado College Tigers, as predicted by yours truly, have faltered in their play as of late, having been swept for the second weekend in a row. First, CC was swept by UNH while playing in World Arena (scores were 3-4, and 2-7 both in favor of UNH). Last weekend, the Tigers were humiliated by the Minnesota Golden Gophers in Mariucci Arena. Kellen Briggs (who I refuse to believe has only played for the Goofers for four years) earned a shut-out in the Friday night match, saving 20 shots while Matt Zaba (aka Zaba the Hut) earned his third loss of the season. It only got worse for CC in the Saturday night match when they only managed 12 shots on goal and allowed 2 shorthanded goals. The Tigers now sit at the very bottom of the WCHA standings having scored only 1 goal and allowed 10 goals in conference play. CC looks to bounce back next weekend as they face Michigan Tech (who swept Alaska Anchorage last weekend in 9-0 and 5-3 games) in World Arena.

Avs vs. Minnesota 4-1

The Colorado Avalanche had a great showing last night in a 4-1 win over the division leading Minnesota Wild at the Pepsi Center. Milan Hejduk scored twice and Tyler Arnason added his 4th goal of the season. The real story was however, all about Lappy! Ian Laperriere finally scored his 100th career goal! It was quite a beauty. In fact, all four goals were nice, don’t believe me? Watch the highlights here (Click here…)The Avs next take a two game road trip, visiting Columbus (11/1) and St. Louis (11/2), before returning home to play the Vancouver Canucks (11/4)

Avs vs. Washinton 3-5

The Avs lost 5-3 last Wednesday when Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals visited the Pepsi Center. Caps goalie Olaf Kolzig stopped 45 shots in the win, while Peter Budaj saved 26 shots in his second consecutive start. There were two highlights of the night that stood out the most for me.

First, Joe Sakic had an assist on a goal by Andrew Brunette at the 11:33 mark of the first period to become the 11th player to reach the 1,500 point mark and only the 6th player to reach the mark playing for only one franchise. Another highlight of the game was a penalty shot taken by Alexander Ovechkin. He was awarded a penalty shot at 11:58 of the third period, following a hold by Ken Klee on a breakaway, but Budaj swatted it away with his stick. It was very exciting seeing Ovechkin coming down the ice toward Budaj and watching Budaj swat that puck away. Overall, it was a great game to watch despite the Avs’ loss. Paul Stastny continued his point streak The Avs next face the Minnesota Wild on Sunday October 29 in the Pepsi Center.

Avs vs. Los Angeles 6-1

The Colorado Avalanche played an absolutely stellar game last night in a 6-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings at the Pepsi Center. Former DU standout Paul Stastny scored his second NHL goal and tallied two assists to garner First star of the game honors as well as third star of the NHL honors on NHL.com. Paul is now tied, with 8 points in 9 games played, with 3 other players for 3rd highest scorer on the Avalanche. Only Joe Sakic and Milan Hejduk have more points. Also, Paul is tied with Joe Sakic for assists…

In a five goal second period, Milan Hejduk scored two goals and tallied one assist. In an almost comical scene, Hejduk was credited with his second goal, when Patrice Brisbois' shot deflected off Paul Stastny's stick and Hejduk's face past LA goalie Dan Cloutier. Thankfully it appears that Hejduk was not any worse for wear minus a bit of blood in his mouth.

Peter Budaj did a great job in net for the Avs, making 27 shots. He was helped greatly by the Avs’ ability to stay out of the penalty box, having only been assessed three minor penalties (one in each period).

DU splits the weekend with the greatest hair in college hockey, I mean RPI

The University of Denver Pioneers began their first home series of the 2006-2007 season interestingly. In former assistant coach Seth Appert's return to DU on Friday October 20, the RPI Engineers garnered at 2-1 win in DU’s home opener. The DU team seemed sluggish and lazy. After scoring the first goal 13:21 into the first game, sophomore goalie Peter Mannino allowed RPI to score on a 5-on-3 power play to tie the game at the 12:04 mark of the second period after senior forward Steven Cook was called for interference and freshman defenseman Keith Seabrook 9who I like to call the decapitator because of his ultra-hard hits) was called for roughing. The final period showed the DU team putting forth very little effort to try to get back into the game, made worse when RPI scored at 5:10 of the third.

