Forgive me for being so bold as to bring academia in for a visit in the hockey world, but I simply couldn't resist. Especially after reading the umpteenth article about Sean Avery.  What a tragedy.

The tragedy is perhaps the oldest genre in literature and in life, that was described first by Aristotle almost 2000 years ago in his Poetics.

It finally happened. Poetic Justic for some, while a tragedy for Sean Avery and other players like him. 

Sean Avery, protrayed as the biggest pest and egomaniac that the NHL has ever had to stomach learned Tuesday that the New York Rangers have placed him on waivers, which almost certainly, spells an end to his second tenure with the team., and possibly his NHL career.

"I think we have better players than Sean Avery -- plain and simple," Rangers coach John Tortorella said Tuesday in Stockholm.

What does that tell ya?  It can't be about his skills and talents as a hockey player. Sean Avery had speed, he had grit, he had a wicked snap shot, saw the ice well, yet in his demise, many think that he may have also had more than one serious personality disorder. It's a shame.  He just never could play well with others is why no one wants him around.

I often wonder what he was like as a kid, as a teenager, growing up, playing hockey.  Was he like this, or did something make him this way? 

Personally, I think it's all an act. I do. And why? Well for the obvious reason. He's "different". I am not going to question his sexual orientation, but I know many do.

His false bravado isn't macho, it's immature.  His antics aren't intimidating, they are more akin to that pesky mosquito flying around our head in a tent.  It just seems like he's not really a maniac, but plays the role of a maniac, and not well I might add.  Something just doesn't jive with me.

I think that the real Sean Avery is a fashion and art loving guy who loves animals and wildlife and wants to see a cleaner, healthier environment in a global context. Does that sound like your typical NHL Hockey player?  Nope. And my guess is that sorta "guy" isn't well received in the dressing room either.  So, like many of us do to be accepted, and in this case, he plays the part of the hardcore, womanizing, partying, booze-soaked, arrogant, self-absorbed jerk that the NHL culture is predominately made up of, and cultivates. Being your own person is a commodity conspicuously lacking in the NHL. 

Name me one openly gay current NHL hockey player.  Tough huh?  Apparently there is no such thing.  Think about it, Sean Avery is the closest thing to it.. After all, Sean Avery even received flak for supporting Gay Marriage from fans to teammates and even hockey journalists.  Even that was too gay for the "me macho" NHL.

I call this a tragedy, and I do so in applying the truest sense of the word. From my understanding for something to be a tragedy, an event must not just cause emotional pain, but it must also derail a promising future.

So what makes Sean Avery and his NHL career a tragedy, you may ask?  That he has been ostracized from various teams, and severely criticized by the media, fan and NHL top brass and excommunicated from various teams because of his shenanigans on and off the ice.  I think if Sean Avery could have just been that guy, the guy that believes in human rights, gay marriage, saving our environment, supporting animals and wildlife, openly enjoyed his interests in fashion, music, art, and could have just been himself, he could have been a role model for young men all over the world.  He could have saved a life or two young male athletes who have taken their own lives because they were different and didn't measure up to the expectations of what a male athlete should be.  Then he would have every team in the league looking for him. He could have been a role model. He would still have a job.

Sadly, no one is calling Pat Morris, his agent. No one wants Sean Avery. A pity really, that his hockey skills didn't get him placed on waivers., but rather by being the jerk he thought everyone wanted him to be.

Maybe I am wrong. I've been wrong many times before, but I just know there is alot more to Sean Avery than what we have seen and heard about. But most of us didn't care to find out. We just jump on the bandwagon and poop all over the guy. I just think he's misunderstood, because he likes it that way. It's a defence, it's a comfort zone.

I am personally not a fan of Sean Avery, but I did go check out his webpage, and the guy on that page doesn't seem to be the same #16 I have seen on the ice.

 

For the record, I am a fan of the real Sean Avery. Whoever that may be.

Hey everyone!  Happy New Year!  Hope 2011 will bring more exciting hockey!

 

Well, it finally happened. We made it to TV. This past week, our team, The Ottawa Angry Beavers recieved a HUGE shout out on TSN's "Off The Record" by Michael Landsberg and none other than Tessa Bonhomme from Team Canada!  It rocked, we watched it over and over and over again. It was pretty exciting, and what followed that shout out was even more exciting.

The next thing we know, after the airing of the episode, our website had hundreds of hits, our twitter feed included tweets from CBC and Sportsnet. Then we started getting additional twitter followers and a few more joined the "fan club" on Facebook. This also came with some e-mails for clothing orders. It was really fun.

How it all started was a friend of a friend knew Tessa and so we Tweeted and because her feed is followed by loads of people, slowly but surely the producer for OTR contacted me to confirm that we were really a women's hockey team in Ottawa, Ontario Canada.  And we had some tweets back and forth, and voila! Jan 12 we make it to OTR.  It was pretty cool.

So we will be redesigining our logo and we are designing some clothing articles to sell to raise money for tournaments and gear.  We will have toques, ball caps, t-shirts, mugs and pucks.  But that is still a little ways away.  For now we will be focusing on the 2nd half of our season, practicing, improving and playing some fierce hockey!!  We're 7-2 with the lowest GAA of the whole league!  We're fierce!

Good luck to everyone and their hockey pursuits, and perhaps we may eventually run into each other at the various tournaments around the country!

Cheers!

 

Well fellow Canadian Hockey Fans... the sun came up this morning, albeit with a tinge of silver, it still came up.  We wanted the Gold, but the Russians wanted it more.

Watching last night's World Juniors Gold Medal game, I couldn't help but think about the number of times that I have been in that situation. Not playing in the World Juniors, but where you and your team simply and completely falls apart.  It is heartbreaking to watch, and even more heartbreaking to be a part of it.

Canada, along with a few other countries treat the sport of hockey like a religion, and in some ways, one could argue that it is. The difference is that it brings people together regardless of sex, gender, ethnicity, social status, education, religion, marital status and sexual orientation. Most religions divide.  Regardless, it is just one of those things that really bring us together, and we place so much importance upon it.  Sometimes, just maybe, a wee bit too much.

I love hockey and all things about it, refereeing, coaching, playing, watching, the history, the science;EVERYTHING. I even define myself by it, when I say things like "I am a hockey player," or "I am a hockey coach." It has actually become a part of my identity, as it has for many others. However I think last night was maybe, just maybe a snapshot of what can happen when you want something too much, but even more so, when you think you deserve it. 

