This was a fairly fun (of course, the class is always fun!), light class. The lecture was mostly a bunch of interesting anecdotes, and the video... Well, we saw a video of Foster Hewitt commentating for a game in Russia between the Bruins and the Grizzlies--live bears!! ^^;; These bears had actually been trained to skate and to somewhat hold the stick and hit the puck. It was amusing, I'll admit, but also rather sad to see the types of things people do to animals for entertainment.
Brian McFarlane was an excellent guest. It felt like he could've just gone on forever with his stories! Unfortunately, I didn't really take notes, so I can't really remember much of what he actually said, but I do know that whatever it was, it was entertaining!
Anne Klisanich is just a lovely lady. The way she spoke about her brother, Bill Barilko was very touching. It was also great to see how red she could make Kevin by praising him and his upcoming Barilko book! =P
Monday, July 26, 2004
Monday, July 19, 2004
What Makes a Champion
Well, class started off with a great discussion about our favourite hockey players, why we like them, and also, what makes a champion--both teamwise and player wise. It wasn't exactly earth shattering, I suppose, but it was fun to find out what qualities other people admire in hockey players. Actually, it was pretty interesting because size seemed to be something the guys mentioned a lot; they admired players because they were great in spite of their "smaller" or relatively small size, or they admired players who were surprisingly speedy and graceful despite their size. It wasn't really something that the girls mentioned, though. Maybe it's because a lot of the guys came from hockey backgrounds, so playing hockey really drove home the size factor, whereas for us girls without the playing experience, it's not something that really registers. Anyway, as I said, it was a fun discussion.
The best part of the night was definitely our guest, though: Mike Cammalleri from the LA Kings!!! ^__^ He's a really nice guy, very open, down to earth. Definitely he's joined my list of "admired" players. One of the cool things I found out--only after the class, though--is that apparently he just called Kevin up one day, mentioned that he'd heard of the class and asked if he could come by and be a guest or something! How cool is that? It's just so awesome that he was interested in the class and took the initiative to come and be a part of it.
I'm going to digress a bit, and throw in some funny personal things related to him and the LA Kings. Well, I've "liked" (as opposed to disliking or feeling indifferent towards) the Kings since they defeated the Vancouver Canucks in the final game of the 2002-2003 season because they allowed the Avs to get their 10th straight division title. =P I've also got an LA Kings hat, because when I bought my Nordiques jersey from someone online, he decided to throw in the hat! (And this was the summer after the 2002-03 season, so I had already started "liking" the Kings.)
Then tonight when I told Steph that Mike Cammalleri was a guest in our class, she was like, oh yeah, he's got a pretty high rating in NHL 2004. His potential rating is really good, and everyime I play LA (in NHL 2004), he scores! LOL So that just added to my general feelings of admiration for Mr. Cammalleri. ^_^
Anyway, back to the class tonight, I think the reason I can safely add him to my "admired" list is not just because he's a nice guy, but because he's got a lot of the characteristics I admire in players. He's a really dedicated, hard working player. I mean, he mentioned how, knowing that he might have some difficulties because of his size, he made it a point to train hard and strengthen himself. After his first training camp with the Kings, he was apparently the third strongest guy on the team, which is quite an accomplishment. I really admire players who work hard.
Plus I thought it was cool that he's already thought ahead to the end of his career--he's hoping to establish a real estate company or something, and to maybe even play on some golf tours. I think that's a really great example for young people who look up to professional athletes. I wonder if, as a result of his having planned a bit for the end of his career, he maybe appreciates the fact that he is playing in the NHL right now a bit more. I mean, if he's thought ahead, he probably recognizes that his time in the NHL is limited, so I'd think that's enable him to appreciate the opportunity he has and has had more. *shrug*
What else to say? There was way too much! The anecdotes that he related were just great--often amusing, always reflective of his great love for the game. I think one of the coolest things he said was: "I don't feel small on the ice." As a spectator, and as a player as well, you hear so much about how being small is such a disadvantage and everything, so it really seems like a huge kind of stigma that has to be dealt with, but then there he was, saying that he didn't feel smaller than anyone else on the ice. I can't explain it (as usual) but that's just a really neat concept for me.
