Burn Off the Turkey---Picks

Prior to the big Feast last Thursday, I had gone 4-3 on picks before Thanksgiving. I have to share my secret with all those that count on may weekly picks. Up to this point, I have had no clue as to who would win. Surprise! I just guessed each week's winners with no rhyme or reason. Well that's about to change. I don't wait until New Years, so I have made my Thanksgiving Day resolution...starting now pick ALL games correctly.

So we start this Wednesday.

Bearings Vs. Plaza
No home field advantage to either team. Plaza has won the last 2 matches while Bearings has shown flashes of greatness, but the last several games have been up & down. The Bearings force of Mersberger, Brus & Blickley will be no match for Plaza. Don't expect much from Danielson as he's too focused on hunting season & Hoekstra used up all his goals during the Turkey Tourney. Bearings by 3

Alien Mike Vs. Irwins
With the return of Dylo from injured reserve, will Alien Mike get new life? No this time. We'll see a rusty return with slow legs & winded lungs trying to do too much. Anthan & Clutts need to step up their games, and should be full of energy after all the turkey & stuffing they ate. Goalie Brown will be the key here as he posts a near perfect game and only allows one. Perry & the Kieltys are shut down this game, while defensemen Kelley & Blomquist struggle to keep the offensive threats of Irwins at bay. Irwins in a blowout by 6.

Alien Joe Vs. Legends
Scary game. Legends holds first place in the Wednesday Division, while Alien Joe brings a 3 game winning streak (forfeit loss to Mike was still a scoreboard win). The loss of Bishop for Alien Joe will put a dent in the offense, but Fascian, Topliff & LeFleur will step up and carry the load. Legends Lenhard should come out full power, but may not be enough as a very close game goes to Alien Joe by 1.

Great games this Wednesday and stay tuned for Sunday picks.

What Alien is Thankful For....

Its 1 AM and the last remaining person in my household has just gone to bed. I was lucky enough to have some family come out from Chicago and spend Thanksgiving with us since we could not go there to visit. My mother-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, 2 nieces, 2 nephews, my 2 boys & wife sat down today to a great Thanksgiving dinner. They even let me sleep in until 11 am since they knew I worked SO hard at the Tourney the night before.

We didn't say a very long and complex grace before dinner, but I did mention that I was happy that family came out to see us in Iowa since we could not leave. (My brother-in-law & sister-in-law even left at 9 PM tonight to get him home to Chicago for a 4 AM work day).

All this made me realize that there was much to be thankful for.

1. A great wife who lives & breathes hockey right alongside me
2. Antonio & Nicholas (my boys) who sometimes stay at the shop longer than they would like
3. My cousin Mike who not only keeps things running when I'm gone, but also a friend who shares my passion for the game
4. My cousin Mark for being a great coach of our kid's team and great babysitter when needed
5. All family members that have provided financial & emotional support to us during our first years of business
6. Every single person & customer who I have met that plays hockey, supports hockey, loves hockey & supports our business & the growth of hockey.

Thank you to all for allowing me to do something I enjoy.

A few "extra" things I am thankful for:

1. Shane occasionally stopping a shot
2. Tim Close's daily purchase of a Vault.
3. Topliff's attention to detail when it comes to his personal stats.
4. The fact that Lowell is same height as me
5. Winning the coin toss that got my team Barker as goalie
6. Wermer's "suggestions" on how games should be reffed
7. Bishop's patience with anything special ordered
8. My Vegas Teammates
9. The tattoo credit I have with Koenig
10. LeFleur's face off wins to Fascian (which come right back to me)
11. Danielson & Hoekstra's dedication to staying late Wednesday nights
12. Team Atlantic Coca Cola / Yankee Doodle Dandy Tattoo
13. The sweet aroma of Brown's goalie's gear
14. Whitaker's drive to play more hockey per week than me
15. Many, many, many more.......

Sincerest thanks again to everyone I know, to those that read my blog, and all supporters of Alien Hockey !

Joe's Secret Turkey Recipe

How do you get the perfect Turkey Tournament?

