Monthly Archives: August 2011
Helping A Friend – The Hockey Community Sticks Together
As most of you know, Hurricane Irene swept through most of the east coast and left a path of destruction this past weekend.
While most of you reading this may not have been directly affected, or maybe had to deal with a flooded basement or a longer trip to work because of a downed tree or a flooded road, others weren’t so lucky.
A friend of mine, a fellow blogger, a hockey fan, and an overall good person was one of those people.
Late Sunday night, she tweeted: “House is under water. Going to lose it all. Devastated.”
She was up to her neck in water as she pushed her dog in a kayak to get to safety. She would eventually lose the kayak, too. She had to sleep in her car. I’m not sure where she is going from there.
I won’t post her name or Twitter ID (she’s protected anyway, so you can’t see anything) because, really, that’s not important.
What is important is what I’ve seen in the past from the hockey community. No matter what team you’re a fan of, no matter what coast you’re on, hockey fans stick together. They are always willing to help each other.
I saw it with the Nashville Floods. I’ve seen it on more personal levels, and I’d love to see it again.
We are setting up a few events to collect donations, clothing, and anything else she (and her pup) may need.
If you’d like to help in any way, please email me, or contact me on Twitter or Facebook.
I will be updating this post with any other links to events we are working on or ways you can help.
Thank you!
Best to Wear # 5 – Colin White
NUMBER: 5
HEIGHT: 6′ 4
WEIGHT: 225
POSITION: Defenseman
SHOOTS: Left
BORN: December 12, 1977
BIRTHPLACE: New Glasgow, NS, CAN
Eric Weinrich and the rest of the players to wear # 5 barely stood a chance, as Colin White stole the vote as the best player to wear number five for the New Jersey Devils.
The Devils drafted White 49th Overall in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. White was called up to the Devils late in the 1999-2000 season and helped the Devils win the Stanley Cup that year. White was also a key defensive factor when the Devils won their third Stanley Cup in 2003.
Colin White was a familiar face on the Devils blue-line, until White suffered an unfortunate injury. During the 2007-2008 pre-season, White was defending two-on-one rushes during a team practice. He was up against John Madden and rookie Nicklas Bergfors. Bergfors took a shot that deflected off of White’s stick and hit him in the right eye. Devils fans say ever since this injury, White has not been the same player.
Because of the injury, White couldn’t be as physical as he once was. You no longer saw him drop the gloves, because if he got hit in the eye again, he would go blind. It’s because of this risk, that White started to wear a visor.
A semi-surprise occurred on August 1, 2011: Colin White was placed on waivers. Fans knew Colin White’s time with New Jersey was coming to an end, they just didn’t expect for it to happen so quickly. White was bought out by the Devils on August 2, and signed a new one year, $1-million contract with the San Jose Sharks.
| Career Stats with the New Jersey Devils | ||||||||||
| GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | PP | SH | GW | S | S% |
| 743 | 20 | 105 | 125 | 79 | 848 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 665 | 3.0% |
Thanks to everyone who participated in this week’s poll.
“Best to Wear” # 6 will be posted on Tuesday.
Player Profile: Dainius Zubrus
NUMBER: 8
HEIGHT: 6′ 5″
POSITION: Center
SHOOTS: Left
BORN: June 16, 1978
BIRTHPLACE: Elektrenai, Lithuania
Dainius Zubrus was drafted 15th overall in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers. His rookie season, he helped the Flyers reach the Stanley Cup Final. In 1999, he was traded to the Montreal Canadiens, and in 2001 he would play for the Washington Capitals. In February of 2007, he was traded to the Buffalo Sabres, and in July of that year he would become a free agent! Lucky for us Devils fans, he signed a 6 year contract worth $20.4 million to play for us!
The “Lithuanian Locomotive” (as Chico would call him) had one of the best offensive games in Devils history on November 23, 2008 when he tied a team record by scoring 4 goals against the Tampa Bay Lightning, leading the team to a 7-3 victory.
Zubrus is one of my absolute favorite players on our team. He’s a total package. He can pass, he can shoot, he can score, and he’s not afraid to throw his weight around when he needs to!
