Powderhornhockey
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Something to feel good about- Some ice Time for Chad Denny.
Right now things are a bit dire for the Chicago Wolves. The first pair of goalies in the harness Ondrej Pavlec and Brett Khran are down with injuries Pavelec may even face knee surgery according to some rumors. Last night Joe Motzko the Wolves most prolific scorer this year was having a very bad night. Mr. reliable missed shot after shot making us all in the stands wonder if he had become the latest victim of the flu galloping around the Allstate ice this year. That's when I saw one of my favorite subjects hit the ice, Chad Denny, I just love to follow this kid with the camera, a great line on the ice and a booming wrister of a shot. So with all the negativity blowing around this week I'm going to post a valentine, this one is for the Denny family and a more dedicated group of hockey fans you will never meet. Happy belated Christmas!
Powderhornhockey
Powderhornhockey
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Gotta love Hockey Nerds!
Sometimes you hear stories at work you have to share, this is one great one. Liza, a friend and fellow Rochester Amerks fan came bouncing into the office this morning with this story. It was the first time we had seen each other in the new year and after the well wishes were finished I asked about her husband Jeremy, die hard Peoria Riverman fan that he is. She lit up and told me this great marital tale. Liza and her husband live a block from Wrigley Field and one day just before New Years Day she came home to find Jeremy excited why? He had the "Best day of my life!" what had happened? Living one block and a straight shot from the entrance to Wrigley he had followed the ZAMBONI down the street on his way home from work.
How can you not love a hockey geek?
How can you not love a hockey geek?
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Don Sanderson, Hamilton morns 21 year old Hockey Player
This piece was first published in Chitowndailynews.org
Don Sanderson's family of Hamilton Ontario is preparing to burry their 21 year old son all to soon. He died after a hitting the ice during a fight in a hockey game on December 12th , his fight for life lasted three weeks ending at 1:00 am on Friday morning. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and team mates at this time.
http://tsn.ca/canadian_hockey/story/?id=261626&lid=headline&lpos=secStory_main
As readers of the sister blog to this .Powderhornhockey.blogspot.com will know in my other life I am an RN this gives me a perspective many other photographers do not have. It has also given me a great interest in a serious issue facing hockey, post concussion syndrome. Hockey in general has been slow to address this issue due to what most would call the macho culture of the sport. I can remember well as a student at RIT watching club hockey games how the teams would fight for the “right” not to wear helmets in 1978. Times have changed and although we see collegiate players now wearing full cages and the NHL wearing face shields concussions are still commonplace among players.
Two years ago I spoke with UHL veteran Brendan Tedstone regarding his mouthpiece. He proudly described it as a “guaranteed no concussion” piece of safety equipment. That lead me on a trail of looking into just what do these guys put into their mouths, most use nothing at all. Some a model at $1.98 seen flopping in and out of their mouths and a few a more elaborate model. The problem with the “no concussion” design Mr. Tedstone liked and some NHL players use is that is is difficult to breathe through. If it interferes with performance you are not going to get most players to use it regularly
A few months after talking to Tedstone, Kissane and I were in Traverse City at the Red Wing Rookie Tournament. One of the most impressive features of the tournament is the support staff. Out of site of the public is a legion of dentists, orthopedists and other specialists ready to care for injured athletes on a moments notice. Often I will meet these professionals as I photograph the NHL hopefuls along the glass. Once the doctors find out the redhead with the big lens is also an RN they are often willing to talk regarding medical issues players face such as post concussion syndrome. One day I was discussing mouth guards with an orthopedist and two players boomed into the glass inches from us. He then pointed to the smeared class with fire in his eyes and told me ( and I para phrase) “It's not mouth pieces, that helmet gave him no protection, find a chin strap that will stay on and that's the first step.” Every time as I photograph players by the glass looking at those helmets with their loose chinstraps I think of that passionate orthopedist. The main argument as I understand it against chin straps that will stay on is that in a fight is to hit a player with a helmet on is a virtual guarantee of a hand injury. Either a soft tissue injury requiring stitches or a fracture. I can understand that logic, however are there not more players involved in collisions, checks and other kinds of contacts that require head protection than are involved in on ice fights? Honestly, except for the “enforcers” the skilled players who job it has always been to protect the little guys pretty much not many other guys roll up their sleeves. It's time to refit chinstraps on the majority of players.
