Week late again - I hope this is not becoming a trend...I apologize. Not trying to leave NHTP a desolate place as much as I have recently. Maybe I'll be able to catch up on life once the Olympics start. Oh..right...I'll still be watching hockey. ;) Anyway...
Last Week on HNIC:
Before Cassie Campbell asked Tortorella about it, the guys at HNIC had a good laugh about the Brooks/Tortorella clip from the post-game from Thursdays game versus Philly.
Their comments:
Milbury: "I'm going to score that Tortorella/Brooks thing a draw; I mean Larry Brooks hung right in there. He can be abrasive as all get out, but Tortorella went right after him. What can a coach do, you have to address it, get it out in the open once in a while when you think you've been mishandled by the media, and then you gotta move on which he has."
...
Hrudey: "I'm sure this will surprise a lot of people too. I'm actually going to brag about Sean Avery. Here's a guy that I've been awfully critical of for a long, long time now but you have to hand it to him." [He goes on to talk about how impressed he was with this play versus the Flyers.]
"There's not shame to me in losing a fight. It's battling for your teammates...Aaron Voros and the rest of the teammates were awfully proud of Sean Avery. I've gotta tell you, when he plays like that, and he doesn't yap off, I like him."
Milbury: "Where were the rest of the Rangers in that game? After the Carcillo incident with Gaborik, there should have been an immediate response. There was none. Avery was one of the few that showed up to got it done."
You know how much I hate it when I agree with Milbury but...
After Hours:
I actually got to catch After Hours live last Saturday, so I had some Twitter comments about it, but how fun was it to have Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews BOTH on After Hours? Loved it! I want more teammate pair interviews; they are almost always fantastic.
The good thing about doing this a week late, you get to see it yourself, as a kind stranger has posted on Youtube. First are Parts 1 and 2 for Patrick Kane and 3rd one is both Kane and Toews. Enjoy!
Part 1 - Kane
Part 2 - Kane
You know, as much as people may have changed their thoughts (understandably) about Kane during the last year, I still think two things:
1) He is pretty well-spoken. He has gotten better surely as he's been in the league a few years, and he's being asked to speak much more often. I enjoy listening to him, especially when he throws in some reminders of how young he really is, ie, "pretty girls walking up and down the street." He is what he is and I enjoy him. Time will tell just exactly what type of person he truly is, but if you can separate the two, and sometimes you have to, I still love him as a player and love to watch him grow as such.
2) He is a first class talent. He is one of those guys, perhaps, you want to cheer for because he is one of the smaller guys. He scores some amazing goals. And he is someone, as an American, we can cheer for in national tournaments hopefully for years and years to come. And, as much as I do not root for players for where they are from (at least not intentionally), it is wonderful to see a guy that will hopefully join guys like Modano, Richter, Leetch, Tkachuk, Hull, Chelios, etc, in the glory of American national competition. We'll see how he does in just a few short weeks in his first Olympic appearance in Vancouver.
Showing posts with label Patrick Kane. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Patrick Kane. Show all posts
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Monday, August 10, 2009
Searching for Words. . .
Back last December, I wrote a post on Patrick Kane. Said that according to a recent Blackhawks broadcast Patrick Kane's mantra was:
I'm not going to lie. The news I got this morning made me sick. And the
feeling has followed me through the entire day with no signs of fading.
The news?
That a player I respected, a player I liked, and one of the handful of
players that I on this blog have used the word LOVE in reference to - well
today he became the lead character in a horrible story.
The worst of it - we don't know for sure what kind of genre this story
falls under.
Fiction or non-fiction.
In his short time with the NHL, I've always been quick to say good things about Kane because frankly, he did nothing to deem them untrue. More than that, he was the kind of player you wanted to root for.
Small. Young. Likeable. Talented. Very talented.
And he was...American.
I say that not because I root for players based on country of origin - I have made it clear here that, despite affinity for certain Czech players, I do not. It was just cool for me that he, in addition to all he was, happen to be American, because after the reign of Leetch, Richter, and Modano, the Americans I felt drawn to became fewer and far between.
So not only was it nice to have a young player be such a good story. It was just a little bonus to know that he was American too.
Now, this morning it came to light that the story he was writing may have changed - changed from a feel good tale of a young hockey player with promise, to an ill-inducing story of a player that may have to watch it all disappear.