Before the game was played, the media was really juicing it up, and hockey analysts on all the big sports stations like TSN, Sportsnet, ESPN, and even Talk Radio stations were  going on ad nauseam about CANADA to bring home the GOLD.   So was it any surprise that all those young men by the third period, after the Russians score a big goal, freaked completely out? 

By there own admission they were nervous.  They didn't say how excited they were to play, or how they were really looking forward to playing in the big GOLD MEDAL game. Nope, rather, in various interviews these boys used the words "butterflies", and "jitters" and  "nerves".  That to me that raised a red flag for this player/coach.  There is a monumental difference between positve energy, and negative energy.  Think about this for a second.  When any of you who play hockey or any sport for that matter and you feel "nervous", chances are there are negative emotions attached to it, such as fear and doubt contributing to plenty of negative visualizations in your mind.  Why is this a problem, well, simply put, the human mind can not differentiate between real and perceived. Thus, if you are thinking about playing your  big game all day, and you are worried about "what if", and with each time you think this way, and you watch yourself allow the winning goal for the other team to be score on you, or you visualize yourself wiping out and ripping your knee apart, or you mishandle a puck for a turnover that leads to the winning goal for the other team; sorry, you have already lost. And everytime this happens, you build and strengthen your "belief system" about how you play, and about how things will turn out. And when the slightest bleep on your radar happens, it becomes PROOF and validates that negative belief system you built for yourself. Then guess what? Before you can stop yourself, you play it out just has you had seen it in your fears, worries and doubts. 

If you do the opposite... you are doing exactly what the pros like Crosby, Stamkos and Ovechkin do. They only use positive imagery in their pre-game visualization rituals. Eventually, their belief system becomes so positive at all times, nothing negative can shake them from that place. Nothing.

Team Canada defeated themselves before they hit the ice.  "BUT THEY HAD A 3-0 LEAD!!!" Yes, true, they did... until the collective nightmare set in. "Russia is faster than we thought!", "Russia blew past us."  "Russia scored a big goal" and then the self-doubt set in. "Am I the one making the mistakes?"  It was a collective effort. Mentally they had a meltdown that, in my humble opinion, even out did the meltdown I witnessed in a Food City in 1988 when  3 year old Brandon lost his mind in the cereal aisle because his mother refused him his Count Chocula.

So when we ask ourselves, "WTF?" about the game last night, remember, we don't see their fears and doubts, we just see mistakes and lack of effort. What they saw was their greatest nightmare come true, and for that reason, I feel for those boys. We as fans also put alot of pressure on them, because we all believed that Canada deserved the GOLD.  Those boys wanted to bring home the gold. I wanted them to win the gold as much as the next crazed canuck. However, when I put myself in their skates... I feel like crying too, because I've been there, losing a big lead to end up losing the game. 

Truth is, as disappointed as we all were when the Russians won the Gold, that entire team of Canadian boys were devestated.

But that's hockey. We simply try again.

 

 

On Dec 26, 2010, Jason Spezza was hit/pushed from behind by Kris Letang. The result was Spezz being 6-8 weeks out, at a mininum with a serious shoulder injury.

Letang received a 2:00 minute minor and that was it. Although I can't say it was a "dirty" hit, it was an unnecessary hit. One that was dangerous and frankly deserved at least a 2 game suspension. This kind of hit has no place in the game, especially with the size, strength and speed of the players in today's game.

Letang didn't have to shove him, his back was to him the whole way!  He knew, but he couldn't help himself. 

I can't help but wonder what would have happened if someone like Rutuu, Neil, Carkner or Zack Smith had done the same thing to Sidney Crosby. My guess is Letang or Goddard would have come over and beat them within an inch of their life and they would have received a mininum 5:00 major. They then would have reviewed the hit a thousand times and then given whoever hit Sid, a 5 game suspension. And deservingly so. These types of hits can end someone's career, or worse, and yet to come, result in a fatality. It can happen. We're lucky we have not seen such a tragedy yet.

Sadly, no one came to Spezzie's rescue. No one stood up for their top center. No one. Which, as a fan of the Sens disappoints me.  Even in a women's rec game I have seen bigger displays of comradeire than what the Sens show for their top players. 

As far as I am concerned, regardless of your status as a 4th liner, or you are superstar, bottom line is, these are human beings, and if the NHL doesn't put it's poop in a group and address these issues fairly and consistently, it fails each and every player who goes out there each and every night.

I love the speed, and strength of today's NHL'ers, and I still love the game, but it almost sickens me to watch someone get hurt by an unnecessary hit from behind, or a blind-sided head shot. The players have to exercise more respect, the fans have to speak out to let it be known that we don't want this type of thing to happen, and the NHL and Refs need to be more consistent.

Just sayin'

Well the holiday season is upon us once again.  Our league play for the Angry Beavers wraps up for 2010 this Wednesday as we take on the 2nd place team in our division.  Always a good match up!

The Angry Beavers will be having our Inaugural Holiday Pick-Up Game and Bevies Night on Dec 28th. Should be a hoot for sure!

The Kanata Women's Hockey Club is having the "Learn To Play Hockey" Christmas Grudge Match tonight as well. Coaches get to play along side the students to have some fun and celebrate their hard work thus far and the holiday season!

For some places, outdoor rinks are almost ready for a holiday season workout.  Playing hockey on an outdoor rink is something that I have always and will always love to do.  I remember listening to the echos of our strides cutting the ice among the big pines that served as the soundtrack to many-a-game. I loved it.  And  now,living in a large city where often the outdoor rinks are in parking lots or big parks where there are no trees/forested areas, I really find that I miss that even more.

I grew up playing my outdoor hockey in my backyard, The Nodwell's backyard and down at the Greenhill Rink.  I have such great memories of all of it.  So much laughter, and I never grow weary of sharing my stories with my Becks and all my friends.  Those times had such a fantastic, positive impact on my life.  I hope that many of you reading this post have your own memories of such joyous, silly times.

I sincerely apologize, as I am a blog entry behind, due to extenuating circumstances, so I owe AMC and She Skates Hard another blog, however I wanted to take this early opportunity to wish AMC, Linda, and the cast, crew and groupies of SheSkatesHard.com a safe, happy, exciting, silly, foolish, festive and enjoyable holiday season!!!

