Blog Scramble

With the inaugural ABC League season coming to an end, the 1st Summer Scramble coming soon, NHL playoffs in full swing, I felt the need to blog about everything hockey.

The Summer session may be last season playing hockey in Des Moines. Why, you ask? If you notice the picture to the right, you will see the winning ticket for this year's NHL playoffs. That's right, when the Hawks win the Cup, I will be $30 richer and off to my vacation home in Nigeria where I can work part-time as an Ex-Military Dictator collecting money via emails. To prove this truly is my ticket, look closely and realize that nobody but me would have an autographed trading card of Theo Fleury.

I'm kidding about going to live overseas. After all, how can I leave the city that provided me with my first hockey championship. Which championship do I speak of? The one we haven't won ...yet! The Alien Vegas team will win the 1st Annual Fleming Cup in convincing fashion. After all with true pros like Aaron Clutts (pictured showing his albatross-like wingspan) dominating the competition, we can't lose. It will be sad watching the other teams sulk as we spray ourselves down with the finest Schlitz money can buy after the hoisting of the Cup.

This will be a good transition to the Summer Scramble for most of our team. After being so dominant this season, and on a 3 game winning streak, we don't remember what it's like to lose. It will be refreshing for some of the Alien guys to experience this depressing emotion over the course of the summer, but it may make us more sympathetic to the competition we slaughter each week.

Speaking of slaughter, the Washington Capitals are no longer a favorite of mine (at least not until pre-season next year starts). Along with the winning ticket of the Hawks, I also purchased a ticket that did not do so well. As my son, Mikey, Mark & I attended a pre-season Hawks game earlier this year , I should have known that the Caps had no chance. After all, the Hawks played all their starters and showed the world they meant business. The Caps on the other hand sat Ovie, Green, Semin & others as they were over confident and didn't feel they needed to practice. Well now they're out first round and I'm out $10. Phooey.

With hockey at the recreational & professional level ending soon, the beginnings of my off season training will start. I will enjoy the rest my body needs this summer, but will miss many of the great things about hockey season. Here are just a few things that I'll miss the most:

• Natasha Kucherenko's smile (team Voodoo) during warm ups every Wednesday
• The consistent performance of goalie Ben Hudson
• Justin West's "stay-at-home" style of defense
• The Puck Hawgs commitment to not drinking after games
• Allowing guys like Paoli and Hill to get around me to help their confidence
• Haynes' white gloves
• Lasnek's beef jerky
• Jim Kent's collisions with teammates
• Red Alert's logo
• The 10 PM games
• Knipper proclaiming his Mayorship of Bucs Arena on Four Square
  

All in all, the season has been great. I've had a blast playing with my two cousins (even the unskilled one). A trip to Vegas interrupted our season, and although many were jealous of where we were, our team truly wanted to be back in DM facing our C League brothers. The league ran well, the Hawks are on their way, and the Summer Scramble will create new friendships. Isn't hockey grand?

It Comes Down to This - Predictions

With the last game of the regular season upon us, I was going to make some predictions as to how they would turn out. As I was typing it out, I got an email from Derek Hickey that I wanted to share.

Apparently, there was a camera in the locker room at Bucs Arena and it caught 2 players from the Puck Hawgs team discussing their thoughts on the games.

I'd like to thank Beede & Nataliya for their insight.

Enjoy.
http://www.xtranormal.com/profile/1984419/?listid=10471393

Alien Vegas Promotional Video

People wonder what the Alien Vegas trip is all about. Although we do our best to tell others what happens there, and how much fun it is, sometimes words don't do it justice.

There's nothing magical or exclusive about what we do. Its just a bunch of friends (girlfriends & wives too) that decide to have a good time together and take a trip.

This video is a small insight to what goes on. You will notice that all incriminating evidence has been edited out to protect all parties. Also, there is NO hockey footage in this video. I felt there was no reason to ruin the tone of happiness by showing our poor play (actually we played well this year). The hockey highlight footage will come in a later video.

Enjoy!

Remarkable Showing in Sin City

The Alien Vegas Team can proudly say we have not lost EVERY game played in Vegas since we began going there 3 years ago.

In our first game this year, we tied the BATUS (British Army Training Unit Suffield) Lions by a score of 2-2. This was an awesome game against an awesome group of guys. Dan Bishop took the Player of Game with the first goal scored. Bishop becomes the first 2-time POG in Alien Vegas history.

With all the confidence in the world, we moved on to game 2. The result was very similar and the Canadian team we played "squeaked" out a win by a score of 21-0. Shane Bast earned Player of the Game honors for not dying on the ice.

After much discussion, we wanted a rematch against the Batus Lions and we knew the team we were supposed to face next would be scared to play us. So we got the rematch and unfortunately lost 6-3. Mr. Jeremy Knipper earned Player of the Game honors after a dazzling display of athleticism.

In the end, it was just another boring weekend of hockey in Las Vegas.

...more details to come in a later blog entry (if I can remember what happened there).

A Vegas Hockey Holiday Story

Twas the night before Vegas and all through Des Moines,
all the players were packing and counting their coin.

Mikey & Shane and even Big Nate,
Decided to get in a pre-Vegas Skate.
Mikey skated hard and Shane let in 10,
Nate hopes he does not break his sternum again.

Knipper sits awake in his Lazy-Boy chair
Inputting Vegas stops into Four Square.
Fascian thinks he's the best "Checking in" player,
But Knipper will be the Excaliber Mayor.

Beede can't sleep since it's his first time,
He wonders if he will commit a bad crime.
Haynes is nervous as well, his face turning red,
Since he and Beede will be sharing a bed.

Bishop has vowed to drink lots on the plane,
His 3rd time to Vegas is surely insane.
He skates on the ice while having no fear,
As long as they charge $1 for beer.

Houlihan packs thinking about his one shot,
To prove to the team he has earned this great spot.
He plays every shift and fights through the pain,
And surely he'll remember the long airport train.

McCallum & Keller leave their families behind,
With wives & kids still on their mind.
They have beautiful dreams as they sleep through the nights,
Not about family, but rather bum fights.

Bafia & Kelley work on their "D" plan,
Should we play the zone, or man against man?
Joe reads his book on how he should bet,
As Gene decides "Should I shoot on MY net?"

Blomquist is coming from far far away,
We're glad he's coming, just wish he won't play.
He plays like a center with a scowl on his face,
He never stays still, he's all over the place.

Lowell packs up his speedo, just for the hot tub,
Grabbing his loafers, just for Da Club.
He dances & spins and even gyrates,
That's what you see whenever he skates.

This team is all ready, they trained all year long,
There's no stopping them now, they can bring it on strong.
Some think this group can be rather insane,
We'll prove them all right as we step on the plane.

Merry Vegas to All and to All a Good Night !