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Fully Loaded, Fall 2012

The Hockey News Fully Loaded Fall 2012

<div class="byline">WORDS BY RYAN KENNEDY </div><div class="byline">PHOTOS BY MATT BROWN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-011303/9668407-1-eng-US/f0038-012.jpg" title="f0038-01" width="617" height="548"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span></b>t&rsquo;s late July and the weather in Los Angeles is stereotypically beautiful. Walking around the sprawling complex known at the Home Depot Center, I see the tennis stadium, the soccer pitch the L.A. Galaxy use and a full-sized, functioning velodrome. Oh, and Chicago Bulls superstar Derrick Rose just passed me in the hallway. Dang.</p><p>I&rsquo;m working, but there&rsquo;s a bunch of teenagers putting in a lot more sweat equity in the middle of the velodrome. They are some of the top prospects for the 2013 NHL draft and are all represented by Creative Artists Agency, whose top clients include Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Toews and the Sedin twins. About 50 kids aged 13-17 are in L.A. for a week of expert seminars (Crosby&rsquo;s concussion doctor was there), physical training and fun (they get to meet Jerry Bruckheimer).</p><p>On this day, the kids are receiving their instructions from Athletes&rsquo; Performance, under the dutiful eye of performance manager Chang-Ho Lee. It&rsquo;s a tough hour and a half, but the kids are more than happy to get the expertise. &ldquo;It was my third year here, so I knew what to expect,&rdquo; said Edmonton Oil Kings center Curtis Lazar. &ldquo;The first day we go through testing &ndash; a bunch of mobility stuff &ndash; and we just got our individual analysis so we can bring that back home to our club teams and we&rsquo;ll know what to work on.&rdquo;</p><p>In the next few pages, you&rsquo;ll meet some of the big names who were at the camp and learn the exercises they did. Applications for hockey were obvious. &ldquo;I like the lateral movement we&rsquo;re doing,&rdquo; said Regina Pats pivot Morgan Klimchuk. &ldquo;That is a big part of the agility side of the game. It gets you moving from side-to-side so you can get to the puck quicker and win foot races.&rdquo;</p><p>The next day, the kids were in the sand at Venice Beach, working with fitness guru T.R. Goodman, most famous for his work with Chris Chelios. Goodman put his charges through a series of lunges. &ldquo;The reason we do the training on the beach is to get the accumulated tension in the body out of the body,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;In the case of hockey players, that wear pattern from doing that skating motion over and over again &ndash; certain muscles get overused and they get tight and short. It leads to a variety of issues such as sports hernias and back problems. So when we come out here in the sand, by doing the movements over and over, it allows the tension in the body to be released. The sand is very forgiving.&rdquo;</p><p>The sand was great for me, too, but I wasn&rsquo;t the one working toward stardom.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-011192/9668400-1-eng-US/f0039-012.jpg" title="f0039-01" width="2075" height="1155"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-02793/9668393-1-eng-US/f0039-022.jpg" title="f0039-02" width="1377" height="1684"></div><h2><b>SETH JONES</b></h2><p><i>Portland Winterhawks (WHL), Defense</i></p><p>One of the most highly anticipated prospects of 2013, Jones will battle buddy Nathan MacKinnon for the No. 1 slot in the draft, though it may come down to which team picks first and what position it needs to fill. The middle son of former NBA baller Popeye Jones (all three kids play stick instead of hoops), Seth is naturally an athletic specimen whose all-around game was lauded during his time with Team USA&rsquo;s national team development program. He chose Portland over a number of big NCAA suitors and only missed last year&rsquo;s world juniors due to injury.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-03626/9668386-1-eng-US/f0039-032.jpg" title="f0039-03" width="185" height="194"></div><h3><b>Workout Song</b></h3><p><i>Frick Park Market</i> By Mac Miller</p><h2><b>CHEST FLY</b></h2><p><i>Stagger Stance with Cable</i></p><p>With the weight on the machine behind you here, the benefits of the chest fly are aimed at the upper body, naturally, along with the overall core muscles. This is an isolation movement, which brings different value to the table than, say, pushups or chest presses (known as compound movements). The stagger stance of the legs forces you to concentrate on your center in order to maintain balance. The overall fitness routine practised that day included two stations. &ldquo;We concentrate on upper body pull and lower body push, then the opposite,&rdquo; Lee said.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-01896/9668379-1-eng-US/f0040-012.jpg" title="f0040-01" width="2056" height="2217"></div><h2><b>TYLER HILL</b></h2><p><i>Hotchkiss Bearcats (HS-Conn), Left Wing</i></p><p>A towering specimen at 6-foot-6, 220 pounds, Hill was drafted by the Ontario League&rsquo;s Ottawa 67&rsquo;s, but he was also considering the United States League&rsquo;s Muskegon Lumberjacks in order to keep his college eligibility. With his size, it&rsquo;s no surprise he models his game after legendary power forward Eric Lindros. Hill&rsquo;s father is a Mohawk and the left winger lived on an aboriginal reserve until he was 12 years old. Since then, Hill decamped for prep school at Hotchkiss in Connecticut, where he blossomed.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-02571/9668372-1-eng-US/f0040-022.jpg" title="f0040-02" width="222" height="232"></div><h3><b>Workout Song</b></h3><p><i>Power</i> By Kanye West</p><h2><b>SPLIT SQUATS</b></h2><p><i>With dumbbell and slide (contra lateral)</i></p><p>This is a great exercise for skating, as the emphasis is on lower body strength, specifically the glutes and quad muscles. The dumbbell goes on the same side of the body as the sliding leg and naturally form is important here. &ldquo;We can build muscles big,&rdquo; Lee said. &ldquo;But if you don&rsquo;t have co-ordination and stability, it&rsquo;s useless.&rdquo; The back leg does the lion&rsquo;s share of movement here, gliding back and forth on the slide surface in a controlled manner. The arm holding the dumbbell does not bend when rising.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-01775/9668365-1-eng-US/f0041-012.jpg" title="f0041-01" width="2075" height="1169"></div><h2><b>NATHAN MACKINNON</b></h2><p><i>Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL), Center</i></p><p>A Maritime phenom who headed to Shattuck St-Mary&rsquo;s in Minnesota before a triumphant return to his hometown Mooseheads, MacKinnon will be the most coveted forward in the draft this season. His offensive skills and clutch play have already been aired out in the Quebec League playoffs, where he helped The Herd come back from a 3-0 deficit against the Remparts to take the semifinal series in seven games. As deep as Canada is, a world junior spot seems pretty natural for him.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-03410/9668358-1-eng-US/f0041-032.jpg" title="f0041-03" width="222" height="232"></div><h3><b>Workout Song</b></h3><p><i>Hypnotize</i> By Notorious B.I.G.</p><h2><b>RESISTED LATERAL SHUFFLE</b></h2><p><i>With bungee cord</i></p><p>The key to executing this drill effectively is to push your body as you leap across; resist the urge to pull the weight as the bungee cord restrains you. Hockey features a lot of lateral movement: &ldquo;Everything is focused on pushing through the hips,&rdquo; Lee said. Mechanics are also a little wonky on ice; when a golfer or baseball player makes contact with the ball, their feet are always aligned with their hips &ndash; not so when you&rsquo;re cracking a slapshot and your core twists and turns.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-02505/9668351-1-eng-US/f0041-022.jpg" title="f0041-02" width="2065" height="1105"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-01823/9668344-1-eng-US/f0042-012.jpg" title="f0042-01" width="1013" height="2216"></div><h2><b>MORGAN KLIMCHUK</b></h2><p><i>Regina Pats (WHL), Center</i></p><p>Lauded by scouts for his quick feet and hands, Klimchuk was a highly rated prospect coming into the WHL and has not disappointed during his brief time in Regina. This year, he&rsquo;s hoping to lead the Pats to a deep playoff run and was rewarded for his talent with a spot on Canada&rsquo;s Ivan Hlinka team in August. Klimchuk sees his best skills as his hockey sense and vision, while striving to improve on his rookie campaign in Regina by earning time on special teams.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-03416/9668337-1-eng-US/f0042-032.jpg" title="f0042-03" width="222" height="232"></div><h3><b>Workout Song</b></h3><p><i>Face Down</i> By Red Jumpsuit Apparatus</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-02528/9668330-1-eng-US/f0042-022.jpg" title="f0042-02" width="1014" height="2217"></div><h2><b>PLYOMETRICS MEDIAL HOP</b></h2><p><i>With resisted band</i></p><p>Many of the exercises done in this section featured the resisted band, worn just above the knees. Plyometrics have become popular in hockey circles thanks to the explosiveness the movements nurture in muscles, which is naturally a benefit for skaters. In the Medial Hop (seen here with the added difficulty of a row of short hurdles), the outside leg does the work &ndash; taking off over the hurdle and landing, preferably gently. The inside leg is bent at a 90 degree angle and should be kept relatively static.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-01804/9668323-1-eng-US/f0043-012.jpg" title="f0043-01" width="2056" height="2217"></div><h2><b>CURTIS LAZAR</b></h2><p><i>Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL), Center</i></p><p>Like Klimchuk, Lazar came into the &lsquo;Dub&rsquo; with great expectations and has already made noise. At the Canadian Winter Games last year, he broke Steven Stamkos&rsquo; record by scoring 12 goals in six games, then beat some guy named Sidney Crosby by tallying 17 points overall. On top of that, Lazar helped the Oil Kings to the franchise&rsquo;s first WHL title and a spot in the Memorial Cup thanks to a 19-point effort in 20 post-season games. With Edmonton losing some talent this year, Lazar will be a focal point.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-02556/9668316-1-eng-US/f0043-022.jpg" title="f0043-02" width="222" height="232"></div><h3><b>Workout Song</b></h3><p><i>Lose Yourself</i> By Eminem</p><h2><b>SIX CONE DRILL</b></h2><p><i>Lateral shuffle with acceleration</i></p><p>The CAA kids were split into two groups and switched between two sets of exercises, but they all came together at the end for some good ol&rsquo; fashioned running. Once again, lateral movement was an important area to focus on. This winding six-cone drill incorporates side-to-side running and full-on sprinting between the pylons, offering up a variety of movements to plunge through. Note how similar Lazar&rsquo;s form on the hardwood is just as it would be to a stop and start on the ice.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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In This Issue

BUILDING A BEAST

<div class="byline">&#x2013; TAYLOR ROCCA</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>R</span>OBERTO LUONGO TOOK</b> a backseat to Cory Schneider at the end of Vancouver&rsquo;s short-lived playoff run, but during a tumultuous off-season, in which he was the subject of endless trade rumors, the veteran netminder fared well on the felt.</p><p>Luongo and brother Fabio competed in the World Series of Poker main event, which ran from July 7-16 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. Though Fabio placed ahead of his brother, finishing 418th and walking away with $28,530, Roberto placed 634th, bringing home $19,227.</p><p>There were 6,598 entries for the $10,000 buy-in no-limit hold &lsquo;em tournament with just 666 reaching the money. Notable celebrities in attendance (none of whom cashed) included actor/comedian Ray Romano, who was eliminated on Day 1, and Jason Alexander of <i>Seinfeld</i> fame and actress Jennifer Tilly, both eliminated on Day 2.</p><p>Canadian Daniel Negreanu, the 2004 WSOP player of the year and a huge hockey fan, placed 160th and took home $52,718.</p><p>The final table will be played in October with nine players remaining. Jesse Sylvia of the United States leads with 43,875,000 chips. Eight of the nine remaining players hail from the U.S. with Andras Koroknai of Hungary the lone outsider.</p><p>The winner of the main event will cart out more than $8.5 million.</p><p>Despite taking home a decent haul at the latest WSOP tables, Luongo, who&rsquo;s entering the third season of a 12-year contract that will pay him a total of $64 million, might want to stick to his on-ice day job.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-021451/9667444-1-eng-US/f0009-022.jpg" title="f0009-02" width="605" height="605"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(LUONGO: ETHAN MILLER/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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Bobby Lu Buys In On Poker’s Biggest Stage

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0029-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-011268/9668184-1-eng-US/f0029-012.jpg"></div><p><b><a href="http://THN.COM/DIGITAL">THN.COM/DIGITAL</a></b></p><p><b>GET IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS,</b> CUTTING OPINIONS AND <b>END-TO-END COVERAGE</b> OF ALL 30 NHL TEAMS <b>AND BEYOND!</b></p><p><b>ACTIVATE YOUR DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION TODAY!</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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STAY CONNECTED ANYTIME, ANYWHERE

