Huge Minor League Hockey Brawl

Minor league hockey brawl between the  SPHL’s Huntsville Havoc and Mississippi Surge.

NHL Player starts pickup game with Twitter fans

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Josh Gorges is so sick of the lockout, he took to Twitter recently to start up a pickup game with some followers.

“Where is the best outdoor rink in mtl for a pick up game?? And who’s all coming??” Gorges tweeted last Saturday. About 50 people met up with the the 28-year-old at a Montreal rink for the game.

He said he was planning on playing 10-on-10, with line changes. However that didn't happen.

“That lasted about a minute,” Gorges told the Montreal gazette. “Then everybody was on the ice and it was total chaos. You had no idea who was on your team. If someone picked up the puck and was going the same direction as you, that helped.”

Seems like a good time was had by all, and it was such a hit that Gorges held a second game on Wednesday. 

Thanks to everyone who showed up for the game today had alot of fun!! What do you think should we organize another game??

— josh gorges (@jgorges26) December 26, 2012

Via Montreal Gazette

Guy Boucher's hockey-style first pitch

Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Guy Boucher was invited to toss out the first pitch prior to the Rays' matchup with the Blue Jays on Friday night at The Trop. In true hockey-style, Boucher took a wrister and the ball went right down Broadway to Rays cather Stephen Vogt, who was doing his best goal impersonation.

Boucher was on hand to help the Rays celebrate the Lightning's 20th anniversary, however with the season in jeopardy due to the lockout, the Lightning might not be celebrating too much more. The Rays shellacked the Jays, 12-1, to move to 4.5 games back of the second American League Wild Card spot.

N.J. Devils Draft Stefan Matteau

One of the most memorable goals in NHL hockey history happened in 1994, when in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals, New York Rangers left winger Stefan Matteau scored in the second overtime against the New Jersy Devils to advance the Rangers to the 1994 Stanley Cup Final, where they would win the Stanley Cup. For the past 18 years, Devils goalie Martin Brodeur has been serenaded with chants of "Matteau!, Matteua!, Matteau!" by the Madison Square Garden crowd, referencing the famous call made by then Rangers radio broadcaster Howie Rose.

In a very ironic twist, the New Jersey Devils drafted Stefan Matteau with the 29th pick overall, in the NHL Draft on Friday.  Matteau has the same name as his father who scored that famous goal against the Devils 18 years ago.  The junior Matteau is a 18-year-old, 6-foot-2 center.  To make things even more surreal, the Rangers had the 28th pick and passed on Matteau, and chose a defenseman named Brady Skjei one pick earlier.

How the Rangers passed on Matteau's kid is beyond me?  They owed it to Matteau and the Ranger fans to draft him. Now Ranger fans have to root against one of their most beloved players son's and watch him play for that swamp land team?  Rangers management blew this one big time!  I bet the Madison Square Garden faithful will give Matteau's kid a big hand.  "Matteau!, Matteau!, Matteau!" will never be tarnished, even if his son is a Devil.

The Stanley Cup Arrives in a Honda Minivan

This is why the NHL is #4 of the major sports.  Lord Stanley's Cup arrived to the Staples Center in a Honda Odossey minivan.  WTF?  I guess the Range Rover dealership was closed!