The issue of fighting will not be settled in this blog at this hour. The topic of post concussion syndrome is just being introduced here tonight. I assure readers it is only the beginning of discussion, information and interviews I plan to have on this emerging subject. I will of course continue to publish photos, including “contact” or fight photos, they are a hockey photogs daily bread. For until North American hockey changes it's game to a more “skilled” or "European” style game I will continue to record what I see fights and all.
Don Sanderson's family of Hamilton Ontario is preparing to burry their 21 year old son all to soon. He died after a hitting the ice during a fight in a hockey game on December 12th , his fight for life lasted three weeks ending at 1:00 am on Friday morning. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and team mates at this time.
http://tsn.ca/canadian_hockey/story/?id=261626&lid=headline&lpos=secStory_main
As readers of the sister blog to this .Powderhornhockey.blogspot.com will know in my other life I am an RN this gives me a perspective many other photographers do not have. It has also given me a great interest in a serious issue facing hockey, post concussion syndrome. Hockey in general has been slow to address this issue due to what most would call the macho culture of the sport. I can remember well as a student at RIT watching club hockey games how the teams would fight for the “right” not to wear helmets in 1978. Times have changed and although we see collegiate players now wearing full cages and the NHL wearing face shields concussions are still commonplace among players.
Two years ago I spoke with UHL veteran Brendan Tedstone regarding his mouthpiece. He proudly described it as a “guaranteed no concussion” piece of safety equipment. That lead me on a trail of looking into just what do these guys put into their mouths, most use nothing at all. Some a model at $1.98 seen flopping in and out of their mouths and a few a more elaborate model. The problem with the “no concussion” design Mr. Tedstone liked and some NHL players use is that is is difficult to breathe through. If it interferes with performance you are not going to get most players to use it regularly
A few months after talking to Tedstone, Kissane and I were in Traverse City at the Red Wing Rookie Tournament. One of the most impressive features of the tournament is the support staff. Out of site of the public is a legion of dentists, orthopedists and other specialists ready to care for injured athletes on a moments notice. Often I will meet these professionals as I photograph the NHL hopefuls along the glass. Once the doctors find out the redhead with the big lens is also an RN they are often willing to talk regarding medical issues players face such as post concussion syndrome. One day I was discussing mouth guards with an orthopedist and two players boomed into the glass inches from us. He then pointed to the smeared class with fire in his eyes and told me ( and I para phrase) “It's not mouth pieces, that helmet gave him no protection, find a chin strap that will stay on and that's the first step.” Every time as I photograph players by the glass looking at those helmets with their loose chinstraps I think of that passionate orthopedist. The main argument as I understand it against chin straps that will stay on is that in a fight is to hit a player with a helmet on is a virtual guarantee of a hand injury. Either a soft tissue injury requiring stitches or a fracture. I can understand that logic, however are there not more players involved in collisions, checks and other kinds of contacts that require head protection than are involved in on ice fights? Honestly, except for the “enforcers” the skilled players who job it has always been to protect the little guys pretty much not many other guys roll up their sleeves. It's time to refit chinstraps on the majority of players.
