06 September, 2008

Category Archives: Hockey Movies

The Potential for Reformed Government: Hockey for Everyone

By pucksandbooks
Saturday, August 30, 2008

I don’t know about you, but I’m both startled and delighted at the frequency with which we’re seeing hockey included in American’s contemporary political dialogue. Up until the very end of the veep selection process, there was a widespread belief that Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty could get the nod from nominee McCain. Ultimately, he chose a governor from another hockey-mad state, Sarah Palin of Alaska.

Back in 2004, presidential candidate John Kerry carried off a photo-op at a rink, but it didn’t carry the impact that hockey has in this election year. Kerry’s embrace of hockey then, much like that of his wind surfing voyage that campaign season, I think struck voters as something half-hearted and politically opportunistic.

But in 2008, we’ve seen political candidates in full-on and long-standing embraces of Bauers. What if during the vice presidential debates this autumn, when national political newcomer Palin is asked to relate some biography to American television viewers, she identifies ‘Mystery, Alaska’ as her favorite movie?

It’s a shame that Vice Presidents can’t issue Executive Orders, because  Governor Palin might, like Pawlenty, be inclined in office to proclaim some hockey-related initiatives human rights and high priorities in her first 100 days as veep! The right to bear Bauers . . . floor hockey in all public school phys-ed programs . . . cabinet meetings conducted within shinny skated on the Reflecting Pool (with under-performing department heads placed in goal) (Accountability in government!).

Notice the subtitle of her biography: How a Hockey Mom Turned Alaska’s Political Establishment Upside Down.

Pawlenty of course could still serve in a McCain administration (Secretary of the Frozen Interior). According to the New Republic, Pawlenty “plays lots of hockey.” According to Newsweek, the Minnesota governor “has been known to use his reception-room fireplace as a hockey goal.” (Can you see yet why we love him?) On the Minnesota governor’s own web site, visitors are informed that he still finds time to play the occasional game of pickup hockey.

Were it constitutionally permissible, Pawlenty-Gretzky would be the hockey fan’s dream ticket. Or perhaps in 2012, or 2016, we’ll see the first-ever All-Shinny ticket: Palin and Pawlenty.

Filed in American Hockey, Floor Hockey, Frivolous Summer File, Hardcore Hockey Fans, Hockey, Hockey Moms, Hockey Movies, Pond Hockey, Shinny| Permalink| Comments (22)

Who Needs National Security Creds When You’ve Got a Terrific Backhand?

By pucksandbooks
Wednesday, August 20, 2008

We don’t delve into politics in this forum, but should John McCain select Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty — widely believed to be on the nominee’s “short list” of VP candidates — as his running mate, and should the ticket prevail in November, it’s necessarily the case that the U.S. government would have its highest ranking advocate of pond hockey . . .  perhaps ever. Pawlenty shares his reflections on our great outdoor game in the highly anticipated documentary ‘Pond Hockey,’ to be screened around the country and released on DVD this autumn.

It would also appear that the new Vice President would have difficulty meeting some government appointments in the dead of winter.

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We could use more such governance, no?

I’m no single-issue voter, but the pick of Pawlenty could make me one.

Filed in Hockey, Pond Hockey, Pond Hockey Movie, Shinny| Permalink| Comments (8)

The Caps’ Newest Russian: “When Washington selected me at the draft I think I jumped to the ceiling at home being so happy”

By The OFB Team
Friday, August 1, 2008
photo courtesy of the Washington Capitals

photo courtesy of the Washington Capitals

With the ever intrepid assistance of our SovetskySport friend Dmitry Chesnokov, we were able to deliver some questions to the newest Russian in the Capitals’ organization, right wing prospect Dmitri Kugryshev. Drafted by the Capitals with the 58th overall pick in this past June’s Entry Draft, Kugryshev will join the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League this season, where he’ll play for General Manager and Head Coach Patrick Roy. Today Kugryshev is in Ottawa, Ontario, training with Ottawa Senators’ prospect Alexander Nikulin, and he’ll remain in North America preparing for the start of the 2008-09 hockey season. He may even lodge at Roy’s house, just as Alexander Radulov did. You can find a bit of Hockeysfuture.com background on Kugryshev here.

We were interested in learning a bit about Kugryshev, and especially what it must feel like to learn as an 18-year-old that your life-long dream of competing in the National Hockey League could be realized with Alexander Ovechkin, very much a Russian national hero today, as a teammate.

OFB: Few if any hockey fans in Washington have seen you play. What can you tell them about your style of play, and what elite hockey players do you most enjoy watching and hope to emulate in your pro career?

Kugryshev: I am very much a team player. I love to pass and am good with the puck. The only thing I am missing somewhat is physical play. But I will try to correct that by spending the next season in the Canadian [Junior] League. My favorite players are Alexander Semin and [an underage prima donna captain in a godforsaken Pennsylvania city, whom good breeding forbids us to reference on this family site where diving isn't tolerated]. I follow their game and try to learn from them.

OFB: Last year you were quoted as saying, “I dream about the NHL every day of my life. I think only the NHL. It’s my dream.” Can you tell us what is it about the NHL that makes it so special for a player like yourself, who grows up so far away from North American hockey?

Kugryshev: Despite the fact that there is a new hockey league in Russia, I have no intention of staying there. I dreamt of the NHL my entire life. The NHL is the best league in the world with the best players in the world. And no other league can compare to it. I always watched NHL games and saw players do something fantastic on the ice. I am now closer than ever to be next to these great players. In the near time I will try to accomplish the dream of a lifetime.

OFB: Tell us what it means to you to be with an organization with such Russian standouts as Ovechkin, Semin, Fedorov, and Varlamov — many of them young in their pro careers?

Kugryshev: When Washington selected me at the draft I think I jumped to the ceiling at home being so happy. I am extremely happy to be on the same team with such [great] Russian stars. I know all of them personally. And even though they are superstars, it is so easy to communicate with them. I have already received good advice from all of them about the style of play in America.

OFB: There are increasing accounts of Washington’s popularity in Russia due largely to the popularity of their Russian stars. Is this your sense, that there is a special appreciation for the Capitals in many areas of Russia?