Did I mention that he's very approachable? Well, he is, and as a result I felt a lot less embarrassed than usual to ask for an autograph (in my notebook! =P) and a photo. ^_^ Thank goodness I started bringing my camera to every class!
I just love the way he signed! "Your friend" exclamation mark! =D What a great guy!
(Oh, and he made such an impression on me, I just joined the Michael Cammalleri Fanlisting!)
The best part of the night was definitely our guest, though: Mike Cammalleri from the LA Kings!!! ^__^ He's a really nice guy, very open, down to earth. Definitely he's joined my list of "admired" players. One of the cool things I found out--only after the class, though--is that apparently he just called Kevin up one day, mentioned that he'd heard of the class and asked if he could come by and be a guest or something! How cool is that? It's just so awesome that he was interested in the class and took the initiative to come and be a part of it.
I'm going to digress a bit, and throw in some funny personal things related to him and the LA Kings. Well, I've "liked" (as opposed to disliking or feeling indifferent towards) the Kings since they defeated the Vancouver Canucks in the final game of the 2002-2003 season because they allowed the Avs to get their 10th straight division title. =P I've also got an LA Kings hat, because when I bought my Nordiques jersey from someone online, he decided to throw in the hat! (And this was the summer after the 2002-03 season, so I had already started "liking" the Kings.)
Then tonight when I told Steph that Mike Cammalleri was a guest in our class, she was like, oh yeah, he's got a pretty high rating in NHL 2004. His potential rating is really good, and everyime I play LA (in NHL 2004), he scores! LOL So that just added to my general feelings of admiration for Mr. Cammalleri. ^_^
Anyway, back to the class tonight, I think the reason I can safely add him to my "admired" list is not just because he's a nice guy, but because he's got a lot of the characteristics I admire in players. He's a really dedicated, hard working player. I mean, he mentioned how, knowing that he might have some difficulties because of his size, he made it a point to train hard and strengthen himself. After his first training camp with the Kings, he was apparently the third strongest guy on the team, which is quite an accomplishment. I really admire players who work hard.
Plus I thought it was cool that he's already thought ahead to the end of his career--he's hoping to establish a real estate company or something, and to maybe even play on some golf tours. I think that's a really great example for young people who look up to professional athletes. I wonder if, as a result of his having planned a bit for the end of his career, he maybe appreciates the fact that he is playing in the NHL right now a bit more. I mean, if he's thought ahead, he probably recognizes that his time in the NHL is limited, so I'd think that's enable him to appreciate the opportunity he has and has had more. *shrug*
What else to say? There was way too much! The anecdotes that he related were just great--often amusing, always reflective of his great love for the game. I think one of the coolest things he said was: "I don't feel small on the ice." As a spectator, and as a player as well, you hear so much about how being small is such a disadvantage and everything, so it really seems like a huge kind of stigma that has to be dealt with, but then there he was, saying that he didn't feel smaller than anyone else on the ice. I can't explain it (as usual) but that's just a really neat concept for me.
Did I mention that he's very approachable? Well, he is, and as a result I felt a lot less embarrassed than usual to ask for an autograph (in my notebook! =P) and a photo. ^_^ Thank goodness I started bringing my camera to every class!
I just love the way he signed! "Your friend" exclamation mark! =D What a great guy!
(Oh, and he made such an impression on me, I just joined the Michael Cammalleri Fanlisting!)
Tuesday, July 13, 2004
International Hockey
Well, this was a topic that I really didn't know much about, which is a little ironic considering that international hockey was what what got me interested in hockey in the first place. I mean, sure it was NHL hockey that really grabbed me by the throat and made hockey into a fullblown obsession, but my earliest interest(s) in hockey came from international hockey.
In grade 10 history, the second most interesting topic for me (after the Avro Arrow) was probably the '72 Summit Series. Even though it didn't develop into any sort of deeper interest in hockey at the time, I was fascinated by the idea of hockey having the power to unify a nation, of forming our national identity. Certainly I was interested enough to tape the first episode of Powerplay when it began airing that year. I think I even watched it regularly for a couple of episodes, which is saying a lot considering that after grade eight I basically stopped following any tv shows.