<div class="byline">WORDS BY KEN CAMPBELL </div><div class="byline">PHOTOS BY A.J. MESSIER PHOTOGRAPHY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0030-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-011447/9668285-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(MIKE STOBE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES & JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-011422/9668278-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg" title="f0032-01" width="2131" height="1342"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>WUNDERKIND AND WITNESS</b></p><p>Taylor Hall, left, was in the stands when John Tavares scored his first goal in the OHL in 2005.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(TAVARES: CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span></b>t was the night of Sept. 23, 2005 at the Kingston Memorial Centre. John Tavares was three days removed from blowing out the 15 candles on his cake. Taylor Hall was two months away from celebrating his 14th birthday.</p><p>In his first Ontario League game, Tavares was killing a penalty for the Oshawa Generals when he picked up a loose puck at center ice, blew past a defender and went top shelf on poor Danny Taylor of the Kingston Frontenacs for the first of his record 215 career OHL goals. &ldquo;I remember it like it was yesterday,&rdquo; Tavares said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s still one of the nicest goals I&rsquo;ve ever scored.&rdquo;</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">I LOVE THE GAME AND I WANT TO EXCEL AT IT. THERE&rsquo;S THAT DRIVE AND FIRE TO WIN. THAT&rsquo;S WHAT GETS ME UP EVERY MORNING<br>JOHN TAVARES</blockquote><p>Taylor Hall remembers it, too. He was sitting in the seats with a couple of friends at the Memorial Centre that night. The first thing that struck him was that a kid who was barely 15 was out killing penalties in his first OHL game against players five years older. The second thing that struck him was Tavares&rsquo; skill level. Hall was beginning to show a fair bit of that particular dimension himself as a minor hockey player in Kingston and remembered thinking that night that maybe, just maybe, he would cross paths with Tavares someday in the OHL, perhaps even the NHL.</p><p>Seven years later, Tavares and Hall are two of the most dynamic young talents in the world&rsquo;s top league. Both were taken first overall in the NHL draft, Tavares in 2009 and Hall a year later, thrusting both players into the midst of massive rebuilds with their NHL teams and forcing both to adjust to trying times after so many years of success in both minor hockey and the OHL. Heck, Hall had two Memorial Cups to his name by the time he joined the moribund Edmonton Oilers as the first of their three consecutive No. 1 overall picks.</p><p>When the two faced each other as celebrity coaches for the Allstate All-Canadians Mentorship Camp put on by the NHL Players&rsquo; Association this July, they took some time to reflect on careers that have, notwithstanding a spate of injuries to Hall, taken similar paths both on and off the ice. The maturation process for both players continues as their teams continue to find their way on the ice. Off the ice, it&rsquo;s a work in progress as well. Tavares spent two of his first three years living with Doug Weight and his family, but will move into his own digs this season. Hall, on the other hand, shares a place with fellow Oilers wunderkind Jordan Eberle, who once referred to Hall as a slob when it comes to keeping up his share of the cleanliness responsibilities.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-02961/9668271-1-eng-US/f0032-022.jpg" title="f0032-02" width="465" height="506"></div><p>Tavares is the OHL&rsquo;s all-time leading goal-scorer with 215, having filled the net at a rate of .87 goals per game. Hall was a ways behind at .67, but captured two Memorial Cups, which Tavares never won. <b>215</b></p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-011266/9668264-1-eng-US/f0033-012.jpg" title="f0033-01" width="2312" height="3176"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-011441/9668257-1-eng-US/f0034-012.jpg" title="f0034-01" width="2840" height="2083"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>HEDGING ON HITCHING</b></p><p>At only 20 years old, Hall doesn&rsquo;t expect to be getting married any time soon. He says roommate and fellow phenom Jordan Eberle will be the first to tie the knot.</p></figcaption></div><p>A little harsh, perhaps, but Hall doesn&rsquo;t mind. He takes care of the grocery shopping for the Hall/Eberle household, which is a little like being in charge of purchasing winter wear in sub-Saharan Africa. Hall finds that when he slips a ball cap over his head, he can go to the grocery store without being hassled. The partnership works and Hall sees it lasting for the foreseeable future. &ldquo;Whenever he gets married, I guess,&rdquo; Hall said when asked when he and Eberle will go their separate ways. &ldquo;It will be him before me, so whenever he finds that lucky girl and finally decides to move away from me.&rdquo;</p><p>And how exactly does Hall know for sure that Eberle will tie the knot first? &ldquo;I just know,&rdquo; Hall said, &ldquo;because he falls in love easily.&rdquo;</p><p>Well played, Mr. Hall, well played.</p><p>As you can tell, there&rsquo;s no shortage of confidence or personality in Hall or Tavares. Both are comfortable in their own skin and, unlike a lot of young players, are perfectly at ease talking about themselves, their lives and their games. Tavares has been that way since he was 14 and beginning  to make a name for himself as a prodigious player for the Toronto Marlies minor hockey organization. It was around that time the Canadian Hockey League changed its rules to let players with &ldquo;exceptional status&rdquo; play major junior as 15-year-olds, a move that has become known as &ldquo;the Tavares rule.&rdquo;</p><p>Seven years after becoming the first exceptional-status player in the CHL, Tavares found himself working at the NHLPA camp with 15-year-old phenom Connor McDavid, another prodigy produced by the Toronto Marlies and just the third player to receive exceptional status (Barrie Colts defenseman Aaron Ekblad is the other). McDavid, who will play for the Erie Otters, gained a huge fan in Tavares. McDavid came to him during the camp and peppered him with questions about what to expect as an underage player in his first OHL season. Although Tavares hadn&rsquo;t seen McDavid play until the camp, he saw a lot of himself in the young man. &ldquo;I told him if he ever needed any advice, he could call me any time,&rdquo; Tavares said. &ldquo;Mostly I just told him that this really changes your life, this really starts the path to you wanting to be an NHL player. The way you do things and the way you approach the game is what I tried to help him with. His work ethic and his talent, there&rsquo;s not that much that needs to be said about that. When I saw him play, the level he was playing at was far and beyond his years. It was incredible to watch.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-011338/9668250-1-eng-US/f0035-012.jpg" title="f0035-01" width="1582" height="800"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>FRANCHISE SAVIORS</b></p><p>Hall and Tavares came into the NHL with burdensome expectations. Both have been charged with turning around former dynasties that won four Stanley Cups each in the 1980s. Their respective clubs have been mired in futility the past 20 seasons with Edmonton making the playoffs only eight times and the Islanders just six.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(HALL: ANDY DEVLIN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>It also gave Tavares a chance to look back upon the journey that began for him when he was just 14. In some ways, it feels so long ago, but Tavares has learned that as he gets older, time seems to be fleeting. In many ways, Tavares is a completely different person than the one who showed up in Oshawa amid all those ex pectations. On the other hand, time has passed so quickly he doesn&rsquo;t feel like much has changed at all. &ldquo;Those memories of my first camp and my first year in Oshawa in many ways feel like just yesterday,&rdquo; Tavares said. &ldquo;It was really the beginning of a journey that has me where I am now. When I was drafted (into the NHL), it feels like that was yesterday as well, but it&rsquo;s already been three seasons.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-02953/9668243-1-eng-US/f0035-022.jpg" title="f0035-02" width="1155" height="1569"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-011342/9668236-1-eng-US/f0036-012.jpg" title="f0036-01" width="936" height="1226"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>LEGENDARY GENES</b></p><p>Tavares grew up idolizing his uncle, with the same first name, who&rsquo;s widely recognized as the greatest lacrosse player of all-time. The younger John, who now casts the biggest shadow in the family, even served as a ball boy for the elder&rsquo;s Buffalo Bandits.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(TAVARES: MIKE STOBE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>For many elite players, their third NHL season is the breakout campaign and it was no exception for Tavares, who put up 31 goals and 81 points and established himself as the go-to player for Canada at the World Championship. After two seasons in which Hall has suffered freak injuries that have put him on the shelf for an extended period of time, this should be his year to make a move.</p><p>Both Hall and Tavares have endured difficult times from a team standpoint, playing in markets where the post-season is a fading memory. Tavares showed his commitment to the slow, painful rebuild on Long Island by signing a sixyear deal worth $33 million last summer. Both franchises are still struggling to find their way. &ldquo;This year is probably the year where we take that step and we really have to be a playoff team.&rdquo; Hall said. &ldquo;This is where we finally give back to our fans who have come out every night, even when we were 30th, 30th, 29th. This is where we set the tone for the next 10 or 15 years.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-02909/9668229-1-eng-US/f0036-022.jpg" title="f0036-02" width="1576" height="373"></div><p>Hall is one of the corner-stones of the rebuild in Edmonton, one that comes with a new downtown arena on the way and an energized fan base that has had the pleasure of seeing prodigious young talents such as Hall, Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins develop. And those three will soon be joined by 2012 first overall pick Nail Yakupov. It helps Hall to have so many young cohorts around, even if it means sharing the spotlight. Take marriage proposals, for instance. By Hall&rsquo;s estimation, he&rsquo;s pulling up the rear. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m pretty positive I&rsquo;m last in that category,&rdquo; Hall said. &ldquo;The younger ones tend to like &lsquo;Nuge&rsquo; a lot because he&rsquo;s younger and &lsquo;Ebs,&rsquo; he gets a lot of those because they like his gapped tooth. He&rsquo;s got a good smile and when you look at him, you say, &lsquo;Oh, he&rsquo;s a personable guy.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p><p>Things aren&rsquo;t so rosy on Long Island, where the Islanders are in a constant battle for relevance. After years of finishing at or near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, they&rsquo;re not expected to do much better this season. But Tavares is a beacon of hope on Long Island, a place where there hasn&rsquo;t been much optimism in recent years.</p><p>Like Hall, Tavares came into the NHL with a string of personal and team accomplishments to his credit. Coming to a situation where the team loses so much can be rather discouraging, but Tavares wants to be part of the solution. And the learning and maturing process has made him into the force he has become in the NHL.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-03752/9668222-1-eng-US/f0036-032.jpg" title="f0036-03" width="2878" height="1903"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>THIRD TIME&rsquo;S THE CHARM</b></p><p>Tavares had his breakthrough NHL season in Year 3 with 31 goals and 81 points. If he can stay healthy, Hall expects to follow suit in his third campaign.</p></figcaption></div><blockquote class="pullQuote">THIS IS THE YEAR WE FINALLY GIVE BACK TO OUR FANS WHO HAVE COME OUT EACH NIGHT. THIS IS WHERE WE SET THE TONE FOR THE NEXT 10 OR 15 YEARS<br>TAYLOR HALL</blockquote><p>And players often walk a fine line with failure. You play for a team that loses so much and it&rsquo;s often easy to accept, particularly in a market where there&rsquo;s not a lot of scrutiny or accountability. But the opposite is true for Tavares. All the losses have made him even hungrier for team success at the NHL level. &ldquo;Sometimes it takes some time to get there and you learn a lot,&rdquo; Tavares said. &ldquo;You learn how to hate to lose and you learn a lot about yourself during those tough times. Sometimes the culture can be a little different where losing is more acceptable, but I don&rsquo;t know if it&rsquo;s just the way some people are bred or how much pride or passion they put into what they do, but I know how much I love the game and how much I want to excel at it. There&rsquo;s that drive and fire to win. That&rsquo;s what gets me up every morning.&rdquo;</p><p>All in all, life is very good for Hall and Tavares. Both are at the top of their professions and as guys in their early 20s, have productive careers ahead. With his track record playing for Canada and what he has accomplished so far in the NHL, Tavares has the inside track for a spot on Canada&rsquo;s Olympic team in 2014 should the NHL participate, but with a breakout season in 2012-13 and a good start in 2013-14, Hall will have something to say about that. And he will continue to do so in a market where the scrutiny is intense. &ldquo;It keeps you honest,&rdquo; Hall said. &ldquo;If I go eight games without a goal, people notice, but if you do that in other places, you can just work yourself out of the slump. We all love playing in Edmonton. We all love playing in a place where they care.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-011198/9668215-1-eng-US/f0037-012.jpg" title="f0037-01" width="165" height="164"></div><p><b>CHECK IT OUT!</b></p><p>One-on-one interview with Taylor Hall at <b><a href="http://thn.com/hall1on1">thn.com/hall1on1</a></b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0030-01