Kugryshev: Of course it is a good thing that there are so many Russians in the city [Washington] and on the team. It is always nice to hear [people] speaking your native language abroad. But I will try to get everyone to enjoy my game! And it doesn’t matter whether you are Russian, American, or Canadian.

OFB: You are in North America this summer, training, in Ottawa. Why there, and what are your plans for the 2008-09 season — have the Capitals indicated whether they want you to attend training camp in Washington this September?

Kugryshev: Right now I am in Ottawa getting ready for the season training with great specialists. One of them, Paul Lawson, is a skating coach with the Montreal Canadiens. I like working with him and other coaches very much. Right now I don’t have any plans to return to Russia. There are no conditions for my development there. And in August I will attend the Quebec Remparts’ training camp. I think I will spend the next season with the Remparts. I think it will benefit me. I will be ready physically and mentally to make a mark in Washington next season. But I will also attend the training camp with the first team in Washington in September! I can’t wait for the moment I get on the ice with the team!

OFB: One seldoms hears of Russian hockey players playing outdoors in winter. Did you ever play on frozen ponds? Or is it the case that Russian winters in many parts are so severe that it is simply not practical to try?

Kugryshev: I actually started my career playing outdoors. There are no indoor ice arenas in my home town. Actually, it is a tradition in Russia every winter when it gets cold to skate outdoors. A lot of great Russian players did exactly that to start their careers.

OFB: Do you remember how old you were when you fell in love with hockey, and what about the game made you fall in love with it?

Kugryshev: I started playing hockey very late by American standards. I put on the skates for the first time when I was 7. I didn’t really like it at first. But then I started getting better at it. And within about 2 years I caught up with a lot of my friends. It was then, I think, that I realized that I would dedicate my life to hockey. I can’t even imagine my life now without hockey. I get the greatest satisfaction from playing the game, especially when I score goals.

OFB: Dmitri, a great way for European hockey players to improve their English — at least the naughty parts of it — is to watch the movie ‘Slapshot.’ Have you seen it, and if not, would you consider watching it while training in North America this summer and sharing with us your review of it?

Kugryshev: Unfortunately, I did not see that movie. But I will try to learn English in the near future. I had classes with a tutor in Russia. And here [in North America] I will get a lot of practice communicating with my teammates and friends.

OFB: Dmitri, thank you for taking the time to answer questions from OnFrozenBlog, and best of luck to you in the 2008-09 season.

Filed in Blogs, Dmitri Kugryshev, Hockey Movies, Internet, Media, National Hockey League, OFB Interviews, Players, Prospects, Slapshot, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (16)

Summertime on the NHL Network: Not Yet Must-See TV

By pucksandbooks
Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Any criticism of the NHL Network has to be qualified with the acknowledgment that during its dullest, most uninspired of programming slates it offers puckheads a respite — 24 hours a day — from ESPN and everything else that is broadcast-indifferent to our great game. So it is in the spirit of constructive criticism and unyielding gratitude that I offer my personal assessment of what the network presently is and what it could, and should, become.

In July especially, the network has relied, disproportionately, on replays of games from the most recent NHL postseason. To reiterate, were it to broadcast merely the pre-game warmups from those games I’d embrace that over say a home run derby carried off by bloodstream-polluted lab rats called major leaguers. Or televised poker. Or the WNBA. (Gracious what a wasteland July in American sports is.) But the NHL Network, which is a promotional tool for the league, isn’t going to lure in new viewers with that manner of prime-time programming. I love hockey as much as Mr. Hockey, but I just don’t need a refresher on game 4 between the Ducks and Stars from April. Every night of the summer.

In this odd bit of recurring programming the outlet seems to fail to recognize that the allure of NHL postseason hockey is the cumulative effect playoff series have — of antagonism built up over the course of 10 days, and from rivalries forged from season to season — and that isolating individual, non-classic playoff games isn’t the same thing as chronicling the Habs-Nordiques April wars of two decades ago.

But initially let’s acknowledge what the network is getting right. Some of the network’s staple programming — ‘Hockey Odyssey’ and ‘Hockey Academy,’ for instance — is quite good, carrying strong production values and well serving the larger hockey community. These 30-minute programs are not easy to produce, nor do they offer the promise of delivering big revenue returns for their costs. These are acts of TV goodwill by the league for its supporters.

The network also deserves plaudits for its coverage of the most recent NHL Draft, most particularly for carrying forward coverage all the way through on Day 2. The draft has become a bit of a cult hit for the league, and so it’s a natural fit on the league’s TV network.

I was also very impressed by the NHL Network’s presence in Buffalo in the leadup to, and after-event coverage of, the Winter Classic. When the NHL hosts a special event, its network seems to rise to the occasion.

But covering hockey in the dead of winter ought to be like breathing for the rest of us for this network.

I’m not an XM subscriber, but I’m familiar enough with the characteristics of XM 204 to know that puckheads who have it are grateful for it. The league has something good going with XM, and in-season, when the NHL Network broadcasts all two hours of ‘NHL Live’ each day, that’s quality programming. Repeating it in the early evening is wise as well, as most fans aren’t home at 10:00 a.m. to view it. The network in the offseason suffers to some extent by losing such a program, which offers engaging in-studio interactions with serious league insiders like E.J. Hradek and their thoughtful take on league developments, delivered informally and always with enthusiasm. That’s a winner of a TV formula, and the network needs to find some manner of replacement for it in the offseason.

It seems to me that there needs to be a recognition by the network that its patrons in summer are, on some level, seeking an escape from summer heat, from baseball — from NASCAR most particularly. It’s then when we most need images and associations of our frozen game. So why not offer up a re-broadcast of the very first league-sponsored outdoor game, the Heritage Classic, when frosty Edmonton froze up the event’s Zambonis? Some NHL teams are now annually holding one or more practice sessions outdoors (as the Caps do at Chevy Chase Country Club). Footage from those affairs would be especially novel to view in the dog days of summer.

