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?