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Big House To Host NHL's Winter Classic

February 08, 2012

Canadian sports network, TSN, is reporting that Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan will be the venue for next year's edition of the NHL Winter Classic. TSN is also reporting that the Detroit Red Wings will play host to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the first Canadian team to play the Winter Classic.

Michigan Stadium, also known as "The Big House", can hold more than 100,000 fans. The stadium set the record for largest attendance for a hockey game back in 2010, when the University of Michigan defeated their in-state rival Michigan State University, 5-0. More than 104,000 fans attended the game.

Michigan Stadium was chosen over Comerica Park due in fact because it can hold more people and it could raise TV ratings for the game. Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch originally wanted the game to be held at Comerica Park, home of the Ilitch owned Detroit Tigers, because he wanted to make a commitment to the city of Detroit. Comerica Park will stay play a huge part in the Winter Classic, holding many festivities leading up to the game.

The Red Wings have previously played in one other Winter Classic back in 2009. The Red Wings defeated the Chicago Blackhawks, 6-4, at the friendly confines of Wrigley Field.

The NHL record for attendance in a single game came back in the inaugural Winter Classic back in 2008. 71,217 fans packed into Ralph Wilson Stadium and saw the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres, 2-1 in a shootout.

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Bruins Visit White House, Obama Sans Thomas

January 23, 2012

The Boston Bruins made a trip to the White House as President Barack Obama honored the Stanley Cup champions. One key player was noticeably absent from the festivities.

Conn Smythe winner and Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas opted against joining his team at the White House, citing political reasons.

Thomas posted a statement on his Facebook page that said the following:

"I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People. This is being done at the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial level. This is in direct opposition to the Constitution and the Founding Fathers vision for the Federal government. Because I believe this, today I exercised my right as a Free Citizen, and did not visit the White House. This was not about politics or party, as in my opinion both parties are responsible for the situation we are in as a country. This was about a choice I had to make as an INDIVIDUAL. This is the only public statement I will be making on this topic. TT"

Bruins defenseman and captain Zdeno Chara said about Thomas' absence, "Honestly, I don't have any thoughts about it, that's what he decided to do and the rest of it is up to him."

Bruins team president and former player Cam Neely was disappointed, but supported Thomas' decision saying, "Everybody has their own opinions and political beliefs and he chose not to join us, we certainly would have liked to have him come and join us, but that's his choice. Obviously it's not a choice that most of the guys, all the guys came except for Tim. That's his decision and his choice."

All in all it was a great visit by the Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins. President Obama congratulated them on their championship and praised the team for its charitable work. Obama said of the Bruins, "The Bruins, the Sox, the Celtics, now the Patriots. Enough already, Boston." He also called player Brad Marchand by his nickname: "Little ball of hate"

The Bruins face the Washington Capitals tomorrow night in Washington.

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TMG Sports Blog Year In Review: Sports Oddities

December 24, 2011
An another year is about to pass and with it we wax poetic on the year in sports. The entry will start our "Year in Review" leading up to the new year. Today we talk about the odd and quirky moments in sports for the 2011 year. So without further ado, here we go.
- Eric Byrnes Steamrolls Harold Reynolds on live TV
I have been a big Eric Brynes fan for quite sometime. He is energetic, crazy, and just a spark plug wherever he goes. So when he demonstrated how to plow over a player on MLB Network, you had to expect this...
- CFL Greats Fist Fight At A Luncheon
I guess the only way the CFL is going to make news in the US is when two 70 year olds slug it out on stage. Joe Kapp and Angelo Mosca have had a feud since the 1963 Grey Cup when Mosca knocked out Kapp's teammate in a controversial hit. 48 years later, Mosca attempted to deliver an olive branch to Kapp and Kapp showed Mosca where to stick it.
- Jarome Iginla Gets Vague Question, Is Puzzled
After a win against the Minnesota Wild, Flames captain Jarome Iginla was doing his normal post-game interviews from the locker room when he received a vague question from a reporter, who I assume is filling in for a normal sports reporter. The question was, "setting up the play". Fast forward to about the 2:20 mark for the question and response to perhaps one of the worst question asked in sports (outside of Super Bowl Media Day).
- Ben Revere Somersaults His Way Into A Triple
Minnesota Twins outfielder Ben Revere ripped a ball down the right field line against the Kansas City Royals and appeared on his way to an easy triple. Until he stumbled between second and third. Most players would have retreated back to second and have been content with a double, but not Revere. Revere not only stuck the landing, but made it into third with a triple in perhaps the most unintentional play of the year.
- Jerry Remy and Don Orsillo Uncontrollably Laughing At Fan's Grab
As a fan of the Red Sox, I watch NESN all the time for games. I'm a HUGE fan of Jerry Remy and Don Orsillo. They have great chemistry and make the game enjoyable to watch even when it is a blowout. They riff on random things from pop culture to solar eclipses (the sun does not go in front of the moon, Don). This moment starts off innocent enough until one fan gets a little too intimate with his lady friend.