PARALLEL UNIVERSES

<div class="byline">BY MATT LARKIN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0008-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-012327/9667413-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>SUMMER WORK, WINTER PLAY</b></p><p>J.P. Arencibia works as a catcher, but he&rsquo;s a full-time hockey fan in his off-season.</p></figcaption></div><p><b>I</b>t was a typical Major League Baseball clubhouse on a Sunday morning. Almost.</p><p>All the spoils were there: Leather couches, big screen TVs, vending machines and sprawling stalls for each player, large enough to fit not just his baseball wardrobe, but enough street clothes to outfit you or me for a month.</p><p>Future Hall of Famer Omar Vizquel, in all his grey-haired glory, sauntered around the room <i>sans</i> shirt, displaying better physique at 45 than all his teammates. Rangy centerfielder Colby Rasmus kicked back on a recliner, watching reality TV and asking me to explain the rules of a dating show in his deep southern twang.</p><p>But squinting closer, a few items didn&rsquo;t belong. A hockey stick protruded from third baseman Brett Lawrie&rsquo;s locker. A brand-new Logan Couture San Jose Sharks jersey stood out like a sore thumb in pitcher Ricky Romero&rsquo;s stall.</p><p>It could only have been one MLB clubhouse: that of the Toronto Blue Jays, a team smack in the middle of a mutual love affair with the NHL.</p><p>It&rsquo;s not a shock the NHL, a league full of Canadians, has so many players who call the Jays their favorite MLB team, but it may be a surprise just how devoted they are in their fanhood. &ldquo;They know about us,&rdquo; said Blue Jays catcher J.P. Arencibia, who lives in Nashville and cheers on the Predators in the off-season. &ldquo;Talking to Brian McGrattan in the locker room the first time I met him, he&rsquo;s asking me questions that make me know he watches these games closely. Shea Weber, all these guys I&rsquo;ve come across, they&rsquo;re just huge fans. Like a Logan Couture. Like a Jamie McGinn. Brandon Prust. A lot of guys really follow the Blue Jays. For me it&rsquo;s cool, because the feeling is mutual. Watching these guys now, I&rsquo;m pumped to see them do well, too.&rdquo;</p><p>As Romero explained, the list of NHLers-turned Jays fans also includes Steven Stamkos, Drew Doughty, Michael Del Zotto, Paul Bissonnette and Teddy Purcell. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s so many that I&rsquo;m forgetting some,&rdquo; Romero said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s awesome. I know more and more of the guys and now every time they come in town, they shoot me a text, they come to the game.&rdquo;</p><p>The Jays&rsquo; relationship with the NHL has the reverse effect, too. The ballplayers know more about hockey than ever and are developing a soft spot for it. That&rsquo;s no big revelation for Lawrie, a Langley, B.C., native, but it&rsquo;s not what you expect to hear from Arencibia and Romero, who hail from Miami and Los Angeles, respectively. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve learned more,&rdquo; Arencibia said. &ldquo;My cousin played roller hockey growing up in Miami. I understood the game. I used to go watch his games. I always enjoyed hockey since I was a kid going to Florida Panthers games. But I definitely understand the sport a lot more now, what&rsquo;s going on, the game in the game.</p><p>&ldquo;I have the Center Ice TV package. I catch myself now just trying to watch every game where I know guys who are playing and rooting them on because it&rsquo;s fun for me.&rdquo;</p><p>Romero said he&rsquo;s never watched so much hockey in his life. It&rsquo;s symptomatic of his growing friendship with the Sharks&rsquo; Couture. &ldquo;Logan was one of the first hockey players I met,&rdquo; Romero said. &ldquo;It was a winter tour during the off-season. He was such an awesome guy.&rdquo;</p><p>As Couture explained, the relationship started because he was the ultimate superfan. &ldquo;Ricky and J.P. and Jamie Campbell from Sportsnet came down to our room after a game and Joe Thornton said to them, &lsquo;You guys have to meet the biggest Jays fan on the team &ndash; Logan,&rsquo;&rdquo; Couture said.</p><p>It turned out Romero was heading back to L.A. the next week and the Sharks were playing there. Couture got Romero and his family tickets and the two have been pals ever since. They exchanged jerseys and Couture is now a welcome visitor in the Romero household. Sometimes, the pair watch hockey together, even if the sport confuses some of Romero&rsquo;s family members. &ldquo;When I was at Ricky&rsquo;s house for dinner, the world junior final was on,&rdquo; Couture said. &ldquo;Ricky&rsquo;s dad was there and he hadn&rsquo;t seen too many hockey games. He didn&rsquo;t really understand the rules. But Ricky was trying to teach him. It&rsquo;s pretty cool that those guys are getting so into hockey.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-012077/9667406-1-eng-US/f0009-012.jpg" title="f0009-01" width="632" height="632"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>LOGAN COUTURE</b> <span class="photo-credit">(ARENCIBIA+COUTURE: GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Couture and Romero may have the tightest bond between the two sports, but there&rsquo;s none more public than the budding bro-mance between the Jays and Toronto Maple Leafs.</p><p>That effort is spearheaded by Arencibia, Romero and Lawrie on the baseball side, with Tyler Bozak and the departed Colby Armstrong on the hockey side. &ldquo;We were out after the game one night to have a bite to eat and the Leafs ended up being there,&rdquo; said Lawrie, who admitted his NHL allegiances are split between his hometown Vancouver Canucks and the Leafs. &ldquo;We hit it off. They&rsquo;re good guys, we appreciate each other&rsquo;s sports and we&rsquo;re team guys. We understand what it&rsquo;s like to be part of a big organization. They like hanging out and having fun just like we do.&rdquo;</p><p>The Jays and Leafs decided the alliance could be more than just having fun. It could unite hockey and baseball fans for a good cause.</p><p>That&rsquo;s why Arencibia helped shepherd in Team Unit, a brand combining the Leafs and Jays into one logo, with a percentage of every sale of the clothing line going to charity. &ldquo;I figured it would be a cool thing to have one T-shirt &ndash; something you could wear to both venues, where we combined baseball and hockey to be able to give back,&rdquo; Arencibia said. &ldquo;Because at the end of the day, our legacy is what we did to help other people have better lives. That&rsquo;s a huge part of Team Unit.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0008-01

Blades And Bats Unite

<div class="byline">BY BUDD STANLEY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0010-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-012300/9667489-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(PORSCHE 911: PORSCHE CANADA)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>L</span></b>et&rsquo;s get one thing straight: The Porsche 911, now nearing its fifth decade, is a performance legend and the Carrera S model the standard for driving enthusiasts. It&rsquo;s that old for a reason. However, this all-new generation gets masses of tech, luxuries and a big infusion of performance. Will that kill the car&rsquo;s fun-to-drive nature?</p><p>Once considered dangerous, this 911 now sucks the tarmac off the ground with phenomenal amounts of grip. The steering is surgical and the brakes can easily perform CPR with seatbelts, but what makes it special is the way it talks to the driver. The added niceties mute driver feel somewhat, but they still tell you exactly what it&rsquo;s going to do when adhesion to the road is challenged.</p><p>Lightning-quick gear changes through the paddle-shifted 7-speed not only help launch the car to 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds, but also post sub-compact-like fuel efficiency numbers as I averaged 8.8 L/100 km even with a healthy dose of fun. Find a discarded bit of winding tarmac and you quickly realize this car is devastatingly fast. It bombards both body and senses as the scenery passes by faster than the mind can process, adrenal glands forced open to compensate. It is a rush of emotion that makes a Porsche a Porsche. However, this is also the problem.</p><p>The 911&rsquo;s capabilities are so great that you&rsquo;re not having fun unless you&rsquo;re at risk of losing your license. Another downfall is the $110,000 starting price for a car with build quality not equal to similarly priced luxury cars. Porsche will also demand a small fortune for every tick off the options list. Fortunately, it&rsquo;s still a pleasure to drive in traffic and with exceptional storage for a sports car (135 L), it&rsquo;s the perfect everyday exotic.</p><p>The 911 is a masterful piece of performance engineering matched with everyday live-ability, even if it has lost a little bit of its character. It will satisfy skilled drivers yet is easy to drive for even a punter. It&rsquo;s the type of car that no matter how long you own it, you&rsquo;ll always get a little shot of excitement every time you slip behind the wheel.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-021681/9667482-1-eng-US/f0010-022.jpg" title="f0010-02" width="236" height="75"></div><h2><b>DETAILS</b></h2><p>2013 Porsche 911 (991) Carrera S</p><p><b>Price</b></p><p>$110,000 base, $146,795 as tested</p><p><b>Engine</b></p><p>Rear-mounted, 3.8L Flat-6</p><p><b>Power</b></p><p>400 hp, 310 lb-ft</p><p><b>Weight</b></p><p>1,415 kg</p><p><b>Fuel Efficiency</b></p><p>10.6L/100km city, 7.3L/100km highway</p><p><b>BLUES GOALTENDERS</b> Brian Elliott and Jaroslav Halak were united in allowing the nhl&rsquo;s fewest goals last season and capturing the Jennings Trophy. Aside from the numbers, however, they&rsquo;re quite different &ndash; and that includes their taste in cars. Elliott was the shy one at first when asked to describe his ride. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to say that!&rdquo; he joked. &ldquo;Halak&rsquo;s got four cars, so he&rsquo;s more interesting on that question.&rdquo;</p><p><b>&ndash; MATT LARKIN</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-031080/9667475-1-eng-US/f0010-032.jpg" title="f0010-03" width="783" height="290"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>Brian Elliott Car of choice:</b> Acura MDX</p><p><b>His take:</b> &ldquo;The same car I bought with my first contract. Just a little SUV.&rdquo;</p><p><b>2012 ACURA MDX</b></p><p><b>2012 NISSAN GTR</b></p><p><b>2012 SUBARU STI</b></p><p><b>Jaroslav Halak Car of choice:</b> Nissan GTR and Subaru STI</p><p><b>His take:</b> &ldquo;(Elliott, butting in before Halak elaborates) See? We could be here for hours.&rdquo;</p><span class="photo-credit">(ELLIOTT: DAVE SANDFORD/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; ACURA MDX: ACURA; NISSAN GTR: NISSAN; SUBARU SIT: SUBARU; HALAK: ISAAC BREKKEN/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0010-01

Organized Chaos On The Road

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RONNIE SHUKER</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0011-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-011925/9667520-1-eng-US/f0011-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(SAMSUNG)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>S</span></b>amsung continues its foray into the lucrative tablet market with the Galaxy Tab 2. The 10.1-inch display makes catching up on hockey highlights, standings and stats fun and easy. It&rsquo;s great for lounging on the couch or reading e-books to your children before bedtime.</p><p>What distinguishes the Galaxy Tab 2 is the AllShare Play feature allows crossdevice downloads, which you can also view on your TV, and lets you share videos and photos across multiple devices. The second-generation tablet is slim, lightweight and accessible for the entire family. It&rsquo;s outfitted with the most upto-date Android platform, packed with apps and chock-full of Google mobile services.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0011-01

Time 2 Tablet

<div class="byline">BY MATT LARKIN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0012-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-012244/9667551-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(LABARBERA: RICHARD WOLOWICZ/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>M</span></b>arch 28, 2010. Before 72,219 fans at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Bret Hart halted a 12-year retirement and tapped out his boss, Vince McMahon. The Undertaker ended Shawn Michaels&rsquo; Hall of Fame career with a tombstone piledriver.</p><p>It was WrestleMania XXVI. And among the thrilled fans was Phoenix Coyotes backup goaltender Jason LaBarbera.</p><p>He immortalized that day on a custom mask, which featured Hart, McMahon, the Undertaker and Michaels. After switching to the late NFLer/Army Ranger Pat Tillman in fall 2011, LaBarbera now has current WWE star CM Punk adorning his mask.</p><p>Clearly, the guy loves his pro wrestling. &ldquo;I watched it from when I was five years old,&rdquo; LaBarbera said. &ldquo;I remember Saturday afternoons they always used to have <i>WWF Superstars</i> on. My parents would make me take a nap around that time and I would get so mad that I was going to miss it.</p><p>&ldquo;You&rsquo;d always get a good wrestler against some jobber. It was never really good matches. It was always the guy you wanted to see against some bum.&rdquo;</p><p>LaBarbera&rsquo;s WWE knowledge is serious &ndash; not surprising since he never misses a pay-per-view, even though his wife &ldquo;can&rsquo;t stand it.&rdquo; He&rsquo;s a true connoisseur who has specific all-time favorites. &ldquo;I always liked the Ultimate Warrior character,&rdquo; LaBarbera said. &ldquo;As a kid, I liked how he looked and his music. Now that I&rsquo;m older and I know more, I&rsquo;m like, &lsquo;Meh, he wasn&rsquo;t that great in the ring.&rsquo; As just a straight wrestler, it&rsquo;s Bret Hart. Not just because he&rsquo;s Albertan (LaBarbera hails from Burnaby, B.C.), I just liked his character, who he was, how good he was and he was a fun guy to watch. Now that I know more about it, you go back and watch his old matches and go, &lsquo;Wow, this guy was unreal.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p><p>LaBarbera&rsquo;s teammate and star defenseman Keith Yandle is a fellow wrestling nut. They watch pay-per-views together on the road and provide anyone who wants to listen with expertise. &ldquo;If something big happens, like if The Rock is coming back or Brock Lesnar, I&rsquo;m the guy they come to for the answers,&rdquo; La-Barbera said. &ldquo;Some guys think I&rsquo;m an idiot. Most guys think it&rsquo;s pretty cool.&rdquo;</p><p>Cool enough that the Coyotes&rsquo; player-of-the-game award is wrestling-inspired. LaBarbera and Yandle decided a simple hardhat wouldn&rsquo;t do and introduced the team to the WWE title belt. &ldquo;I actually have two belts &ndash; the spinner belt and the old winged eagle belt, the Hulk Hogan belt,&rdquo; LaBarbera said. &ldquo;I remember sending Yandle pictures of it and he was like, &lsquo;We should do that for the MVP of the game,&rsquo; because we used to just give away the puck and that was boring. Teams are starting to do more stuff like that and it was a cool idea to hand out a big honkin&rsquo; WWE belt.&rdquo;</p><p>Yandle ordered the belt online and a new Desert Dogs tradition was born. The rule: Every MVP has to wear it over his shoulder during post-game interviews. No winner forgets to put it on because the entire team yells to remind him before he goes on camera. Between games, the trainers keep the belt safe. &ldquo;Knowing most of the guys,&rdquo; LaBarbera said, &ldquo;they&rsquo;d probably lose it.&rdquo;</p><p>But a simple WWE belt won&rsquo;t suffice for diehards like LaBarbera and Yandle. The next phase: a custom job. They&rsquo;ve contacted the official WWE designer to get a Coyotes-themed belt made.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0012-01

