Adventures of a Hockey n00b

Free Tickets are the Best Tickets

2011-01-05T21:18:00.000-08:00

When I got up Tuesday morning, I didn't have much in the way of plans for the day. Some groceries to buy, a few things around town I had to hit up for various products, and a what promised to be an uneventful night that would be thankfully filled watching the boys in Red on the television. The days events went off without much surprise. The night, however, was an entirely different affair.

An hour or so after the groceries we put up and a cheap lunch of Safeway Chinese food ingested I sat down to pour through the days events on various forums, social networking sites, and blogs. My usual haunts offered little in the way of interesting content on the day. Twitter on the other hand was, as usual, abuzz with hockey tidbits. New tweets came up as I read and upon clicking to read them I came to find Nate Ewell was giving up two tickets to the nights game against Tampa Bay in an impromptu contest.

I went mostly with instinct on the choices. I knew Ovi was mic'ed from watching the game. The others I took educated guesses on. Knowing that Hendy was featured rather prominently though the show so far, and they would likely go with two other big names. Green and Knuble stood out as solid choices. A few refreshes later and I saw this:

My first reaction was disbelief. A friend I had been chatting with had a more vulgar reaction as he learned of my luck. When the excitement had worn I was struck by the disturbing realization that my wife might not actually be able to make the game, and thus I'd be forced to forfeit the tickets so someone could fill those seats. I immediately set to text messaging her at work and uneasily waited for her response. When she was finally able to get back she couldn't have been more excited by the idea of going directly from work to the game!

I sorted a few things around the house and headed to the metro to meet up with her. Things were slow there. But as has happened many times before, when I show up things get busy. The early optimism waned and the chance of missing puck drop was becoming the reality. We rushed out as soon as she was able and hit the metro once again on our way to Chinatown. I love the convenience of the train, but it couldn't have felt slower that night. Every late passenger that threw a hand out to stop the doors from closing became my newest enemy. The choppy break job by the driver made for slow stops which ticked more time off the clock. We were going to miss puck drop.

The Chinatown stop finally came and we rushed out metro-cards in hand to expedite our exit. Up the escalator at a jog and through the gantlet of scalpers we rushed into Verizon Center and to the Will Call windows. Through the ticket check, up a bunch of flights of escalators, the game was in progress but the scoreboard still showing double zero. Taking the chance at fast vendors, we grabbed some food and beer before heading to our section.

Most games we tend to sit in the lower bowl in what are rather expensive seats. The last game we attended found us in club level seating. These seats were our first chance to watch from what we've always deemed 'the nosebleeds'. I've always wondered just how much you could truly see from so far up. I couldn't have been happier with the view of the rink we were afforded from our vantage point.

The game was a defensive back and forth with some really great chances but unfortunately it didn't quite go our way in OT. I turned to my wife and shrugged after the Lightning's winning goal. "At least we got a point." I lamented. "Hey, it was free!" she replied with a smile.

Making our way back to the Metro in a sea of red, I couldn't help but think about how different the night ended up from what I was expecting. We missed the first train, but a thankfully empty second led to a comfortable ride home. This last bit of luck a good send off to a great night.

Thanks to Nate for the tickets and to my lovely wife for being the perfect company. This is something I'll remember for some time to come.

I blame Carlson.

2010-11-13T12:47:00.000-08:00

After reading this tweet from Carlson a few days back I couldn't help myself.

All the best to Alzner though, he's doing a great thing for a great cause, as are the rest of the participants of Movember.

I will be posting what I can spare for the cause, you should too. Do something for someone else. And lets get Alzner's awesome stache the money it deserves :).

To all the Veterans

2010-11-11T10:06:00.001-08:00

To all that have served your country, past and present, thank you my brothers and sisters.

It's 120 degrees. It's hard to concentrate in that sort of heat. You don't even want your DCU's to touch your skin kind of hot. The metal roof just redirects it all into your face and nothing is safe to touch, not even the plastic of the trigger is comfortable. There's always someone watching, even in the middle of the day when the bad guy is holed up in his house keeping out of the heat. He's still watching you in all of your miserableness. Sweating. You don't even stink in that sort of swelter, it's just water draining from you as fast as you can pump it into your body. Your welcoming the idea of an IV stick at any moment just so you don't throw up from filling your gut with what ice from your frozen water bottle has melted so far. Turtle your neck keep your face pointed down a little and keep your arms and hands covered, it's all you can do while on patrol. Then, you're on the move again. Hot exhaust meets hot stale air from the local sewage hole in the street, if you're lucky, this time it won't splash in your face and mouth. Your driver veers around hard and slings your ribs into the turret ring. You don't stand up on the route. You do and it's your ass. An overpass is coming up. God damnit. Your up, your down, your up. Clearing those never gets easier. You need to wait a little longer on the back end before coming up. The insurgents got smarter, again. Last week some kid got his face blown off on the backside clearing an overpass, so an extra second down behind your armor plates should get you clear of anything the baddies put up there. Coming up on 3, thank god. One last loop and it's back in the AC to pray there isn't a situation that needs QRF later today. It's a fruitless prayer though, and you know it. One oil can on the side of the road and it'll be you, back on the route again, with your other squad stuck baby sitting EOD for 2 hours. They will never use those god damned 50 cal rifles to recon by fire. Would speed things up so much if they would only learn that. You're up, you're down, you're up. Overpasses get old being the middle truck. At least this time the lead truck didn't get stuck on the off-ramp like yesterday. It's 3. Of course the gas station on the route is completely overwhelmed today, keeping you on the route for longer as you get the ING to do their job and clear the road. They will never really understand will they? Changed over on the radio. God that AC will feel good. There isn't much of a change in mentality out the gate or in, just differing levels of armor. It's gotten so easy to strip that vest off after weapons are cleared. Undo the velcro, left arm then right and it's laying on the truck roof next to you. Dump it into the seat on the way to the motor pool, find your hat, hop down and turn the radios off. Only a few rounds expended today, only a headlight the casualty. A good day. Here's to hoping there is some unfrozen water around.

-Aaron P.

Enjoy today. We've earned it.

Got Grit?

2010-10-11T19:27:00.000-07:00

The games are going, the drama is back, and I couldn't be happier. It's been such a long hockey starved summer for me with life and obligations keeping me from hitting the ice myself in the off season.

With every play and whistle my emotions are running high to low. Friday it ended on a low point. Saturday the night had me smiling from ear to ear and tonight I look to the rest of the season as a much tougher slug fest than the last. With the tough win over Ottawa, it's hard not to think of the East in general as being a much rougher place to play than it was.

With most of the teams feeling upgraded in some way or another it's hard to not think that the boys in red will have a much tougher gauntlet to run through the regular season, and for what it's worth, I believe that can only benefit where they want to go in the post season. With more close and hard fought games with teams that are learning to reign the run and gun style of the Caps in, there will be more chip and grit from all sides of the team coming out. Something that's already started to show its face in the last game against the Devils and continued against the Sens (albeit with less frequency).

Carlson stepping up two games in a row to dig into the scrum and protect his mates. Both times losing his lid in the mix. John Erskine getting in hard on the body and making the Senators pay down low each time they touched the puck after his stint in the box was a nice way of saying the penalty wasn't going to deter him from playing rough. Green stepping in the ring. Bradley laying one out showing he hasn't skipped a beat. You don't have to watch long to see that team toughness has stepped up to a new level this season and that they won't be standing off and I couldn't be happier to see it.

It's going to be interesting to see how things progress through the season as the team hits their stride and line chemistry kicks in and tweaks are made. I just hope they keep that hard nosed attitude front and center.