The issue of fighting will not be settled in this blog at this hour. The topic of post concussion syndrome is just being introduced here tonight. I assure readers it is only the beginning of discussion, information and interviews I plan to have on this emerging subject. I will of course continue to publish photos, including “contact” or fight photos, they are a hockey photogs daily bread. For until North American hockey changes it's game to a more “skilled” or "European” style game I will continue to record what I see fights and all.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Rockford Icehogs defeat Chicago Wolves 3:2
Tonights Wolves-IceHog game was a match of a different color . No team dominated the ice and both teams pushed each other for 60 minutes. I'll be concise, in my IMHO the Wolves played better as a team while the IceHogs had a goalie in Corey Crawford who in winning his 100the professional game was on, simply on. He was what made the winning difference. Crawford kept the Hogs in the game making save after save and should have been named first star of the game.
Here are some images of the nights action.
Powderhornhockey
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
45 years ago the Bears ruled Wrigley Field!
Sports trivia: When was the last time a professional championship game was played at Wrigley Field? Who won it, Chicago or the visitors?
The answer is the Chicago Bears won the National Football Championship December 29, 1963, 14-10 over the New York Giants. The Super Bowl wasn't started till 1967. It was the last championship game the Bears played in until they won the Super Bowl in 1986.
The game was moved up to a 12:05 start by the National Football League after the Bears refused to move the game to Soldier Field. The NFL was concerned that the end of a long game could be played in the dark as Wrigley Field had no lights. Mike Crivello, age 26 at the time, lived about a block from Wrigley Field in the 1100 block of Addison. The morning dawned with a temperature of -8 F and winds gusting to 15 mph. Local radio reported that the Bears game was sold out and Crivello knew, from living in the area, that the city was cracking down on scalpers.
He headed out to mass at Trinity Lutheran Church with his wife. Passing the ticket office, he noticed a line for tickets. When he checked out what was happening, he discovered that the game wasn't sold out, but the remaining tickets were too expensive for Crivello. The ticket agent pointed to a man on the sidewalk, a scalper. “He'll sell you a ticket for face value,” the agent said, explaining that the weather was discouraging people from attending.
Crivello purchased three standing room only tickets at $4.00 each. It was a half-hour till game time.
Rousing his cousin Chris and another friend who did not make it, Crivello headed to the Waveland Avenue bleachers in his hunting camouflage. “It was cold and there was no food service in the bleachers,” Crivello said. The only protection from the wind and the bitter temperature in the bleachers was the men's room. Crivello remembers entering the men's room and seeing a man warming his bare feet over a heater.
Crivello remembers Giants Quarterback Y. A. Tittle's scoring first quarter drive. It culminated in a touch down pass to Frank Gifford. But the Monsters of the Midway, led by Larry Morris, hit Tittle as he was throwing later in the quarter. A second hit by Morris, on another play and Tittle's knee was injured. Although he finished the game, he was lost for part of the first half and he began throwing off his back foot for the remainder of the game.
Morris was able to intercept a Tittle pass moments after the second hit. His 61 yard return remains a Bears record. It setup a quarterback sneak touchdown by Billy Wade, tying the game. Going into the second quarter, Crivello remembers that the temperature was sending people home early. A Giants field goal sent the ball out of the stadium onto Waveland. A crowd of perhaps 100 people scrummed for the ball near the firehouse. The score was Giants 10, Bears 7 at the end of the half.
In the second half, with Tittle back on the field, Ed O'Bradovich intercepted a Giants pass. That setup Wade's second scoring run, giving the 14-10 lead to the Bears. Richie Petitbon finished the Giants chances when he intercepted a pass, the fifth Bears interception of the game, in the end zone with ten seconds remaining.
George Allen, the Bears defensive coordinator, received the game ball. Bears coach and owner George Hallas received the NFL coach of the year award. Morris was the Most Valuable Player. Among the other athletes in the contest were Johnny Morris and future Bears coach Mike Ditka. Crivello kept the game ticket and an aerial photograph of the game in a frame until last year when he gifted them to a football loving friend. “I still remember the ticket, SRO #96,” Crivello said.
by Patrick Kissane and Jane Rickard
The answer is the Chicago Bears won the National Football Championship December 29, 1963, 14-10 over the New York Giants. The Super Bowl wasn't started till 1967. It was the last championship game the Bears played in until they won the Super Bowl in 1986.
