The Hockey News has been providing the most comprehensive coverage of the world of hockey since 1947. In each issue, you'll find news, features and opinions about the NHL and leagues across North America and the world.

Fully Loaded, Summer 2012

The Hockey News - Fully Loaded Summer 2012

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-021469/9654570-1-eng-US/f0007-022.jpg" title="f0007-02" width="941" height="1750"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ICE-GIRL: NASHVILLE PREDATORS)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HEY CALL IT</b> &lsquo;Hockey Tonk&rsquo; and thanks to the local team&rsquo;s success on the ice, Nashville&rsquo;s arena experience continued to get more amped this season. Since the rival Detroit Red Wings have the octopus for ceremonial post-season purposes, Preds fans had to strike back &ndash; with catfish, no less.</p><p>And lest you think Southern belles are all dainty. The members of the Nashville Ice Girls chalked up some big-time respect points by snatching up the aquatic sacrifices with their bare hands. Even before the catfish capers, Nashville has become known as one of the best places to watch an NHL game. The Predators bring in live bands for intermissions and if that&rsquo;s not enough, many live venues are located right across the street for post-game fun. No word on which places fry a mean catfish.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-03917/9654563-1-eng-US/f0007-032.jpg" title="f0007-03" width="599" height="287"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(CATFISH: &copy;ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/ALEKSANDARDICKOV)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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IN THIS ISSUE

NICE CATCH

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-02887/9655283-1-eng-US/f0031-022.jpg" title="f0031-02" width="246" height="247"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-011318/9655290-1-eng-US/f0031-012.jpg" title="f0031-01" width="188" height="188"></div><p class="dropcap"><i><span>W</span>hen the greatest sport on Earth takes a summer hiatus, players look to get away. Whether it&rsquo;s the beaches of the Philippines or the bright lights of Vegas, it&rsquo;s a break from the grind. but Everyone, not just hockey players, needs to escape the mundane from time to time. Put your feet up as we explore far off lands, from classic destinations to secret hideaways</i><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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off-Season travel ADVENTURES

<div class="byline">BY MATT LARKIN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0037-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-011196/9655737-1-eng-US/f0037-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>LAS VEGAS</b></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-100/9655744-1-eng-US/f0037-1002.jpg" title="f0037-100" width="188" height="188"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-02840/9655730-1-eng-US/f0037-022.jpg" title="f0037-02" width="487" height="671"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-03675/9655723-1-eng-US/f0037-032.jpg" title="f0037-03" width="1006" height="592"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-05523/9655716-1-eng-US/f0037-052.jpg" title="f0037-05" width="634" height="425"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ALL: ETHAN MILLER/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>V</span></b>egas, baby, Vegas! The NHL is keeping its end-of-season award show in the world&rsquo;s most famous adult playground. Hitting up Sin City when the NHL Awards arrive? Here are some cool things to do while you&rsquo;re there.</p><h2><b>Everybody into the pool</b></h2><p>The most underrated thing about Vegas: sunny skies 85 percent (310 days) of the year. That means plenty of time to relax by the water. The Flamingo&rsquo;s pool is famous for lagoon feel, complete with waterfall. If you like your time &ldquo;adult,&rdquo; visit Bare, the Mirage&rsquo;s nude pool. And the creme de la creme, the Mandalay Bay, has an artificial beach complete with waves.</p><h2><b>Take a gamble</b></h2><p>Looking for a non-intimidating poker room? Try The Orleans, the 2012 Best of Las Vegas Readers&rsquo; Pick. If you like hanging with the big boys, the Bellagio&rsquo;s room is top dog. For the overall casino experience &ndash; especially the massive sports book &ndash; Caesars Palace still sets the standard. There&rsquo;s a reason it was featured in <i>Rain Man</i> and again in <i>The Hangover</i> 20-plus years later.</p><h2><b>Thanks for the grub</b></h2><p>If you want classy &rsquo;n&rsquo; pricey, Restaurant Guy Savoy holds the title as the Strip&rsquo;s best (three Michelin stars, the equivalent of three Hart Trophies). For good food on a budget, Le Village Buffet jazzes up the classic Vegas spread with seafood and a French theme. Italian lovers should try Battista&rsquo;s Hole in the Wall for great food, cozy atmosphere and <i>unlimited free</i> house wine.</p><h2><b>Playtime</b></h2><p>The Mirage has a miniature zoo, with lions just a two-minute walk from dolphins. If soiling yourself is your cup of tea, head atop the Space Needle-like Stratosphere and try one of several white-knuckle rides, including the X-Scream, which dangles you off the edge in a roller-coaster car. Arnie Palmer&rsquo;s Angel Park Golf Club was voted Vegas&rsquo; best golf course 14 times in the past 15 years. For the unique Vegas show experience, puppet impersonator Terry Fator is something special.</p><h2><b>In da club</b></h2><p>Step inside any lavish nightclub in Vegas and you&rsquo;ll understand why the city is so much more than a gambler&rsquo;s paradise. The hottest spot is Marquee at the Cosmopolitan, which has multiple floors with different music themes and a rooftop pool complete with mermaids. <i>Yes, friggin&rsquo; mermaids.</i> Other popular places, especially for celebrity watchers, include Tao at the Venetian, Pure at Caesars and Ghostbar at the Palms. Introducing the doorman to your good pal Ben Franklin is a good idea unless you want to spend the night in line.</p><h2><b>For the sightseers</b></h2><p>The Hoover Dam is less than an hour away by car, but you can only stare so dam long. Why not combine thrills and education with a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon? Don&rsquo;t spend less than $100, though, as you may get what you pay for safety-wise. For a history lesson, head to Fremont Street. It&rsquo;s a taste of Old Vegas, littered with nostalgic neon signs.</p><h2><b>Shop &rsquo;til you drop</b></h2><p>Caesars&rsquo; Forum Shops and their many imitators are great places to shop, but the Fashion Show Mall has the biggest, best array of cool stores and it literally has fashion shows. Only in Vegas can you pause your shopping to ogle models.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-101/9655709-1-eng-US/f0037-1012.jpg" title="f0037-101" width="311" height="96"></div><p>The 2012 NHL Awards show arrives June 20 at Wynn&rsquo;s Encore Theater, featuring a performance by Nickelback. We&rsquo;re guaranteed to see first-time Hart Trophy (Evgeni Malkin, Henrik Lundqvist, Steven Stamkos) and Vezina Trophy (Lundqvist, Jonathan Quick, Pekka Rinne) winners.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Sinning In The City

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-02791/9655872-1-eng-US/f0039-022.jpg" title="f0039-02" width="544" height="281"></div><h2><b>DATE</b></h2><p>Feb. 7&ndash;27, 2014.</p><h2><b>LOCATION</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><span>S</span>ochi is the largest resort city in the Russian Federation and is located on the North shore of the Black Sea near the border of Georgia/Abkhazia &ndash; 1,600 km (1,000 mi) south of the capital city of Moscow.</p><h2><b>POPULATION</b></h2><p>420,526 in the Greater Sochi Area.</p><h2><b>CLIMATE</b></h2><p>Due to its drastic elevation changes, the temperature varies throughout the city. Daily averages in January range between five and 10 degrees Celsius (40-50 Fahrenheit).</p><h2><b>VENUES</b></h2><p>The Coastal Cluster is in the lowest point of the city (540 m above sea level).</p><p>The Mountain Cluster is in the Caucasus Mountain Range (5,642 m above sea level).</p><h2><b>FUN FACTS</b></h2><p>Greater Sochi stretches for 145 km and is considered one of the longest cities in Europe. It is also one of the host cities for the 2018 World Cup of soccer.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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SOCHI 2014

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-012209/9654470-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="668" height="830"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>G</span></b>ranted, every NHLer would rather still be on the ice come June &ndash; hoisting the Stanley Cup and then planning where to parade it around when his day with the cherished chalice comes. But after that, vacations are a lifeline for all of us &ndash; even pro athletes.</p><p>A lot of players from the world&rsquo;s best league chose to extend their seasons a little longer by heading over to Helsinki, Finland and Stockholm, Sweden for the 2012 World Championship, but for the rest of those who fell short of winning the NHL&rsquo;s highest prize, there was plenty of rest and relaxation to be had. Does your vacation stack up to the pros? We tracked down a bunch of NHLers as part of our massive travel section to find out what they get up to, then added some destinations of our own (see pg. 32). Some have hockey tie-ins; others are just cool.</p><p>Summer is about recharging. For the players who grinded and bled for an entire 82-game season plus playoffs, having that time away from the ice can be just as necessary as ice packs and knee braces are during the campaign. Logan Couture of the San Jose Sharks is the future and a good chunk of the present in the Bay Area and coming off his sophomore season, but he&rsquo;ll have a lot to reflect upon after the Sharks got bitten in the first round by St. Louis. Adam Proteau catches up with the 2011 Calder Trophy runner-up on pg. 48. Meanwhile, L A.&rsquo;s Drew Doughty got to find out what a shortened summer feels like, as his underdog Kings started a mini-revolution in Hollywood. Pacific Division rival Phoenix also made big post-season strides thanks to Mike Smith (pg. 6), but who is this msyterious goaltender?</p><p>No doubt these competitors will come back ready to battle and scrape for their chance at the Cup again next season. Couture hasn&rsquo;t seen a final just yet, but it&rsquo;s safe to say his summer workouts will be aimed toward making it happen.</p><p><b>The Fuel:</b> General Tao&rsquo;s chicken burrito at Chinos Locos in Toronto; chocolate-covered pretzel milkshake at Cheeburger Cheeburger in Buffalo; &ldquo;Black Earth That Made Me&rdquo; by White Ring.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Motivation? Get Outta Town

<div class="byline">BY SARAH MCLELLAN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0006-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-012436/9654532-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(CHRISTIAN PETERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span></b>ith a mop of curls spilling out of his helmet and a limber 6-foot-4 frame, it&rsquo;d be easy to confuse the Coyotes&rsquo; Mike Smith for someone other than the team&rsquo;s goalie.</p><p>Over the years, the position between the pipes has become associated with structure. Repetition and odd behavior have evolved out of an attempt to keep that pattern in place.</p><p>But like his physical appearance, Smith has never taken a clean-cut approach to his craft. Instead, among his goalie peers, Smith stands out because of his normalness. &ldquo;Some other guys give the goalies a bad name, but I&rsquo;m not weird at all or quirky or have any superstitions,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just pretty laid back and go in there with a routine, but if I miss something in my routine, I don&rsquo;t get too flustered by it.&rdquo;</p><p>As just another one of the boys in the Coyotes&rsquo; dressing room, Smith isn&rsquo;t a typical NHL goaltender. But his journey through hasn&rsquo;t been ordinary, either.</p><p>Drafted in the fifth round (161st overall) by the Dallas Stars, Smith spent four seasons in the American League before making his NHL debut in 2006-07.</p><p>He played backup to Marty Turco, who was locked up in a long-term contract, so the opportunity to become a No. 1 disappeared.</p><p>At the 2008 trade deadline, Smith was sent to the Tampa Bay Lightning, but a change of scenery didn&rsquo;t alter the landscape of his career. He remained a backup for the next three seasons, jostling for playing time behind a revolving door of starters. In February 2011, Smith was put on waivers and sent back to the AHL for five games.</p><p>After that season, he became an unrestricted free agent and the Coyotes, led by coach Dave Tippett (who also coached Smith in Dallas), nabbed him with a two-year deal.</p><p>Since being handed his first bona fide opportunity to be a No.1 goalie in the NHL, Smith has turned in the best hockey of his career, leading the Coyotes to a berth in the Western Conference final for the first time ever.</p><p>Arizona gives Smith the chance to golf in his spare time, which he loves to do, and it&rsquo;s become the home he has been looking for. &ldquo;Our fans are obviously underrated, and it&rsquo;s been kind of unbelievable to think we&rsquo;ve got to the point where we are, but not without the support we&rsquo;ve got from our fans,&rdquo; Smith said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a beautiful place to live. People are extremely friendly. It&rsquo;s been a nice transition from Florida to the desert for both me and my wife.&rdquo;</p><p>The calmness of the desert has been the perfect backdrop for Smith&rsquo;s off-ice persona. Aside from golf, he plays guitar. His current obsession is country music, but he has no preference for what plays on the team iPod before games. &ldquo;I go through stages where it&rsquo;s here and there,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Maybe I&rsquo;ll move on to something else, but usually country is on in the car.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-012162/9654525-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg" title="f0007-01" width="627" height="800"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(SMITH: JEFF VINNICK/NH LI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Although he&rsquo;s been known to fire off lines from <i>Dumb and Dumber</i> around his teammates, Smith isn&rsquo;t a movie buff. He&rsquo;s a Will Ferrell fan, but on team flights he&rsquo;s usually saddled up in front of a deck of cards.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s almost combative with how competitive he is, whether it&rsquo;s playing cards or playing soccer or playing golf,&rdquo; said Coyotes captain Shane Doan. &ldquo;Whatever you do with Smitty, you know you enjoy beating him.&rdquo;</p><p>Perhaps the only downside to living in Arizona is the heat. That has prevented Smith from displaying more of the outrageous suit styles he owns &ndash; like a red corduroy get-up that he reveals around the holidays. &ldquo;The plain black that most guys wear on our team is a little bit lame,&rdquo; Smith said. &ldquo;I know I get jabs from wearing the suits that I do, but it&rsquo;s my personality.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Mr. Smith Rises Up

<div class="byline">BY KEN CAMPBELL</div><p><b>LET&rsquo;S GET</b> with the program, shall we? After all, it&rsquo;s 2012, last time I checked.</p><p>Jogging was what people did in the late &rsquo;70s while wearing orange Uncle Ben&rsquo;s Minute Rice headbands, shorts suited for the Polish track team, painted-on tank tops and tube socks up to the knees.</p><p>What we do now, people, is called running. &ldquo;How was your jog?&rdquo; Gee, I don&rsquo;t know on account I was <i>running</i>. &ldquo;Hey, are you still jogging?&rdquo; As a matter of fact, no. I&rsquo;m also not playing Pong, watching One Day at a Time or smoking in the front seat of my car while not wearing a seatbelt.</p><p>Anyone who actually runs cringes at the word &ldquo;jogging.&rdquo; And I know why. Because it implies that you&rsquo;re not actually all-in with this new fitness craze that swept the nation, oh, 40 years ago. It makes us look as though we&rsquo;re interlopers who couldn&rsquo;t possibly muster the determination to keep this up for any sustained period of time.</p><p>How can you blame these people, though? After all, if I say the word &lsquo;Fartlek&rsquo; what&rsquo;s the first thing that comes to your mind? But, as I said, it&rsquo;s time to get up to speed. Yes, you had your laughs when Jim Fixx, who is credited with starting North America&rsquo;s fitness revolution with his book The Complete Book of Running, dropped dead of a heart attack in the middle of a run. Yeah, yeah. Elvis died on the toilet, but I don&rsquo;t see too many people avoiding the commode for fear of keeling over in the middle of a bowel movement.</p><p>So next time you see one of us loping along like a gazelle down your street, please say, &ldquo;Man, there goes a runner.&rdquo; I may look like I&rsquo;m jogging, but I&rsquo;m actually running. I really am.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-04583/9654601-1-eng-US/f0007-042.jpg" title="f0007-04" width="538" height="777"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>THE RANT</b> <span class="photo-credit">(RUNNER: ILLUSTRATION BY MEGAN LEONARD)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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You Run, Not Jog