On Saturday October 21, DU put in one of their best performances of this young season, winning 5-1 over RPI. Junior forward Ryan Dingle started the scoring off with a power play goal from Keith Seabrook and captain Adrian Veideman in the first period. RPI tied the game up at 1 early in the second on a power play. At 19:16 of the second, junior defenseman Andrew Thomas scored what turned out to be the game winning goal while in 4-on-4 play. The final period was dominated by the Pioneers as they scored three goals one even strength from freshman phenom Tyler Ruegsegger, one power play from captain Adrian Veideman, and finally a short handed empty net goal from senior Steven Cook. Senior goalie Glenn Fisher looked great saving 21 of 22 shots on goal from RPI. Congratulations to Andrew Thomas on the first multi-point game of his career!

Avs at Montreal 5-8

In a supremely embarrassing night, the Avs lost 8-5 in the final game of their Canadian road trip versus the Montreal Canadians. Jose Theodore was given the start after his stellar performance in Ottawa and looked pretty good in the first period allowing only 1 goal on 11 shots. It was slippery slope to failure from there. In the next two periods, Jose allowed 7 goals on 25 shots from six different Canadians players. After scoring three goals in the space of 1 minute and 15 seconds in the first period, the Avs seemed to be unable to stay out of the penalty box, having 4 penalties called on them in the second period alone. Things fell apart from there. The Habs scored an astonishing 5 goals in the final period.

A few notes about the game:
-In one of the classiest moves this season, John-Michael Liles gave his number (26) to Paul Stastny in favor of his college number (4), previously held by Rob Blake.
-Paul Stastny scored his first NHL goal at the 16:41 mark of the first period. Perhaps the number change spurred Stastny on? An interesting tidbit is that Paul’s brother Yan also scored his first NHL goal against the Canadians, a team their father, Hall of Famer Peter Stastny had great success against in his illustrious NHL career.
-the crowd in Montreal was loud…so loud that I could distinctly hear them chanting Theo, Theo, Theo every time the puck came near him. After one of these instances when play stopped, those witty French-Canadians who run the Bell Centre played “Stars go Blind” by none other than Paris Hilton. The crowd thought this was so funny that they could be heard laughing and cheering, much to the chagrin of Jose Theodore.
-Former Av David Aebischer garnered the start for the Canadians. He did well in his first game against his former team, allowing 5 goals on 36 shots.

On a final note, there was a great article on NHL.com about the Stastny brothers.
Click here to read the full story.

Avs at Ottawa 2-1

The Avs had another great win last night when they visited the Ottawa Senators. In the 2-1 win, Jose Theodore stopped 26 of 27 shots while Brad Richardson scored a short handed goal to win the game for the Avs. Joe Sakic opened up the scoring 10 minutes into the third period, with the help of Andrew Brunette and Ian Laperriere. Richardson’s beautiful shorthanded goal, his second of the season, came a mere six minutes later to put the Avs up 2-0 on the struggling Senators. After a rough start, the Sens big line of Heatly, Spezza, and Alfredsson finally managed to get on the score sheet 10 minutes into the third period. Theodore did an excellent job of keeping the Avs in the game in the final period and had an all around great game. It’s been reported that he’ll be making the start when the Avs face the Montreal Canadians on Saturday.

In other interesting Avalanche news, John-Michael Liles will be returning to his college number (4), allowing former Pioneer Paul Stastny to have his college number (26), which was also his Hall of Fame father’s number. What a classy move by Liles!

Avs at Toronto 4-1

The Colorado Avalanche had a very nice win over the Toronto Maple Leafs last night as they began a 3 game road trip. John-Michael Liles scored twice, while Brett McClean and Milan Hejduk scored one a piece in the 4-1 win. Former Av Bates Battaglia scored for the Leafs at 2:22 of the first period, but from there is was all about the Avs. Peter Budaj made 27 saves in the win.

In some interesting Statistics news, Avalanche Rookies Wojtek Wolski and Paul Stastny are tied for 4th place in Rookie Scoring. Both have played all 6 of the Avalanche’s games with Wolski getting 3 goals and 1 while Stastny got 4 assists. (On a side note, former DU standout and 2006 Hobey Baker Winner Matt Carle is second in the league in Rookie Scoring have scored 2 goals and 4 assists in 6 games with San Jose).

The Avs continue their road trip tonight facing the Ottawa Senators in Canada’s Capital. The Senators are 2-3-0 in 5 games, all their losses coming on their home ice. Look for a lot of break away scoring chances for the Avs as the Sens have struggled on the blue line this year after the loss of Zdeno Chara to Boston (who by the way are 1-3-1, further proof that Chara is not as good as his $7.5 million contract would leave you to believe, and that Phil Kessel is indeed a cancer to any team he plays on….).

Giddyap!

