HockeyStars Blog

Saving Face: The Art And History Of The Goalie Mask

Joe Pelletier — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:30:43 -0800

Hockey goalies tend to be amongst the most popular athletes in all of sports, partly because of the strange equipment they wear. No piece of goalie equipment is more revered than the mask, which nowadays is more often than not a piece of personalized art work that only adds to our love of goalies. For many it is the face of hockey, quite literally the saving face.

With about 150 images of goalie masks through the ages, this book is sure to be a hit. It would make an awesome coffee table book, encouraging discussion as guests flip through the photographic evidence of the evolution of the goalie mask, conjuring up old memories of years gone by.

Hockey performance: intimidated or inspired?

Coach Kim — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:58:37 -0800

This past weekend I was at a business conference where I was surrounded by people who are “light years” ahead of me in terms of their success.

It reminded me of my first game at college. I was so nervous to begin with that I could barely tie-up my skates. Then I go out for my first shift and I see Cammi Granato, who had just come back from leading the US team to the gold medal in Nagano Olympics, lined up across from me. There I was - a virtual nobody - standing across from one of the most successful female hockey players of all time.

When you are surrounded by greatness, either on or off the ice, you have to make a choice:

--> You can be intimidated OR you can be inspired.

It's all in the rink

Miss 604 — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:36:30 -0800

It's around this time of year that the rollerblades get put away and the bare floors of local arena get covered in what will become this season's best playground: the ice rink.

In my hometown of Vancouver, Britannia, Kerrisdale, Kitsilano, Riley Park, Sunset and the West End Community Centre are in full swing with their lessons, public skates, and drop in hockey games. Many are home to leagues, and some can even be rented out for school outings and private events. But what is it that gives a particular rink its appeal?

Ice

Got your nose!

Joe Pelletier — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 10:06:11 -0800

Player loses nose, finds it in Zamboni.

In the 7th round of the 1986 NHL Entry Draft, the Edmonton Oilers selected a Slovakian by the name of Ivan Matulik. He dreamed of playing in the National Hockey League, but despite spending parts of six seasons with the Oilers farm teams, he never did make it to the big leagues.

Unfortunately for Matulik, the only thing noteworthy he did in North America was lose his nose.

You see, while playing for the Halifax Citadels in the 1991-92 season, Matulik had the tip of his nose sliced off by a skate. Players searched for the nose, but they could not find it. Matulik went to the hospital, probably suffering from the shock as much as the pain.

How to be a hockey success story

Coach Kim — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:40:57 -0800

Thousands of hockey players say that they want to get a scholarship and play in the Olympics. But there is only so much room at the top of the hockey world. So how are you going to separate yourself from the rest of the pack and be a true hockey success story?

The first step to becoming a hockey success story is to set your hockey goals. Start by writing your personal mission statement for this season. Figure out exactly what it is that you want to achieve over the next few days, weeks and months. The key is to be as detailed and specific as possible - just saying, “I want to play my best”, isn’t going to cut it. You’ve got to know EXACTLY what you want if you are going to take your game to a whole new level.

But the “goal setting” is the easy part.

Hockey 101: Coach's corner

Miss 604 — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 12:34:51 -0800

Last week Alberta Minor Hockey declared that it is now mandatory for all coaches to wear helmets as well when they're on the ice during practices [CBC News]. They were actually the last province in Canada to bring in this rule and it's just another indication of how important safety is for all, at all levels of play.

The job of being a coach changes so much each year and in this age of internet tools, coaches and players can learn skills and grow their teams using a new set of equipment: online games and websites.

Stand up goalies

Joe Pelletier — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:20:07 -0800

Believe it or not in the early days of hockey it was against the rules for goalies to fall to the ice to stop the puck! They were to remain standing at all times, and were subject to a minor penalty at the referee's discretion if they did fall to the ice. There are even some reports of goalies who were fined a whole $2 for the foul.

The National Hockey League changed the rule in 1917-18 season, thanks in large part to an Ottawa goalie named Clint Benedict. Benedict made an art out of the accidental fall on the puck. He spent so much time on his knees on the ice that he quickly earned the nickname Praying Bennie!

Hockey 101: Equipment essentials

Miss 604 — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 15:33:41 -0800

In 1959, after being struck in the face with a puck, Jacques Plante became the first goalie to ever wear a hockey mask. Now, helmets and masks are a regular and required part of any hockey game. Depending on league rules, there are four types of helmets that can be worn. Plain helmets, or ones with a visor, a cage, or a combination (half-visor). Surrey Minor Hockey rules simply state: "Helmets must be worn at all times while on the bench or on the ice surface," and that "No player is to remove his/her helmet while on the bench or ice surface."

