Minnesota Wild Coming from an Up and Going Down in the Last Part of the 2015-16 Season & a Preview of the Next Season

 “We had the best [first half] in franchise history and things never felt right," Mike Yeo, ex head coach of the Minnesota Wild states when talking to the Star Tribune in two different articles where he was interviewed after his firing (1, 2). 

Mike Yeo getting fired, might have seem liked an escape goat. In a way yes, because the team was on an eight game loosing streak when Yeo got fired on Valentine's Day eve. As Yeo said in his interview with Michael Russo, there was more too it than just him being fired. In this article shows what it looked liked during that time. I personally feel like it's not my place to point fingers, but I feel like this could have been found in the locker room. As in what Yeo was talking about in the interview with Russo: where there was a divide between the older and younger players. If these guys can get over their egos, or whatever is causing this, hopefully the trade rumors. Those are thankfully over, for now. So hopefully everyone can go back to being one team that they should be. Like I said before, I was not in the locker room, so I do not know, and cannot go around pointing fingers at anyone. I believe, that they are at the point again, once the next season begins in next September, they can become one and start winning games and having a successful season that they deserve.

Minnesota Wild hosted their first outdoor game at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cites at TCF Stadium in Minneapolis. The NHL does an outdoor game every year during new years, and then have two or three during the winter. The Wild played against the Chicago Blackhawks and dominated. With a whooping score of 6-1! Once the Minnesota Wild started scoring, they couldn't stop. Something lit up inside of them, and they started playing like everyone knew they could. Possibly taking the game where it should be, outdoors, had something to do with it. Hopefully, there are more of these to come in the Minnesota Wild future (home or away) and hopefully more outdoor NHL games that are in the State of Hockey, where they should be.

 

Thomas Vanek (26) high fives Jason Pomniville (29) while Mikael Granlund

(64) skates up to celebrate with his teammates during the outdoor game.

This was Devan Dubnyk's first time ever attending to an NHL All Star Weekend. This year's was located in Nashville, Tennessee. It was a new format this year for the All Star game. Instead of the normal five on five it was a three on three play. It was also to help show how three on three overtime can improve the game in the NHL. I however personally, is not a big fan of it. The goal is to cut down and the number of shootouts during the regular season. Since Dubnyk did so well coming on to the Wild team last year, and saving the season while doing very well since then, he rightfully deserved a spot in attending the All Star Weekend.

Devan Dubnyk with son (right) who is high fiving Dierks Bentley's son (left)

during the All Star Weekend. Bentley (a country singer) was one of the

celebrity coaches during the weekend.

Minnesota Wild had an undefeated season against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Wild has been the second team to sweep the Blackhawks in a season, the last time that happened was during the 1938-39 season and it was the Boston Bruins who beat the Blackhawks. Also the Wild are the third team in NHL to win a streak like this against an Stanley Cup raining champion. The Wild has been kicked out of the playoffs by the Blackhawks in the past three years. It was sweet to see the Wild take action, and sweep the Blackhawks in the regular season. That still does not make up for these past three years. But one year in the playoffs it will be pretty sweet to see the Wild sweep the Blackhawks like they did to the Wild in the 2015 playoffs. Matt Dumba, could not have said it better: "Just preparing for each night, just one shift at a time, one period at a time..." in one of Michael Russo's blog posts regarding the season sweep against the Blackhawks.

Zach Parise really injuring himself. Parise being questionable to play in the playoffs and for the rest of the season. He did not have back surgery. So just led him to rehab and getting better to play again in September in the World Cup and also in the beginning of the NHL season that is starting in October.

A month or so before the playoffs goalie Niklas Bäckström got traded to the Calgary Flames from the Minnesota Wild. Bäckström has been with the Wild for ten years, he started his NHL career in the 2006-07 season with them. This then left Darcy Kuemper and Devan Dubnyk to play goalie throughout the rest of the season. It was good for Bäckström to get out of Minnesota because he was not playing during the season. This may have been his last season in the NHL, rumors have been going around about him thinking of retiring. So, he left because he wanted to play, instead of playing the role of Janny (Steve Janaszak, nickname is Janny, who was a goalie that had not played at all during the 1980 Olympics tournament during with the Miracle on Ice team. He supported them through out the tournament.). Bäckström stood by the team during the whole season, cheered them on and was a good sport about it. But he wanted to play during his possible last season in the NHL. He was tired of standing around and doing nothing he wanted to play.