So I’ve gotten behind…oops! That’s bound to happen with school starting and my massive amounts of devoirs francais as well as the reorganization of my department at work... Anyways, here’s all the news that’s fit to print…

DU won their exhibition game against the Dinos in a 6-3 contest on September 30. The Dinos tallied the first score of the game in the first, and then followed in the second with another goal. DU went on to score 6 unanswered goals in the space of 22 minutes. With 10 seconds left the Dinos scored one last time. Both Glenn Fisher and Peter Mannino had great showings, though it seemed the team played better in front of Mannino as all the DU goals were scored while he was in net. The most astonishing thing about this game was the amount of penalties called. DU had 15 penalties for 30 minutes while the Dinos had 21 penalties for 42 minutes.

Other college teams in Colorado also faced the Dinos. CC lost 4-2 on October 1. In one of the most embarrassing losses in recent history, CC put 53 shots on goal and allowed 4 power play goals. CC was down 3-0 before senior Brandon Polich scored with less than 15 seconds left in the second period. The Air Force Academy faced the Dinos on October 2, taking a win in a 4-2 game.

In other DU news, the Pioneers opened their 2006-2007 season in Oxford, Ohio at the Icebreaker Tournament. DU faced the Miami (Ohio) Redhawks in the evening game of the tournament. DU really had no chance, this being the first game the Redhawks played in their brand new ice arena. Miami scored 5 goals on 31 shots. Mannino’s play was mediocre at best. The next evening DU faced Colgate in third place game, winning 3-2 with three power play goals in the second period. Glenn Fisher took the win in net.

Last weekend, DU visited the St. Cloud State Huskies. In the first game of the series on Friday night, Glenn Fisher faced a career 50 shots, making a career high 47 saves to help the Pioneers win 4-3 in OT. Bobby Goepfert on the other end of the ice only faced 23 shots for the night. Admittedly, SCSU should have won this game. It was a nice steal for Glenn Fisher, who then started on Saturday night to disastrous results. Fisher allowed 4 goals on a mere 11 shots before he was pulled in favor of Peter Mannino, who then allowed 1 goal on 9 shots. Bobby Goepfert turned in an average performance, allowing 2 goals on 20 shots. Once again, Jon Campion’s personal vendetta against DU reared its ugly head in the 12 penalties called against DU (in contrast, only 7 were called against SCSU) during the weekend…

In other Colorado College news, CC played 4 non-conference (cupcake) games, taking 3 wins and on embarrassing tie. CC has faced Air Force (2-1 win for CC), Alabama-Huntsville (8-1 win for CC), Nebraska-Omaha (2-2 tie……), and Merrimack (5-0 win for CC). Now some people might be getting the mistaken impression that CC is actually going to do alright this year after losing their top 4 scorers, however taking a look at the teams CC has faced thus far doesn’t really who how they will match-up against Championship caliber teams…just give it time. I think this coming weekend’s match-up versus New Hampshire will be a much better measure of what to expect from the Tigers this season.

The Avs dropped their first two games of the season on October 4 and 5. Both were lost by the score of 3-2 in overtime though each game had a very different feel to it. In the home/season opener on October 4, the Avs were up 2-0 against the Dallas Stars going into the third period after Joe Sakic and Wojtek Wolski each scored 46 seconds apart in the first period. Former Stars captain Mike “prettiest hair in the NHL” Modano scored against Jose Theodore on a pass from Eric “where the hell am I” Lindros. 28 seconds later newcomer Loui “I’m too cool to have an S in my first name but I got two in my last name to over compensate” Eriksson scored to tie the game. It appeared the Avs were going to be able to win when Daryl “Mr. right place at the right time” Sydor was called for slashing at the 20 minute mark of the third period. However the Avs were only able to muster 3 shots on Marty “I’ve the fattest ass in the NHL and I love Modano” Turco in the OT period before he cleared the puck at the exact moment Sydor was exiting the penalty box, Sydor then went on the score the game winning goal. On a side note, would like to know who Eriksson was rewarded? He was sent to the AHL…gotta love the Stars…

In the second of the Avs overtime loses, the Wild scored the first two goals of the game. Both tallies came from quite possibly the scariest line in the NHL, Branko “I’ve got too many letters in my last name” Radivojevic, Marian “isn’t my Mohawk pretty?” Gaborik, and Pavol “I finally get to play with my lover in the NHL even though it’s for a team that sucks just as bad as the team I just came from” Demitra. This all-Slovak line moves like they were always meant to be a line and they score beautiful goals. Sophomore Brad Richardson was the best player for the Avs scoring twice for the Avs, once shorthand and unassisted, and again assisted by Ian Laperriere. He was such a rock star! Unfortunately, the Avs couldn’t pull the win out in the OT period as Todd “I look like an accountant” White scored in the first minute. Peter Budaj made a good showing, keeping the Avs in the game several times…

The Avs finally won a game on October 8 when the Vancouver Canucks came to visit. Marek Svatos scored two goals to help the Avalanche beat their Northwestern Division rivals in a 3-2 game. In our first look at Roberto Luongo, we saw glimpses of brilliance…Theodore played his best game yet.