Here are the following ingredients:

48 Players
8 Teams
6 hours of ice
4 games
16 pizzas
A few pitchers of beer & Gatorade
1 foam divider
2 refs (partially sober)
Jerseys for each player
NHL Center Ice on TV

Have Alien Hockey take the above ingredients, mix them all up the night before Thanksgiving, and what do you have? A successful 1st Annual Alien Turkey Tourney!

I was nervous at first not knowing how it would run, but after it was all said and done, the reviews were all positive. We made some decisions on the fly, and modified rules as we went on, but everyone had a blast getting to know some new players from different teams & leagues.

The Grey Team took the championship with an undefeated record of 4-0. The team consisted of Blaine Barker as goalie, Bart Brandon, Liz Bryant, Scott Chopard, Mike Kielty & Hardy Whiteman. They beat the Purple Team (which was undefeated as well going into the championship game) by a score of 4-1. Although we had standings, you couldn't tell from the attitudes of the players as to who was in first or last as even the 7th & 8th place game had all smiles.

I was very pleased to see that every player participated for the right reason. New friendships were made, everyone got plenty of ice time, and a fun social atmosphere was what it was all about. Throughout the night, many offered their thanks to me and asked how soon we would do another one because of its success. I appreciate everyone's thanks to me for putting this event on...however, I need to thank everyone for making it a success.
A big thanks to:

• Every player that signed up played and made this event possible
• Scott Anderson for coming up with the idea of playing hockey the Wed before Thanksgiving
• Zac & Mark for taking the time to ref (and not play) to help keep order
• Aaron Clutts, who although could not play, still designed our logo
• Tony Hansen for updating the website with schedules & rosters
• Plaza Printers for getting our jerseys done on time
• Stephanie of MISF & her staff for allowing us the use of the facility and helping serve concessions
• All the friends, family & fans that came out to support the players either by cheering or taking some other small parts in making the event go smooth.
• My family for giving me the night "off" from home prior to Thanksgiving to make sure things ran well
• I'm sure I missed someone, so please feel free to add in comments to this blog entry anyone else that made this a fun time.

We know we are doing it again next year, but more importantly, have already been discussing doing another one even sooner. What we need to make these even better is all of the participants telling others how good of a time it was. We hope to make each future one bigger & better. Once again, thanks for your support of this event...gobble...gobble.

Alien Supports MDA

Many of our fellow adult league hockey players include police officers, firefighters, paramedics and others that help protect us off the ice.

These players also put on an annual event to raise money for MDA through a charity hockey game known as "Guns & Hoses".

This year, the game takes place at Wells Fargo on January 12, 2008. Tickets are being sold for $15. This includes the Guns & Hoses game, Iowa Stars game that evening, hot dog, chips & drink. In addition, a portion of ticket sales goes directly to MDA.

T-shirts bearing the logo seen here are also available for $15. Currently, we are taking ticket & t-shirt orders at our store to help this great cause.

January may seem like a long ways away, but it will be here in no time. Please show your support by attending this great event. There will be raffles, silent auctions on game worn jerseys, and kids activities during this event. If you cannot attend, any donation will be accepted. For more info, contact us.

Don't Mess with Hockey Players...EVER.

Waste Management & Des Moines' finest, Jeff Cronin utilized his hockey skills and know-how to diffuse this situation.

Nice job Jeff.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071101/NEWS/71101007/1001&lead=1

Want to Skate?

Plenty of Stick & Puck opportunities at MISF this weekend. This starts tomorrow.

$5 per 12U and $10 per adult (helmet required)

Wednesday, November 21, 10:30am-noon

Friday, November 23, 5:30 - 7:00pm

Saturday, November 24, 2:30 - 4:00pm

Sunday, November 25, 4:00 - 5:30pm

Also, visit http://www.dmicerink.com/ for the weekly schedule and other Pay & Play opportunities.

Thanksgiving Hockey

Looking for something to do after Thanksgiving?

After all the turkey, stuffing, burritos, pasta, etc. you will have eaten on Thursday, you will be ready to get out of the house and do some stuff. On Friday, you will have spent all your money on hockey gear & gifts at Alien Hockey, so you will be ready to give the credit card a break. Here is the perfect family event for Saturday. Go see a Bucs game!