The game was moved up to a 12:05 start by the National Football League after the Bears refused to move the game to Soldier Field. The NFL was concerned that the end of a long game could be played in the dark as Wrigley Field had no lights. Mike Crivello, age 26 at the time, lived about a block from Wrigley Field in the 1100 block of Addison. The morning dawned with a temperature of -8 F and winds gusting to 15 mph. Local radio reported that the Bears game was sold out and Crivello knew, from living in the area, that the city was cracking down on scalpers.
He headed out to mass at Trinity Lutheran Church with his wife. Passing the ticket office, he noticed a line for tickets. When he checked out what was happening, he discovered that the game wasn't sold out, but the remaining tickets were too expensive for Crivello. The ticket agent pointed to a man on the sidewalk, a scalper. “He'll sell you a ticket for face value,” the agent said, explaining that the weather was discouraging people from attending.
Crivello purchased three standing room only tickets at $4.00 each. It was a half-hour till game time.
Rousing his cousin Chris and another friend who did not make it, Crivello headed to the Waveland Avenue bleachers in his hunting camouflage. “It was cold and there was no food service in the bleachers,” Crivello said. The only protection from the wind and the bitter temperature in the bleachers was the men's room. Crivello remembers entering the men's room and seeing a man warming his bare feet over a heater.
Crivello remembers Giants Quarterback Y. A. Tittle's scoring first quarter drive. It culminated in a touch down pass to Frank Gifford. But the Monsters of the Midway, led by Larry Morris, hit Tittle as he was throwing later in the quarter. A second hit by Morris, on another play and Tittle's knee was injured. Although he finished the game, he was lost for part of the first half and he began throwing off his back foot for the remainder of the game.
Morris was able to intercept a Tittle pass moments after the second hit. His 61 yard return remains a Bears record. It setup a quarterback sneak touchdown by Billy Wade, tying the game. Going into the second quarter, Crivello remembers that the temperature was sending people home early. A Giants field goal sent the ball out of the stadium onto Waveland. A crowd of perhaps 100 people scrummed for the ball near the firehouse. The score was Giants 10, Bears 7 at the end of the half.
In the second half, with Tittle back on the field, Ed O'Bradovich intercepted a Giants pass. That setup Wade's second scoring run, giving the 14-10 lead to the Bears. Richie Petitbon finished the Giants chances when he intercepted a pass, the fifth Bears interception of the game, in the end zone with ten seconds remaining.
George Allen, the Bears defensive coordinator, received the game ball. Bears coach and owner George Hallas received the NFL coach of the year award. Morris was the Most Valuable Player. Among the other athletes in the contest were Johnny Morris and future Bears coach Mike Ditka. Crivello kept the game ticket and an aerial photograph of the game in a frame until last year when he gifted them to a football loving friend. “I still remember the ticket, SRO #96,” Crivello said.
by Patrick Kissane and Jane Rickard
Winter Classic- Wrigley in Winter Colors
PowderhornhockeyThe rink lies below, glistening in the sun. There is no ice there yet. That will come shortly. Already the Zamboni's have been dropped, literally, off the truck. On this morning, a cold wind blows. Looking at the stands for 41,000, you wonder how will those people survive this cold.
But Steve Alexander is happy. In the warmth of his rooftop club and the field across the street, his patrions will be able to knosh on cider, pizza and coffee inside, taking in the game as the weather allows on the rooftop deck. His arms wide, he says he is ready for the Winter Classic.
A veteran of the Greektown restaurant scene, Alexander says the rooftop gig has been the best place to work ever. He glides over to a wall, his speech is rapid and his excitement is viral, “here are pictures from the 1970's with the owner,” he says. He hardly allows a moment to examine the photos on the wall before racing elsewhere, the food is usually prepared outside in the summer he explains, talking rapidly.