In addition to his presence on the ice, Zubie has a wonderful personality off the ice. He has made many public appearances and I’ve had the privilege of getting multiple chances to talk to him. He’s quick to smile, has a great sense of humor, and takes the time to answer any question (no matter how silly sounding) his fans have.
So, here’s to you, Dainius Zubrus!
Dainius Zubrus & Kim
| 2010-2011 Season Stats | ||||||||||
| GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | PP | SH | GW | S | S% |
| 79 | 13 | 17 | 30 | -11 | 53 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 115 | 11.3 |
Best to Wear – #5
I know, I know. You think I don’t know how to count properly. Clearly, the number five does NOT come after the number two.
After much debate, and feedback from readers, we will not be doing a “Best to Wear ” for number three or four. Seeing as these are the only numbers retired by the New Jersey Devils, I think it’s pretty clear who the best to wear them are. However in case you’re wondering here are what would’ve been the choices (bold denotes who the number is retired for).
#3: Ken Daneyko, Dave Hutchison
#4: Scott Stevens, Myles O’Connor, Sergei Starikov, Eric Weinrich, Jamie Huscroft, Gord Mark, Bob Lorimer
Also, a lot of you have been asking if we’re talking about just their career in New Jersey or their NHL career as a whole. Try to focus on their Jersey career, but don’t let me stop you from voting for someone based on their NHL career.
You will have until 11:59 PM EDT on Thursday, August 25 to cast your vote. As a comment, leave a reason why you voted for a certain player.
So, Devils Army, Who was the Best to Wear # 5?
Devils assist Stop Shootin’ Toy Gun Exchange Program
A crowd of over one hundred people filled Mildred Helms Park on Seymour Avenue in Newark for a rather unique toy gun exchange. Hosted by Mayor Cory Booker and members of the Newark Municipal Court, the toy gun exchange offered children a chance to trade in one of their own toys for a different one, one that would help discourage a culture where guns and senseless violence are tolerated. The Devils Army was present to offer their own toys—hockey sticks and Devils’ Army Pucks.
The children present could trade in any type of toy gun, whether it was a water gun, cap gun or simple noisemaker for board games, baseball tee sets, miniature pool tables, basketballs, bowling sets, books or Barbie dolls. In addition to these toys, each kid received a Devils stick and a Devils Army puck. The event succeeded in getting guns out of their hands and hockey sticks into them, even encouraging some children to begin playing hockey before they left the park.
The exchange was created by Stop Shootin’ Inc.’s Co-Founder Al-Tarek Onque, who said the idea came to him when he saw two children playing with toy guns. He said he hopes to “change the mindset at a young age,” so that kids learn the dangers of guns before they are exposed to actual weapons. After Onque thanked the crowd, council members and Mayor Booker, he left with the idea of allowing the youth to lead by example so that adults would follow. Councilman Ras Baraka echoed several important sentiments of “Stop shooting and start thinking,” as well as “Put down the guns and pick up a book.”
Mayor Booker, who was the last to speak, also stressed the importance of bringing the community together. He joked with the children and handed out toys and hockey sticks to the kids once the exchange began. Mayor Booker also raffled off several scooters, skateboards and a new bicycle.
For more information about Stop Shootin’ Inc. and Stop Shootin’ Music, check out their website at stopshootinmusic.org.
Best to Wear # 2 – Viacheslav Fetisov
NUMBER: 2
HEIGHT: 6′ 1″
WEIGHT: 215
POSITION: Defenseman
SHOOTS: Left
BORN: April 20, 1958
BIRTHPLACE: Moscow, Russia
The Devils Army overwhelmingly voted Viacheslav Fetisov as the best player to wear #2 for the New Jersey Devils. Fetisov recorded over half of the votes (56.6%) and the next closest, was over 240 votes behind.
Before entering the National Hockey League, Fetisov played with Russian Club, HC CSKA Moscow for 11 seasons. He had expressed his interest to play in the NHL; however, due to Soviet rules, he was not allowed to. Fetisov says the Soviet Minister of Defence at the time gave him an ultimatum to either apologize or be sent to play in the Ukraine.