Niklas Bäckström meeting up with his ex-teammates during a 

practice after he got traded to the Calgary Flames.

Dubnyk and Kuemper where left to play goalie for the remaining part of the season. From what I can remember Dubnyk was playing the majority of the games and I don't remember seeing if Kuemper was ever in net. He did play in goal around March 18th though, where he ended up getting an upper-body injury which made the Wild ending up getting a goalie from their AHL team. By the end of the season Dubnyk was playing alright, but not up the standards that where set for him, by fans and journalists. Not sure, what the coaching staff thought, but from the way it looked from my stand point, he could have played better. Through the end of the season, and the off season there has rumors been going around about reasons why Kuemper should be traded. I personally did not agree with these, I personally think a NHL team needs three goalies. For many reasons, one is they are human, they get sick, they get injured and sometimes other personal issues keep people from doing their jobs. So you need three in case something comes up. This July Kuemper signed a one year contract with the Wild and the Wild required Alex Stalock for one year. This personally baffles me if they keep on treating the goaltenders how they played their best goaltender all the time and let the other two sit on their butts and be two Jannys. That how things should not work. If you can play and stop pucks and help win games, you can play. If your not able to do your job during games, work it out during practice to earn your playing time. I personally do not know what they do in the Minnesota Wild goaltending system, but whatever they are doing, they should improve it.

Only round one in the playoffs. Also questionable if the Wild where even to get into the play offs as well. They where playing horribly at the end of the season.

But once they got into the playoffs they where playing the Dallas Stars. Who used to be the Minnesota North Stars, so that was a hard one to watch for any Minnesotain hockey fan. Just the whole North Stars being sold to Dallas, some of us are still not over that. So this one was just hard to watch, and also a hard one to lose. Why? There was a questionable goal in game in game six. The game was about to be tied, if it was called a goal. The Stanley Cup playoffs would have been a whole different story than it was this year, if the referees called that one a goal. Who knows what would have had happened.  Maybe the Wild would have won the series, and would have gone on and won their first Stanley Cup. Who knows.

Recap of game six of the Minnesota Wild vs Dallas Stars

series. The "goal", the controversial goal is at the end.

I personally, think it was a goal. I don't understand, how the

puck went over the line and still not a goal. What do you think? 

Bruce Boudreau was named the new Minnesota Wild head coach. Boudreau was coaching for the Anaheim Ducks (2011-12 - 2016) and the Washington Capitols (2007 - 2011-12). I am not sure how I feel about Boudreau being hired. Really, I feel like it is not the best fit for the Wild.

The Minnesota Wild picked first overall the number 15th pick, Luke Kunin of the University of Wisconsin - Madison, Badgers. This one stuck with me because, I am proud of Kunin. I have seen him play on the U-18 USA hockey team when they played against the Badgers in the 2014-15 season. Then I saw him in his freshmen year this season. He is a amazing player. I am glad finally another Wisconsin Badger is joining Ryan Suter on the Wild. Kunin is sticking around in the Minnesota-Wisconsin area. I would not have it any other way. I cannot wait for Kunin to sign with the Wild and to eventually play with them during his NHL career. Luke, the future has great things coming for you, I cannot wait to see you develop as a player and a person.

Luke Kunin with a Minnesota Wild jersey on during a photoshoot.

The Eric Staal trade, was a bit different than one would think. Zach Parise helped recruit Staal. With the lack of centers that the Wild find themselves in now. With Mikael Granlund switching to play wing on the Mikko Kuvio line. The Wild is in need for a center, and this is where Parise reached out to Staal about. Staal signed the contract on July first.

 Newly signed Eric Staal during a press conference.

Even though this season did not end as great as it had started. The 2016-17 season will be one that will be started with a new coach, and a new leaf. Hopefully, this divide in the team will go away, and everyone can work together as one. Hopefully, we can get over this, and win the first Stanley Cup in the teams history.

RIDE THE BUS!

Most of my found memories of the Walt Disney World College Programs are on the bus heading to work, to have fun in the parks and mainly to go shopping in Walmart.

The majority of the interns use the bus to get around as transportation. Some people do bring their cars from home, but the majority of us (the interns) use/used the buses to get around. The main reason was because there are a bunch of other interns who are from different countries. They are not able to bring their cars with them. But some international interns do manage to rent a car during their year stay there.