There are also compelling stories emerging from every NHL summer Development Camp. The league’s network should be broadcasting press conferences and prospect interviews and even snippets of scrimmages. When George McPhee beamed in front of cameras at Kettler Capitals last week about the arrival of the Frozen Four in Washington next spring, that was an occasion for all of hockey to celebrate. This is not a league or a sport that goes dark in the dead of summer (influencing, incidentally, the genesis of OnFrozenBlog) — and its TV channel ought to reflect that.

I’ve yet to see ‘Slapshot’ air on the network. May I ask why? Schedule that for one summer Saturday night, and promote it with an appearance by the principal actors offering commentary in interludes, and see if more than 17 folks tune in (the Canadian Parliament will go out of session).

This is a league that is chronicled, on line, by some of the most creative and talented commentators in all of sports. Why wouldn’t the league open up a few hours of its offseason each week on the NHL Network to the wit and wisdom of its bloggers? “My NHL” was advertised by the league just a couple of seasons ago. Make it so on the network in summer, and eventually year round. After all, we’ve given traditional media a fair century at the endeavor, to underwhelming reviews.

The NHL was bold and beautiful with its idea of a Winter Classic; similarly, it needs to be bold and beautiful with its around-the-clock television broadcast branding. Especially during Redskins’ training camp.

Filed in Blogs, Don Cherry, Hockey, Hockey Movies, Internet, Media, Morning cup-a-joe, NHL Network, National Hockey League, Stanley Cup Playoffs, Washington Capitals, Winter Classic| Permalink| Comments (15)

We’re Hollywood Star-Struck

By The OFB Team
Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Forgive us this hiccup of indulgence — yesterday the makers and marketers of the documentary ‘Pond Hockey’ referred to OFB as their favorite blog.

Well, from the early looks of things, they’re our favorite documentarians. Now that July in D.C. is upon us (and Happy Canada Day to our cousins to the North!), be sure to visit the film’s web site when you need a helping hand in getting cooled off during these dog days of summer.

Filed in Hockey, Hockey Art, Hockey Movies, OFB, Pond Hockey, Pond Hockey Movie| Permalink| Comments (1)

When Son of Ishtar Attacks Lord Stanley

By pucksandbooks
Saturday, June 28, 2008

In the last six months we’ve been contacted by representatives from two different feature-length films, both including hockey in their stories. We were provided with promotional material and politely asked to assist in the marketing endeavors. We found the outreach flattering, and so we obliged.

We are greatly anticipating the release of ‘Pond Hockey’ this November, and will assist its filmmakers additionally in every manner we possibly can.

With Mike Myers’ ‘The Love Guru,’ now in its third week of screening nationwide, not so much enthusiasm . . . insomuch as the film, accumulating from critics an average grade of D+, is quickly earning the ignominious designation as one of the worst cinematic creations in the history of humanity.

Rotten Tomatoes has tabulated 122 reviews of the abomination and classified 103 of them as rotten.

“It’s just deadly,” exclaims Richard Roeper of Ebert & Roeper.

“Holy Dave Keon!” begins Newsday’s ‘Sportswatch’ columnist Neil Best. “Even I am shocked by the level of disgust over [The Love Guru] being expressed by movie critics.”

The dreck, which cost $64 million to make, to date has grossed just $13 million (and likely will limp to $20 million). Who would have imagined a month ago that a Mike Myers comedy with one Jessica Alba in the cast would struggle to surpass the gross receipts of say ‘Meatballs 4,’ ‘Snowboard Academy,’ ‘Die Hard Dracula,’ and ‘Soccer Dog: The Movie’ ?

The Internet Movie Database has a ranking of a “Bottom 100″ films of all time; look for ‘Love Guru’ to make its debut in it soon.

For me, it’s poetic justice. ‘Guru’s’ marketers concocted all manner of disingenuous pledges of admiration for each and every hockey blog it solicited. They sugared us with flattery and even went so far as to claim that OFB’s assistance was one that was going to be “personally conveyed to Mike Myers.” Whatever.

We feel dirty for having participated in the mass e-marketing of this bomb, and while we know that it’s metaphysically impossible for more than 11 or 12 or our readers to have patronized it, to them, we express particular and red-faced regret. Your tickets to ‘Pond Hockey’ are on us.

But imagine the blazered communications and PR flacks in the NHL’s New York office. The league went above and beyond in its support of the crap film. Amazingly enough, today the league still acknowledges its supporting role on its web site. I wonder if Gary Bettman had a say in the matter?

Anyway, we’ll talk no more of this movie monstrocity, and instead try and cleanse your film palate with this promotional snippet for the movie we’re proud to have associated ourselves with.

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Filed in Hockey Art, Hockey Movies, OFB, Video Clips| Permalink| Comments (3)

Dreaming of Puckheads in the ‘Passion Pits’

By pucksandbooks
Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Are you aware that there is a revival of drive-in movie theaters taking place nationwide? I wasn’t either. But on Monday, ambling up congestion-free roads toward a business appointment and enjoying the pastoral beauty of Rt. 15 toward Harrisburg, Pa., I passed a still-operating drive-in movie theater in Dillsburg. It advertised a current playing of ‘Get Smart.’ Were it not nearly 90 minutes from my home I’d be there this Friday night.

I was stunned. How could VCRs, DVDs, cinema-replicating, massively sized modern televisions, and NetFlix have failed to vanquish our ‘Happy Days’-style of theater experience? How could high-tech, high definition America embrace cinema in surrounded-by-woods sound — in analog un-crispness?

Maybe what goes around actually comes back around in American culture. Who for instance would have thought that American teens would re-embrace skateboards?

Returned home Monday evening, I resolved to research my run-in with this sliver of seemingly archaic Americana. Two excellent web sites chronicling both drive-ins’ history and current status are found with driveinmovie.com and driveintheater.com. One thing seems certain: America’s perception that the theaters had vanquished entirely from our landscape is undermined by the largely rural reality of their staying power. It’s true that you aren’t going to find 50 acres in Fairfax or Montgomery County devoted today to the theaters. It’s also true that the theater numbers nationally are about one-tenth what they were in the experience’s heyday: from a peak of about 4,000 in the early 1960s to around 400 today.