<div class="byline">BY MATT LARKIN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0008-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-012326/9654639-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>PUMP IT UP</b></p><p>Derek MacKenzie of the Blue Jackets hosts online training tutorials for youngsters.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(MACKENZIE: FRANCOIS LACASSE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-021777/9654632-1-eng-US/f0008-022.jpg" title="f0008-02" width="618" height="420"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>G</span></b>iven how young elite NHLers like Steven Stamkos and Erik Karlsson are, pressure to deliver on potential in one&rsquo;s early 20s or late teens is higher than ever. But what if a new training innovation helped playes build their skills in an unprecedented way before their 10th birthdays?</p><p>National Fitness Training Inc., an alliance of top-notch trainers and pro athlees, teaches kids nine to 15 how to work out and prepare their bodies for numerous sports streams, including hockey, volleyball and baseball. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s stuff that when I was 13, 14, 15 would&rsquo;ve benefitted me on the ice as far as strength,&rdquo; said Columbus Blue Jackets center Derek MacKenzie, one of NFT&rsquo;s featured athletes. &ldquo;Especially for someone like me who&rsquo;s a smaller player, some of the skill stuff may have come easier, but the strength stuff was hard for me through my junior years.&rdquo;</p><p>The hockey workouts are organized by Bryan Ma shall, a trainer who works with countless NHLers, including John Tavares, John Carlson and Sam Gagner. &ldquo;The program is a graduated system,&rdquo; Marshall said. &ldquo;It takes the kids through proper movement patterns and exercises to develop appropriate flexibility, coordination, balance and strength they will need when they graduate to more advanced training.&rdquo;</p><p>What makes NFT special is its interactive nature, which Marshall compared to a video game. Every workout is taught via online video (<a href="http://nationalfitnesstraining.com">nationalfitnesstraining.com</a>) hosted by a pro. The hockey stream features MacKenzie, Derek Roy, Tessa Bonhomme, Jayna Hefford, Kurtis Foster, Zack Stortini and others. As kids complete workouts, they unlock new levels with new athletes.</p><p>The natural parental reaction may be concern over a child as young as nine lifting weights, but, as Marshall explains, the point of NFT is to ensure it&rsquo;s done safely and correctly. &ldquo;This is age-appropriate training,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s very important the parents understand that. Physical exercise and strength training are helpful for kids to encourage bone density and ensure they develop properly.</p><p>&ldquo;The biggest thing going wrong with kids at that age bracket is they&rsquo;re just not doing anything at all or doing it improperly. They have bad habits when it comes to their exercise and nutrition, so at the very least NFT provides a good resource for kids and parents that instills better fitness habits, health habits and nutrition habits.&rdquo;</p><p>Individuals or entire teams can upload their profiles to NFT&rsquo;s website and share their workout results on The Grid, a comparison tool that ranks athletes from all over the world among age brackets. The information is only available with athletes&rsquo; consent, but could represent the future of scouting. &ldquo;What this website can do is not only have a database for scouts and coaches and anyone who wants to know more about a player,&rdquo; MacKenzie said, &ldquo;but in a lot of ways it will keep kids accountable and help them.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Training For Tweens ’n’ Teens

<div class="byline">BY MATT LARKIN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0010-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-012298/9654719-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>YES, GODFATHER</b></p><p>Gilbert Perreault, left, shares a cigar with Michael Corleone, er, Jean Beliveau.</p></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span>S IT JUST US</b> or is all modern fashion just variation on previous styles? Look at some famous hockey personalities in their heydays. Jean Beliveau&rsquo;s hair would fly today as &lsquo;hipster.&rsquo; So would Bernie Parent&rsquo;s bowtie. And Don Murdoch&rsquo;s&hellip;OK, not every hockey fashion has made a comeback. Maybe someday.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-021680/9654712-1-eng-US/f0010-022.jpg" title="f0010-02" width="884" height="1072"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>MUG SHOT</b></p><p>Rick Martin&rsquo;s stained, upside-down plaque foreshadows the rest of his night.</p></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-031079/9654705-1-eng-US/f0010-032.jpg" title="f0010-03" width="954" height="655"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>JOCK-A-DOODLE DO</b></p><p>&lsquo;Mullet&rsquo; doesn&rsquo;t do Don Murdoch justice. Get this man onto a box of Corn Flakes, pronto.</p></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-04749/9654698-1-eng-US/f0010-042.jpg" title="f0010-04" width="1346" height="1017"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>MEET THE PARENT</b></p><p>Bernie Parent prays his fiancee returns from the bathroom; her dad preps the polygraph.</p></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-05544/9654691-1-eng-US/f0010-052.jpg" title="f0010-05" width="899" height="1214"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>GRAPES? THAT YOU?</b></p><p>Looks like Milt Schmidt, left, turned his drapes into a blazer before Don Cherry did.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(PHOTOS: THN ARCHIVES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-011924/9654684-1-eng-US/f0011-012.jpg" title="f0011-01" width="901" height="1157"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>LADY GIL-GA</b></p><p>Only the world&rsquo;s weirdest pop star &ndash; and Sean Avery &ndash; could rock Perreault&rsquo;s look today.</p></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-021397/9654677-1-eng-US/f0011-022.jpg" title="f0011-02" width="1269" height="1774"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>SOLO ACT</b></p><p>Dateless on prom night, Jim Schoenfeld works on a sick jam about Don Koharski.</p></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-03938/9654670-1-eng-US/f0011-032.jpg" title="f0011-03" width="1340" height="1087"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>SEX PANTHER</b></p><p>&lsquo;Chico&rsquo; Resch channels <i>Anchorman&rsquo;s</i> Brian Fantana &ndash; and looks embarrassed about it.</p></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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Go Retro

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0012-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-012243/9654757-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-021762/9654750-1-eng-US/f0012-022.jpg" title="f0012-02" width="860" height="860"></div><p><b>TAKE</b>&nbsp;<b>NO PRISONERS</b>in the playoffs; that&rsquo;s a given. But taking away a ping-pong table? Dang, that&rsquo;s just cold.</p><p>During Detroit&rsquo;s first round series against Nashville, Red Wings power forward Todd Bertuzzi happened upon a group of Predators players partaking in some table tennis in the bowels of Joe Louis Arena. This would not stand in Bert&rsquo;s mind, so he called security and told them it was the Wings&rsquo; table, not to be used by the Preds. It was dutifully taken away and the brinksmanship continued in a series that was marked by bad blood with the younger Predators eventually knocking off their Central Division big brothers. But what of the ping-pong controversy?</p><p>Turns out, a local Nashville company decided to have a little fun with the row and produced a Predators-specific table, complete with paddles and the life-affirming slogan &ldquo;Ping-Pong For All!&rdquo;</p><p>Brand Imaging Group of Antioch, Tenn., was the company responsible for the execution of the custom table and gifted it to the Predators, who set it up inside Bridgestone Arena for Game 5 of the series.</p><p>As it turned out, that was all the hockey Nashville needed to dispose Detroit &ndash; the Preds took the series that night.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0012-01

Table Talk

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-031134/9654788-1-eng-US/f0012-032.jpg" title="f0012-03" width="425" height="981"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BERTUZZI: ABELIMAGES/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>P</span>ROMOTED</b> by Canadian women&rsquo;s hockey star Meghan Agosta, the Rocket Sport Dryer boasts a unique way to air out equipment from a variety of sports &ndash; but naturally there&rsquo;s only one we&rsquo;re interested in.</p><p>The tripod setup hangs gear off the top of a rack, which is then covered by a polyurethane bag. Heat is then pumped through and circulated by a fan, keeping the temperature inside at a steady 22 degrees Celsius (70 F).</p><p>The result is dry equipment and the banishing of the notorious hockey smell &ndash; until the next game, of course.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0012-03

Rocket Power

<div class="byline">BY JOSEPH PHUNG</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0014-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-012217/9654840-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>TOUCH ME</b></p><p>Vita&rsquo;s sleek new touch screen bests that of most smartphones.</p></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>F</span></b>or those looking for a fun way to eat up time when travelling on those long summer trips, Sony&rsquo;s latest portable gaming system, the PlayStation Vita, is what you need.</p><p>The first thing you&rsquo;ll notice with the Vita is how sleek it looks and that&rsquo;s thanks in large part to the stunning five-inch OLED widescreen. Everything displayed on it looks sharp and the colors definitely stand out as well. Like with most portable devices nowadays, the screen is touch-enabled and most games released for it support this function. Sony deserves some praise for its touch screen, though, as it&rsquo;s very responsive and superior to what you&rsquo;d find on most high-end smartphones.</p><p>The Vita also features a touchpad on the back, which opens some new control possibilities, but feels a bit gimmicky. Thankfully, the device isn&rsquo;t entirely touch-based. The familiar PlayStation button controls are still available and the addition of the second analog control stick is what gamers have wanted in a portable system for some time now.</p><p>The user interface on the Vita is visually appealing and easy to use since you simply touch the circle icons to launch any games or apps. Games sold at retail are stored on cards similar to SD memory cards used in cameras, which are easier to carry than the mini discs used in the PlayStation Portable. Games can also be bought and downloaded through the PlayStation Store and if you go this route, you&rsquo;ll need to purchase a large-size memory card to store them.</p><p>Like it or not, it&rsquo;s pretty much mandatory that Vita users purchase a memory card for the system to save files, patches and downloadable games. What&rsquo;s annoying is Sony has exclusive ownership over memory cards, which makes them quite expensive to purchase. A 16 GB card sets you back $60.</p><p>Owning a Vita isn&rsquo;t cheap, especially when you start purchasing accessories for it, such as a carrying case and a dock. While these accessories don&rsquo;t cost that much individually, they add up in the end. It&rsquo;s quite easy to end up spending north of $500 if you want the full Vita experience.</p><p>On a full charge, the battery life on the Vita is three to five hours with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on. It might be worthwhile to purchase the car adaptor if you plan on playing it frequently during road trips as the battery cannot be swapped out with another one.</p><p>Overall, Sony has made an impressive portable gaming system with the Play-Station Vita. Everything about it gives the feeling you&rsquo;re playing a high-quality device and not some toy. While the Vita has some minor faults, it&rsquo;s the one to get if you want a top-of-the-line gaming experience on the go. <b>Rated: 9/10</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-021667/9654833-1-eng-US/f0014-022.jpg" title="f0014-02" width="633" height="364"></div><h2><b>Uncharted: Golden Abyss</b></h2><p>Sony&rsquo;s popular action-adventure series makes its portable debut with much success. <i>Uncharted: Golden Abyss</i> features an engaging storyline that takes place before the events of the first game and there are plenty of action sequences as well that make good use of the system&rsquo;s excellent touch screen. What are most impressive about this game, however, are the graphics since they showcase what the Vita is capable of producing. <b>Rated: 8.5/10</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-031131/9654826-1-eng-US/f0014-032.jpg" title="f0014-03" width="632" height="364"></div><h2><b>Lumines: Electronic Symphony</b></h2><p>For those unfamiliar with <i>Lumines,</i> it&rsquo;s a puzzle game that involves rotating and aligning falling blocks into a square of the same colors. It sounds simple enough, but it gets challenging as you progress through each level. With the latest installment, it&rsquo;s pretty much the same as it was before, but there are some new interactive backgrounds and a groovy electronic soundtrack featuring tracks from acts such as The Chemical Brothers. <b>Rated: 8/10</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-04775/9654819-1-eng-US/f0014-042.jpg" title="f0014-04" width="636" height="359"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(2011 SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT INC.)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3</b></h2><p>This 3-on-3 fighting game is a blast to play. The action is fast-paced and there are plenty of over-the-top moves for each of the characters in the large available cast, such as Ryu from <i>Street Fighter</i> and Iron Man from <i>The Avengers</i> &ndash; obviously a popular</p><p>choice right now. The Vita edition is basically a perfect port of the console version released last year. It&rsquo;s visually impressive, but there&rsquo;s no reason to buy it again if you already own a copy. <b>Rated: 8/10</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0014-01

Portable Gaming Gets A Facelift

<div class="byline">BY KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0016-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-011987/9654885-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-021521/9654878-1-eng-US/f0016-022.jpg" title="f0016-02" width="641" height="1009"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>STICK TO THE SPORT</b></p><p>Sport Testing specializes in hockey-specific evaluations.</p></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-031108/9654871-1-eng-US/f0016-032.jpg" title="f0016-03" width="646" height="637"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ALL: KIRSTEN GERRIE)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>L</span></b>egend has it Mario Lemieux would always finish at the bottom of the list in bench press when the Pittsburgh Penguins did their training camp fitness tests. Guy Lafleur used to smoke cigarettes between periods. Brett Hull was fat and lazy as a teenager.</p><p>Yes, hockey is good lately at producing these guys who look as though they were Photoshopped, but how many goals did Adonis ever score? Huh?</p><p>That&rsquo;s the philosophy behind Sport Testing Inc., a company that performs sport-specific testing, with a heavy emphasis on hockey. Most elite young players now can do chin-ups until their hands bleed, but Sport Testing is more concerned with their reaction time when carrying the puck at full speed in the neutral zone, how quick they skate backwards with a puck or, for goalies, their long recovery time from one side of the net to the other. &ldquo;So you ask Wayne Gretzky to do bench press or throw a med ball. Who cares?&rdquo; said Sport Testing co-founder Jonathon Hollins. &ldquo;But when you bring what it is that they actually do into play, a hockey player plays hockey. Test him on his speed. Test him on his start-stop with and without the puck. Make it sport-specific.&rdquo;</p><p>The burgeoning company has found business brisk. It has done all the testing for the Ontario League combine the past two years and recently signed a deal with the Canadian League. It&rsquo;s worked with the Montreal Canadiens, among others in the NHL, and has a lengthy list of elite minor hockey teams. The McGill Redmen, who recently won the Canadian Interuniversity Sport championship, have been a long-time client.</p><p>One-time testing costs somewhere between $100 and $125 per player, plus the cost of ice time. So that means all-in for about $2,500, a coach can see the level at which each of his players performs and can compare it to other players on his team or in his age group. If a team does the test at the beginning and the end of each season, it can see whether or not a player&rsquo;s skill level has improved over the course of the year. It can also be valuable to assess what a player can and can&rsquo;t do on the ice when he returns from an injury.</p><p>Hollins claims the top players excel at the hockey-specific tests, saying the years he has worked with the OHL, the top 10 draft picks have consistently scored the best at the combine. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not like, &lsquo;Oh, little Bobby won all the testing today? Oh my goodness, he&rsquo;s terrible,&rsquo; &rdquo; he said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s just not happening.&rdquo;</p><p>Using electronic timing gate technology, the company measures any number of hockey skills from reaction time to how fast a player can cross over to how quickly he can bring the puck out of the corner to how hard he can shoot. For those who want to cheat, the way many NHL skills competition participants have by reaching over the finish line with their sticks, Sport Testing&rsquo;s equipment uses algorithms to catch the core part of the frequency, which is the body.</p><p>Sure beats a guy in a tracksuit with half-moon glasses using a stopwatch. &ldquo;When you figure the cost is about what the parent would spend on shin-pad tape and skate sharpening for the year, it&rsquo;s about the same thing,&rdquo; Hollins said. &ldquo;But here you can actually find out, &lsquo;Is my kid any good? What does he need to work on?&rsquo; I bought my kid $600 worth of sticks and he scored three goals.&rsquo; I&rsquo;d rather have my kid assessed so I could find out how he can get better.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0016-01

How Good Are You Really?