One of my friend who worked in the France pavilion in Epcot in 2010 (who is still working there now) rented a car during his year program. I remember him giving us rides home from work when we where waiting for the bus. Also he would also ride the bus with us home sometimes too, because he did not want to use the car all the time. I also had a roommate who had her car actually die during her program, that poor jeep was on the last leg of it's life.

 

Silly times in 2012, when riding the bus. Two of 

some of my good friends from France. 

Everyone basically rides the buses. It is one of the social events of the program. I remember meeting some of my best friends on the bus on the way to work. Everyone at the one location they work at is like a family, due to the bus. There is always the bus stop that everyone goes to be picked up from work or just doing other things. Riding the Walmart bus was an one hour round trip. That again where a lot of other bonding happened. During your program you can easily spot who are the newbies, easily. Because they are on there with their roommates on their first night making their first Walmart runs to get the finishing touches of stuff they need for their apartment. But there where also people who have been on the program for longer who still make friends with people on the Walmart bus.

One of the things I loved about working in Epcot was there was a designated bus stop for all of us interns. It was in the cast member parking lot, right next to the cast member services building. You got to talk to people who you work with everyday. Seeing how their day is going and etc. The Epcot bus is always an interesting bus to be on because you have these people who are from Europe or across the world. When you'd be getting off around 11 at night or around 1:30 AM someone would be calling their loved ones who lived in France, Germany, Italy or somewhere else. It was interesting to think about because calling my parents when I got off work would be a little rude because they'd be sleeping. You would always see the people who would be from Canada, Mexico or the US would be calling their loved ones on the way to work. But when I would witness someone calling home in Europe, I knew they where homesick, which made me homesick.

There where nights where we all had to stay late due to Extra Magic Hours and also holidays. So one night when it was the extra hours we where going home on the bus and some girl from Japan or China fell asleep on my shoulder. It was probably spring break when we where working 50 to 60 hour weeks. We where all very tired, and also the extended hours had doubled their days. Epcot had theirs on Tuesdays and Thursdays nights.  I remember thinking, this is probably one of the oddest memories I will have on one of these buses. Another memory involving sleeping would be having to wake up one of my co-workers because he fell asleep on the bus we. We did not want him to end up go around and around and wake up and wondering where the heck he is or have the bus driver to wake him up.

 

This was my last month of the program. Everyone's was 

coming to an end. So the girl in the gray shirt whose the thrid

to the left we spent our day off saying goodbye to her and others. 

It was a very very very fun day that I will never forget. (2010)

The American Coach buses that Disney rents out for their interns get used a lot. So they don't have that many, they use about I want to say around 40 buses. Not sure. But I remember a bunch of times where I am riding the buses for fun, or to or from work and they broke down. Riding the buses all the time you get used to the sounds they make before they break down. I remember having a few close calls where we could tell the buses where getting worn down. I remember one breaking down and where on on the side of the highway. So we where awkwardly waiting for another one to pick us up. I remember having a little party in the back with few of the other interns I made quick friends with. Also there where times where it broke down and I was outside my workplace. We called to let management know that we where on that awkwardly broken down American Coach bus outside of Downtown Disney during my 2012 internship. About half the people I worked with where stuck on that bus with me.

Sometimes it takes forever for some buses to come to pick you up from a work location. Because you have to call and say, you are working here and you need to be picked up. That happened to us a lot when we worked at the ESPN Sports Complex. It was not a very popular spot for the College Program or other Disney Program interns to work so you had to request a bus. It was not like a park where they had buses running constantly through the day and night. So once and a bunch of my fellow co-workers had to wait for a bus to come and pick us up during our month stent at ESPN. So while we where waiting we swear, all of us to god, that there was a black panther in the bushes behind us. We ran from the bus stop benches and across into the grassy island area of the parking lot. It took a good while to calm ourselves down. We where all pretty tired at this point, we all got off at 2:30 in the morning and it was pushing three! Also the fact that some of us had to be to work the next day at an bright hour of eight in the morning. That was the strangest work schedule I ever had.

If you are interested in doing the program, or already signed up. Here is some advice for you. If you are taking a car, feel use the bus too. I am assuming you will be using the bus at sometime during your program, it will be smart on your first day to go over to the bus stop in your apartment complex and get one of the bus schedules. Those will help you out so much. Grab more than one, and post one of them in the common area of your apartment. This will help everyone greatly, even your guests who are on the internship too. Also memorize your work bus schedule, it will help you out majorly! They do change up the bus schedules every three months so keep your eyes and ears out for people talking about a new bus schedules. There also will be emails from the programs office to let you know too.

