Guest Post: The Good and the Bad with a Season Ticket-Holding Dad

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Mar 232013
 

Sean Imoo is 11 years old and in grade 6.  He enjoys listening to the latest music, playing guitar and piano, playing hockey and other sports, and whipping his Dad in NHL 13.  Sean is passionate about his favourite team – the Vancouver Canucks.  He is likely the biggest Canuck fan in his school and he is always learning more and more about the Canucks every day.  Here are his insights as to what it’s like being related to a certain CHB writer.

As you may know, my dad (@CanuckClay) is a season ticket holder with his good friend Mike.  This is my dad’s 3rd season as a season ticket holder while Mike has been lucky to have them for over 10 years.  I am very lucky that Dad is a season ticket holder because I can go to games with him for some good “father and son” bonding.  Sadly, I can’t get to all of the games as much as I want to.  This gets very interesting sometimes so here is the good, the bad, and the interesting of having a dad as a season ticket holder.

The Good

First, the good.  Like I mentioned before, my dad and I love to go to games together.  We cheer, we boo, we eat, we drink, and we just talk Canucks.  I am very lucky to have been to a couple very memorable moments.  I was able to see Markus Naslund’s jersey retired, and I saw the Canucks clinch the President’s Trophy 2 years ago.

Being able to go to games forces me to plan and do homework earlier.  However, it wasn’t always this way.  When I first started going to games, I found myself doing homework during intermissions.  I remember bringing my math textbook to study for a math test the next day.  Doing homework at a game is still better than doing homework looking at a TV – or worse yet – in my bedroom.

The Bad

The downside to this is that the games are mostly on school nights, so by the time the game is over, we usually get home after 11pm (we like to enjoy a delicious post-game meal of Japanese food).  Oh well, going to games is worth losing 60 minutes of sleep.

Also, my dad’s tickets are in the upper bowl.  So, for a lot of the games I go to, there are people that get extremely drunk and swear like crazy.  Not the best environment for an 11-year old kid that goes to a Catholic school.  I’ve even seen many people kicked out of the arena.  It’s kinda funny, actually.

The Interesting

I’m not the only person in the house that wants to go to games though.  I’m okay when my dad goes to games with Mike or other friends, but when it comes to family, it’s not pretty.  The most common fight is between me and my mother.  When my dad asks who wants to go to a game, we both say that it’s our turn (sometimes I lie).  Then…we start to argue.

I say, “I bet you can’t even name 5 players!” or “Explain to me a delayed offside!”

And she replies with, “Whose house do you live in?” or “Who pays for the tickets?”

She’s stopped short of kicking me out or telling me to get a job.

After these friendly discussions, no one knows who is going to get to go.  That’s when I go into suck up mode.

PS. Would someone please volunteer to film my dad’s Clay’s Canucks Commentaries?  It’s getting to me…look at the format of this blog!  You must be able to work late nights and handle verbal heckling.  I can’t take it anymore.

CHB Social: Tweetup at the Hog Shack in Steveston

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Mar 112013
 

Another Canucks season means another Canucks Hockey Blog tweetup! And obviously, if we at CHB want to get our tweetup on, we look to the fabulous Hog Shack Cook House in beautiful Steveston (in Richmond for those unsure). Also very obvious, we want to invite you – our diehard readers and fans – to join us for some BBQ, beer and Canucks hockey as they take on the Los Angeles Kings in a Saturday matinée match-up.

CHB and Hog Shack Tweetup - Mar 23
If you couldn’t grab the deets from the poster above, here’s the nitty-gritty of our event:

Where: Hog Shack BBQ House, 3900 Bayview St, Richmond BC
When: Saturday, March 23rd, 2013 – 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM (the game starts at 1:00 PM)
Who: You – our readers and tweeps

So if good company, good eats and good brew isn’t enough to entice you to come, we will also have a number of contests to reward those who know their stuff. And there may also be a chance for us to help make you a star in an episode of CHB TV – how good is that?

If you have any questions or want to be added to the VIP list and guarantee yourself a table (or a seat next to Clay Imoo), send a tweet to the Hog Shack at @hogshackca or reach out to us here in the comments section.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Clay’s Canucks Christmas Carol: This Christmas

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Dec 232012
 

For this special edition of Clay’s Canucks Commentary, I pull a few friends together for the 3rd annual Canucks Christmas Carol.

Once again I am joined by my friends Joe, Oggy, Jason, Pat and the foreign exchange student Kevin.  Kevin came all the way from overseas to watch some hockey but he gets something else instead.