Saturday, November 24 vs. Sioux Falls @ 7pm 95KGGO Arena

Des Moines Register Family Fun Night
4 tickets + 4 hot dogs + 4 sodas + 4 autographs = $44
“Buc” ($1) Dogs ALL NIGHT LONG
Teddy Bear Toss
FREE Post-game skate

How do you pass that up? You can even bring your skates and work off some of that turkey and be ready for league next week.

Joe in Net? Not so good.

Last Friday, I suited up in net for the D League Game at Wells Fargo. The event went off great at both teams skated hard and had a good time. My performance on the other hand, was less than desired and I let my team down.

My confidence was sky high after holding on to a 2-1 lead over Shane, but after they scored 3 straight on me, I knew I did not belong in net. An empty net goal made the final score 5-2, but don't let that fool you as the score should have been closer if not for my pathetic showing.

Either way, great time and exposure for the D League as we had over 150 tickets sold to the Stars game that night and hopefully exposed some newcomers to the sport!

Turkey Tournament Update

The 1st Annual Turkey Tournament is on schedule for this Wednesday at 6 PM. Some important bits of info:

1. The team rosters & schedule are done and will be posted by Tony Hansen on his great website very soon. I am emailing him this info after I finish this blog.


2. You will need to check in at the lobby PRIOR to dressing / or playing to sign the waiver & get your jersey


3. There will be locker room assignments. 2 teams per locker room


4. 4 teams will begin play promptly at 6 PM. Please make sure you are on time.


5. After your games, if you are not playing, come up and have some pizza & drinks. (suggestion: leave the majority of your gear on but no skates).


6. Please drink in moderation. Its a long night, and we do not want excessive "socializing" to ruin the evening. The refs will be instructed to eject any player they feel is a threat to themselves or any others


7. Pizza will be provided from approx. 7-10 PM. This was included in your entry fee. Drinks will be available for purchase at the concession stand upstairs. Your own ALCOHOLIC beverages are NOT allowed inside the MISF (as per their request).


8. This is a FUN & SOCIAL event. We have B, C & D League players all participating. Teams have been formed randomly, but with an attempt at fairness. There will be ZERO tolerance for overaggressive play. Please play with respect to the players around you.

I am personally not playing as I will do my best to coordinate the entire event upstairs and downstairs. Thanks in advance for making this event a HUGE success.

Special Thanks to Aaron Clutts for designing the Event/Jersey Logo. Awesome Job. If you need any graphic art work, contact him.

No Ice? Get Wheels.

As I was bored last week with nothing to do, I thought what else could I get involved with? I figured that I didn't have enough hockey in my life, so I knew it should be a hockey-related activity.

My son, Antonio, plays ice & roller hockey. He was on a team that was coached my Mark Muse earlier this year that went to a National Tourney in Colorado and they won the 8 & Under Nationals.

Tim Close is the father of Connor Close who also played on this 8 & Under Team. Tim plays on the Alien Team on Wednesdays and mentioned there was a C Level Inline League forming. He decided to play and after much arm twisting, he got me on board as well. We had our first game last night and won by 2. It was a great time (although it was a bit more difficult to stop).

Currently there are only 3 C League Teams, so I am making it a goal to get a 4th team. Its not too late and he will restructure the schedule once we have enough for 4 teams. They play on Tues, Thurs & Sundays (You don't play every one of those, just rotates). Its 4 on 4, hockey with no icing, offsides and plenty of ice...ummm floor time. Games are played at Skate West (on Grand Ave) and league fee is $100.

If you are interested, please let me know. We can accomodate players who want to stick together as well. Call if you want more details.

The BIG Game Tonight

That's Shane Bast pictured. This will be the story of this evening at Wells Fargo as the Novice League showcases their stuff after the Iowa Stars game.

I will be defending the Dark Team's net and although this will be almost too easy, it will still be fun.

Stop by and see a great Stars Game and also a great group of beginning players not intimidated to start a very difficult sport!

Thanks to all...

Oh, my prediction is Dark Team 13, Light Team 0.