Cheers Everyone...

Angry Beavers Season Update: 

So we had our Angry Beavers Christmas team party last night.  Which was great, only missed two members of the team.  And holy mother of sweet baby Jesus did we laugh.  We laugh alot.  We are a great team of women who get along great and love to play the game.  Everyone smiles, laughs and enjoys themselves. We're lucky, because not all teams can say this. This is by far, at least from my perspective, the best team I have ever been a part of.

We are fierce.  In fact we are now 6-0 on the season!  Wickedly, Coutsy the Goalie has now 4 shutouts, with only 2 goals against and we have 21 goals for!  We're doing really well, and the girls are having fun playing.

The "front office" had to can the coach. Let's just say that it wasn't a good fit, and leave it at that.  I do know though that several women on the team have really blossomed  since the change, both as people and as players.  I've been behind the bench for the past few games as I battle the bubonic plague, but Deester is returning next Wednesday with her gameface on, and her Beaver Mojo on fire!

We are getting better each and every shift, and every game, settling down, and not scoring as many goals per game, but the goals we are scoring are beauties.  We are now working towards playing a couple of systems, focussing on make sure of our passes, being first to the puck and being proud of the way we play. 

Of course, due to our success thus far, we are the most hated team in our division. We have heard everything from our name is vulgar and disgusting (ah hello, we live in Canada, the Beaver is the National symbol of Canada, and the Copasectic Beavers is not really a suitable name for a hockey team, now is it? And get your mind out of the gutter will ya!).

We've heard our uniforms are over the top and too much for rec hockey (umm hello, what is wrong with having premium uniforms and a professional logo? We bought our uniforms. Our team and our game means that much to us. Sorry you're jealous having to skate around in your old raggedy assed Value Village clearance specials. We collectively invested and sought sponsors to be proud of our team and our uniform and logo). We are committed Beavers.

We have heard that we have a bad attitude and play like jerks (For Real? Umm, we are not the team leading in PIM, and the last time I checked it wasn't our team that had players who outright refused to shake hands with the person who accidently bumped into them on the ice at the end of the game, and the f-bombs I hear dropping from a couple of teams certainly far surpasses the sort of language one would hear from our team. In fact we don't promote that within our dressing room.  But now you wouldn't know that would you?). 

To all of you who have absolutely nothing nice to say about this team; THANK YOU.  We accept and embrace that all of your targeted negativity and jealousies comes with the territory of being a team that works hard every game, and wins. It is part of the territory that comes with having confidence and self-respect. So on behalf of the Angry Beavers, thank you for your whining and complaints, because it only makes us player harder, faster and with more confidence. We don't play the victim. It actually empowers us.  Think about why that is for a moment.

On that note, I would like to leave everyone who reads this, and who plays hockey, and who considers herself a hockey player, a little something to think about...

"Being a winner doesn't come from the final number up on a scoreboard, or on a game sheet. It doesn't come from fancy uniforms, and it doesn't come from the accolades of your fans. It comes from within. It comes from having strength of character, self respect and having trust and faith in yourself." 

There are 16 women on the Angry Beavers.  And for the record, we did in fact have tryouts. But, never once did these women step on the ice and compete for a spot.  Nor did they ask to play, and nor did they think they deserved to play. No one is an all-star; a ringer. They are average hockey players. How they made this team was that without even trying, and without even realizing how they impressed. They were simply amazing human beings; achievers and believers, who love the game, respect themselves and each other. That's why we win, regardless of what it says on the scoreboard.  Every shift, every face-off, every battle in the corner. On and off the ice. Can you say the same about yourself and/or your team?  I hope so. Because what is the option?

The Angry Beavers can .

Male vs.Female Refs in Women's Hockey

 

I post this because I am seeking some feedback from the women of  SheSkatesHard.  Is it just me, or do the majority of male refs in women's hockey take for granted how quickly things can escalate in the women's game? Furthermore, is it just me, that the majority of female refs are quick to intervene if there is even a remote possibility that someone is gonna snap like a twig? 

I am both a ref (CARHA) and a player, and I have reffed with men, played the game with men, and I have also reffed with women, played the game with women, and have reffed women's games.  From my humble perch upon the net, looking out over this "issue" , at least from my experience, alot of male ref's certainly in the rec levels, and even into the adult competitive levels, often act like they couldn't care less if they tried, and it was an easy $30 bucks.  This annoys the hell out of me for a myriad of reasons.  However, in their defence, I have had the opportunity to play a game with some really excellent male refs, who took their role and the game seriously.  No bull on their watch, they allowed zero lippin', broke up "emotional" chats and actually skated with some verve, some passion for the love of hockey.

Now on the flipside of this, I have also experience female refs, who take their role WAY TOO SERIOUSLY. I think we have all experienced one of these characters. They don't ref the game, they dictate the game, and are rude to players.  There is a difference between being calm and assertive and being spun and aggressive.  I prefer my refs to be calm and assertive.  In fact I was playing in one game where the female ref was so intuitive, that before crap started, she was already out there flushing, if you catch my analogy. 

For example, I had fallen and I landed on the goalies arm, and with the truth being told, I am 5'11 and 215lb in gear. I am not a waif. So when I fell I can imagine it wasn't all that comfortable. However, goalie girl spazzed out, as any good crazy goalie does, but she couldn't control herself and he hauled off and corked me right in the facemask with a damn good left jab, that deflected down and hit me in the throat.  Now, it was I that wasn't happy.  In less that a nanosecond, the female ref had grabbed my jersey and pushed me away from the goalie and simply said "71, let's go, have a seat, cool off, it's done".  So I did. Had she not, I can't say for certain that goalie girl wasn't  gonna be laid out like picnic blanket by yours truly. Not because I am a jerk, but because in situations like that you react, and you're angry, and those two things combined often make good people do bad things.  The ref did her job, and I thank her for that. Actually goalie girl should be thanking her.  Just sayin'...

Now I have also played games where the male refs are busy chatting up the bench and flirting with the ladies, while one of our teammates was crossed checked in the mask, and then another recieved a good ol' fashioned two-hander to the shins.  What did he say? "Oh sorry, wasn't watching"  FOR REAL?  You are the ref  for the love of Easton Hockey Gear, not the chair of the social committee.