Last year we put together the Bieber-inspired “Under the Minne(so)” and in 2011 we did the “12 Days of Christmas”.

For this year, we do our version of the classic “This Christmas”.

Merry Christmas from all of us at CHB!

Top 10 Reasons Why Gary Bettman Requested the Two-Week Moratorium

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Nov 162012
 

According to many sources, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has suggested that the NHL and NHLPA take a two-week moratorium from negotiating – apparently after NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr said he didn’t know how the two sides would proceed to break the stalemate.

Understandably, the reaction to Bettman’s request has been overwhelmingly negative: from the Fehrs, from players, and from fans.  A two-week break doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense at such a critical time in the negotiation process.  I know that if I suggested a two-week moratorium to my lovely wife Gail the next time we had a disagreement, I’d be looking for a new place to live.

So I took it upon myself to delve into the Commissioner’s mind as to why he would request the break.  Thus, here are the Top 10 Reasons Why Gary Bettman Requested the 2-Week Moratorium:

10.  To undergo plastic surgery to make himself look less like the Count from Sesame Street.

9.  To watch reruns of 24/7 and the Winter Classic.

8.  To buy new needles for his “Donald and Steve Fehr” voodoo set.

7.  To go hunting with David Booth.

6.  To hunt down Bill Simmons and hurt him.

5.  To help investigate the affair of former CIA Director David Petraeus.

4.  To find out who really is behind the @strombone1 Twitter account.

3.  To concentrate fully on the CFL’s Divisional Final games and Grey Cup.

2.  To obtain a personality, sense of humour, and shred of likability.

1.  To get together with his negotiating team to craft out a thoughtful, fair and workable proposal to the NHLPA.

Well, we can all dream can’t we?

 

Shooting From the Hip With the Ultimate Canucks Fan @matthewahawkins

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Oct 252012
 

I met Matthew Hawkins through the Ultimate Canucks Fan Contest back in 2007.  Since then we’ve become fast friends sharing mutual interests of family (our own and not each other’s), video games, making videos and of course, the Vancouver Canucks.  Speaking of videos, here’s a Clay’s Canucks Commentary from last year where we talked more about the Ultimate Canucks Fan Contest.

It’s a year later and while there is no hockey (yet), I thought it would be a good time to check in with my buddy Matthew in my newest Shooting From the Hip.

In his own words:

Matthew (@matthewahawkins) resides in the horribly named town of Chilliwack, BC. He is a professional amateur adult rec hockey league player in the C division. His team doesn’t win much, but he plays for the money.

1.  Tell us about the Ultimate Canucks Fan contest and some of the videos you did for it.

Years ago I entered this crazy contest the Canucks put on called the Ultimate Canucks Fan contest. I never won anything out of it, but I did sell rights of one video to a studio in Halifax and I was on several news stations. People still don’t get that the Boston accent was a big joke and think there is something wrong with me. Here’s one of the videos.

2.       One of your most popular videos is a rap song called “I Just Pulled an Auger on You”.  Care to explain?

I don’t think this video started to get popular until Harrison Mooney, from Pass it to Bulis, made fun of it on his blog. Auger decided to retire from his illustrious career as an NHL official and my video fit in well to say farewell to the French Canadian referee. I know I can’t rap, at all, but I wanted to make a video of me being an idiot and I think I succeeded.

3.       What’s your general mood with respect to the NHL lockout?

To be honest, I haven’t followed it too closely. I do think the PA has some legitimate gripes and I think the owners are extremely stubborn, then you throw in Garry Bettman and who likes that guy? I have been finding my sports fix in the NFL this year. Still trying to find out what happened to Tebow?

I don’t like that there is a lockout. Saturday evenings seem so empty in our house. Hockey Night in Canada is one of our favorite nights as we hang out in front of the TV, play some living room hockey and try to understand what Kevin Weekes is saying. I’m not happy about the lockout, but all I can do is wait for them to figure it out.

4.       What’s your prediction of the date of the next NHL regular season game?

I think we’ll be lucky to see any hockey before Christmas. Maybe they’ll get the Winter Classic ready to go because that’s a big money maker and we can celebrate the anniversary of Sidney Crosby’s concussion. Both parties seem so far apart from each other, I don’t think hockey before Christmas is going to happen. I really wouldn’t be surprised if there is no season at all this year. So much for EA’s NHL 13 Moments Live feature…

5.       Where is Roberto Luongo going to end up once the lockout ends (whenever that may be)?

If this lockout keeps going, I think Luongo will have a gut from eating too many canollis. Maybe he’ll team up with Wellfed in Winnipeg?! In all honesty, I think Luongo will be going to Florida and maybe, just maybe, Toronto. For a little while there was rumor he may go to Chicago, which would make the feud between the two clubs even better, but I don’t think that’s going to happen. I say Florida, his roots are there and he’s probably pushing for it to happen.

