J.T.: . . . . Tue, Jun 15, 12:37AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Just have to have the first post on the new log. Nothing to add, but the collarbone is healing...albeit slowly. Back to biking indoors, but no more running or swimming for 2-3 more weeks yet. Planning to try an easy skate tonight though.....

Robert_skalski@Vanguard.com: . . . . Tue, Jun 15, 1:11PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Hello out there... My 8 year old son got the bug early this year and got it bad. He hasn't taken off his Franklin Street Hockey gear since his birthday in Feb. We play on the ice at the Coyote's Den in Arizona. He's gotten in the nets for 3 games so far and he got the nod for 2 more this weekend. He's got decent fundamentals for an 8 year old, but is hungry for tips and techniques. I try my best to help, but I'm just a dumb defenceman. If any of you "old pros" out there have any basic goaltending tips that you can forward our way, "The Ryanator" and I would love it. Thanks.

Grass: . . . . Tue, Jun 15, 3:04PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Robert -- I don't qualify as 'pro' but am over qualified as 'old' so take this advice for what it is worth... Encourage young Ryan to keep up his skating skills and enjoy the game.

gbfreeman: . . . . Tue, Jun 15, 5:04PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Vile, i agree, last night i had what i thought was a horrible game... let in four reletively soft goals.... hang your head in shame type goals.... 2 five hole..... but when the game was on the line (OT) i made the saves i had to... I always thought teams got more conservative in OT... i faced four 2 on 0 breakaways in the 5 minute OT... we won with 16 seconds left in overtime when my teammate threw the puck into a scrum in front of the net and it went off the defenseman and past the goalie... i actually felt kind of bad for him.... but we got the win and the soft goals were magically forgotten

gbfreeman: . . . . Tue, Jun 15, 5:09PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Robert... a couple of tips.... i once went to a free agent camp and the evaluator put it very well... work on your stickhandling... a goalie has to handle the puck very well... also, the stronger a skater a goalie is the better... and for the ryanator.... don't try too hard to become your favorite nhl goalie.... take from their style what feels comfortable and works for you.... and remember, it is never too early to develop those interesting superstitions that confirm to your teammates that you are certifiably insane.... have fun and don't let goals get you down... use them as a learning experience.... getting kind of long winded here, but Robert.. another nice tool for Ryan is being able to see what he did that works in a game and what doesn't.... Camcorders are indespensible...

The Wall: . . . . Wed, Jun 16, 7:18AM PST (-0700 GMT)
dude I'm back!!!!!!!!!

The Wall: . . . . Wed, Jun 16, 7:18AM PST (-0700 GMT)
It has been almost 7 or 8 months since I have been to this page! Man I never thought I would find it again!

The Wall: . . . . Wed, Jun 16, 7:19AM PST (-0700 GMT)
If Smott is still around I want to say hello and sorry I lost contact but life has been busy busy busy! Senior year of high school is right around the corner!

The Wall: . . . . Wed, Jun 16, 7:20AM PST (-0700 GMT)
wow, I'll pop back later to see if anyone shows up =)

smott: . . . . Wed, Jun 16, 7:26AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Hey TW what up??

smott: . . . . Wed, Jun 16, 7:26AM PST (-0700 GMT)
And for Ryan, yep keep up those skating skills, especially backwards skating. Hands up, square to the puck! Have fun, what else can we tell an 8-yr old future pro??

smott: . . . . Wed, Jun 16, 7:28AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Hmmm Sabres make the most of a couple of rare Dallas muffs and we have a 2-2 series! They did play with lots of emotion last night eh? But they still need to get more shots on Eddie.

smott: . . . . Wed, Jun 16, 7:30AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Weel here's my Shellack/Week entry, an 11-1 thrashing at the hands of a "B" team new to our league that picked up a few of the kids from Penn State now that school is out, including their goalie who was great (cut up the crease something awful with his skates BTW, never saw such deep skulling grooves from goalie skates). My gas tank is still rather low unfortunately. Gave up 1 goal the first 30 minutes, and, um, 10 the last 30. And there you have it.

Vile: . . . . Wed, Jun 16, 7:40AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Hey, the Wall, nice to hear from you again.

Vile: . . . . Wed, Jun 16, 7:42AM PST (-0700 GMT)
That was an incredible save Belfour had on Satan. Where he twists around to snap the stick down in front of the shot.

The Wall: . . . . Wed, Jun 16, 8:01AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Yeah hi Smott =) How's it going?

Buckeye: . . . . Wed, Jun 16, 8:09AM PST (-0700 GMT)
I'm a college student at Ohio State Univ and I've been playing low level intramural hockey for a couple quarters. I love it and I've been playing goal. The equipment they give you at the rink is terrible, I have to duct tape the pads to my legs cause there isn't any straps. Does anyone have suggestions on how I could get some used/very cheap gear?

Vile: . . . . Wed, Jun 16, 10:37AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Do they have "play it again" sports in Columbus, Buckeye? You might find some old gear there.

Tripp: . . . . Wed, Jun 16, 6:01PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Yeah... ya'd think they could have enough manners to get Eddie some lemonade and a chair for that 3rd period...maybe a deck of cards. 3 shots? Tell ya though, he was very, very good on Tuesday. Just not as good as Daaaaahmer.

: . . . . Wed, Jun 16, 6:13PM PST (-0700 GMT)
I used to play intramurals too and it really depends on how low level/cheap you want to get...heck, there's always Mylec plastic leg pads for about $50...

RocketGoalie: . . . . Wed, Jun 16, 6:14PM PST (-0700 GMT)
that was me...

RocketGoalie: . . . . Wed, Jun 16, 6:19PM PST (-0700 GMT)
But if you want equipment that's more comfortable and actually helps your play, try The Sports Exchange at button They've got some good stuff there are reasonable prices...although I don't know if much of it's cheap enough. Play It Again's always been pretty good for me too. It's tough getting used equipment...of course I see Carpe de Puck selling stuff...heheh...

C5: . . . . Wed, Jun 16, 7:49PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Just wanted to remind everyone that the goalie picture page is updated all the way up to the beginning of the Stanley Cup Finals, you can see it here at this button

C5: . . . . Wed, Jun 16, 7:50PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Hasek's comments in the newspaper reminded me of Patrick Roy's comments in '97-- only Wah's comments flopped, serving only to galvanize the Wings! Let's hope the Sabres can get by without Dallas' mistakes this next game!

deke: . . . . Wed, Jun 16, 9:57PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Hey Smott: The shellacking sounds familiar. Funny how it goes, I played last weekend with a really weak team in a seniors tournament against a team with 3-4 former NHL'ers and lose 11-1. There had to have been 65-70 shots. Then go out last night for 1st summer league game and stand around most of the night while we beat this team like a drum. Stopped keeping score when we got to 20.

Buckeye: . . . . Thu, Jun 17, 7:41AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Thanks for the advice guys. There is Play It Again Sports here. I think I'll give them a call and see what they've got and at least tell em to give me a call if they get any goalie equimpent in. Hopefully, they'll do that.

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Thu, Jun 17, 1:35PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Got a neat surprise today gang. Was checking out the Miska web site to see what was new and what do you know....theres my mask!! For those interested in seeing my new mask design click on this button

wolfman: . . . . Thu, Jun 17, 4:27PM PST (-0700 GMT)
CdP awesome design. Seive do you want me to send you the pics to forward them to C5? It is the scanner that is messing up.

Ryanator's Dad: . . . . Thu, Jun 17, 4:30PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Thanks for all the advice for The Ryanator. So blocking shots has nothing to do with it eh? Its just a matter of skating? I can see where that is important for a goalie who is about 4 feet tall....its a couple of strides getting from one post to the other! I'm going to film his 2 games this weekend and we'll have a video session. Thanks again.

snowman: . . . . Fri, Jun 18, 6:53AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Cdp- that is one fantastic looking paintjob. Your own basic idea?

Vile: . . . . Fri, Jun 18, 7:43AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Wow, this has really been a great NHL finals.

Tripp: . . . . Fri, Jun 18, 7:50AM PST (-0700 GMT)
The games are all so close... and intense. Better thqan a sweep, or blowouts, that's for sure. But is more than 3 dang shots a period too much to ask for, for crying out loud?? Or am I just getting grouchy in my old age?

Papillom: . . . . Fri, Jun 18, 9:32AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Guys, I know this going to sound like a really lame question, but I haven't been playing that long, so please forgive me. Can someone tell me what the handed-ness (right handed/left handed) of a shooter means? Is it that the handed-ness refers to hand at the top of the stick?

Papillon: . . . . Fri, Jun 18, 9:33AM PST (-0700 GMT)
damn it, I can't even spell my name correctly, what chance do I have of working out my left handedness from my right. ;-)

Vile: . . . . Fri, Jun 18, 9:37AM PST (-0700 GMT)
I believe shooter handedness is the bottom hand. The bottom hand is the power, while the top is mainly the pivot.

Sieve: . . . . Fri, Jun 18, 11:11AM PST (-0700 GMT)
hi gang, Does anyone know if Adult Rec. hockey exsists in Florida? Looks like I might be relocating to Ft. Pierce area. Great job, but major bummer if no ice... Pap, if stick blade is left of skates shooter is lefty.

Sieve: . . . . Fri, Jun 18, 11:12AM PST (-0700 GMT)
BTW, 2-0 in summer so far. Having fun in the heat...

Vile: . . . . Fri, Jun 18, 12:14AM PST (-0700 GMT)
There is a good amount of ice in Orlando and Miami, I imagine there would be some in Tampa as well, but I have no idea about Ft Pierce. Roller is very popular which usually leads to some ice as well.

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Fri, Jun 18, 1:10PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Snowman the idea was a combo of Todd's design and what I wanted. We spent a lot of time on the phone and internet talking about specifics. He is one great guy and a fantastic artist. The handedness thing breaks down like this. From the players perspective: blade of stick to the right=right handed shooter and vice versa. This is important when your faced with a shooter with the puck. Depending on where that player is on the ice, there are some limitations as to what he can do(shoot, pass etc). This allows you to determine if you should expect a shot or whether you can work on being where the puck is going to be based apon the options available to the shooter.

z-man: . . . . Fri, Jun 18, 3:09PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Another question out of curiosity on the handedness: I am right handed, but used a lefty stick even before I played goal. Now, of course, I use a lefty stick because I catch with my left hand. Are there just not many lefty goalies, or do many lefty goalies catch with the left hand anyway? My dad, a lefty, caught left and threw right in baseball. I couldn't throw with my left arm farther than a foot!

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Fri, Jun 18, 3:27PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Z-man there are some people who are contrary to what might be thought. My father is a lefty goalie(catches with the right hand) but he shoots right with a player stick, he is also left handed. I have also found people new to the sport who are right handed but prefer to shoot left. There really is no black and white concrete answer to "why" that I can figure out.

J37: . . . . Fri, Jun 18, 4:19PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Anybody know of any other mask-painters other than Todd? I tried to go thru him but too much $$$ He wanted like $750+ for my idea. I'm thinking about going to VooDoo Air. Tell me what you think about the Spiderman Mask Design on page 2. A HREF="voodooair.com"/A

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Fri, Jun 18, 6:42PM PST (-0700 GMT)
J37 did you talk to Todd about your idea on the phone? Having delt with Todd I know that the top of the line paint job is in the $500 range not counting what you'd pay for a Chrome/gold/ Titanium cage. If he quoted you 750 then your idea is very complicated and I doubt you can find anybody else who will produce your idea to the quality Todd is capable of. I can turn you on to a few sites that may be of interest to you but I don't know if they will be any cheaper. Check out Bishop designs at this button

BVW: . . . . Fri, Jun 18, 7:04PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Hi all. I starting chatting here from my work internet, however when the page changed location I could no longer connect. Probably something with the corporate firewall. I've now got internet access at home and can now access this page. I'm from Belleville, Ontario Canada and have wanted to be a goalie all my life but never knew if I'd be good enough. I actually started at age 37 with some substandard equipment and upgraded when I found I didn't totally stink up the joint (the almost broken fingers helped in making that decision). I have been upgrading certain items every year and this year I'm looking at a new chest protector. Mine is only a couple of years old but I find I get hit too much where the equipment doesn't protect properly. Any one have a suggestion on a good protector with lots of padding (especially on the bottom of your arm between the wrist and elbow).

deke: . . . . Sat, Jun 19, 0:13AM PST (-0700 GMT)
BVW: Check out Brown c/a combination, I bought one a year ago, and it's the best pad I've used. Garner's in Barrie is a good source.

C5: . . . . Sat, Jun 19, 10:04AM PST (-0700 GMT)
CdP that is one awesome mask.

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Sat, Jun 19, 2:22PM PST (-0700 GMT)
C5 thanks. I just wish the photos did more justice and showed more detail. If you think it looks good in the photos you should see it in person. Todd threw in some micro glitter into the flames and when the light catches it the look is awesome.

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Sat, Jun 19, 2:24PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Does anyone have any info on the hespler stick that has a dual lie? I saw it in the SFSL catalog and was wondering how it can have a dual lie. Is this another version of the curtis curve?

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Sat, Jun 19, 2:26PM PST (-0700 GMT)
BVW, Garners is a good place to buy. I got my R6 C/A there for a steal compared to what you'd pay elsewhere.

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Sat, Jun 19, 11:07PM PST (-0700 GMT)
THE EAGLE HAS LANDED!! DALLAS TAKES THE CUP

deke: . . . . Sat, Jun 19, 11:21PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Wow! What a Cup finals. I was pulling for Buffalo tonight just so there would be another game, then I realized there was another game, they just played them both tonight. Great series, with or without controversy over the final goal, however, as good as Nieuwendyk played, no way Dallas wins without Belfour. Without doubt, Eddie deserved the Conn Smythe.