Granted none of us have what I would call solid facts, and I outright refuse, until more information comes to light, to crucify a player I have grown so fond of. A lot in the reports seem odd and I am sure none of us know the whole story.
Only three people were in the cab yesterday morning. And, it seems perhaps likely that only one was sober. So we may never know.
But until we do get more information, I am not going to judge. They are, at this point, all merely allegations of potential crimes.
However, for sake of the reading communnity, let's say the story is true or
even partially true.
It's not the underage drinking that bothers me, because I'm know he is not the first nor will he be the last.
It's not the argument over 20 cents, because even though that's what everyone seems to be throwing around - that is such an insignificant part of the story. Seriously - substitute $2.00. Does that really make it better?
No, it's the violence that bothers me, the seemingly unnecessary violent acts. And it's the overall sad fact that it happened at all.
Again, if it did indeed go down the way described.
Then, of course, it's the sad realization for me and for countless others that the young, golden Blackhawk has a chip in his seemingly perfect perfection.
I'll be honest here; if the allegations are true, I do hope he is punished as is deemed fit.
But more importantly, I hope that everything is righted as much as it possibly can be.
I think we've all had moments of stupidity, at least one moment we can look back on with a measure of regret. A moment we look back and say - that was not my proudest.
Look, I had mine recently enough and I'm much older than Patrick Kane is.
I'm not defending - him or me. A bad moment, one slip in judgement - they all have consequences. And try as you might, you can't take them back.
I hope that if the alleged is true that this was an isolated incident. It'd be harder for me to argue for him if it was not. But I can argue we all have a moment, perhaps not as disturbing as this, but a moment nonetheless that we did something out of character. In Kane's case what has been a moral and upstanding character, as much as we have seen him.
Of course, I hope more than anything that it isn't true at all. That it was a misunderstanding blown way out of proportion.
A young kid's rise to the top merely slowed by one mis-step, and not a young kid's rise haulted completely by a fall.
So, again, until we all get all the facts straight, and until this becomes crimes instead of alleged, I am going to sit tight. I'm going to sit tight and try to make the sick feeling I have had all day go away.
I'm going to try to believe the smart, young, and talented kid whose mantra was -
I'm going to try hard to believe he still exists.
-Be a good person.
-Take care of your family.
-Have fun.
I'm not going to lie. The news I got this morning made me sick. And the
feeling has followed me through the entire day with no signs of fading.
The news?
That a player I respected, a player I liked, and one of the handful of
players that I on this blog have used the word LOVE in reference to - well
today he became the lead character in a horrible story.
The worst of it - we don't know for sure what kind of genre this story
falls under.
Fiction or non-fiction.
In his short time with the NHL, I've always been quick to say good things about Kane because frankly, he did nothing to deem them untrue. More than that, he was the kind of player you wanted to root for.
Small. Young. Likeable. Talented. Very talented.
And he was...American.
I say that not because I root for players based on country of origin - I have made it clear here that, despite affinity for certain Czech players, I do not. It was just cool for me that he, in addition to all he was, happen to be American, because after the reign of Leetch, Richter, and Modano, the Americans I felt drawn to became fewer and far between.
So not only was it nice to have a young player be such a good story. It was just a little bonus to know that he was American too.
Now, this morning it came to light that the story he was writing may have changed - changed from a feel good tale of a young hockey player with promise, to an ill-inducing story of a player that may have to watch it all disappear.
Granted none of us have what I would call solid facts, and I outright refuse, until more information comes to light, to crucify a player I have grown so fond of. A lot in the reports seem odd and I am sure none of us know the whole story.
Only three people were in the cab yesterday morning. And, it seems perhaps likely that only one was sober. So we may never know.
But until we do get more information, I am not going to judge. They are, at this point, all merely allegations of potential crimes.
However, for sake of the reading communnity, let's say the story is true or
even partially true.
It's not the underage drinking that bothers me, because I'm know he is not the first nor will he be the last.
It's not the argument over 20 cents, because even though that's what everyone seems to be throwing around - that is such an insignificant part of the story. Seriously - substitute $2.00. Does that really make it better?
No, it's the violence that bothers me, the seemingly unnecessary violent acts. And it's the overall sad fact that it happened at all.
Again, if it did indeed go down the way described.