Hockey Ramp Up!

2010-09-21T17:54:00.000-07:00

The season is ramping up and the hockey creativity has found root once again! Today I bring you a patterned wallpaper/wrapping paper design worked from available Caps imagery from the official website in various places.

Wouldn't it make for a fantastic way to present that new game sweater to some loved ones this holiday season? Ted, we should talk :).

Dev. Camp Scrimmage and Fisticuffs

2010-07-17T12:41:00.000-07:00

Getting to Kettler at around 10:00 this morning, I knew my wife and I were going to have trouble finding a seat. I didn't quite expect things to be as jam packed as they ended up being though. Standing room at the top of the bleachers was at a premium, but somehow, we found a niche to fit into and planted our feet to watch the already in progress game with a constant flow of people shuffling along behind us.

The game went about as I would have expected with a good fast pace, some sloppy play on occasions, and a few sparks of raw talent. The competitive nature of the guys on the ice was never in question with checks being finished heavily and open ice being a near no mans land across the blue lines from time to time as someone gets caught head down by a beast of a defender. With that competitiveness in full swing, the whistles would get chippy as players would stand up for their temporary teammates down in a scrum from time to time with some players even coming to fisticuffs during the game. Not one, but in fact two fights broke out in rapid succession around halfway through the second period. Luckily, I had my camera set for video for just such an occassion!

Finley vs Pisano:

Della Rovere vs Bruess:

My apologies for the first video, but apparently my camera isn't keen on zooming and auto-focus during video recording.

I remember hearing about a fight during the Blackhawks dev camp that ended up with a player injured and out of the camp earlier this week. I thought to myself 'how stupid can these kids be to fight during a camp?', but my point of view has quickly tempered. Watching Bruce Boudreau's video from OFB, and then actually witnessing a game in progress where players squared off, my understanding expanded. It's the nature of hockey that you quickly take up for even temporary teammates, take exception with a play, a hit, trash talk, and make your will known. This also shows those higher up in the organization that you are willing to make that sacrifice for your team. As seen the few times the Caps players squared off this past season, the fans love the guys who step up and square off for their teammates.

Vacation Weight, Cold Sweats, Aches and Pains

2010-06-21T14:11:00.000-07:00

Vacations are always the death of my fitness level. Earlier this month, it proved itself true yet again after some fun and sun on the North Carolina coast. A good amount of beach time mixed with some really amazing food and drinks and I've fallen off the wagon. I know this because before heading off for vacation I sat at a comfortable 184 and came back to a 'healthy' 190. It's not a terrible number to be sure, but definitely not the number I was hoping to see upon return!

I decided to kill off some of that heft and get back at it, I would dive head first into some pick up at Kettler last Thursday. 'Fortunately' only 3 other Skaters and a Goalie showed and I got all the ice time I could have ever hoped for, possible a few shifts too many (see: All of them!). Playing 2 on 2 with a group of guys that I've seen playing a lot and far better than myself really isn't good for gauging your experience level. I found myself chasing almost immediately. It wound up being an extremely hard skate with a pace I just couldn't keep up with, but I wouldn't have traded it for anything. By the midway point of our ice time, my body was giving me some wonderful cold sweats and having a hard time keeping my skates under me in a few situations with just the lightest contact. I attribute most all of this to the time off leading up to and including my vacation. It was a really great skate with a good group of guys willing to put up with a skater nowhere near par for the sign up sheet. I was rewarded at one point with a goal for playing the front of the net. Picking up a rebound and throwing it home, I quickly remarked an adage I've heard many times this past season 'Go to the net and good things happen'.

It's always a fun couple of days after a hard skate. My body finds things that have never ached before and cramps them up for a few minutes or an hour and then moves on to a completely unrelated area of my body to do more of the same. It's an interesting battle but one I hope will go away in time.

Here's to another good day on the ice tomorrow, hope to see you there!

Being a 'New Fan'

2010-05-09T19:18:00.000-07:00

I've never hidden the fact that I am new to the game. I never followed a season worth of hockey before this year. I only started playing ice hockey this January, my first game ever being on the Canal with the big freeze! The name of this blog even pays homage to how new I am to the sport. So what?

I bring this up after seeing a comment about my relative lack of experience following the Caps posted to Ted's post linking my blog a few days back. It was as if the rest of the words didn't seem to matter to the reader, just that I had only been with this team for two post seasons, and that made my take less worth while. I couldn't help but note that he hadn't mentioned anything about the Wounded Warriors program, good to see his fan rage takes precedent over thinking of something important like them.

So what makes one fan think his words are more important than another? Years following them? How often have they been out to a game? What seats they fill when they get there? How about how many practices they make it out for? Events in and around the area put on by the team? Merchandise owned? Signatures gained?

I hadn't paid attention to the NHL until this team was pointed out to me. This group of guys that skated fast, hit hard, and played the puck with a style I hadn't seen before. If it weren't for this team and the hard pressing offensive game they play, would I be paying attention to hockey right now? Were it not for them would I be watching every game I can every night it's on? Would I have my cable box tuned to NHL network nearly every day for at least a few hours to learn more about the game I've come to love so much all over again? If it weren't for the Washington Capitals would I be itching every day to get back out on the ice myself and press my game harder and a little further? Would I be hitting the gym to make myself better on the ice too? Would I even know about the Wounded Warrior hockey program to try and help with it?

This team created a hockey addict out of me. I can't get enough. My wife loves this game and watches every game with me because of this team. They've inspired me to get back to the game I loved as a kid on the street and to take it to the next step out on the ice. I've lost 15 pounds and am likely in the best shape of my life (even after 5 years in the US Army). I'm meeting new people I wouldn't have met before, striking up conversations I wouldn't have had. I'm finding new ground with old friends. The longer I think about it, there are more and more things that spring to mind about all of the great things I would be missing out on if it weren't for the Washington Capitals and the great cast of players/coaches/everyone who makes the team run.

So when you go to criticize someone about the lack of longevity in their respective fandom, think twice. Just because you've watched a bunch of games, doesn't make you more dedicated to the game and the team.

Hockey Wire Sculpts and A Neat Surprise

2010-05-06T16:20:00.000-07:00

For my 3D Design course final, we are required to put together three sculptures of similar size and shape but differing materials. I was slightly stressed over just what I was going to put together since learning about it. Then out of the blue, I remembered that I already had two wire sculpts that I had done on the side, my Hockey Players!

So today, I took a bit of time out of my morning to head out to Home Depot and finally pick up the proper wire, from the concrete section and get to work on the last of the family. I also picked up a can of metallic spray paint to give my final sculpt a different finish, this time in gold. Overall the idea worked, three similar styled sculptures with three varied finishes. Similar aesthetic with a different feel to each.

The best part is that I now have the proper wire to make more and will likely see about putting these up for folks to order who'd like a unique, fun, but great looking decoration. I've also had a friend point out that he'd love to see one 6 foot tall in bronze outside an arena somewhere someday, and I'm inclined to agree with him. I could easily see something like this outside of Verizon in the future. I wonder who I would have to approach for a project like that :)...

Speaking of people I'd have to approach, after my sculpt was finished, I made my way lazily through the hockey blogs this afternoon and to my surprise, Ted Leonsis, owner of the Capitals, had linked my little corner of the hockey blogosphere. It's always fun to see something like that. Oh and Ted, if you're reading now, see my ideas in the paragraph above!

Hitting the ice tomorrow at Kettler for Open Hockey at 1130-1300, hope to see ya there, I'll be in red as always ;).