I'm sure there is more moments, but I can't type forever. If you have one that you think is worthy comment below and here's to more odd moments in 2012.
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51 Year Old Goalie Suits Up For Wild

November 23, 2011

The Minnesota Wild has signed a 51 year old rec league goalie Paul Deutsch to an amateur tryout contract.

The Wild were out of options at goaltender when they turned to the rec league goalie. Number one goaltender Niklas Backstrom was unavailable due to personal reasons and the goalie Matt Hackett, who was recently called up from the AHL's Houston Aeros, couldn't make it because his flight into St. Paul was scheduled to land at 6:30. So the Wild didn't have any other choice.

Deutsch didn't play goalie until he was 37, when most NHL goalies tend to break down. Deutsch said the reason he picked up goaltending was because in senior men's hockey if there's no goalie, there's no game.

When Deutsch isn't playing goalie and suiting up for the Wild, he runs a screen printing business in Richfield, Minnesota.

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Ryan Miler Suffers Concussion; Out Indefinitely

November 14, 2011

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller is out indefinitely after suffering a concussion when Boston Bruins winger Milan Lucic collided into him.

Lucic and Miller collided in the first period after a puck just went out of Lucic's reach as Miller was trying to knock it away. Lucic was assessed a two minute charging minor for the hit. Miller stayed in the game giving up three more goals before being pulled in the second.

The Sabres have called up goaltender Drew MacIntyre from their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. There is no timetable for Miller's return. Miller went on to call Lucic "gutless" and "a piece of (expletive)".

Lucic is to meet with NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan on Monday afternoon to review the hit and talk about any further punishment, if necessary.

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Former NHL Player: Steroid Use Common

November 06, 2011

Former NHL player and enforcer Georges Laraque claims in a new book that steroid use in the NHL was commonplace.

According to Laraque's new book, "The Story of the NHL's Unlikeliest Tough Guy", enforcers in the NHL routinely took steroids to help them gain weight before reaching the pros and took different substances, such as Ephedrine, so they would be desenstized before a fight. Laraque did not name any players in his book.

The NHL and NHL Player's Association have not yet responded to Laraque's claims.

Laraque started his career in 1997 with the Edmonton Oilers and later played for the Phoenix Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Montreal Canadiens. He has amassed 1,126 penalty minutes and has 153 career points.

Laraque is now a deputy leader for Canada's Green Party, a position he has held since July 2010.

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Bring Back The Hartford Whalers!

October 03, 2011

As a Bruins fan growing up, I remembered the Bruins rivalry with the Hartford Whalers for the fight for supremacy in New England. I'm sure even older fans remember a better rivalry than I. In the early 1990s these two teams played in some of the hardest fought games for the Adams Division crown and their rivalry with Boston was almost up there with the Bruins rivalry with the Canadiens.

Then in March of 1997, Whalers owner Peter Karmanos announced that the team would move to the hockey hotbed that is Raleigh, North Carolina. With that announcement came a heavy blow to Whaler Nation and the silence of the iconic Brass Bonanza. The NHL was a weird time back then with Gary Bettman choosing to expand out west and in the southeastern US while plucking teams from Winnipeg, Quebec City, and Hartford. One of these teams, the Phoenix Coyotes, are in such financial straits that they filed for bankruptcy and are now being controlled by the NHL. The Coyotes actually had a buyer that was willing to move the team to Hamilton, Ontario but Bettman preferred that the team stay in Phoenix as to not make Bettman look bad. Bettman never fought this hard to keep the Jets in Winnipeg when they decided to move to Phoenix.

The Phoenix Coyotes are not much longer in the Valley of the Sun whether Bettman would like to admit it or not. So why not move the Coyotes to Hartford? The NHL is already planning to realign teams beginning in the 2012-13 season and since the Winnipeg Jets, formerly the Atlanta Thrashers, are moving from the East to the West it just seems like an even trade to move Phoenix to Hartford. The Coyotes are a good team but will never compete with the Suns, D-Backs, or Cardinals even if they make a strong playoff run.

The Whalers still have a strong fan base some 14 years after their departure and Whalers gear continue to sell very well. The AHL team based out of based out of Hartford changed their name to the Connecticut Whale and retained former Whalers mascot Pucky the Whale. Their attendance this past season, the first under the new Whale name, had the their highest average attendance in six seasons. Their only real problem is getting a new arena but Whale owner and former Whalers owner Howard Baldwin is committed to drum up enough interest in hockey in effort to build a new arena.

I am hopeful that hockey would return to Hartford and the famous whale tail logo would adorn the green jerseys once again. The Brass Bonanza playing from the loudspeakers as the Whalers take the ice. But until that time comes all we can do is remember and just hope that the Whalers come back home where it belongs.

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