 

Brandon from Canada, the Epcot Bus King!

"Don't open that!" I remember the bus driver yelling. 

"It's not open.." I remember Brandon replying. 

We all had a good laugh about that. (2010)

2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs Overview

Congratulations to the Pittsburgh Penguins for winning the 2015-16 season's championship. It was a rough season for them in the beginning. You'd think they would not be having of these problems with Phil Kessel, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin on the same team. They turned their season around during Christmas. Thankfully they have been pretty lucky when it comes to luck leading them along.  The Penguins thankfully found themselves in the playoffs and winning the cup.

This is the majority of the teams first Stanley Cup they have ever won. Thankfully the veterans step aside and let the newbies bask in the celebration. Phil Kessel was one of the guys who won the cup for the first time in his career. He had issues before he got traded to Pittsburgh last summer, in Boston he had a chance in the during his run with the Bruins, but they only got to the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2009. When Kessel was in Toronto, it was just horrible, the media did not treat him with respect. Also the Toronto Maple Leafs never made it to the NHL playoffs when Kessel was on the team.

On a more positive and happier note, another good thing came out of the playoffs. Evgeni Malkin and his fiancée, Anna Kasterova, became parents to Nikita Malkin before (May 31, 2016) game two in the Stanley Cup final. During the celebration after the win in game six, a reporter asked if Nikita will be in the cup. Evgeni replied: "When he is bigger I put in Cup". So it looks like we will be seeing little baby Malkin in the cup later this summer when Evgeni gets his day with the cup.

 Congratulations to the 2016 Stanley Cup 
champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins!

 This years Stanley Cup playoffs was an interesting one since there where no Canadian NHL teams who did not make the playoffs. With this being said, lets go down memory lane and explore what happened in the playoffs this year...

Overview 
 Round One (April 14th - 27th, 2016)
Florida Panthers vs New York Islanders
This is the first meeting in history between these two teams in the playoffs, it was a six game series (Islanders 4 - Panthers 2).

Tampa Bay Lightening vs Detroit Red Wings
This is the second time these two teams have met, last time was in last year's playoffs in the first round. This year was a five game series (Lightening 4 - Wings 1).

Washington Capitols vs Philadelphia Flyers
This was the Flyers and Capitols fifth meeting in the NHL playoffs and the last meeting was in 2008 in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. This was a six game series, where the Capitols took the series (Capitols 4 - Flyers 2).

I have nothing good to say about this series, mainly about the Flyers' fans. They where disrespectful in game three. They had an tribute to the late Ed Snider, they each got an glow and the dark wristband that lit up during the ceremony. Then when the game got going and, things where going badly down hill for the Flyers, the fans got fed up. Really fed up, enough to throw their freebies onto the ice during a fight that broke out on the ice. This lead to the game to stop to clean up the wristbands on the ice. It took both teams to tell them to stop throwing the bands on the ice, even one of the Capitols players got hit on the nose with one. Even with the announcer telling people to stop throwing them on the ice during play but people did. It was ugly, the ugliest moment I saw from a bunch of fans in my life. I feel embarrassed for everyone who lives in Philadelphia, you can be better sportsmen than that. The fans ended up getting the Flyers a two minute penalty for delay of game.

The game wasn't stopped, it was as ugly as they made it

sound. This is a very disrespectful thing to do.

Pittsburgh Penguins vs New York Rangers
This has been the seventh meeting for both teams in NHL history in the playoffs, the last time they met up was last year in the first round. The Penguins won this time, in a five game series (Penguins 4 - Rangers 1).

Dallas Stars vs Minnesota Wild
 This was the first meeting ever between these two teams in the NHL playoffs. Dallas Stars originally used to be the Minnesota North Stars before Don Green signed them to Dallas in 1996. Tempers are still a little fired up because of that trade. I do agree it was probably the most shadiest move to do, ever. There are two teams that come to mind when I think green and gold (yellow): Minnesota North Stars (and black) and the Green Bay Packers. It does not seem right to have the other one missing.

This was a six game series (Stars 4 - Wild 2). It was not the best playoff run for the Wild. They did not play their best, due to the fact that Zach Parise was injured, and things seem to be not clicking at all for the Wild, even including at the end of their season. But, the Stars did shine. The Stars where having an amazing 2015-16 season coming into the play offs. First in the Central Conference. This series was known for a lot of close calls with bonces from the puck and the goal posts.