GoalieHawk: . . . . Sun, Jun 20, 0:29AM PST (-0700 GMT)
This day will live an infamy..... That goal should not have counted. The NHL is just covering their ass..... It's really sickening when you think about it and it's sad at the same time...... After looking at the goal many times, under the rule, the goal should not have counted..... If that goal was scored in regulation, they would have reviewed it. But how do you review a goal with 200 people on the ice..... Anyways. I feel terrible for the Buffalo Sabres and for all hockey fans..... Because they just got cheated.

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Sun, Jun 20, 7:37AM PST (-0700 GMT)
GH, you are wrong, the rule was read over the air and it stated that (sic)the man with the puck can be in the crease so long as he is in control of the puck. Such was the case last night with Hull. Since all the controversy over" man in the crease" the league has implemented several new rules in an ammendment to the rule book that was given to everyone during the season. Last night was an example of one of the new rules being exercised. Like it or not, that is how it is.

Tripp: . . . . Sun, Jun 20, 8:08AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Well...gotta hand it to Eddie. Like I said, I've alwys been a Belfour fan (he sent me an auto'd poster after my surgery, and Dom signed me a stick. I'll send pics to C5 along with my mask pics once I get my scanner next week), but it's really nice to see him get that monkey off his back, outduel the world's best goalie (after smottsie, of course), and get some respect. And what idiot chatster was whining about Dallas giviving up too few shots in this series?

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Sun, Jun 20, 8:40AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Having just read the rec hockey posts I have to wonder about the intelligence levels of my fellow man. First lets look at this "man in the crease" issue. The Sabres wanted a ruling on the goal almost immediately and kept press out of the locker room until they had an answer. Second, as adults think about this, you have a legitimate question about a ruling that is very important. Are you going to believe blindly what the officials are telling you or are you going to ask to see it in black and white? Since most of use aren't in the NHL league loop, we probably don't have any idea about the ammended rules or additions to the rule book unless it is brought up during a game. I'm sure that Buffalo asked to see the rule in black and white and have the goal explained. Regardless of how anyone views the rule the bottom line is that this rule wasn't just made up at a moments notice to cover anyones mistake, it was a rule that was established and part of the game.If it was just "pulled out of the hat" I'm sure Buffalo would be the first to wave the BS flag. Weather anyone in Buffalo's camp knew of this rules exsistence, even though it's in the rule book, is another question. It pays to read the fine print sometimes

snowman: . . . . Sun, Jun 20, 10:11AM PST (-0700 GMT)
What a game........what a series!!! Nothing like a small controversy to end it all. The old "in the crease rule", they say they will be updating the rule for the upcoming season. All I can say is, the more something changes the more it stays the same. There will still be questions and arguments no matter what. Hats off to the Stars for a great season and Belfour finally has his monkey off his back (although no Conn Smythe)

GoalieHawk: . . . . Sun, Jun 20, 10:36AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Carpe De Puck...... Brett Hull didn't have "full control" over the puck. When you look at the replay the puck went off of Hasek and a Sabres skate. Tell me how a player can have control when it's bouncing all over the place? It is a shame really. When you listen to Larry Ruff's comments, he is right on the money.

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Sun, Jun 20, 1:15PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Your definition of "Full control" obvisouly isn't the same as the league officials. If you watch the video carefully you will see that it was off of Hull's own skate, which he later kicked to the blade of his stick. According to Brian Lewis(NHL officials supervisor) Hull's goal counted.The rule states : " A puck that rebounds off the goalie, the goal post, an opposing player, is not deemed to be a change of possession." Lewis said "Therefore, Hull would be deemed to be in control of the puck, allowed to shoot and score a goal, even though the one foot would be in the crease in advance of the puck." End quote. Not everyone agrees with this nor will they come to terms with it but it's the way it is and it's now history.

Beatts: . . . . Sun, Jun 20, 7:10PM PST (-0700 GMT)
hehehe, Sorry Buffalo fans but I was estatic to see Hull's goal go in. (BTW, That goal WOULD have been called back during any regular season game...Actually, there have been quite a few goals pretty-much the same that have been called back..) I don't care what the "rulemakers" are saying now. I may ruffle a few chatsters feathers by saying this but I hope Hasek NEVER wins a cup. I'm sooo turned off by his antics (i.e. whining, blah blah blah) Remember, this is just my personal opinion so please don't berate me for saying it.

Beatts: . . . . Sun, Jun 20, 7:11PM PST (-0700 GMT)
the soapbox is now vacant....

GoalieHawk: . . . . Sun, Jun 20, 7:23PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Carpe De Puck..... Are you sure you aren't Brian Lewis in disguise? The fact is they didn't review it on the ice which is unfair. The Sabres have a right to be upset, they got cheated. Plain and simple. You are right about one thing. It's history, yet it will be remembered. I still stand by what I have said. Hull was not in control, his foot was in the crease and the Sabres and the fans of hockey were cheated. The Stars victory is bogus. Maybe one day they'll EARN the Stanley Cup.

smott: . . . . Sun, Jun 20, 9:30PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Hi guys and congrats all STars fans, the Cup lives in Dallas this year.

smott: . . . . Sun, Jun 20, 9:30PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Much as I am not an Eddie fan, he was there when he needed to be (and so wer ethe posts, again!).

smott: . . . . Sun, Jun 20, 9:31PM PST (-0700 GMT)
And thanks to CdP for the statement of the rule....regardless of the verbage however it's hard for me to say that Hull was in control of that puck. So, hmmmm.

smott: . . . . Sun, Jun 20, 9:32PM PST (-0700 GMT)
For moi, chalk up my first post-chemo win tonight, 7-6 in a rather ugly encounter. But no complaints, a win's a win!

smott: . . . . Sun, Jun 20, 9:32PM PST (-0700 GMT)
TRIPPSTER HOWZIT GOIN'????

Toast: . . . . Sun, Jun 20, 10:42PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Okay...humble opinions of mine. First of all, like or not how the rule is written...that goal has to count. Yes, I know several were called back like it during the regular season, but it is a crappy rule as currently applied. However, it is ironic though, I seem to remember Dallas losing an OT game a year or two ago to Edmonton with an Oiler in the crease during OT. Next, the Conn Smyth. Sorry folks, Newie is my choice. Eddie played well, but hey - six game winners in one post season. I think too often the goalie gets the Conn Smyth (see Vernon in '97 - I thought that was Vladi's), it should take a superlative performance ala Bernie in '73 & '74, or Dryden in '70. BTW, am I the only one not impressed by his stick save in game four? I am sure we have all made that one a few times, blindly putting the paddle down while swimming in desperation. Hmmm...maybe I am just being sour.

Toast: . . . . Sun, Jun 20, 10:44PM PST (-0700 GMT)
However, the best team won the Cup - no doubt. Enjoy it while you can though - I still think the NHL is headed for an implosion. Current CBA goes to '04, I think a financial crisis is coming before then.

gbfreeman: . . . . Sun, Jun 20, 11:32PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Well, got taught a graphic lesson tonight... Never, ever, turn your head even a little when a shot is coming in.... Rising slap shot, raised shoulder to block it, in the process turning my head slightly.... well, guess what.... when you lift your shoulder, those plexiglass throat protectors move up too.. took the shot clean just to the right of the adams apple.... i think i know what it feels like to be shot.... luckily, the puck fell into my glove, because i was down and nonfunctional.... now my voice is just a little bit deeper.... never again..... flinching gets you hurt..... also, belfours stick save wasnt that great.... maybe someone should teach satan how to lift the puck 4 inches.... Also, with all the crap officials have been taking about the in the crease rule, you would think that the league would provide these secret rule amendments and video examples to the networks broadcasting the games... There would have been less crying all around if Bill Clement, Gary Thorne, Darren Pang, Brian Engblom, Barry Melrose, John Saunders, and Steve Levy had know of the amendments... They could have informed the viewing public of the rule and not spent all that time talking about the controversy and how the goal shouldn't have counted... Good goal or not, it is over.... and the NHL's worst nightmare came true with the whole world watching

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Mon, Jun 21, 3:36AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Sports, like life, sometimes can seem unfair and one sided. We've all been the victim of a bad call or decision once or twice in our lifetime. The bottom line is you SUCK IT UP AND DRIVE ON. You don't stand around sniviling like a child on the playground who thinks everyone isn't playing fair. LIVE IN THE NOW!!!

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Mon, Jun 21, 3:43AM PST (-0700 GMT)
gbfreeman, hope the throat is alright. Did you have it checked out at the hospital at all? I'm sure thats going to leave a mark or two, ya should get some pictures for good measure, that way you can show them to the guys at the bar. It could go something like this " So you got your foot caught under a lawn mower, any idiot can do that. You really want to see a manly battle scar check theses out (pull out pictures) then wait for the beers to flow in. Seriously, I hope your alright. If you have problems swallowing or difficulty breathing after a few days you should go get checked out.

Goal35: . . . . Mon, Jun 21, 6:52AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Hi all.... i agree with CdP and Toast.. nothing else could be said, I am though happy for Eddie he played a hell of a series, plus his added bonus after the rumors that he would be unprotected in the expansion draft... Turek gets traded to St. Loo to give Fuhr fits... on a side note, any of our brethren from up north know when the Tickets for the All Star game go on sale? am planning a pilgrimage... :)

Toast: . . . . Mon, Jun 21, 7:07AM PST (-0700 GMT)
First of all...good luck on tix in T.O., those will be tough to get. As for the throat shot, I took one of those a few years ago, lost my voice for a few days, took about three weeks to come back. Actually, it never did come all the way back, it is slightly deeper than before. I got nailed without a plastic guard though...

J.T.: . . . . Mon, Jun 21, 7:30AM PST (-0700 GMT)
As much as it pains me to see Dallas win the cup, there's no doubt Eddie was brilliant, and came through when he needed to. Having grown up in Minnesota, it's tough seeing the team that stunk when I was a kid move to the sunbelt and win the cup....however, it was great hockey to watch.

fourqts: . . . . Mon, Jun 21, 7:39AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Lo all back from a weeks trek in smoggy LA ((Cough, Cough)) and I'll chime in on the big controversy... I think the whole ordeal was made worse by the fact that in every pre-game, you got the sense that the comentators all wanted Dallas to win the cup.... Talking about how they were bounced by cujo 2 yrs ago and by the wings last year, and how this was a three year culmination of all their efforts. Well the NHL and the comentators got what they wanted.... the cup in the south (see current expansion and team movment) the great Brett "ME..ME..ME" Hull finally following in his fathers footsteps..... Now take the "rule change" into perspective for a goalie.... So a player can enter the crease before the puck if he has the last "posession" (SP) of the puck.... So On a break away then can he drop it a little behind himself.... play fullback for the puck and just plow the tender into the back of the net then the puck follows him in???? Come on guys a rule is a rule... Granted my example is extreem but by this new rule the player still has "control" of the puck.. Congrats to Dallas great year.... Buffalo congrats great year but it sux to be you... NHL have a spine next time plaese... Note the "*" in place and move on.... Rhodes gone to min I think... Turek to St Lu... Who else is on the move?

Vile: . . . . Mon, Jun 21, 9:53AM PST (-0700 GMT)
When the Supervisor of officials comes on and says its a freaking goal... I think you can let it drop. I personally can't believe how messed up Hull is, no MCL and two blown groins.

Vile: . . . . Mon, Jun 21, 9:56AM PST (-0700 GMT)
I also think too many people are convinced there was never a review, just because they didn't see the refs confering by the penalty box.

RocketGoalie: . . . . Mon, Jun 21, 10:02AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Here's something from Al Strachan of the Toronto Sun: Unfortunately for the National Hockey League, millions of people who don't know the rules, including many in the media and apparently every radio personality in the United States, somehow saw the goal as tainted because Hull's foot was in the crease. But there should have been no controversy whatsoever. When Hull first kicked the rebound on to his stick, he had neither foot in the crease. At the instant he kicked the puck, he became in control of it. It was only in the follow-through of that kick that his left foot moved into the crease. The control began as soon as his skate blade touched the puck, and once you're in control, you can plant both feet in the crease and sing the modern major-general's song from Pirates of Penzance before scoring if you want to. The fact that goals were waved off during the season because of skate tips in the crease is totally irrelevant. They were never the skate tips of the puck carrier. By moving the puck from his skate to his stick, Hull became the puck carrier. He was in control, and if you're in control, you can take the puck into the crease, just as you can precede the puck over blue line without being offside.

RocketGoalie: . . . . Mon, Jun 21, 10:05AM PST (-0700 GMT)
This goal wouldn't have counted before the rule amendments March 25th. The goal shouldn't be tainted...but it will be because people don't know the rules.

Vile: . . . . Mon, Jun 21, 10:05AM PST (-0700 GMT)
BVM, I am in a very similar situation. I looked at the Brown C/A from Garner's and you can't go wrong with it. But I have decided on the Battram C/A. Which is the same price as the top of Brown. The Battram is custom, and I am sure you could email or call Scott and talk about it with him.

RocketGoalie: . . . . Mon, Jun 21, 10:07AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Personally, I thought it was a bad goal when I saw it and after all the announcers and news people got ahold of it I was convinced it was...but after hearing about the rule amendments (which I still want to see for myself), I think it was a legit goal.