Tough Picks This Week

Last Sunday I went 2-2. The Wednesday before I went 2-1. Thsi puts me at 4-3 for last week. Not the best showing, however still pretty good.

This week's match ups will be tough, so lets start with Wednesday.

Alien Joe Vs. Plaza Printers
It hurts to make this prediction, but with Alien missing Bishop & Close, Topliff & Mcelyea both being off last week, and Barker due for a bad game, I don't think I can score enough to keep my team in it. Although we'll make a valiant attempt, we lose this one.

Legends Vs. Irwins
A hot Legends team at the beginning of the season started cooling off and became inconsistent. They come into this game with a 2 game losing streak and need a win to get back on track. Irwins still is recovering from the grueling OT win they had last week. Team captain, Goodman stated that his team was still celebrating the win well into Sunday night, so they will be tired tonight. Legends gets the win here.

Alien Mike Vs. Bearings Group
Bearings is the "Dark Horse" this season. They can play a solid game one week and fall apart the next. They are the "Rex Grossman" of Wednesday Night C League. Alien Mike loses its captain, Dylo this week due to a skate sharpening incident. Although he denies it, Hoekstra from Bearings Group, brought in a faulty skate to get sharpened causing the injury to occur. "Next time, he'll be more careful" stated Hoekstra without compassion. Can Perry from Alien Mike carry the load all by himself ? Will the Kielty Bros each get hat tricks? Will Schaeffer ever leave the opponent's crease? Bearings wins this one.


Sunday C
Team 4 Vs. Coke/YDD
Koenig of Yankee Doodle Dandy Tattoo will be giving several free tattoos this game. After a tough win last week, Coke/YDD will have 3 players scoring 3 goals each. Glessner, Wolf & Harrelson each get the "tricks". Mattis, Day & Rech each have solid games for Team 4, but it won't be enough.

Waste Management Vs. Don's Auto
Don's comes into this game with a 4 game winning streak. And it will not end this week. Overwhelming firepower from Brandon, Kozak & Gorelik along with a "Hasek-Like" performance from Anderson will put Don's on top. Waste Management shoudl have all their players there with the early game, but Hutton, Runner & Camp will not be enough to be the "Don".

Sunday D
Cup O Kryptonite Vs. 11 to 7 Insurance
The Battle of the business owners is set. With both teams coming in with wins last week, the match up will be good. 11 to 7's goalie, Bailey has formally challenged opposing goalie Beller. "He can't stop a beach ball" stated Bailey. Although the score stays close, 11 to 7 improves their record to 2-0 with the 1 point win.

Alien Hockey Vs. Miller's Team
The late game will have both teams tired. this is a 50/50 pick as the winner will be the team that drinks the most coffee. The X-factor will be potential team sponsor Brian Hobbs. "I will step up and make the difference at this game", proclaimed Hobbs. Edge goes to Miller's Team.

Recap
Plaza by 2 over Alien Joe
Legends by 3 over Irwins
Bearings by 2 over Alien Mike
Coke/YDD by 3 over Team #4
Don's by 1 over Waste Management
11 to 7 by 1 over Kryptonite
Miller by 1 over Alien Hockey

Get Your $9.50 Iowa Stars Tickets Here

We are doing several promotional games at Wells Fargo with the Iowa Stars. Along with these events, we get some great group rates. These rates are available to ALL our customers.
Take advantage of the $9.50 ticket wgich includes:

• Admission to the Stars Game
• Hot Dog
• Chips
• Drink

We currently have tickets for the following dates:

Friday, November 16th - Adult D League Game after the Stars Game

Saturday, November 17th - Mite House League Game Prior to Stars Game

Friday, November 30th - Adult C League Game after the Stars Game

Friday, January 18th - Coca Cola / Yankee Doodle Dandy Tattoo Vs. Alien Hockey After Stars Game

Stop by Alien Hocey to buy your ticket today!

Sad Day in Detroit

Well Thermablades do work...sometimes too well. Shane tried a pair on, but then realized they were not designed for goalies and standing still. He melted right through the ice and caused a big hole to be created in the crease. The trade show was shut down and Shane was asked to leave.