Then of course my current passion began with the 2002 Olympics. I watched almost all of the men's games, some of the women's, and made it a point to watch both the men's and women's gold medal games. If I hadn't watched Olympic hockey, who knows if I would've bothered to watch the playoff games that ultimately got me hooked on hockey for life!
So yes, considering my own hockey history, it's a little sad that I know so little about international hockey. I mean, who knew that until just two years ago, German and English (in 2002 it was changed to be only English) were the official languages of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).
Anyway, the guests this week told a lot of great stories about their experiences in international hockey. Darren had a particularly amusing anecdote about how at his first team dinner (with a Helsinki, Finland team) everyone was really reserved and no one talked to him until after they'd all had some alcohol, and after that, they were all talking to him and even hitting on his wife--who was seven months pregnant at the time! =P
But yeah, he made some good points about how difficult it is to adjust when you first start playing hockey in a foreign land. I mean, the coaches didn't give him any instructions and no one really talked to him when he first joined the team, so he just had to follow along with what everyone else was doing on the ice and stuff. How difficult that must've been! And he made the point that it works in reverse too--that it's not an easy thing for European players to come over here to play in the NHL. I guess that's something I've always known, but it never really hit me until he shared his own experience with the loneliness and isolation of playing in a different country.
Another comment that he made that I found insightful that it's mental and emotional fortitude more than anything else that determines whether or not a European player will make it in the NHL. It makes sense, when you think about it, but I think the reason most people don't think about it is because of our Canadian/North American bias. We tend to think that Canadian players are just heads above any other players because hockey is "Canada's game." For all that we pride ourselves on Canadians being humble (an oxymoron if ever there was one), we're really quite conceited when it comes to hockey.
In grade 10 history, the second most interesting topic for me (after the Avro Arrow) was probably the '72 Summit Series. Even though it didn't develop into any sort of deeper interest in hockey at the time, I was fascinated by the idea of hockey having the power to unify a nation, of forming our national identity. Certainly I was interested enough to tape the first episode of Powerplay when it began airing that year. I think I even watched it regularly for a couple of episodes, which is saying a lot considering that after grade eight I basically stopped following any tv shows.
Then of course my current passion began with the 2002 Olympics. I watched almost all of the men's games, some of the women's, and made it a point to watch both the men's and women's gold medal games. If I hadn't watched Olympic hockey, who knows if I would've bothered to watch the playoff games that ultimately got me hooked on hockey for life!
So yes, considering my own hockey history, it's a little sad that I know so little about international hockey. I mean, who knew that until just two years ago, German and English (in 2002 it was changed to be only English) were the official languages of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).
Anyway, the guests this week told a lot of great stories about their experiences in international hockey. Darren had a particularly amusing anecdote about how at his first team dinner (with a Helsinki, Finland team) everyone was really reserved and no one talked to him until after they'd all had some alcohol, and after that, they were all talking to him and even hitting on his wife--who was seven months pregnant at the time! =P
But yeah, he made some good points about how difficult it is to adjust when you first start playing hockey in a foreign land. I mean, the coaches didn't give him any instructions and no one really talked to him when he first joined the team, so he just had to follow along with what everyone else was doing on the ice and stuff. How difficult that must've been! And he made the point that it works in reverse too--that it's not an easy thing for European players to come over here to play in the NHL. I guess that's something I've always known, but it never really hit me until he shared his own experience with the loneliness and isolation of playing in a different country.
Another comment that he made that I found insightful that it's mental and emotional fortitude more than anything else that determines whether or not a European player will make it in the NHL. It makes sense, when you think about it, but I think the reason most people don't think about it is because of our Canadian/North American bias. We tend to think that Canadian players are just heads above any other players because hockey is "Canada's game." For all that we pride ourselves on Canadians being humble (an oxymoron if ever there was one), we're really quite conceited when it comes to hockey.