But new ones are being built. Maryland once had 42 such theaters, according to driveinmovie.com. Today she is home to just two, but three new ones (all in Carroll County) are in the planning or construction stages. Virginia has eight of the theaters in operation today. Pennsylvania is a veritable hotbed of throwback cinema: 35 illuminating today’s Friday and Saturday night skies.

But what can possibly account for both the theaters’ residual existence out in the American hinterland as well as its sudden if modest resurgence this decade? NetFlix, after all, mails its movies to Dillsburg.

Perhaps it’s because the theaters are a marvelous confluence of enduring American pastimes: the great symbol of liberty, the automobile; our never-out-of-vogue love affair with big screen film; and teenagers in heat desperate for isolation. Those plots of land, their darkness so enveloping save the screen on the horizon, were the great liberators of hormones. Wikipedia’s summary notes that at their peak popularity media labeled the sites “passion pits.”

By God, Revive, Revive I say!

It’s probably also true that in grand summer weather, like that we’ve had in D.C. early this summer, a lot of folks don’t want to go indoors to see films, especially to the cookie-cutter shopping mall holes in the corners masquerading as theaters.

Interesting to note, I think, that in and around D.C. we do rather robustly celebrate the outdoor film experience. ‘Screen on the Green’ runs on Monday nights on the Mall in July and August, and Strathmore’s outdoor film festival commands a week in August. They’re necessarily a car-less bit of culture, but they do seem to harken back to the spirit of the drive-in.

Drive-in theaters are as American as apple pie and Coca-Cola. If indeed they are on the rebound it’s cause for great celebration.

And if they’re back we’d do well to keep them around, this time for good. It would be wise, perhaps, to update their offerings. Can’t we bring more to the outdoor screens than merely contemporary Hollywood? If next summer you were given a month’s notice of ‘Slapshot’ being screened at a faraway drive-in one Friday night, an event promoted and patronized by Washington’s hockey bloggers and hundreds of their readers, even though you’ve seen the movie 63 times, wouldn’t you consider a 64th viewing then?

And wouldn’t it be swell if we found a way to beam in satellite signals upon the gatherings? And if so, the theater proprietors would appreciate knowing of events that command grand gatherings, in city after city, especially for just single nights.

Shouldn’t we galvanize the surging momentum of the NHL Entry Draft, and in particular the city-specific parties it engenders, and make appeals to the drive-in proprietors next June to host a grand evening for DraftGeeks and pucksheads? Wouldn’t a Friday draft following involving some tasty tailgating, a little tonsil hockey in the dark, and all that first-round trading frenzy super sized onscreen be just about the best-ever draft party?

Victor Hedman, next June’s likely towering top choice, would look very big there indeed.

Filed in Frivolous Summer File, Hockey Movies, OFB, Slapshot| Permalink| Comments (11)

Fight Cancer with Hockey, Cake, The Zambonis, and More

By Gustafsson
Friday, April 18, 2008

My friend Jay not only has a cool job, he knows cool people, too. He recently introduced me to Dave Zamboni who is described by Jay as “the free-skating guitar-man / defenseman for the ultra hip hockey rockers The Zambonis.” Speaking with Dave, he told me about a great event coming to our area in May.

The Zambonis will be performing at a one-day “fun filled extravaganza” to raise money to fight cancer. In addition to The Zambonis playing live, there will be a hockey game, skate-a-thon, skills competition, broom ball, rides, carnival games, vendors, food and Duff “Ace of Cakes” Goldman from Charm City Cakes. Oh…. and to help everyone fight cancer… a special appearance by the Hanson Brothers.

Here are the particulars:
Hockey Fights Cancer Maryland, Sunday, 4 May, 2008 - Ice World in Harford County, Maryland

We’ll have more details as the event draws closer and perhaps even have a special OFB/Zambonis promotion. Until then, check out this brilliant commercial promoting the event.

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Filed in Charity, Fighting, Hardcore Hockey Fans, Hockey Movies, Music, Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals, Zambonis| Permalink| Comments (3)

The Love Guru

By Gustafsson
Monday, April 14, 2008

There’s good news for Leafs fans. The Maple Leafs will be playing in June … in a new Mike Myers movie called The Love Guru.

From a National Hockey League press release:

In the comedy “The Love Guru,” Pitka (Mike Myers in his first original character since Austin Powers) is an American who was left at the gates of an ashram in India as a child and raised by gurus. He moves back to the U.S. to seek fame and fortune in the world of self-help and spirituality. His unorthodox methods are put to the test when he must settle a rift between Toronto Maple Leafs star hockey player Darren Roanoke (Romany Malco) and his estranged wife. After the split, Roanoke’s wife starts dating L.A. Kings star Jacques Grande (Justin Timberlake) out of revenge, sending her husband into a major professional skid — to the horror of the teams’ owner Jane Bullard (Jessica Alba) and Coach Cherkov (Verne Troyer). Pitka must return the couple to marital nirvana and get Roanoke back on his game so the team can break the 40-year-old “Bullard Curse” and win the Stanley Cup.

Myers co-wrote the script featuring his beloved hometown Maple Leafs and shot the film in that city. For the production, the NHL provided Myers and Paramount Pictures unprecedented access and rights, including the use of NHL marks and NHL game action footage, permission and facilitation to film inside NHL arenas, and guest appearances by NHL players and the Stanley Cup, the most revered trophy in all professional sports, marking its first starring turn in a feature film.

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For more exclusive video, visit The Love Guru on YouTube.

Filed in Hockey Movies, National Hockey League, Stanley Cup, Toronto Maple Leafs, Video Clips| Permalink| Comments (15)

Nats vs. Caps vs. Chiefs

By DC Sports Chick
Monday, March 31, 2008

The red, white, and blue coupleCaps, 'Skins- where's the Nats gear?While one of the biggest local sports stories in recent weeks has been the Capitals’ playoff push, they were upstaged this weekend by the Nationals and the new stadium. I was fortunate to attend last night’s Opening Day game, and quickly noticed a decent number of Caps fans in attendance. They were wearing Caps hats, sweatshirts, T-shirts, and even jerseys. After attending many, many Nationals games over the past few seasons, I can’t recall ever seeing a display like the one I witnessed last night. Perhaps the Caps weren’t as back-burnered as I thought they were. I was, however, heartened to see that the new stadium kept the Washington Hall of Stars tradition alive, with Rod Langway representing local hockey on the banner.