Playoff Dissappointment and Wounded Warriors

2010-05-04T20:01:00.000-07:00

It's only my second playoffs following the Caps. Unfortunately it's no easier to deal with their loss, in fact, it's likely worse for us this year having followed the Caps through nearly every game of the season. I wouldn't have ever believed the team would be taken to task so hard so early. The Habs played a hell of a defensive shut down at times and Halak was ridiculous on far too many shots for my liking...

So now what? Well, there's the rest of the playoffs, but very little stock in who wins. I have some hope that the Sharks will get through to win it out, mostly so my friend PJ will finally be satiated and I won't have to listen about their consecutive failures. Only now, he'll have to listen to my own wailing next year.

The quarter finals are all interesting with any game having the ability to swing to either team in an instant. I just wish I had another team I cared about even a fraction of how I felt about the Caps this year. But I don't. The Caps have ruined me for any other team!

I'll be watching for news and hope to see some of the World Championships in Germany. I don't know much of the rosters yet, but Russia has Ovi, Semin, and Varlamov in house now. Though apparently Varly is running around in flip flops after the airline lost his bags and gear!

On my own personal hockey front, I've contacted someone to see about helping with/becoming a part of the Wounded Warriors hockey efforts here in Maryland. I'm not 100% certain the person I contacted was indeed who I should, but at the very least, I hope they would have contact info for those who are indeed in charge of it.

I served in the Army from July 2001 to Jan 2007 and spent a year tour in Iraq where I was wounded, luckily just a flesh wound that didn't nick anything important. For a while now I've wanted to do something with those who were wounded far worse than myself, and a few months ago I heard about the Veterans taking the ice through Ted Leonsis' blog. Hopefully I hear something back and get a chance to do something for a fellow vet.

Hope to see some ice sometime this week at Kettler. Legs need a bit of a work out!

New Stick Trial and Playoff Hockey

2010-04-23T18:59:00.000-07:00

A late start to the day meant a missed morning skate down in Kettler, but it also meant migas for breakfast, so things worked themselves out it seems.

Today saw the first time I've had the chance to try a composite stick out on the ice. With the acquisition of Mr. Aucoin's brand new stick a few weeks back, I have finally seen the light, and doubt I'll be going back.

It's amazing the difference in feel and stick maneuverability you feel the second you begin to play a puck. There is a significant bump to overall handling ability with the reduction in weight that is appreciable in even my less than qualified hands.

Open hockey went well overall this afternoon at Kettler. Unfortunately there were no goalies for the hour, but teams worked out to be roughly evened out with 6-7 per side giving us enough to go 4 on 4 for the duration. The first 20 minutes were end to end with good energy, but by the end only a handful of guys still had it in their legs to play the puck hard.

There were a few familiar faces from last week and a bunch of new ones, but all around a great group. Some skilled players and a few less so (namely myself), but all were just out to have a good time.

Playing posts isn't exactly a strong point of mine, as really I have very little control over shots just yet, but joining a rush I was fed a pass that I threw on net where a defenders stick deflected my shot up and into the crossbar, to which there was much rejoicing by myself and my teammates as I had lamented that my only chance to hit the posts was to be lucky!

Getting home and getting some good grub in my gut before flipping the tele to the game in the hopes that the series would be clenched. The game didn't disappoint in the drama department but did in the unfortunate loss. I said it to a friend a few days ago, to watch the Caps is to invite drama.

Overall this post season has been absolutely fantastic. Series that I thought would be a sure thing are blown wide open or overturned a predesignated (in my mind) winner with an upset time and time again. Some amazing plays all around and a lot of nail biters. Last years post season is what jolted my hockey heart back to life, and this time around, it's just as electrifying.

Media Craziness at Kettler and Open Hockey

2010-04-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

Friday morning at Kettler started off calm enough. Sunny and warm outside, but cool and crisp as a rink should be in the stands of the practice rink. But then, this is the playoffs, and that slow start was soon broken by the buzz of media from the full spectrum of the hockey world.

To say there was a good bit of media represented for Morning Skate is more than an understatement. During the regular season, a practice or morning skate pulled a handful of personnel from various online and television sources. Post season? Well, I'll just let the photo do the talking.

They come out in droves this time of year it seems. Much of the throng seen seemed to be from North of the border, as there was more than a fair share of French being thrown about in a manner I've yet to be privy to outside of a High School French class. Standing about in front of the gate, I was hoping to catch one Jose Theodore for a minute of his time for the charity art project I've worked on. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to secure any signatures for the time at the gate, but ended up dragooning myself to opening the gate for media personnel with far too much equipment for their own good. A few nods of thanks and some tired legs from waiting I decided to have a seat.

The team didn't do a full on skate for the day, in fact a good portion didn't skate at all. I took a seat high in the stands to the close net behind the Russian contingent who I've seen regularly taking the boys morning skate in, with obvious attention to Semyon Varlamov.

As I took my seat there was a bit of a contest/game/competition going on with the boys out on the ice, a shooting practice using two sticks in either corner. I wasn't quite able to discern the objective unfortunately, but there was a good amount of chatter through the group as each shot. Eventually the group finished up and moved to other matters at hand.

The practice wound down slowly, with the healthy scratches doing their bit of extra skate before the the ice was quiet and the pucks and sticks were collected. I walked back over to the gate for a while longer, but no one was making their way back around that area. Joe B and Al Koken wandered over as a few kids were hanging about, they signed a few jerseys for them and chatted a bit. Both seemed very personable and were good sports about one fans attempt to take a photo that ended up being video!

After waiting for what seemed to be too long, I checked my clock and seeing as it was past noon, it was definitely time for a quick bite down in mall. A sandwich and a soda was to be the cap of my trip to Kettler, and I sat quietly to myself in the cafe checking through the Kettler website on my phone. I had plans to head back up to Rockville, closer to home, for some stick and shoot, but something told me to double check on the days and times for Open Hockey while I was still around. Luckily I did! There was ice time in 15 minutes! I scarfed down my sandwich and chugged a bit of soda and hoofed it up the stairs (Note: Take the Elevator!). Getting my sticker, I ran out to the Jeep and collected my gear and sticks.

Playing ice hockey on the Capitals practice ice was something of a special moment. I'd known you could for some time, but it was the first time I'd had the chance to do so. It's a great fanboy moment as you cut into the same ice that your team does. The moment was to be slightly short lived as my first shift on came up quickly and I realized just how dehydrated I was, and how eating just before taking the ice is likely a bad idea! A few moments of indigestion and a near issue with my past meal making reappearance, I got through the worst of it and guzzled water at every chance.

While in the locker room getting ready, there was talk of someone on the ice who'd mentioned their brother played for the Caps, a bit of peaked interest, I headed out not thinking too much of it. I took my seat alongside the rest of the guys out there and noticed a Swedish flag on a Bauer stick. A one Kristoffer Backstrom was playing a game of pick up. It was a neat thing for a newbie player like myself to play hockey with a guy who plays in the Swedish Elite League. Luckily, he was on my team so I didn't have to be embarrassed by him skating circles around me! There was no big kerfuffle made about his presence, but it was a fun addition to an already great group who showed for the ice time.

I really look forward to getting some more time out at Kettler, the locker room was far more mature than those I've be accustomed to in Rockville and the attitude on the ice is much more lax and fun. It's a drive, and actually costs more, but the level of fun was much higher than my past open hockey time. In fact I'm doing much the same as I did last week this week! Only this time I'll be putting my freshly cut and taped composite to the test.