After 6 days rest, the Avalanche faced the Edmonton Oilers on October 14. My favorite Mullet (aka Ryan Smyth) scored twice to lead the Oilers in a 4-3 victory at the Pepsi Center. Theodore let in a few softies on 25 shots on goal for a disappointing performance. Paul Stastny turned in another great performance for the Avs, assisting on 2 of the Avalanche’s three goals and garnering the third star of the game.

On October 16, the Chicago Blackhawks came to town. In another disappointing loss, the silver lining seems to be Tyler Arnason, who appears to have gotten his groove back as he tallied a goal and assist. There have been many questions regarding how Arnason will acquit himself this year and it looks as though he might be just fine.

The Avalanche go on their first road trip of the season this week, visiting Toronto (10/18), Ottawa (10/19), and Montreal (10/21). My best guess is that Propecia Joe (who, let me have an extremely girlie moment here, is way hotter in person than in his pictures….) will play the Toronto and Montreal games, while Budaj covers Ottawa. But it could be the other way or maybe Propecia Joe will play all the games, only time will tell.

On a final note, Senior Forward JD Corbin has broken his leg while in practice and it appears he will be out until March. This is a tough loss for the team, but definitely one that can be borne. This is even harder for JD who seems to have rotten luck with injuries (you may remember he broke his collar bone in the final practice before the CC game in the 2005 Frozen Four). I wish a very speedy recovery!

DU vs. University of Calgary

This coming Saturday, September 30, the University of Denver Pioneers will play their first game of the 2006-2007 season in an exhibition game against the University of Calgary Dinos. The Dinos are celebrating their 40th Anniversary this season. In the four preseason games the Dinos have played this year they have won 1 and lost 3. Their roster offers a bevy of Albertans, a fair share of British Columbians, a smattering of players from other various Canadian provinces. In their 40 year history, it appears the Dinos have never won the University Cup, Canada's version of a National Champsionship title. However, they have won several Canada West Conference Championships (1974, 1976, 1980, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1995, 1996). For more information about the University of Calgary Dinos please visit their Official Site.

Whew...time goes by so fast!

So here I am, it's almost Friday, I'm exhausted, and I'd like to share some pictures with you. This week has been extra crazy! It all started with Oktoberfest last Friday night (you might recall I went 3 weeks ago and yes I went last weekend too!). I was there until 1am (that's when they shut it down), hanging out with my stein and my friends. Then I got up at 7:30 Saturday morning to attend Avalanche Training Camp. It was awesome! I went the following day as well. Then on Monday, the Avalanche held their annual Burgundy and White Scrimmage in Magness Arena at DU. It was amazing! I had so much fun sitting at the glass (and it only cost me $20!). On Tuesday night I went the Avs first preseason game versus Dallas. It was so much fun and the Avs won. Julia got her DU jersey signed by Mark Rycroft and I heckled some little kids...Last night I drove 1 1/2 hours to Fort Collins to see The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Lorene Drive, and Monty are I. I didn't get home until 1am! Then i had to go to class and work today...It's been a long day! Anyway, here's some pictures from all of the hockey events I attended in the last week! Enjoy!!!! (ps...click on the little picture, which will take you to my album on Webshots)


by csmith10du

A couple things...

First and foremost, I'd like to point your attention to my links section. I have done a little revamping and created a section for DU hockey sites. There you will find links to DU's official site, Let's Go DU blog, and a couple new additions. First is the Unofficial DU site put together by CO14ers. It has lots of information regarding the upcoming season, a countdown to the first game (September 30!), a DU fan Hall of Fame (which I was honored to be considered for!), and a page specifically for hating on CC. PLEASE check it out! Click Here to see the site for yourself!

My second new addition is the Denver Pioneers Message Board. It's a few hardcore DU fans talking about DU hockey without all the whinning of the CC Message Board. Check it out!

Second, I'd like to proclaim to the world that I GOT MY TICKETS!!!!!!!!!! That's right, folks, my 2006-2007 Season Tickets for DU came in the mail yesterday...it was a glorious moment opening that envelope and seeing that shining red booklet...16 days until the puck drops!

Third, in the very near future, I will post some pictures from the Avs Rookie Camp that took place last weekend. PiosAvsFan and I had a blast watching Wolski, Richardson and Stastny. So keep an eye out for those pictures...