Shooting From the Hip With @iam_canuck and @vancitydan: Favourite Players and Favourite Dinner Guests

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Oct 112012
 

@iam_canuck

On the day that the Vancouver Canucks were supposed to open their 2012-13 regular season in Calgary against the Flames, I check in with another two Canucks fans about their favourite and not-so-favourite players, preferred dinner guests and of course, the lockout.

Crystal (@iam_canuck) was born in Abbotsford, BC, and has hop-skipped around the western provinces (except Alberta) before settling where she currently resides in Winnipeg, MB.  She lives with her parents, sister, and her equally Canucks-crazed brother.  She started watching hockey in February 2010 (during the Vancouver Olympics!), and latched on to the Canucks since she was living in BC at the time.  Her secondary love is basketball and she has played it for longer than she can remember.  She’s living her dream of playing at the university level right now at Providence University College.  While playing ball, she’s studying Communications and Media and hopes to someday work in sports journalism or reporting (she would love to take over Derek Jory’s job).  Her other interests include rockin’ out to country music, hanging out with friends, and watching movies.

Dan (@vancitydan) is currently between professions, and open to new opportunities.  Born in Calgary, he moved to BC before four, and feels homesick without the purple mountains’ majesty about.  Having been schooled mainly in the classroom of life, Dan has worked in a variety of businesses as a manager, and truly enjoys helping people.  A lifelong photographer who went from making his living as one to being part of a team of professionals helping movie makers realize their creative visions.  While he first hit the ice in full Bobby Orr regalia at age four, Dan has been a Canuck fan since three years later, when the team joined the NHL in 1970.  He fully agrees that Dale Tallon got unfairly compared to Perreault, loved how Andre Boudria played, and still cannot fully understand how Vladimir Krutov went from one of the best power forwards in the world to a cautionary tale for overeating in one year.  Vive le Vancouver restaurants!  Currently one part of the team of many fine writers at NucksMisconduct.com.

1. Who is your favourite current Canuck and why?

Crystal:  I have struggled with this question forever.  When people ask me this, I usually rattle off my top 5 or 6, simply because I love them all.  But since I have to narrow it down, I tend to be drawn not only to the best players on the ice, but the guys with awesome personalities off the ice as well.  Having said that, Cory Schneider, Kevin Bieksa and Ryan Kesler are the main guys that spring to my mind.  Watching these guys do interviews are some of the most entertaining, hilarious moments of the season for me.

Dan:  My favourite Canuck is Kevin Bieksa both for his style of play and his talent, and because he’s one of the most community-oriented guys on the team. Plus, come on:  he is obviously one of the funniest and toughest guys on the team, no matter what that punk Vern Fiddler says!

2. Which Canuck would you not miss if he wasn’t on the team? Why?

Crystal:  Dale Weise.  Hands down.  It’s not that I hate the guy; it’s just that I like him the least.  Okay, I kinda hate him.  It’s mainly because back when he had his Twitter (and wasn’t using it wisely), I made a harmless comment about him doing so.  He responded not-so-nicely to me.  Ever since then, I haven’t been so fond of #32.  There’s also the question of production for Weise.  He’s never been a prominent player.  Not even close to prominent actually.  He’s been… present.  That’s all I can say for him.

Dan:  I don’t want to answer that question, as it will make the guy I pick feel bad.  You have Mason Raymond who falls down too much and Keith Ballard who isn’t worth his cap hit.  I do think that Ballard would be better on another team where he would have more opportunity.  So, if I had to answer (and it sounds like I do), I would say Ballard should be traded somewhere where he’d get more ice time.

3. Who would you rather have dinner with: Alain Vigneault or Mike Gillis? Why?

Crystal:  Alain Vigneault.  I want to see if he chews gum throughout dinner as well.  No, seriously I’d like to pick his brain!  Last year the team had a lot of different line combinations (most of which didn’t work), so I want to hear the logic behind that from the man himself!  I also just would like to get to know him.  I feel like we know tons about the players, their families, etc., but AV is kind of in the background.  He’s a really funny guy who I think would be entertaining to talk to!  I also want to find out if he can impersonate Cory Schneider as well as Cory can impersonate him.