Mask To Mat

<div class="byline">&#x2013; DEBRA RUGHOO</div><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>ired of that boring, black or brown belt holding up your jeans? Try a sportier alternative that also shows your love for the game: a belt made from skate laces.</p><p>The Original Hockey Lace Belt was created by Newmarket, Ont., hockey dad Jack Doak. One weekend, his nephew Myles came over and, like a lot of teenagers, was wearing low-hanging jeans with his underwear exposed. Not liking this, Doak asked Myles to wear a belt next time. When Myles returned, he was sporting a hockey lace through the belt loops of his pants. And so the idea was born.</p><p>Doak made a prototype and met with Textile Manufacturing Inc. (Canada&rsquo;s only hockey lace maker) and established a partnership and distributorship with the company. The belt is made of three skate laces sewn to a canvas backing and comes in black, white, pink or yellow.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-021763/9667582-1-eng-US/f0012-022.jpg" title="f0012-02" width="705" height="554"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0012-02

Lacing ’em up. Pants, that is

<div class="byline">BY JASON BROUGH AND MIKE HALFORD</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0014-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-012219/9667613-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ALL: GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span></b>s founders of the Vancouver Canucks-centric Orland Kurtenblog, Jason Brough and Mike Halford often posted their hilarious IM chats on the website. Now they&rsquo;re writing for NBC&rsquo;s <a href="http://ProHockeyTalk.com">ProHockeyTalk.com</a>, analyzing the NHL for a much bigger audience. But we wanted an old-school chat session, so we rang the boys up and they delivered a summer roundup. Taste the happy&hellip;</p><p><b>Mike Halford</b>&nbsp;<i>Hey, you know what&rsquo;s frustrating? Covering the CBA negotiations between the NHL and NHLPA.</i></p><p><b>Jason Brough</b> Ah, yes, the eternal battle between management and the working man rages on.</p><p><b>MH</b>&nbsp;<i>Except in this case, the working man includes a guy making $110 million over 14 years.</i></p><p><b>JB</b> &ldquo;Never seen a gold-plated lunch pail before.&rdquo;</p><p><b>MH</b>&nbsp;<i>&ldquo;Is that a platinum thermos?&rdquo;</i>&nbsp;<b>1</b></p><p><b>JB</b> Granted, not everyone&rsquo;s Shea Weber. Lest we forget, about all those fringe players who have to get by with a minimum salary of $525,000.</p><p><b>MH</b>&nbsp;<i>Good lord, is that really the minimum? You can barely get a Maserati for that.</i>&nbsp;<b>2</b></p><p><b>JB</b> Might even have to buy it used.</p><p><b>MH</b>&nbsp;<i>How gauche.</i></p><p><b>JB</b> You know, it&rsquo;s a good thing the economy is in such great shape or the owners and players might come across as greedy.</p><p><b>MH</b>&nbsp;<i>Yeah, the rest of us are too busy stuffing our faces with caviar and racing our yachts to Monaco to care.</i>&nbsp;<b>3</b></p><p><b>JB</b> &ldquo;Losing my job at the auto plant has really allowed me to focus on my polo game.&rdquo;</p><p><b>MH</b>&nbsp;<i>On top of everything, the NHL just spent the entire season bragging about record revenues. Yet there could still be another work stoppage.</i></p><p><b>JB</b> Well, to be fair, most of that revenue is attributable to a handful of rich teams like the Leafs, Rangers, Canucks, Canadiens and Red Wings. The Blue Jackets? Not so much.</p><p><b>MH</b>&nbsp;<i>Poor Columbus &ndash; as if Scott Howson wasn&rsquo;t enough of a handicap.</i>&nbsp;<b>4</b></p><p><b>JB</b> I think what&rsquo;s really baffling for fans is when teams like Nashville and Minnesota cry poor then hand out huge contracts, anyway. It&rsquo;s like the owners can&rsquo;t help themselves from one-upping each other.</p><p><b>MH</b>&nbsp;<i>Makes you long for the good old days when a ticket cost a nickel and owners had the courage to collude.</i></p><p><b>JB</b> Hey, maybe that&rsquo;s what&rsquo;s the NHL needs &ndash; collusion. Major League Baseball has a rich history in that department. <b>5</b></p><p><b>MH</b>&nbsp;<i>Like in 1985 when nobody would sign Kirk Gibson after he hit 29 home runs with 97 RBI?</i></p><p><b>JB</b> &ldquo;Sorry, not interested.&rdquo;</p><p><b>MH</b>&nbsp;<i>&ldquo;Kirk, we&rsquo;re looking for a 30-home run man. Maybe other teams are interested in a 29-home run man, but we hold ourselves to a higher standard here in Cleveland.&rdquo;</i></p><p><b>JB</b> Can&rsquo;t see that sort of thing happening in the NHL these days. Pretty sure Ken Holland offered to cut off his pinky finger to get Ryan Suter to sign in Detroit.</p><p><b>MH</b>&nbsp;<i>&ldquo;Why would I want you to cut off your pinky finger?&rdquo;</i></p><p><b>JB</b> &ldquo;I have no idea. Just thought I&rsquo;d throw it out there.&rdquo;</p><p><b>MH</b>&nbsp;<i>&ldquo;The finger or the idea?&rdquo;</i></p><p><b>JB</b> &ldquo;You tell me.&rdquo;</p><p><b>MH</b>&nbsp;<i>He really misses Lidstrom.</i>&nbsp;<b>6</b></p><p><b>JB</b> Too bad the owners can&rsquo;t figure out a better revenuesharing system so the poorer teams can better compete with the rich ones.</p><p><b>MH</b>&nbsp;<i>That you, Donald Fehr? Sure, revenue-sharing sounds good on paper, but why would the Leafs&rsquo; owners want to subsidize other teams? They&rsquo;re running a business, not a charity.</i></p><p><b>JB</b> I dunno, I thought giving Tim Connolly $9.5 million was pretty charitable.</p><p><b>MH</b>&nbsp;<i>Again, all that money getting thrown around and there&rsquo;s still talk of a lockout. Perhaps the fans should form a union and go on strike.</i></p><p><b>JB</b> That&rsquo;s not a bad idea. We could make signs and picket the arenas. Maybe slash a</p><p><b>MH</b>&nbsp;<i>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s a nice Zamboni you got there. Shame if something happened to it.&rdquo;</i>&nbsp;<b>7</b></p><p><b>JB</b> It would never work. No leverage. The owners and players know we&rsquo;ll always come crawling back. Like last time. And the time before.</p><p><b>MH</b>&nbsp;<i>Bit of a dysfunctional relationship, eh?</i></p><p><b>JB</b> Yep, no matter what hockey does to us, we can never break up with it.</p><p><b>MH</b>&nbsp;<i>You smell like cheap perfume, hockey. Where have you been?&rdquo;</i></p><p><b>JB</b> &ldquo;I&rsquo;m sorry, baby. It was the last time. I can change. Just take me back.&rdquo;</p><p><b>MH</b>&nbsp;<i>&ldquo;Dinner&rsquo;s on the table.&rdquo;</i><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0014-01

First-World Problems

<div class="byline">BY JOSEPH PHUNG</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0016-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-011989/9667672-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-021522/9667665-1-eng-US/f0016-022.jpg" title="f0016-02" width="282" height="404"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>UPGRADE IN GOAL</b></p><p>Gamers will be able to control goalies&rsquo; limbs when making saves in <i>NHL 13.</i></p></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>H</span></b>ockey fans are excited for the upcoming season, which for many also means getting their hands on the latest EA Sports NHL game, set for release Sept. 12.</p><p>We talked to <i>NHL 13</i> lead producer Sean &lsquo;Rammer&rsquo; Ramjagsingh to give us a quick lowdown on what fans of the series can expect. In sports games, yearto-year innovations are everything.</p><p><b><u>Fully Loaded:</u></b> For gamers who played last year&rsquo;s edition, what&rsquo;s the first thing they&rsquo;ll notice when they try <i>NHL 13</i>?</p><p><b><u>Ramjagsingh:</u></b>&nbsp;We&rsquo;re very excited that this is going to be the biggest year-overyear change for us on this generation of consoles since the skill stick in <i>NHL 07</i>. The biggest thing this year is focusing on innovating our core gameplay experience with our true performance skating and overhauling our AI with EA Sports Hockey IQ. True performance skating takes the gameplay to a whole new level as it captures the explosiveness and momentum of today&rsquo;s NHL. On top of that, it captures the creativity by taking the shackles off your feet.</p><p><u>Fully Loaded:</u> You mentioned EA Sports Hockey IQ. Will the game be more challenging and unpredictable?</p><p><u>Ramjagsingh:</u>&nbsp;It makes the game more authentic. We spent more time this year on our AI than we have the past three years combined to really ground out the gameplay experience.</p><p>The key part about it is that there are five times as many strategies to better reflect what you&rsquo;re seeing in today&rsquo;s NHL. Also, the big game-changer for us is overhauling our goalies so that they now have control of each individual limb and the ability to anticipate and understand the situation in front of them.</p><p><b><u>Fully Loaded:</u></b> The Be A GM mode was one that needed to be overhauled. Any news if it&rsquo;s been redone?</p><p><b><u>Ramjagsingh:</u></b> The big thing for us is being able to take it online. Up to 30 players can each control a team and the innovative part about this is that if you&rsquo;re not great on the controller, you can have your buddies play the games for you.</p><p><b><u>Fully Loaded:</u></b> This was the first year fans got to vote for who they wanted on the cover. Claude Giroux of the Philadelphia Flyers won the honor, squeaking past Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators (see pg. 17). Are you happy with how everything went down?</p><p><b><u>Ramjagsingh:</u></b> Absolutely. The amount of fan interaction we got from the whole campaign through social media was incredible. And having Giroux on the cover is a good choice for us.</p><p><b>Check out our <i>NHL 13</i> game review on <a href="http://THN.com">THN..com</a></b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-031109/9667658-1-eng-US/f0016-032.jpg" title="f0016-03" width="633" height="317"></div><h2><b>Max Payne 3</b>&nbsp;<i>(Xbox 360, Ps3, Windows)</i></h2><p>The latest entry in the <i>Max Payne</i> series is definitely darker, but also the best one so far. Max is hired to protect a wealthy family in Brazil. When things quickly turn for the worse, Max has to play the hero once again. The game feels like a good action movie with its high-quality cinematic cutscenes and intense shootouts. And a fun online multiplayer component has been added, a first for the series. <b>Rated: 9/10</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-04825/9667651-1-eng-US/f0016-042.jpg" title="f0016-04" width="641" height="317"></div><h2><b>Lollipop Chainsaw</b>&nbsp;<i>(Xbox 360, Ps3)</i></h2><p>The storyline is a quirky one: a chainsawwielding  cheerleader fights a horde of zombies that has taken over her high school. <i>Lollipop Chainsaw</i> is odd, but it&rsquo;s entertaining nonetheless. The problem is the hack-and-slash gameplay gets repetitive. And the dirty jokes won&rsquo;t appeal to everyone. Once the game is completed, there&rsquo;s little reason to play it again. It&rsquo;s a fun yet forgettable romp. <b>Rated: 6.5/10</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-05590/9667644-1-eng-US/f0016-052.jpg" title="f0016-05" width="632" height="312"></div><h2><b>Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor</b>&nbsp;<i>(Xbox 360 w/Kinect)</i></h2><p>Controlling a walking tank on the battlefield sounds like a lot of fun. Unfortunately, <i>Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor</i> takes that pleasure away as it suffers from too many problems with its poor implementation of the Kinect motion controls. Adding to the frustration, each level is awfully hard and the storyline is just plain boring. This game fails miserably and should be avoided. <b>Rated: 3/10</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0016-01