Hockey 101: Rule Basics

Miss 604 — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:27:02 -0700

Looking back at where hockey got its start in last week's post, it's funny to see some of the old rules: all players played the entire game, there was no forward passing, the goalie had to stand the entire game, and whenever a goal was scored teams changed ends.

Hockey 101: History Notes

Miss 604 — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 10:41:55 -0700

A while back I watched Hockey: A People's History and over the course of many chapters (and weeks) I fell in love with our nation's winter sport all over again. Its origins are rooted in some places you may not expect, and others are pretty obvious. Here are some unique tidbits that you can share with your friends:

The chance to play

Miss 604 — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 12:35:43 -0700

Last week while attending a networking event in downtown Vancouver I began chatting with a few people about non-profit organizations and charities that they support. One man said that the chance to play hockey basically changed his life and has made him forever grateful. He said he would have only had that experience if not for Kidsport™.

"KidSport™ provides support to children in order to remove financial barriers that prevent them from playing organized sport."

Centennial arena history

Miss 604 — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:34:23 -0700

You can probably head to any region in Canada and one of the cities will be home to a Centennial Arena. These rinks aren't all named the same by coincidence, they are actually monuments to the dedication Canadian communities have to hockey.

When Canada celebrated its Centennial in 1967 (100 years of being a country) regions and organizations across the country were encouraged to hold events or to build a legacy, like a park, library or pool, in celebration of this milestone. The celebrations were to last the entire year and the legacies were a part of the "Centennial Project", funded by grants from various levels of government.

Season Opener Contest | weekly winners - fourth announcement

The HockeyStars Team — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:16:57 -0700

Congrats to Matt Goerski, Mike LaPalme, Craig Crawford and Kris Thistle who will each receive an iPod Shuffle™!

Sign up to HockeyStars today for your chance to win an iPod Shuffle™ or register a team for a chance to win a Team Pack! Get all the contest details at HockeyStars.com. Contest ends October 24, 2008.

Team fundraising tips

Miss 604 — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:55:23 -0700

A while back I won a lovely gift basket during a raffle at a Surrey Minor Hockey game that pretty much made my night - aside from watching the home team win. Raffles are a good way to pay for extra team costs as equipment, ice time, officials, travel, and facility fees soon add up. Donating funds to keep amateur sports going in your town is always an important task, so where do teams look when they're in need of a little extra support?

HockeyStars upgrade

The HockeyStars Team — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:11:53 -0700

In our first major site upgrade, we've updated the Team Scheduler making it easier to add an event or game to share with your team. Look for other important announcements this Fall as we continue to upgrade the website. Please let us know how we're doing, your feedback is important to us.

HockeyStars upgrade announcement

The HockeyStars Team — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 14:36:03 -0700

HockeyStars.com will undergo an upgrade on Monday, September 29, 2008 between 10:00 am and 12:00 noon PST. During the maintenance window the website will be unavailable. This important upgrade will bring valuable enhancements to the Team Page and Event Scheduler, making it easier to schedule a game, practice or other kind of event for your team.

Community hockey blogging

Miss 604 — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 10:46:35 -0700

According to Globe and Mail staffer and hockey blogger, James Mirtle, there are over 100 hockey blogs in North America right now that cover NHL teams. I started to wonder if there were hockey blogs out there that didn't only cover professionals, but were on a grassroots, community-based, and at the amateur/minor hockey level. After a few quick searches, I was in luck!

Season Opener Contest | weekly winners - third announcement

The HockeyStars Team — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:06:55 -0700

Congratulations to Pamela Shaw, Aston Bonin and Chanel Bonin - our third set of winners in the Season Opener contest.

Fair Play Codes

The HockeyStars Team — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 10:06:03 -0700

The following Fair Play codes for athletes, coaches, parents, officials, league organizers, spectators and media are taken from various resource manuals developed by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES).

Fair Play Code for Athletes

I will participate because I want to, not just because my parents or coaches want me to.
I will play by the rules, and in the spirit of the game.
I will control my temper – fighting and "mouthing off" can spoil the activity for everybody.
I will respect my opponents.
I will do my best to try to be a true team player.

read more

Where they got their start

Miss 604 — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 11:09:32 -0700

There was a neat commercial running last year that showcased young TimBits hockey players and how Sidney Crosby got his start. Many of the NHL greats started young and through thick and thin, their hometowns have rallied behind them and their careers. Looking at some of the top-ranked players in the league last year, I decided to briefly highlight where each of them got their start.