During Reading Week I covered the 2013 Female World Sport School Challenge. I blogged about it and basically was taken back by the level of skill, speed, and size of girls hockey at the high school level.
Well, I would be stupid if I didn't mention the silver medal won by the Canadian Women's National team last week. I know that it's not what they were looking for. It's gold or bust for that team but give credit where it's due, the Americans played fantastic and earned the top prize.
I actually know two players on the Canadian squad. I played high school hockey with #3 Jocelyne Larocque. When we played back in 2004, she was our best defenseman - as a grade 10 girl. It's no surprise she's reached the highest level. I also know #17 Bailey Bram. I went to high school with her and I'm pretty sure she schooled me on the outdoor once or twice.
Both girls are from Ste. Anne, Manitoba, where I currently play senior hockey. There must be something in the water because Ste. Anne continues to produces unbelievable female hockey players. On top of Larocque and Bram, Ste. Anne is home to other female greats like Mel Gagnon (played 6 years for Team Canada U-22 and played in the NCAA Frozen Four in 2009 alongside Larocque and Bram) and up-and-comer Shelby Bram, Bailey's younger sister, who might just crack the National Team lineup in a few years.
It was a privilege to play with Jocelyne for that one season, and against her in many years of minor hockey in some classic Ste. Anne VS. Lorette battles. I know that she will crack the 2014 Sochi line-up, as will Bailey, and hopefully they can reclaim what's rightfully theirs - a gold medal!
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Hop (off) on the bandwagon!
I'm getting sick and tired of a lot of so-called Jets fans lately. You know, those people who predicted the Jets would miss the playoffs at the beginning of the season, hailed them as potential Cup contenders when they sat comfortably atop the Southeast Division two weeks ago, and now say that we will miss the playoffs.
I get it. The Jets are an inconsistent bunch and the roller coaster ride of emotion that is their season is tough to deal with. But if we take a step back and realize who this team truly is, then maybe we can get a grip.
I predicted the Jets would miss the playoffs at the beginning of the year. I did so because they are very young, unpredictable, and have not proved themselves to this point. I also thought Carolina would be the powerhouse of the SE. When I went to the 6-1 loss against Washington last week, I was texting my friend Adam throughout and after the game. Admittedly, I probably sounded like one of the people I'm describing above. I said we didn't deserve to make the playoffs after losing like that (twice!) to a divisional rival on home ice. I said we would lose 6-7 games in a row. I said I wouldn't go to my last game against Buffalo on April 9th, because I am 0-3 at the MTS Centre this year and a lowly 3-6 overall. To say I was a little dramatic is an understatement, but I think the beer and the way we lost that game gave me good reason to be upset. Either way, I was back cheering for the team the next game, hopeful we could rebound but mindful of my initial prediction.
It appears that 6-7 game skid is here like I thought. Regardless, if you would have told me at the beginning of the season that with 10 games remaining, the Jets would sit in 3rd place in the East, two points up on Washington, four up on Carolina and 1 point out of 8th, I would have been extremely surprised and excited. Is the Winnipeg sports media excited right now? Are "fans" excited? Not at all... We've dropped 6 of our last 8 and seem to be sinking out of the playoff picture. Everyone is pressing the panic button. Is this really all that surprising? Did we honestly expect to win the Southeast this year? Let's face it, the Jets overachieved for the majority of this season. They won games they probably shouldn't have, and they lost games they should have won (similar to last season). They are who we thought they were and that's not a terrible thing. The future is bright with guys like Kane, Schiefele, Trouba, Enstrom, Redmond, and Wheeler all with their best hockey ahead of them.
The good thing about this predicament is that we can still make the playoffs! Win 6 or 7 of those 10 and we're in. Unlikely at this point, but hey it could happen. What's more likely though is the Jets will just miss the post-season and it will be viewed as a "collapse" by fans and media alike. While factually it's correct to say the Jets nose-dived at the end of the season to miss the playoffs, the reality is no one had this team to make it in the first place. Those who did, I commend you for having faith in a young team with loads of potential - and to those people - you have every right to be mad about the Jets missing the playoffs. But to the rest, which I'm sure is the majority, I say shame on you! You never believed this squad would make the post season. Just because we played a good stretch of hockey and put ourselves in a good spot, doesn't guarantee a playoff berth. You have no right to write this team off as failures, you never gave them a shot in the first place.
I get it. The Jets are an inconsistent bunch and the roller coaster ride of emotion that is their season is tough to deal with. But if we take a step back and realize who this team truly is, then maybe we can get a grip.
I predicted the Jets would miss the playoffs at the beginning of the year. I did so because they are very young, unpredictable, and have not proved themselves to this point. I also thought Carolina would be the powerhouse of the SE. When I went to the 6-1 loss against Washington last week, I was texting my friend Adam throughout and after the game. Admittedly, I probably sounded like one of the people I'm describing above. I said we didn't deserve to make the playoffs after losing like that (twice!) to a divisional rival on home ice. I said we would lose 6-7 games in a row. I said I wouldn't go to my last game against Buffalo on April 9th, because I am 0-3 at the MTS Centre this year and a lowly 3-6 overall. To say I was a little dramatic is an understatement, but I think the beer and the way we lost that game gave me good reason to be upset. Either way, I was back cheering for the team the next game, hopeful we could rebound but mindful of my initial prediction.