<div class="byline">BY ANDREW MENDLER</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-011865/9654916-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg" title="f0018-01" width="873" height="1590"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>BIG MAN&rsquo;S BEER</b></p><p>&lsquo;Big Rig&rsquo; comes from the nickname Chris Phillips received in junior.</p><span class="photo-credit">(BEER: SXC.HU/FLITCROFT, CROSBY: GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>O</span></b>ttawa Senators defenseman Chris Phillips has been known to leave players woozy after big hits on the ice. Now he&rsquo;s about to start doing so off the ice, too.</p><p>Phillips, with the help of three partners, will be opening Big Rig Kitchen and Brewery in downtown Nepean, Ont. The pub is expected to open in early June.</p><p>Along with selling their beer in the restaurant they plan on distributing it as well. &ldquo;We will be bottling one beer to start,&rdquo; Phillips said, &ldquo;selling our bottles on site and would like to get our way into an LCBO or Beer Store, as well as sell our draft keg beers to other bars and restaurants.&rdquo;</p><p>Not only will he be brewing his own beer, he also has designs on helping make some of the ingredients. &ldquo;We have some land nearby in Manotick and we are planning on growing some hops,&rdquo; Phillips said. &ldquo;Hopefully they turn out and we are able to use it in one of our brews.&rdquo;</p><p>Judging by their reaction on social media, the rest of his Senators teammates are eager for the pub to open. &ldquo;They are pretty excited,&rdquo; Phillips said. &ldquo;Not only do they have a new place to go, but they are looking forward to trying different beers and are excited as I am for it to get up and running.&rdquo;</p><p>Phillips&rsquo; partners Pierre Cleroux, Jimmy Zourntos and Angelis Koutsos, along with brewmaster Lon Ladell, all have decades worth of experience in the brewery and restaurant business and will be running most of the operation, though that doesn&rsquo;t mean Phillips won&rsquo;t be helping out. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll be stopping in and having a meal when I can and bringing the family by,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I want to be involved in what&rsquo;s going on and not just be a bystander.&rdquo;</p><p>The hard-nosed, 6-foot-3, 221-pound Phillips earned the moniker &lsquo;Big Rig&rsquo; while playing Jr. A for the Fort McMurray Oil Barons, located in the oil-rich north of Alberta. Cleroux feels the name fits well with the restaurant and hopes Phillips&rsquo; star status in the area helps them with the branding and marketing. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a little No. 4 in the logo &ndash; it&rsquo;s very subtle,&rdquo; Cleroux said. &ldquo;We play that it&rsquo;s Phillips&rsquo; number and that there are four partners. We are using his name without putting it in your face.&rdquo;</p><p>The group is currently negotiating two other locations and hopes to be running three restaurants within the next three years. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been here a while &ndash; it&rsquo;s home now,&rdquo; Phillips said. &ldquo;No matter what happens in hockey, when it&rsquo;s said and done I won&rsquo;t be far from here. That&rsquo;s for sure.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0018-01

NHL Draft

<div class="byline">&#x2013; AM</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-021392/9654947-1-eng-US/f0018-022.jpg" title="f0018-02" width="230" height="306"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span>F SIDNEY CROSBY</b> didn&rsquo;t have enough reasons to dislike Flyers fans, he does now. Nodding Head brewery in Philadelphia has made a beer called Crosby Tears, which thoroughly enjoys marketing: &ldquo;Strong Ale (8.7% ABV)&hellip;Whine-like in &ldquo;honor&rdquo; of its namesake&hellip;orangehued like the team that sent him home for the summer&hellip; the perfect complement to a playoff run.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0018-02

Crosby Tears

<div class="byline">BY RONNIE SHUKER</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span></b>hile his Ottawa teammate Chris Phillips likes a good ol&rsquo; fashioned brewsky (see pg. 18), Zenon Konopka prefers his booze bourgeois-style. So much so, in fact, the Senators center has ventured into winemaking with his own bottles of vino, ZK28.</p><p>The line of wines, both red and white, was launched in partnership with Palatine Hills Estate Winery and hit liquor stores and wine shops just before spring.</p><p>His red is a mix of merlot, cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon. The white mixes sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, gewurztraminer and riesling. They are barrel-aged and are said to go best with old-school hockey player staples like pasta, steak and burgers.</p><p>The finesse of winemaking in the battered hands of a well-known brawler seems like an odd pairing, but Konopka and bubbly actually go quite well together. The NHL&rsquo;s penalty-minutes leader in 2009-10 and 2010-11 was raised on a family farm that grew wine grapes in Niagara-on-the-Lake, the heart of Southern Ontario&rsquo;s wine country.</p><p>Getting into winemaking was an inevitable progression for the entrepreneurial enforcer who owns Pure Press, a supplement company he started in 2005, which makes therapeutic grape seed oil. In 2010, while with the New York Islanders, Konopka started selling a red wine aerator through Vine-Aire, a company he holds a minority stake in.</p><p>Konopka is using his wines to help promote concussion prevention through <a href="http://stopconcussions.com">stopconcussions.com</a>, co-founded by former NHLer Keith Primeau, with $1 of every bottle being donated.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-011641/9654978-1-eng-US/f0019-012.jpg" title="f0019-01" width="641" height="1167"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ZK 28 WINES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0019-01

Z’s Vino

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-011617/9655058-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg" title="f0020-01" width="640" height="650"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JOHN CANDY: COURTESY OF PARAMOUNT PICTURES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>L</span>ET&rsquo;S FACE IT.</b> Guys need all the help they can get when it comes to summer style. We&rsquo;ve enlisted the advice of Vanessa Craft, beauty director at <i>Elle Canada</i> magazine, to help you avoid these fashion faux pas.</p><p><b>Sandals: When are they appropriate? Just the beach? Just about anywhere? And no socks ever, right?</b></p><p><i>Vanessa: Guys and feet are a tricky call. Most women I know avoid looking directly at them. On the beach and on vacation, flipflops are a definite yes. Personally, I feel like dudes have to suffer through the hot season in their sneaks, but I know that&rsquo;s selfish. If you&rsquo;re going to do sandals in the city, aim for a middle ground between those horrific multistrapped hiking clompers and the delicate leather thongs I see out there. No extremes. Try a cross strap &ndash; but NOT in faux leather. And unless you&rsquo;re David Beckham, socks with sandals is a never. Actually, that&rsquo;s even a no for &lsquo;Becks.&rsquo; That&rsquo;s the level of no-ness.</i></p><p>What&rsquo;s an appropriate length for men&rsquo;s shorts &ndash; somewhere between Bill Clinton jogging and a surfer?</p><p><i>Vanessa: Shorter than a pair of basketball shorts and longer than anything a European man would be comfortable with. A few inches above the knee. Please: no denim cut-offs.</i></p><p>Can you wear a hockey jersey to the beach/lake? John Candy did it in <i>Summer Rental,</i> after all&hellip;</p><p><i>Vanessa: Of course! It&rsquo;s our Canadian legacy. Just don&rsquo;t pair it with matching baseball cap and socks.</i></p><p>Sunglasses at night: yay or nay?</p><p><i>Vanessa: If you have to ask&hellip;</i></p><h2><b>TEE OFF</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-021162/9655051-1-eng-US/f0020-022.jpg" title="f0020-02" width="382" height="349"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-03825/9655044-1-eng-US/f0020-032.jpg" title="f0020-03" width="427" height="418"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-04566/9655037-1-eng-US/f0020-042.jpg" title="f0020-04" width="335" height="309"></div><h3><b>WHEELS HOCKEY</b></h3><p>Like a little &rsquo;tude on your tees?</p><p>Wheels hockey captures the game&rsquo;s culture with expressions that ring true. $25 at <a href="http://wheelshockey.com">wheelshockey.com</a>.</p><h3><b>JRNYMN</b></h3><p>Sean Pronger&rsquo;s line characterizes the journeyman ideal with shirts like &ldquo;The Icon&rdquo; ($24.99) and &ldquo;Black Ace&rdquo; ($29.99). At <a href="http://jrnymnwear.com">jrnymnwear.com</a>.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-05354/9655030-1-eng-US/f0020-052.jpg" title="f0020-05" width="342" height="361"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-06289/9655023-1-eng-US/f0020-062.jpg" title="f0020-06" width="319" height="338"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-07240/9655016-1-eng-US/f0020-072.jpg" title="f0020-07" width="472" height="1910"></div><h2><b>ORR TIES IT UP</b></h2><p><b>DADS CAN NEVER HAVE</b> enough ties, right? At least that&rsquo;s what their kids think. The Father&rsquo;s Day favorite is bound to fly off the shelves again leading up to dad&rsquo;s day on June 17, especially this Flying Bruin tie designed by No. 4, Bobby Orr, in partnership with the V Foundation. All proceeds go to cancer research.</p><h2><b>COSMO HOCKEY</b></h2><p><i>Cosmopolitan</i> magazine isn&rsquo;t known for its sports coverage, but that didn&rsquo;t stop the fashion tome from weighing in on the season that was. Here is a sample of the magazine&rsquo;s top 30 &ldquo;Hot Hockey Players&rdquo; for 2012. You may detect a theme pretty quickly.</p><p><b>Andrew Ladd</b>&nbsp;<i>&ndash; &ldquo;This hot captain is known for his stickhandling skills.&rdquo;</i></p><p><b>Nicklas Lidstrom</b>&nbsp;<i>&ndash; &ldquo;Hottie Nicklas has won four Stanley Cups.&rdquo;</i></p><p><b>Martin St-Louis</b>&nbsp;<i>&ndash; &ldquo;This right winger always brings the sexy to the ice.&rdquo;</i></p><p><b>Max Pacioretty</b>&nbsp;<i>&ndash; &ldquo;We&rsquo;d love to go head-to-head with this sexy winger.&rdquo;</i></p><p><b>Erik Karlsson</b>&nbsp;<i>&ndash; &ldquo;This hottie had the most points of any NHL defenseman this season. He can score with us any time.&rdquo;</i></p><p><b>Jason Pominville</b> &ndash; <i>&ldquo;We&rsquo;d let this sexy captain run our team any day.&rdquo;</i></p><p><b>John Tavares</b> &ndash; <i>&ldquo;This center has been called a natural leader on the ice. We like a man who knows how to call the shots.&rdquo;</i></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-08175/9655009-1-eng-US/f0020-082.jpg" title="f0020-08" width="351" height="447"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>JOHN</b> TAVARES <span class="photo-credit">(TAVARES: JOEL AUERBACH/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0020-01

STYLE FILE

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0022-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-011503/9655103-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>&lsquo; STAFF&rsquo; LIKES THRASH</b></p><p>Buffalo&rsquo;s Drew Stafford rates Mastodon&rsquo;s new album a nine out of 10.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(STAFFORD: BILL WIPPERT/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>ONE</b>&nbsp;<b>OF THE TOP</b>heavy metal acts around these days, Mastodon also boasts some serious hockey fans on its roster.</p><p>Unfortunately, the Atlanta-based outfit cheered for the Thrashers, but the release of this year&rsquo;s stellar album, The Hunter, has them back on at least one NHLer&rsquo;s radar &ndash; Buffalo Sabres right winger Drew Stafford&rsquo;s. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a great CD &ndash; they always come out with good stuff,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s refreshing. The way the music scene is going today, the more popular stuff&hellip; especially in the dressing room it&rsquo;s more radiofriendly pop, so this is refreshing for me.&rdquo;</p><p>Stafford has known Mastodon for years now and even dropped by the band&rsquo;s practice space with former teammate Toni Lydman, now with the Anaheim Ducks.</p><p>Drummer Brann Dailor and bassist/singer Troy Sanders both attended All-Star Game festivities when Atlanta hosted in 2008, while the track <i>Iron Tusk</i> was featured in <i>NHL 2K9</i>.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-021106/9655096-1-eng-US/f0022-022.jpg" title="f0022-02" width="560" height="579"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>MASTODON</b></p><p>The Hunter</p></figcaption></div><p>While the band has been known for themed concept albums throughout much of its career, The Hunter sprawls out more and doesn&rsquo;t stick to one topic, such as past motivators Moby Dick and Rasputin.</p><p>Stafford has seen the band progress over time and still approves of the progressive thrash being  churned out by the Atlanta quartet. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re friends of mine, so it&rsquo;s a bit different,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But I give it nine out of 10.&rdquo; <b>&ndash; RYAN KENNEDY</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-03821/9655089-1-eng-US/f0022-032.jpg" title="f0022-03" width="564" height="563"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>THE ZAMBONIS</b></p><p>Five Minute Major</p></figcaption></div><p><b>IF</b>&nbsp;<b>YOU FEEL YOURSELF</b>hankering for a hockey fix during the summer hiatus, try taking along The Zambonis during your travels. The ice-resurfacing icon&rsquo;s eponymous all hockey-rock indie band released its sixth album earlier this year. From the sentimental <i>Hockey Mom</i> to the playful <i>Happy When We&rsquo;re Winning</i> and the celebratory <i>Wild Hockey Weekend</i>, Five Minute Major (in D Minor) is another collective ode to the game. The album features 15 songs, most of the quick-hit variety between two-and three-and-a-half minutes. The exception is the catchy, five-minute pop rock hit <i>Captain</i>. Also included are the lovely mix of heartbreak and headaches in <i>I Got a Concussion (When I Fell for</i>&nbsp;<i>You)</i>, the downright nutty instrumental <i>Skatin&rsquo; with Monk, Nrbq, a Spampinato (and a Duck)</i> and the ridiculously fun <i>I&rsquo;m a Puck</i>.</p><p>The Zambonis, despite some goofy monikers &ndash; Dave Schneider (captain, guitar), Jon Aley (winger), Shawn Fogel (every position), Mat Orefice (rhythmic enforcer), Tom Andrukevich (coach/guru), Cary Pollick (twang), Peter Katis (producer/co-founder), Matt Gonzales (Hockey Monkey) &ndash; are no novelty act. They take their silly seriously, having elevated hockey&rsquo;s athleticism into an art form the past 20 years. Few bands can boast that kind of longevity and even fewer have been featured in both <i>Sports Illustrated</i> and <i>Billboard</i>. <b>&ndash; RONNIE SHUKER</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0022-01