Get out there, have some fun, and I'll see you on the ice!

Stick and shoots, Caps games and a new 'Piece'

2010-04-12T14:45:00.000-07:00

The leaner me. Thanks Hockey!

It's been a bit of a hectic life these past few weeks. I've been terrible about updating the blog and I while I know I should update daily to get the most out of my hockey experience, there just isn't enough time! We might see a bit more focus from me on the daily hockey front come the summer and into the next season as I settle into things a bit more.

I've been making some time every week or two for a few hours of ice time, and would you believe it, I can sort of stop to the left! It's such a momentous occasion! I should probably buy a cake and ice cream to celebrate. It's not pretty, and I can't do it at all times, but when I'm thinking about it, going in at the right angle, and am not going too fast, I can make a hockey stop to the left side. With a few more times out on the ice to practice, I can see learning to use it mid play as well.

Other things I've started to see about my play have been getting frozen while on the back peddle playing D. I feel I commit too much to a forward push when I should be looking to turn and burn with the opponent instead. I've had a few too many bad (see: unforced) turnovers when moving in zone as well. Both of these make me realize just how new to the game I really am. But as a little boost to the old ego, I've mentioned a few times that this is my first year ever playing ice hockey and many people have said that's really impressive considering how I play already. Still, there is a lot of 'in progress' when it comes to my on ice play.

I'm still hovering around 187-188, depending on the amount of water/food in my system. I feel really good about it, as my workout time has diminished some with school. I usually get one or two good runs in a week and as mentioned above, a hockey day/night once every week or so. My eating habits have only slightly improved from before, but I'm far more active and busy than before. Even when going to school, I get a bit of workout from the quarter mile hike I have to make from my Jeep to the classroom (CCBC parking is a miserable situation when you need to be in the art department!). Doing this 3 of the 4 times I go to class gives me a little bit a workout that seems to wake my body up just enough.

Here we go...

Caps games have kept me glued to the television every few days and I've even been able to attend two since my birthday. One against the Stars and this past Friday versus the Thrashers. The game against the Thrashers was the most fun I've had yet at a game. The feel inside Verizon was just intense. A really great experience from start to finish with a beautiful girl by my side the entire night.

The Presidents Trophy Presented to the 2009-10 Washington Capitals

Seeing the Presidents Trophy presentation was a special extra, and the Fan Appreciation hockey stick sale was a great chance to pick up a brand new or used stick from the players own stock. I dug through the sticks during two intermissions and finally found one that I was going to call my own, a Keith Aucoin Warrior Dolomite composite that will routinely run you a cool $170 I picked up for $99. With a blade with a near identical in curve to my CCM Ovechkin wood stick, I just need to cut it down to size and throw some tape on. There were a few used sticks that I had considered picking up, but I felt I'd much rather a new stick that I wouldn't hesitate using for my own game instead.

My new 'piece'

First Star Alex Ovechkin

A few Red Hooks, a pizza, and a win later, my wife and I headed out to the concourse to pick up my stick and then hit the store for some swag for our last game of the season. My wife made out like a bandit picking up a zipper sweatshirt, a reebok capitals hockey shirt, and a old school looking hat. The hats section is where we spent the majority of our time, taking photos of her in each so she could see what they looked like. They really need to put a mirror next to the rack...

My beautiful Date

So with the regular season coming to an end yesterday, the beard is begun and I wait with baited breath for the coming storm that is the Stanley Cup Playoffs. If last year was any indicator it's going to be another amazing couple of months worth of hockey.

Artwork signed by Eric Fehr

I hope to get down to Kettler sometime in the coming week or two to try and get with Jose Theodore and Alex Ovechkin for their John Hancock on the pieces I worked up for the Saves For Kids foundation. With any luck I'll have them up and online for bidding before the end of the first playoff series. For those of you with connections/access, if you can help in this regard, I'll be looking to promote these auctions all around the web/community. And if anyone can get me a few minutes of face time with either of those two players, I'd love to hear from you!

Another Open Hockey

2010-03-20T20:13:00.000-07:00

With another game of open hockey under my belt, I'm dead tired and rather sore. My right knee being the major sore point, will have to do some additional strengthening of my legs and joints as I go forward I think.

This was only my second Open Hockey, with only two Stick and Shoot sessions as well as a single day of Canal shinny, I'm looking forward to the day I can't count my hockey experiences in single digits! There is only so much time to get to the rink while classes are going unfortunately and some of that time I end up being stuck working on projects! In fact I've delayed tonight's session at least two weeks or so thanks to sleeping in or late nights working on a project or two. With Spring Break coming up after this week, I will likely spend most of that time on the ice and getting down to Kettler to watch the boys practice.

The game went well enough for how few participants there were. We started off red and white against green and black, with 8 and 9 players respectively. The game kicked off going 4 on 4, which made complete sense, since we just didn't have the player volume to withstand full speed 5 on 5. Another guy or two showed up late and someone though to make it a 5 on 5, which would have been fine, had no one left early. But not everyone can stay the entire night, and by the half way point, we were down to 6 or 7 a side and still playing an ugly 5 on 5 thanks to a lack of any real bench time. I found myself getting one good hard skate to either end before having to relegate myself to playing as a body in the way with a stick out to the passing lanes.

The night went well enough with the over abundance of ice time though. I find my passing is more on point than before, with only a few later passes being too hard or too far off the mark. Sticking to the right side D for most of the game, I occasionally jumped into a play when possible, only to have the other 'D man' to not fall back on the play when the puck got away! Zone play and passing to the open man isn't exactly a strong point when playing open hockey though, so it's always to be expected. It's not like we were keeping score or anything!

I really can't understand some players thinking when it comes to open hockey though. They take such offense to some peoples lack of ability and are so vocal on the bench that I just couldn't keep my mouth shut any longer. When someone can't play well, it's likely because they're new! When they can't keep their head up while playing the puck, it's because they're new! Stop complaining, you never know who else is new on the bench that you're starting to piss off with your constant complaining! Fortunately, after a quick, maybe slightly aggressive, talk with the worst of the complainers, the pissing and moaning about our teammates stopped and the on ice play by those players became more team oriented. I call that a win.

The night ended well with everyone being dead tired and smiles all around as the buzzer sounded for us to head off. A quick fist bump to my team and a few for the opposing players still around and off to the locker room I went.

The burn out of ice time removed, it was a good hard practice for me. A lot of hard skating, with a few good stick in the lane defensive plays, and just a hand full of good passes up the boards and middle. I think my zone play suffered as I tried to get forward a bit more often to try and join the rush, but many times I found myself having to move to forward as the D positions were filled when I got on ice. I don't think myself an effective forward because of a lack of skating ability and puck handling in zone with pressure.

Passing: + A few good passes and a bit more heads up play.
Shooting: = I don't think I took a single shot the entire time I was on the ice
Skating: + Catching up to more experienced players on the break away
Puck Handling: = A few too many turnovers from opposing player takeaways
Zone: = Next skate will focus more on this instead of getting into the play
Cardio: + Hour or more on the ice with a bit of speed left on a few plays at the end

Caps Art/Story Book

2010-03-15T19:05:00.000-07:00

I've finally finished my 2D Design project. While it's not 100% as great as it could be, it's good for what time I had to invest in the project. I think the text could have been a bit more inspired and the innards layout could likely be tweaked a bit for a nicer look, but on the whole I'm proud of it as a change of pace piece that I really put a lot of time and thought into. From start to finish I had a lot of fun and stress with this project. Now that it's over I'm looking forward to hearing the critique on it and moving on to my next project.