Fourth, the Avs Burgandy and White scrimmage is coming up in 5 short days. I will be attending with 6 of my closest friends and family. We'll be sitting in Row 1 of Section 3 if any of my adoring fans want to come visit me. (That was a joke by the way, but seriously if you are there, come say HI! I swear I'm very nice and I don't bite...hard anyway...)

Fifth, the Avs are holding Training Camp this coming weekend. I'll be in attendance on both Saturday and Sunday and will post pictures and obersvations.

Sixth, the Avs Preseason starts next week. I'll be attending two of the three home preseason game (one versus Dallas and one versus Detroit). A big thanks to JB for helping PiosAvsFan and I out with the tickets!

Lastly, I'd like to talk about something that has absolutely nothing to do with hockey! Bear with me please...I'd like to promote a killer up-and-coming band called The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. I had the opportunity to see them live at the Bluebird about three weeks ago and they blew my socks off! It was the most amazing show I have EVER seen! They're music is absolutely amazing...it's hard rock mixed with catchy melodies and a little bit a screamo...I am going to see them again on September 20 when I drive up to Fort Collins. Please check them out! And thanks for bearing with me through that!

Here's what's going on in my neck of the woods...

This is gonna be short and sweet as I head out the door to Oktoberfest…

Denver’s Red-shirted Freshman Forward Brock Trotter was profiled on Inside College Hockey’s A to Z click here for full story

Colorado College’s Sophomore Chad Rau was also profiled click here for the full story

Avalanche Marek Svatos finally re-signed click here for the full story

Burgundy and White game to be held at DU click here for the full story

Avalanche Rookie Camp taking place in the next couple days click here for the full story

Avalanche Training Camp next weekend click here for the full story

Former Captain Matt Laatsch is returning to DU to serve as a Volunteer Assistant Coach click here for the full story

Michelle Kwan will skip the 2006-2007 Figure Skating season to attend DU click here for the full story

Forward JP Brunkhorst has decided to forgo his senior season to pursue his studies so that he can attend Med School click here for the full story

The CC tigers have picked their captains for the 2006-2007 season click here for the full story

Former DU standout Connor James signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins click here for the full story

Blogger Eric McErlain has some interesting ideas about how bloggers could go about getting media credentials to cover sports teams click here for the full story

A Little Love

At the conclusion of the 2006 National Junior Evaluation Camp in Lake Placid, New York, all the talk was about Phil Kessel’s 3 goals and 4 assists in 7 games, the fact that Jack Skille actually showed up for camp while the Johnsons (Eric and Jack to be specific) were just too busy and discussion of the fact that Skille’s team White went undefeated while Kessel’s team Blue went 3-1. However, almost no one mentioned that DU recruit Rhett Rakhshani was tied with Kessel for the most points in the camp with 7 assists. This is further proof that DU’s incoming class is very underrated. Finally, Rhett got some love with a really nice article by Simon Richard on Hockey’s Future (Rakhshani shares top scoring at USA WJC camp), full text following.

There are those whose face and eyes simply light up their environment -- their happiness is contagious. New York Islanders prospect Rhett Rakhshani (pronounced "Rock-Sha-Knee") is undoubtedly one of them.

After the final game of USA Team White against the Finns in Lake Placid at the recent USA Junior Team Evaluation Camp, he had a large smile.

"It’s fun here, it is always a pleasure to be with the best players in the country. You see where you stand with the top guys, said Rakhshani. "A lot of these guys know each other, we also meet new guys and we all have a good time hanging out with each other."

Rakhshani was one of the best players of the tournament held from August 8-12, in which teams from Finland and from Sweden also took part. He tallied seven assists and was the tournament leading scorer along with American Phil Kessel (BOS).

"The skill level was about the same than at the Under-18 level, but the speed, the decision making and the strength were a lot higher here," said the 5’10, 170-pound right winger.

Rakhshani said that he felt good out on the ice. "I could hang with the pace, but definitively needed a little adjustment. You’ve got to make sure that you always move on the ice and always avoid getting hit. It was fun though.”

Rakhshani is not big, but he is a very good skater, quick with very good hands. His main quality is probably his capacity to read the play very well and send the puck right on the tape of his teammates in motion.

Asked what is his best quality, he immediately replied, "My decision-making and my quickness too."

He knows his strengths and what he has to do to compensate for his relative small body. "I’m not the biggest guy, I can move. If you always move on your feet and are fast on the ice, they can’t catch you."