Vile: . . . . Mon, Jun 21, 10:07AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Nicely said Rocketgoalie :)

RocketGoalie: . . . . Mon, Jun 21, 10:13AM PST (-0700 GMT)
As far as possession of the puck...it's not defined as being "in control" of the puck. Rule 70 (c): "The player last touched by the puck shall be deemed to be in possession. Rebounds off goalkeeper's pads or other equipment shall not be considered as a change of possession..." Heck, if control was part of possession, I'd NEVER have "possession" of a puck unless I had it in my glove...heheh

RocketGoalie: . . . . Mon, Jun 21, 10:15AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Thanks Vile...by the way, I've got to replace my R5 in the next year or so and I've decided I'll probably get a Battram (to match my pads and gloves...). Have you gotten yours yet?

RocketGoalie: . . . . Mon, Jun 21, 10:17AM PST (-0700 GMT)
All that said, I think it's a shame the Stars' Cup win will be tainted. Like it or not, there will be ALOT of people who will NEVER see it as a clean goal (because they don't know the rules) and that'll taint it.

RocketGoalie: . . . . Mon, Jun 21, 10:27AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Of course, I'm also in the minority for thinking the "in the crease" rule is good for the game because it keeps goalies from getting steamrolled. Hasek had a great quote after the game that he likes the rule because there are fewer high speed collisions. I remember before this rule that goalies were constantly getting run into and it was part of alot of teams' strategies...beat up the opposing goalie until you know him off his game or hurt him. Personally, I think that's bad for the game, not good. I like watching great goalies play great. I don't care to watch Dave Manson crash into Mike Vernon, knocking him out of action for 2 months or Nick Kypreos ruin St. Louis' playoff chances by running into Fuhr and tearing his knee. I like the "no harm, no foul" rule as long as they really call it when there is harm...that's the way the rule used to be but they changed it because the refs never called it!!

RocketGoalie: . . . . Mon, Jun 21, 10:28AM PST (-0700 GMT)
...and now I'm off my soapbox...

Vile: . . . . Mon, Jun 21, 11:09AM PST (-0700 GMT)
No, unfortunately deciding on which C/A to buy is a lot easier than paying for it. I hope to get it before I start Fall C league.

Tripp: . . . . Mon, Jun 21, 5:52PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Going pretty well smottsie. Did my e-mail get through?...back to eating solid foods after my little setback a few weeks ago. No more soup and ice cream for awhile! Totally wolfed down the largest, sloppiest Philly cheesesteak and fries I could get my mitts on. Congrats on the win. A 7-6 win beats a 2-1 loss anyday! Right Dom? And yeah, the goal may have been a little controversial..but the Cup stays in Dallas no matter what. Congrats. Life goes on.

gbfreeman: . . . . Tue, Jun 22, 6:48AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Got lucky on the location of the throat shot.... a little left and up and hospital would have definitely been in the cards.... as it is the voice is almost back to normal and the spot that it hit is just a little tender.... oh, i believe it was Rhodes to Atlanta as their first player ever... I know Atlanta starts play this year... what about Minnesota and Columbus.... well with Atlanta they got high temps, and columbus gives them flat land and boredom... maybe go for all in one location and base the next team in Yuma.... or here is a unique idea.... how about giving the islanders to Winnipeg or Quebec.... sort of a "We're sorry for ruining your sport and taking your teams"

fourqts: . . . . Tue, Jun 22, 7:10AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Dunno if they would want the islanders though....LOL

Vile: . . . . Tue, Jun 22, 8:53AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Columbus and Minnesota both start 2000-2001. So we have yet another expansion draft to worry about next summer.

Tripp: . . . . Tue, Jun 22, 9:27AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Yeah... Rhodes is an Atlanta Thrasher. Get ready to see the biscuits, Damian. Could be a real busy season. St. Louis got Turek, too. I think all it took was a 3rc round draft pick. He could be a really good pick up for St. Lou, in my opinion.

fourqts: . . . . Tue, Jun 22, 10:38AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Agreed on the turek pickup to st lu.... And dallas has another guy almost ready with a similar name i believe.... USA today had a good shot of "the Goal" yeaterday. Like I said it sux to be buffalo.. Couple of feildgoal misses at the end of football games and now the goal that is, or shouldn't have been, or might have been... or whatever.

C5: . . . . Tue, Jun 22, 10:39AM PST (-0700 GMT)
RG, great work, thanks for all the research, your comments really added to the chat for sure. Toast, as everyone knows, I'm a huge Vernon fan, but I thought I'd also say that I agree with you 100% that Vladi should have gotten the Conn Smythe, not Vernon. Vernon did his job, played solid, solid goaltending, which is more than you get from some goalies in clutch situations, but IMHO, the Conn Smythe should go to players who were the difference. I thought it was a toss-up between Newy and Modano, with all his face-off wins and the way he QB'd the games, but he was silent for a few games there. Newy deserved it 100%. Belfour, like Vernon, just did his job-- splendidly.

C5: . . . . Tue, Jun 22, 10:40AM PST (-0700 GMT)
A full-color, even better shot of that goal will be on my picture page in a few days. Till then, check out the rest of the playoffs at this button

charge: . . . . Tue, Jun 22, 7:17PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Looking for good web sites for goal equip. Mostly interested in looking at for a new blocker

Scoop: . . . . Tue, Jun 22, 7:35PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Hey all..... just checking in, been awhile. Well the Stars get the cup. I was suprised that they made it by Colorado earlier in the playoffs. Anyway.... there are those that say Belfour "won" the cup, I have a hard time thinking that Hasek "lost" the cup. I think both goalies did a heckuva job. With that said, Turek traded to St. Louis within hours of the victory. I think he is next years starter for the Blues. comments are welcome....

deke: . . . . Tue, Jun 22, 9:38PM PST (-0700 GMT)
C5 - Gotta disagree with you on the Conn Smythe. There's no way one can say Belfour just did his job, any more than one can say the same about Newie or Modano. Certainly all played outstanding hockey and contributed to bringing the cup to Dallas. However, Belfour's goals against is the reason for the finals win, end of story. Seems to me that bypassing Eddie for the C.S. is as bad a call as going to four on four in overtime next year. Who makes these decisions?

Toast: . . . . Tue, Jun 22, 10:50PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Um...Conn Smyth is voted on by a panel of 15 sportswriters from different NHL cities. Goes to the most valuable player. IMHO, insert anyone of a number of NHL goalies on Dallas, they win the Cup. Without Newie, well...see the last two playoff years. Six game winners ties a record.

Papillon: . . . . Wed, Jun 23, 4:39AM PST (-0700 GMT)
I need to work on my hand and leg quickness during the summer. Anyone got any off ice training/drills that might help. Do you think short sprints, u/downp hill sprinting and sprint starts would help?

Papillon: . . . . Wed, Jun 23, 4:40AM PST (-0700 GMT)
oops, that should read "...up/down hill sprinting...."

Papillon: . . . . Wed, Jun 23, 4:44AM PST (-0700 GMT)
hey C5, whats up with your page of pix from the regular season, every one I tried game me an error?

Papillon: . . . . Wed, Jun 23, 4:45AM PST (-0700 GMT)
opps, that should read "...gave me an error?" All that rubber seams to be effecting my spelling.

Papillon: . . . . Wed, Jun 23, 4:49AM PST (-0700 GMT)
whats the chatsters record for shellacking of the week? This week I got it twice, 20-1 on Monday and 17-4 on Tuesday. hmm let me see that gives me a GAA of 14 zillion or there abouts?

z-man: . . . . Wed, Jun 23, 7:47AM PST (-0700 GMT)
I got nailed in the chest last night and had to quit my game. I lost my breath for nearly ten seconds and had that dull pain in my chest for a couple of hours. But now, a day later, all there is is a little bruise. I had never taken a shot like that before, but I am glad I took it on my knees, because if I was up, it may have hit me in the cup, which isn't as protective on slap shots as you know.

Papillon: . . . . Wed, Jun 23, 8:18AM PST (-0700 GMT)
sounds scary z-man, glad your alright. I heard of a hockey player that got hit in the chest by a slapshot and it stopped his heart, and he died. Not sure if she/he was a goalie or a skater.

Papillon: . . . . Wed, Jun 23, 8:21AM PST (-0700 GMT)
I see that some goalies get up from the butterfly one leg at a time, while others, sort of spring back up. I use the one leg at a time style, or though I try to use the "correct" leg, so that I get up and move toward the puck more efficiently (I read this in goalies world). Anyone got tips about how the springing back up method works, is it just brutal leg strength or is there a knack to it?

Vile: . . . . Wed, Jun 23, 11:23AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Unfortunately for Turek, the NHL gave the Stars half a day from whenever they won the cup, to make any trades before the expansion draft. They made a big deal about Turek at the Stars Parade the next day. Dallas might have been able to keep him, but he REALLY wants to be a starter, so this was a pretty amiable trade.

Vile: . . . . Wed, Jun 23, 11:28AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Probably a similar story for Rhodes too.

z-man: . . . . Wed, Jun 23, 1:08PM PST (-0700 GMT)
The Blues protected Turek, but not Fuhr or McLennon, I would have taken Fuhr even if he is old... especially over Rhodes, but then Fuhr makes a lot more money... The Blues now have an advantage, two right catching starters, keeps the other teams on their toes with not much practice against that setup. Barasso is the only other I can think of.

charge: . . . . Wed, Jun 23, 3:17PM PST (-0700 GMT)
wow papillon your defence better suck

Papillon: . . . . Thu, Jun 24, 1:08AM PST (-0700 GMT)
what defence? Oh you mean those five guys that ALL like to rush forward and TRY to score goals.

Papillon: . . . . Thu, Jun 24, 3:09AM PST (-0700 GMT)
whats worse is that in the first game we shut then out for 17 mins, they score 3 in about 2 mins, then the whole team falls to bits. In the second game it was a similar story, shut out for 13 mins, then the flood gates opened.

snowman: . . . . Thu, Jun 24, 4:35AM PST (-0700 GMT)
papillon- I hear ya on the "NO DEE". This past winter season all I kept doing was telling the guys to get back, dont pinch. I felt like a broken record (no to mention a broken tender-with all the rubber flying at me) constantly parroting the same phrases. Did they ever listen?....with about 2 games left in the season.......too late then, but there is next winter with that team at least.

The Wall: . . . . Thu, Jun 24, 10:04AM PST (-0700 GMT)
hi there

The Wall: . . . . Thu, Jun 24, 10:06AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Well, I just got back from the gym...man I love working out! I do it all for the love of the game =) So where is everyone?

BVW: . . . . Thu, Jun 24, 6:51PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Does Garner's have a web site. I have bought much of my equipment from Source for Sports in London. The incident that happened to z-man also worries me. I'm getting up there in years so I'm looking for a C/A that provides better than average protection for the chest as well as better protection on my arms that my current C/A provides.

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Fri, Jun 25, 3:33AM PST (-0700 GMT)
BVM click on this button to go to Garners web site.

Tripp: . . . . Fri, Jun 25, 6:48AM PST (-0700 GMT)
So the Pens get to stay in the Burgh afterall. Good. Hopefully Mario can do some good things there. Hasek gets the Vezina..duh. Close one though! Cujo actually had the most 1st place votes, but Dom had more points. Glad to see Lord Byron as the 2nd team allstar, too. Still a huge fan of his.

Papillon: . . . . Fri, Jun 25, 8:07AM PST (-0700 GMT)
I am thinkig of signing up for a local goalie school here for a week during the summer. hopefully to correct any mistakes I have developed. Can anyone give me a few pointers about what to expect, how to prepare myself before I go, and any little gems of wisdom.

Papillon: . . . . Fri, Jun 25, 8:08AM PST (-0700 GMT)
hey smottsie, hows the weight? still on the M&M's?

Papillon: . . . . Fri, Jun 25, 9:32AM PST (-0700 GMT)
I want to add some extra padding onto my C/A unit in the arm area, anyone got any tips about what kind of material to use?

C5: . . . . Fri, Jun 25, 11:40AM PST (-0700 GMT)
...depleted uranium? What with all the chatsters being stung, lately, it might be a good idea... There's a site in Chicago, I forget where, which will add plastic and stuff to C/A's...

gbfreeman: . . . . Fri, Jun 25, 2:00PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Well, say goodbye to the second ugliest pads in the nhl (behind Barasso's, sorry smott), Trevor Kidd is a Thrasher, as is Norm Maracle, and Corey Schwab.... finally those checkered tablecloth pads will go away.... roller team improved to 7-0-2 despite the puck hitting the ref and going into our goal.... put us down 2-1, but we came back to win 3-2 with the third goal coming with 12 seconds left... Started my first ever goalie camp this week.... i have never been so tired in my entire life... worked us like dogs.... and in sad news for roller players... Major League Roller Hockey suspended operations, joining RHI as casualties in the roller scene.... Well, if you want a laugh.... either ESPN or ESPN2 is showing Pro Beach Roller Hockey tonight.... hockey with banked turns, a ball, and a 2 point goal.... funniest thing i ever saw....

z-man: . . . . Fri, Jun 25, 2:13PM PST (-0700 GMT)
The chest pad I have is an Edge UB5000. I have no complaints other than that one time, but I don't think any chest protector would have dulled a fast slapshot directly to the chest like that. It went so fast I couldn't judge how high it was, so I thought I had it caught in the butterfly. It would have hit me dead square in the cup had I been standing.

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Fri, Jun 25, 2:39PM PST (-0700 GMT)
C5 I think the place you have in mind is at this button it's called great saves. I don't think they do any arm mods that would give more protection. I do know they do "butterflys" for the elbow section kind of like the banned Heaton C/A. As much as I'd like to see Kidd be a starter I think Marcle might get the #1 spot with maybe even Schwab being the #2. I've seen Schwab in person and he is extremly fast on his feet and plays a positional game very well. We shall see next season if I was on the money or talking out of my neck.