But there was a very controversial one, that is still being augured today, and probably through out history. It was in game six (Stars 5 - Wild 4), where the Wild where behind with one point and where trying to tie up the game with 45 to 30 seconds to go on the game clock. They did not want to end the season with they way things where looking, they wanted the go on to try to win the playoffs, badly. So with that in mind Mikko Koivu sent a pass to Nino Niederreiter which made the puck go into the goal, but Kari Lehtonen the Stars goalie stopped it with his foot. It looked in. But not according to the referees. In my opinion it was in (I am not saying this because I am a Wild fan, but it was clearly in). It was called in, the Wild would have scored themselves overtime, and possibly a game seven, and maybe the Stanley Cup. Take a look for yourself. Do you think it was in?

 What do you think?

St. Louis Blues vs Chicago Blackhawks
This is the playoff rivalry that goes way back, this is the twelfth meeting between both teams. The most recent meeting of these teams where two years ago, in this exact same position. Well, this time it went into a different outcome. The Blues knocked out the Blackhawks off the playoffs. This shows you how hard it is to win back to back Stanley Cups. The series was a seven game series (Blues 4 - Blackhawks 3).

Anaheim Ducks vs Nashville Predators
This is the second time these two teams have met, the last time was in the 2011 Western Conference quarterfinals. They had a seven game series (Predators 4 - Ducks 3).

Los Angeles Kings vs San Jose Sharks
This is the fourth meeting between these teams, the last time they met was in the first round of the playoffs in 2014. They had a five game series (Sharks 4 - Kings 1).

Round Two (April 27th - May 12th, 2016)
New York Islanders vs Tampa Bay Lightening
This is the second meeting between these two teams, they last met in the 2004 Eastern Conference quarterfinals. It was a five game series (Lightening 4 - Islanders 1).

Washington Capitols vs Pittsburgh Penguins
One of my favorite kind of series to witness, Sidney Crosby verses Alex Ovechkin. We always see one game being played with both of them playing against each other in their respective countries (Canada and Russia) during the Olympics or the IIHF Worlds in Europe. But we know got something rare, in my opinion, these two in a seven game series against each other. I always in awe when I see these two go toe to toe, head to head.

This was the ninth meeting between both teams, the last was in 2009 during the 2009 Eastern Conference semifinals. The series was a six game series, I would have personally liked it to be seven. But the Penguins lead the series with winning four games, while the Capitols only won two of those games.

Dallas Stars vs St. Louis Blues
This is surprisingly the thirteenth meeting between these teams. Are they counting the Minnesota North Stars too? Because that seems a bit high for a team that has been around since 1996, in my personal opinion. The last time they meet in the playoffs was in 2001 Western Conference semifinals. This was a seven game series (Blues 4 - Stars 3).

Nashville Predators vs San Jose Sharks
This is the third meeting between these two teams. The last time both team met in the playoffs where in the 2007 Western Conference quarterfinals, where the Sharks won the series. They also won this series in seven games. It was a very tight series between both teams (Sharks 4 games - Predators 3 games).

But there was something different about winning this series since the last one in 2007. Not only did Nashville now had their eye on moving forward in the playoffs, they did not see bad luck running it's way. Literally. It was in form of a small black cat that found it's way into the rink and into the San Jose bench. It ran out of the bench when some people where prepping the bench for the game. They opened up the gate, which lead the cat to escape from the bench and run across the Nashville bench to find an exit from the ice. It finally found an exit, via the referee door or another service door of some kind and hid under the bleachers until it was found. This incident was not so lucky for Nashville, but the kitty, Joe Paw-velski (named after Joe Pavelski, the Sharks captain) did find a home after all.

 What was known for bad luck, seemed to be a 

good luck charm for the Sharks.

 
Round Three (May 13th - 26th, 2016)
Tampa Bay Lightening vs Pittsburgh Penguins 
This is the second time these two teams have met, the last time was in 2011 in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. This was a seven game series (Penguins 4 - Lightening 3).

St. Louis Blues vs San Jose Sharks
This is the fifth time both of these team have met, the last time was in 2012 in the Western Conference quarterfinals. This was a six game series (Sharks 4 - Blues 2).

Round Four (May 30th - June 12th, 2016)
Pittsburgh Penguins vs San Jose Sharks
The final round led to the Penguins winning their fourth Stanley Cup in franchise history. The Sharks found themselves trying for their first ever Stanley Cup. This was the first time these two teams have met in the playoffs, which made it for an interesting playoff run. Out of six games the Penguins won four out of the six with leaving just the Sharks winning twice in the series.