Then, of course, it's the sad realization for me and for countless others that the young, golden Blackhawk has a chip in his seemingly perfect perfection.
I'll be honest here; if the allegations are true, I do hope he is punished as is deemed fit.
But more importantly, I hope that everything is righted as much as it possibly can be.
I think we've all had moments of stupidity, at least one moment we can look back on with a measure of regret. A moment we look back and say - that was not my proudest.
Look, I had mine recently enough and I'm much older than Patrick Kane is.
I'm not defending - him or me. A bad moment, one slip in judgement - they all have consequences. And try as you might, you can't take them back.
I hope that if the alleged is true that this was an isolated incident. It'd be harder for me to argue for him if it was not. But I can argue we all have a moment, perhaps not as disturbing as this, but a moment nonetheless that we did something out of character. In Kane's case what has been a moral and upstanding character, as much as we have seen him.
Of course, I hope more than anything that it isn't true at all. That it was a misunderstanding blown way out of proportion.
A young kid's rise to the top merely slowed by one mis-step, and not a young kid's rise haulted completely by a fall.
So, again, until we all get all the facts straight, and until this becomes crimes instead of alleged, I am going to sit tight. I'm going to sit tight and try to make the sick feeling I have had all day go away.
I'm going to try to believe the smart, young, and talented kid whose mantra was -
-Be a good person.
-Take care of your family.
-Have fun.
I'm going to try hard to believe he still exists.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
A Little Slice Of Everything Else. . .
Random Ramblings From Around the League:
-Pat Kane will miss his first game in the last 117, and his first ever since beginning his career with Chicago, today, with a high ankle sprain. :(
- Last night Scott Oake interviewed a Brenden Morrow in street clothes and asked him about the Sean Avery/Distractions/Stars Slow start. Morrow said, "Unfortunately he did take a lot of the blame - whether it was warranted or not."
Not sure if that's a PR type answer, but I found it interesting. Blame Sean Avery all you want, there was more going on in Dallas. And they were playing better. Unfortunately last night's game got them nothing more than a 4-1 loss to once rival Edmonton.
-Sorry I missed all of the opening of HNIC, but I caught After Hours. Looks like there was a story on Andrew Cogliano, Sam Gagner, and Tom Gilbert living together. Those are always the best, because it just shows young guys, being young guys. Good stuff.
World Juniors:
-Quite an ending to the Canadian/Russian tilt last night. Edmonton fan and draft pick, Jordan Eberle, ties the game at 5 with 5.4 seconds to go, to force overtime, and a shootout. Eberle and golden child Jon Tavares would score in the shootout, lifting Canada to the Gold Medal Game against Sweden this week.
The All-Star-Controversy:
What controversy? The NHL gives the fans the right to vote in whomever they want to start the game. That's a fact. Credit the fans of Pittsburgh for wanting so badly to right the ship, that they began voting - and rightfully so - for Malkin and Crosby to be starters for the big game.
You can say that all fans should be more responsible and vote for the best and not the popularity vote. But, come on, now. Most of us who went to high school can attest that just doesn't happen.
Montreal for their 100th anniversary and All-Star game wanted to have all Habs on the roster. Fine. No different than the Yankees fans stuffing their ballot boxes to get way more Yankees than were actually deserving to play in the last All-Star game at the Stadium this past summer.
Is it right? Probably not. But it's not surprising.
The only thing that is perhaps a little off, is anyone trying to justify these players getting selected on merit. NHL.com's writeup where the fans must have looked past Mike Komisarek's numbers to realize what more he has to offer, is just silly. He's a great D-man. But an All-Star this year. . . sorry, no.
The right people will still go. I think people just have to pay less attention to "starters," knowing what they do about how they are selected.
Obviously if I were voting - and no, I did not - Ovechkin and Tim Thomas would have been in there for the East. But I'm confident they'll get to go. Although Boston should have a lot more than one representative, and if Marc Savard does not get a tip, it's yet another year he's overlooked for how great he his.
Guys like Jeff Carter and Zach Parise should also be rewarded for their great years.
For the Rangers, if anyone goes, it should be Hank. If he doesn't want to, Marc Staal should be considered, even if there is no "real" hitting in the game. If anyone else goes from New York, it will be a joke.