Tripp: . . . . Fri, Jun 25, 6:22PM PST (-0700 GMT)
I'd say Damian Rhodes...who already has a contract... and Maracle are your two dressed goalies on opening night with Kidder and Schwab as tradebait for whatever offense you can get in return.

smott: . . . . Fri, Jun 25, 6:23PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Hi Chatsters! Hmmm much debate about The Goal. Let's just say that a worthy team has the Cup and leave at that. I will weigh in on Eddie, to agree with Toast 100%. And decent NHL goalie would win behind Dallas. If anybody thinks Eddie can hold an inferior team in contention, think again, and go check his San Jose stats. He did his job well, but no better than a handful of other guys. Newy was the difference.

smott: . . . . Fri, Jun 25, 6:25PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Meanwhile Mario owns the Pens! And promises to lower ticket prices, while raising the salaries and keeping the team intact. Hmmm. Something wrong with that picture?

smott: . . . . Fri, Jun 25, 6:28PM PST (-0700 GMT)
For moi, managed a couple wins this week, not pretty but hey it ain't a beauty contest! Papillon, glad you're weighing in for Shellack of the Week! I still haven't topped my 16-goal, 77-shot debacle from last year (thank God) but the summer is young! As for quickness, remember that explosive strength is what counts for goaltenders. So talk to some triners about those types of drills, they will mostly involve jumping, lunging, and sprinting-type stuff. Remember it's not how much weight you can lift, it's how much, how FAST. They are 2 different things. All your drills should involve explosive movements. Just jumping up and down off a bench with hand weights is a killer.

smott: . . . . Fri, Jun 25, 6:31PM PST (-0700 GMT)
For the getting-up from butterfly position, explosive strength will help you "pop up" but you also need good flexibility in the knees for that, to sit back towards the heels prior to popping up. I don't have that flexibility and my kneecaps have this annoying habit of dislocating if I sit on my heels, so I have to get up one legs at a time. I try to get up with the leg nearest the puck, but I fear when I'm tired I get up leaning on my dominant (right) leg all the time. I really think popping up is over-rated, most of the time it's not really necessary, good balance and positioning, even while down usually will do the trick.

smott: . . . . Fri, Jun 25, 6:35PM PST (-0700 GMT)
And yes Trippster (and all my Chatster pals) I'm still hanging in there as radiation begins. 3 treatments down, 30 to go. Despite the M&Ms I'm told that I'm still skinny enough that I run the risk of lung damage and fractured rib from the radiation. Yay. Had I been more of the Pamela-Anderson-type endowment, the risks would be lowered, but alas the triple D-cup is not in my wardrobe! Such is life. Also I'm supposed to keep the treatment area out of the sun. What this means is my days of topless sunbathing are over! (Before they began!) I know you're all saddened.

Grass: . . . . Fri, Jun 25, 10:18PM PST (-0700 GMT)
ms. smott -- Glad to hear that you are surviving the nuking! Let me be the first chatster to offer you fond birthday wishes... Happy 26th!!!

z-man: . . . . Sat, Jun 26, 0:18AM PST (-0700 GMT)
I just started a new roller hockey league, which is played on asphalt with a ball. The rink is not quite level, but it has boards and the games are 44 minute run time with refs and all. And it was only $30 for a 10 game summer season. Anyway, both this time and last time, the coordinators put me on the last teams they assembled, even though I was the first to sign up. Some teams have a regular goalie, but there are a couple decent teams that didn't. Nope, I got put on the team with a roster of five guys who have never played hockey. At least they could (sort of) skate. Somehow they managed 3 shots on goal, because after the first half, the score was 3-0, and we hadn't had a shot yet. I told them all to play offense and let me handle the defense. I also told them to dump and chase. They stopped hanging back so far and we only lost 7-0. But it is nice to be appreciated at least.

C5: . . . . Sat, Jun 26, 9:49AM PST (-0700 GMT)
It's hot! No time for roller outside, Z-man!

: . . . . Sat, Jun 26, 2:05PM PST (-0700 GMT)
If you thought Kidders pads were ugly with Carolina imagine what they will look like in Florida colors, if he even stays in Fl. Looks like you were on the money about Kidd Tripp. He really got the pinball treatment.

Sieve: . . . . Sat, Jun 26, 4:13PM PST (-0700 GMT)
hi ho gang. Havent been around in a week or two. Back and forth Mich to Fla. with the new pending job. If any of you know of someone looking for a full set of gear let me know. I'd love to continue playing, but the area of FL I'm going to be in looks pretty hockeyless. Man, what a downer... p.s. Mid-August or so before I consider selling it.

Sieve: . . . . Sat, Jun 26, 4:14PM PST (-0700 GMT)
smott, happy belated B-day. Glad to hear you are playing...and winning!

Sieve: . . . . Sat, Jun 26, 4:15PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Tripp, right on as usual re: Thrashers line-up. Hated to lose Norm up here, but looked inevitable.

fourqts: . . . . Sun, Jun 27, 0:15AM PST (-0700 GMT)
whoa yotes give up teverdosky, cummins to move up in the draft.... Take like 5 centers... rumors of roenick to wings for shanahan..... Crazy draft day.... Van are the big winners i think getting the swed twind

smott: . . . . Mon, Jun 28, 6:10PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Thanks for the kind birthday wishes guys....geez I am feeling old lately! However managed a 3-2 win in C the other night, on an Olympic size surface. Yuck. My angles were thrown all to hell, really felt like I didn't know where I was half the time, then wound up playing too tentative, further back in the crease. But I'll take the W.

fourqts: . . . . Tue, Jun 29, 6:11AM PST (-0700 GMT)
got blasted in the first round of my b roller tourney sunday night 12-3.... I think it was 3-1 or 3-0 special night..... No D or the D turns the wrong way.... I think they were allowed the pass like 95% of the time... making for a very long night for me.... I no see the puck... I no stop the puck..... and to make matters worse we have two subs... In Az in the summer you are not going to win with 2 subs. Ah well there is always the next season

Goal35: . . . . Tue, Jun 29, 10:52AM PST (-0700 GMT)
must be a no D flu going round, got my butt handed to me again last night 9-5, these guys were quick, crashing the net and beating our guys to the puck... seemed like every rush was odd-man, stopped the breakaways, and the main shots, but 2,3 rebounds in the shooting gallery and as muchas I yelled, they'd leave guys on the backdoor all night.. arrgggh. hate getting shelled when 'im not really playing that bad.

Goal35: . . . . Tue, Jun 29, 10:54AM PST (-0700 GMT)
btw... happy belated smott.... :) watched a game in C2 last weekend, thought something looks familiar.. he had my old Vic's - lol..

RocketGoalie: . . . . Tue, Jun 29, 12:30AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Well, mine was more a case of too much D...as in too much in front of me. Let in 5 goals last night and FOUR of them were deflections off my own guys. And 3 of them thru screens. I'll give the other team credit though. They didn what coaches tell you to do...shoot from anywhere!!!

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Tue, Jun 29, 3:29PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Sounds like everyone is having a strange time on the ice, to include me . Played the N.C. State team here on saturday and it started off with a weird deflection that I managed to recover from and make a save but the lack of D bit me in the ass as the rebound was scarffed up and put behind me. One of the weirdest things happened to me in this game as well. Guy breaking down the right side with the puck, has help on the left and my D backing in. Puck carrier is charging in hard and I can tell he's thinking pass since his stick blade is lined up that way. Sure enough he passes at the top of the circle to the other player. I'm already accross and in position for the one timer when the puck and the guys skate come together instead of the blade of the stick. The result was a puck launched almost straight up with me going down in the fly then trying to leap back up. I managed to contort around and swing at the puck with my stick but missed. The puck went in but the ref called it back saying it was kicked in. I won't argue that one :-) One for the goalie this time. After that the game got chippy and I ended up getting slashed onthe glove hand and my D did his best to take the offenders front teeth out before I could get to him. Guy ended up with a wide open gum line and I have a very sore wrist. Of all the places he could of hit on the back of my glove hand he got it right on the wrist bone between C/A and glove. Start of the 3rd saw about 5-10 minutes of play before one of my guys retaliated for a 2 hander to the face with his own and took the guy out by opening his head enough to call for the meat wagon. Needless to say the game was called off by the other teams coach and we won by default. Pissed me off since I was playing good but the team was playing like they had lead skates on, then resorted to goon tactics. Afterwards, in the parking lot, I looked up to check the moon and sure enough it was a full one. The real bummer is that we probablly blew our chance at getting accepted as a Div II independant team since the coach from the other team can voice his concerns when we petition for acceptance. Are things weird lately or what?

z-man: . . . . Tue, Jun 29, 4:32PM PST (-0700 GMT)
I lost last night 20-1. I don't think I played poorly until the third period, when my fever came back in full force, and to accompany my headache, I was too physically tired to even keep my arms up. I faced 56 shots and in our 45 minute game. I had no real help from my defense, in fact 3 of the goals were off my D's sticks or skates. I was knocked over by my own defensemen for 2 goals. Screened heavily by my own guys for 4 or 5. Let in 5 on breakaways towards the end when I was playing sloppy because I was so tired. Plus I got slashed in the neck by my own centers stick. I milked that for about 5 minutes for a much needed rest. I got hooked and tripped by the other team and they scored after one of those but the ref wouldn't call interference. I hooked a guy going around the net and he got thrown out of the game for first trying to start a fight and then for arguing with the ref. Poetic Justice! It is hard to feel good about a game like that even when the other team tells you that you did well in the handshake line. I was one of only 5 on my team that was a sport enough to get in the line though. So, it was an odd night last night indeed!

Thibault: . . . . Tue, Jun 29, 7:28PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Thibault is the king

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Tue, Jun 29, 9:45PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Heres a nugget of info for those interested. I saw the new SFSL catalog listing the new Vaughn V-lite line as "semi-pro" and decided to find out from the horses mouth what the deal was. Mike Vaughn was cool enough to send me a response to the question and verified that the new V-lite line is indeed a "pro" quality product. What spured it's production is that most NHL goalies asked for the 5500 or 4000 line but with less bells and whistles but still the excellent protection in a lighter model. Hence the birth of the V-lite line, same product just a little lighter and cheaper in price too.

gbfreeman: . . . . Wed, Jun 30, 0:09AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Well, roller hockey regular season ground to a close tonight... undefeated team is undefeated no more.... finished the season 7-1-2 in second place to the team that beat us tonight 4-3. They finished 8-1-1. On the upside won the best goalie trophy with a 1.55 GAA and 91.24 Save Percentage.... keep in mind, this is a lower league, so I am not blowing my horn here... Now I am, got asked to play the game after ours and got the 2-0 shutout.. faced 21 shots (40 minute game) and had to make a full splits skate save with 30 seconds left to preserve the S/O... Well, just the championship trophy to win and I can go on my roller hockey sabbatical.

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Wed, Jun 30, 8:59AM PST (-0700 GMT)
It looks like Detroit kicked just about everyone to the curb. Everyone told to pack their bags except Chelios. Ranford told to beat feet too. Who is going to pick him up at this pont in his career?

: . . . . Wed, Jun 30, 9:29AM PST (-0700 GMT)
GUy hebert is the best every other goalie stinks you stink

: . . . . Wed, Jun 30, 9:30AM PST (-0700 GMT)
come on some one chat with me i am getting bored

: . . . . Wed, Jun 30, 9:30AM PST (-0700 GMT)
come on some one chat with me i am getting bored

: . . . . Wed, Jun 30, 9:30AM PST (-0700 GMT)
okay then bye

Tripp: . . . . Wed, Jun 30, 10:59AM PST (-0700 GMT)
I know Tugnutt and Dafoe wear the V-Lite trappers. I think they're pro's?

The Wall: . . . . Wed, Jun 30, 12:21AM PST (-0700 GMT)
hey there

The Wall: . . . . Wed, Jun 30, 12:23AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Well, for those of you who don't know me I'm 17 and I am a female goaltender....I am also lefty and from Massachusetts. I am going into my junior year...well actually repeating my junior year to go to another prep school to play some serious hockey with a great coach.

The Wall: . . . . Wed, Jun 30, 12:24AM PST (-0700 GMT)
A lot has changed in my hockey career lately but the future looks very promising and going to this new school will ensure that I go to a Division 1 Womens program

The Wall: . . . . Wed, Jun 30, 12:25AM PST (-0700 GMT)
It's too bad no one is ever on here when I am ( hehehe)

The Wall: . . . . Wed, Jun 30, 12:26AM PST (-0700 GMT)
I love talking to myself....

The Wall: . . . . Wed, Jun 30, 12:26AM PST (-0700 GMT)
I'll be back

charge: . . . . Wed, Jun 30, 3:11PM PST (-0700 GMT)
who will back up irbe for the canes now?

: . . . . Thu, Jul 1, 9:05AM PST (-0700 GMT)
I vote for goalieshmuck

fourqts: . . . . Thu, Jul 1, 9:10AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Tues night roller league lost for the first time... 4-3 No offense and the d could not clear the puck...or maybe it was just that I was not directing it right.... Two rebound goals.. one off of my defenseman as he was setting the perfect screen for the shooter dispite my aggrevated four letter words in vein attempts to have him let me see the puck, and one on a two on one that I should have stopped. Had a great glover that they were celebrating on (thinking it had gone in), in fact the ref was signaling a goal.... NO SOUP on that shot... After the game, the robbed shooter was asking how I got it still shaking his head....

gbfreeman: . . . . Thu, Jul 1, 11:41PM PST (-0700 GMT)
well scrub team finished season tonight.... lost 5-3 to go 1-9-0... roller playoffs for other team start next week... anybody have any idea how long it takes a broken fingertip to heal.... broke it in warmups... lovely shade of purple... After roller playoffs gonna be focusing only on ice for the summer... roller hockey outdoors in the summer blows....

gbfreeman: . . . . Thu, Jul 1, 11:48PM PST (-0700 GMT)
and in pro news... the flyers waived ron hextall today... four wins short of 300... kind of a bummer. maybe he will be irbe's backup

Papillon: . . . . Fri, Jul 2, 8:28AM PST (-0700 GMT)
So what do you guys think of goalies fighting? I have to play a team on Sunday who are very physical. last time our two teams met there was lots of rough stuff, which resulted in a bit of a brawl. I was in the stands watching the game as I was sick, but this weekend I am playing.