Puck Playlist

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-04604/9655141-1-eng-US/f0022-042.jpg" title="f0022-04" width="552" height="508"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(GUNS: E. MASON & ASSOCIATES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>ITH THEIR NEW</b>&nbsp;single <i>Hockey</i>, South Florida&rsquo;s Goons United by the New School (G.U.N.S.) struck a blow for puck fans everywhere, claiming to favor skating over ballin.&rsquo; Subject aside, the high-energy track will get you pumped &ndash; Maybe the Florida Panthers have a new anthem.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-05460/9655134-1-eng-US/f0022-052.jpg" title="f0022-05" width="552" height="508"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(NICKLEBACK: CINDY ORD/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>THE MOST DIVISIVE</b>&nbsp;band in rock today, Nickelback inspires two distinct reactions from listeners. Now they&rsquo;re headlining the NHL Awards in Las Vegas and were heavily promoted during the playoffs, much to the chagrin of many hockey fans. Is it too late to give Chaka Khan another chance?<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0022-04

G.u.n.s. &gt; Nickelback

<div class="byline">WORDS BY RYAN KENNEDY </div><div class="byline">PHOTOS BY HARRY GILS</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0024-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-011445/9655179-1-eng-US/f0024-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-011273/9655172-1-eng-US/f0025-012.jpg" title="f0025-01" width="2401" height="3308"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span>s the star</b> of the viral YouTube video &ldquo;S@#% Hockey Players Say,&rdquo; Carrie Oehm got some pretty good traction online, but she&rsquo;s more than a one-trick pony. Oehm also blogs for Gongshow Hockey, the streetwear company that has blanketed the pro and junior ranks with its gear in recent years. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s funny, thinking a single YouTube video could get me as much recognition as it has,&rdquo; Oehm said. &ldquo;Considering I debated on even posting the video because I thought my guy friends would find it too offensive, I&rsquo;m glad I did because I soon found out they thought otherwise.&rdquo;</p><p>Oehm, who follows the Pittsburgh Penguins, is a big fan defenseman Kris Letang, though Ottawa&rsquo;s Erik Karls-son has also caught her eye. &ldquo;Letang not only has beautiful hair, but he&rsquo;s also very good offensively,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Karlsson on the other hand, is just as beautiful and is an around phenomenal defenseman.&rdquo;</p><p>Oehm said she does randomly get recognized for her blogging and video work and that profile might help her in her future endeavors since she&rsquo;d like to become an NHL player agent some day. If that doesn&rsquo;t work out, there&rsquo;s always her burgeoning media career. &ldquo;I never thought that I would enjoy writing,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;But ever since blogging for Gongshow, I have really enjoyed it.&rdquo;</p><p>At the very least, hockey blogging has rarely looked so good.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0024-01

Blogger’s Delight

<div class="byline">BY JONATHAN DAVIS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-011351/9655252-1-eng-US/f0027-012.jpg" title="f0027-01" width="275" height="330"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-011456/9655245-1-eng-US/f0026-012.jpg" title="f0026-01" width="2130" height="2723"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-02947/9655238-1-eng-US/f0027-022.jpg" title="f0027-02" width="762" height="1468"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(DEREK LEUNG/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span></b><b>N MORE WAYS</b> than one, Drew Doughty is coming into his own. The Los Angeles Kings defenseman&rsquo;s life has been a whirlwind since he was drafted in 2008. The London, Ont., native debuted in the NHL at 18, played crucial minutes for Canada at the 2010 Olympics and was scrutinized after signing an eight-year, $56-million extension last fall.</p><p>It&rsquo;s safe to say Doughty started 2011-12 with pressure to perform. And while he hasn&rsquo;t matched the lofty offensive standard he set in his sophomore campaign, he&rsquo;s maturing from boy to man before our eyes. Take one look at his play during the playoffs and you saw a meaner, more defensively sound, more complete Doughty than ever. Talk to him and you hear a man comfortable in his Southern California surroundings.</p><p>We met with Doughty to discuss everything from his defensive evolution to stargazing to deciphering what the heck his coach is saying.</p><p><b>WHAT HAS THE ATMOSPHERE BEEN LIKE IN L.A. WITH THE KINGS PLAYOFF RUN?</b></p><p>The atmosphere here has been amazing. The fans are pumped like I have never seen them before. The biggest difference is when you are out at a restaurant, or whatever, we are being recognized far more than we were before.</p><p><b>DO YOU FEEL LIKE A LOCAL YET HAVING LIVED IN L.A. FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS?</b></p><p>I love Los Angeles but London, Ont., will always be home. It is where I spend my summers and probably where I will live when I retire.</p><p><b>WHEN YOU ARE RESTING BETWEEN GAMES, WHAT IS YOUR GO-TO ENTERTAIN-MENT?</b></p><p>We had a couple of days off between Games 3 and 4 of the Blues series and the timing couldn&rsquo;t have been better because the Jays were in town to play the Angels, so I was able to go to the game. I took Trevor Lewis and some other buddies with me. The Angels hooked me up with some tickets and (Toronto pitcher) Ricky Romero was giving me a hard time because I wasn&rsquo;t wearing my Jays hat, but I just didn&rsquo;t think it would be cool to wear the hat since the Angels gave me the tickets. The Jays won the game and the team had a Jays jersey made up for me with Doughty on the back.</p><p><b>DID YOU EVER PLAY TOUR GUIDE FOR JEFF CARTER AND MIKE RICHARDS? GIVING THEM TIPS ON WHERE TO EAT, HANG OUT, ETC.?</b></p><p>If they needed help they would call. But they seemed to be fine on their own.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-011435/9655231-1-eng-US/f0028-012.jpg" title="f0028-01" width="1319" height="1550"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>COACH&rsquo;S PET</b></p><p>Drew Doughty respects coach Darryl Sutter&rsquo;s &ldquo;earn your ice time&rdquo; philosophy.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(HARRY HOW/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>HOW HAVE YOU SEEN YOUR GAME EVOLVE ON THE ICE THIS YEAR?</b></p><p>The defensive part of my game has grown from the start of the season to playoffs. I have taken great pride in becoming a better player defensively. On the offensive side, I had a bit of a rough spot in the last few weeks of the season and I lost some power play time, but I have ironed those things out and I am back to where I want and need to be. The one thing with Darryl Sutter is you have to earn your ice time no matter who you are. It makes you a better player.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-011266/9655224-1-eng-US/f0029-012.jpg" title="f0029-01" width="2122" height="1412"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ANDREW D. BERNSTEIN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>RUMOR HAS IT YOU LOST POWER PLAY MINUTES WITH THE KINGS BECAUSE YOU DIDN&rsquo;T SCORE COACH DARRYL SUTTER SOME NEW BRIDGESTONE TIRES AFTER DOING THOSE COMMERCIALS ON TV. IS IT TRUE?</b></p><p>(Laughs.) Not true.</p><p><b>TALK ABOUT HOW THIS TEAM HAS GROWN FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR. what kind of impact have all the new additions made on this ALREADY TALENTED kings ROSTER?</b></p><p>The additions of Carter and Richards gave us some additional playoff experience. It never hurts to have it. These two have been through more than most of us have.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>HE IS ONE BIG DUDE. I WOULD NOT WANT TO BE HIT BY HIM</b><br><b>&ndash; DREW ON MEETING NFL STAR CLAY MATTHEWS</b></blockquote><p><b>DO THE KINGS HAVE A SONG THEY PLAY IN THE DRESSING ROOM AFTER EVERY WIN?</b></p><p>There really isn&rsquo;t one song. Dustin Penner is in charge of the music, so whatever he&rsquo;s in the mood for.</p><p><b>ANY CELEBRITIES THAT YOU HAVE BEEN AWESTRUCK IN MEETING?</b></p><p>Not really. I got to meet Clay Matthews (NFL) once and he is one big dude. Would not want to be hit by him.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>20</b> dropped 20 pounds.</blockquote><p><b>ARE YOU NOTICING MORE HOLLYWOOD TYPES COMING TO GAMES? WHO WOULD THEY BE?</b></p><p>Oh yeah, lots more since we&rsquo;ve made the playoffs. Matthew Perry comes to games, Jon Hamm from <i>Mad Men,</i> we&rsquo;ve had some of the cast of <i>Modern Family</i> and <i>Glee.</i></p><p><b>THE LAST TIME YOU WERE ON THE WRONG END OF A BODY CHECK?</b></p><p>That would have been in the series against the Blues when David Backes hit me. He hits hard.</p><p><b>IS IT AS TOUGH FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND COACH SUTTER AS IT IS FOR MOST MEDIA MEMBERS?</b></p><p>Man, for the first few weeks I couldn&rsquo;t understand a word he was saying. When we were doing drills at practice, I made sure I was at the back of the line so I could see everyone do the drill first to make sure I didn&rsquo;t mess up.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-02996/9655217-1-eng-US/f0030-022.jpg" title="f0030-02" width="1064" height="1324"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(NOAH GRAHAM/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-011445/9655210-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg" title="f0030-01" width="1319" height="1042"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>PUTTING THE &lsquo;D&rsquo; IN PROUD</b></p><p>Doughty takes pride in his improved defensive play.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(DEREK LEUNG/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>IS DARrYL ALWAYS SERIOUS OR IS THERE A LIGHTER SIDE THAT WE JUST DON&rsquo;T SEE?</b></p><p>He is pretty serious and that&rsquo;s what got us into this playoff run. But he does have his moments like on April Fools&rsquo; Day when he put a long list of items on our board in the locker room of what drills and meetings we had that day. The last thing was &ldquo;power play meeting&rdquo; at his house in the evening. He had me for a few minutes. I was trying to find out where he lived, but then I quickly realized it was all a joke.</p><p><b>THERE IS SO MUCH WEAR AND TEAR ON THE BODY, PLAYING 82 REGULAR SEASON GAMES AND THEN THE PLAY-OFFS. DID YOU DO ANYTHING DURING THE OFF-SEASON AND EVEN DURING THE SEASON TO HANDLE THE RIGORS?</b></p><p>Nothing special other than doing a lot of skating. I make sure I get proper rest and eat right.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>AT FIRST I COULDN&rsquo;T UNDERSTAND WHAT HE WAS SAYING</b><br><b>&ndash; DREW ON COACH DARRYL SUTTER</b></blockquote><p><b>JERSEY:</b> Los Angeles Kings</p><p><b>CARTOON:</b>&nbsp;<i>Arthur</i></p><p><b>MUSIC:</b> Eminem</p><p><b>VIDEO GAME:</b> EA Sports <i>NHL</i> series</p><p><b>JUNK FOOD:</b> Chocolate bars<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0027-01

DREW DOUGHTY L.A.’s Blueline Prince

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0032-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-02960/9655335-1-eng-US/f0032-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ALASKA</b> <span class="photo-credit">(COURTESY ALASKA SPORTSMAN’S LODGE)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>M</span>ATT</b>&nbsp;<b>CARLE</b>, an avid outdoorsman, prefers the local charm of Bristol Bay, near his hometown of Anchorage, AK. &ldquo;Every summer, a couple of my buddies that play in the league, we meet up and go to the Alaska Sportsman&rsquo;s Lodge, a fishing lodge owned by a buddy of ours (former minor-pro player) Brian Kraft and usually spend about a week to 10 days there,&rdquo; Carle said. Located along the Kvichak River at the northern edge of the Alaska Peninsula, the Lodge offers premier sport salmon and trophy rainbow trout fishing amidst breathtaking scenery.</p><p><b>JAKUB VORACEK</b>, when first asked about his off-season plans blithely said, &ldquo;well obviously this summer is going to be as short as possible.&rdquo; Voracek spends 10 weeks of his off-season training in Montreal and when not throwing around medicine balls, he likes to frequent some of the Ville&rsquo;s swankiest restaurants. &ldquo;Buona Notte is good, and getting steaks at Cavalli&rsquo;s. And Bice most of all. Wonderful atmosphere there.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-11131/9655328-1-eng-US/f0032-112.jpg" title="f0032-11" width="179" height="178"></div><p><b>JAKUB&rsquo;S JOINTS:</b> Hockey&rsquo;s most historic city is home to some of the hottest restaurants. Just a word of caution: You&rsquo;ll need to be paid like a player to hob-nob in these digs.</p><p><b>&rarr; BUONA NOTTE</b></p><p>(3518 Saint Laurent)</p><p><b>&rarr;</b>&nbsp;<b>CAVALLI RISTORANTE BAR</b></p><p>(2040 Rue Peel)</p><p><b>&rarr;</b>&nbsp;<b>RISTORANTE BICE</b></p><p>(1504 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest)</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-12115/9655321-1-eng-US/f0032-122.jpg" title="f0032-12" width="1026" height="1519"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(VORACEK: GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0032-02