Last week, the Washington Post’s Barry Svrluga shared this item about the Nats’ manager at Nationals Journal:

Manny Acta really likes the movie “Slapshot”, and was very happy to find out that Caps Coach Bruce Boudreau was an extra in the movie.

Personally, I was a little surprised to learn this, since Manny doesn’t seem like a hockey movie kind of guy, although I suppose the movie could (and should) be considered one of the quintessential sports films. One article from the San Jose Mercury-News captured the essence of “Slap Shot” without once mentioning Bruce Boudreau! (It seems to be a rarity in articles about “Slap Shot” since November 2007.)

In the frozen world of hockey, “Slap Shot” isn’t merely a film. It’s a cinematic treasure that has forever been ingrained in the sport’s culture. Almost everyone, from NHL equipment guys to team captains, can quote the often profane dialogue, inside and out…Although it didn’t impress critics much when it was released in 1977, “Slap Shot” quickly developed a cult following and now routinely is placed on the short list of all-time best sports films. The biggest raves come from the people who watch - over and over - their sport mocked as thuggery on ice. All these years later, hockey players still are laughing along with it.

One can now add a major league baseball manager to those who laugh along with it. Who knew?

Filed in Blogs, Hockey Movies, Media, Washington Capitals, Washington Post| Permalink| Comments (7)

Ice Kings

By Gustafsson
Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Tonight begins a six game road trip for the Capitals. A trip which finds our weekend bare of hockey, save for Friday night’s game in Atlanta. We have a solution for you.

Grab your favorite puck soda, ready the pop corn get a copy of the documentary movie ICE KINGS. Ice Kings is about high school hockey at Mount St. Charles Academy, a Catholic high school in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. What sets Mount St. Charles Academy — known simply as “The Mount” — apart from any other high school in any sport is their consecutive state championships from 1978 to 2003 all under the guidance of the same coach, Bill Belisle. That’s 26 straight titles.

While the focus is on the Mount, it can be argued that the main character is high school hockey in Rhode Island. When you think of high school football, you think Texas. When you think of high school hockey, you should think Rhode Island. Award winning writer/producer/director Craig E. Shapiro does a wonderful job setting the stage with the history of Rhode Island and the importance of hockey. The movie has a Discovery Channel-type feel to it, with vivid imagery, strong narration, and plenty of interviews with known hockey commodities including Garth Snow, Mathieu Schneider, Lou Lamoriello, and ex-Capitals coach Ron Wilson. You learn of Rhode Island’s history, some unique quirks, and their love of hockey.

Another major character in the movie is The Mount’s home rink. A former airplane hanger, Adelard Arena is a formidable foe in its own right. Small. Cramped. Intimidating. Like an old-school NHL rink. The unique feature of Adelard Arena is not necessarily what it has, but rather, what it lacks: Plexiglass. Adelard is as old school as you can get with chicken wire — chain link fencing, really — separating the spectators from the athletes.

You may have heard about the Michigan Division I Championship going eight overtimes before co-champions were crowned this year? Rhode Island can claim a “been there, done that” attitude with the 1988 championship. A normal two game series needed a third game do decide the winner. Game three was tied at double-over time. That’s where the rules take over which cancels the game and adds a fourth. Would you believe a fifth game is added after the fourth game is canceled after the second consecutive double-over time game?

It’s a great film worthy of your time and effort and an excellent addition to your library of hockey movies.

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Filed in High School Hockey, Hockey Movies, Video Clips| Permalink| Comments (0)

Son of Slap Shot

By The OFB Team
Monday, March 3, 2008

Son of a Hanson brother winning an award for sportsmanship? It’s true:

Filed in College Hockey, Fighting, Hockey, Hockey Movies, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (2)

Hockey Helping Heal Family Hurt

By pucksandbooks
Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Disappointed that my father couldn’t attend our screening of ‘The Rocket‘ at the Avalon Theater this past December, I made the DVD a Christmas present to him. (He was thrilled.) Throughout January when we spoke on the telephone I was quick to ask if he’d found a quiet evening at home to view it. He hadn’t. I found this curious, and somewhat disappointing, for as I enjoyed the film so thoroughly, I knew he would, too. But in his retirement my father is anything but sedentary and stationary, and so even something as seemingly pedestrian as movie night at home can be hard to come by.

It was a sad coincidence for me to learn last week, not long after I heard of the Capitals traveling with their fathers on their roadtrip South, that I’d be spending the weekend with my father — our first visit together in 2008 — under the most unfortunate of circumstances: gathering to get past the passing of his mother. He learned of his loss last week while on a Caribbean sailing vacation, hastily cut it short, joined family for the remembrance, and at his mother’s funeral delivered a stunning and moving eulogy. Now without both parents, Dad is feeling “orphaned.”

I was in his Maryland Eastern Shore home all of about seven minutes this weekend before he initiated talk of the Saturday night victory by the Caps in Tampa. “Did you see that game last night?” he asked me with victory voice and wide eyes. We talked of the superb passing by both teams, the heart-wrenching, concluding drama, the visiting team’s resiliency. He knew, too, of my appearance on Saturday night radio in Washington to discuss the Caps, and when the Chesapeake Bay poorly cooperated with his radio reception of the broadcast at home he hopped in his car and began driving around the shore to find better reception.

Dad and I aren’t emotive in tough times; instead, we find the seemingly necessary solace simply in one another’s company. With this in mind I shouldn’t have been surprised at our next discussion.

“We’re going to watch the movie tonight,” he said, with no small enthusiasm. The screening, it became clear, was to be the centerpiece of my visit. Turns out, he had no intention of watching the movie without me, no matter how long that took. And this weekend ‘The Rocket’ represented a fresh immersion in the pursuit that has consistently — over the course of our more than 35 years of sharing it — delivered the fondest and most rewarding of life experiences together.