Papillon: . . . . Fri, Jul 2, 8:29AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Do you think goalies should avoid fighting, or get in there and back there teammates up? I only plan to get involved if someone attacks me personally or if the other goalie gets involved.

gbfreeman: . . . . Fri, Jul 2, 2:23PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Standard fighting rules for goalies... mix it up if you are personally attacked... if a brawl starts in your end... move to the far boards away from the fight and watch the other goalie... if the scrap is in the other end, skate to the center line and watch what the goalie does... if they get involved, that is your cue... if you shy away from the confrontation it is hard to ask your d to defend you when someone comes in hard during (or after) a play... and on the finger front... yep, broken... but not quite as swollen as yesterday... still going to play in the playoffs, but not going to let the teammates know about the finger..

GoalieHawk: . . . . Fri, Jul 2, 4:39PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Hey goalies..... About my trip to Waterford, Michigan..... Like I said, I went to the training camp of the Metro jets of the CSHL(USA Junior B)..... The caliber of these players were unbelievable. Everyone had great speed and a great shot. They looked more like Major Junior than Junior B..... Anyways, I had a great time and played very well. Brent Agrusa, the head coach told me he was considering giving me the 3rd goalie spot on the team. But we both talked about it and decided it wasn't the best thing for me. As a 3rd goalie, I'd only play about five games..... Brent told me he thought I was a very good young goalie and he thanked me for my dedication and for my coming to Michigan. He wants to keep in touch for this season and next..... He is also going to give a call to the head coach of the Portland "AAA" Jr.Hawks to inform them about me..... Also, I just got invited to attend the main training camp for the New Mexico Ice Breakers of the WSHL(USA Junior B), so I have that to look forward to..... Anyways. This experience was great. I now know I can compete in Junior B..... Anyways, talk to yah later.

REALITY SPEAKING: . . . . Sat, Jul 3, 10:59AM PST (-0700 GMT)
3rd goalie spot? Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't that the water/towel boy? Sounds like you got kicked to the curb gently so that your whole world wouldn't come tumbling down and your parents wouldn't find you in the tub with your wrists slit. If you could play at that level you wouldn't have been offered the 3rd spot. 3rd spot is like asking somone in the crowd to come down and play cause the other 2 tenders are dead. You got the "I don't have a spot for you here but I know an organization that can use you" speech. It's called an easy let down kid. Keep playing and improving and maybe one day it might happen for you.

GoalieHawk: . . . . Sat, Jul 3, 12:05AM PST (-0700 GMT)
To REALITY SPEAKING..... The water/towel boy? Excuse me, sounds like someone is jealous..... So are you saying the 3rd string NHL goalies are nothing but people from the stands? Yeah right..... Did you know that Dominik Hasek was once the #3 goalie for the Chicago Blackhawks? Look at him now, he is the #1 goalie for his team and also #1 in the world..... So get your God damn facts straight before you open your mouth again, punk.

REALITY SPEAKING: . . . . Sat, Jul 3, 1:59PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Look kid, we're not talking about NHL goalies but Jr. hockey and there isn't a jealousy factor in it. Think about what the coach told you and try reading between the lines, you might save yourself some heart ache down the road. I suggest YOU get your facts straight and work on a profession that can support you when the hockey dream falls out from underneath you.

GoalieHawk: . . . . Sat, Jul 3, 5:07PM PST (-0700 GMT)
To REALITY SPEAKING..... Why don't you just tell me who you really are instead of hiding behind a fake name..... Yes, you are jealous. Why else would you say those things? ..... It's plain and simple. You are jealous..... Listen, you don't even know me. You don't know how far I can go in my hockey career, so don't bother cause I don't give a fuck about what you have to say you piece of shit.

REALITY SPEAKING: . . . . Sat, Jul 3, 6:29PM PST (-0700 GMT)
My how quick you come unhinged GH. Is this how you play hockey as well? It's no wonder you were told to go away. If it's any consolation, there was talk a few days ago about who would be backing Irbe up now that Kidd is gone and your name was thrown out. Maybe you should give Carolina a call, I'm sure they could use you.....to hand out towels, I mean play 3rd string. What difference does it make what my name is? The truth will always hurt son and it seems to hurt you a lot right now. The sooner you accept the truth the faster you can move on. Maybe you should change your name from GoalieHawk to Waterboy or 3rd stringer, maybe even try Goalie Scrub, how about Bench Warmer or Short Fuse.I know, the perfect name for you is Goalie Spaz!! ALL HEAR THIS, FROM THIS DAY FORWARD Goalie Hawk WILL BE KNOWN AS GOALIE SPAZ. That will be all.

GoalieHawk: . . . . Sat, Jul 3, 7:29PM PST (-0700 GMT)
To REALITY SPEAKING..... There are only a couple of reasons why someone insults another..... Reason #1, because they are jealous..... Reason #2, because they are afriad of what they don't understand..... Which one are you? ..... You do seem to be AFRAID to reveal your name. Why? If you believe this strongly about your opinion, then why are you afriad to reveal your real name to the rest of the chat members? Which chat member are you? If truth hurts, then the truth is you are too afriad to reveal yourself..... But you know what. I don't really care what you have to say anymore. You are just a jealous washed-up hockey player, so what you have to say to me doesn't mean a thing. I don't have to listen to you..... You are just jealous, do you hear me? YOU ARE JEALOUS

Chris: . . . . Sat, Jul 3, 8:12PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Why don't we end this conversation here? I have both of your IPs, and if the flaming continues, you will be banned. OK? Thank you. In case you are wondering, REALITY SPEAKING is not a regular chat member, so no need to suspect your friends. Any comments, suggestions, flames? button

Chris: . . . . Sat, Jul 3, 8:13PM PST (-0700 GMT)
BTW, think the back log should be changed at all? I think its set to 50 at the moment. If its too much or too little, let me know. Thanks.

Grass: . . . . Sat, Jul 3, 8:28PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Chris -- Fifty seems nifty! (And thanks for pouring some common sense on those flames...)

GoalieHawk: . . . . Sat, Jul 3, 8:43PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Chris..... Thanks you thank you thank you..... I was waiting for someone to step in. I don't know what his problem is.

z-man: . . . . Sun, Jul 4, 0:29AM PST (-0700 GMT)
GoalieHawk, congrats on the results of the training camp. You were right about R.S. sounding jealous and you should be proud of yourself. Maybe one day you will be the first NHL goalie from the Portland Oregon area (that I know of). Also a question: What are the official rules about smothering the puck? Sometimes I will cover the puck when I am in a race with a forward thinking breakaway and I don't think I can stickhandle myself out of it. Never a problem until one game when I got a delay of game for covering around the near faceoff dot. I was being checked so it wasn't unnecessary. It seems the refs don't even know what the rule actually is, I don't know.

z-man: . . . . Sun, Jul 4, 0:36AM PST (-0700 GMT)
GoalieHawk, are you sponsored for any of your gear? All of the junior players I know that are sponsored receive Bauer gear. I am not big on Bauer but free is better than a thousand bucks. The only thing I own that is Bauer is a long pant shell for my Cooperalls. I am also embarassed to admit my inline skates are Nike which is slightly worse. I just figure I will resist as long as I can so that hopefully Nike won't one day own the world with Disney, NBC, and Coca-Cola.

z-man: . . . . Sun, Jul 4, 0:41AM PST (-0700 GMT)
GoalieHawk, congrats on the results of the training camp. You were right about R.S. sounding jealous and you should be proud of yourself. Maybe one day you will be the first NHL goalie from the Portland Oregon area (that I know of). Also a question: What are the official rules about smothering the puck? Sometimes I will cover the puck when I am in a race with a forward thinking breakaway and I don't think I can stickhandle myself out of it. Never a problem until one game when I got a delay of game for covering around the near faceoff dot. I was being checked so it wasn't unnecessary. It seems the refs don't even know what the rule actually is, I don't know.

GoalieHawk: . . . . Sun, Jul 4, 10:58AM PST (-0700 GMT)
z-man..... Thanks for your support, that really means a lot to me. Covering the puck? Well I'm pretty sure the rule says you can't cover the puck beyond the face-off circle. But if you are racing toward the puck and a player is after it to and you cover it up when he is pressing then the ref with allow it. But if you are there by yourself with no one around then he'll tell you to play it or give you a penalty..... Just play it safe, if a guy is coming then cover it, if no one is press then play it..... Major Juniors get sponsored with equipment. I think some Junior A teams also get sponsored. But for Junior B the players get pants/helmet/gloves/sticks. For goalies they get pants/sticks and a maybe some other things.

gbfreeman: . . . . Sun, Jul 4, 3:40PM PST (-0700 GMT)
zman, as a roller goalie, i may be able to give you some answer about the freezing the puck thing... the Rule Book that SixPac puts out for roller hockey says 12 feet from the net to the side and to the front, so the faceoff dots are (depending on the size of the rink) are right at the edge and it becomes a judgement call by the refs... most refs will give you a warning the first time... Also, on the Nike inline skates thing... i am using a 29 dollar (at walmart) pair of skates... i find i wear them out pretty fast and can't seem to get jazzed about spending a lot of money on skates....

gbfreeman: . . . . Sun, Jul 4, 3:43PM PST (-0700 GMT)
to all... have you found yourselves playing better with an injury? I broke the tip of my ring finger glove hand in warmups thursday night. since then i played ice pickup and seemed to play much better.. maybe it is paying attention to fundamentals more due to the weaker glove hand...

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Sun, Jul 4, 7:37PM PST (-0700 GMT)
For those that remember, I have decided to go with the GRAF 750 goal skates, I'm just waiting for the new models to come out. If you've read the new SFSL catalog you know that they have a new feature on them this time. Seems they have incorporated a piece of metal on the inside of the cowling by the ball of the foot area to help you get up quicker. I was curious so I called GRAF and they told me that it's a bolt on piece that comes with the skate and can be added or removed by the user. The only draw back is that they are still cranking them out at the factory and they have yet to hit the shelves. The lady at GRAF told me they should be out around the end of Sept- early Oct 99. For any of you interested in GRAF skates, the cheapest I've found them for is at Royal sports at http:// www.royalsports.mb.ca/main3.html

Toast: . . . . Sun, Jul 4, 8:39PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Okay...enough is enough. First of all, let's straighten a few things out. GH, congrats on making the trip to get a looksee at the camp...BUT, and this may sting - there is a large difference between the calibre of that Jr B league and Major Junior. And there is some truth in what R.S. was saying, although he may not of been that diplomatic about it. 3rd string on a Jr. B team is usually a bone thrown to a local...around here, the third stringer usually is sent to a Jr C team or another Jr B team to get playing time.

Toast: . . . . Sun, Jul 4, 8:48PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Now, before you think that I just being a sourpuss, I am just trying to put a little perspective on things. So, if you choose to slag me...feel free, but from what I know about hockey and the various leagues, I have a pretty good idea of the talent level.

GoalieHawk: . . . . Mon, Jul 5, 0:12AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Toast..... I know the difference between Major Junior and Junior B..... But what is so wrong about being a 3rd string goaltender? You don't know all the facts about the Metro Jets. First, their new back-up goalie played Junior A last year. Also, their starting goaltender is a "maybe" for this season because a team in the NAHL has tendered him..... So that means I lost the #1 and #2 spot to Junior A caliber goaltenders, now think about that..... You are wrong about that most 3rd string goalies are local or thrown a bone. Every goalies starts either 2nd or 3rd string. They don't become #1 overnight. They have to work their way up the charts..... As a 3rd string goalie I would expose myself to Major Junior, Junior A, College and other Junior B teams. So what is the bad thing about that? Remember, I am only 17 and most of the guys I competed against were 19-20 years old. So I got a long hockey career in front of me..... Also, remember that Junior B is a feeder system to Junior A and college. So having a 3rd string goalie is a good idea, because a lot of Junior B players are drafted or tendered and could be sent off to play Junior A mid-season. For example, think the IHL/AHL is Junior B and think the NHL is Junior A. You see players get called up all the time between the IHL/AHL and the NHL..... Now I think you'll understand.

Papillon: . . . . Mon, Jul 5, 1:39AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Re the Graf 750 skates, I have last years model and they are awesome, the most comfortable skates I have ever had the pleasure of wearing. They were comforatble enough to play in after a couple of public skating session, and within a couple of training sessions they felt perfect. I got mine last summer, so they don't need replacing yet, but I will check out the new model to see the enhancements they have added, you never know if they look cool enough I might just treat myself.

gbfreeman: . . . . Mon, Jul 5, 2:48AM PST (-0700 GMT)
For the definitive ruling on the Dallas goal go to the following url button and check on the sports report.... like the idea for goal sticks

Papillon: . . . . Mon, Jul 5, 4:19AM PST (-0700 GMT)
gbfreeman, re goalie fights, we scored an insurance goal (4-2) with 2 mins to go, and the tempers flaired a bit. Everyone started to dance, so I skated to the red line, the other goalie started to double team one of our guys, so I piled in from the red line. I finished my business with the guy, we both got 2mins for leaving the crease and fighting majors. afterwards the guys thanked me (which surprised me) for getting stuck in.