Where The Pros Flock

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-03701/9655415-1-eng-US/f0032-032.jpg" title="f0032-03" width="244" height="196"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-011420/9655422-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg" title="f0032-01" width="217" height="152"></div><p><b>DAVID BOOTH</b></p><p><b>@D_Booth7</b></p><p>JUST KILLED A CHARA-SIZED BRUIN! SEVEN-FOOT BLACK BEAR. 21-INCH SKULL. (ALBERTA)</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-04533/9655408-1-eng-US/f0032-042.jpg" title="f0032-04" width="244" height="196"></div><p><b>WOJTEK WOLSKI</b></p><p><b>@WojtekWolski86</b></p><p>FEEL BAD FOR BRINGING MY GF TO UFC. &ldquo;I THINK I&rsquo;M GOING TO CRY &ndash; UFC IS SO SCARY IN REAL LIFE.&rdquo; (NEW JERSEY)</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-05416/9655401-1-eng-US/f0032-052.jpg" title="f0032-05" width="234" height="195"></div><p><b>ERIC FEHR</b></p><p><b>@EricFehr</b></p><p>I&rsquo;M A HUGE PAWN STARS FAN, BUT THE SHOP WAS A BUST! MORE PAWN STARS MERCHANDISE THAN ACTUAL STUFF FOR SALE. (LAS VEGAS)</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-06354/9655394-1-eng-US/f0032-062.jpg" title="f0032-06" width="244" height="196"></div><p><b>ZACH BOGOSIAN</b></p><p><b>@Bogogo_44</b></p><p>I KEEP TELLING MYSELF AFTER I SCREW UP A SHOT THAT THESE GOLF BALLS AREN&rsquo;T TESTED TO BE HIT THIS HARD. #HAPPY #FORE</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-07288/9655387-1-eng-US/f0032-072.jpg" title="f0032-07" width="244" height="196"></div><p><b>NICK BONINO</b></p><p><b>@NickBonino</b></p><p>BRONX ZOO AND NYC FOR THE DAY TO SEE @ALLYBONINO WITH THE FAM AND @LCHEREWYK. BEEN AWESOME SO FAR, ENDING THE DAY AT #FAIRWAY MARKET.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-08245/9655380-1-eng-US/f0032-082.jpg" title="f0032-08" width="234" height="196"></div><p><b>LOGAN</b>&nbsp;<b>COUTURE</b><b>@Logancouture</b></p><p>HAVEN&rsquo;T BEEN OUTSIDE MUCH IN THE PAST WEEK. I&rsquo;VE GOTTEN EVEN WHITER. I NEED THE SUN AND I NEED IT BAD.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-09198/9655373-1-eng-US/f0032-092.jpg" title="f0032-09" width="244" height="196"></div><p><b>JOFFREY</b>&nbsp;<b>LUPUL</b><b>@Jlupul</b></p><p>GONNA CATCH A BIT OF THESE GAME 7S, THEN GOODBYE SYDNEY, HELLO BYRON BAY. AMAZING TIME IN SYDNEY &ndash; MET SO MANY GOOD PEOPLE. CHEERS! (AUSTRALIA)</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-10160/9655366-1-eng-US/f0032-102.jpg" title="f0032-10" width="244" height="214"></div><p><b>ANDY MIELE</b></p><p><b>@Andy_Miele</b></p><p>JUST SAW THE AVENGERS AND I CAN&rsquo;T FIGURE OUT WHICH SUPERHERO I LIKE THE MOST. I&rsquo;M THINKING THOR BECAUSE OUR BODIES ARE MOST SIMILAR.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0032-03

TWEET RETREATS

<div class="byline">BY TOBY WELCH</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0033-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-011264/9655460-1-eng-US/f0033-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>BRITISH COLUMBIA</b></p><p><b>LOG LODGE IN OKANAGAN</b></p><p>Hockey Canada has its own log cabin at Predator Ridge Resort to host off-season functions.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(COURTESY OF HOCKEY CANADA)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-04557/9655467-1-eng-US/f0033-042.jpg" title="f0033-04" width="188" height="188"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-02871/9655453-1-eng-US/f0033-022.jpg" title="f0033-02" width="266" height="249"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span></b>n late summer 2011, Scott Smith, chief operating officer of Hockey Canada, was holding a meeting with the Canadian League at Predator Ridge, an upscale resort in British Columbia.</p><p>During a break between meetings, Smith bumped into longtime acquaintance Brad Pelletier, a vice-president at Wesbild Holdings, Predator Ridge&rsquo;s parent company. The two men got talking and the result was a round of discussions that led to Hockey Canada designating Predator Ridge as its official summer home. &ldquo;We thought it was a great opportunity to partner with a premier brand and property and network ourselves and make people more aware of our organization,&rdquo; Smith said. &ldquo;It is a beautiful location and it is a great opportunity to get away and be a little bit secluded and think a little bit outside of the box for what we can do for Hockey Canada.&rdquo;</p><p>Predator Ridge and Hockey Canada have a long-standing connection with several NHL players having homes at Predator Ridge. Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland is a fan of the alliance. &ldquo;As a Vernon resident, Predator Ridge member and long-time supporter of Hockey Canada, this partnership offers great potential and I look forward to supporting it through events and legacy programs,&rdquo; Holland said. &ldquo;The Okanagan has always been a hotbed of both sports (golf and hockey) and this partnership solidifies that leadership position.&rdquo;</p><p>The Predator Ridge Resort is located just outside Vernon, B.C., in the Okanagan region, a destination often called a four-season playground. The area is a major source of hockey talent and a summer hangout for both NHL players and Hockey Canada officials. Predator Ridge, a 1,200-acre award-winning development, is most known for its two critically acclaimed golf courses: the legendary Predator Course, designed by Les Furber, and The Ridge Course, <i>SCOREGolf Magazine&rsquo;s</i> 2010 best new course in Canada. In total, they have 36 holes of championship golf.</p><p>For the year-round residents and the overnight guests, a variety of luxurious accommodation choices are available. When not on the links, visitors can take advantage of the wide range of options Predator Ridge offers to keep them occupied. It has more than 12 kilometers of natural wooded trails that are perfect for hiking and biking, a golf academy and a full-service clubhouse with fine dining options as well as casual fare, a fitness center boasting a 25-meter indoor pool, as well as a smattering of outdoor pools and an Aveda spa and salon.</p><p>Smith made it clear one of the main draws to the partnership is the location of Predator Ridge. The Okanagan is a key link to Western Canadian markets, chiefly Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary. The proximity to the Kelowna airport make the resort ideal for hosting the frequent partner events that Hockey Canada undertakes.</p><p>A heritage building at Predator Ridge is now called the Hockey Canada Log Cabin. It is a designated hub for group meetings, corporate functions, Hockey Canada events, charity gatherings and meetings with players and sponsors.</p><p>Although it is the off-season, the summer months remain a vital time for Hockey Canada as it gears up for the fall. &ldquo;Hockey Canada remains very active in the summer as we prepare our teams, events and programs for the following season,&rdquo; Smith said. &ldquo;This agreement will allow Hockey Canada to hold a number of events in the spectacular surroundings of Predator Ridge, while working towards a successful 2012-2013 season.&rdquo;</p><p>It looks like this latest Hockey Canada partnership is win-win for everyone.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0033-01

Off-season In The Okanagan

<div class="byline">BY JEFF DONER</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0034-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-011439/9655540-1-eng-US/f0034-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>COLOMBIA</b></p><p><b>OLD AROUND THE NEW</b></p><p>Vacationers can take a walk along the 500-year-old walls surrounding Cartagena built to ward off pirates.</p></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-021004/9655533-1-eng-US/f0034-022.jpg" title="f0034-02" width="488" height="509"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ALEX GRIMM - FIFA/FIFA VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-03794/9655526-1-eng-US/f0034-032.jpg" title="f0034-03" width="923" height="550"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(MANUEL PEDRAZA/AFP/GETTYIMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span></b>he ice has melted and it&rsquo;s time to put the skates away and begin the search for the perfect vacation. Make this the off-season to ditch the all-inclusive resort and try something a little different &ndash; Cartagena, Colombia.</p><p>This South American tropical location has an impressive mix of history, beaches, dancing, excellent food and a ton of outdoor activities to keep even the most adventurous athlete busy.</p><p>Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984, the city is surrounded by protective walls and castles constructed in the 1500s to protect from pirates and pillagers. Travelers can walk around the walls and visit the many restaurants and watering holes in the area.</p><p>As a lesser-known travel choice, the perfect Colombian vacation can be had for cheap. If you&rsquo;re staying in the heart of the city, hotels can be booked for less than $100 a night.</p><p>Hotel Lee, situated in a quieter part of the city, is a great option for travellers looking for a well-priced, clean and safe place to stay.</p><p>One thing about being in this part of the city is it&rsquo;s close to local cuisine restaurants, and a buzzing nightlife and within walking distance of many historical sites.</p><p>If you&rsquo;re looking for luxury, check into the Sofitel Santa Clara Hotel. It&rsquo;s right on the ocean and has its own restaurant and bar inside the building.</p><p>One of the many surprises of vacationing in Cartagena is the local cuisine. Due to the ocean location, seafood is popular and fresh. The best seafood dishes have a spicy, aromatic flair and are commonly served with coconut rice and fried plantains.</p><p>Casa de la Cerveza, situated right beside a section of the historic walls, is the perfect spot for tasty local food and drinks. You can grab a cold beverage (Aguila beer is one of the most popular Colombian brews) and sit on the wall looking out to the ocean.</p><p>The rhythmic sound of salsa frequently fills the patio with live music and performers. You&rsquo;ll find it difficult to walk anywhere that lacks an intoxicating beat.</p><p>For a relaxing day in the sun, there are many options in and around the city. One is to take a boat off the coast of Cartagena to the Cocoliso Island resort. The three-hour boat ride is worth the wait. The island is surrounded by beaches and has a pool and bar within the resort, hammocks and a restaurant.</p><p>For the more adventurous, the resort offers scuba diving, snorkeling, hiking, windsurfing and kayaking. This particular day trip can cost roughly $50-$150 per person depending on how many activities you participate in.</p><p>Although not a traditional vacation spot, Cartagena offers an intriguing option for those looking for rest, relaxation and something out of the ordinary.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-04645/9655519-1-eng-US/f0034-042.jpg" title="f0034-04" width="151" height="150"></div><p><b>HOW TO GET THERE:</b> Most flights are out of Miami Fla. with Spirit Airlines and Avianca</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-05524/9655512-1-eng-US/f0034-052.jpg" title="f0034-05" width="151" height="150"></div><p><b>CURRENCY:</b> Colombian Peso and American dollars are accepted</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-06473/9655505-1-eng-US/f0034-062.jpg" title="f0034-06" width="151" height="151"></div><p><b>ACCOMMODATIONS:</b> Cocoliso Isla Resort, Hotel Lee, Sofitel Santa Clara Hotel</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-07406/9655498-1-eng-US/f0034-072.jpg" title="f0034-07" width="151" height="151"></div><p><b>WEATHER:</b>&nbsp;Rainy season: October<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Tropical Temptation

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JASON KAY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-011336/9655571-1-eng-US/f0035-012.jpg" title="f0035-01" width="482" height="567"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>JAMAICA</b> <span class="photo-credit">(JAMAICA: DEA/M. BORCHI/DE AGOSTINI/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span>S BILLY JOEL</b> once sang, everyone goes south every now and then. Even hockey magazine editors in the dog days of winter. This February&rsquo;s destination was sun-kissed Jamaica, land of Bob Marley, rich coffee, lush tropical vegetation and spiced rum.</p><p>For seven days and seven nights, we traded the rat race for a snail&rsquo;s pace. There was snorkelling and ocean kayaking, volleyball and tennis, decadent food and tropical drinks. Did we mention the spiced rum?</p><p>The priority, however, was relaxation, a respite to recharge and re-energize, to sit by the pool or beach and forget reality for a few days. To secure your piece of paradise (also known as a beach chair), the custom at this resort is to place a personal belonging on a recliner. Assorted hats, sandals, books and magazines get strewn along the furniture that dot the large property.</p><p>At about 6 a.m. on our final day, just prior to our early departure, we took one final walk by the main pool before heading to the shuttle bus. I glanced down at the rows of unoccupied chairs, most already reserved, when something caught my eye. I instantly recognized the photo of Maxim Lapierre and Kyle Quincey duking it out on the contents page of the Jan. 2 issue of The Hockey News. The cover was missing, the edition weathered, but it was a poetic end to a brief escape. Home was calling.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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HARKEN TO HOME

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-02951/9655609-1-eng-US/f0035-022.jpg" title="f0035-02" width="841" height="1467"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ICELAND</b> <span class="photo-credit">(ICELAND: FREDER IC REGLAIN/GAMMA)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span></b>t is one of the most unique places in the world &ndash; from black sand beaches to glaciers to other incredible natural sites. And while Iceland went through a serious economic crisis and a volcano eruption in recent years, it still beckons to many tourists. One NHLer who has made the trip is Carolina Hurricanes left winger Tuomo Ruutu, who was attracted by the wilderness encompassing much of the tiny nation. &ldquo;I like hiking and being outdoors,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I rented a car and drove the back roads every-where. At one point I didn&rsquo;t see another car for three hours.&rdquo;</p><p>That can happen in Iceland, particularly if you take the &ldquo;scenic route&rdquo; outside the main city and capital, Reykjavik. Though the famous Blue Lagoon hot springs are nearby, most of the terrain around the area looks like the moon &ndash; with the occasional flock of birds thrown in for good measure. But throughout Iceland, the wonders never cease.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-03789/9655602-1-eng-US/f0035-032.jpg" title="f0035-03" width="532" height="530"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>ICEMAN IN ICELAND</b></p><p>Carolina&rsquo;s Tuomo Ruutu took to Iceland&rsquo;s picturesque outdoors on a trip there.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(RUUTU: GRAIG ABE L/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Waterfalls such as Skogafoss in the south or Lake Myvatn in the north offer picturesque views and in a nation far from commodified, you can hike nearly anywhere your boots will take you. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s beautiful,&rdquo; Ruutu said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s rugged, but it&rsquo;s very nice.&rdquo;</p><p>Renting a car is a must when you go and the size of the island means you can travel most of the country in short spurts. The drive itself is filled with mountainous highways with plenty of switchbacks, so it&rsquo;s rarely a straight route, but at least the scenery can&rsquo;t be beat.</p><p>Another aspect of Iceland that rocks in the summer is the fact the sun basically doesn&rsquo;t go down, thanks to the country&rsquo;s proximity to the Arctic Circle. That means a lot of partying, especially in Reykjavik, where the <i>runtur</i>, or pub crawl, can last into the morning &ndash; though the permanent dawn sky makes you think it&rsquo;s always time for breakfast. Downtown is filled with bars and clubs and everything&rsquo;s pretty concentrated.</p><p>Along with the famous hot springs and waterfalls, there&rsquo;s also whale watching in the northern town of Husavik or puffin boat tours back in Reykjavik. The northern city of Akureyri is also worth checking out and is set on its own captivating lake.</p><p>Food can be a bit hit and miss, depending on the size of the town, but it&rsquo;s never hard to find a burger or pizza. If you&rsquo;re adventurous, some restaurants offer whale meat or puffin &ndash; but if you take the tour first, you&rsquo;ll probably opt for something else.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0035-02