It appears that 6-7 game skid is here like I thought. Regardless, if you would have told me at the beginning of the season that with 10 games remaining, the Jets would sit in 3rd place in the East, two points up on Washington, four up on Carolina and 1 point out of 8th, I would have been extremely surprised and excited. Is the Winnipeg sports media excited right now? Are "fans" excited? Not at all... We've dropped 6 of our last 8 and seem to be sinking out of the playoff picture. Everyone is pressing the panic button. Is this really all that surprising? Did we honestly expect to win the Southeast this year? Let's face it, the Jets overachieved for the majority of this season. They won games they probably shouldn't have, and they lost games they should have won (similar to last season). They are who we thought they were and that's not a terrible thing. The future is bright with guys like Kane, Schiefele, Trouba, Enstrom, Redmond, and Wheeler all with their best hockey ahead of them.
The good thing about this predicament is that we can still make the playoffs! Win 6 or 7 of those 10 and we're in. Unlikely at this point, but hey it could happen. What's more likely though is the Jets will just miss the post-season and it will be viewed as a "collapse" by fans and media alike. While factually it's correct to say the Jets nose-dived at the end of the season to miss the playoffs, the reality is no one had this team to make it in the first place. Those who did, I commend you for having faith in a young team with loads of potential - and to those people - you have every right to be mad about the Jets missing the playoffs. But to the rest, which I'm sure is the majority, I say shame on you! You never believed this squad would make the post season. Just because we played a good stretch of hockey and put ourselves in a good spot, doesn't guarantee a playoff berth. You have no right to write this team off as failures, you never gave them a shot in the first place.
Monday, April 1, 2013
Billy Talent: Dead Silence Tour
On Thursday, March 28 - Billy Talent returned to Winnipeg. The last time they toured in Canada was 2010, and I had to miss that show because of a playoff hockey game. Nevertheless, the boys from Toronto came back and what a show it was!
They opened with Lonely Road to Absolution, the into track to Dead Silence. Ian and Ben stood in front of a huge black curtain and played the slow, rhythmic tune in perfect harmony. Then the curtain falls to the floor (a subtle reference to Cut the Curtains, a song from their first album) and Jon and Aaron come into sight as they kick off Viking Death March. The crowd instantly energized, the mosh pit started to swirl, and the building began to ROCK HARD.
Behind the band, another large curtain featured the artwork from Dead Silence, a massive skull with a large snake circling in and around the skull. Midway through the show, that curtain fell to the floor, and a vintage curtain with BILLY TALENT in large white ink replaced it. The band isn't flashy. No pyrotechnics, no laser shows or costume changes. They rely on Ben, who literally runs around the stage, screams his lungs out, and simply puts on the show of his life, every time he's out there. There's nothing like seeing these guys live. The crowd knows every word to every song and they interact with the the masses as much as they can. One cool addition to the show was two large video screens on the side of the stage. Occasionally, Ben would grab a portable camera and show what his view was like from the stage. The crowd would roar in approval.
Every show I've seen prior to this one, Ben would always rant about how we should have an NHL team. With the Jets back, Ben actually wasn't too pleased! He was angry that we've beat the Leafs in the last two outings. He went so far as to bet the crowd that if the Jets beat the Leafs in the playoffs, Billy Talent would play a free show in Winnipeg. Ian, Jon and Aaron didn't look too impressed.
The band stuck to its roots, playing three tracks from its debut album - Try Honesty, River Below and This is How it Goes and they left the Winnipeg crowd happy with a four-song encore featuring Fallen Leaves, Devil on My Shoulder, Surprise Surprise and Red Flag.
For a band that's been together for 20 years and has four releases, I wonder how much longer they have. Even though they exude what it means to be a band - they care about their music and their fans - you can't go forever. That being said, if Billy Talent rolls through town one more time in the next few years, I suggest you go check them out. They are one of Canada's best.
They opened with Lonely Road to Absolution, the into track to Dead Silence. Ian and Ben stood in front of a huge black curtain and played the slow, rhythmic tune in perfect harmony. Then the curtain falls to the floor (a subtle reference to Cut the Curtains, a song from their first album) and Jon and Aaron come into sight as they kick off Viking Death March. The crowd instantly energized, the mosh pit started to swirl, and the building began to ROCK HARD.
Behind the band, another large curtain featured the artwork from Dead Silence, a massive skull with a large snake circling in and around the skull. Midway through the show, that curtain fell to the floor, and a vintage curtain with BILLY TALENT in large white ink replaced it. The band isn't flashy. No pyrotechnics, no laser shows or costume changes. They rely on Ben, who literally runs around the stage, screams his lungs out, and simply puts on the show of his life, every time he's out there. There's nothing like seeing these guys live. The crowd knows every word to every song and they interact with the the masses as much as they can. One cool addition to the show was two large video screens on the side of the stage. Occasionally, Ben would grab a portable camera and show what his view was like from the stage. The crowd would roar in approval.
Every show I've seen prior to this one, Ben would always rant about how we should have an NHL team. With the Jets back, Ben actually wasn't too pleased! He was angry that we've beat the Leafs in the last two outings. He went so far as to bet the crowd that if the Jets beat the Leafs in the playoffs, Billy Talent would play a free show in Winnipeg. Ian, Jon and Aaron didn't look too impressed.
The band stuck to its roots, playing three tracks from its debut album - Try Honesty, River Below and This is How it Goes and they left the Winnipeg crowd happy with a four-song encore featuring Fallen Leaves, Devil on My Shoulder, Surprise Surprise and Red Flag.
For a band that's been together for 20 years and has four releases, I wonder how much longer they have. Even though they exude what it means to be a band - they care about their music and their fans - you can't go forever. That being said, if Billy Talent rolls through town one more time in the next few years, I suggest you go check them out. They are one of Canada's best.
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