Dan:  Alain Vigneault.  Though I would enjoy hearing about the travails of coaching the team, I am almost as interested in hearing about his time as “Bam Bam” as a St Louis Blue.  As well, I want to hear what it’s like to have millions of British Columbians “couch coaching” your every move.

4. What’s your general mood with respect to the NHL lockout?

Crystal:  The regular season is supposed to be starting today, which really made me think (and cry).  I should be donning my jersey, getting super pumped for my Canucks to pummel the Calgary fLames on opening night in their arena.  But I’m not.  Which is sad, because all summer I was literally counting down the days to October 11.  One of the things I hate the most about this situation is the fact that the Canucks were supposed to be coming to Winnipeg on February 9, and my brother and I were going to go.  Now we can’t.  Stupid lockout.

Dan:  A growing indifference, tinged with the realization that I would probably come running back!  The NHL knows they have Canadians in their back pocket.  I do feel that even this Canadian is reaching his breaking point if there is some foolish reason for no season.  Grow up Gary!

5. What’s your prediction of the date of the next NHL regular season game?

Crystal:  Being the positive person I am, I don’t really want to say that I don’t think there will be a season at all this year.  So I won’t.  I’m hoping for a October 25 start, although you and I both know that won’t happen.  At the rate the NHL/NHLPA talks are going, I think the most realistic goal, as the great Wayne Gretzky has already predicted, is for the Winter Classic on January 1.  Until then, I guess I have evenings free to do schoolwork.  Ugh.

Dan:  Late November or early December.  The Winter Classic will be the impetus for a deal.  So, when the Canucks win the Cup next summer, the haters will talk about how it deserves an asterisk.  #EmbraceTheHate!

Shooting From the Hip With @_EricaDawn and @Mitch_SBMedia: Lockout Woes and Worries

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Oct 022012
 

@_EricaDawn

We’re two weeks into the NHL lockout so I decided to check in with another two Canucks fans about their feelings, their frustrations, and their outlook.

Erica (@_EricaDawn) only acknowledges two seasons and is lucky enough to experience both in British Columbia:  hockey and summer.  Erica was born in Langley, raised throughout the Lower Mainland and currently resides in Coquitlam.  She has an education in hospitality management, a job as a food and beverage department supervisor, a passion for hockey and travel, and a love for her Boston Terrier fur-baby Cali (named after her favorite place to be…California!). She travels down to California to watch the boys in white take on the three local teams.  Her top three not so best kept secrets would be her love for Halloween, her love for Disney, and her love for Ryan Kesler.

@Mitch_SBMedia

Mitch (@Mitch_SBMedia) was born in Lethbridge, Alberta, but don’t hold that against him. He moved to BC at the age of two and ever since he can remember, he’s lived and died by the Vancouver Canucks.  He studied audio engineering which in his words was “a colossal waste of time and money”.  Currently Mitch finds himself as a production and logistics coordinator in his home town of Coquitlam.  A devoted partner to his lovely girlfriend of eight years and father of two, Mitch is already well on his way to being a hockey dad.  As a matter of fact, he recently assaulted another parent in the parking lot after his four-year old sons’ “refresher” hockey class.  When pressed on the subject all he could say was “It’s an ongoing investigation, but I think if you know me, you know I’ll do a three or four year bid just to prove a point.”  When he’s not watching hockey or playing it, his time is spent with his girlfriend and kids. Mitch also blogs about hockey for Northwest Sports Beat, Rob the Hockey Guy and Nucks Misconduct. He’s also a member of the secret order of the Stonecutters.

Continue reading »

The Canucks 2012 Playoff Beard Challenge

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Apr 052012
 

Chris' Beard by Round 4

Coffee, Beer, and Playoff Hockey Make Beards Grow

With only a few games left in the 2011/12 NHL Regular Season, you know it’s only a matter of time until you begin to see how the more passionate hockey fans separate themselves from the crowd. That’s right – it’s playoff beard time!

Last year, the Canucks Hockey Blog Playoff Beard Challenge was a phenomenal success! Not only did we help raise money for a wicked cause through the NHLPA Beard-a-thon, our facial hair helped the boys in blue come within one game of the actual Stanley Cup (give or take obviously). One game! So being the superstitious folk we are, we knew there was only one thing for us to do this week – announce the Canucks 2012 Playoff Beard Challenge!