Toast: . . . . Mon, Jul 5, 6:07AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Sigh...apples and oranges...sorry, I should clarify myself. Major Jr means CHL (OHL, WHL, QMJHL). The NAHL isn't what I meant. And I you kind of confirmed my point on the third stringer. For example, you try out for a Jr. B team here, you impress...instead of having you sit on the bench, they would send you to a Jr C team to play, then call you up if needed. Very different from the pro level, in fact in some lower level pro leagues, the third stringer is often a local guy, just an emergency fill in. You're 17? Well, typically you start playing Major Junior at 16...18 is your draft year.

GoalieHawk: . . . . Mon, Jul 5, 8:27AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Toast..... Once again, I know all about Major Junior. The NAHL is a Junior A league..... Anyways, I've dug deep into the Junior leagues so I know what I am talking about. There are many Junior B leagues. The WSHL, MJHL, MetJHL, EJHL, EmpJHL, IJHL and the CSHL(which is probably the best league). Junior A has three leagues. The AWHL, NAHL and the USHL(which is the best Jr.A league in North America)..... Most teams carry a 3rd goaltender. Why? Because they might get called up for Junior A or Major Junior. That's why. I already explained that..... Anyways. I am still in touch with the Metro Jets, so it's wait and see. Also, I'm going to attend the main training camp for the New Mexico Ice Breakers of the WSHL..... The fact is Toast, I don't know why you are telling me that stuff. Because it's mostly unclear. I know a lot about Junior B and Junior A.

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Mon, Jul 5, 8:47AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Papillon thanks for the feedback on the skates. I haven't found too many goalies with GRAF skates but all of the players that wear them swear by them. The only other version I've seen have been Ed's with the carbon fibre cowling and special blades. I wonder if he'll ever market those and if he does how much will they cost. I did notice he went with a GRAF boot though.

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Mon, Jul 5, 8:51AM PST (-0700 GMT)
GB that article is hilarious.Think how good our GAA and Saves % would become. The goal stick idea is pretty cool too. Would those be replaceable blades I'm wondering or throw aways like a bic razor?

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Mon, Jul 5, 8:54AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Papillon since the new models have the bolt on feature you might be able to just buy the bolt on piece instead of a new pair of skates. Check out their web site at this button or call them at 1-888-703-4723

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Mon, Jul 5, 9:07AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Toast, I think everyone else here gets the idea and understands what you are saying (I know I do), but I think your efforts are in vain, GH isn't going to listen to you or anyone else. It's obvious that even logic and fact will not convince him otherwise. GH you need to listen to what Toast is telling you, you may just learn a thing or two besides it's the way things have worked for years and will continue to work for years. Now if this makes me a bad guy for saying something then feel free to let me know too.

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Mon, Jul 5, 10:00AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Papillon way to go on the throw down. Just don't go Hanson on us eh? :-) Sometimes the guys in men's leagues go a little too far with the fighting. We don't want to hear that you had to get stiches or black eyes OK? Way to muck it up though.

gbfreeman: . . . . Mon, Jul 5, 12:29AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Papillon, good job on the altercation... your teammate made my point.... they will be more willing to take one for you knowing that you are willing to stick up for them... glad you came out of none the worse for wear... i have only been involved in 3 big altercations.. One cooled down pretty quickly... one turned into a major brawl (actual bloodshed) but the other goalie was pretty cool, we both met at the red line and sort of did a little squaredancing, he did not want to throw and neither did I... we both ended up laughing pretty hard about how silly we looked... and the third ended up pretty ugly... Puck loose in the crease, player decides to get it by jumping through me, putting both of his knees down in my back... well, the whistle blew, I pushed him off me, and his teammate punched me. We started throwing pretty fast and furious and all hell broke lose. The refs ended the game (3 minutes left) gave me 17 minutes in penalties (2 for roughing, 5 minute major, and a 10 minute misconduct). Needless to say, led the league for penalty minutes by a goalie... But, my crease stayed pretty clear for a while.

z-man: . . . . Mon, Jul 5, 1:33PM PST (-0700 GMT)
I have Graf forward skates, and they are the best skates I have ever owned. Mine are a little older and use the Bauer Tuuk blade and holder. The new ones look even nicer. I definitely want the 750's come bonus time. Also, lets lay off of GoalieHawk please and let him be proud of his progress. Third string may not be a glamorous position but there is no question that it is a necessary due to pay. And Curtis Joseph was a late bloomer I think. Anyway, GoalieHawk is probably better at 17 than I would ever hope to be at 23 in a rec league.

GoalieHawk: . . . . Mon, Jul 5, 4:45PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Carpe De Puck..... I do listen, but I just don't agree with Toast. I have my own beliefs.

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Mon, Jul 5, 7:47PM PST (-0700 GMT)
<---------refuses to bang head on the wall. You can't get blood from a turnip. You can lead a horse to water blah blah blah. GB, you the man. Sounds like your a regular ALI in the net and here I thought I had a lot of PIMS LOL. After last weeks ordeal I figured I would have some more but it turned out for the better and I got off(don't ask me how).

Toast: . . . . Mon, Jul 5, 7:52PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Thanks CdP...if I remember correctly, you have experienced the system...

Toast: . . . . Mon, Jul 5, 7:56PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Anyway...no worries here, I am not going to get a concussion. I must admit I am much more familiar with the leagues in Canada, so I am not sure how Jr B. here compares with Jr. B south of the border. Any others in the Golden Horsehoe area shed some light, I beleive there was some international games played between Erie and Pgh and some Canadian teams in the last couple of years...

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Mon, Jul 5, 7:59PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Toast, I guess you can say that, I'm now one of those local guys you mentioned earlier:-) double emergency backup tender but I still get the invites to the camps. I assume it's to motivate the prospects or it could be my charmig personality LOL

Toast: . . . . Mon, Jul 5, 8:01PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Well, it is not meant to be a knock against the local, there was a day in the NHL when the home team had a local in the stands as both team's backup...

Toast: . . . . Mon, Jul 5, 8:03PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Gotta run...sorry about the short stay, CdP.

fourqts: . . . . Tue, Jul 6, 7:34AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Hey GH.... I don't think everyone here is trying to bash you, but rather trying to give you the knowledge they have gained from experience... This place is generally a bunch of people trying to help each other become better tenders... With a little fun ribbing each other as our NHL teams do good or bad... Maybe we need to swallow our "pride" at times and realize that there are people here who have been through what you are experiencing right now... Congrats on getting the tryout, glad to hear you did pretty well... But maybe, as third string, they are saying you need to listen a little more to people who have been there, or saying you have a little growing up to do... maybe both..

fourqts: . . . . Tue, Jul 6, 7:39AM PST (-0700 GMT)
As for skates and ordering them.... I think I heard here on the forum that Graf skates are intended to be molded to your foot by some heating process.... And if that isn't dome by someone who knows what the heck they are doing you won't get a good fit... That was one of the deciding factors in mt buying bauer ice skates... The other was that I found a pair of 3000's at the sports exchange for a mere $150, whereas they sell for $325 here in stores. They fit well and work well for me.

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Tue, Jul 6, 8:08AM PST (-0700 GMT)
fourqts your partialy correct about the GRAF skates. GRAF sells a convection oven for heating skates up so they can be custom sized(stretched) to the individual foot. If you have feet slightly bigger/smaller than the other or the boot rubs your ankle bone etc it's a ideal skate for you. Otherwise you can wear them like any other skate out of the box. GRAF's only stipulation is if you do opt to heat them up it has to be done by a authorized rep blah blah blah you know the rest.

Papillon: . . . . Tue, Jul 6, 8:08AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Thats right fourqts, they put the Graf's into a machine that warms them up (looks a little like a microwave), then you put the skates on, and once they have cooled down they should provide a very good fit to your feet. I have to admit, these skates are the most comfortable items of foot wear that I have ever had (except maybe for the pink bunny slippers, oh no, my secrets out!!), people think I am weird when I say that, but for me anyway, its true. One other thing, I don't wear socks, so when I wore the warmed up pair around the store, I did so without socks on, as I thought this would effect the fit when I wore on the ice.

Papillon: . . . . Tue, Jul 6, 8:09AM PST (-0700 GMT)
spooky, two replies to the same question at exactly the same time

Papillon: . . . . Tue, Jul 6, 8:13AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Thinking about it, cdp is probably right, I have one foot that is a little larger than the other, and the guy that fitted the skates said that putting them in the oven would help stretch the boot that little bit extra to improve the comfort for the larger foot.

fourqts: . . . . Tue, Jul 6, 8:34AM PST (-0700 GMT)
AHHHH the instentaneous barrage of info.... I thought I was on the goalies domain.... Had a pretty cool phone call from Montreal and the Hockey news.... I hadn't re-uped my subscription from last season and they called to ask if I was going to do so... I had already decided that I was gouing to subscribe again but was being rather lazy about doing so... Anyway the guy was pretty cool.... He asked what the fan's perspective was on the JR incident, the new arena, the firing of Schoney, the hiring of Francis, the trade of tever.... Pretty informed for a joe telemarketer... Was on the phone for like 20 minutes shooting the breeze.

fourqts: . . . . Tue, Jul 6, 8:34AM PST (-0700 GMT)
hey cdp

fourqts: . . . . Tue, Jul 6, 8:36AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Back to the rink(s) tonight... Roller game at 8:30 if the rain stays away.. and to the coyotes place for Ice at 9:40... For those of you who would like to see a nice practice facility check out button

fourqts: . . . . Tue, Jul 6, 8:37AM PST (-0700 GMT)
ahhhh missed CdP

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Tue, Jul 6, 8:38AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Papillon do you have a Belfour site by chance? I seem to remember you saying something about it. I'm just wondering if it's you or not.If it is I'm sure you probablly know that Belfour has a tricked out pair of GRAF skates. Actually the only thing GRAF about them is the boot. I saw the article on the Belfour page but its no longer there. Do you happen to know how I can access it again?

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Tue, Jul 6, 8:39AM PST (-0700 GMT)
I'm still here 4qts. So what was the dudes deal? He give you a price break on the subscription?:-)

fourqts: . . . . Tue, Jul 6, 8:54AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Sorry CdP behind a firewall at this client... Thought I missed you... And he did like $5... Started agreeing at 54.95 and he said at the end I'd be billed for $49.95... So was cool there I guess.... Just wanted to talk hockey..

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Tue, Jul 6, 9:03AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Interesting site 4qts. I like how they named the different divisions with regional specific titles. Both sites are well laid out(went to the coyote site) lots of info and esay to navigate. The rule/penalty explanation cartoons are by far the best and funniest I've seen in a while

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Tue, Jul 6, 9:08AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Hows the pro shop there? They say they carry a lot of gear, how are they on goal gear? The most I had found in one place was at the play it again in Mesa and at "behind the mask" in Peoria. No real great deals but I took in to consideration I was in AZ :-)

fourqts: . . . . Tue, Jul 6, 9:17AM PST (-0700 GMT)
not much goal gear.... like 2 full gear sets yeaterday... MCM Cobra and Reactor 4 stuff.... All yotes colors of course... They think there stuff is gold though... R 4 pads were priced at $1500....... As for shops.... Behind the mask has three now... and there are two good play it agains.... but the Play it agains love Itech and low end bauer gear.... But they did have a air defense 900 setup last week.... Gold again at $1199 for the pads. I mostly shop the net... Garners, Scotts, and The sports exchange and save big bucks.... At Behind the mask they are pretty friendly to me mostly.... But won't touch some of the deals I've gotten on the net.... Say it is lower than their cost at times... Did get my catcher there though... and alot of the little stuff like laces and tape and sticks (when they get ones i like)...

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Tue, Jul 6, 9:26AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Yeah I know what you mean, I tried haggling with Randy Exelby over price and he wouldn't match anything especially if it was in Canada. With pad prices that high(there) I guess that DOM commercial isn't that far of a stretch. I was always wondering where they got those prices from since they seemed so overblown. Now I know, AZ :-)

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Tue, Jul 6, 9:35AM PST (-0700 GMT)
I got an E-mail yesterday that I knew was going to happen sooner or later, I guess someone else also had the idea and put it into action. Seems at pro baseball and football games you can buy head phones for $10 and this allows you to hear what is going on down on the field uncensored. Some of the players wear mics and they do cut out for huddles and meetings to keep sensitive stuff out that would effect the play. I have been saying for years that I'd subscribe to a channel that provided real time uncensored audio from the ice. Every now and then on TV you get a swear word or piece of audio that wasn't meant to be broadcast but it's not the same as being there and being able to hear the trash talking and calls being made. Hopefully they implement this at NHL games and better yet they start a channel where everything is uncensored. I can see it now, the REAL MANS UNCENSORED SPORTS CHANNEL LOL

Papillon: . . . . Tue, Jul 6, 9:36AM PST (-0700 GMT)
CdP, No I don't own the Belfour site, but I did save the article. I can email it to you if you want.

Papillon: . . . . Tue, Jul 6, 9:37AM PST (-0700 GMT)
CdP, No I don't own the Belfour site, but I did save the article. I can email it to you if you want.

fourqts: . . . . Tue, Jul 6, 9:37AM PST (-0700 GMT)
and then some.... Like I said he haggled a little with me on the glove.... Into source for sports territory (after shiping and $20 for the wait) but in general he is firm about not hitting canadian pricing... Although when I buy a stick they generally give me $5 to $7 off of the stick and a free roll of tape... so a heaton helite stick runs me about $37 and a bauer about $40.... At those prices you wont see me smashing them on goal posts ect. very often... unlike my san diegan friend.....