What will Sunday Bring?

Last Sunday was a bust. 0-2 for picks. Trying to help Coca Cola / Yankee Doodle, I didn't have enough to manage thee win for Coke. Don's Auto played a great game and scored the only goal in the shootout to get the "W". Team #4 has done it! Practice, practice, practice & a bot of luck gets them their first victory of the season. An 8-5 win over Waste Management has the momentum going their way. "We're going 8-0 in our next games" stated captain Wermers.

So Wednesday gets me a 2-1 record with Alien Joe & Irwins winning, and somehow Alien Mike pulls out a win to ruin the 3-0 record I hoped for.

Sunday's matchup:
Don's Auto Vs. Team #4
Everything on paper & all common sense should have me pick Don's Auto, however, since they beat Coke last week with me playing, I'm mad and don't like them right now. Oh sure, they've got Brad, Sergiy & Sergey, Ilya & Bart, but you throw Day, The Kleven's & Rech into the mix and they'll put enough on net to pull this one out. My upset lock of the week.

Coca Cola / Yankee Doodle Dandy Tattoo Vs. Waste Management
With a fresh set of steel on Ross's skates, Wolf & Wehrenberg back in the line up (and me out), I see WM getting very sleepy during the 2nd where Coke turns it up a notch .....BAM and wins this.

Sunday D League
Alien Hockey Vs. Cup O Kryptonite
The start of a 4 team season in D League has a clean slate for every team. These first games are a coin toss, but I still know I can get them right. Although I do buy my boys comics at the Cup, I gotta go with my own backyard in game #1 and Take Alien to win.

11 to 7 Insurance Vs. Team Miller
Newly formed Team Miller is out to an inaugural season, but will not win week #1. 11 to 7 starts out 1-0 and on its way to the Trainer Cup Championship.

Favorite Spread Underdog
Team #4 +1 Don's Auto
Coke +3 Waste Management
ALien Hockey +2 Kryptonite
11 to 7 +3 Team Miller

Good Luck!

Team Wins, Joe Loses

What should have been a joyous locker room last night turned out to be a somber one. Alien Joe won the game in one of the best and hardest played games seen in a long time. Alien had the upper hand in the 1st & 2nd period, but in typical Alien fasion let down their guard in the 3rd.

Bearings Group was a determined team in the 3rd period and came to prove that they deserve the win. As Alien Tried to protect a 1 goal lead for awhile, Bearings found a way to tie it up. As I scored the next goal to take the lead, we all decided to step it up and finish strong, As Bishop walked down the bench, he proceded to physically slap each one of us across the face with his bare hand. Although we thought that was uncalled for, the sting on our cheeks were a reminder to leave it all on the ice.

As the buzzer sounded for the finish, our team celebrated like it was a Game 7. I on the other hand slammed my stick to the ice and puted about not getting my hat trick. As we replayed the game in the locker room, I kept questioning my teammates as to why they didn't get me the puck more. Did they not know I needed to score? Sure Topliff set up Bishop for a nice goal, but where was mine?

As the team kept their distance, I dumped the garbage can onto the floor and kicked it all around. The team just left me alone as they exited one at a time stating "good game". Yeah good game for Blaine who earned the win. Good game for Fascian with his 2 goals...but does anyone care about my hat trick? No.

As I was the last to leave the trash strewn locker room, kicking the door open as I exited, I realized I checked out the key with my license. Icing on the cake as I was left alone to clean it all up.

Thanks to all my selfish teammates...I almost wish Nate was supposed to ref a game and missed again so we would lose by forfeit..that'll teach 'em!

Pick, Play & Party

On Thursday morning, I get on a plane to educate myself on new & innovative hockey products that will be coming soon. Detroit is the home of this year's hockey trade show and you may think that 3 days of nothing but seeing the latest & greatest hockey gear is a ton of fun...well you'd be right.

To answer your questions now, Yes, we will see the new heated skate blades, Yes, there will be lighter than ever sticks & skates, and No, I will not bring back free samples to give out.

More importantly, I need to make my picks for this Wednesday (oh look at the time, it is Wed). Last week on Wednesday, I went 2-1. Although the 2nd game was a forfeit loss for Alien Joe, I still picked the winner correctly.