To participate, simply take a picture of your beard from Day 1 through to the end of the Canucks playoff run and share it with the world. But what’s the best way to share you ask? By joining and/or supporting the official CHB Beard-a-thon team!

For those not aware, the NHLPA Beard-a-thon raised nearly $200,000 for the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada. And why the Heart & Stroke Foundation?

The Heart and Stroke Foundation is dedicated to giving Canadians longer, fuller lives because heart disease and stroke take 1 in 3 Canadians too soon and it is the #1 killer of women. Donations fuel research, health education and social change to improve heart health for all Canadians. The Foundation is dedicated to funding innovative research and medical breakthroughs, including funding studies into women and heart disease, the risk factors for different ethnicities, children’s health and adults dealing with congenital heart defects.

Pretty awesome charity to support if you ask me. And because we’re supporting a great cause, we want to do it the right way:

The Rules of the 2012 Canucks Playoff Beard Challenge:

  1. You don’t talk about Beard Club.. err.. the Challenge.
  2. You don’t talk about Beard Club.
  3. If you can’t do the beard, commit to something and stick to it (special ritual, personal habit, etc.). We here at the Challenge do not discriminate against those who can’t/don’t/won’t grow facial hair. We’ll even accept virtual beards for the folicly challenged.
  4. A beard is a beard is a beard. Goatees and mustaches are fakes.
  5. Your last shave takes place the morning of April 8th the first game (updated to conform with the Beardathon rules).

Once you’re in, you’re in. Unless you’re not. We’re not that hardcore. But keep in mind the idea of a playoff challenge is to keep it going – and Lord knows we’ll make you feel shame should something untoward happen to the Canucks in the post-season AFTER you quit. And in just in case it comes up, the wishes of your significant other do not trump Beard Club. In fact, you should encourage him/her/it to heed the call to challenge and join up.

So do you have what it takes? Do ya, punk?

CHB PSA: Vigneault Is Not Amused

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Apr 032012
 
Alain is not Amused

Rioting is no giggling matter.

I’ve always thought AV was a funny guy. A little dry wit at appropriate times, usually at the expense of local media but still, while he maintained that stoneface for many of his early Canucks years, this year in particular he’s really lightened up. I don’t think I need to remind any Canucks fans of his uncontrollable giggle-fits as Vernon Fiddler did his best Kevin Bieksa impression. Seems it doesn’t take much to give Coach V an attack of the funnies.

On the other hand, AV does not find wrecking Vancouver very funny…so don’t do it or he’ll bag skate you til next playoffs.

Kassian Has The Intimidation Factor

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Mar 302012
 

When Zack Kassian arrived in Vancouver, one of the first words out of his mouth was the following:

They’ve got a great team here, and I’m just going to try to be a small piece in a big puzzle.

Oh Zack, we all know that’s not going to be possible in this hockey fishbowl.

Since he arrived on the scene, fans have been watching closely, scrutinizing and analyzing every little detail of his game. There have been bright moments, like his first three games as a Canuck, where he combined for 16 hits, a goal, and an assist. His fight with Brad Staubitz against Montreal and his skirmish with Duncan Keith in Chicago also stand out.

There are the naysayers, too. On some nights, Kassian has been stapled to the bench during crucial moments. Part of that has to do with Alain Vigneault’s unwillingness to play young players when the game’s on the line, and part of it has to do with Kassian’s play has been somewhat inconsistent.

On occasion, he has that gusto where he looks like he’ll take a player’s head off. On others, he’s losing puck battles in corners and slower than Steve Bernier.

But perhaps one of the most underrated aspects of Zack Kassian’s game is the intimidation factor he has when he’s on the ice. He has a presence, one which the team cannot say they boasted before.

When Kassian is on the ice, opponents are aware of it. Put together on a line with Mason Raymond and Henrik Sedin, neither player gets bogged down in a post-whistle scrum when Kassian is out there. If either Raymond or Sedin gets shoved around, Kassian enters the scrum and all of a sudden it gets dead quiet. Everyone shuts up and moves along.

That can be a very powerful weapon in the playoffs.

Against Chicago, Kassian challenged every single Blackhawk on the ice, and no one wanted to drop the gloves. That’s the kind of power and intimidation very few teams can buy. Kassian is feared, and in the playoffs, he can provide the kind of spark the Canucks will need when the going gets tough.

So don’t just take notice of what Kassian is doing in the game. Notice his game within the game, because that can be equally important.

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