Eventually, Fetisov led a group of eight Soviet hockey players into the NHL. Soviet hockey officials decided to allow Soviet players to play in the NHL, as long as they competed for the Soviet Union in International competitions.
In the 1983 NHL Entry Draft, not only did the Devils pick John MacLean at sixth overall, but they also picked Fetisov in the very same draft….. 139 picks later. Fetisov was drafted in the eighth round, at the 145th overall pick. Here’s a little piece of trivia: Fetisov was actually drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in 1978, but was not able to play in the NHL at the time.
In Fetisov’s rookie season in 1989-1990, he collected a career high eight goals, and 42 points.
Fetisov played with the Devils until the 1994-1995 season when he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings, the Devils eventual opponents in the Stanley Cup. Here’s interesting trivia, part two: While playing for Detroit, Fetisov’s defense partner was Mike Ramsey. The two played against each other in the historical Miracle on Ice game.
| Career Stats with the New Jersey Devils | ||||||||||
| GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | PP | SH | GW | S | S% |
| 546 | 36 | 192 | 228 | -6 | 656 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 662 | 5.4% |
I want to thank everyone who voted in this poll, and I also want to say that there will be no Best to Wear #3 or #4. Check back on Tuesday, we’ll be voting for Best to Wear #5.
Devils Army Road Trip to Long Island, Updated!
The Devils Army Generals would like to extend an invitation to the greatest fans in the NHL as we head out to Long Island to see our New Jersey Devils take on the New York Islanders at the Coliseum.
The game is scheduled for Saturday, March 10, 2012 at 7PM. The seats will be in Section 325, where the Devils shoot twice.
Here’s the breakdown
New Jersey Devils @ New York Islanders
Saturday, March 10, 2012
7:00 PM
Ticket: $42/person
Transportation: $20/person
Payment Due: February 14th
If you decide you don’t want to ride with us just pay for your ticket and we’ll see you there! If you already purchased your tickets and don’t want to drive out to Long Island, there are a few seats available on the bus!
There are only a few tickets available, so please email us immediately if you’re interested.
Please send an email to devilsroadtrips@gmail.com with your name, address, telephone number, and the number of tickets you would like to purchase. Any questions can be directed to this email as well.
UPDATED: February 14, 2012
Best to Wear #1: New Jersey Devil Chico Resch
I must say, I’m pleasantly surprised by the closeness of votes on this one. I thought for sure Chico Resch would win by a HUGE margin. I was proved wrong.
The Devils Army, pleased with the Moose‘s performance last year, had John Hedberg battling Chico head to head for most of the poll. However, everyone’s favorite Devil Food Critic was able to gain supreme.
NUMBER: 1
HEIGHT: 5′ 9″
WEIGHT: 195
POSITION: Goaltender
Caught: Left
BORN: July 10, 1948
BIRTHPLACE: Moose Jaw, SK, CAN
Chico Resch was acquired from the New York Islanders, back when the Devils were still the struggling Colorado Rockies. Resch played out the final seasons of the Rockies until the team relocated in 1982 and became the team we know and love, the New Jersey Devils.
Resch proved to be a building block to make the Devils franchise successful. When the Devils hosted the 1984 All Star Game, Chico was the winning goaltender.
Chico saw a gigantic work load as the starting goaltender of the Devils but saw little success. Resch was eventually traded from the struggling Devils in 1986 to the Flyers to backup rookie sensation, Ron Hextall.
Resch never won a Stanley Cup with the Devils, but he did win the Bill Masterson Trophy (player who shows best sportsmanship and dedication to ice hockey) in the Rockies final season, 1982.
Currently you can catch Chico as a commentator in MSG Plus for the New Jersey Devils. Chico’s popularity among Devils fans grew when the Devils moved to the Prudential Center, and MSG Plus started a segment during Devils games known as, “Chico Eats” where Resch would sample food from eateries in the new arena.
| Career Stats with COL/NJ | ||||||||||
| GP | W | L | T | SO | GA | GAA | MIN | |||
| 267 | 67 | 148 | 33 | 1 | 1,010 | 4.06 | 14,817 | |||
Chico Resch: Best to Wear # 1.