The women's game is just as intense as the men's game. We play for the same reasons, we all want to win, and we all play with passion, and women's emotions are quick, deep and fierce, especially when scorned.  And women from my experience,  we will hold a grudge for 30 years, and somewhere, someplace, we WILL even it up.

Can you imagine what must go on in some of these homes for the eldery, if these women end up in the same place? Imagine the hubub that would ensure during Yahtzee or UNO night?  Especially if  old #14 spots old #9 and old #77 spots old #30 from 35 years ago, back from the semi-finals in the North Bay tournament? Maybe someone should warn the rec leaders in these places.  Or at least screen female residence for past hockey playing, and get the what-what before Mabel lays out Lorraine in the middle of an UNO game! 

I bet those old girls would be fierce.

 

Thoughts?

Running Up The Score In Rec Hockey.

 

Okay, here is one of my biggest pet peeves in rec hockey. Teams that run up their score to the point you want to punch them in the face. Honest to God, does it make you feel better about yourselves?  Do you enjoy draining every ounce of fun from a rec hockey game?  Maybe you should take a look around next time. There are no scouts, media, fans, banners, or interest. It's beer league for the love of mankind, it's not the NHL, and even in the NHL, they know when to refocus their efforts.  11-3. Is that necessary? Is it necessary to cross-check the opposition in the facemask, and trash talk their bench as you skate by? Is it really necessary to run their goalie, and then trash talk them in the sportsmanlike handshake at the end of the game? 

I mean, I fully realize that someone has to win and someone has to lose. That's a given, but wow, then your 5'10 and 190lbs with gear and skates on, and you feel compelled to run another player into the boards, and then sit on her, someone who is only 5'0 and 100lbs with gear and skates on, I consider you, with all do respect, a cow. A bully. Or even better, they cheer like they just scored the overtime winner in Game 7 of the Stanely Cup when it is goal number 11. Jerks.

Rec hockey is about having fun, it's about playing your heart out, but keeping in mind that we all have jobs, family, friends and other interests outside of hockey, that we do not wish to end up injured. Not to mention, we don't get paid. We play for the love of the game.  It's not about proving what a bunch of cows you are. And do you ever notice these are the same teams with a majority of the team who have absolutely no respect for themselves. When I coach and even when I play, I never, and I mean NEVER run up the score. In fact, I have even given my own teammates a razzing for being over-competitive in a game where we are winning by 5 or more goals.  I am not saying quit playing, or let up, I am saying, work on something else, like everyone needs to make a saucer pass or , work on drop passes, or cycling the puck and feeding the point.  Not skate like a mad whore on crack, smashing into players for no reason, slashing wrists, and laying players out like old pieces of carpet and running a goalie and driving a defenceman through the net.  Teams like this are a real disappointment.

In my experience, these teams are made up of individuals who have no self-respect, some are closet cases, so their pent up frustrations spill over on the ice, and some are simply classless.  Hockey is not the place to indulge yourself, or use it as therapy for a low self-esteem.

However, the hockey gods are watching every game, and what I know, from personal experience is, what goes around comes around. 

So if you belong to one of these teams, your politics I don't get. If you are one of these jerks, be aware, that your twin is out there waiting to play against you. And if you have ever played against one of these teams, godspeed to you, and please, don't lower yourself to their level, because that is what they want. To recreate the misery in others that they themselves are drowning in. 

Keep it fun, keep it clean, keep it respectful. That is what fair play is all about. That's hockey.

 

So the Angry Beavers are on the road this weekend.  Hockey Tournaments... There is nothing like 'em.

We travelled from Ottawa to North Bay, a 4 hour drive from home.  We carpool it. It's where we bond, it's where we become one. We become a team.

It's alot of hockey in 2-3 days, in fact, if we go all the way, we will have played 5 games of hockey in 3 days!! It's amazing what professional rec hockey players will do for the game we love so well.

I have been reading Ken Dryden's "The Game". I highly recommend this book to any hockey player, regardless of age, level, gender, or skill. It is an amazing read.  What strikes me about Ken's book is that being a hockey player is just as simple as that. You're a hockey player. If you define yourself as a hockey player, you are no different than the pros, and no different than an Olympian.

We think about our game all day, we tape our sticks, sharpen the skates, tape and wrap up our weary game used joints, and sit in a dressing room, talking nonsense, laughing, teasing each other. We want to win, we want to be heros.  And maybe it doesn't seem like it on the ice, but in our hearts we skate hard and we skate fast, and sometimes you get to a point where you actually skate hard and fast enough that the world seems perfect.

I know for me, everygame is my 7th game of the Stanley Cup Finals. Every shift is a another chance to get on the highlights at 11, every shift is another moment where life, even if it is for 45 seconds, is perfect.

The dressing room is my church. It's where I go a couple of times per week to heal all my hurts. The Beavers Dressing room is a magical place. It really is. We get in there, and something happens. We are no longer mom's, we are no longer wives, we are no longer public servants, or teachers, we are hockey players. The energy is so positive, and focussed on just being hockey players. It's a place where the stresses of our daily lives are washed away with laughter and smiles.  We never worry about winning, because we all commit to playing for the win. There is never any doubt when we walk out of the dressing room that we are walking out as a team, as a group of hockey players who know that when one of us finishes a shift, feeling like we wanna die or barf, and not necessarily in that order, that we know that the next skater on, will play their heart out.  Just like the pros. Just like an Angry Beaver.

Commitment

 

The single most important factor in the achievements and successes of an individual and of any team is commitment. This is my new motto, on a personal level and with how I approach playing hockey and/or coaching.

I didn't come to the realization overnight. It has taken me alot of work, personally, on an emotional and mental level. The first step in my transformation as a player and a coach was the art and gift, of self-realization; acknowledging and making the commitment to peeling back the layers to truly understand "my story." Once I started taking a serious look at what I bring to the ice, whether it is as a coach or as a player, and how it is connected to my past, it helped me to start moving forward and conducting "my bidness" in a powerful way. I struggle with it every single day, but I never give up on the commitment I have made to myself to always "be" in a powerful way. If I did, I give up on me.By making this sacred contract with myself, this commitment  sets the stage for what I can bring to a team.