California kids can love hockey too

Rakhshani’s grandfather left the Persian region to take roots in California. A native of Huntington Beach in southern California, Rhett grew up at a stone’s throw away from the warm Pacific waters, a place where frozen ponds don’t exist. Rakhshani could have been a surfer or a scuba diver, or picked a popular sport like baseball.
He preferred instead to glide on roller blades. "I started playing at roller hockey when I was 5 years old. When I was 8 or 9, I began to play on ice," explained Rakhshani.

"I never wanted to do any other sports when I started in hockey. I love it so much.

"Even a kid from Huntington Beach, you know, can fall in love with hockey. I’m not the only one either. My buddy Cameron Cepek, who was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens this year too, is also a native of Huntington," said Rakhshani with a large smile.

It is said that the passage of Wayne Gretzky with the L.A. Kings from 1988 to 1996 had a great impact on the popularity on hockey in California. Luc Robitaille, who spent close to 20 years with the Kings also contributed a lot in the development of hockey.

According to the most recent USA Hockey statistics, there are about 17,000 registered youth ice hockey players in California compared to only 2,200 in 1985-86.

Rakhshani played seven years for the California Wave. This team was formed in the mid-1990’s by former CHLers Jack Bowkus and Jeff Turcotte, the younger brother of Alfie who played 112 games in the NHL.

The Wave’s hockey development program had a tremendous success. Since 2003, five of its alumni, including Rakhshani, have been drafted by NHL teams – Robbie Earl (TOR), Brett Sterling (ATL), Cameron Cepek (MON) and T.J. Miller (NJ). Several players from the Wave have received scholarship from NCAA division teams and more than 10 have been selected by WHL teams.

Southern California teams had also a great success at the national level. In April 2006, the California Midget AAA Wave won the 2006 USA Hockey 16-and-Under Tier 1 National Championships in Rochester, NY. The California bantam AAA Wave team also won the national title in the 14-and-Under Tier 1 category in 2004.

At this year’s USA National Championships, a team from southern California, the L.A. Selects, also won the National Championships in the 14-and-Under Tier 1 category in Rochester, NY.

The future looks also bright as the L.A. Selects 12-and-Under Tier 1 team were the runner up in the 2005 USA Championships.

"Hockey is getting a lot better in California. There are a lot of talented kids and good coaches," said Rakhshani.

"I definitely think that the skill level is really high there. There are good hockey players everywhere, all over the country. [California born players] can be good hockey players too, we are competitive," observed Rakhshani.

From southern California to Michigan

In 2003-04, Rakhshani recorded 121 points in 56 games with the Midget AAA California Wave.
He was then invited to join the Under-17 team in the U.S. National Development Team Program. So he traveled 2,000 miles away from home in the direction of Ann Arbor, Mich.

"At first, it was hard in Ann Arbor, just adjusting to a different area which I was not familiar with, adjusting to play with the top kids of the country on the National Team. But hockey, you’ve got to adjust to and that was not that bad," said Rakhshani.

"The biggest thing for me to adjust to was the weather. ’m so used to this wonderful weather everyday in California. Suddenly, during the winter in Ann Arbor, I was freezing my butt off every morning when I woke up and when I went to bed. That was really hard."

The 16-year-old at that time had an atypical education as well as he had been home-schooled by his mother.

But Rakhshani had success in the NTDP program. He was an assistant captain with the USA Under-17 team. He had 49 points in 59 games that year and was his team’s second best scorer, just behind the 2007-eligible Pat Kane.

Last season, Rakhshani accumulated 43 points in 63 games with the U.S. U-18 Team. He scored a key goal in the final game of the IIHF U-18 World Championship in Sweden, tying the game 1-1 en route to U.S. gold medal win over Finland.

After two successful years in the NTDP program, Rakhshani was ranked 56th among the North American skaters by the Central Scouting Services. He was the only Californian invited to the NHL’s annual combine in Toronto a few weeks prior to the 2006 Entry Draft. He was then drafted by the Islanders in the fourth round, 100th overall.

"I was just excited to go anywhere,” he said. “Just so much excited to be part of that (the Entry Draft), just to be able to pursue my dream and get the opportunity to do that.

"Getting drafted is a first step in that process."

The next step will be to join the University of Denver for the next season and hopefully fly again to Sweden at the end of December, this time to participate in the 2007 IIHF World Junior Championship.

In other Colorado connections to the camp, CC's Chad Rau and Billy Sweatt were also in attendance, as well as Colorado Avalanche prospects Mike Carman, Kevin Montgomery and Ryan Stoa. Rau tallied 2 goals and 2 assists in 4 games with team White. Sweatt tallied 1 goal and 2 assists with team Blue. Carman tallied 1 goal and 2 assits with team Blue. Montgomery tallied 1 assist with team Blue. Stoa tallied 1 goal with team White.