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Tue, Jul 6, 9:38AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Hey that would be great Papillon, just drop the letter"e" off of Carpe and mail to me at aol.com please (Carpdepuck @aol.com)

Papillon: . . . . Tue, Jul 6, 9:39AM PST (-0700 GMT)
see ya fourqts

fourqts: . . . . Tue, Jul 6, 9:39AM PST (-0700 GMT)
as for uncensored chat.... that is one of the reasons I love my seats at the Yotes.... I sit in an overhang on the ice right at the turn... I can actually hear the players taslking alot of the time.... Talking shit and or talking to their teamies... is cool

Papillon: . . . . Tue, Jul 6, 9:40AM PST (-0700 GMT)
cdp, ok, its on its way.

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Tue, Jul 6, 9:47AM PST (-0700 GMT)
I hear you 4qts, it's too expensive now a days to smash sticks period. The wholesale price dealers get is better than what the average joe can get plus they buy in large quantities that isn't practical for you and I. I think manufacturers should keep goal stick prices down as low as possible, how to do that though is a tough question that I don't readily have the answer for unfortunately

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Tue, Jul 6, 9:47AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Thanks a lot Papillon.

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Tue, Jul 6, 9:49AM PST (-0700 GMT)
WOW, 3 chatsters on a one time. thats got to be a record, I don't think I've seen that in a long time.

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Tue, Jul 6, 9:51AM PST (-0700 GMT)
4qts you use Battram gear don't you?

fourqts: . . . . Tue, Jul 6, 10:11AM PST (-0700 GMT)
bold 3500 pads but with the roller series plates attached.... Saving up for glove and blocker but things like car payments and rent and food keep getting in the way.... oh and NHL tickets and gas and engagment rings and weding plans and garbage stuff like that.... lol

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Tue, Jul 6, 12:05AM PST (-0700 GMT)
I was talking to Scott a couple of days ago about some pad design ideas I have and he told me he plans to start another line called Millenium after the new year. I'm curious to see if it will happen since he was supposed to start the Dynasty line of which I know of 2 sets in exsistence, one being the set I have and another set he gave to a hockey camp instructor. I never got a answer on why he hasn't followed up on it though. My gear is still holding up great after a long hard season of use, they are actually perfect right now, everything is comfortable. How has the roller hockey plate insert held up worked out so far? I know about things getting in the way, sounds like you have your priorities straight but I'd consider reviewing the last 2 they really take away from the hockey experience LOL

z-man: . . . . Tue, Jul 6, 5:51PM PST (-0700 GMT)
I remember that when I went to the Cellular One Ice Den to check it out, it took me over an hour to get there. Of course that was from Tempe. So, how do you get to a 9:40 ice game coming off of a 8:30 roller game? Are they in the same neighborhood? I once tried the Graf 750s on, and they did fit real nice. But they were nearly $400 though it was the only time anyplace that sold Graf had the 750 in stock in my size so I had to try it on. Of all places, it was also in Arizona, at the ice arena on McClintock / Hayden. They had never heard of the oven though, which made me wonder! One thing 4qts forgot to mention about the Ice Den Pro Shop, they are also big on Mission brand gear. Mission and Bauer, plus a display set of MCM pads in Coyote colors.

z-man: . . . . Tue, Jul 6, 5:52PM PST (-0700 GMT)
One other thing I am curious about: Since Cujo hits the puck by holding the butt end in his catcher and the paddle in his blocker hand, what kind (if any) curve does he use on his stick? It seems if he has a curve at all, it would either be backwards in his stance or when he hits the puck.

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Tue, Jul 6, 6:57PM PST (-0700 GMT)
z-man I just checked out a few of my CUJO pics and he really doesn't have much of a curve,if any, to speak of. Which explains his ability to get away with flipping the stick and having a good shot.

fourqts: . . . . Wed, Jul 7, 1:35AM PST (-0700 GMT)
As for getting between rinks.... well the ice team knows I made a commitment to the roller squad before they offered me the spot so they have to make due when the schedule gets touchy..... The dist between them is a few miles so not such a big deal.... The roller game tonight was rained out... So all ice.... Let in two one off my players skate the second a rebound right in front of the net.... ARGH!!!!... Win 8-2... Team buying me shots afterword... Lets see I've played three games for them and they have won 2 of the three and no others.... They are loving me.

fourqts: . . . . Wed, Jul 7, 1:39AM PST (-0700 GMT)
As for the wedding and engagment things... CdP... This girl goes to all the Yotes games I get tickets for... Watches hockey night without complaints... Goes to all my games... Does not bitch when I send Scott $800 for a new set of pads when the ones I have are two season's old... Oh and she doesn't get too upset with my job which has me in and out of town frequently and working the weirdest hours you can imagine..... Plus I will have her in the pipes by year end..... She is almost ready.... Marry her the man says....... OK

fourqts: . . . . Wed, Jul 7, 1:44AM PST (-0700 GMT)
As for my batts I have blk and white wave pads.... The Roller plates are secured by lacing near the front of the pad and by the straps near the rear.... The pads broke in perfectly and are very light and flexible.... To get the roller plates off is like a 5 min job... I've already referred three tenders to Scott and one has gotten his pads and loves them as well.... I wear mine really loose like nik boolin... and play a generally full fly game.... Scott's stuff is the best I've seen.. the only thing I've seen that is near it is the $1200 briand altairmax things... nice pads as well but for the extra 400 I'd get a block and glove from scott.

Papillon: . . . . Wed, Jul 7, 4:47AM PST (-0700 GMT)
hey fourqts, she sounds just like my girlfriend. Except that she wants to become a stripey rather than play. That could cause one or two problems, if we are not careful.

smott: . . . . Wed, Jul 7, 8:28AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Hi Chatsters....my didn't I miss some interesting exchanges!

smott: . . . . Wed, Jul 7, 8:29AM PST (-0700 GMT)
GH congrats on your tryout. Keep working hard and trying to improve your game and good things will come your way.

smott: . . . . Wed, Jul 7, 8:31AM PST (-0700 GMT)
And not to editorialize...but it's always surprised me in the past how many grown men seem to get their feathers ruffled by a 17-yr old kid. We were all that age once and had the attitudes that went along with it. I think it's great to chase your dream and believe that anything is possible. For most of us, that isn't the case anymore.

papillon: . . . . Wed, Jul 7, 8:33AM PST (-0700 GMT)
hey smottsie, hows the recovery going?

smott: . . . . Wed, Jul 7, 8:33AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Meanwhile I am accumulating LAYERS of shellack!!! I've noticed 2 things about summer hockey. 1) My best guys seem to disappear to play golf. And 2) All the other teams get an influx of college kids. What does this mean?? I GET SHELLACKED!!

smott: . . . . Wed, Jul 7, 8:33AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Hiya papillon how's the life of a butterfly?

smott: . . . . Wed, Jul 7, 8:34AM PST (-0700 GMT)
I am doing OK...9 radiation treatments down, 24 to go. I am sore as hell but it sure beats throwing up on chemo! Plus, my hair is growing back. I have a 5-o-clock shadow on my head! Heh heh heh....

papillon: . . . . Wed, Jul 7, 8:35AM PST (-0700 GMT)
oh, not too bad really. where i play all the regulars are on holiday during the summer and they are replaced by juniors and guys on try outs, i.e guys with something to prove.

smott: . . . . Wed, Jul 7, 8:37AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Uh oh sounds like lots of pucks for you! The school kids coming back into our league really throw things out of kilter. My teams are OK, but we don't have a lot of speed. When there's a couple of roadrunners out there, look out.

papillon: . . . . Wed, Jul 7, 8:37AM PST (-0700 GMT)
on monday I played against these two german guys that were trying out. I totally robbed the guy with an awesome (for me) glove save, so to prove how awesome he was he had to score about a 1000 goals on his own.

papillon: . . . . Wed, Jul 7, 8:40AM PST (-0700 GMT)
one of the germans was a goalie, he was like 6'5 and about 220-230 lbs, he was quick and relied upon reflexes more than positioning. I didn't thik he was that great for a pro, but I did not want to bad mouth him, as it might look like sour grapes as he was better then me.

smott: . . . . Wed, Jul 7, 8:42AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Yes I know the type. STill trying to score in the last few seconds of a game when they're already up 9-1. Just lovely. We gave up 5 unanswered goals on Monday to turn 5-3 into an 8-5 loss. I stopped 5 for 6 on breakaways but otherwise got swamped. My poor D is so slow, and the Fs don' come back to help. It can get ugly.

smott: . . . . Wed, Jul 7, 8:42AM PST (-0700 GMT)
If I was 230 lbs, I would rely on positioning, period!

smott: . . . . Wed, Jul 7, 8:43AM PST (-0700 GMT)
My problem is the opposite! Not very big, and not very quick!

smott: . . . . Wed, Jul 7, 8:45AM PST (-0700 GMT)
I am only playing twice/week at the moment....trying to play a couple of tennis tournaments. But it's hard because my energy is so low. I would be sharper in hockey if I played some pickup games.

papillon: . . . . Wed, Jul 7, 8:46AM PST (-0700 GMT)
I have fairly good size (6'1, 200-ish lbs) so I try to use positioning, for me its my reflexes that let me down, hence my plea for drill a week or so agao.

papillon: . . . . Wed, Jul 7, 8:46AM PST (-0700 GMT)
that guy really surprised me, as usually the bigger they are the slower they move

smott: . . . . Wed, Jul 7, 8:51AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Yep usually. I am 5'9" 135 lbs so position is key for me...but after a few weeks off I find my angles are pretty lousy. For me, only lots of playing time fixes that.

smott: . . . . Wed, Jul 7, 8:51AM PST (-0700 GMT)
...back in a bit....

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Wed, Jul 7, 9:00AM PST (-0700 GMT)
4qts, sounds like you've found the perfect woman, I take back my last statement :-) Hi ya Smott, long time no hear. Sounds like the shellacking hasn't spared you any lately

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Wed, Jul 7, 9:05AM PST (-0700 GMT)
I vote that all the chatsters pitch in and buy Smott a piece of plexi glass the size of a goal. No more shellacking for the Smottster. Glad to hear you are doing good, hadn't seen ya in a while and was wondering what you were up to. Sounds like you've been keeping busy though

wolfman: . . . . Wed, Jul 7, 10:19AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Happy belated b\d smott. Hope your feeling better. I was reading about size. Try 5'3 145 lbs.Positioning is all important to me. Played back to back games last nite and won both 6-2 &5-4. my first wins in a long time.

gbfreeman: . . . . Wed, Jul 7, 10:27AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Well, i guess that makes me the resident gorilla at 6'4" 230 lbs. Have found that my size kind of freaks out some of the roller players... any advantage i can get is great... third week of one night a week camp... first week we actually got to see shots... saw enough rubber to keep goodyear in busy for a year... 10 minutes of straight breakaways and 2-0 take a huge amount out of you... what fun!! Actually it is a blast and i am finding my game improving week by week.... Roller playoffs start tomorrow night... cant wait... End of an era... player 298 regular season games in 7 seasons and 22 playoff games... putting the roller blades away for the summer.. Ice here I come..

wolfman: . . . . Wed, Jul 7, 10:31AM PST (-0700 GMT)
I played a tourney against a guy that was 6'6. his pads were 36". It looked like they took up the whole net.

z-man: . . . . Wed, Jul 7, 12:17AM PST (-0700 GMT)
I am 5-8 and 150 lbs, and I always get teased by my teammates about how small I am, especially when I take off my pads. I try to lie and tell them I weigh 180, but nobody believes me.

fourqts: . . . . Wed, Jul 7, 2:26PM PST (-0700 GMT)
I'm right there with z but add 20pounds... As I'm new to hockey positioning is deffinitly not my strong point... But the quick left makes up for it at times.... and wb smotsie

Scott Battram: . . . . Wed, Jul 7, 6:23PM PST (-0700 GMT)
We have the design for the new pads! And we will be doing up a protoype next week... The star design was nice.. but I knew there is something better out there, and I FOUND IT!!! It is a graphic that truly ROCKS! and will look awesome, combined with some changes to the pad (adding new shin lock, better calf and cheater, new knee slashpad, new buckle pads, as well as a new foam stuffing technology that will make the pad lighter and more flexible! as well as some other refinements, we will have a pad that is innovated and ready to enter the new Millenium!) Full production of this model will be ready in about 3 months... just need to get the logos designed and manufactured! When I get it done next week, we will take some photos, and post them on our site as a sneak preview!! Of course it wont have the Millenium logo on it yet.. but all other changes should be completed!

fourqts: . . . . Thu, Jul 8, 6:05AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Battram Bold 3500's for sale on ebay.... Gotta get the latest and greatest...... Kidding... Cool and thanks for showing up again scott...

fourqts: . . . . Thu, Jul 8, 6:08AM PST (-0700 GMT)
And a question for scott.... I think I saw a PBH goalie wearing batt gear... is this correct?.. I forget the team but I think they are the bold 3500's but with the logo's covered up or removed

smott: . . . . Thu, Jul 8, 8:40AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Yikes all this talk about new pads! I am a fashion disaster in my scruffy old black Louisvilles....even my formerly spiffy white Koho gloves are looking pretty lived in!

The Wall: . . . . Thu, Jul 8, 10:02AM PST (-0700 GMT)
hey there, my equipment is looking pretty worn it too...I need a new glove pretty bad

The Wall: . . . . Thu, Jul 8, 10:03AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Heaton is my favorite brand so I will go for the Helite V glove

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Thu, Jul 8, 10:25AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Any body know what ever happened to Fitzpatrick and Tabaracci? I haven't heard much on either one of them in a long time.

The Wall: . . . . Thu, Jul 8, 10:27AM PST (-0700 GMT)
hey there..no I haven't heard anything

The Wall: . . . . Thu, Jul 8, 10:28AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Did you hear that the Rangers got Kamenski from the Avs?