The photos to follow show the entire project as it's supposed to be viewed in sequence. Enjoy!

Leafs at Caps in Sharpie

2010-03-10T21:00:00.001-08:00

Here's what I've been knee deep in for the past week. You've seen some stuff before but these are the actual scans of the images instead of a photo. Note the two extra pics (ovi and theo), the more detailed, larger pictures are hopefully bound for signatures in the near future, and if all goes well, auction for Saves for Kids.

Enjoy!

Artwork Signed

2010-03-08T11:02:00.001-08:00

A trip to Kettler for the Morning Skate this morning turned out rather well. I hung out for a while and watched the warm ups to start off. I brought a sketchbook along as well and drew a quick sketch of Varly since he was the most stationary figure out there! Nothing special, just trying to get used to drawing things in more constant motion. Much more fun than say still life! Eventually the ice began to clear after what looked like a good start to the day. The players all had smiles and looked to be having a good time just being out on the ice. I was quite jealous, and was bemoaning having left my skates at the house as a Public Skate had started up as the caps were finishing up, but I'll get my fix come Friday at Rockville I suppose.

I decided that since Fehr had agreed to sign the piece and I needed to catch him after he'd already changed, I would be best served by heading to the Caps front desk. I was met with a bit of skepticism as expected, but I explained the situation some and the lady made a call to the back, and I was asked to have a seat. I did so, and did my best not to get 'starstruck' as player after player and even Ted Leonsis roamed the hall. I had a meeting set, and they were kind enough to let me stick around while I waited. So I stayed on my best behavior and didn't hound every person that passed for their autograph!

Eventually Eric came out, I stood and greeted him with a handshake. To start off I handed over the copy I had made for him, the cheapo frame job made it a much nicer presentation. I then pulled out the other that he agreed to sign, and he did so. Showing him the others I was working on he asked if I wanted him to get Mike Green to sign one, which I couldn't have been happier to hear! I handed it to him and he headed to the back to find Green and returned art signed.

I can't thank Eric enough for his help on this. I'm hoping to get the other two with Theodore and Ovechkin signed as well, but that's going to have to be another day. In the end I want to get these put up for auction and put 100% of that money to Theodore's Saves for Kids fundraiser. If anyone has any info on how I can get in touch with either of those two, past standing around hoping outside of Kettler, I would appreciate it. Stay tuned for more!

Art for Fehrsy

2010-03-07T16:47:00.000-08:00

Was able to get all of the pieces finished this weekend. The above is for Fehr, who asked if I wouldn't mind making one for him. I hit up Micheal's earlier today in search of a cheap way to frame the piece, found this one on clearance and think it works wonderfully for the 3.99 price tag! Much better than handing it over and saying 'Good luck getting it home in one piece!' I'll likely get similar frames for the others I've done.

Hope to get with a few of the other guys, namely Theo, Ovi and Green who are prominent in the other three. We'll see if they're not too busy considering it's a game day.

Project Update

2010-03-06T17:18:00.000-08:00

I've gone back and redone one of the images from my project. I'm thinking that the ones I've done previously will end up being for the school project where these will end up as solitary pieces.

I was also able to get in touch with Eric Fehr about signing the piece, who said he would gladly sign it, even asking if I wouldn't mind making one for him as well. I'll be busting my butt to finish the ones with the boys in them by Monday morning and get down to Kettler for the morning skate. The singles will just be mounted on plain backgrounds and hopefully, I can get them out to the community for auction to support Caps charities.

My wife and I will also be attending the Caps game Monday! Can't wait! See you in Section 100!

Running with the inspiration.

2010-03-04T20:29:00.001-08:00

With my last project (which netted me a 100/100 btw), I was able to capture a bit of inspiration from the Caps, most notably, Theodore and his fundraising effort. Another project in much the same vein was laid out for us just the other day, so I decided to follow this line even further in creating more hockey art!

Here are a few work in progress shots of the stuff I'm knee deep in right now, enjoy!

All of the work is done by taking photos from the Caps/Leafs game my wife and I attended and desaturating the color and ramping up the contrast. The photos are printed and laid under tracing paper where I picked out the details using a sharpie. Text from the game recap and some additional sources will be laid in the background with varying fonts and sizes to emphasis the sense of story. They'll also be laid in a format yet to be determined. Stay tuned for more and finished photos (eventually!). I had considered trying to get the boys to sign the pieces, we'll see if I can make that happen or not, Ted if you're reading, hook a young artist up!

Theo Saves!

2010-03-02T17:23:00.001-08:00

Read an article today by WaPo about Theo and his Saves for Kids fundraising efforts and was inspired to work him into a project I'm working on for 2D Design.

Goalie Wire Sculpt

2010-02-23T20:44:00.000-08:00

At the behest of my lovely wife, I found some time today during 3d Design to work on a quick Goalie for the end of our entertainment center! These are just too much fun to make!

First Pick Up Hockey

2010-02-21T19:26:00.000-08:00

Saturday night, my friend PJ and I hit Rockville's pick up game. He'd driven down from Philly to come hang out and play hockey for the day, only to drive back the very next morning! The last time we'd played together was middle school out on the street in front of his house! With the last of my gear, I was finally able to take the ice fully prepared to play, and ready for any wipe outs or hard play along the boards. PJ's gear, piecemeal as it was, came from his high school days when he last played Ice Hockey, some of which his uncle gave him that was used in the 70's! But a little thing like old gear and a few missing pieces wasn't about to keep him off the ice.

I had just figured out taping my stick a few days prior after a couple of new ones I'd ordered showed up. My gear is all brand new and as I sat in the locker room getting ready, I felt a bit out of place as most of the others there had well worn and used gear from who knows how many games prior to that night. I couldn't help but feel a bit like a dork, though the feeling didn't stick around too long as I noticed another player with a pair of brand new hockey pants that made me feel a bit more at ease about the issue.

Getting ready I began to feel a bit more out of place as this was only the second time I'd ever put gear on, with no real method to the madness. Taking cues from those around me, I got myself together and was all but too eager to get out on the ice. I snagged my newest stick, a CCM wooden Ovechkin curve, and left the locker room.

The ice was nice and fresh from the resurfacer, and I couldn't help but feel all of my gear for the first time as I settled in. It's a different feeling entirely to skate in gear and without. I knew the difference would be manageable though, as none of my movement was very restricted too terribly. Just skating around though, I felt myself becoming more and more comfortable in my new skin. Right up to the point PJ passed me a puck to put on net and I nearly lost my footing that is.

People filed into the rink little by little and a few pucks were tossed around from net to net. Eventually a few goalies found their way onto the ice as well and took up position for some quick practice taking a few shots. All of my attempts were stopped easily as expected, much of that coming from my lack of puck handling ability. I find my biggest issue being that I skate in a bit too far and hard for my current shot capability. A bit of work on that in a few stick and shoots should help considerably though, so a few of those will likely be in my near future.

A few of the regulars made their way to center ice and talked out the organization for the game. The decision being made to split the teams by jersey color. White and Grey on one end, everything else on the other. PJ was in white and I was in red, so we made our way to the respective sides and settled in to face off against each other.

The game ended up being mostly one sided. With many of the more skilled players being in white and grey jerseys, with a scattered few guys on our end with some serious puck skill. I relegated myself to defense and did my best to keep up with the plays. Almost immediately I felt my skating was well outclassed from nearly every player pushing our net. Deciding to stay back further into the neutral zone than the blue line when we had possession, only coming forward when the pressure was held in zone. I kept my head more around positioning than actual puck play, and to the end of the game, I felt I had a bit more of an understanding of where I needed to be and when I needed to fall back. One blocked shot and a few broken up plays under my belt and I felt a bit more confident. On one of my last shifts I was even able to break up a breakaway attempt and clear the puck from one of the younger more skilled guys, who was obviously frustrated by my play on his way to the bench.