Hockey Humor

During this trying time in hockey as the mass exodus of college players continues and the Avalanche organization continues to sit and do nothing…I thought we could all use some hockey related humor…please enjoy the following pictures and note that some of the images may not be suitable for the very young, elderly, or prudes….you have been warned!

Some news...

#24 Brian Salcido demonstrates a skating technique only for the very advanced



In a not so suprising move, junior Brian Salcido of Colorado College decided to forego his last year of eligiability and signed with the Anaheim Ducks. This hurts the Tigers as he was the top returning scorer and a member of their first power play unit. With the graduation of Brett Sterling, Marty Sertich and Joey Crabb, sophomore phenom Chad Rau is now the top returning scorer for CC, followed by junior Jimmy Kilpatrick, senior Lee Sweatt and junior Derek Patrosso. Read more about this signing here.

Wisconsin here I come!!

I am very pleased to announce that I will (along with my two best friends, Megan and PiosAvsFan) will be visiting the great state of Wisconsin from November 10-12!! We booked our flight yesterday (thanks JB!!!) and now we are looking for a good hotel to stay in...we've been told that the Doubletree is a good place as it's very close to the Kohl Center...Any help from my Wisconsin readers would be most appreciated!!

I honestly don't think I've ever been more excited about a trip...it's going to be amazing what with spending time with my two favorite people and some good hockey...oh is it November yet??

A Very Sad Day at DU

Yesterday afternoon, we here on the beautiful campus of the University of Denver received the news that Paul Stastny has signed with the Colorado Avalanche and will forgo his remaining two years at DU. Many of my colleagues feel pained and could barely work today. I’ve seen grown men tear up at the thought of the loss. It’s been a very sad day indeed.

The feeling around the nets represents two very different ends of the feelings spectrum…naturally; Avs fans are thrilled to see a signing at long last. They feel hopeful that Stastny will knock everyone’s socks off at training camp and assume his rightful place with the team. There are a few nay-sayers who believe he doesn’t stand a snowflake’s chance in hell of making the team and will spend the next year in Albany with the AHL’s River Rats, but only time will tell…

The DU fans feel quite differently about the situation. They express their best wishes to Paul in the future, but also feel disappointed and shocked, some even betrayed, by his very sudden departure.

Personally, I am always happy for players when they get one step closer to their dreams of playing in the NHL. I only feel saddened for the team to have lost a teammate. I hope that Paul is able to play with the Avalanche in the coming season and that he finds success very soon.

Now we all must look to future of both teams and see the light at the end of this tunnel. The Avalanche was able to save some cap space as Stastny signed an entry level contract that will pay $450,000 should he make the team. They also add greatly to the offensive depth they can pull from throughout the season.

The Pioneers will be able to afford opportunities to other, very talented players throughout this year that will enhance the team for the years to come and make them stronger competitors as a group.

Ask and Ye Shall Receive

One of my most loyal readers (PiosAvsFan I’m talking about you!) asked that Mike Modano’s head be replaced by someone more attractive. So I pulled together a few rather comical looking renditions of that unfortunate picture…


I like to call this Wade Modano. I have yet to extol on my great love for the Senator’s number one d-man on this blog, but I’m sure when the Avs play Ottawa October 19th, I will bore you all with tales of his daring deeds and rakishly good looks…


As I know how PiosAvsFan feels about the one, the only, Marek Svatos, I made Mike Svatos or Marek Modano, whichever you prefer…


Lastly, because he has such great hair, I thought Propecia Joe deserved a good looking body too, rather than that rail thin and non-muscular frame he calls a body…

It's the middle of summer, I'm hot and not motivated...

So, I am obsessed with Hockey Player Hair…mullets, shaved, Mohawks, I love it all. Hockey Player Hair falls into two categories, Good and Evil. It’s a black and white issue really…Let’s start with Evil…


Joe Thornton…what can I say? The bleached blonde might be the issue, or the general shagginess. Hard to say really, but this is evil.


Michael Handzus. Did something die on your head? Is that a wig? I’m not really sure. Definitely evil, however, it looks pretty stellar blowing around while he skates.


Jaromir Jagr. I like to call this do the Jagrlet. It’s part mullet, part Jaromir Jagr genius. He just hasn’t been the same with out. I think he may have lost some of his ability when he cut the Jagrlet. Bring it back!!! Still evil though…


Chris Simon. We actually let this guy suit up in an Avalanche sweater? I’m completely grossed out…


Radek Bonk. As if his name wasn’t bad enough, he has evil hair…this guy just can’t win.