In my youth Dad was alternately my soccer coach, my Little League manager, my supporter in the stands in hoops and junior varsity football. But it was when he first took me to the neighborhood ice rink for my first skating lessons that a special and lasting sporting bond forged between us. I don’t think skating comes easy to any beginner, no matter how athletically gifted. I remember well my struggles and how after each session of Saturday lessons Dad always aided my perseverance by removing my skates and rubbing my young pained feet back to life.

Later, once I’d become proficient with my skating, he infuriated my mother by taking me along on his Friday night pickup skates near midnight — when the ice was cheap and available — when all other 10- and 11-year-olds were fast asleep. Later still, when I was in high school and working weekends at the local rink, he’d assure my mother that the reason I wasn’t returning home from Saturday night shifts was because I was skating after hours with college-aged hockey playing staff, literally until sunrise, then collapsing on a cot in the rink’s First Aid room. My mother was convinced that hockey couldn’t be my mistress every Saturday night when I was 14 and 15 and 16 and 17. My father knew better.

His shore home is well equipped for Blockbuster night — or Hockey Night in Canada: 48 inches of Panasonic, wall-hung high definition above the fireplace. Center Ice subscribed to. We had a roaring fire in the fireplace, our feet up, beers and spirits on the coasters at our feet. We were seated next to one another on his couch with not six inches separating us. That in itself felt healing.

I explained to him the necessity of absorbing the film in its Francophone rendering, with English subtitles. He needed about 25 minutes of it before he professed Stephen McHattie’s work as Habs’ coach Dick Irvin “magnificent.” He was absorbed, and I was grateful.

A great home in a great location has a way of breeding enthusiastic loyalty among friends and former business associates, and so my father’s telephone rings a lot. It’s about that time of year when the calls begin announcing intended spring and summer weekend visits. Dad is always generous with his time and attentions on the phone, but I noticed that with this film on pause during the calls he was quite short on the phone. He took perhaps five calls and dispatched all of them with haste. I really think he was enjoying the movie that much.

During opportune times he’d share with me fascinating tidbits about his passion for puck while growing up just outside New York City. I never knew, for instance, that he’d traveled to the old Madison Square Garden just to see Rocket play. I think he paid $2 for that ticket.

When the movie ended and my father judged it superb, he wanted (or needed) more from it, so we began watching the DVD extras. All of them, in French. The phone rang once during that overtime period and again Dad shoulder checked it aside.

Eventually we dimmed the lights on our night, hugged, and went to bed. Breakfast the next morning was delicious, and we talked a lot about the movie some more.

Filed in Hockey Art, Hockey Movies, Morning cup-a-joe, Old Time Hockey, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (6)

“Outdoor Hockey Is Beautiful”

By The OFB Team
Monday, January 28, 2008

That’s the sentiment of a couple of Minnesotans behind the making of the documentary ‘Pond Hockey’, now in final editing and awaiting a distributor. The filmmakers believe it’s mere weeks from showing at a theater near you. Eighty minutes of cinema we can’t wait for; sure looks like we have another OFB night at the movies looming. The trailer suggests that the filmmakers have honed in on the heart of the matter:

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As you might expect, Minnesota television stations are on this story like black on fresh lake ice. One treatment can be found here. Still another can be found here.   

But it isn’t just in Minnesota where outdoor puck is being pursued these days. Jeff Jackson’s Notre Dame Fighting Irish got swept by no. 1 Michigan last weekend, so on Monday of last week, with his charges’ spirits slumped, he took them outside for practice, where it was a not so balmy 12 degrees. That story is chronicled here. The Irish, incidentally, rebounded and swept Bowling Green this past weekend.    

Update: We heard this afternoon from Andrew Sherburne, ‘Pond Hockey’s’ Producer. The first closed screening for cast and crew will take place in a matter of weeks, while the actual release isn’t quite that close. We’ll keep you informed.

Filed in College Hockey, Hockey Art, Hockey Movies, Hockey Rinks, Hockey Weather, Old Time Hockey, Pond Hockey, Shinny| Permalink| Comments (2)

In The Crease

By Gustafsson
Saturday, January 19, 2008

A while ago, we received a copy of the movie In The Crease. The documentary follows the California Wave Bantam AAA travel hockey team and their quest for a national title.

In The CreaseProduction began on IN THE CREASE in March 2005 in Lakewood, California, immediately after the California Wave won the Pacific District Regional Championship and qualified for nationals. For approximately one month, the Stickmen Pictures crew spent nearly every day with players, families and coaches filming at practices, in the locker room, and at their homes across Southern California. The film crew then traveled with the team to Bensenville, Illinois where they covered all the action at nationals over the six days of the tournament and also interviewed scouts, agents, and opposing players and coaches.

The movie was done quite well. There is a good mix of game and practice footage as well as interviews with the California Wave coach, players and families. Being former players themselves, the directors wanted to make sure they showed the dedication and commitment of not just the players, but the families themselves. To augment the story of the California Wave, 15 of professional hockey’s biggest stars shared their stories of their hockey beginnings and early days. A few of the pros featured are Joe Thornton, Scott Niedermayer, Brendan Shanahan, Scott Gomez, Brian Rolston, and Martin Havlat.

Check out some In The Crease articles by James Mirtle, USA Hockey, and NHL.com and then watch the movie this Sunday, January 20th at 4pm on Versus or buy the DVD which includes 20 minutes of bonus features including extended interviews with the pros.

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Filed in Hockey Movies| Permalink| Comments (0)

Training Camp for Washington Sports Editors

By pucksandbooks
Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Morning Cup-A-JoeNear 8:00 this past Saturday night, Washington’s mainstream sports editors confronted an annual dilemma: the end of another Redskins’ season. Joe Gibbs’ second retirement from football offered our local press horde a brief stay of execution from the Burgundy and Gold beat, but today the harsh reality sets in.

Their dilemma is existential: what now?

To the disappointment of Wizards’ fans, and the horror of Dan Steinberg, Agent Zero recently hinted at the likelihood of shutting it down this season to recover fully from his knee injury. Nats’ pitchers and catchers don’t report south for weeks. We’re many months away from Tiger’s return to town.