The buzzer sounded, the game ended, and I made my dehydrated way off the ice to get changed and head out. A great time under my belt, and a great experience to play a game with a close friend after so many years.

Talking with PJ, who is far more experienced in the game, I asked him how I did, about my positioning, talked about a few plays I thought I did well, and got a bit of encouragement going forward. He mentioned that other than one play I got caught deep at the end, my positioning for defense was near spot on, a plus that I was hoping I'd done well with. Passing is still an issue, but a quick tip from PJ on how to receive a pass should help in my next practice session. All in all with all of my shortcomings on the ice, it was a positive night for progress.

Oh and that left stop? It's still not working...need to work on that...

Gear!

2010-02-19T12:32:00.000-08:00

Well, I've finally acquired the last of my gear! Tomorrow night I'll be putting it to the test in Rockville with a good friend!

Of course I couldn't wait to try it all on! The dogs were not fans though...

See ya on the ice!

Wire Sculpt

2010-02-16T17:04:00.000-08:00

Found myself sitting in class today with not much to do for a bit and started to 'doodle' with some wire used on our projects from last class. I started off just making a wire armature of a person but wanted to create something a bit more dynamic, so he quickly found himself in a hockey stance and gained a stick to top it off. Oh and the curve? Ovi-esque. ;)

He now stands atop of one of our entertainment center cabinets. Maybe a goalie would be nice for the other side?

Canal Conditions This Morning

2010-02-15T19:12:00.000-08:00

While frozen over, the canal this morning seemed less than ideal. The first sign of 'trouble' being the first step onto the ice was the scene above with slush and broken ice being your welcome. The way down wasn't terrible. The skier's have been out it would seem and lots of folks taking the path down to Lock 7 stamping the way down. The issue being the path is near solid and I hope you've got some serious grip on the sole of your shoes/boots! I nearly busted my back end a few times just getting down the first time. I took the snow over the path from then on out.

It's frozen over pretty well, with all of the areas that were frozen the last shinny weekend frozen over this time as well. There seems to be a bit more debris this time though, and a lot more unevenness to the ice surface. Not a lot that a few scrapes with a shovel wouldn't get rid of, and a dozen or so bodies with skates strapped on carving would do wonders to level it off a bit.

In the close up above you can see the frost that was settled over near all of the ice surface. It's nothing major and I'm sure would clean up nice, but the ice under felt choppy and crunchy in most spots as I walked out a bit. It felt solid enough though and would likely support a good amount of weight to the middle.

Take this all with a grain of salt though, as the temps warmed up to the 40's by the end of the day, though they seemed to have settled down a bit now for this latest bit of snow.

I headed back up to the Jeep and went to Kettler for a bit of gear sizing and to pick up a few things since I was in the area. On the way home I couldn't help but wonder if anyone else had been down to the ice or was looking around for others as I did. The community really needs someone in the Cabin John area to hook us up with some solid intel on the canal every winter from here on out!

First Stick Time

2010-02-08T18:59:00.000-08:00

Is there really anything else you would rather do after a night of drinking than wake up early and hit the ice? Sleeping in was really not an option this morning as I finally had enough gear to get out to Rockville Ice Arena for their Pick Up at 1230. With my new gloves, a shoddy rollerblading helmet and my slightly too short stick I made my way in.

It started off slow enough, just a few people trickling in at a time as the ice opened. I just skated about for a bit, getting my legs back as it's been a while since I'd strapped on the skates. As the nets were put in place, the pucks came out, and I started to chip some pucks down range.

I quickly began to realize just how far from competent I really am! In fact, it would probably be easier to list the things I am capable of, rather than to list those I'm not. But where's the fun in that?

I can't stop to my left yet. I can't get a solid slap shot off. I can hardly get a good wrist shot off! And backhanding? Yeah, that usually ends with the puck careening away from me in an undesired direction... Passing isn't a strong point, neither is my pass receiving (see: lack of). I think you get the idea here. I'm not competent at pretty much anything. But man, is hockey a blast even when you're terrible!

The groups split up eventually between the lil dudes and the big guys, with a few of the dads corralling the kiddos on the far end, the other end broke off into teams based on jersey colors. We had 1-2 sub-ins per side and got to it. I played the pucks as well as I could, trying to stay focused on placement, but with a lack of passing ability and receiving ability, it's hard to make the play when it's needed. I did get a few quick goals in close though playing close to the left side of the net looking for rebounds when the play was away from me. I also took a few pucks to the body because I played the center a lot for defense as well. With one wrister getting me good just low of the ribs, leaving a nice puck shaped welt as evidence of my blocked shot.

My back is killing me, my calves hurt, and there are spots on my body that have never hurt as much as they do today. I've never been happier to be in as much pain. Maybe a few more pads and a lot more practice and I won't feel as rough, but that's a minor concern. The biggest issue on my plate at the moment: When can I go again?! See you on the ice.

Gear Update: Gloves

2010-02-05T11:37:00.000-08:00

Finally picked up a set of gloves! These are last years Vector 08's, regularly $89 or so, was able to snag them for $50 ($66 shipped). Fit great, if a bit rigid. I'm looking forward to getting out to Rockville to try them out a bit.

Next up: Helmet w/cage.

Getting the shakes.

2010-01-31T11:23:00.000-08:00

Jealous to no end...

It's been a while since I've strapped on my skates. I'm dying to get back on the ice. The months been tight though, and I haven't been willing to make it more so by throwing down a 10 spot for an hour and a half in the rinks. I keep hoping and praying for some seriously frozen weather to no avail too. There is a bit of freeze going on right now, but will it last long enough? The forecast is doubtful on the front!

This is not to say I've been sitting around not working toward my ultimate goal of league play in the summer. My wife and I are regularly hitting the gym in our apartment complex and making good with what little equipment there is available, or even functional. I'm on a bit of a cardio kick as of late and have been trying to re-gear my efforts into strength training after 15 minutes of hard cardio, be it running on the tread or stepping it out on the elliptical. Being able to use the bike on site would be great, if only it wasn't inop. With some core workouts gleaned from one of my best friends, who just so happens to be a Drill Sergeant at the moment, we make the best of the time and equipment and the results have been promising so far.

The workouts are great, but they're not enough...I need to get my stick on the ice and compete for the puck. I expect I'll try and get out to Rockville by the end of this week to get some stick and ice time though. If only that canal would harden up again...

Firefighters Eat Gooooooood.

2010-01-26T16:18:00.000-08:00

That's me. This was last January, when we were still living in Texas. I was a good 2 years out of the Army at this point and working for the Killeen Fire Department. It was a great job, some really great people, and some really great food. The pace wasn't terrible, with only a few fires every month and while the EMS was a bit more busy, you didn't expect to do much in the way of heavy lifting during your shifts on the ambulance. Did I mention the food was amazing?

In the end it was the food that got me hovering over 200 pounds of not muscle. While on shift, if you could, you rested as often as possible and for as long as possible. You never knew when the next big call was coming in and didn't want to be burnt out by the time you got to the scene. The thinking obviously flawed, but man, it sure was nice to sleep while you're at work!

Quickly, I fell into a work out slump. With the longest I was able to keep my active streaks going being two weeks at a time, followed by another month or two activity drought. Soon enough I was feeling gross and fat and tired.