Game #1
Bearings Group Vs. Alien Joe
After scoring a hat trick in last Wednesday's game, then following it up with another hat trick on Sunday for Coca Cola/YDD, I am going for the threepeat. It is called a Hat trick Hat Trick when you have 3 games in a row of hat tricks. Bearings is on the decline and with Topliff back in the line up, the offense is back! Alien Joe by 2.

Game #2
Alien Mike Vs. Legends
Legends & ALien Mike both coming into this game with a loss in last weeks game each have something to prove. I see this as the "downer" game of the week with no energy or excitement. I'm sure the players that stay to watch this game will see "paint drying" as Legends beats Alien Mike by a score of 1-0 (Shane lets in a softy with 20 seconds left).

Game #3
Irwins Vs. Plaza Printers
Going to step out on a big unstable and broken limb here, but Irwins wins this one in a stunner. Today they click as a team and put the pressure on. Scoring will come from a variety of players, while Plaza struggles to keep up. Irwins by 3.

I'll do the Sunday picks from Detroit, just don't know if it will be prior to the Red Wings / Columbus game I'm attending or my dinner with my boy, Eminem on 3 Mile.

Gotta go and clean out my closet.....

Great Pictures from League

Big thanks to Dawn Gorelik for getting some pictures from Sunday C League.

You can find these pictures at the following link: http://dahockey.shutterfly.com/action/

The Next Crosby?

What a blast! As I made my season debut for the Coca Cola / Yankee Doodle Dandy Team, I was nervous about making a good showing. I watched a team that played well together going against a Don's Auto Team that looked fired up.

I also had an opportunity to make my prediction come true and help Coke/YDD beat the opposition. We played well and kept the game close and seemed to do all the right things even down to the wire. Down by 1 with just seconds remaining in the 3rd, goalie pulled and a face off in Don's end, a movie writer couldn't script it better. My Vegas teammate and center, Glessner takes a deep breath, glances over his right shoulder as if to say "its coming back". Puck drops, perfect draw straight back to me. I glance up and witness what looked like 50 players between me and Mr. Anderson. In typical Joe fashion, I take the only shot I know (even though Bishop would always yell at me to keep it low), I fire the the shot hoping for some pinball action, but ironically enough it found its way through and tied the game.

Valiant effort by Reeves in the shootout as he stope the first 4 shooters and only allows 1. As for Coke/YDD, each member took their best shot at a goalie that was just "on" that night. Perfect 0-5 for Scott in net during the shootout to get the win for Don's.

Hard battles, broken sticks, broken skate blades and all around great effort by all. Thats was a fun game for me.

Mobile Blog?

If this works it could be very dangerous as it would allow me to Blog "on the go".

Who's Going to Play Like the Pros?

A friendly reminder that there are still spots to play at Wells Fargo Arena after a Stars Game.

We gave some people early bird opportunities to register, but now its wide open.

On November 16th, players from the D League will have an opportunity to play.

On November 30, players from the C League will have an opportunity to play.

Both games will fill up so to guarantee your spot, a minimum of 4 tickets must be purchased for the Stars Game. Tickets again will be $9.50 and include a hot dog, chip & drink. You can get as many tickets as you want for this game at the same price.

Deadline for ticket orders is 3 days prior to each event. So you can secure your spot with 4 tickets , but then add on if others want to go. We really impressed the Stars last time with about 200 tickets sold, so let show some support and beat that number.

Also, scouts from the NHL, AHL & ECHL will be in attendance for these games. It may be your only opportunity to get that "look" and showcase your skills in front of many decision makers. The Ice Girls will be providing entertainment between periods of our game as well. Beer after 10 PM at the concession stand will be FREE. The first 120 fans into our game will be given 2 round trip airfare tickets to anywhere in the country. Last, but not least, the entire Iowa Stars coaching staff, equipment managers & trainers will be on hand to provide full services for these games.

With all these benefits (some of them not true) how can you pass it up? Don't email your "Hold me a spot" message as I will send this straight to the forbidden zone called my junk folder.