Customarily, this season in the D.C. sports calendar dictates that sports editors assign their staff the research and drafting of obituaries for American sports legends solidly on life’s back nine. Long lunches. And vacations.

We at OFB, however, think that with the arrival of Redskin-free Januaries, henceforth and inaugurating with this one, the region’s hockey bloggers, in a joint endeavor with the Washington Capitals, ought to conduct a training camp for MSM sports editors.

To introduce them to the sport of hockey.

In a very real sense, it’d be analogous to the fantasy camps the well-heeled, middle-aged, and portly participate in across all sports. Making no judgment on the physical well being of our MSM editors, it’s abundantly clear that their cognitive acumen with respect to hockey is, shall we say, under exercised. As such, the heart of our camp would feature a fully developed Capitals University for the editors. JoeB is particularly busy at this time of year, but given the claims of this cause, I’d anticipate some creative schedule juggling on his part and ultimately his cooperation.

Orientation would have to start with the most basic of basics: a Mapquest route from WaPost and the various network broadcast studios in the District to Kettler Capitals. Initially, the editors would be picked up and led to the facility by various Caps’ players in a caravan, but as part of a camp final exam, the editors would have to demonstrate their ability to navigate their own way to the Capitals’ new home.

Early on, too, it would imperative to dispel some false assumptions long held by the editors. For instance, on Day One of camp we’d have one of the region’s meteorologists present Dopler data conforming that no reporters covering Caps’ games actually freeze from the experience. Indeed, at Verizon Center, there’s the greater likelihood of visitors suffering heat stroke. It is simply not true that the Caps travel to Saskatchewan to contest their games outdoors December through March.

As part of camp, the editors would be taken on field trips to the region’s rinks — Reston, Ft. Dupont, Columbia and Cabin John — where they would be asked to view the thousands of youths, male and female, clogging the weekend clocks morning, noon, and night with the playing of hockey. They would be asked to sit in the rinks’ stands among players’ parents and interview them about families’ devotion — in finances, time, and travel — to the sport of ice hockey. The tongues the hockey families would speak in would be foreign to the editors, and so bloggers and Caps’ communications professionals like Mike Vogel would be strategically stationed in the stands to facilitate translation.

Back at camp, VIP speakers would address the editors. An emissary from the Canadian Embassy would allege that his home is not in fact a 51st American state or territory, but instead a sovereign nation which celebrates the awe-inspiring playgrounds that nature etches across his home’s landscape for half the calendar year. Executives from cable television providers would arrive and testify to the fact that indeed thousands of Washingtonian households spiritedly subscribe to NHL CenterIce and the NHL Network.

High priests of puck like Don Cherry and Barry Melrose would lunch and cocktail hour with the campers and lead chalkboard Xs and Os and endearing narratives of the sport’s legacy. Melrose would even suggest that here in Washington there is a viable Jack Adams candidate.

Craigh Laughlin and Joe Reekie would lead a discussion of conflict resolution in hockey, and how the United Nations Security Council is not involved.

A professor of comparative literature and linguistics from the University of Maryland would attend and identify the sliver of contemporary professional athletes who commonly speak to the press in complete sentences, often thoughtfully. He will introduce the editors to the concepts of humility and modesty that commonly lace these orations.

The District’s Chief of Police would brief the editors on the needlessness of bringing along weapons of self defense into the players’ rooms during interviews.

Necessarily, camp would conclude with a screening of ‘Slapshot,’ and accompanying consumption of beer would be mandatory.

To prepare for camp, we who conduct it might want to view the film ‘300,’ for in this quest we face the same odds for victory as the Spartans.

Filed in Barry Melrose, Don Cherry, Hockey Movies, Kettler Capitals Iceplex, Lisa Hillary, Media, Morning cup-a-joe, Other Sports, Redskins, Washington Capitals, Washington Post| Permalink| Comments (9)

“The Rocket” Comments by Weber and Labre

By The OFB Team
Thursday, December 20, 2007

We were lucky to have had former Washington Capital Yvon Labre and former radio play-by-play voice Ron Weber not only attend OFB’s viewing of “The Rocket”, but they graciously took the microphone in hand at the front of the theatre to answer questions and provide a little insight as well.

Here is a short video with part of their observations.
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Filed in Hockey Art, Hockey Movies, Ron Weber, Video Clips, Washington Capitals, Yvon Labre| Permalink| Comments (0)

‘The Rocket’ Belongs with the Best in Hockey Filmmaking

By pucksandbooks
Wednesday, December 19, 2007

If you couldn’t attend OFB Night at the Movies last night, you still have two evenings — tonight and tomorrow — to make it over to the Avalon during its week-long screening of ‘The Rocket.’ I highly recommend you doing so. I would not term ‘The Rocket’ a great movie but rather a good one that was, for me, deeply affecting. A good movie has a way of staying with you a while after the credits roll, the lights go up, and even a day or three later, when your brain hits ‘refresh’ with reminiscing images. That, for this viewer, is ‘The Rocket.’ The film won nine Genie awards — the Canadian equivalent of Oscars — and near 11:00 last night I knew why.

Before midnight last night I’d heard from a handful of friends in the theater express their surprise at the enormity of Maurice Richard’s career. And these impressions had little to do with the number of goals he’d scored.

These friends were Canadians and Americans, and they were reacting with me in precisely a vein I think the filmmaker’s had hoped for. By now you’ve heard that the film has as its heart the issue of bigotry directed at French Canadians in the first half of 20th century North American professional hockey. One Canadian in particular came up to me afterward and shared how emotional she’d become by the film’s illustration of the the brutal, even life-threatening violence directed Richard’s way.

Films that tackle pressing social issues always engage in high-risk endeavors. When they are well made, they are able to avoid a sense of strong-armed didacticism — hautily lecturing the movie-going public. Success here depends on a filmmaker’s adherence to subtlety as well as delineating a nuanced fluency with the issue. ‘The Rocket,’ I thought, achieved this rather gloriously.