Last night I did just that.  For once, I didn't bring any expectations of myself nor of my teammates or my coach. I shared with my teammates in the dressing room before the game that we were to leave the past in the past and that, "tonight, we become". There was no past (losing streak) and there was no future (expectations), there was just the now, and each one of us was first and foremost responsible for ourselves and our contribution. "Tonight, we become." And we made a commitment to play our "A" game. That for each and everyone of us, "tonight is our game".  The "juice" in that dressing room was flowing. The girls were pumped. It was their time.

After a pre-season of 4 straight losses, of team dissention, of temper-tantrums, of 14 goals against and only 3 for, something changed.

We won 6-0, and it was amazing game. The majority of the team brought their "A" game, and they contributed big time. In fact we had 8 out of 15 players with points, and a goalie with a shutout!

We played with no expectations, instead we decided in that dressing room that we would enter into a contract with ourselves to give it everything we had. That way no matter the outcome (the future) we would not be disappointed, or angry.  We just played each shift as thought it was the last shift that we would ever play again. We stayed focussed, and we stayed in the moment, for us, there was no past, and there was no future, there was only the now.

That's what it means to become... That's what it means to be an Angry Beaver.

 

"Dam we're smoooooth..."

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dee Jenkins - LW - Alternate Captain

Ottawa Angry Beavers

 

 

 

Those who say "it's just another rink", obviously don't play hockey, and if they do, obviously it is not a religion for them.

As a child, like many of you, I would sit down on the sofa with my bowl of cheesies and a juice glass filled with Pepsi and I would settle in to watch Hockey Night In Canada. There I would sit, my long hair still damp from my bath, all dressed up in my pajamas, waiting patiently for the game to start.

"From the Forum in Montreal..." or "From Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, this is HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA, on CBC" would ring from the speakers on the TV, and with wide-eyed excitement I would cram another Cheesie into my mouth and chew on it like rabbit eating lettuce. My excitement at times was almost overwhelming. I loved Hockey. Some kids would get all excited for The Flintstones Comedy Hour, or for Spiderman on Saturday mornings. Not me. For me, the only shows on TV worth watching on Saturdays were Howie Meekers Hockey School at lunchtime on CBC and Hockey Night In Canada on Saturday nights.

Maple Leaf Gardens and The Forum in Montreal were mystical and magical places. It was were hockey players lived. It was where they played, and it is where they would be interviewed, and it was also where Peter Puck lived. It was a special place. In retrospect it was almost as special as Heaven itself. 

When the national anthem played, I stood, carefully placing my bowl on the coffee table and I stood up, removing my imaginary glove and holding it under my arm that held my imaginary stick.  I was right there along side Sittler, MacDonald and Tiger Williams, and other nights I stood on the blueline with Lambert, Lafleur and Shutt.  I would imagine being there in that sacred building, looking up at the Canadian Flag and singing my national anthem.  When the final note had played, I put on my glove and skated back over to the bench(sofa) and took a big drink of Pepsi. And there I would sit, watching my hockey heros play the game that I loved, that I dreamed of playing someday; for real.

Finally by my late teens I had a chance to see my first NHL hockey game. I had grown up in North Bay Ontario and I had seen many Trappers and Centennials games, but never an NHL game. I was in Winnipeg in early 1990 when a friend of mine and I went to see the Winnipeg Jets and the St. Louis Blues at the old Winnipeg Arena. We sat two rows down from the roof of the damn building. It was fun, but I would have seen more watching it on television. Then the next NHL game I attended was a game between the Leafs and the Penguins with my brother Daryl at Maple Leaf Gardens the year the Leafs were playing their last season there. Again, we were stuck way at the top, and Mario Lemieux, Wendal Clark, Tie Domi and Jagr looked like the metal men on my rod hockey game. However, I felt like I was part of something special being there; one of the original six arenas, with so much history and stories to tell. It was actually kinda magical. I felt very priviledged to have been there.

It was September 2006. I was now a 34 year old professional rec hockey player and coach. At this time I was the Director of Senior Hockey Programs with the Kanata Girls' Hockey Association. Our ice scheduler contacted me and let me know that Scotiabank Place had a few hours of ice time available. "What?" I thought to myself. "Ice time? At an NHL arena? For real?" The excitement that shot through my body was undeniable. I truly believe that had that phone call been one informing me that I had just won a million bucks, I would not have been as excited. I know it. So of course I contacted the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club, and sure enough I scored the last hour of ice available.

Let's just say it was pricey, but somethings are worth it.  The following Tuesday I arrived at the Learn To Play hockey session, and I was bursting with excitement. "Ladies? Would you think it would be the best thing ever if you had the chance to play on the same ice surface as your favourite NHL stars?" All I heard was crickets for the first 10 seconds. Then the biggest smiles came over their faces and they all yelled a big old "ah yeah!".  I smiled back, "Well that is a good thing because that is exactly what we are gonna do ladies, on Monday October 30th at 8:00pm!"  They were so excited, but I have a feeling, even to this day, no one was as excited as I was. It would have been impossible.

We arrived at the Scotiabank place and we were escorted down to the dressing rooms. We got to use the Pro Dressing rooms, not the Sens room, but the visitors dressing rooms. They were huge, and smelled of the NHL. Various stalls had autographs, the most notable ones, Wayne Gretzky, Messier and Sundin.  I joined the girls for the game, and I brought my gear in and hung it up, just like the pros. and I admired it for a few moments before I decided to get dressed. Behind the dressing room door there was a "Tonight's Line-Up" board and on it listed the starting line up from the Boston Bruins!  Then, the most amazing experience was to walk down the same hallways that the pros do, to look down the corridor and see the ice. As I approached the ice, in my head I heard Dick Irvin's nasally voice "Tonight, from Scotiabank Place, this is Hockey Night in Kanata".. and I skated out on the ice. The building was enormous, the scoreclock was enormous, and I skated over to the blueline and I looked up at the Canadian flag, and I got all misty-eyed. I was in that magical place I had always dreamed of. Everything was almost as good as perfect. 

The only thing that would have possibly made it better would have been a  bowl of Cheesies and a juice glass of Pepsi waiting for me on the bench when I skated off after my shift.

 

 

 

 

I've always loved the sport of hockey.   I once loved Baseball. I did. But I never fell in love. You know deeply in love.  If anything I had more of a "fling" with baseball for about 8 years. I realized that my heart was and would always be with Hockey.