Throw a good helping of school in there, I found myself clamoring for some sort of workable routine. Unfortunately it never manifested.

The first time I hit 205 I could hardly believe it. I was always hovering at 175-180 when I was in the Army. Working out every single morning will help keep you in shape, even if the workouts aren't exactly amazing. But back then I had all the energy in the world, could go for as long as I needed to push myself and hardly felt any of it an hour later. That day I looked down to see the scale tipping into unexplored territory, I didn't have any of that.

So what changed my outlook? Hockey!

During the post season last year, my friend PJ, who I'd played so many games of street hockey with as a kid, told me about this team I should check out, the Capitals, particularly a player named Ovechkin. I had been out of the sport for a long time at this point, with no appreciable knowledge of the NHL. I decided to check out the playoff games and suckered my wife into watching with me. We were instantly hooked. The team was dynamic, fast, hard hitting, and the goals were oh so pretty. We even took time out of our vacation to South Padre to watch the last of the Caps playoff run. While Game 7 was a bust, it was the start of a reawakened love for a game that has always been in my heart.

When we moved to Maryland, Hockey was high on the priority list. October 11th the Caps played the Islanders and I got my first taste of a live NHL game. We went home and set about finding the next game we could make that night.

I soon decided to take up the sport again after those first few games. I felt like such a kid the first time I stepped out on the ice this winter. It's an amazing feeling to awaken that preteen joy in yourself after so many years. A good amount of public skates later I was fitted for skates and my wife was keen to pick them up as a Christmas gift.

I've watched what I eat a little, hit the gym a lot, and put the skates to good use when I could. More of the later two keeps me happier than the first of course! With all of that, after only about 3 months, and I'm walking around at 191. And it feels good.

What does this game cost anyways?

2010-01-18T10:00:00.000-08:00

When you're trying to break into a sport like hockey, you become uniquely aware of the up front costs involved. There are obvious purchases that will make your wallet whimper as you dole out hundreds for a single piece of equipment, but then there are hidden costs that you likely didn't even know you needed or had even thought about when you decided you would pour your free time into the game.

My venture began with a few public skates using rentals at a few local rinks. At around $12 a skate, I quickly realized where much of my 'spare' income was going to sink itself. This is one of the few sports you need a special place to play the game in it's natural element. Ice is hard to come by in many places, let alone ice that you're willing to skate on. While yes, you can indeed just play it on the street with a ball, it's a different experience entirely to play out your NHL fantasies on solid sheet of the slippery hard stuff. Should you want to spend a lot of time out on the rink, you're going to rack up a lot of cost quickly. Pick up and Stick time will likely run you $10 or more per session, soaking up $520 a year from your pocket should you only go once a week!

To skate in rentals is an effort in masochism should you try and endure it more than once. Your going to want your own set of skates, and you will pay out your nose to get a good pair that will make your time on the ice a bit more comfortable. You could buy those bargain bin throwaways of course, and your feet will pay. Your feet are your livelihood in nearly all things, so expect to pay upwards of $600 for the top of the line. If you're like me, you want a middle ground of cost/effectiveness where you're getting the most for your buck. Picking out a set of Bauer Vapor X40's, I made sure my wife knew what I wanted when Christmas came around. $350 or so later, I'm skating in comfort.

Sticks run the full gamut of price ranges from the super cheap to the super expensive, and again, you get what you pay for. But for starters, wood sticks are enough to get you going, and there are actually a good amount of options should you do some searching. Expect to drop around $35-50 for a quality wooden stick. Composites are the hotness when it comes to transferring power from your hands to the puck, and that power transfer comes with a price. With some of the most expensive going for nearly $250 a piece and the cheaper side going from $70-100 it's going to be up to you to determine how much your shot is worth to you. Expect to see this n00b sitting toward the lower end of this spectrum for some time to come, unless another gift giving season comes around!

Gloves, Helmets, Shoulders, pants, shins, elbows, jock shorts, and a face mask. Did you consider how much all of this stuff was going to run you when you decided to start playing this game? I don't think I gave it much serious consideration. With all of these things, your running the price tag up anywhere from $25 to $100+ per piece of protective equipment! How much is your personal protection worth to you? How good is your insurance? After working out middle ground equipment using an online shopping cart, I found myself breaking the $400 mark rather quickly. Can I play yet?

Even with all of this out of the way, there are still more expenses to consider! Jerseys, hockey socks, under gear moisture wicking garments, suspenders, mouth piece, tape, and skate sharpening are yet more pieces of the personal hockey expense! Once sorted, you're finally ready to take to the ice fully prepared for a full contact game of hockey.

With any luck, I'll have figured out much of my own hockey budget by the summer. Without it, I'll be slowly gathering equipment bit by bit for the next year and a half! Is the cost worth it? Ask me in a year! I can tell you now though, I'm near certain of my answer already.

Leafs at Caps Birthday Game

2010-01-16T12:53:00.001-08:00

Wifey took me out for a game last night and it was, as usual, a blast. Here are the pics from the night.

Wifey Pre-gaming

I would kill to skate that ice just once.

Mr. USA got the call for the game. Was nice to see him rocking some red.

First Puck Drop.

Capstronaut was in attendance.

Ovi waiting for the play to develop.

We saw this an awful lot last night. Goals are good.

Someone say fight?

Theo gets a solid win.

After hours fun on a Metro bus. What was Metro thinking shutting down part of the red line DIRECTLY after a game!?

We eventually made it home, nearly an hour and a half later than we had expected to when leaving the house. A fantastic night on the whole though, thanks to everyone that makes the experience what it is. I have such an amazing time at the games from start to finish. Next year, we're doing Season Tickets for sure.

A Birthday and a Game

2010-01-15T11:53:00.001-08:00

In about 2 hours I'll be on the Metro headed into town decked out in red. Section 100, here I come. A hell of a way to celebrate a birthday!

Go Caps!

My first game, to the roots of it all.

2010-01-10T14:25:00.000-08:00

Waking up this morning, I had figured on another boring day of class work when I arose from bed late. I slowly made my way out to the living room, flipped on the television and changed the channel to NHL Network to see the game highlights. I went about my morning web check making my way to On Frozen Blog after a bit. Immediately, I knew where I was going for the day. The canal had frozen over just outside of DC! 'Pond Hockey' was on!

I had to stop off and give my wife some lunch, but once I was done there, I hit the loop, jumped off at Cabin John and parked along the side of the road with everyone else who was coming out for the day. After grabbing my stick, skates and puck, the smile didn't leave my face the rest of the day.

People were all over the place, playing pickup hockey, skating alone, walking about. Some had their kids, some had their dogs, entire families made their way down as well. I followed a trail down around an old building next to the canal and found a spot to get down to the ice. Changed my shoes for my skates, dropped the puck, and started skating.

Much of the ice was already cleared of snow, so I found a spot I could get a little space and started getting used to puck handling. Have I mentioned I've never played a single game of ice hockey? This was the first time I'd ever handled a puck on ice with a hockey stick.

After a bit an older guy came by around the area I was getting my bearings and started clearing some of the accumulated snow from one side. I asked if he was up for a small scrimmage, and after agreeing to play, he and his two little guys split off to play for either side. We played for a bit before another guy came by asking to join in. Eventually the new comer had to head off, upon which we decided to join together with a group adjacent to us. Throwing our sticks in, a kid from BC went about separating them for for teams. It ended up being 4 on 5, so we on the short end went to dividing up our sections of ice to play. We settled on a rough diamond with someone staying back for goal tending work.