Barry Melrose. This is post hockey playing days, but I couldn’t resist. Not only is he rocking the baby mullet, but I love the obscene facial hair. Just say no…


Mike Modano. The mother of all evil hair. No man should have hair as pretty as Mike Modano. It’s just not right…nice body though… (Ps, I’m not entirely sure that this is actually his body. In fact, I’m pretty certain that his head and the beautiful hair that goes with it, was super-imposed on a hot body…that’s the only plausible explanation)

And moving on to the Good...

Joe Thornton. The previously evil haired Thornton not only got a new start in San Jose, but a new totally hot hair do. All around a great trade for him.


Ryan Smyth. Generally, mullets would go in the evil category (see the Jagrlet) but I just can’t get enough of this one…


Jose Theodore. By far, THE BEST hockey hair around. It’s not pretty like Mike Modano’s but it does add to the general splendor. The propecia is obviously doing him some good. Look at that hair. It’s hot.


I love this model picture of when he played for Djurgardens in Sweden last year. Great looking hair.

Insert Witty Title here...

Well, hockey season is over. No more games...however, there is still the Awards Banquet and the Draft. Not to mention various moves a Free Agents and more college defections. So here are a few words...

NHL:
-the Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup. I was very disappointed with the play of Edmonton in game 7. I was really pulling for them to win it. Out of the whole Carolina squad, there are only three players that are decent: Cam Ward, Mike Commodore, and Bret Hedican. So congrats to those three! Also, way to go Cam Ward with winning the Conn Smythe. He's like 4 months older than me and he is just amazing....
-Joe Sakic signed a one year contract with the Avalanche worth $5.75 Million. A steal if you ask me. He could definitley get more somewhere else, but he is good enough to stay with the only franchise he has ever played for in the NHL. Thanks Joe!
-The NHL Draft takes place this Saturday June 24th in Vancouver. The Avalanche are set to pick 18th in round one. I think they will be looking for the best available Defensemen as the system is deep with fowards.
-The Awards for the 2005-2006 season will be given out tomorrow June 22nd (which just happens to be my 22nd birthday. sorry, i had to put it out there) and can be seen on OLN at 6pm MST.

DU:
-DU released it 2006-2007 schedule. It looks mostly good for DU, however, the Non-conference teams are weak so the team can't afford to lose to them. As you can see, I have added a countdown to the new season...can't wait...
-DU has added a training camp special from CSTV to its website. I highly suggest checking it out. My good friend PiosAvsFan was kind enough to let me watch it at her house as she subcribes to CSTV so I know it's really great.

Various:
-Avalanche goalie and all around hottie Jose Theodore was seen "canoodling" with Paris Hilton at a club in Toronto after the Much Music Awards last weekend. Now, I'm a little confused. Last I heard, he and girlfriend Stephanie Cloutier were basking in the glow of parenthood and love...Now, while my beloved Propecia Joe and that Hitlon girl were seen going in to her hotel at the end of the evening, I don't think he slept with her...My best friend's response to that was priceless "Yeah Catie, cuz hot guys hang out with Paris Hitlon for her intellect..." I'll throw in a picture so you can decide for yourself...

The Evolution of Chris Pronger

In honor of the Oiler's amazing OT win over the Carolina hurricanes Wednesday night, rather than write a boring piece on how amazing Chris Pronger and Fernando Pisani are, I thought I would instead focus on one of my favorite topics...Hair. As a few of my loyal readers (and friends) know, I am rather obsessed with hair...Today, I'd like to talk about Chris Pronger and his hair...

Probably his first NHL team picture. It is just okay...not great not terrible. 6 out of 10.

This pic was from way back in the day when Chris played for the Hartford Whalers (who ps are now the Carolina Hurricanes, small world). This is the evil child of the 50's buzz cut...2 out of 10.

I'm not sure where this pic comes from, most likely a team pic. But the point is, this is the absolute WORST do Prongs has ever sported! Whoever told him this look good, should be shot immediately....Absolutely heinous, 1 out of 10...

This is a picture of Chris, his brother Sean (who is definitely not as talented as his famous brother) and a fan while Chris was playing for St. Louis. I'm going to have to give this do (which is pretty close to his present day coif)a 9 out of 10 as this is probably his best look...

The lighting takes away from this pic. It looks like Angels are lighting Chris' way though doesn't it? I give this a 5 out of 10 as it's not terribly flattering...

I love this coif. Probably the best he has ever had! It's the perfect length for him...totally hot. 10 out of 10!

This is a picture from one of his many All-Star game appearances. I give it a 8 out of 10. I like the general style, but it's a bit too long.

Chris' current team picture. 8 out of 10 go to this one, but only because the picture reminds me of Beaker from the Muppets...I think they may have been separated at birth!