When I was a little girl, and I mean little, around 4 and 5 years old, I played all the time.  I would go grab my hockey helmet which was one of those large, bright orange Cooper SK 500 helmets, my hockey stick that was cut down to size from one of my big brother's Canadien hockey sticks, and put on a pair of oversized brown leather "Playmaker" hockey gloves, and have at 'er.   

I would imagine myself on the ice with the Boston Bruins, or the Montreal Canadiens and occassionally even the Leafs.  My brothers used to think it was cute to watch their teeny, long-haired little sister checking imaginary players against the kitchen cupboards, or against the walls of the living room. I would even fling off my gloves and go toe-to-toe with cushions on the living room couch. Yup, I was a bit of a hard-ass back then too.  Thanks to my dad, he taught me when I was 10 years old how to win a hockey fight. It's his birthday today!  Happy 77th dad!

Now fast forward 35 years later, and although I am not checking imaginary players into the kitchen cupboards anymore, well at least when anyone is watching, I still love the game with the same child-like bliss from my early years.

This season is the best season of all. Out of all the years I have played this wonderful game, and for all the different teams I have been on, whether it be a hockey team, softball, baseball, basketball,volleyball or touch football team, this year is something pretty special to me.  It's the year of the Angry Beaver.

My partner Becks and I decided that after 7 years of coaching women learning the game, and playing along side the graduates of the LTP in our beginner's league for the past 4 years, that it was time to put a team together to join a women's hockey league. A place where I could get back to just playing the game for the sake of my own enjoyment. So we did.  I didn't have to be the leader, the coach or the president, a place where I could just be part of the team, a player, a contributor, a buddy, a line-mate.

We have some seriously sexy awesome uniforms, double stiched crests, namebars, double stiched tackle twill numbers... we're sexy. There is no doubt about that. But the people. Wow. The women on this team are remarkable women.  We range in age from 22 to 52. Some of us are moms, some of us are best buddies, and some of us are soul mates. And by the grace of the Hockey Gods, we have come together to form the Ottawa Angry Beavers Women's Hockey Team. So let me introduce a few to you, so you can appreciate the team that is the Ottawa Angry Beavers.

... ahem...

First of all there is Cranney! #77 And you have to put the exclaimation mark at the end, because I first met her as a student in my learn to play hockey program and I would bark at her to hussle using only her last name. I spotted her at the first session. Her eyes were filled with excitement and determination, more so than any one I had seen in the program. She skated hard every session, and no matter what the drill, she put everything she had into it, like she had something to prove to herself and the world. Fiesty. She struck me as someone who had, at some point in her life, dealt with alot of adversity, that people didn't believe in her, but she truly believed in herself. I was right. She became a mom at a very early age, and she and her guy proved to everyone that they could be wonderful parents, and they did. They have three wonderful kids now. And when Cranney! gets on the ice, I dare anyone to be stupid enough to tell her she can't play hockey. Because based on what I have seen, she would lay you out like a dirty old rug in a heartbeat. I personally hope someone does. Talk about entertaining.

Then there is Snoops., #14. We call her Snoops because she was a fantastic figure skater at a youngster, and is actually one of the best technical skaters I have ever seen. She makes it look effortless, like Snoopy skating in Central Park. She's incredibly loyal, funny as hell, and loves the game. She is not afraid to rubbydub ya in the corners either. When she was told by someone that she was a "beautiful skater" she turned to me and said, " what??? I don't wanna be told I am a beautiful skater, I wanna be known as one tough bitch." She's great on the backcheck, but still needs to learn that a penalty shot is not the time to go stand out at center ice with your teammate who is taking the shot to chit chat. That's Snoops. I wouldn't change a thing.

Of course there is Moose MacDonald #49. I think that's because she's only 4' 9 on skates, and about 80lbs soaking wet. But man, can this little Cape Breton 'er play hockey. Cranney! was teasing her about her skates because they are so small. "Hey do they light up when you skate fast?" She is awesome. Never gives up on anything and anyone. She's been crushed by women three times her size and she never gets mad, she just gets up and skates off and says to us when she finally get to the bench, "Man, was she a big one or what?" Not to mention she has the Sidney Crosby "on one knee" shot down to a science. Mind ya, she doesn't have far to go on that one. A heart of gold, loves to laugh, and always plays hard. I love Moosey, a loyal teammate and a thoughtful friend.

 

Next week I will be featuring three more Angry Beavers! So stay tuned!

 

Oh and FYI, we have all accepted that our chances of playing on the National team are all but  faded childhood fantasies, but the way we look at it is, no matter how great a player you may be and no matter how far you may go in this game, everyone ends up playing beer league/rec hockey in the end.

 

Remember that!

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dee Jenkins - LW - Alternate Captain

Ottawa Angry Beavers Women's Hockey Team

 

 

 

 

Okay, I know I am gonna get a few comments about this post, but I just feel like I have to "stir the pot" so to speak. Perhaps I may not make many friends with this blog post, but here I go anyways.  Like the way I play my game. 

As I am sure you are aware, NY Islander defencemen James Wisniewski was given a 2-game suspension for making a vulgar gesture towards N.Y Rangers bad boy, Sean Avery.  The Gesture? Simulation of Fellatio. 

Was it distasteful?  Of course.

Was it crude and immature? Of course.

Was it a dumb thing to do? Of course. 

Was it worth a 2 game suspension? No. Nay Nay, Nope. Of course not. 

I may be alone in this, but I personally thought it was funny.   I watched the live feed of the game and I didn't see it then, it was on the clips at 11pm that I saw it. I laughed. Grown men acting like posturing teenage boys.  In my humble opinion, part of me laughed because Avery deserves getting a taste of his own medicine, and partially because Wisniewski obviously forgot about the game being televised. Holy Duh. 

Frankly, it didn't affect me one bit.  In fact, I never gave it a second thought.  Then I wake up and all the sports channels are talking about it, and all the online newspaper sports sections has an article on it with reader comments, and even several Facebook sites I "Like" had something related to the incident, not to mention Twitter was ablaze with Tweets on the infamous oral sex scene. And what surprised me was the number of people getting all riled up about "the children" and "shame" and the "embarassment." 

Then I read an article about the Calgary Flames and several players self-righteously stating that what Wisniewsk did was "uncalled for."  OH MY GOD, for real? 