Experience Is Everything

<div class="byline">BY MATT LARKIN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0017-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-011727/9667703-1-eng-US/f0017-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>JUST ANOTHER PHILLY FACE</b></p><p>Claude Giroux is the second Flyer on the cover of the <i>NHL</i> series (Eric Lindros &rsquo;99).</p> <span class="photo-credit">(HARRY HOW/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span></b>t&rsquo;s safe to say EA Sports&rsquo; <i>NHL 13</i> cover vote, which let fans choose the athlete to adorn the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 releases, was a resounding winner. Why else would it get Charlie Sheen&rsquo;s attention?</p><p>When the Philadelphia Flyers&rsquo; Claude Giroux and the Nashville Predators&rsquo; Pekka Rinne faced off in the final vote in early June, Sheen took it upon himself to champion the Preds&rsquo; gigantic goaltender. &ldquo;He deserves it! That&rsquo;s for sure,&rdquo; the ex-<i>Two and a Half Men</i> star tweeted.</p><p>Rinne, a Vezina Trophy finalist two years running, was impressed with the celebrity support. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t really know how that all happened, but I&rsquo;m sure that brought a lot of votes for me,&rdquo; Rinne said in Las Vegas, 24 hours before the winner was announced, his opponent sitting across the room. &ldquo;It was pretty cool once I read about it and I was laughing, saying, &lsquo;Hey, what&rsquo;s going on here?&rsquo; But it&rsquo;s been a great experience, the whole campaign. Everybody has stepped up, our fans in Nashville and people in Finland, too, so it&rsquo;s been great.&rdquo;</p><p>Giroux was thrown for a loop by the news of Sheen supporting Rinne. &ldquo;What is that?&rdquo; he asked of Sheen, standing up and clenching his fists in mock-drama. &ldquo;Is that what he said? Where is he?&rdquo;</p><p>The truth, though, was the Flyers&rsquo; star center had people of influence in his corner as well, including the UFC welterweight champion. &ldquo;Maybe that&rsquo;s what you want to do &ndash; put your name out there,&rdquo; Giroux said. &ldquo;I had Georges St-Pierre &ndash; I&rsquo;m actually a big fan of his. He was tweeting for me. The last day everybody was trying to get famous people to put the name out there. It was a tight race and I can&rsquo;t wait to see who won.&rdquo;</p><p>In the end, Giroux triumphed by less than one percent over Rinne. &ldquo;Pekka is a good guy,&rdquo; Giroux said on NHL Awards night after the results. &ldquo;But, to be honest, I&rsquo;m pretty glad he didn&rsquo;t win.&rdquo;</p><p>More than 26 million votes piled in for the cover vote tournament, which started with 60 NHLers in a giant bracket and let the players promote themselves via videos. Giroux&rsquo;s featured intense game footage while Rinne&rsquo;s spoofed Dos Equis beer&rsquo;s &ldquo;Most Interesting Man in the World&rdquo; campaign. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t always play video games,&rdquo; Rinne quips in the promo, &ldquo;but when I do, I play EA Sports.&rdquo;</p><p>Giroux bested Rinne in the vote, but who&rsquo;s better with the controller in his hands? &ldquo;I used to play the game, but my roommate was Brayden Schenn and he would just kick my ass every time,&rdquo; Giroux said. &ldquo;I hate losing to him, so we wouldn&rsquo;t play that game anymore.&rdquo;</p><p>Rinne is more confident about his skills. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to pump my tires too much, but I&rsquo;m not bad,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I usually play with my friends back home for fun &ndash; pretty serious fun, though. I enjoy the game. I&rsquo;m probably not the best player, but I&rsquo;m all right.</p><p>&ldquo;I got a cool first test of <i>NHL 13</i>. I was playing as Nashville and one of their guys was Detroit. I beat him 2-1, so I was pretty happy. Marty Erat scored on the first shot, 26 seconds into the game.&rdquo;</p><p>With the vote over, Giroux awaits the surreal moment when he walks into a video game store and sees his face everywhere. &ldquo;Yeah, it&rsquo;s going to be weird,&rdquo; Giroux said. &ldquo;But you know what? I&rsquo;m pretty lucky to have fans all over the world help me and all my teammates tweeting and whatever they did.&rdquo;</p><p><b>Be sure to read our <i>NHL 13</i> review on <a href="http://THN.com">THN.com</a></b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0017-01

Cover Boy A Close Call

<div class="byline">BY JASON CHEN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0018-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-011866/9667755-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-011643/9667748-1-eng-US/f0019-012.jpg" title="f0019-01" width="2100" height="1371"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>FLEX APPEAL</b></p><p>Amy Lynn Grover taught Paul Bissonnette yoga basics this off-season.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(MIKE MEDBY)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span></b>oronto native Amy Lynn Grover started modelling when she was just 15 years old. She found substantial success in what is often an unforgiving industry for young women, gracing the covers of multiple mags &ndash; including Hugh Hefner&rsquo;s iconic publication <i>Playboy</i> three times. &ldquo;Life can be hard,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;and guys buckle under pressure.&rdquo;</p><p>But for Grover, the stress outweighed the success, so she embarked on a career change. She&rsquo;d been practising yoga throughout her 15-year career in front of the camera and decided to make the switch professionally from modelling to the mat.</p><p>Grover now lives and works in Los Angeles after moving to California from her hometown of Toronto four years ago. She has a diverse clientele, ranging from billionaire executives to starving Hollywood actors, along with several pro athletes from the NBA, NFL and NHL. One of those was Paul Bissonnette, whom she taught during the summer.</p><p>Many NHLers have taken to yoga as part of their training. The Phoenix Coyotes brawler, however, found it a bit difficult thanks to his frequently busted beak. &ldquo;I was a terrible breather,&rdquo; Bissonnette said. &ldquo;The problem is I&rsquo;ve broken my nose so many times fighting that it restricts my breathing, so it&rsquo;s one thing I have no control over because my nose is so messed up.&rdquo;</p><p>Breathing is basic in yoga, so when Grover teaches new students, she starts with this most overlooked exercise. She preaches Ujjayi breathing, a technique that uses the diaphragm and expands the abdomen, not the chest. It allows athletes to breath in a constant and fluid motion and keep the mind calm. When it isn&rsquo;t, the body reacts by shortening the breath and tightening muscles. &ldquo;Too many guys either hold their breath or pant,&rdquo; Grover said.</p><p>Yoga has become one of the hottest activities for NHLers. San Jose Sharks right winger Martin Havlat credits yoga for his agility and balance. And Tim Thomas, who became an NHL starter at age 32 after a lengthy career in the minors and overseas, cites yoga for helping him get there.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-03842/9667741-1-eng-US/f0019-032.jpg" title="f0019-03" width="540" height="588"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(COURTESY AMY LYNN GROVER)</span></figcaption></div><p>Most players do it to increase their flexibility and loosen up tight hips and it&rsquo;s a perfect activity for a light day of training. But as much as yoga is good for staying loose and limber, it also has a lot to do with strengthening the mind. &ldquo;Your body is pretty strong,&rdquo; Grover said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s capable of doing more than you know, but it&rsquo;s the mind that usually gives up.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-021228/9667734-1-eng-US/f0019-022.jpg" title="f0019-02" width="171" height="171"></div><h2><b>GET TO KNOW</b></h2><p>Amy Lynn Grover</p><p><b>Hometown</b></p><p>Toronto</p><p><b>Favorite team</b></p><p>Toronto Maple Leafs</p><p><b>Favorite player</b></p><p>Bryan McCabe (&ldquo;McBabe,&rdquo; according to Grover)</p><p><b>Favorite yoga position</b></p><p>Downward dog</p><p><b>Favorite non-yoga activity</b></p><p>Hiking around California&rsquo;s numerous trails or paddle surfing<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0018-01

Breathtaking

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0020-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-011619/9667814-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>O</span></b>n July 12th, the NHL Players&rsquo; Association held a charity table tennis tournament in Toronto, spearheaded by veteran grinder Dominic Moore. The money from Smashfest! went towards brain injury research and awareness and attracted a wide variety of current and former NHLers. Philly&rsquo;s Claude Giroux even dropped by in support, even though he didn&rsquo;t take part in the tournament itself.</p><p>The event also came at a time when dialog over concussions is at an alltime high. &ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t talk about it at all when I came into the league,&rdquo; said Tampa Bay&rsquo;s Vincent Lecavalier. &ldquo;Now we&rsquo;re trying to change the game to protect players and that&rsquo;s why this is such a great event.&rdquo;</p><p>Smashfest! is just one of multiple initiatives undertaken by players to take on concussion awareness. Minnesota enforcer Zenon Konopka has his own wine label, ZK28, and is sending one dollar from every bottle sold to <a href="http://stopconcussions.com">stopconcussions.com</a>. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve talked to a lot of doctors,&rdquo; Konopka said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not really just the problem of concussions in our sport. The main concern is the grassroots &ndash; the young kids that can&rsquo;t go to school for a month or two because of concussions. It&rsquo;s pretty scary stuff, so we&rsquo;ve got to make a difference.&rdquo;</p><p>But it was also a fun evening, so we asked some of the stars participating about their own Ping Pong skills and if they&rsquo;d ever repeat Todd Bertuzzi&rsquo;s wily move of taking a table away from an opposing team, as the veteran power forward did during Detroit&rsquo;s first round playoff loss to Nashville last season.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-021163/9667807-1-eng-US/f0020-022.jpg" title="f0020-02" width="1334" height="828"></div><h2><b>1 VINCENT LECAVALIER</b></h2><p>C, Tampa Bay Lightning</p><p><b><u>Ping Pong skills</u></b> &ldquo;7.5 out of 10.&rdquo;</p><p><b><u>Best victory</u></b> "Probably Dominic Moore, because he talks a lot of trash. He&rsquo;s tough to beat, but he&rsquo;s fun to beat."</p><p><b><u>Worst loss</u></b> "Marc-Andre Bergeron, because I've never beaten him. We play a lot of Ping Pong in Tampa Bay and he&rsquo;s a 10 out of 10."</p><p><b><u>Would you ever Bertuzzi another team?</u></b> "Maybe, if it was the playoffs."</p><h2><b>2 DOMINIC MOORE</b></h2><p>C, free agent</p><p><b><u>Ping Pong skills</u></b> &ldquo;My love of the game is high.&rdquo;</p><p><b><u>Best victory</u></b> &ldquo;I love beating Marty St-Louis because he&rsquo;s so bloody competitive. If you&rsquo;ve been playing for an hour and he lost the last game he&rsquo;ll want to keep playing until he wins.&rdquo;</p><p><b><u>Worst loss</u></b> &ldquo;Vinny Lecavalier. He&rsquo;s got no forehand, but he frustrates you with that backhand. I hate losing to him.&rdquo;</p><p><b><u>Would you ever Bertuzzi another team?</u></b>&nbsp;&ldquo;Teams should start bringing their own tables on the road.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-011305/9667800-1-eng-US/f0021-012.jpg" title="f0021-01" width="1214" height="1701"></div><h2><b>3 JOEL WARD</b></h2><p>RW, Washington Capitals</p><p><b><u>Ping Pong skills</u></b> &ldquo;I&rsquo;m a 5.5 out of 10.&rdquo;</p><p><b><u>Best teammates</u></b> &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got some good ones. John Carlson isn&rsquo;t bad, but he isn&rsquo;t the best. He&rsquo;s most improved. Mathieu Perreault was good and so was Karl Alzner and Troy Brouwer.&rdquo;</p><p><b><u>Best victory</u></b> &ldquo;I have to wait until the boys are really tired to take advantage of a situation.&rdquo;</p><p><b><u>Would you ever Bertuzzi another team?</u></b> "We have our table in our practice locker room, so no other team could get near it.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>4 ZENON KONOPKA</b></h2><p>C, Minnesota Wild</p><p><b><u>Ping Pong skills</u></b> &ldquo;About a 2 out of 10.&rdquo;</p><p><b><u>Best victory</u></b> &ldquo;The last time I played was in my buddy&rsquo;s garage at three in the morning.&rdquo;</p><p><b><u>Best teammates</u></b> &ldquo;Stephane Veilleux isn&rsquo;t here today because his wife is expecting their first child, but he was my pick to win the whole thing. He&rsquo;s the best Ping Pong player in the NHL.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-02843/9667793-1-eng-US/f0021-022.jpg" title="f0021-02" width="602" height="944"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-03541/9667786-1-eng-US/f0021-032.jpg" title="f0021-03" width="604" height="718"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE NHLPA)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>5 STEVEN STAMKOS</b></h2><p>C, Tampa Bay Lightning</p><p><b><u>Ping Pong skills</u></b> &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not very good at all. I&rsquo;m usually the guy bodychecking players, trying to screw their games up. I can rally the ball, but any time there&rsquo;s spin on it, I&rsquo;m done. I&rsquo;m a 4 out of 10. I&rsquo;m more of a soccer player before games.&rdquo;</p><p><b><u>Best teammates</u></b> &ldquo;Dom Moore is pretty good. Vinny Lecavalier is good. Ryan is good. Ryan Shannon as well.&rdquo;</p><p><b><u>Best part of your Ping Pong game?</u></b>&nbsp;"Probably my ability to watch good players. I enjoy doing that.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0020-01