Land Of Ice And Awe

<div class="byline">BY CALLUM MCCARTHY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0036-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-011340/9655647-1-eng-US/f0036-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>LONDON</b> <span class="photo-credit">(DAN KITWOOD/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-02908/9655640-1-eng-US/f0036-022.jpg" title="f0036-02" width="875" height="617"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>BLOODY RIGHT</b></p><p>Brits love their sports and for those with an affinity for hockey, there are indeed options for a night out.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(MARIO TAMA/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>S</span></b>panning more than 600 square miles, London is the largest and most eclectic city in Europe. Despite that fact, a trip around the city complete with the obligatory pictures in front of Big Ben and Bucking-ham Palace will take roughly two hours on foot and even less if travelling on the Underground.</p><p>If the standard sightseeing tours aren&rsquo;t your cup of tea, those searching for a little more excitement will find the options are almost infinite. The flagship high street stores of Oxford Street provide some of the best shopping in Europe and a short Tube ride from Oxford Circus to Covent Garden will land you among a plethora of bars and restaurants.</p><p>From the famous theaters and cocktail bars of the West End to the underground club scenes south of the river, the nightlife offers something for everyone. But the complete night out lies in Camden Town, which is home to a large and varied outdoor market and food court, an array of live music events seven nights a week and an astonishing 1,150 licensed premises situated in the borough alone.</p><p>If hockey cravings should take hold, there is more than a little help at hand. The Maple Leaf pub in Covent Garden serves a selection of Canadian beers and lagers (including Molson on tap) along with next-day reruns of NHL games during the evenings. Due to the issue of time zones and licensing laws, the Maple Leaf can&rsquo;t show live games, but The Sports Cafe in the Haymarket shows all four major North American leagues across nearly 100 screens and is open until late.</p><p>But the most niche pub in London is the Harcourt Arms near Marylebone. Don&rsquo;t let the function room upstairs (available for weddings and christenings) fool you. This pub boasts the most impressive hockey schedule in the city without showing a single NHL game. A Swede&rsquo;s dream hangout, the west London pub tries its best to show every game of the Elitserien live.</p><p>From sightseeing and shopping to a Swedish hockey pub within a fifteen minute walk, London can offer just about anything for the North American or European travelling hockey fan at the shortest of notice.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Sites To See And Pubs To Trawl

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-03751/9655678-1-eng-US/f0036-032.jpg" title="f0036-03" width="360" height="601"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HEN ALL ELECTRONIC</b> devices must be turned off, good ol&rsquo; paper books are still there to pass the time. Two recent entries in the hockey category offer the perfect remedy for time in the air &ndash; or just relaxing somewhere. <b><i>I Hate Hockey</i></b> comes from prolific Quebec novelist Francois Barcelo and this English translation brings readers into the darkly funny world of a lowlife forced to helm his son&rsquo;s hockey team after the suspicious death of the coach.</p><p>In <b><i>Stickhandling through the Margins</i>,</b> author Michael Robidoux examines the game we all love through the lens of Canada&rsquo;s First Nations communities. From the players who made it all the way to the nhl, such as Nashville&rsquo;s Jordin Tootoo or former Vancouver Canucks enforcer Gino Odjick, to the grassroots games played on reserves, this new title brings to light a part of the hockey world that doesn&rsquo;t get a lot of coverage. An intriguing look at one more facet of the sport&rsquo;s impact.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0036-03

LONG FLIGHT? BRING A BOOK!

<div class="byline">BY RONNIE SHUKER</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0038-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-011301/9655789-1-eng-US/f0038-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>THE PHILIPPINES</b></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-03728/9655782-1-eng-US/f0038-032.jpg" title="f0038-03" width="492" height="675"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>WIDE-EYED WONDERS</b></p><p>In the Philippines, be on the lookout for tarsiers, little primates who are masters of the lookout in their own right.</p></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-02901/9655775-1-eng-US/f0038-022.jpg" title="f0038-02" width="1033" height="740"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ALL: RONNIE SHUKER/THN)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span></b>s we walked down the stairs, our stomachs still roiling from the bumpy ride in the back of a pickup truck, the winding wooden staircase slowly opened onto an empty beach. It was August &ndash; peak travel season in most parts of the world &ndash; and here we had this secluded paradise all to ourselves.</p><p>My friend and I heard about Kookoo&rsquo;s Nest from an American ex-pat who used to live in the Philippines. The tiny, remote resort prides itself on being found by the few. Those who hear about it may be deterred by the half-hour ride from Dumaguete on a stuffy, packed bus along the main road followed by the 45-minute trek in a pickup truck bouncing around along a dirt road in first gear through potholes bordering on pits. It leaves you shaken and weary, but the reward is worthwhile. Surrounded by tropical plants and coconut palm trees, private bamboo cottages thatched with nipa palm leaves line the white sand beach. We splurged on the most expensive: a new two-storey, open-air hut in the middle of the beach where we woke up to the tide of the Pacific Ocean &ndash; for $28 per night.</p><p>Kookoo&rsquo;s Nest was the final stop on our Philippines holiday, which started in Cebu in the center of the country. Most travellers to the former Spanish colony go to the capital city, Manila, or beautiful Boracay. But if tourist traps are anathema to you, fly into Cebu to begin your archipelago adventure.</p><p>After staying in Cebu on our first night, we took a large, lumbering ferry to the island of Bohol known for the Chocolate Hills, big brown mounds shaped like Hershey&rsquo;s Kisses covering 50 square kilometers (20 miles) and reaching as high as 390 feet. We made sure to see the island&rsquo;s tarsiers: nocturnal, palm-sized furry creatures with eyes bigger than their brains and opened wide in perpetual awe. These cute little primates, native to the Philippines, live on a diet of insects, which they catch with their long, snapping tongues.</p><p>After checking out the Church of San Pedro, built in the 1600s, we took a small speedy ferry the next day across to Dumaguete on the island of Negros to catch our personal pickup truck booked through Kookoo&rsquo;s Nest where we spent the rest of our vacation. While at the resort, we sunned ourselves like lizards, drank mango shakes at the rate of a half-dozen a day for just a buck apiece, played with hermit crabs, slept off our lunches in hammocks, walked along the beach, explored the vegetation and snorkeled around the house reef. In the evenings, we scarfed down fresh seafood dinners custom-cooked for us by our personal chef before we took in the summer sunsets.</p><p>The resort&rsquo;s busy season is from November to May when the wind dies down, allowing for diving and kayaking excursions. Book through their website and beware that phone service is irregular because of the remoteness. But if you seek far-off-the-beaten-path destinations where peace and privacy are paramount, and the off-season falls during hockey&rsquo;s hiatus, then Kookoo&rsquo;s Nest is calling.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0038-01

Philippines’ Hidden Gem

<div class="byline">BY RORY BOYLEN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0039-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-011190/9655834-1-eng-US/f0039-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>RUSSIA</b> <span class="photo-credit">(©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/ANDREYPS)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-05440/9655841-1-eng-US/f0039-052.jpg" title="f0039-05" width="117" height="118"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>B</span></b>anya is a tradition in Eastern Europe dating back about 1,000 years. There are different types of banya depending on which Slavic nation you&rsquo;re in. My experience took place outside the Russian city of Ekaterinburg.</p><p>While public banyas can be found in the city, our venture took us to the wooded countryside and a secluded man-made lake. Detroit superstar Pavel Datsyuk, who enjoys this activity in the off-season, hosted the group I was part of.</p><p>If you like saunas and massages, a banya is a little piece of heaven on earth. We were brought to a small cottage that contained a Russian billiard table, a dining table and two saunas. That&rsquo;s right, a sauna within a sauna. The first is about as warm as one you might find at your local gym and is used as a warmup and cool-down room. From there, you walk into the banya sauna, which is ultra-hot. It&rsquo;s suggested first-timers take a few minutes to get used to the heat before being massaged.</p><p>If you want the full banya experience, be sure to don the traditional felt hat designed to protect your head from the extreme temperatures. Though not always a necessity, it will provide a number of laughs and memorable photos.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-04523/9655827-1-eng-US/f0039-042.jpg" title="f0039-04" width="687" height="509"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(&copy;ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/ROBAS)</span></figcaption></div><p>When you&rsquo;re comfortable with the heat, it&rsquo;s time to strip down and climb onto the wooden massage table in the hot sauna &ndash; and that&rsquo;s when you really get to see what the banya is all about.</p><p>A collection of leaves soaked in cold water is placed on your head and a bundle of birch branches and leaves, also soaked in cold water, is used to slap and fan your body from neck to toe. The sensation varies from cool to hot, but it&rsquo;s exceptionally soothing. The trick is to keep breathing calmly and not allow the heat to overwhelm you.</p><p>It didn&rsquo;t sound relaxing when it was first described to me, but after about a minute on that table I could have fallen asleep. The duration of the massage depends on your banya experience and tolerance for the sauna, but it doesn&rsquo;t end there.</p><p>I was taken back out into the cooler sauna and four buckets of cold water were poured on my head. You&rsquo;re then told to run out and jump into the cool lake.</p><p>Immediately after you feel completely rested and invigorated.</p><p>The experience provides many health benefits, namely that the heat opens and cleanses skin pores and dilated blood vessels to increase oxygen flow to the muscles. If you&rsquo;re in Russia, the banya is a must-do.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-03624/9655820-1-eng-US/f0039-032.jpg" title="f0039-03" width="706" height="894"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>PAVEL</b> DATSYUK <span class="photo-credit">(DATSYUK: MARTIN ROSE/BONGARTS/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0039-01

Steamy Getaway

<div class="byline">BY JEREMY RUTHERFORD</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0040-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-01894/9655924-1-eng-US/f0040-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>SWITCH-BACK</b></p><p>Alex Pietrangelo played forward as a kid before switching to defense.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span>16-year-old</b>&nbsp;Alex Pietrangelo had just been taken third overall in the 2006 Ontario League draft and was about to make his debut with the Mississauga IceDogs. It was an exhibition game in Erie, Pa., about a fourhour drive from the Pietrangelo home in King City, Ont. &ldquo;I thought, &lsquo;You know what, I better go to this game,&rsquo; &rdquo; father Joe Pietrangelo remembered. &ldquo;I said, &lsquo;I better go to this game because this may be the only game he ever plays. He may not play again.&rsquo; &rdquo;</p><p>Not only did Alex lace up his skates again, he became an OHL all-star, the top defenseman for Team Canada at the World Junior Championship and eventually one of the top young blueliners in the NHL for the St. Louis Blues. It&rsquo;s an adolescent athletic journey that found success because of Alex&rsquo;s ability to turn many perceived negatives into astonishing advantages. &ldquo;He wasn&rsquo;t good at accepting anything but the best he could do,&rdquo; Joe said. &ldquo;That was just his thing. He worked at everything.&rdquo;</p><p>Alex didn&rsquo;t start skating until he was five years old. It took four weekends&rsquo; worth of sessions before he stayed on the ice for one full skate. Still, he struggled. So when Alex finally started playing hockey, he hated it. &ldquo;Like any kid, if you&rsquo;re not good at something, you&rsquo;re not going to like doing it,&rdquo; Alex said. &ldquo;My dad is not a hardcore hockey dad, but he said, &lsquo;You&rsquo;re good at it, just keep trying.&rsquo; Once I got a little bit better, I fell in love with the sport.&rdquo;</p><p>By age 15, Alex&rsquo;s name was gaining steam as one of the top picks in the 2006 OHL draft. His competition included guys named Steven Stamkos and Michael Del Zotto, whom Alex had grown up playing with and against. He preferred playing with them. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a little intimidating as a kid when you see Stamkos coming down the ice,&rdquo; Alex said. &ldquo;We lost one year to his team&hellip;it was like 9-1 and he had like seven or eight points. I was on the ice for almost every goal. A little demoralizing.&rdquo;</p><p>Sarnia had the No. 1 pick and took Stamkos. Oshawa followed at No. 2 and selected Del Zotto. That left Alex available at No. 3 and the pick belonged to Mississauga, a franchise struggling on the ice and facing a move to Niagara. &ldquo;Things fell where they fell,&rdquo; Joe said. &ldquo;I told him, &lsquo;You go where you get drafted.&rsquo; There were a lot of things that were negative, but we just accepted that that&rsquo;s the real world. You deal with it. If you&rsquo;ve got the talent, they&rsquo;ll find you.&rdquo;</p><p>Alex quickly found the positive in his move to Mississauga. His mother, Edi, had cousins, Anna and Roy Rosset, who lived near the arena. Alex knew them well enough that he referred to them as his aunt and uncle. The familiarity eased his transition. &ldquo;When you&rsquo;re 16 and you go into a family you don&rsquo;t know and you&rsquo;re still in high school, it&rsquo;s hard,&rdquo; Alex said. &ldquo;But to have them there, they were so supportive&hellip;I was lucky.&rdquo;</p><p>His parents were more comfortable, too. &ldquo;(The Rossets) had pre-teens, so they understood all the stuff that could go on,&rdquo; Joe said. &ldquo;You think about these kids leaving the house at 15-16 years old, they&rsquo;re pretty young. If they get into a bunch of rotten apples, you hope they&rsquo;re a little wiser than that. But until they experience that, it&rsquo;s pretty tough to tell.&rdquo;</p><p>Alex admitted he wasn&rsquo;t perfect. &ldquo;I got caught out one time,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;my aunt was saying, &lsquo;It&rsquo;s a little late for you.&rsquo; You&rsquo;re 16 years old and you&rsquo;re hanging out with teammates who are 20-year-olds. Sometimes you get ahead of yourself.&rdquo;</p><p>Alex was getting ahead of himself on the ice, too. He was six-feet tall and had skills to match, netting 52 points in 59 games as a rookie. &ldquo;I thought, &lsquo;There&rsquo;s a possibility I can make this a living,&rsquo; &rdquo; Alex said. &ldquo;Everybody in junior hockey thinks they have a chance to make the NHL and they all do. You have to believe in yourself; that&rsquo;s all it comes down to.&rdquo;</p><p>Joe saw that in Alex&rsquo;s first OHL game at Erie. &ldquo;Boy, was I surprised,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;He just wasn&rsquo;t afraid to play. I could see that he didn&rsquo;t hold back. He played his game and you can see that he had the confidence to play at that level.&rdquo;</p><p>When Alex&rsquo;s performance did dip, he heard from his former Toronto Jr. Canadiens AAA coach, Tyler Craig. &ldquo;It gets awful lonely when things aren&rsquo;t going well,&rdquo; Craig said. &ldquo;But you just say, &lsquo;Hey, you&rsquo;re doing that thing where you&rsquo;re trying to be too defensive because you&rsquo;re trying not to make a mistake. That&rsquo;s not you; you&rsquo;ve got to be more aggressive.&rsquo; Just little words of wisdom.&rdquo;</p><p>Alex then lost some of his comfort zone. The Mississauga franchise did move to Niagara, meaning Alex had to move from his relatives&rsquo; home. But by that time, he had built a foundation. &ldquo;Mississauga was good, but my two big years were in Niagara,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s an awesome city. We had great support. Things didn&rsquo;t really pan out in terms of winning, but it was the first team I got really close to.&rdquo;</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>I thought &lsquo;i could make this into a living&rsquo;</b><br><b>&ndash; alex pietrangelo</b></blockquote><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-02503/9655917-1-eng-US/f0041-022.jpg" title="f0041-02" width="647" height="881"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(HARRY HOW/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-01773/9655910-1-eng-US/f0041-012.jpg" title="f0041-01" width="1395" height="1550"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>THEN AND NOW</b></p><p>When Pietrangelo first laced up skates as a kid, he hated hockey.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(DEREK LEUNG/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Hockey players love their pranks and the Dogs were no exception. &ldquo;We used to put our trainer&rsquo;s car on cinder blocks after practice,&rdquo; Alex said. &ldquo;It was a little over the top, but we got a chuckle out of it.&rdquo;</p><p>In 2008, however, hockey became serious. The kid who didn&rsquo;t enjoy the game initially wound up as the No. 4 overall pick in the NHL draft. Expectations were high. But despite two cracks at the St. Louis roster as an 18-and 19-year-old prospect, the team sent Alex to the World Junior Championship and then back to the junior ranks.</p><p>Once again, Alex turned the circumstances in his favor. In 2010, he was named the top defenseman at the WJC. &ldquo;Are you disappointed?&rdquo; Joe asked. &ldquo;Yes, of course. But I always thought, &lsquo;You want to get there and you want to stay there.&rsquo; It was the best thing for him.&rdquo;</p><p>Added Alex: &ldquo;For any kid who gets to be a part of that tournament, it&rsquo;s an awesome  experience. You always want to play in the NHL, but now that you look back, it&rsquo;s only going to help you.&rdquo;</p><p>In 2011, Alex suited up for Team Canada again, this time for the World Championship in Slovakia. Back home, he had someone watching his every move. &ldquo;I clipped some video of Alex and showed it to the kids I&rsquo;m coaching now,&rdquo; Craig said. &ldquo;He was the &lsquo;off&rsquo; defenseman and was covering the front of the net. His partner was battling the puck in the corner and there was a turnover. Alex jumped up in the rush, got the puck and had a great scoring opportunity. I&rsquo;d love to say I coached that, but that&rsquo;s something he recognized on his own.&rdquo;</p><p>Craig wouldn&rsquo;t take credit. Just like the Pietrangelos would never take credit for where Alex is now. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re a pretty humble group,&rdquo; Joe said. &ldquo;We weren&rsquo;t looking at the big picture before he could skate. They all have dreams. Was there a specific moment where Alex said he was going to be in the NHL? No. But he did talk about it and we always told him, &lsquo;Work hard at whatever you do.&rsquo; &rdquo;</p><p>It&rsquo;s still the same today.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-02570/9655903-1-eng-US/f0040-022.jpg" title="f0040-02" width="346" height="507"></div><h2><b>YOUNG GUNS 2</b></h2><p>Alex Pietrangelo&rsquo;s rise to the pros is just one of the tales in THN&rsquo;s Young Guns 2, available now in bookstores.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0040-01