Now, I have been watching and playing Hockey for 37 years, and I have seen and heard some crazy stuff. You name it, NHL, OHL, KWHC BEER LEAGUE, Outdoor Rinks, CJHL, NOHA, KGHA, , I could go on... I have especially seen and heard some seriously vulgar language coming from the mouths of teenage girls and grown women with children while on the ice as both a player and a ref.  I have seen simulated oral sex gestures at a women's game and at a minor girls game.  The crap I have heard has been like something straight from the movie SlapShot.  My feeling on the matter is simple and straightforward. 

GET OVER IT!!!  It is not worth getting your Jill in a knot over. Sometimes, well, alot of times, people get carried away, and make an ass of themselves while playing competitive, physically and mentally demanding sports,  Welcome to Hockey.  If it ain't for you there is always figure skating and curling. 

Do I believe that NHL hockey is "nice, family entertainment"?  Nope.  It's Hockey. High level, professional hockey. It isn't a PTA meeting, or a Black-Tie Gala, it is a hockey game for the love of one-timers!  People, most sports are designed to mimic battle and war! That is where sports come from. This isn't a StrollerFIt session!!  It is HOCKEY, it can get nutty out there.  Anyone who has played it will agree. I have said and done some things that in retrospect, I am not proud of. I got carried away, and made myself look like an ass.  It always happened in the heat of battle, a time when I am not worried about hurting feelings and chipping away a persons self-esteem. My emotions got out of hand while I was trying to win a damn hockey game. As far as I am concerned it doesn't make me a bad person.  It makes me an over-competitive ass, or a great teammate, depending what colour jersey you are wearing.

 

Sorry, but the sport of Hockey was never , isn't and never will be "G Rated" entertainment.  It is a sport that is intense, fast, emotional, and competitive. So is it really a big shock that something like this took place?  

Alot of stuff never gets aired, but it happens. Crotch grabs, simulated gestures of masturbation, fingers, etc... And the vulgarity of the language!!! You Tube trash talk, when the benches are mic'd or Pierre McGuire gets too close to a bench and you will hear some of the funniest stuff. 

I didn't grow up warped and all messed up, and I heard and witnessed vulgarity in a hockey game as a child, mostly from the stands I was sitting in. To the best of my knowledge I am well-adjusted as an adult.  I know right from wrong. And Wisniewski did something he shouldn't have, and he got in trouble.  I believe that is the same message I learned as a child from mommy and daddy. Do something inappropriate, and you will be scolded for it. Your kids will be fine. Give them some credit, and if a 5 year old or even an 8 year old could discern what Wisniewski was doing, then you have more than the NHL to be concerned about! 

Then the guy gets 2 games for acting like a 15 year old boy in reaction to Avery being his typical pest self, and yet, Colin Campbell gives Hjalmarsson a measely 2 games for a blindsided/ hit-from-behind on Jay Pominville, that nearly took his head off. What gives???  I smell B.S. 

Poor Sean Avery's feelings get hurt and then some women are crying out against Wisniewski for corrupting the youth and children of the world, while Jay Pominville was laid out cold with a dumb, dangerous and unecessary hit that could have killed him.  

I have been sitting right at the glass for several NHL games, and let me tell you sistahs... when those men hit each other it is almost sickening when you see a headshot, and I have seen one where I seriously almost barfed in my nachos and cheese. That is what will ruin the game of hockey. Not overgrown boys acting like goofs, and making childish homoerotic gestures at each other.  Was it appropriate? Of course not. But come on... 

So let's come back to earth, get serious and realize that the Wisniewski/Avery incident was about as worrisome as a cloudy day. What we should be more concerned about is the type of hits we have seen on Savard, Pominville, Booth and several others, and not just in the NHL, but it is happening in the junior leagues as well. These type of hits will result in a death on the ice, and it isn't too far off. Not to mention, I love a good ol' scrap now and then, but it gets a little gross to watch guys get clocked so hard that they end up with concussions and the blood and spit flies all over the other guys jersey, while the ref's watch it happen.  It doesn't make alot of sense sometimes.

 

So I leave you with this question: "Do the players make the game the way it is, or do the fans decide based on their demands for the price of admission? Who's to blame?"

 

I know I may have made a few people upset. But I never apologize while I am  on the ice, because that's hockey....and that's my game.

 

I remember like it was yesterday. I do.

 

The list went up, I searched for my name. It wasn't there.

 

"Where's your name Dee?"  "Dee aren't you on the list?"  "He forgot your name Dee!" and finally "OMG, did you get cut?"

 

I was shocked,  as I stood along side the girls who had made the cut. They were as dumbfounded as I.  So with the encouragement of the girls standing around, I decided to go see the coach.

 

" If your name is not on the list, then I guess you aren't on the team.", was his reply.  "Trust me, there was no mistake. If anyone made a mistake, I guess it was you and that crappy attitude of yours." He stated, with all the sensitivity of a Rhinoceros.

 

I was just 13 years old at the time, and I have never forgotten that day.  And not because of the fact I didn't make the team, it was the treatment I had recieved from my coach.  He sucked the confidence out of me, and it left me feeling empty and it left me feeling like a failure. I didn't understand, and to this day, I don't know why I was cut, or why he thought I had a crappy attitude. He never bothered to explain.

 

In my books, that man wasn't a coach. He was justifiably, undeniably, unequivocally a gianormous self-righteous Arse. That's right Bruce Cobb, you were then, and I have a pretty good sense that you remain so today. Sorry somebody didn't love you enough.

 

25 years later, I've become affectionately known as Coach Dee to over 300 women who I have had the distinct pleasure of coaching to become better hockey players.  I'm not a perfect Coach.  I never claimed to be.  I don't know everything about Hockey, but then again I never claimed to know it all.  Sometimes I am a cranky-ass, sometimes I am a hard-ass, and sometimes I have been a complete ass.  It comes with the territory. And for all the extra laps I have made you do, and for all the push-ups, sit-ups, suicides, russians, wind sprints, and squats I have made you do out there on the ice; I do not apologize for a single one.  I refuse to enable mediocrity.  I refuse to encourage someone to be average.