Monday, July 05, 2004
After My Own Heart
This week was really a topic dear to my heart, hockey in popular culture! So Kevin and Phil started off the class talking about hockey music, movies, books, stamps and various collectibles, which was cool! I learned that Jean Claude Van Damme was in a hockey movie ("Sudden Death" 1995), and that Keanu Reeves played a goalie in another one ("Youngblood" 1986). Really got to get myself copies of those! Oh, and John Wayne was even in a hockey movie in 1931 called "Idol of the Crowds" and apparently he really couldn't skate and was crashing into the boards all the time! LOL
So yes, lots of interesting things! Oh, I also learned that Phil collects hockey stamps! His collection's pretty neat, I mean, even countries that you wouldn't think of as playing hockey (and sometimes actually don't play hockey) like Tchad or Guyana have hockey stamps! Really, who knew?
The guests were fun too. Rey Sandre had a lot of interesting insights on the way collecting hockey stuff (cards, memorabilia, etc.) has changed. It was kind of ironic actually, because he brought up the issue of card companies chopping up jerseys or goalie pads and stuff to make cards, and what that means from a museum's (like the HHOF)point of view, and then I talked to Kevin later about bringing by my Kaberle cards so he could get a better look at them, and of course I've got jersey cards! Not only do I have them, I really like to get jersey cards! Not to mention I've got that Terry Sawchuk jersey card, which is kind of different from having a modern/current player's jersey card, because players nowadays know about the collectors market and kind of help it by wearing multiple jerseys for special games (think of Lemiuex or Gretzky on his retirement night) but in the old days, players had to make their stuff last, so memorabilia from "legends" is a lot more scarce! ^^;; It's a tough issue for me, as a collector.
Anyway, Darrin Pfeiffer was a pretty entertaining guest as well. Apparently the real title of his "Wayne Gretzky song" is "The Only Man I'd Ever Have Sex With." =P Isn't that crazy? Apparently Gretzky's wife really loves the song. Oh, but when he (Darrin) actually met Gretzky and he introduced himself, he was reassuring Gretzky that he wasn't a crazy stalker or anything, and he just thought it was a funny song, and wouldn't really want to have sex with him or anything (well, maybe). I mean, he didn't want to have his hero afraid of him! LOL
Oh, and Darrin's a McDonald's hockey card collector too! It was great because he was talking about how he'd try to find that nice manager who'd let him buy like 20 packs without getting food first, and how he'd buy like a hundred packs and end up with stack of doubles just to get that one card, and I could totally understand! ^_^
So yes, lots of interesting things! Oh, I also learned that Phil collects hockey stamps! His collection's pretty neat, I mean, even countries that you wouldn't think of as playing hockey (and sometimes actually don't play hockey) like Tchad or Guyana have hockey stamps! Really, who knew?
The guests were fun too. Rey Sandre had a lot of interesting insights on the way collecting hockey stuff (cards, memorabilia, etc.) has changed. It was kind of ironic actually, because he brought up the issue of card companies chopping up jerseys or goalie pads and stuff to make cards, and what that means from a museum's (like the HHOF)point of view, and then I talked to Kevin later about bringing by my Kaberle cards so he could get a better look at them, and of course I've got jersey cards! Not only do I have them, I really like to get jersey cards! Not to mention I've got that Terry Sawchuk jersey card, which is kind of different from having a modern/current player's jersey card, because players nowadays know about the collectors market and kind of help it by wearing multiple jerseys for special games (think of Lemiuex or Gretzky on his retirement night) but in the old days, players had to make their stuff last, so memorabilia from "legends" is a lot more scarce! ^^;; It's a tough issue for me, as a collector.
Anyway, Darrin Pfeiffer was a pretty entertaining guest as well. Apparently the real title of his "Wayne Gretzky song" is "The Only Man I'd Ever Have Sex With." =P Isn't that crazy? Apparently Gretzky's wife really loves the song. Oh, but when he (Darrin) actually met Gretzky and he introduced himself, he was reassuring Gretzky that he wasn't a crazy stalker or anything, and he just thought it was a funny song, and wouldn't really want to have sex with him or anything (well, maybe). I mean, he didn't want to have his hero afraid of him! LOL
Oh, and Darrin's a McDonald's hockey card collector too! It was great because he was talking about how he'd try to find that nice manager who'd let him buy like 20 packs without getting food first, and how he'd buy like a hundred packs and end up with stack of doubles just to get that one card, and I could totally understand! ^_^
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