Smash It Up

<div class="byline">BY MATT LARKIN</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span></b>he Great One&rsquo; wins the draw to &lsquo;Rocket.&rsquo; He feeds it to &lsquo;Big Bird&rsquo; on the point. One-time pass to the &lsquo;Golden Jet.&rsquo; And he blasts it home past &lsquo;Turk&rsquo;!&rdquo;</p><p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Richie&rsquo; wins the draw, over to &lsquo;Stammer,&rsquo; back to &lsquo;Tanger&rsquo; and he beats &lsquo;Kipper.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p><p>Behold, the devolution of hockey nicknames. While there are a few fun exceptions &ndash; Jonathan Toews as &lsquo;Captain Serious&rsquo; comes to mind &ndash; we&rsquo;re deep into the Dark Age of monikers.</p><p>In the good ol&rsquo; days, when we walked uphill both ways to school, nicknames were original, creative and told a story about a player. Wayne Gretzky&rsquo;s &lsquo;The Great One&rsquo; nickname was based on &lsquo;The Great Gretzky,&rsquo; a handle given to him by a London, Ont., newspaper when he was 13. Maurice Richard was &lsquo;Rocket&rsquo; because teammate Ray Getliffe said he skated like a rocket in an intra-squad match in 1942. Larry Robinson earned &lsquo;Big Bird&rsquo; for his awkward, flailing celebration after an overtime winner in the 1973 playoffs.</p><p>What about some of today&rsquo;s most popular nicknames?</p><p>Kris Letang is &lsquo;Tanger&rsquo; because, uh, it&rsquo;s a shortened version of his name and stuff. Same reason why Miikka Kiprusoff is &lsquo;Kipper&rsquo; and Steven Stamkos is &lsquo;Stammer.&rsquo; And even the best of today&rsquo;s nicknames are puns of varying quality. &lsquo;The Bulin Wall&rsquo; and &lsquo;Big Buff&rsquo; are just mildly clever plays on Nikolai Khabibulin and Dustin Byfuglien&rsquo;s names. &lsquo;Sid the Kid&rsquo; rhymes and Sidney Crosby was a kid when he earned it. Good one.</p><p>But for the most part, nicknaming today is about whatever&rsquo;s quick and easy. I want that to change. Old-school handles call to mind a more innocent time when Mike Milbury could beat a fan in the stands with a shoe. So here are some new-old nicknames to test out. Or is it old-new? On with it.</p><h2><b><u>Dustin Penner: &lsquo;Flapjack&rsquo;</u></b></h2><p>I&rsquo;m surprised no one in the new school has dubbed him &lsquo;Pencake&rsquo; after the Kings winger admitted to hurting his back while sitting down to breakfast. That would be considered brilliant. But &lsquo;Flapjack&rsquo; works. No puns, no rhymes, just a classic moniker that tells a story. &ldquo;And &lsquo;Flapjack&rsquo; Penner wins it in overtime!&rdquo; Or &ldquo;Flapjack nets big stack in free agency.&rdquo;</p><h2><b><u>John Tavares: &lsquo;The Exception&rsquo;</u></b></h2><p>The kid had an Ontario League rule made because of him. He was deemed too good to be kept out of junior even though he wasn&rsquo;t 15 years old yet. That commands respect &ndash; and an elitist nickname. Tavares could even use it in the third person. &ldquo;&lsquo;The Exception&rsquo; is done answering questions.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-011504/9667852-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg" title="f0022-01" width="994" height="1507"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>NICKNAME GAMES</b></p><p>It can&rsquo;t get any cooler than &lsquo;The Gingerbread Man&rsquo; for Brian Campbell.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(DAVE SANDFORD/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b><u>David Backes: &lsquo;The Brain&rsquo;</u></b></h2><p>The Blues center is one of the NHL&rsquo;s smartest and most educated. He has plenty of sandpaper to his game and &lsquo;The Brain&rsquo; would make him a villain of Lex Luthor-esque proportions. &ldquo;Bettman foiled by &lsquo;The Brain&rsquo; in collective bargaining session.&rdquo;</p><h2><b><u>Tim Thomas: &lsquo;No-Show&rsquo;</u></b></h2><p>See the trend here? The name tells a story. Five years from now people won&rsquo;t care about his White House snub, but the incident would be immortalized if we knew him forever as &lsquo;No-Show Thomas.&rsquo; Kids would ask their parents about it. It&rsquo;s a perfect nickname, too, for the call of <i>Hockey Night in Canada</i> play-by-play man Jim Hughson: &ldquo;GREAT&hellip;SAAAAAVE NO-SHOWWWW.&rdquo;</p><h2><b><u>Brian Campbell: &lsquo;The Gingerbread Man&rsquo;</u></b></h2><p>This isn&rsquo;t a potshot at gingers. But we know Brian Campbell is one. And I don&rsquo;t care what you say &ndash; &lsquo;The Gingerbread Man&rsquo; would be the league&rsquo;s coolest nickname. Just think of the possibilities:</p><p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Gingerbread Man&rsquo; hoists Stanley Cup&rdquo;</p><p>&ldquo;League suspends &lsquo;Gingerbread Man&rsquo;&rdquo;</p><p>&ldquo;Kevin Dineen defends &lsquo;Gingerbread Man&rsquo; hit&rdquo;</p><p>&ldquo;Shanahan meets with &lsquo;Gingerbread Man&rsquo;&rdquo;</p><p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Gingerbread Man&rsquo; makes tearful apology&rdquo;</p><p>And it goes on. Here&rsquo;s hoping we&rsquo;ll one day return to the golden age of nicknames. Hey, Dustin, John, David, Tim and especially Brian: If you&rsquo;re reading this, why not start now?</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-011302/9667845-1-eng-US/f0023-012.jpg" title="f0023-01" width="1391" height="2209"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0022-01

Nicknames Gone Lame

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-02938/9667897-1-eng-US/f0023-022.jpg" title="f0023-02" width="502" height="1017"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ORR: DAVE SANDFORD/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-03705/9667890-1-eng-US/f0023-032.jpg" title="f0023-03" width="195" height="500"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>B</span>obby Orr doesn&rsquo;t do a lot of publicity these days. The iconic defenseman is happy to help players achieve their NHL dreams as the head of the player agency that bears his name. But since chronic pain has been a big part of his life after his shortened on-ice career, No. 4 listened when fellow agent Darren Ferris came to him with a product for managing symptoms.</p><p>LivRelief is an over-the-counter cream which contains rutin, a natural ingredient flush with antioxidants and trumpeted for its ability to block pain pathways. Once the Boston Bruins legend gave it the old college try, he was a believer. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been unbelievable for me,&rdquo; Orr said. &ldquo;It works, I tell you &ndash; it works.&rdquo;</p><p>Along with LivRelief applications a couple times a day (depending on need), Orr maintains his health through a regimen of stretching, cycling and walking. He also watches what he eats. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s easier to put the weight on now than it was yesterday,&rdquo; he said.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-04522/9667883-1-eng-US/f0023-042.jpg" title="f0023-04" width="163" height="152"></div><p><b>To see our interview with Bobby Orr, check out the video on <a href="http://THN.com">THN.com</a></b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0023-02

‘LIV’ LEGEND

<div class="byline">&#x2013; TAYLOR ROCCA</div><p class="dropcap"><span>W</span>ith concussions a concern for players and the doctors treating them, equipment manufacturers strive for breakthroughs in protective headgear. Bauer took a step forward in that endeavor by purchasing Cascade, a leading manufacturer of lacrosse helmets, for $64 million.</p><p>Cascade, in conjunction with Mark Messier, is behind the M11 Pro helmet, which uses the same protective Seven Technology that Cascade&rsquo;s lacrosse helmets are renowned for. Seven Technology pods more effectively manage energy transfer from impact, dispersing it through lateral compression. Bauer will utilize Cascade&rsquo;s technology and alliance with Messier to improve its own products.</p><p>Cascade, founded in 1986 and headquartered in Liverpool, N.Y., partnered with Messier in 2009.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-05382/9667928-1-eng-US/f0023-052.jpg" title="f0023-05" width="653" height="480"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0023-05

Head Strong

<div class="byline">BY ADAM PROTEAU</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0024-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-011447/9667973-1-eng-US/f0024-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span></b>ndy McDonald is far from the first NHLer to sustain a concussion. However, the veteran St. Louis Blues left winger is one of the first of a growing group of players to explore &ndash; and find success with &ndash; a different kind of treatment more players are turning to when rehabilitating troubling head injuries.</p><p>That would be hyperbaric therapy, in which patients are placed in a specialized chamber and given extended doses of 100 percent pure oxygen at a level greater than normal atmospheric pressure. First used as a treatment for diving disorders such as decompression sickness, the process is intended to serve as a deep-tissue stimulus &ndash; in particular, areas of the body in which blood flow is compromised &ndash; and also has been used on stroke victims and many types of head injuries.</p><p>McDonald was introduced to hyperbaric treatment by noted American neurologist Dr. Daniel Amen after former NHL superstar and fellow concussion sufferer Paul Kariya recommended him. By the time McDonald first heard Amen&rsquo;s name, he was at a low point in a pro career that began in 2000.</p><p>Back then, he sustained his first concussion as an Anaheim prospect and member of the American League&rsquo;s Cincinnati Mighty Ducks. That one pushed him out of the lineup for seven games. In 2002, the Strathroy, Ont., native had his first longterm injury from a concussion in the NHL that cost him 57 games (36 regular season and 21 post-season).</p><p>In 2010-11, and by then a key cog for the Blues, McDonald accrued his fourth concussion and missed 24 games for St. Louis. Ten months later, in October of 2011, he incurred another head injury on a relatively innocuous collision during the Blues&rsquo; third game of the season and missed 51 games before he returned to the team in February of 2012.</p><p>However, the 35-year-old never would have gotten there without the boost Amen and hyperbaric therapy gave him. He followed the doctor&rsquo;s program and travelled to the small town of Jackson, Tenn., to undergo hyperbaric treatment. Most of the time, that meant staying prone in the chamber for 90 minutes at a time &ndash; 50 minutes of pure oxygen doses and 10-15 minutes of warmup/warmdown &ndash; but the reality was McDonald&rsquo;s concussion symptoms had effectively kept him from any exercise. &ldquo;When you&rsquo;re feeling really, really bad and the one thing you can&rsquo;t do is exercise, it&rsquo;s tough,&rdquo; said McDonald, who has 293 assists and 468 points in 648 career NHL games. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a difficult recovery and I wasn&rsquo;t getting better, so I talked to Paul and decided to see Dr. Amen. He did a lot for me and I want to make other players aware of him.&rdquo;</p><p>Amen&rsquo;s program called for McDonald to undergo 40 hyperbaric treatments. As he hit the 15-20 session mark, McDonald began noticing a significant difference. &ldquo;My energy level improved and there was a reduction in my symptoms,&rdquo; McDonald said. &ldquo;The headaches began to subside and I was feeling more clear, less foggy. You feel better when you get up every morning, you have more motivation to do things. And I feel great right now. I probably feel better now than I did two years ago.&rdquo;</p><p>McDonald was so impressed by what Amen and hyperbaric treatment did for him, he played the same role for other concussed NHLers Kariya did for him. He had a mutual friend who knew Colorado Avalanche prospect Joey Hishon and when the 20-year-old missed the entire 2011-12 season with post-concussion symptoms sustained after a head injury at the 2011 Memorial Cup, McDonald reached out and counselled him on his options. In May of 2012, Hishon began to see light at the end of the tunnel in part thanks to hyperbaric sessions he underwent in Ohio.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-011275/9667966-1-eng-US/f0025-012.jpg" title="f0025-01" width="2062" height="1022"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(TRAVIS GOLBY/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>McDonald also helped convince Blues teammate Alexander Steen (who missed 39 games in 2011-12 with postconcussion symptoms) to enter the hyperbaric chamber and the 28-year-old left winger was able to return to the ice in time for the 2012 playoffs. But while he&rsquo;s happy to see what the treatment has done for a small group of concussed NHLers, McDonald is concerned all injured players aren&rsquo;t getting the same information and opportunities he has received. &ldquo;If there was a more comprehensive program for the whole league, there wouldn&rsquo;t be such a reliance on individual players to find their own help,&rdquo; McDonald said. &ldquo;I was fortunate to talk to Paul Kariya and to have the support of the St. Louis Blues to undergo the treatment. A lot of other guys, they don&rsquo;t get the support from their teams and there&rsquo;s not that much knowledge about this type of treatment.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-02897/9667959-1-eng-US/f0025-022.jpg" title="f0025-02" width="1343" height="1092"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>STEP RIGHT IN</b></p><p>Hyperbaric chambers deliver pure oxygen to concussion patients.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(AMEN CLINIC)</span></figcaption></div><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>&ldquo;DR. AMEN DID A LOT FOR ME AND I WANT TO MAKE OTHER PLAYERS AWARE OF HIM</b><br><b>&ndash; ANDY MCDONALD</b></blockquote><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s unfortunate it&rsquo;s not that well known and the league should be coming up with an across-the-board treatment program for all players, not leave it up to players. A lot of players that can&rsquo;t get it are left on their own.&rdquo;</p><p>Although the NHL has made strides in dealing with concussions, McDonald believes more must be done and changed, particularly in terms of the system&rsquo;s current dependence on players reporting their own symptoms. &ldquo;When you have a concussion, you don&rsquo;t have that ability to think completely clearly,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It can affect your judgment and you might not make the smartest decision. Protocols need to be revised a little bit to ensure the player gets an accurate evaluation so that guys aren&rsquo;t just saying, &lsquo;I feel fine, I want to go back in&rsquo; &ndash; the same game he has a head injury. If that means the player doesn&rsquo;t get to return to the game and misses a game, so be it. It&rsquo;s better for the player and in the long term it will be better for the league.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0024-01