The game went smooth enough, with both sides scoring occasionally, most of us busting our ass a few times, and a few really fun break away goals. I made an effort to play against the best guy on their team, the kid from BC, as often as I could. He wasn't from their hockey team, but he plays intermural up there. It was a great way to test myself and my ability to skate. For my first game, I'd like to think I did alright! There was no count of the goals, I'm really not even certain who 'won' by the time we packed it up. I shook everyone's hands and made my way off, but before I left as asked BC to take a quick pic on my Blackberry for posterity.

If you haven't been down there, or have never played outdoor pickup with some random folks, I highly suggest you do. This is one experience that I'll remember for the rest of my life.

Current Progress

2010-01-09T15:42:00.001-08:00

So I can sort of hockey stop to my right side! It's mostly just with one foot though, as when I put my left foot down I tend to lose my footing for some reason. Need to work on that a bit. I've also learned to snow plow with my left foot, which before last skate session, I wasn't able to do anything but move with. I've taken my first few tentative steps to learning to hockey stop to my left side now too. Not made much progress, but I've started to feel it out.

I'd really like to get away from the public skates and start doing the Open Hockey ice/stick time at Rockville Ice Arena, but I need to pick up a helmet and a set of gloves. Another stick would be good too as the one I have is a tad short for skates. The ability to run skate drills without worrying about running into a little kid would be a nice perk. Plus it would seem the open hockey is actually pretty popular. There was a rather large group there the other day for a weekday. Passing and scrimmages would be a constant possibility should I make it out there for them. More gear would ensure less injuries though!

My cardio is up since I started running and skating. Where before I would run at 5.0 on the tread and be hurting, but able to finish the run, I now can run 6.5 without much effort. I'm also down about a pound, but will likely start replacing that fat with heavier muscle as I get more and more into the weight training side. For now though, it's lots of cardio, a bit of weights, and a good amount of core workout.

With my next ice time, I plan to work on more stops, backward skating, and the transitions between all of them. I tried a skating drill I watched Matt Bradley work on one day when he was on the injured list and it's going to be a while before I can pull that off with an serious maneuverablity. Some more padding would make me a lot more inclined to try these transitions a bit more ernestly though!

The road ahead is going to be tiring, especially with school started now. I do however get a lot of energy just from thinking about the sport and can't wait to get on the ice again.

Practice, Practice, Practice

2010-01-04T17:05:00.000-08:00

Washington Capitals Practice 12-4-09
Kettler Capitals Iceplex

With my last day before classes start for me, I decided to take a gamble and head down to Arlington and see if the Caps would be practicing today. There was no announcement by their twitter account or an update to Caps Today, their near daily talking points update and injury list, but with a game tomorrow, and knowing the regular practice time, I woke up early and headed out, skates in hand.

I really enjoy getting a chance to watch practices. Part of it is, of course, just being a fan of the team, but then there is the part that is all about gleaning tips and drills from the pros. One of the biggest things I've learned from watching, you can only do so much practicing alone! Much of the drill work revolves around passing drills and zone work, and while you can do the skating for these alone, you just don't get the full effect without all of the puck handling and passing involved in running them.

So what's the moral of the story? Get a team. Practice with your team. And get better on an exponential level compared to trying to do it all alone. Even just the little scrimmages between the forwards and the defensemen are going to be 100% more effective than any single skating drill I could pick up.

I need a team. I can't wait to find one.

Holiday Hours

2009-12-23T06:49:00.000-08:00

Public Skate's are really the only time I can get on the ice and just practice skating with impunity. The only issue, is that with so many hockey leagues and other ice time hogging activities. Even with Three rinks, Rockville's rinks are still hard pressed to have much time available per day. Kettler has even less, but definitely has the added bonus of watching the Caps practice once in a while while you're there for them, since public skates nearly coincide.

Luckily, it's the holiday season, and while normally that means places are more prone to cutting back on hours, it's reversed and they're open for public skating far more often! Not to mention having the open air rink at Pentagon City open nearly all day long should I sleep in a bit too late one day.

All in all I can easily see myself taking advantage of the additional hours quite a bit through the rest of this week and into next! Should be nice and tiring, and hopefully, not painful...

I Love My Wife.

2009-12-18T08:12:00.000-08:00

I really don't think I need to say much about this. She is awesome.

Now to head to Kettler and get them baked. Things just stepped up a knotch!

Expenses, Holidays, and Motivation

2009-12-15T08:43:00.000-08:00

So there's no doubt about it, hockey is a rather expensive hobby to break into. You need a lot of different gear, and not much of it is anything you really want to skimp in quality on when your talking about checking another person into the glass. But with the holidays lingering, and college starting up for me in January, money is going to be a bit harder to come by for a little while.

With ice time costing around $11-$12 every skate, getting on the ice for the time I want becomes a bit expensive. Might have to cut back to once a week to save the bank. Cutting back might help me schedule a more solid day of the week for my skate as well though, as the public skate times are some what random.

Motivating myself is hard as well still. I feel most of it stems from my wife's work schedule being so odd at the moment. Hopefully we can get used to it together sooner than later! It's rough being up until 4am randomly. Gym time should be easier to make happen, though I still find myself waiting and procrastinating on that when I'm on an 'off' day. I need to head down there some time today actually!

So if anyone was thinking of getting me anything for the holidays or my birthday, feel free to send cold, hard cash! Hockey gear doesn't buy itself!

It all started on the street.

2009-12-11T14:33:00.000-08:00

When I moved to Pennsylvania, I was introduced to Hockey by a close friend. It wasn't a big organized affair, or even all that elaborate. We didn't have much in the way of equipment. We had a few sticks, a smattering of other equipment, a net, and a few of us even had skates we used on occasion. What we did have a lot of was free time, and empty parking spaces.

We would play every morning before school, and every afternoon directly after it. On days we were off, we would play. On days we went home early from the snow and ice, we would play. Sleet, we would play. Dark, we would play. I can't remember much else we ever did besides hockey. If we didn't get to play out on the street, we would go in and break out the Sega Genesis and play NHL, or Mutant League Hockey.

Being in PA, Philly end, we were all Flyers fans. Back in the days of Lindros, Hextall and Desjardins. We never really sat down to watch much in the way of games, but we knew a few of the players and watched SportsCenter as we got ready for school to see the awesome goals from the nights previous.

The entire nieghborhood would come out once we broke out the net. Pj would play goal much of the time, I would slapshot the hell out of him and everyone else just scrummed about in ad hock teams. Throwing sticks after a bad shot was normal. Slight altercations if someone played the ball to hard were uncommon but arose from time to time. With all that, it was the most fun I'd ever had playing any sport.

Buying my crappy street stick a few weeks back all of these memories began pouring back to me. And now every time I watch a game on TV, go skating, or go out to Verizon Center, I'm reminded of how happy this game has always made me, and how glad I am to have it back in my life.

Hockey is hard.

2009-12-10T16:51:00.000-08:00

I can't skate. I've never handled a puck. I've never played a single game of Ice Hockey in my entire life. I haven't played an organized sport since I was in grade school. I have no gear to really speak up except a cheap stick I picked up to mess around on the street with. It's been some time since I've had a regular workout program.

With all of that, I think I've got my work cut out for me. I can only get better from here!

My goal with this blog is to keep a record of my progress, my thoughts, my inspirations, my motivation. I hope to keep this going for as long as I'm in the sport in any facet.

So pull up a chair, take a load off, laugh at my failures and injuries, for there shall be many I'm sure, give some advice where you might be able to, and generally enjoy the ride. I know I will.