Here's a great story about two great Canadian musicians and hockey. My neighbour told this one over dinner a couple of years back. This neighbour knew someone who was friends with Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip and Downie apparently plays goalie. So, this story comes from Downie to a friend who is also a …
Category: goalies
Keeping the Bar at Just the Right Level
The Blue team opened with a 4-1 win in the W last night. Moose, our crafty keeper of the cage, finally had one get past him with less than a buck to go. Not discouraged in any way, his comment after the game was that winning by a shutout on opening night would set the …
“Hail Cesare!”
Yes, the fans used to actually chant that when Cesare Maniago, the Minnesota North Stars main man in the cage in their early years was on his game. Is there a greater name than Cesare Maniago? I think not. I remember this goalie from the 70's mostly because of his elegant name and a little …
Ouch!
Our fearless leader, organizer and goaltender through many years of summer and winter hockey declared as he came off the ice this past Thursday night after shinny, "I bought 50 pucks at the beginning of the year and now I only have 15 left! I don't know where they all went." Without missing a beat, …
Sponge Pucks
I don't know what made me think about this but as I was out and about today, enjoying the feel of Christmas in the air, I suddenly had this image of a sponge puck bounce through my brain. Remember those things? Damndest device ever made. They stuck brutally on concrete or asphalt driveways and parking …
Concussion Treatments Then and Now
Lots in the press lately about concussions and the scourge they are in the game today. I couldn't agree more. Having said that, I doubt there is any way to eliminate them from the game short of removing contact and fighting. Even then there would be the odd accident as there is in my old …
A Goalie With Ice In His Veins…Really
No 'splaining necessary on this one. What a wonderful sculpture this is, eh?. Some creative type carved this sucker in downtown Waterloo in the courtyard in front of the Bauer Kitchen. I see room low on the stick side over his pad. Is he (she?) getting ready to poke check? If so, five hole is …
Blinded by the Twine
A few weeks back, I had a chance to score where I was wide open at the right edge of the crease with the puck and the goalie was down on his back. His glove was on the short side but all I had to do was shoot it over him. So that's what I …
Shinny Armageddon
Is there anything worse in recreational hockey, (I mean ANYTHING), than having only one goalie show up? This is a rhetorical question of course because anyone who has ever slapped on skates at 11:00 PM on a -18 degree night in January (in a rink that feels much colder than that) will tell you that …
How Not To Score on a Penalty Shot
"You skate like Ovechkin!" At first, I thought it was a compliment. However, I had just missed a penalty shot at the end of my Monday night game earlier this week and quickly realized that the goalie who had stoned me, Moose, was probably trashing me instead. I've just googled Ovechkin's shootout stats and sure …
Rink Tales 