 The Sharks wanted to win so badly, one of them decided to blame Sidney Crosby of cheating on faceoffs. Shark's forward Logan Couture got a little salty after the Pen's win in game two. Couture told reporters in a press conference after the game that he believes that Crosby cheats during faceoffs by timing them. The Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan countered: "He’s not as good as he is by accident... He works extremely hard at it. He prides himself in the details of his game, like faceoffs." It may be just the Sharks where feeling salty about how the game went, but this is the wrong way about doing so, complaining about the other guys ability, and not accepting that it was something that was going on with your own team. Man up.

Crosby won the the Conn Symth Trophy (Playoff's Most Valuable Player) before receiving the Stanley Cup. He is the one of the only player to do this with Joe Sakic (NHL career started in 1988 - 2009) to win IIHF's World Juniors Gold (2005), IIHF's Worlds Gold (2015), Olympic Gold Medals (2010, 2014), the NHL's Conn Symth (2016), Hart Memorial Torphies (Most Valuable Player of the season) (2007, 2014), and the Stanley Cup, twice (2009, 2016). Crosby is probably working his way into history if Canada win's this year's World Cup of Hockey, it is making a comeback since it's last appearance in 2004. I am not really that clear on the whole World Cup of Hockey history, if you have any information on it please share it.

Sidney Crosby (left) and Evegni Malkin (Right) with

the Stanley Cup

Congratulations on this season, and good luck to the Pittsburgh Penguins on their 2016-17 season!

Enough Talking, More Doing

I have been saying: "I need to start running again.", "I want to start to paint.", "I want to play hockey, relearn how to skate first.", and "I want to..." It's all I need and I want lately been coming out my mouth and zero action.

Small issue here, the costs. I got the running shoes, I just need more workout cloths, skates, pucks, hockey sticks, and the list goes on. I am slowly earning to buy these things on the list. Also time is a factor, being in school and the semester is coming to a close and finals are coming up... ENOUGH WITH THE EXCUSES! That is what has been holding me up. I should not let them hold me up anymore.

I need to start running again. This is for me, this is me wanting to feel healthy and happy about myself. I used to run cross country in high school. I loved it. An outlet just to get all the aggression I had in me and let it out. After the run, the best feeling in the world. I felt a lot happier, I felt good about myself, and I felt like I could take on whatever was going on the next day. Running long distance also taught me to stick with something even though you are sore or tired and you just want to quit, don't. One of the things that made me tougher and who I am. I want to get in touch with that again, I briefly did. That was a wonderful feeling, I stopped doing it sadly. I just need to rekindle the flame, I said I would start again when I had a place of my own, a job, and in school, well I got all of those. So it is time to get off my ass and get movin'!

 It feels good to be with your oneself when your are with nature

If any of you have not been able to tell, I love hockey! So it feels wired being the only hockey fan who does not own any hockey skates, hockey sticks, or pucks. None of the above. If I ever am involved in a game I am borrowing someone's equipment. I am not using my own. I have played floor and street hockey and I liked that, but I am ready to now take it on the ice! I need to save up some more of my pennies and one day, I will have all the equipment and call it my own. So hopefully I get to run into some of you out on the pond next winter. I am not only looking just to playing just hockey. I am looking forward to play other sports again as well like: basketball, soccer, ultimate frisbee, volleyball, and softball. Maybe being on a tennis court and hitting around the ball back and forth.  Just generally being more active and healthy than I have been lately.

Imagine these as CCM or Beuar skates and a stick

I want to start painting or doing some artwork of some kind. I have been inspired by a Finnish model, Emmi Kainulainen. I found her by finding out she is dating Mikael Granlund of the Minnesota Wild. So I googled her to see who she was. It surprised me to find out she has been painting abstract art, doing interior design, designing her own clothing line, running her own business, and working for a fashion magazine back in Finland as an editor. To top it all off, she is a student at the University Minnesota - Twin Cities. She also went into school in Finland too, she is working on her graduate or masters. I have been inspired by her because she is doing all that and she posts inspirational sayings on her Instagram account. She is one talented woman, who just turned 25 this year. Inspiring and amazing all on it's own.

 

Her artwork on top, which also can be found on her Instagram. 

Emmi herself, is on the bottom with a peak at her 

beautiful Instagram.