A Breath Of Fresh Air

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0026-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-03822/9668025-1-eng-US/f0026-032.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(LOS ANGELES: SXC.HU/MCFLY1980)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-011457/9668018-1-eng-US/f0026-012.jpg" title="f0026-01" width="509" height="303"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-021049/9668011-1-eng-US/f0026-022.jpg" title="f0026-02" width="522" height="896"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(SIGN+BURGER: COURTESY IN/OUT BURGER)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span></b>s there anything more fun than trying out new food when you&rsquo;re travelling? And not classy stuff, but the tasty guilty pleasures &ndash; Cherry Coke or Cookie Crisp cereal (back when it was just tiny cookies you would drown in milk) for Canadians in the United States, ketchup chips for Americans going up north.</p><p>With Los Angeles being such a culinary wonderland, we walked right past anything Wolfgang Puck was trying to shill and headed to a couple of the most-hyped West Coast establishments unavailable back home. So how did they rate?</p><h2><b>In-N-Out Burger (near UCLA; more than 200 locations in the state) &ndash; 7/10</b></h2><p>Much has been made of the &lsquo;secret menu&rsquo; offered by this classic burger joint and by now it&rsquo;s not too secret. Which is fine, because all we wanted was a double cheeseburger and fries, which happens to be one of the combos posted on the pleasingly sparse order board.</p><p>The fries were excellent, you get to fill up your own fountain drink and the burger was tasty, though if you&rsquo;re hungry, you&rsquo;ll want to start with a double and maybe go from there. The patties aren&rsquo;t huge, so a double feels like a single &ndash; though the price was right nonetheless. In-N-Out has a fun retro vibe going and friendly staff. It&rsquo;s not gourmet, but it&rsquo;s better than your average national burger chain.</p><h2><b>Roscoe&rsquo;s Chicken and Waffles (Long Beach; six locations in L.A.) &ndash; 9/10</b></h2><p>Another Los Angeles staple, Roscoe&rsquo;s has been a cultural touchstone in hip hop for years and frequently gets shout-outs in films such as <i>Swingers</i>. The draw of course is the seemingly parallel combination of fried chicken and waffles. It&rsquo;s lunch and breakfast at the same time and yes, the waffles come with whipped butter and syrup.</p><p>The fried chicken is solid, but we made a rookie mistake: although a quarter chicken is easy to put down when it&rsquo;s roasted, deepfrying that bad boy adds another layer of heft. Plus, when you&rsquo;re already eating the best waffles you&rsquo;ll ever taste in your life, you&rsquo;re already kinda full. As a bonus, Roscoe&rsquo;s offers some fun juice options. We went with The Eclipse &ndash; orange juice, lemonade and fruit punch that settles into three distinct colorful layers in your glass.</p><p><b>And if you need your hockey fix&hellip;</b></p><h2><b>Redondo Beach Caf&eacute; (1511 South Pacific Coast Highway)</b></h2><p>The good folks in California have been accused of bandwagoning on the success of their L.A. Kings, but the Redondo Beach Caf&eacute; has been repping the ice game for years, which is why the Stanley Cup dropped by after the Kings&rsquo; victory.</p><p>Run by a couple of Montrealers, the caf&eacute; serves smoked meat (of course), Moosehead beer and Nanaimo bars as part of its Canadian mandate. During the season, hockey is always on the TV screens, so this is your puckhead paradise when you&rsquo;re not frolicking in the sand.</p><h2><b>South Side Pittsburgh</b></h2><p>Steeltown&rsquo;s South Side neighborhood has everything you need for pre-game partying or post-game shenanigans. And, conveniently enough, it&rsquo;s all located on one stretch of East Carson street, packed with bars, restaurants, clubs and cool stores. Best of all, it&rsquo;s just a five-minute drive and one bridge away from the home of the Penguins, the Consol Energy Center.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-04615/9668004-1-eng-US/f0026-042.jpg" title="f0026-04" width="513" height="295"></div><h3><b>Commonwealth Press</b></h3><p>1931 East Carson St.</p><p>A screen-printing shop with a local bent, Commonwealth has T-shirts for all Pittsburgh&rsquo;s sports teams, but naturally we like the hockey ones best. Those include the hip hopinspired &lsquo;Le-Tang Clan&rsquo; design for rushing defenseman Kris Letang and &lsquo;Sid Vicious,&rsquo; featuring the Pens&rsquo; young captain in his punk rock days (we assume).</p><h3><b>The Smiling Moose</b></h3><p>1306 East Carson St.</p><p>Metalheads still line the bar at this fine drinking establishment, but the back of the room has a projection screen with the game on, so it&rsquo;s a best-of-bothworlds scenario. There&rsquo;s plenty of beer on tap, plus bottles from a variety of micro and craft breweries, so you can drink Fin du Monde or Heavy Seas Loose Cannon while listening to Megadeth.</p><h3><b>Fat Head&rsquo;s Saloon</b></h3><p>1805 East Carson St.</p><p>This gastronomic institution has an expansive menu &ndash; and your waistline will follow. The must-have is one of the eatery&rsquo;s &lsquo;Headwiches,&rsquo; a.k.a. sandwiches the size of your head. We recommend the Divine Swine &ndash; pulled pork and bacon on a bun with excellent homemade chips. Lots of TVs for watching sports while you gorge, too.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0026-03

Treat Yourself

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RONNIE SHUKER</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0027-04" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-04505/9668077-1-eng-US/f0027-042.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(MISS USA: MISS UNIVERSE L.P. LLP)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>E</span></b>ven non-hockey fans caught Cup fever during the showdown between New Jersey and Los Angeles. And a pair of the United States&rsquo; most aesthetically gifted did, too, when they gathered to battle for the nation&rsquo;s beauty rep title.</p><p>As the Devils and Kings met in the Stanley Cup final, Miss New Jersey, Michelle Leonardo, and Miss California, Natalie Pack, decided to face off in a friendly photo shoot during the Miss USA pageant. The coastal beauty queens posed for some pics to represent their boys back home and though Pack won this war, with the Kings taking the NHL&rsquo;s crown, both women came up short in the Miss USA running.</p><p>Pageant organizers polled the 51 contestants and Los Angeles edged out New Jersey as the favorite. But seven cared more for becoming queens than cheering the Kings.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-011353/9668098-1-eng-US/f0027-012.jpg" title="f0027-01" width="121" height="224"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>Miss USA</b></h2><h3><b>Stanley Cup Poll</b></h3><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-02949/9668091-1-eng-US/f0027-022.jpg" title="f0027-02" width="128" height="152"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>23 votes</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-03686/9668084-1-eng-US/f0027-032.jpg" title="f0027-03" width="170" height="170"></div><p>21 votes</p><p><b>Who cares about a Cup when you can win a crown</b></p><p>7 votes</p><p><b>WILLA FORD</b> is back on the market. Dallas Stars legend Mike Modano has had trouble tearing himself from his playing days, but it took only a year of retirement before he split from the 31-year-old actress, his wife of five years. The pair announced their divorce in early August.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-05351/9668070-1-eng-US/f0027-052.jpg" title="f0027-05" width="203" height="341"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(FORD: FRAZER HARRISON/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>Cougar Town</b></h2><p>Detroit is Hockeytown, but we already know that.</p><p>When the Red Wings wanted to start a fan club exclusively for the ladies, however, they put a call out for an original name. The top two selections, as voted by Facebook followers, were &lsquo;Lady Wings&rsquo; and the much more awesome &lsquo;Detroit Cougars.&rsquo;</p><p>That was the team&rsquo;s original name in 1926 before it became the Falcons in &rsquo;30 and Red Wings in &rsquo;32. The double entendre has us hoping the name purrs its way to the top in the eyes of team management.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-06262/9668063-1-eng-US/f0027-062.jpg" title="f0027-06" width="263" height="216"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-07207/9668056-1-eng-US/f0027-072.jpg" title="f0027-07" width="323" height="240"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0027-04

Beauties Battle

<div class="byline">BY RONNIE SHUKER</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0028-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-011436/9668129-1-eng-US/f0028-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>JOY FOR THE JOINTS</b></p><p>Some of salmon&rsquo;s elements decrease joint inflammation, which is a boon for athletes.</p><span class="photo-credit">(RECIPE: EMILY RICHARDS, COURTESY OF FRESH JUICE; PHOTO: MARK SCHULTZ)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span></b>t&rsquo;s almost perfection on a plate. For athletes and average fitness-goers, so much of what your body needs is in a single food. &ldquo;Salmon is a great choice,&rdquo; said trainer Ben Prentiss. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s high in protein, has DHA &ndash; which supports your brain &ndash; it serves as an anti-inflammatory &ndash; and it&rsquo;s one of the best things for burning body fat. It&rsquo;s pretty much the perfect food.&rdquo;</p><p>Prentiss is a strength and conditioning coach who trains NHLers such as Martin St-Louis, Max Pacioretty, Matt Moulson and James van Riemsdyk. He&rsquo;s all business when it comes to workouts for his players in the off-season and no nonsense when it comes to their nutrition programs. &ldquo;They eat whatever I tell them to eat,&rdquo; Prentiss said. &ldquo;As a strength coach, I&rsquo;m not worried about making delicious dishes for the guys. I&rsquo;m more concerned about what it&rsquo;s doing for them. A perfect dish would be wild salmon with quinoa and kale or salmon with brown rice pasta.&rdquo;</p><p>Salmon is one of two meats (bison being the other) that Prentiss makes his players eat because of its bounty of benefits. The most well-known advantage is its omega-3 fatty acids, which have anti-inflammatory properties. But for those into taking supplements, another big benefit has recently been discovered. &ldquo;The big new supplement is astaxanthin &ndash; say that 10 times fast,&rdquo; Prentiss said. &ldquo;It has properties of healing, it&rsquo;s antiinflammatory and has all sorts of special properties. That&rsquo;s found in salmon, which gives it its pink color. That&rsquo;s now the new cool supplement that doctors are telling people to take.&rdquo;</p><p>Salmon is also a favorite of Ryan Dennis, a holistic sports nutritionist who has worked with clients of fitness guru Gary Roberts. He&rsquo;s consulted Steven Stamkos, James Neal and Jeff Skinner on nutrition and salmon is always high on the list of foods he recommends. &ldquo;What makes it great is both its proteins and its fats,&rdquo; Dennis said. &ldquo;A lot of people look at the protein content of meat.</p><p>They&rsquo;re comparing number to number and it seems simple, but the actual breakdown of what kinds of protein are in foods makes a difference. The great thing about salmon is the protein content is very supportive of the joints. That&rsquo;s very relevant to the sports field where you&rsquo;re constantly dealing with joint trauma.&rdquo;</p><p>Most salmon in supermarkets and restaurants is standard conventional farming fare. Stay away from that, because it&rsquo;s high in omega-6 fats, which can actually increase inflammation. Both Prentiss and Dennis stress the importance of buying wild-caught salmon and recommend eating it twice a week. Baking it is the simplest way to make it a delicious dish (see sidebar for recipe), but if you like salmon that&rsquo;s about to swim off your plate, even better. &ldquo;If you can do it in raw sushi form, I would lean toward that as the premium way to eat it,&rdquo; Dennis suggested. &ldquo;That being said, it&rsquo;s better to eat it cooked than to not eat it at all. If it&rsquo;s for taste, there&rsquo;s nothing wrong with baking it.&rdquo;</p><p>Just don&rsquo;t pan-fry it at high heat, he added, because that can breakdown those vital omega-3 fats. Whether baked or raw, make sure you&rsquo;re driving it into your belly regularly if you&rsquo;re a carnivore, especially for those in training. &ldquo;If you&rsquo;re talking pre-exercise or recovery, it&rsquo;s a really top-notch food. Fish in general digests very well. We always like to talk about the importance of protein, fats and carbohydrates balanced at every meal and it&rsquo;s hard to go wrong with something like salmon.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0028-01