Road Scholar Alex

<div class="byline">WORDS BY RYAN KENNEDY </div><div class="byline">PHOTOS BY A.J. MESSIER PHOTOGRAPHY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0042-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-01821/9655983-1-eng-US/f0042-012.jpg"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>S</span>cott Wedgewood</b> needs to have a great summer, because his autumn is going to be big. The young netminder will graduate from the Ontario League&rsquo;s Plymouth Whalers to the pro ranks and while it wouldn&rsquo;t be surprising to see the rookie put in his dues in the American League with Albany, it&rsquo;s hard not to look at the New Jersey Devils depth chart and see him as the successor to Martin Brodeur&rsquo;s throne in the near future. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got a whole new program I&rsquo;m starting at Varsity Training Centre, where I&rsquo;ve been the past few summers,&rdquo; Wedgewood said. &ldquo;Now it&rsquo;s just as important as it&rsquo;s always been, but I have to put more dedication into it to be ready for next year.&rdquo;</p><p>Drafted in the third round (84th overall) by New Jersey in 2010, Wedgewood had an exemplary junior career, but now it&rsquo;s time to move on. Along with the mental side of the game &ndash; something all goalies constantly refine &ndash; the Brampton, Ont., native is keeping himself in peak form this summer. &ldquo;Stretching is our biggest thing,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You have to stay limber. Goalies, we&rsquo;re more about full body movement. We&rsquo;re on our stomachs, our backsides &ndash; you&rsquo;re moving all over the place. Making sure you have a strong core is huge. That&rsquo;s your staple area.&rdquo;</p><p>And though Brodeur casts a huge shadow &ndash; being one of the best goaltenders in history can do that &ndash; his potential understudy has soaked up positive rays in past training camps with the Devils. &ldquo;Growing up, he was my idol,&rdquo; Wedgewood said. &ldquo;His calmness in the net, his ability to move the puck &ndash; those are things I always watched. He&rsquo;s been unbelievable to me, not cocky at all.&rdquo;</p><p>Wedgewood has already performed under pressure, helping Canada to a bronze medal at the world juniors this year in Calgary. Now it&rsquo;s a different set of red, black and white sweaters he&rsquo;s hoping to pick up &ndash; this time for the long haul.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f044-01/9655976-1-eng-US/f044-012.jpg" title="f044-01" width="2336" height="2990"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-01611/9655969-1-eng-US/f0045-012.jpg" title="f0045-01" width="2336" height="3210"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Official Team Canada pullover by Nike, hat by New Era.</b></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-01618/9655962-1-eng-US/f0046-012.jpg" title="f0046-01" width="2337" height="2990"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-01558/9655955-1-eng-US/f0047-012.jpg" title="f0047-01" width="2337" height="3237"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Shirt by Hugo Boss, shoes by Sperry.</b></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0042-01

Scott Wedgewood

<div class="byline">BY ADAM PROTEAU</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0048-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-01432/9656049-1-eng-US/f0048-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>GYM RAT</b></p><p>Logan Couture takes a few weeks off before hitting the gym in late May.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(LANCE THOMSON/NH LI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>O</span>n the ice</b>, Logan Couture is a key component of the San Jose Sharks and one of the most dynamic young stars in the league. But in the brief amount of vacation time any modern-day NHLer gets each summer, before he has to return to a gruelling workout schedule, Couture isn&rsquo;t someone who needs to run with bulls or climb Kilimanjaro. Other players can wakeboard and travel the globe, but as far as the 23-year-old center is concerned, he&rsquo;d rather be in the vicinity of his hometown of London, Ont. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not really a big vacation guy,&rdquo; said Couture, who played his third NHL season in 2011-12 and finished with career highs in assists (34) and points (65). &ldquo;As players we travel so much during the year and spend so much time in different cities that I just like being back at home in London and spending time with my family. The backyard of my house is the perfect spot in the summer &ndash; sitting in the sun, jumping in the pool. I like things pretty low-key.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0050-01390/9656042-1-eng-US/f0050-012.jpg" title="f0050-01" width="2336" height="1560"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JEFF VINNICK/NH LI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>That said, Couture has a number of off-season interests and passions that keep him busy in the few weeks of down time he gets before he heads back to the gym in late May and begins his training regimen. For instance, after he and the Sharks were eliminated by St. Louis in the first round of the 2012 playoffs in late April, Couture laid low in California for a few weeks. In that time (as well as a few weeks prior), he watched as much as he could of baseball, the sport that rivalled hockey as his chief childhood love before he chose puck pursuit over diamond dirt in his early teens.</p><p>Baseball was and still is a significant part of Couture&rsquo;s life. As a boy, he was a two-time Honda Canada/Toronto Blue Jays &ldquo;hit-run-throw&rdquo; contest national champion &ndash; and as he got older, he evolved into a shortstop with a solid glove who usually hit second or third for his London-area teams. And now, as a major league hockey player, he has the Major League Baseball all-access game package on his laptop computer and never misses a game involving his beloved Blue Jays, whom he refers to as &ldquo;us&rdquo; numerous times over the course of an early May telephone interview.</p><p>But his fandom goes beyond that. If you follow Couture&rsquo;s Twitter feed (@Logancouture) &ndash; as more than 100,000 people now do &ndash; you&rsquo;ll know he has become friends with Blue Jays players (including pitching ace Ricky Romero) and gets out to see their games in person whenever possible. Couture took advantage of a golden opportunity in that regard during a Blue Jays road trip in early May, watching Toronto beat the Oakland A&rsquo;s and heading down to the clubhouse after the game to chat with his friends on the team before they continued on to play the Minnesota Twins. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re young and skilled,&rdquo; Couture said of the up-and-coming Jays, who started 2012 strongly before their relief pitchers blew a few saves prior to pulling into Oakland. &ldquo;Unfortunately, the closer situation hasn&rsquo;t been good and cost us a bunch of games, but I like the way our pitchers have pitched and our young guys like (third baseman) Brett Lawrie have played really well. It&rsquo;s just good to see.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0050-02288/9656035-1-eng-US/f0050-022.jpg" title="f0050-02" width="1530" height="1146"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>&lsquo;LO&rsquo; KNOWS BASEBALL</b></p><p>The diamond was just as important to Couture as a kid before his hockey dreams became reality.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(GREGORY SHAMUS/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0052-01317/9656028-1-eng-US/f0052-012.jpg" title="f0052-01" width="1530" height="1926"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>LOGAN ON THE LINKS</b></p><p>Like many NHLers, Couture hits the golf course almost daily in the summer.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>NHLERS SPEND SO MUCH TIME TRAVELLING THAT I JUST LIKE BEING BACK HOME</b><br><b>&ndash; LOGAN COUTURE</b></blockquote><p>A more recent pastime of Couture&rsquo;s is one familiar to many NHLers in the off-season: golf. Thanks to the punishing travel schedule all Western Conference players have to endure, he has little time to get out on the links during the hockey season. But he more than makes up for it come summer, swinging the clubs four to five days a week at his home course in London and trying to improve his game (he normally shoots in the 80s and his best round was a 75). He hasn&rsquo;t yet played the legendary Pebble Beach course, as have a couple Sharks teammates, but he&rsquo;s intending to over the coming years.</p><p>Once the dog days of summer set in for us normal folk, Couture can be found doing one of four things: golfing, watching baseball, hitting the gym in preparation for a new NHL season and spending time in his backyard, which is shrouded in seclusion outside of London and backs onto a tranquil ravine. The importance of quiet home time can&rsquo;t be stressed enough for public figures such as Couture, who loves nothing more when he&rsquo;s at his house than to work on his tan, jump in his pool and tinker around with music, books and one of his more recent pickups, his iPhone.</p><p>Let&rsquo;s deal with those categories one at a time. When it comes to music, Couture is into hip-hop and Canadian artists Drake and The Weeknd. He was one of the first players who raced onto the ice to see Drake play an intermission set at the 2012 all-star game in Ottawa and in early May he caught a concert by The Weeknd at the historic Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco.</p><p>Couture counts himself as an avid reader and was recently introduced by Sharks teammate T.J. Galiardi to the bestselling Mitch Rapp spy novel series by author Vince Flynn and couldn&rsquo;t get enough, comparing it to Kiefer Sutherland&rsquo;s wildly popular <i>24</i> TV show and burrowing through three of Flynn&rsquo;s 13 books in two weeks.</p><p>As a member of the online-and-computer-savvy generation, Couture also is usually plugged in somewhere. For the longest time, the proud Canadian subscribed to the Canada-based BlackBerry, but he decided to make a switch recently and bought his first iPhone and iPad. The former Ottawa 67&rsquo;s player has not regretted his choice, to say the least. &ldquo;Since I got my iPhone I&rsquo;ve been addicted to it and I can&rsquo;t put the thing down,&rdquo; Couture said before listing some of the iPhone game applications he enjoys. &ldquo;I just started getting into games like Draw Something and Words With Friends. They&rsquo;re fun. When I&rsquo;m on the road trips, there&rsquo;s a couple word scramble games like Words With Friends that I play, Risk, or stuff like that where I can play on my own on the plane or the bus.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0053-01297/9656021-1-eng-US/f0053-012.jpg" title="f0053-01" width="1530" height="2297"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>NO DOUBLE TROUBLE</b></p><p>Couture&rsquo;s salary doubles in 2012-13, but he says he&rsquo;ll remain his easygoing self.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(GERRY THOMAS/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Couture will be entering the first season of a two-year contract extension in 2012-13 that more than doubles his &rsquo;11-12 rookie-structured salary of $1.3 million to $2.9 million. But by the looks of things, Sharks GM Doug Wilson doesn&rsquo;t have to worry his young gun will do anything  to jeopardize his rising star status in the summertime. You&rsquo;re not going to find Couture on gossip website <a href="http://TMZ.com">TMZ.com</a> or on the cover of an X Games magazine. For the wild moves he can drop on opponents on the ice, he&rsquo;s as mild as a spring breeze off it. &ldquo;I guess I&rsquo;m basically a homebody,&rdquo; Couture said. &ldquo;You want to take advantage of every minute and every day you get to spend with your loved ones because that time is so rare for you as a player. So I try my best to just relax and enjoy the time away before it&rsquo;s time to get back to work and be the best hockey player I can possibly be.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0053-0832/9656014-1-eng-US/f0053-082.jpg" title="f0053-08" width="874" height="1377"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ANDRE RING UETTE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0048-01

Stay-At-Home Shark

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0053-02204/9656115-1-eng-US/f0053-022.jpg" title="f0053-02" width="153" height="153"></div><h2><b>WORDS WITH FRIENDS</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><span>Y</span>ou can play this addictive, Scrabble-esque game remotely with anyone around the world or on a single phone with a friend beside you. Great for the uber-competitive.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0053-03143/9656108-1-eng-US/f0053-032.jpg" title="f0053-03" width="153" height="153"></div><h2><b>BOINGO WI-FINDER</b></h2><p>Can&rsquo;t survive a minute without Wi-Fi? Boingo finds the nearest hotspots in any location.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0053-04122/9656101-1-eng-US/f0053-042.jpg" title="f0053-04" width="151" height="151"></div><h2><b>TRIPIT</b></h2><p>An amazing tool for anyone who stresses over organizing travel, TripIt links to your email and collects every trip detail, including confirmation numbers for flights and hotels, and organizes them into a comprehensive itinerary.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0053-0589/9656094-1-eng-US/f0053-052.jpg" title="f0053-05" width="153" height="154"></div><h2><b>WEATHER UNDERGROUND</b></h2><p>Using more than 20,000 localized weather stations, this app pinpoints short-and long-term forecasts not just in specific cities, but specific neighborhoods.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0053-0676/9656087-1-eng-US/f0053-062.jpg" title="f0053-06" width="153" height="153"></div><h2><b>DRAW SOMETHING</b></h2><p>You and a friend guess each other&rsquo;s drawings, Pictionary-style &ndash; and laugh at how hideous they are.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0053-0757/9656080-1-eng-US/f0053-072.jpg" title="f0053-07" width="152" height="153"></div><h2><b>PHOTOSYNTH</b></h2><p>Ever feel like one picture doesn&rsquo;t do enough justice to an amazing sight on your travels? Photosynth lets you assemble multiple shots into a 360-degree, panoramic view. Trippy.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0053-02