On Monday, we will have the next poll in the series, “Best to Wear #2?”
If you have any comments about the outcome of this poll, feel free to leave any opinions you may have in the comment section.
Research and DEVILopment
School is almost back in session as summer vacation draws to a close. This is no different for the National Hockey League.
Starting up is the return of the Research, Development and Orientation camp which will be used to test potential changes to the game. Changes that will be tested will include very subtle, almost unnoticed, changes, to the more, “Oh my gosh, did the barber use a weed-whacker on your hair?” changes.
If you ever wanted to know how today’s game would be played if they didn’t have the Brodeur Rule (that little trapezoid behind the net), this is exactly what they will be testing at the camp.
The NHL will have the two past Jack Adams Award (Coach of the Year) winners– Pittsburgh’s Dan Bylsma and Phoenix’s Dave Tippett — serving as mentors for the young prospects. Not only will the camp serve as a testing ground for potential rule changes, but the camp will also allow teams to take a look at possible 2012 prospects. In total, 36 prospects eligible for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft will be participating in the camp.
Now, I know you’re thinking to yourself, “What kind of rule changes could they possibly be testing?” Let me ease your mind.
1) Trapezoid Rule – The rule was introduced post-lockout as a way to increase scoring. The rule limits goaltenders from leaving the crease to go play a puck in the corners. As a Devils fan, I absolutely detest the rule. Martin Brodeur is noted as one of the greatest puck-handling goalies of all-time. He would always come out of the crease, play the puck in the corner, and lunge it down ice to a streaking player. However, with the trapezoid rule, Brodeur is restricted into staying in his little blue zone in front of the net. Many teams favor this rule because they have very, poor puck-handling goaltenders. The trapezoid limits player movement on the ice, which is not what the game is about. Players should be able to skate and play the puck wherever they want. I won’t even get into the fact that goalies can’t skate over the red-line.
2) No Icing While Shorthanded – While it seems like a good idea to allow shorthanded teams to just heave a puck down the ice since they’re down one or two players, it’s really not. Hockey is supposed to be a game of skill and action. Shooting a puck down ice to clear time off the penalty kill is BORING. What’s being tested at the RDO camp is that the team actually has to play defense. If teams want to be able to dump it into the opposing zone, they must take it past the red-line and dump, just like a regular shift. This will showcase a team’s strong/weak defense since they will actually have to gain possession of the puck and carry it out. Many are mixed on this rule as the NHL gave powerplay teams a sizeable advantage a couple of years ago, when they stated that at the start of a powerplay, the faceoff will be in the offensive zone.
3) Overtime Variations – Every day, I hear people complaining about the shooutout at the end of overtime, and how you would never see a baseball game end in a home run derby, or basketball end in a slam dunk contest. People complain that the shootout takes away that special edge from penalty shots. Hey, everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. I, personally, enjoy shootouts. Always have, always will. But let’s try this on for size, shall we. What if there’s a tie after regulation and teams play FOUR minutes of 4-on-4 hockey. No one scores, still tied. Instead of going to a shootout right away, it would be a THREE minute period of 3-on-3 hockey. I would LOVE to see 3-on-3 hockey. There wouldn’t be clusters of players on the ice, wide-open range to skate and set up plays. The league wants to see fast-paced action and high scoring, 3-on-3 is an awesome addition to OT. If no one scores after the 3-on-3, it would go to a shootout. Also, the league is testing out the possibility of switching ends at the end of regulation. For example, third period a team is shooting left to right, that team would shoot right to left in OT. The league is partial to increasing the time of overtime, that way there might be less shootouts to end the game.
Those are a few of the major changes that the league will be looking into. There are a couple minor things, such as: referees wearing wireless headsets to relay information to each other during a game, and the “bear hug rule.” The bear hug rule, introduced by Brian Burke, would allow players to wrap their arms around an opposing player to take him into the boards as opposed to violently throwing him into the boards, thus reducing injury.
Which rule changes would you like to see implemented into the game? Leave a comment with your favorite rule change, or add a suggestion of your own!
Follow Kevin on Twitter at @kevinlankey