The Wall: . . . . Thu, Jul 8, 10:29AM PST (-0700 GMT)
okay then I guess not...

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Thu, Jul 8, 10:29AM PST (-0700 GMT)
I found a cool site where you can get masks from yesteryears heros reproduced. You can know own Sawchucks, Dryden's, Plante's, Cheever's etc. mask for a small price. Would make an awesome gift for a goalie, thats for sure. Check it out at this http://www. mite-hockey.com

z-man: . . . . Thu, Jul 8, 12:11AM PST (-0700 GMT)
I heard on the radio that the Stanley Cup suffered a 3 inch dent when Guy Carbonneau threw it from his hotel window into a swimming pool...or tried to.

C5: . . . . Thu, Jul 8, 12:37AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Where's G35? He's gotta be 6'3" or so, from the looks of his pix.. Me, I'm 6'0", 185, so I've got lots of neither, size nor reflexes!

fourqts: . . . . Thu, Jul 8, 12:44AM PST (-0700 GMT)
CdP... How are Scott's Gloves and Blockers.... I'd imagine that they are up to par with his other gear.... Let us know what you think of the hand peices specifically... thx

gbfreeman: . . . . Thu, Jul 8, 3:08PM PST (-0700 GMT)
So, do you think the Rangers want to win the (yes dented) cup this season or what... Kamensky and Quintal earlier this week... and Theo Fleury today... Think Gretzky's thinking "Sure, now they spend money".

RocketGoalie: . . . . Thu, Jul 8, 4:42PM PST (-0700 GMT)
CdP - Fitzpatrick is an unrestricted free agent after the Hawks did not make him a "qualifying offer". They just signed Steve Passmore to he probably won't be back. Tabaracci's out of Washington what the Caps are calling a "goalie youth movement." What they really need is a center, left wing, right wing and defenseman youth movement. Tabby's talking retirement, but we'll have to see.

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Thu, Jul 8, 5:29PM PST (-0700 GMT)
4qts, the gloves are bomber just like the pads. I have the blocker with the 30 degree kickout in the upper left corner, it seems to help direct pucks to the corner. Really no break in to talk about on a blocker. The glove really fit my hand when I got it, I mean driving glove fit, now it's perfect. The board itself is good, not overly rigid but not mushy. I opened the top up to peek at the insides, there really isn't anything to blockers just a lot of sewing and a square chunk of foam. The catcher is a piece of work. I've gotten stung a few times through it but other wise it's the bomb. This glove comes on the stiff side and it takes some aggressive working to get it broken in but it's playable out of the box. If anything it is extremly durable, although I do have a wear spot at the base of the glove break from wear due to the plastic in the lower hand area and stickhandling. Really minor stuff, nothing drastic. The snag is good(double T), I keep a softball in mine when not in use so it stays pretty deep. The catcher is similar in appearance to the Vaughn 4000 minus the detached cuff. The only difference I've noted is the Vaughn 4000 has a different manner of closing(break) than the Battram does. All gloves seem to have different breaks to them based on manufacturer and how the hand sits in the glove. I have considered going to a Vaughn 4000 specifically for the way it closes down on a stick really well. One really good point on the Battram glove is the back of the hand/ cuff portion. Unlike other gloves out there, there is a significant amount of padding in this area, not just material. I was thankful for that during this last incident when I got slashed on the wrist. The slash still hurt but I can only imagine what it would of felt like if there was no padding in that area. All of Scott's gear holds up well and I've been using mine 4-5 days a week since I got it last season.

RocketGoalie: . . . . Thu, Jul 8, 5:30PM PST (-0700 GMT)
fourqts - I got Scott's glove & blocker about 3 months ago...so I don't know much about their durability. He can make them any size, but the medium (for my smallish hand) is on the small side. I would get the large next time but I don't stick handle well so the larger the better. the blocker's fine too, although (and this will be news to Scott if he reads it here since I never bothered to tell him) the pattern I got (a variation of the angle design) was not sewn in completely. That's the problem with mail order...it's not worth the shipping from California to Scott and back. The problem with mine isn't a big deal, but it's something to think about. The only other thing I'd tell you to go over carefully with Scott is where you want the break in the glove. Mine breaks closer to my fingers and I'd like it closer to my wrist. Again, not a major problem but it's something I'll change the next time I order from him.

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Thu, Jul 8, 5:35PM PST (-0700 GMT)
On another note. I had the opportunity to examine the new V-lite C/A up close and let me be the first to say that it is nothing more than a name change. The 2200 line is now the V-lite line. The little warranty card attached even said 2200 inside. It was still a pretty good piece of equipment, especially the elbows, but I wouldn't trade my R6 for it. The 5500/4000 line is definatly the top end equipment.

RocketGoalie: . . . . Thu, Jul 8, 5:39PM PST (-0700 GMT)
I agree with you on everything CdP. Although my old Koho Revolution's cuff went all the way around my wrist. It wasn't as good overall, but if Scott's went all the way around, it'd be perfect (though it may affect mobility?). Another thing I like about Scott's is how easy it is to open up completely so it dries easily.

RocketGoalie: . . . . Thu, Jul 8, 5:40PM PST (-0700 GMT)
CdP - is that the same R6 model you sold to a friend of mine?

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Thu, Jul 8, 5:43PM PST (-0700 GMT)
RG, sounds like my glove breaks where you want yours to and vise versa.

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Thu, Jul 8, 5:44PM PST (-0700 GMT)
I don't think so, I've sold a R5 but never a 6

RocketGoalie: . . . . Thu, Jul 8, 5:50PM PST (-0700 GMT)
heheh...my hand is on the small side and that's one of the main reasons I sent custom this time. I just checked and you're right, it's an R5. Were there any changes from the 5 to the 6?

papillon: . . . . Fri, Jul 9, 1:26AM PST (-0700 GMT)
can someone explain what is meant by a glove break?

Goal35: . . . . Fri, Jul 9, 6:04AM PST (-0700 GMT)
C5 - thanks for the uplift, but i'm only a short, fat guy.. 5'9 - 200lbs.. the one pic where i'm looking out from behind my D should be a givaway.... lol

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Fri, Jul 9, 9:01AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Papillon, glove break is the portion of the catch glove where it bends(folds.clam shells,closes) when you close your hand or fold your fingers towards your thumb.

RocketGoalie: . . . . Fri, Jul 9, 11:36AM PST (-0700 GMT)
So, CdP, any improvements from the R5 to the R6? I'm going to replace my Cooper (anyone remember Cooper?) R5 in the next year. The elbows move too much and I want better front shoulder protection...I've see some double-padded c/a's and I'm going to look around for one of them (or see if Scott can do that).

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Fri, Jul 9, 1:50PM PST (-0700 GMT)
RG, the R5 and R6 differ in style for one thing, there is nothing else like the R6 out there that I'm aware of. Both offer real good shoulder coverage since they both use "caps" like you'd find on player shoulder pads. There is no getting hit on the shoulder anywhere with the C/A adjusted correctly, it can't move or shift out of position during play and it does away with the annoying top of the shoulder/collar bone shots that make your arm go numb. The arms of both units are about the same, both offer good pro and lots of adjustability to get the right fit. The chest belly portion is where they go 180 from each other. The R5 is your typical C/A with shoulder wings between neck and shoulder. The R6 is different in appearance for sure but "I" think the R6 has better chest pro than the R5. I get hit in the sternum/chest area a lot ; you'll still know where the puck hit you but it won't leave marks or knock the wind out of you. The R6 may seem to bulky for some at first until it breaks in good(felt that way to me at first) but the level of pro is unquestionable. If your a minimalist or like the equipment from a few years(un bulky) back then the R5 is right for you without sacrificing protection. I think the Cooper R5 and the new R5 are fairly similar with some upgrades in pro and materials being the biggest changes. Some people like to "feel" the puck more than others, I do not on the other hand. All I can say is that when I feel a shot in my C/A unit I feel the impact but not the associated sting/pain that usually follows. Either model will provide good pro though. Ask your friend how he is liking his R5, that should give you both perspectives on both units. I also wrote a review on the R6 on the review board awhile back, check it out too

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Fri, Jul 9, 1:55PM PST (-0700 GMT)
The only other thing I can add is the two little bean shaped rib protectors need to be stiched together to keep them from folding in under the unit during play. One or two simple stiches did the trick for me.

deke: . . . . Sat, Jul 10, 10:30AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Wregget goes to Detroit. Probably won't see much more ice than he did behind Freddie last season. On the R5 vs. R6 question, doesn't the R6 have very different set ups for catching vs. blocking arms?

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Sat, Jul 10, 2:19PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Yeah it does but it's on the "butterflies" or portion on the top side of the elbow(where your arm bends). They are angled for "maximum protection when holding and maneuvering the stick and glove pad interface" I don't think it really makes that big of a difference. But you are correct Deke, they are different.

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Sat, Jul 10, 2:20PM PST (-0700 GMT)
I see Passamore went to the Hawks and Rousell signed with the ducks

Mercenary: . . . . Sat, Jul 10, 4:53PM PST (-0700 GMT)
I think Im about to buy a R6 or the vaugh 5500 C/A what do you guys think? I wear a Itech 9500 right now...

deke: . . . . Sun, Jul 11, 12:48AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Mercenary: Both of the pads you mentioned are excellent, however, you should take a look at the Brown c/a as well. Once you look at them, it just becomes a matter of personal preference, but I can't speak highly enough about my Brown pad.

Mercenary: . . . . Sun, Jul 11, 8:30PM PST (-0700 GMT)
deke the Brown with the built in Neck? from Garner? Please tell me more.... I dont want to buy a C/A for 300 and not have it be the best... lightness and coolness are a plus...

Papillon: . . . . Mon, Jul 12, 4:18AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Cdp, you mentioned the attatchment on the new Graf 750 skates. Take a look at button is this anything like it?

Papillon: . . . . Mon, Jul 12, 4:19AM PST (-0700 GMT)
I am thinking of ordering one, my only reservation is butchering my lovely Grafs.

Papillon: . . . . Mon, Jul 12, 6:55AM PST (-0700 GMT)
I am looking for a good picture of the Gerry Cheevers mask with the stitches on it, can anyone point me to a site?

gbfreeman: . . . . Mon, Jul 12, 10:04AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Papillon, go to button and click on picture gallery... the third photo is a front shot of cheevers showing the mask in very good detail... for a color shot (though lesser quality) go to Doug Norris' Goaltender Homepage

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Mon, Jul 12, 10:11AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Papillon,That may very well be the device that GRAF is putting on this years model. If it's not the idea will no doubt be along the same lines. Looks like that guy was smart and got patents on it.

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Mon, Jul 12, 10:12AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Mercenary, there is a chatster(tripp) who is selling a Brown C/A that is fairly new if you are interested.

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Mon, Jul 12, 10:15AM PST (-0700 GMT)
I just added 64 Mb of memory to my computer this morning and I must say I have noticed a difference, glad I didn't drop a grand getting a new one. Now I'll have money to buy hockey related stuff :-)

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Mon, Jul 12, 10:25AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Chat has been rather slow lately. Where is everyone?

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Mon, Jul 12, 12:23AM PST (-0700 GMT)
Papillon how did you come accross that web site anyways? That guy should link to more hockey pages if he wants to sell it aggressivly. I'll hand it to the guy though, that is one of those things that is so simple in design one thinks " why didn't I think of that?"

C5: . . . . Mon, Jul 12, 2:12PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Played hockey last night went GREAT. It was 2-0 with 2 minutes remaining when they got two quick goals. Weird thing about that-- the sun was in my eyes, all through the last 10 minutes of the last period! That's a first. The rink is built with glass one one side, and you can even see the ships docked on the pier next to the arena! I didn't even see the passes in front over the glare on the ice. I saw the shots, but only when they got in front, and not in time to make any saves. The game ended in a tie, and we played a quick 5 minute overtime period. No one scored, so we went to a shootout! We got one goal, and they got none on me, which meant we won, 3-2. The very last save to win it hit my knee and found a seam, even drew blood, a little #-shaped, bloody bruise, through my socks.

C5: . . . . Mon, Jul 12, 2:15PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Two saves stand out from last night (these are my favorite kinds posts, goalies, so please continue to share your game summaries, too!) One save was to my left, glove side, the guy got the puck but smartly waited for his man to set up a screen. The shot went through perfectly but somehow I froze it betwen my wrist and pants. It stuck there like getting caught in a door hinge. The second save I can still feel, a rocket from the slot right into my stomach. Ouch!

C5: . . . . Mon, Jul 12, 2:15PM PST (-0700 GMT)
G35, man, I didn't realize I was giving you that much!

bart-z: . . . . Mon, Jul 12, 4:23PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Anyone know where I can get a certified cage for an NXi Phantom mask?

bart-z: . . . . Mon, Jul 12, 4:35PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Anyone know where I can get a certified cage for an NXi Phantom mask?

Mercenary: . . . . Mon, Jul 12, 4:43PM PST (-0700 GMT)
bart-z www.tpbhockey.com has them.... Also guys do you know where I can get a goalie bag thats a backpack like the reactor 5 bag? Or know where I can get the R5 bag? What are the best prices $US that you have seen on the R6, Vaugh 5500, or the Brown C/A? Thanks for all the help guys and C5 hope you heal up ok. :)

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Mon, Jul 12, 9:26PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Mercenary try Royal sports at this button It's the Bauer deluxe bag and it goes for about $47 US

Carpe de Puck: . . . . Mon, Jul 12, 9:27PM PST (-0700 GMT)
Go with Garner sports for any of those C/A s Mercena