Salmon Salvation

<h2><b>INGREDIENTS</b></h2><p>&#8531; cup (75 mL) ginger beer<br>&#8531; cup (75 mL) coconut milk<br>3 cloves garlic, grated<br>&frac12; tsp (2 mL) salt<br>&frac14; tsp (1 mL) freshly ground pepper<br>6 skinless salmon fillets, about<br>2 lb (900 g) total<br>&#8531; cup (75 mL) toasted flaked coconut<br>1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh cilantro</p><h2><b>PREPARATION</b></h2><p><b>1</b>&nbsp;In shallow dish, whisk together ginger beer, coconut milk, garlic, salt and pepper. Add salmon fillets, turning to coat. Refrigerate, covered, for 30 minutes up to four hours, turning occasionally.</p><p><b>2</b>&nbsp;Remove fillets from marinade, letting excess drip off (discard marinade). Cook fillets on greased grill over medium heat, turning once, until fish flakes easily, about 10 minutes.</p><p><b>3</b>&nbsp;Serve sprinkled with coconut and cilantro.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Ginger Coconut Salmon

<div class="byline">PHOTOS BY A.J. MESSIER PHOTOGRAPHY </div><div class="byline">MODELS BY ELMER OLSEN</div><div class="byline">HAIR BY BEN BARKWORTH</div><div class="byline">MAKEUP BY AMANDA WOOD</div><div class="byline">LOCATION BY NOEL COPEMAN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0044-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-01701/9668473-1-eng-US/f0044-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>T-SHIRT</b> Vintage from Black Market</p><p><b>SHORTS</b> Roots Canada</p></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>Y</span></b>our girlfriend stole your favorite old hockey shirt. And that thing was vintage early &rsquo;90s, man. As hot as throwback hats are from that era right now, there&rsquo;s something about the original that can&rsquo;t be beat. Now she&rsquo;s just lounging around the condo waiting for you to get home while wearing your shirt, but it&rsquo;s all cut up and too skimpy for you to ever reclaim. On second thought, this may not be a problem&hellip;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-01613/9668466-1-eng-US/f0045-012.jpg" title="f0045-01" width="740" height="1055"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-01620/9668459-1-eng-US/f0046-012.jpg" title="f0046-01" width="2260" height="3085"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>T-SHIRT</b> Vintage from Black Market</p><p><b>SHORTS</b> Roots Canada</p></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-01560/9668452-1-eng-US/f0047-012.jpg" title="f0047-01" width="2103" height="2870"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>T-SHIRT</b> Vintage from Catwalk</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-01434/9668445-1-eng-US/f0048-012.jpg" title="f0048-01" width="2205" height="3010"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>JERSEY</b> Vintage from Catwalk</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-01405/9668438-1-eng-US/f0049-012.jpg" title="f0049-01" width="2205" height="3010"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>T-SHIRT</b> Vintage from Value Village</figcaption></div><p><b>See more of Allison at <a href="http://THN.com/allison">THN.com/allison</a></b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0044-01

LAZY Sunday

<div class="byline">BY MICHAEL TRAIKOS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0050-01392/9668525-1-eng-US/f0050-012.jpg" title="f0050-01" width="261" height="260"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>H</span></b>is teammates don&rsquo;t get it. They think he&rsquo;s crazy. They don&rsquo;t understand why, just days after the season ends, Sheldon Souray is back on the ice doing it all over again.</p><p>Take a vacation, they say. Head to Hawaii or some other tropical paradise and just kick back and relax on the sand. Get away from the rink. Get away from playing hockey.</p><p>No way, says Souray. Besides, the Sunday and Monday game Souray has religiously been playing every off-season for the past 10 years in El Segundo, Calif., is not exactly hockey. Well, not the kind Souray is used to playing in the NHL. This is shinny. Where the jerseys do not match, the scoreboard is turned off and the referees stay home. Where his level of competition includes a 66-year-old film and television producer and the supporting actor who won an Academy Award for <i>Jerry Maguire.</i> &ldquo;I love it,&rdquo; Souray said of the Hollywood pickup game orchestrated by Jerry Bruckheimer. &ldquo;Guys are like, &lsquo;Why are you skating so soon?&rsquo; Well, I come back and skate because it&rsquo;s fun. You go out and have a beer after, the goalies are sweating after 10 shots. It&rsquo;s just fun.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0051-01323/9668518-1-eng-US/f0051-012.jpg" title="f0051-01" width="2052" height="1134"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>SUMMER TRUCE IN BATTLE OF ONTARIO</b></p><p>Jason Spezza used to play with one-time Leaf Alexei Ponikarovsky in the off-season.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(ANDRE RINGUETTE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Hockey is fun, but it&rsquo;s also a job. It&rsquo;s work. Souray, now a defenseman for the Anaheim Ducks, gets a paycheck and has a boss just like the rest of us. If he doesn&rsquo;t perform, he could find himself planted to the bench or &ndash; like what happened during the 2010-11 season &ndash; in the minors.</p><p>Here, however, Souray doesn&rsquo;t play any defense. He doesn&rsquo;t even backcheck. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m a rover,&rdquo; Souray said, laughing. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t ever skate backwards.&rdquo;</p><p>While Souray&rsquo;s pickup game is unique, he&rsquo;s far from the only NHLer who plays hockey in the summer just for the fun of it. Most players head back home in the off-season, reconnecting with high-school friends and players from their minor hockey or junior days.</p><p>It doesn&rsquo;t have to be hockey. Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos plays on a softball team in Markham, Ont., where he can be just one of the guys. The Staal brothers &mdash; Eric, Marc, Jordan and Jared &mdash; get together and play whenever they are in Thunder Bay, Ont. Washington Capitals forward Joel Ward and brothers Anthony and Chris Stewart are part of a Toronto pickup game that has grown over the years. The summer heat has a way of melting rivalries away.</p><p>When Alexei Ponikarovsky and Ed Belfour were Toronto Maple Leafs, they played in a regular game with Ottawa Senators center Jason Spezza. Had the two cities&rsquo; respective media outlets gotten wind of it, they would have had a field day. But no one thought anything of it, probably because the players were wearing generic jerseys.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;THEY&rsquo;D BE ON THE ICE FOUR, FIVE HOURS A DAY. THEY NEVER, EVER GOT BORED<br>CAL FRANSON</blockquote><p>Then there is Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Cody Franson, whose father runs the local rink back home in Sicamous, B.C., along with Shea Weber&rsquo;s dad. The Fransons and Webers grew up playing shinny together. And they still get on the ice whenever they are home, along with Los Angeles Kings center Colin Fraser and former NHLer Kris Beech. &ldquo;It was pretty much like having a rink in your own backyard,&rdquo; Cal Franson said. &ldquo;Better, even. Especially during the Christmas holidays, they&rsquo;d be on the ice four, five hours a day. They never, ever got bored.&rdquo;</p><p>Playing against fellow NHLers is one thing. But the game Souray attends is purely recreational. When Souray, who lives in Malibu, started playing with the group about a decade ago, some of them could barely skate. Guys like Cuba Gooding Jr., have gotten better over time and there are a couple of ringers, like former NHL defenseman Chris Chelios and Canadian actor Taylor Kitsch (<i>Friday Night Lights, John Carter</i>), who was once a promising junior player for the BCHL&rsquo;s Langley Hornets before suffering a knee injury.</p><p>But even now, a few of the players might benefit from holding onto a chair for balance. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s loose, but I think everybody gets a little competitive even though its shinny,&rdquo; Souray said. &ldquo;They want to score a goal. They&rsquo;re competitive in their careers, so that crosses over. I&rsquo;ve never seen a fight or anything like that. But they treat it like it&rsquo;s Game 1 of the playoffs.</p><p>&ldquo;Games are up to five, but I&rsquo;ve never kept score. I don&rsquo;t really know who wins or anything. It&rsquo;s an hour-and-15 minute skate, so there&rsquo;s a lot of goals. But no one&rsquo;s really keeping score.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0052-01319/9668511-1-eng-US/f0052-012.jpg" title="f0052-01" width="641" height="1300"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(SOURAY: GERRY THOMAS/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Souray said he takes it easy. He and everyone else know if he really wanted to, he could hang onto the puck all game and score goal after goal after goal. But that wouldn&rsquo;t be much fun for anyone. And he probably wouldn&rsquo;t get invited back again. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t see them play that hard against me, but I also have to show them some respect,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I think most of them are honored to be playing against me in a certain way. I feel the same way about them. Like I can&rsquo;t believe I&rsquo;m playing against Cuba Gooding Jr. We&rsquo;re not trying too hard. It&rsquo;s more friendly than it is competitive.&rdquo;</p><p>So, Souray keeps his goal-scoring to a minimum. He passes the puck a lot and unleashes his booming slap shot sparingly. He might slip a deke through a defenseman&rsquo;s legs for kicks, but he&rsquo;s not that guy at every pickup game whose sole purpose is to showboat. In other words, he&rsquo;s not Maxim Afinogenov.</p><p>Two years ago, when the former NHLer was following his then-girlfriend and professional tennis player Elena Dementieva on tour in Alabama, Afinogenov dropped in on a local pick-up game. &ldquo;His agent said he wanted to skate,&rdquo; Jeff Cheeseman, the director of hockey for the Pelham Civic Center told the Birmingham <i>News</i> in 2010. &ldquo;So I told her we had an adult pick-up game on Tuesday nights and (Afinogenov) showed up. We limit the number of players, so you have to sign in and pay $10. I made sure his name was first on the list.&rdquo;</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">GAMES ARE UP TO FIVE, BUT I&rsquo;VE NEVER KEPT SCORE. I DON&rsquo;T REALLY KNOW WHO WINS OR ANYTHING.<br>SHELDON SOURAY</blockquote><p>When other players arrived, most believed it was a joke. Ha, ha. Some wise-acre must be having a little fun. Who else was here, they thought. Alex Ovechkin? Evgeni Malkin?</p><p>No. Just Afinogenov. But against a bunch of beer leaguers, you would not be able to tell the difference.</p><p>A couple of nights later, Afinogenov was invited back to play against some &ldquo;real&rdquo; competition. These were former college players, guys that could skate and move the puck and who knew how to hit. &ldquo;As a general rule, we don&rsquo;t allow drop-ins,&rdquo; Cheeseman told the newspaper. &ldquo;We made an exception.&rdquo;</p><p>Afinogenov reportedly scored 17 goals. Of course he did. He probably could have scored twice as many if he really wanted. He was, after all, an NHLer who was coming off a 61-point season with the Atlanta Thrashers.</p><p>Afinogenov reportedly started out on the &ldquo;black&rdquo; team. But with the score 7-2 after just 10 minutes &ndash; Afinogenov scored all seven goals &ndash; he was traded to the &ldquo;white&rdquo; team and potted another seven in a 16-13 win. &ldquo;He didn&rsquo;t come off the ice in either the second or third periods,&rdquo; said Cheeseman. &ldquo;He told us he was looking for conditioning. And besides, who was going to tell him to come off?</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0052-02198/9668504-1-eng-US/f0052-022.jpg" title="f0052-02" width="641" height="1271"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>CUBA LIBRE</b></p><p>Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. plays in a summer game with Anaheim&rsquo;s Sheldon Souray.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(GOODING JR: ANDREW H. WALKER/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;One of the guys asked me, &lsquo;What do you think would happen if I give him a shoulder?&rsquo; I said, &lsquo;The guy plays in the same league with Chris Pronger. I think he can take a shoulder from you.&rdquo;</p><p>Souray, who has fought more than 50 times in his NHL career, does not worry about taking a shoulder. He said he might if the game were in Toronto or Montreal, where some wannabe NHLer might take a run at him or even goad him into dropping his gloves if only for a story to tell their buddies. &ldquo;These guys are way more laid back,&rdquo; Souray said. &ldquo;They have the phone practically on the ice. That&rsquo;s the fun part. You hear Jerry Bruckheimer talking about <i>Pirates of the Caribbean</i> and how it made $200 million on the weekend. That&rsquo;s so much different than anything I&rsquo;ve been around. It&rsquo;s a totally different crowd. Different walks of life.</p><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re just going out there and getting a little sweaty. I&rsquo;m just out there having fun with these guys and getting to know them on a different level than being at work. When I go out to play, I don&rsquo;t take the work mentality with me. I have fun, because it&rsquo;s not too often that you can go out and have fun.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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SUMMER SHINNY

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<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0062-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0062-01194/9668783-1-eng-US/f0062-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ILLUSTRATION BY THOMAS CHO)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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