“But, in January that won't be possible,” he explains, as he shows off the kitchen where the chili, mac and cheese and other winter favs will appear. “The staff is excited,” he explains, racing to the roof along a rear stair.
At the top of the stair, downtown glistens in the distance and an el train rumbles beneath us. Alexander is on the other side of the roof. Talking about what his guests will be seeing. Wrigley Field, frozen in snow and ice lies across the street and below. A rink runs from first to third base. It is quiet. A moment that is frozen.
Alexander is quiet for a moment, then his boots begin crushing the snow, “it will be 45 F here this weekend and this stuff will all melt,” he predicts. “Come here and look at this,” he is bursting with enthusiasm. Another kitchen, this is the summer kitchen. “And, we'll hang televisions from these poles too.”
Alexander rushes down a stairwell. Gasping to catch him, the sub-zero air is stinging my lungs. Alexander is a huge sports fan. At first, he says he doesn't understand hockey, but as he talks, he goes into a long discussion of the effects of constant hits on the player's body. He talks about Chicago Blackhawk players and Chris Chelios, the kid from the hood who did good.
“His parents were mall walkers and stopped by mom and dad's stand in the mall,” he explains. The old Greeks liked to talk to each other and grab a bite. They'd talk about their kid in the hockey league, Chris. Chelios, I explain, was assigned to the AAA Grand Rapids Griffins for conditioning. He might not play on New Year's Day. “Oh, too bad.” For a moment, Alexander is reflective.
He begins to talk again about the Cubs and the blessing of the business having this extra day of business. The city council had just approved the sale of tickets by the rooftops at its previous session. Although he had sold out, Alexander explained that prior to the approval, everything was tentative.
The poor economy is having its effect here too. Although Alexander has sold out, he says that some of the rooftops had tickets on the 20th. Tickets up here cost $300.00 USD each. For that the rooftop clubhouse Alexander runs opens an hour before the game till an hour after the game. All the food and beverage is provided.
The effort to be ready is exhausting. Alexander fields calls during the interview from supplier after supplier, arranging for the delivery of food, beer, soft drinks and other supplies. “Excuse me,” he apologizes, “I have to take this.” It is non-stop and there are more than ten days to go yet.
He says the rooftops host parties during concerts too, but that the view is terrible and it is by invitation of the owner (no income) for friends and clients. “We had to take the weather into consideration,” he says. He looks at the stands across the street. “People will be freezing if they stay outside long in this weather. They'll probably be going up (to the roof top view) and down (to the warmth of the clubhouse) a lot,” he predicts.
The building, originally a three-flat, was gutted to the walls. A similar project is occurring immediately next door. Inside, the walls are brick and mortar. Large windows keep the noise of the el train out, while pictures from Cubs history adorn the walls. Basically several floors of restaurants with bleachers on the top deck, only one apartment survives, on the first floor. And NO, you may not invite yourself up to the deck if you rent the apartment.
In the early days of Wrigley Field, the owners and tenants came up on the roof with lawn chairs and grills. Television gave the rooftops their romance, showing the rooftops and their occupants. It is a romance the National Hockey League hopes to capture. A little snow, some pictures of the rooftops with some cold people on them, and the ivy. You can see it now, in your minds eye.
Outdoor hockey at this level is about romance. The romance of a game played on ice. The romance of professional players, returning to their roots. It is a romance of the neighborhood kid, scoring the game winning goal or making the glove save at a critical moment-- at least in his head.
by Patrick Kissane
Sunday, December 28, 2008
No Joy in Mudville, Hogs and Wolves loose.
It was not a good time to be a minor league hockey fan in Chicago last night. Both of our local teams the Chicago Wolves and the Rockford Icehogs lost to divisional rivals.