APP ATTACK

<div class="byline">BY MATT CARLSON</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0054-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0054-01309/9656244-1-eng-US/f0054-012.jpg"></div><p><b>T</b>his year, the graphic difference between skates and sticks is black and white.</p><p>Many skates are reverting to traditional black models, while some sticks are trending to white &mdash; anything but traditional.</p><p>Easton&rsquo;s new MAKO sticks, the CCM RBZ by TaylorMade and some Warrior models have mostly white designs. They debuted in the hands of NHL players during the 2011-12 regular season and playoffs and they&rsquo;re coming to a retailer stick rack near you. &ldquo;The MAKO hit the stores April 7 and was received with lots of excitement and curiosity as it ventured away from the normal color ways and into the rarely produced realm of white,&rdquo; said Wes Huether, Pro Hockey Life&rsquo;s senior director of training and customer experience. &ldquo;The stick continues to gain momentum in the NHL, as well as in retail stores, since it features much more than just color with its incredible light weight, balance and soft feel.</p><p>&ldquo;There are lots of sticks launching in the weeks to come from all the big suppliers that are certain to be huge hits and generate a lot of buzz.&rdquo;</p><p>Players also are picking up and checking out new skates &mdash; including the Bauer Supreme TotalOne NXG and Reebok 20K Pump. &ldquo;The new NXG and 20K have both shared some big excitement and interest,&rdquo; Huether said. &ldquo;The latest elite-level skates from the market-leading manufacturers always capture the eye of our consumers. Whether the player is purchasing the skates or not, we&rsquo;re certainly seeing them in the stores mounted on the skate wall with skates in hand followed by skates on foot just to say they&rsquo;ve seen it and tried it on.&rdquo;</p><p>A new trend in skates is flexible tendon guards. The component was originally created to protect the Achilles tendon, but tendon guards on the Bauer NXG and Reebok&rsquo;s 20K are designed with added flex to increase the range of motion for longer strides and more power.</p><h2><b>Bauer Nexus 1000</b></h2><p>Bauer is adding a third skate/stick/protection family, Nexus, in September. The Nexus 1000 is the high-end skate in the line and is designed to offer most of the performance features of the Supreme TotalOne NXG and Vapor APX in a third fit profile for players who need a wider, roomier boot. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a softer boot compared to TotalOne or APX,&rdquo; said Keith Duffy, Bauer senior category manager. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s designed to fit a wider foot that requires more volume and has a higher in-step.&rdquo;</p><p>The Nexus 1000 has a traditional look, down to a water wicking interior that looks like leather. But don&rsquo;t think of the Nexus 1000 as a jazzed-up replacement of the old Bauer Flexlite models. It is a true elite skate in terms of technology, weight and price and was worn by NHLers, including Mike Richards and Ryan Kesler in 2011-12.</p><p>The Nexus 1000 uses a Tech-Mesh construction that&rsquo;s different than Supreme or Vapor and includes a thick pro felt tongue and molded metatarsal guard. Under the boot are Bauer&rsquo;s signature Lightspeed 2 blade holder and LS fusion blade.</p><h2><b>Bauer Supreme TotalOne NXG</b></h2><p>Bauer&rsquo;s new top-of-the-line Supreme TotalOne NXG hit the retail market in April after several months in the NHL. And the story behind the flagship Supreme model is all about increased range of motion for a more fluid, efficient stride.</p><p>The NXG&rsquo;s flexible tendon guard and tongue work together to give players the ability to get out over their skates more and added extension as they finish and push through.</p><p>Bauer says the skates hit an optimal balance of freedom of movement versus the right amount of support. &ldquo;You get five added degrees of flex, which translates  to around 15 percent more range of motion,&rdquo; Duffy said. &ldquo;Depending on your skating stride, you might notice the difference right away.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-01239/9656237-1-eng-US/f0056-012.jpg" title="f0056-01" width="1257" height="1091"></div><p>The NXG is the lightest performance skate at about 700 grams for a Size 8. Bauer, which claims roughly a 70 percent share of the hockey skate market, said an increasing number of players are gravitating to its Supreme family.</p><h2><b>Easton Stealth RS</b></h2><p>Easton has run into challenges in the high-end skate market, but it is taking a new run with the Stealth RS, which will arrive shortly at retailers.</p><p>According to Neil Wensley, who over-sees Easton&rsquo;s skate development, the Stealth RS is based on players&rsquo; feedback on previous Easton skate models. &ldquo;The goal was to create a skate that was lighter, more responsive through the quarter panels and designed with a slightly lower profile to maximize mobility and forward flexion,&rdquo; he said.</p><p>The Stealth RS has fused composite side panels, Easton&rsquo;s own approach to a tendon guard/tongue combination and a comfort edge to create a softer top line during cornering.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-02157/9656230-1-eng-US/f0056-022.jpg" title="f0056-02" width="1084" height="1167"></div><p>More new skate ideas will be coming from Easton thanks to its November 2011 acquisition of MLX Skate&rsquo;s technology. MLX had provided composite-based skates to a handful of NHLers, including Evgeni Malkin.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0057-01225/9656223-1-eng-US/f0057-012.jpg" title="f0057-01" width="2213" height="1891"></div><h2><b>Reebok 20K Pump</b></h2><p>Optimizing the combination of flexibility and stiffness is also a theme for Reebok&rsquo;s revised Pump skate line, led by the 20K. A Dynamic Support System solidifies the 20K, controls flexion and works with a metal mesh-reinforced fused composite quarter to maximize energy transmission.</p><p>One major online retailer said the 20K&rsquo;s reinforcement is &ldquo;like melting four composite materials together&rdquo; instead of layering them. The result is a major upgrade that provides stiffness, yet flexibility in the correct areas. &ldquo;The system of reinforcement was the big thing we worked on for this year,&rdquo; said Andrew Stewart, Reebok&rsquo;s skate product manager.</p><p>In the &ldquo;spinal zone&rdquo; of the skate, wrapped composite fibers oriented at zero and 90 degrees provide support and lock the heel in place. In a &ldquo;flexion zone,&rdquo; composite fibers at a 45-degree angle improve the skater&rsquo;s flexion ability.</p><p>The 20K Pump also has a new flexion tendon guard that, like the Bauer Supreme TotalOne NXG, delivers a greater range of motion and longer stride.</p><p>Reebok&rsquo;s signature Pump feature &mdash; an inflatable bladder that locks the rear part of the foot in place &ndash; is offered on the brand&rsquo;s skates down to the 9K in 2012.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0058-01241/9656216-1-eng-US/f0058-012.jpg" title="f0058-01" width="550" height="3261"></div><h2><b>Reebok 20K SicKick</b></h2><p>Reebok will launch the new 20K SicKick stick at retail in the fall. St. Louis Blues left winger David Perron has been providing a sneak peak of the new model since March and other NHLers, including Sidney Crosby and Patrice Bergeron are expected to make the switch.</p><p>The 20K is positioned as an evolution of the 11K and has enhanced technologies such as the Dual Matrix II construction for a spring-loaded effect, upgrades to the Guided Blade system for better shooting precision and a new grip system. &ldquo;The SicKick family of sticks has grown in double digits with every launch,&rdquo; said Olivier Camet, senior product manager. &ldquo;More and more elite players are making it their stick of choice. SicKick is a true franchise for Reebok that continues to perform year-in, year-out.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0058-02161/9656209-1-eng-US/f0058-022.jpg" title="f0058-02" width="697" height="813"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>DAVID PERRON</b> <span class="photo-credit">(PERRON: GLENN JAMES/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0058-0393/9656202-1-eng-US/f0058-032.jpg" title="f0058-03" width="547" height="3273"></div><h2><b>CCM RBZ Powered by TaylorMade</b></h2><p>CCM&rsquo;s RBZ stick, a collaboration with golf specialist TaylorMade, debuted in 2011-12 with only a couple of top rookies, Colorado&rsquo;s Gabriel Landeskog and Edmonton&rsquo;s Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. CCM has said only that the stick has a &ldquo;revolutionary blade technology that will be a game-changer&rdquo; and wouldn&rsquo;t provide more details until an announcement at the draft.</p><p>&ldquo;The demand for the RBZ from NHL players has been absolutely unprecedented,&rdquo; Camet said. &ldquo;However, we are keeping distribution limited to young guns such as Landeskog and Nugent-Hopkins for now until we open it up to other players during the summer.</p><p>&ldquo;So not only does it look like consumers will have to wait to try the new CCM RBZ, but NHL players also find themselves in a rare position of having to wait for this revolutionary new product that is sure to shake up the industry.&rdquo;</p><p>Other pros will get the stick over the summer. It will start shipping to retailers by the fall.</p><p>How did the unlikely partnership between Reebok-CCM and TaylorMade come about? Both are owned by Adidas Group.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-01197/9656195-1-eng-US/f0059-012.jpg" title="f0059-01" width="532" height="3263"></div><h2><b>Bauer Nexus 1000</b></h2><p>The new Bauer Nexus 1000 stick will lead a line that includes Nexus 600 and 400 models at lower price points.</p><p>According to Evan Baker, stick product manager, the Nexus 1000 is inspired by a model Bauer has been making only for pros and elite players the past few seasons. The stick has a different flex profile than those on high-end Supreme and Vapor models. &ldquo;Vapor and Supreme have very distinct and dynamic flex profiles created by where the stick is stiff versus where the stick is soft,&rdquo; Baker said. &ldquo;Nexus, on the other hand, has a very uniform, almost simple flex profile that allows for an effortless release with explosive power.&rdquo;</p><p>Nearly 30 percent of Bauer pro/elite players were using sticks that were the basis for Nexus, Baker added: &ldquo;With that kind of success, we knew that we had to bring this to market and are very confident that a great deal of consumers will enjoy using this stick.&rdquo;</p><p>Nexus products will begin arriving at retailers this summer.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-02125/9656188-1-eng-US/f0059-022.jpg" title="f0059-02" width="464" height="2987"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-0392/9656181-1-eng-US/f0059-032.jpg" title="f0059-03" width="535" height="2764"></div><h2><b>Warrior Diablo SE</b></h2><p>When Boston D-Man Zdeno Chara set a record at the NHL Skills Competition with a 108.8 mph shot, he did it with a new Warrior Diablo SE stick.</p><p>Granted, the 6-foot-9 Slovak had a custom model that was longer, thicker and had a stiffer flex (130) than production versions and Chara admitted the stick he used in the slap shot competition &ldquo;was a little stiffer than what I used in games,&rdquo; but you get the idea.</p><p>Diablo SE models that aren&rsquo;t Charasized weigh 440 grams (less than a pound). The sticks have a Pro-Balance blade and handle design for improved feel and weight distribution, along with 10K carbon blades. Even retail versions have an extra three inches of length to avoid use of extension and end plugs that alter balance.</p><p>The Diablo SE is available in all-white with a crushed velvet grip and in black and yellow with a matte clear grip.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-0473/9656174-1-eng-US/f0059-042.jpg" title="f0059-04" width="697" height="813"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ZDENO CHARA</b> <span class="photo-credit">(CHARA: DAVE SANDFORD/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0060-01193/9656167-1-eng-US/f0060-012.jpg" title="f0060-01" width="602" height="3254"></div><h2><b>Sher-Wood Nexon n12</b></h2><p>Sher-Wood was best known as legacy maker of wood sticks. Now dealers and an increasing number of players say the brand has done a great job catching up in the composite category with affordable performance models that are worth checking out.</p><p>The Nexon n12 is Sher-Wood&rsquo;s top-of-the-line model, weighing 430 grams with a $189.99 price tag. It has a one-piece spear shaft construction, which extends down to the heel of the blade so it&rsquo;s in direct contact with the puck for improved feel. &ldquo;The true one-piece construction allows us to refine the flexing profile of the stick so we were able to make an active low kickpoint,&rdquo; said Louis-Philippe Mathieu, stick product manager. &ldquo;Basically, the stick has more flexibility in its lower portion so you don&rsquo;t have to lean that much into your shot to get a quick shot.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0060-02117/9656160-1-eng-US/f0060-022.jpg" title="f0060-02" width="520" height="3264"></div><h2><b>Sher-Wood T90</b></h2><p>Mathieu said the Sher-Wood T90 is &ldquo;without a doubt the stick in the market-place that gives you the biggest bang for your buck.&rdquo;</p><p>The T90 weighs 475 grams, is made of 100 percent high-modulus woven carbon fiber and costs $129.99. &ldquo;I dare anyone to walk into a store and ask for a stick that offers the most value within a $100 to $150 budget,&rdquo; Mathieu said. &ldquo;One hundred percent of the time, the sales staff will put a T90 in your hands.&rdquo;</p><p>The stick is durable and available in a wide range of graphics &ndash; including Undercover Grip &ndash; patterns and grips.</p><h2><b>Easton MAKO</b></h2><p>The iconic Synergy label is out at Easton and the &lsquo;Great White&rsquo; MAKO is in the water with pros and retail.</p><p>Compliments are flowing in according to hockey product manager Mike Mountain, who was happy to share player comments about the MAKO such as: &ldquo;Light, responsive and receiving passes was so soft; the stick felt like a magic wand. It did everything asked of it.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-01180/9656153-1-eng-US/f0061-012.jpg" title="f0061-01" width="741" height="483"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>KEITH YANDLE</b> <span class="photo-credit">(YANDLE: CHRISTIAN PETERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>The graphite/Kevlar MAKO is intended to give players quick hands to help beat goalies with shots in close. The key to this is a light blade, resulting in a stick with a higher balance point. &ldquo;It has a great feel and nice pop,&rdquo; Mountain said. &ldquo;The blade is fine-tuned and includes some our of technologies such as a ribbed construction and bladder, along with a non-skid blade coating texture that creates a unique feel and keeps the tape on your blade.&rdquo;</p><p>Other early reviews said the stick has unbelievable feel, balance and blade response, with no blade torque or twisting. Players note the stick effectively dampens any composite ping when you receive a pass and makes their hands better, while powering smooth, quick releases.</p><p>Among the first NHLers to switch were Jiri Hudler, Matt Cooke, Keith Yandle and Radim Vrbata.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-02123/9656146-1-eng-US/f0061-022.jpg" title="f0061-02" width="2536" height="540"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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Get Your Gear On

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0062-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0062-01192/9656275-1-eng-US/f0062-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ILLUSTRATION BY MEGAN LEONARD)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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