Just going through Emmi's Instagram just makes me want to get in touch with my artful, creative side. I want to do the abstract painting that she does. I am debating maybe dipping my toes into the world of interior design. But I would also love to do something with photography. I need to buy a camera first. I always enjoy going on walks and taking pictures of flowers or something with my phone. I enjoy embracing my artistic eye for things.

Enough of sitting on the couch and saying what I am wanting to do. More of getting off the couch and actually doing it.

 

Leaving you with advice and inspiring words from Emmi

Why I am a Sports Writer

Why do I do sports journalism? Well, because I feel like sports have values I value to my core. Also it is lighter news in this dark world. A lot lately in school I have been studying genocide in my history and my international relations classes. Also with the recent terrorist attack in Belgium and this up coming election in the States. It makes me wonder about humanity at times. It feels like there is a lot a bad in the world, and I have been having that feeling a lot this week. But, even though there is bad and ugly in the world, there is always the good, great, and beautiful.

Sports, is one of those things I consider the better side of humanity. Even though it is always all not that pretty peaceful at times, sports do have their not so great moments. But that is not the point of this post. The point is what it teaches the young, about the teamwork, hard work, sticking it out, cheering on each other, and the best not the least, being good sportsmen to each other.

I finished an interview today with the athletic director of my college today for a article that is coming up in the next issue. So we got into the interview more about the topic I was interviewing him about. Turns out the athletic department is helping out local community centers and giving camps to younger kids and teaching them about teamwork, and the value life lessons sports can teach you. While they are doing this they are showing that it is possible in the future these kids can come to college too and further their education. Madison College is not the only college or school that does this. The University of Wisconsin - Madison is doing volunteer work and camps for the community too with their athletic department. College students are not the only ones doing this as well, professional athletes give back too.

Just after realizing this after a rough week of learning about what horrible things people have done to each other in the world in the past, this was just a nice icing on the cake and gave me the realization that the good in the world shadows over the bad.

After 9/11 the United States got a chance to host the 2002 Winter Olympics. It was our chance to show the world, that we as a country came back from something really horrible, and we rose from the ashes. Even though we where a bruised country, we where a strong one.

Another reason why I do sports. I don't like to get very political. I don't like to talk about politics, personally, I never like offending anyone or getting offended myself and taking it out on the person I am talking to or people who I will see later in the day. I have seen this happen with people.

But that is not the main reason. The main reason is people do get overly offended and will find a way to take it out on the reporter. I heard stories about it, even though they are funny and no one gets hurt. But there are some cases it is not the case. Luckily we live in a part of the world where no one will get hurt by sharing their point of view on a topic. But other places journalists are not so lucky. Depending on which country you live in, and what type of government one is under you do not have a freedom of speech like we do here under our constitution. So these journalist either get beat up badly or worse murdered, if they write something that the government does not agree with.

This is not just a national thing, it's a international thing as well. If something is posted that is highly political or just a topic that is touchy at the time, a certain group can hunt down that certain newspaper and plan a bombing on the newspaper head quarters.

You think being a journalist is easy or not that hard. Think again. It's probably one of the dangerous jobs in the world depending on where you are in the world.

I picked my area of journalism because of values, and safety. Also being a sports journalist is fun. I get to do something I enjoy with something else I highly enjoy. I get to write about sports while I get to write and talk about them. I also get to tell stories that are being created everyday. I get to spread positive and good news in this dark world and put faith back in this darken thing we call humanity, that at times we are sure it is falling apart (which is not). I am here to re-insure you that humanity is not falling apart and that there is light and good in the world.

500 for Ovi!

Just like his slapshot, or just when he shots a puck towards the goal, which is super fast. Alex Ovechkin became the fifth fastest player in their careers to reach the 500 goal milestone. Ovechkin is behind Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux to name a few. Also Alex Ovechkin is the first Russian born player to join the 500 Goal Club.

To make things even more amazing about this event in his career, he managed to score his 500th goal at home. He also managed to score his 501st in the same game. Leading up to scoring his 500th goal, Ovechkin was on a scoring streak, before the game against the Ottawa Senators where he scored his milestone goal, he was on fire against the New York Rangers in Madison Square Garden. With Ovechkin scoring the first goal (498th career goal) for the Washington Capitals and scoring the last overtime goal, which then would be his 499th career goal. Want to see the videos? This one and here is another one. He's one of those amazing hockey players to watch. He has amazing talent, so it's worth your time to check these two goals out. I told you his shot was fast, once he has an eye on an opening to score a goal, you won't be able to see the puck. You know it went in due to the red light going off with the buzzer.