And speaking of illustration, the visual beauty of ‘The Rocket’ is what distinguishes it from all other hockey films. Ron Weber told us afterward that he actually felt Montreal’s snowy cold while seated in the Avalon, and I, too, owned up to feeling transported back to 1940s and ’50s Canada. Director Charles Biname offers a virtuoso performance in cinematography. With great effect he strung together scenes flushed out of color, then, in the blink of an eye, following ones saturated in shimmering water color-like portraits. This was an elaborately illustrated period piece, a feast for the eyes. As such, it made for me a wonderful seasonal theater immersion.

Roy Dupuis’ performance in the lead is consistently brilliant. Richard the hockey player matures from isolated introvert to battered agent of social change, and Dupuis accords that notable progression great dignity and credibility. But I most enjoyed Stephen McHattie’s performance as the Canadiens’ maestro behind the bench, Dick Irvin. The story of the relationship between Irvin and Richard is one for its own movie, which Biname honors. This film has at least a half dozen scenes of great emotional impact, and my favorite involved Irvin in the Habs’ locker room late in Richard’s career, when the Rocket’s advocacy for change perhaps secured its most notable convert.

Filed in Hockey, Hockey Art, Hockey Movies, Morning cup-a-joe| Permalink| Comments (1)

OFB Night at the Movies

By The OFB Team
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
The Rocket
Join OFB along with Connect2Canada and the Washington Capitals for
OFB Night at the Movies: ‘THE ROCKET’
Tuesday, 18 December, 2007 - 8:30pm
The Avalon Theatre - 5612 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20015
Drop us a line with your full name and reserve your seats today: email@onfrozenblog.com
The Rocket
Filed in Hockey, Hockey Art, Hockey Movies, Montreal Canadiens, OFB, Old Time Hockey, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (4)

Reunion Night for ‘The Rocket’

By The OFB Team
Sunday, December 16, 2007

Ron WeberOFB is pleased to announce the participation of legendary local radio voice Ron Weber and former Caps’ great Yvon Labre this Tuesday night for our screening of ‘The Rocket’ at the Avalon Theater. These Caps’ legends will offer us their insights into the movie and the career of Rocket Richard during a post-film Q & A.

Eric McErlain of OffWingOpinion published a terrific review of ‘The Rocket’ this past week for The Sporting News. Eric writes:

” . . . the movie gets down cold . . . the ability to transport you back in time to the Montreal of the 1940s and 1950s, both on the streets of the city and inside the legendary Forum that closed for good back in 1996.Yvon Labre

“One of the greatest challenges for any sports movie is figuring out a way to depict live action in a believable manner, and The Rocket acquits itself well in that sense. By the time the movie ended I was sincerely hoping that there was a men’s league somewhere in North America that would let folks play hockey donning vintage uniforms and equipment. Can there possibly be a league anywhere that will let you play without a helmet anymore?”

Seats are still available for Tuesday — join us for a memorable night at the movies in the company of Washington hockey royalty.

Filed in Hockey Movies, OFB, Radio, Ron Weber, Washington Capitals, Yvon Labre| Permalink| Comments (1)

Join Us for OFB Night at the Movies: ‘The Rocket’

By The OFB Team
Wednesday, December 12, 2007

The Rocket - Movie PosterIf you’re like us, once or twice in December you like to take a break from the tsunami sea of shopping mall humanity and spend a couple of hours tucked inside a dark theater for a holiday season movie. Thanks to the supportive management at the Avalon Theater in Northwest D.C., and a partnership with the Washington Capitals and the Canadian Embassy, OFB readers have an opportunity for precisely this next Tuesday, December 18, when they’re invited to gather at the Avalon for a discounted screening of ‘The Rocket, the Legend of Rocket Richard,’ the icon of icons in Canadian athletic lore.

“As a young boy from blue collar Québec, Richard had a dream to play in the National Hockey League. Beneath his soft-spoken, working class exterior burned a passion that transformed this young factory worker into “The Rocket.” In the 1950s pre-helmet days of hockey, facing constant discrimination, The Rocket played with finesse, speed, and the fire that defied all odds and made him a legend.”

On Tuesday evening, December 18 at 8:30, OFB readers will be able to see ‘The Rocket’ for the discounted admission of $7 at the Avalon. Released in limited distribution in 2005, ‘The Rocket’ has played to strong reviews, and its DVD was released in the U.S. just yesterday. Some notable current and former NHLers had on-screen roles in the film: Sean Avery of the Rangers; Pascal Dupuis of the Thrashers; Ian Lapierriere of the Avalanche; Vincent Lecavalier of the Lightning; Stephane Quintal, a former Canadien; and Mike Ricchi, former Shark and Coyote.

One of Washington’s great old movie houses, the Avalon opened in February 1923 — “when patrons could watch a silent film for thirty cents.” By 2001, the Avalon was the oldest continuously operating movie house in Washington. We won’t get in for thirty cents next Tuesday night, but we’ll be seated in a classic cinematic setting for a strong film. Additionally, the Capitals are working hard to secure a few current and former players to attend, and we’ll have a post-movie bit of Q & A about Rocket and the movie with them.

We may even invite Gene Weingarten and Michael Wilbon.

The Avalon will be screening ‘The Rocket’ for us Tuesday night in Theater 1. We have 125 seats reserved at the discounted $7 admission. All OFB readers wishing to attend Tuesday night must email us their names and those in their party. Given our involvement with the Caps and the Canadian Embassy for this event, seats are sure to go fast. We do not want you driving into town on a whim next Tuesday night only to get shut out. So drop us a line with your full name and reserve your seats today: email@onfrozenblog.com

Who doesn’t like taking in a great flick during the holiday season, and in this instance, surrounded by hundreds of fellow hockey lovers? The Avalon will be showing ‘The Rocket’ each day from December 14 through 20, at 3:15 and 8:30.

The Avalon is located at 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW; (202) 966-6000.

Check out ‘The Rocket’s’ YouTube movie trailer:

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Filed in Hockey, Hockey Art, Hockey Heroes, Hockey Movies, Montreal Canadiens, OFB, Old Time Hockey, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (2)
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