 

As a coach, my job is not and will never be to make anyone a hockey player. Impossible. Rather, my job is to bring the hockey player out of a player.  And to watch that hockey player emerge over a course of a season is the most rewarding thing I can experience as a coach.  It makes me feel like I have contributed to something great, and that motivates me to come back session after session and year after year. I simply love to see individuals enjoying themselves and reaching their maximum potential through the medium of sport. And not just any sport: Hockey. I take time to give them positive feedback, I tell them to relax and have fun, and I tell them, Hockey is a game of mistakes and if you are making a few, then you are on par with the pros.

 

My job is to believe in them, even when they don't believe in themselves, and to boost their confidence, even after they wipe out or miss their shot or pass.  Most of all, I treat all my girls with respect. Because I know that is how I would want my coach to treat me. 

 

Yup, there is alot of responsibility in being a coach. You can really make or break a player's spirit and confidence. And that is something I hope I never do. The impact can last a lifetime, whether your players are 43 years old or 13 years old.

 

Just a little something that I learned 25 years ago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesdays are Learn To Play Hockey nights here in Kanata Ontario, and the KRC is the place to be if you are female, and wanna get into the game of hockey!

 

For the past 3 years, the Kanata Women's Hockey Club has been offering a Learn To Play Hockey program to women 19 years of age and older.

 

It is the only one in all of Eastern Ontario that offers a full 30 session skills development program that is fun, encouraging and addictive!

 

I have been the head instructor for the program for the past 3 years with the KWHC and I also coached a similar program with the Kanata Girls' Hockey Association starting back in 2003, after a few years, I decided to start up the KWHC. It was one of the most rewarding things I have ever accomplished.

 

I love it. I really do. I mean if hockey was so damn easy, then everyone would be playing it right? Well, it ain't. In fact, the comment that is made the most after the first session is, "holy moley, it sure is alot tougher than it looks!"  In the next breath, the second most often heard comment is, "Holy moley, that was a load of fun!"  I smile and tell them "wait, it is gonna get even better as the season goes on!'  They smile back.

 

The first night is always the most fun for me as their coach.  I will wait out in the corridor, greeting as many as I can in person, and guiding them to the appropriate dressing room, while studying their faces. It really is a blend between child-like excitement, and  a grown-up's "I'm gonna crap in my Jill" sorta look.

 

Once inside the dressing room, you can watch them exchange bewildered glances as they put on the gear for the first time, and nobody wants to make a mistake, because, well, it is usually rather obvious!!  Once they are all suited up, the coaches go in and try to talk them down from their cliffs of nervousness and worry.  I share with them that there is a big difference between being nervous (a negative state based on doubt and fear) and being excited (a positive state of mind where moving forward to experience something brings about a state of elation and confidence). We help them turn that worry into curiosity and smiles!

 

We get the girls out there, and the first thing we do with everyone is we make them fall down. Because in all my years of playing and coaching, the biggest fear of all newbies is falling. They don't care if they miss the net by 3 provinces, what they care about is falling down, and getting hurt.  Children don't have that fear, so we work to break that fear in a controlled setting, having fun, so falling down becomes associated with hockey as a positive event, not the end of the world.  We do Superman dives, Elvis Lives (knee slides) , and we also play Roasting Weenies, which is having them roll over, back and forth, and getting up, so they get used to the feel of the equipment and used to dropping to the ice without any near death experiences!

 

From that point on, those girls are laughing and smiling, and joking around. The nervousness turns into child-like amusement, and they want more!!!

 

For the rest of the first practice, we skate around with them, work on some partner drills that help them get to know one another and help them develop trust amongst the troops. 

 

It's quite the session. In the first 50 minutes of their new found hockey careers, they learn the basics that anyone needs to learn to play the game of hockey...

 

1. It's a game of mistakes, over and over again, and then suddenly a super sexy thing happens, and you celebrate those moments.

2. Falling is a mistake, and it's part of the game, and if you are afraid of falling, you're afraid of trying, and if you are afraid of trying, then you are afraid of playing hockey.

3. Without trusting yourself, you can't trust your teammates, and if you can't trust your teammates, you don't have a team.

 

Tonight is episode #4 - Perceive, Believe, to Achieve...

 

I'll keep ya posted.

 

- Coach Dee

Welcome to Hocktober.

 

On Thursday October 7, 2010 the N.H.L will be opening up their 2010-2011 season. Welcome back hockey, I've missed you.

 

In addition, hundreds, if not thousands of women's rec hockey leagues also start up their 2010-2011 season as well. At least in my case, the Ottawa Angry Beavers will be taking to the ice in our first match up against the Blade Runners in the BELL SENSPLEX ADULT HOCKEY LEAGUE - Women's Division.

 

As a featured blogger here at SSH, you will all have the opportunity to follow me and my girls throughout our 2010-2011 season. I will be providing updates on various games, practices, tournaments and exhibition games we will play, as well as sharing my observations on the game of hockey. So whether it is about the latest equipment, male refs in women's hockey, coaching newbies, off-ice conditioning, or why the women's game needs hitting, you'll read it here.

 

I am passionate about the sport, and I respect the game. I have some strong views on certain topics, and I might get ya riled up from time to time, but I do welcome your comments and feedback.

 

Since I was a little girl, hockey has been a large part of my life. In fact one of my earliest memories was watching CBC's Hockey Night In Canada, and waiting for the 1st Intermission so I could watch Peter Puck, and watching Howie Meekers Hockey School on Saturday afternoons.  I attended junior "A" games with my dad and my 3 older brothers every Sunday night throughout my childhood, and even for my 4th birthday I asked for a Boston Bruins sweater, just like "Bobbies Orrs".

 

There are pics of me as a little girl, dressed in a nightgown, and wearing my orange Cooper hockey helmet watching TV.  During my childhood, every Saturday night I had to be removed from in front of the television because I would get out my mini stick and play right there, like I was a integral part of the Leafs / Habs rivialry of the mid-1970's.  I loved hockey then, and 35 years since I ordered my first hockey sweater, I still love the game, whether it's being involved as a ref, or as a coach, and of course as a player, it is my passion. I even get weepy when the national anthem plays, and when the underdog comes out on top. It's the best sport in the whole world.

 

I am really excited about this opportunity to be a featured blogger, and I am looking forward to sharing my passion with you, and vice versa. 

 

Until next time, keep yer stick on the ice, and keep those feet movin'!

 

~~~~~~~~~

Deester #71 LW / LD - Alternate Captain

OTTAWA ANGRY BEAVERS