The Wolves snatched defeat from the jaws of victory letting a three goal lead slip away during the third period ultimately losing 5:3 to old rivals the Milwaukee Admirals. Admirals goalie Drew McIntyre who many Chicago fans will remember from his years in Manitoba turned away 30 SOG in the loss. While Chicago's Ondrej Pavelec was challenged by 25 SOG. Referee Ian Croft (#87) returned in stripes assigning Milwaukee 26/mi/10 infractions and Chicago 36 minutes for 11 inf.
The turning point of the game for the home team may have come at 15 seconds into the 3rd period when a fight started between Chicago's Mike Hoffman and Milwaukee's Nolan Yonkman. Both men were evenly matched in size and desire to dance, however like may on ice encounters it ended in injuries. It appears that Yonkman may have suffered momentary loss of consciousness hitting the ice and Hoffman a wrist injury. Both combatants were taken into the locker rooms for medical attention immediately after the incident. Although the role of the enforcer is a popular one with fans it needs to constantly be acknowledged how dangerous and difficult it can be. These men are not “goons” but skilled players who provide protection for the smaller line mates often at a high personal price. After Yonkman and Hoffman left the ice it simply seemed the Wolves's air had left it's collective balloon and 5 unanswered goals simply happened in the next 20 minutes.
The Wolves board a plane for Manitoba for Tuesday's game against the Moose. There they will meet old team mates Jason Krog and Gui Desbiens, both of whom are reportedly doing very well in the Manitoba system. Maybe some cold Canadian air, some hot Tim Horton's coffee and the Wolves will snap out of it. If not maybe Desbiens can check some sense into them.
The Icehogs also were also on the negative side last night facing the Iowa Chops losing 5:6. The Hogs had Antti Neimi in goal while the Chops had David LeNevau in the pipes.
No, it wasn't the best night to be a hockey fan in Chicago. The bright spot is that the Hawks don't play the Wild until tonight. Then there is the “Winter Classic” to look forward to in 4 days, minor league fans have something to live for.
The Wolves snatched defeat from the jaws of victory letting a three goal lead slip away during the third period ultimately losing 5:3 to old rivals the Milwaukee Admirals. Admirals goalie Drew McIntyre who many Chicago fans will remember from his years in Manitoba turned away 30 SOG in the loss. While Chicago's Ondrej Pavelec was challenged by 25 SOG. Referee Ian Croft (#87) returned in stripes assigning Milwaukee 26/mi/10 infractions and Chicago 36 minutes for 11 inf.
The turning point of the game for the home team may have come at 15 seconds into the 3rd period when a fight started between Chicago's Mike Hoffman and Milwaukee's Nolan Yonkman. Both men were evenly matched in size and desire to dance, however like may on ice encounters it ended in injuries. It appears that Yonkman may have suffered momentary loss of consciousness hitting the ice and Hoffman a wrist injury. Both combatants were taken into the locker rooms for medical attention immediately after the incident. Although the role of the enforcer is a popular one with fans it needs to constantly be acknowledged how dangerous and difficult it can be. These men are not “goons” but skilled players who provide protection for the smaller line mates often at a high personal price. After Yonkman and Hoffman left the ice it simply seemed the Wolves's air had left it's collective balloon and 5 unanswered goals simply happened in the next 20 minutes.
The Wolves board a plane for Manitoba for Tuesday's game against the Moose. There they will meet old team mates Jason Krog and Gui Desbiens, both of whom are reportedly doing very well in the Manitoba system. Maybe some cold Canadian air, some hot Tim Horton's coffee and the Wolves will snap out of it. If not maybe Desbiens can check some sense into them.
The Icehogs also were also on the negative side last night facing the Iowa Chops losing 5:6. The Hogs had Antti Neimi in goal while the Chops had David LeNevau in the pipes.
No, it wasn't the best night to be a hockey fan in Chicago. The bright spot is that the Hawks don't play the Wild until tonight. Then there is the “Winter Classic” to look forward to in 4 days, minor league fans have something to live for.
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