It was very cool to see him score his 500th and 501st goal in person. I was not there, I was watching it on TV. It's quite an honor to tell my future kids about this one day, saying I saw one of the greatest hockey players of all time in the NHL score one of his milestone goals. It is always fun to see if he can hit thirty goals during a season, which he has done for all his seasons (11 seasons of playing in the NHL). I think you want to see it too, so here is Alex Ovechkin's 500th goal and his 501st goal. He did not stop scoring from there, he is now working his way to 600th goal and more. At the rate he is going you could possibly see the first NHL player to score a thousand goals? Who knows maybe this Russian kid can beat off the all time leading scorer of the NHL off his place, Wayne Gretzky with 894 goals. Wayne why did you stop? No seriously, the Great One, why?! The only reason now I am bring up Gretzky is that there are now debates about who is better: Ovechkin or Gretzky? That one is hard to tell, I figure that time will tell on it's own.

 

Celebrating the 500th goals with the Washington Capitals fans

and also with his teammates André Burakovsky (65) and

Jason Chimera (25)

Also the NHL made a little video honoring and welcoming Alex Ovechkin into the 500 Goal Club. They also did an ceramony welcoming him into it as well, the video is below.

Just like what Teemu Selänne said, Ovi I cannot wait for your 800th goal. Bring it on home, and give us more to watch. You're a great athlete, and what you teammates have been saying about you in news articles and interviews you're one hell of a teammate and one hell of a guy!

2015-16 Mid Season Review: Minnesota Wild Fall/Winter 2015

 It's a team effort to keep the puck out of the net.

Mikael Granlund (64), Jared Spurgen (46), and Ryan Suter (20)

are helping goalie Devan Dubynk (40) out.

The Wild have high hopes coming into this season. Hungry for a chance to grab their first Stanley Cup. The playoffs last year showed that the Wild have some drive, to make it happen. Nothing like those last four minutes of their 2014-15 season to show that they wanted to stay alive in their playoff run against the Chicago Blackhawks. The pre-season showed that still have that competitive drive in them, they won the majority of their pre-season games (4-2-0).

The Wild have been pretty hot during this first part of the season mainly the 2015 bit. During the first part the Wild are 20-10-6. In the first month during the NHL season in October the Minnesota Wild found themselves undefeated at home (5-0-0).

Mikko Koivu (November 21, 2015) and Zach Parise (October 27, 2015) reached their 700th game milestone. The 700 games that Parise played are both combined with his days as a New Jersey Devil and also with the Minnesota Wild. Koivu played all of his 700 games with the Minnesota Wild since his first season in 2005-06, this is also his tenth year on the Wild. Both of Koivu's and Parise's games where home games and both ended as victories.

Daven Dubynk and Darcy Kuemper recorded the first goalie tagged team shutout in the NHL during the December 5th game. Not sure if this is true out not, I heard some commentators talking about it. Please correct me if I am wrong. I googled the heck out of it. This is also led to Kuemper's first win since January 2015.

Dubynk also found himself in a middle of a baby watch during this past December, his wife was expecting Baby Dubynk: "Earlier Saturday, Dubynk voiced concern he could miss the upcoming road game at Colorado because of the most publicized childbirth in Wild history. His wife, Jennifer, is due with the couple’s second child any moment now. 'My wife has been mentioned on the highlights more than I have lately,' Dubnyk joked," is what Michael Russo wrote about #babywatch in an article in the Star Tribune.  During this baby watch, Dubynk stayed at home which lead them to take Kuemper (as a starter in goal) and taking Niklas Backstrom as backup goaltender, this was his first time dressing for a game since pre-season in September.

It has been an interesting start to the season. I would love to see the Wild keep up their momentum and charging ahead to their way to their first Stanley Cup. I believe they can win one. They have showed in the 2015 part of the season they have drive to go where they want to go and be on top of the league. It is amazing to see that there has been no really horrible goalie injuries or issues that have came across the team in this first half of the season. Devan Dubynk has been pretty strong in the net for the Wild all season long, which is great. Because it is what they need a strong goaltender in their net, and also a strong defensive and offensive in front of him, which they have. So from this point on, I have a feeling their good to go, even though they find them selves in a little losing rut right now, I believe they can get out of it. They are a strong team, they know where they want to go and know they have to work hard to get there.