Out West, Kane and Toews are fine by me. Obviously. J.S. Giguere is always a favorite, and he'll be going back home. I think there should have definitely been a push for some Sharks or Wings on the starting ballot, but I'm also sure they will be there come game time.
Overall, just keep in mind that it is, merely, what it is. I happen to enjoy All-Star games, for pretty much everything but the actual game. . .the interviews, the mic'd up goalies, the skills competition - even if that has lost some luster. The game itself, after all, means very little. If Montreal wants to live it up, let them. How many other franchises have been around that long and accomplished so many remarkable things. It'll be quite a show, I'm sure.
Rangers:
-If you want Rangers news, pick up the NY Post today. Not only is their the usual 2 articles - Slapshots and a write-up of whatever Rangers game happened Saturday night, but there is an interview with Tom Renney (gasp), and Hank Lundqvist featured on Page Six Magazine.
-I recommend you do not eat anything while reading the Renney interview. It reads much like his post-game interviews. I find it interesting he talks so extensively of 9-11 and how much it meant to him, and continues to mean to him. Perhaps that makes me less surprised he picked a Canadian-molded American for his team captain. Of course his international career in ice hockey make me wonder how happy he is to have 3 Swedes on the team. You'd think the team colors alone would be enough to set him off.
**Random side note, on Renny, btw. I missed this quote from him after Monday's game against the Isles about one Petr Prucha. Courtesy of Ranger Rants and Andrew Gross: http://njmg.typepad.com/rangersblog/2008/12/watch-out.html
"Renney said he expects Petr Prucha to remain in the lineup, at least for the next few games. Renney said he is looking for some "sustainability" out of Prucha's game, meaning he needs to see exactly what he got last night. Prucha has gone in and (mostly) out of the line because he hasn't shown sustainability in his game.
Prucha said he does not and has not wanted to be traded despite his lack of playing time and, for the most part, does not think or worry about the fact that he does not have a contract with the Rangers past this season.
"Not unless you remind me," Prucha said, when I asked him about it.
To which I say, sustainability my @ss!**
-As for the Hank article in Page Six, it's a good read. He is a unique player. A unique person. And as unassuming a superstar as this team may ever see. It's both intriguing and refreshing.
I just hope they don't ruin him!!
-Lastly, Larry Brooks' article on the game speaks about how the Rangers "specialty teams" are anything but "special." They might just cost this team a playoff berth in the end.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/01042009/sports/rangers/special_team_woes_plague_blueshirts_147161.htm
My personal favorite though:
"The shame of it is that the Rangers and the coaching staff seem unable to reverse the season-long follies on the PP. PP? Hey, maybe that's a signal head coach Tom Renney should recognize - PP, as in Petr PruchaPetr Prucha , who scored for the second straight game and is the team's most potent, if unused and thus dormant, weapon with the man advantage.
Of course, it only took half a season for Renney to recognize what Prucha has to offer at even-strength, so it's probably unwise to expect too much. "
So true, Larry. So true.
And what a shame that, of course, Prucha and Valiquette's really solid all around efforts will be lost in yet one more game where their flailing PP lost them a game. And not like they had anything really to do about it. Ideally, a goalie should not be so tested on his team's own PP. And ideally the only guy on this team that has recently scored 16 PP goals in a year, should really be on it.
Sense? Nah, we don't play with sense in Rangerland.
Sad News:
-It's been commented upon, and granted I was a little late to pick up on it, but the news is no less sad today. A tragedy really.
http://tsn.ca/canadian_hockey/story/?id=261626&lid=headline&lpos=topStory_canadian_hockey
If all players, everywhere, have to tighten helmets so this does not happen, so be it. A small price to pay.
Rest in Peace, Don Sanderson. You never like to hear of things like this happening, and hopefully we never will again.
-Pat Kane will miss his first game in the last 117, and his first ever since beginning his career with Chicago, today, with a high ankle sprain. :(
- Last night Scott Oake interviewed a Brenden Morrow in street clothes and asked him about the Sean Avery/Distractions/Stars Slow start. Morrow said, "Unfortunately he did take a lot of the blame - whether it was warranted or not."
Not sure if that's a PR type answer, but I found it interesting. Blame Sean Avery all you want, there was more going on in Dallas. And they were playing better. Unfortunately last night's game got them nothing more than a 4-1 loss to once rival Edmonton.
-Sorry I missed all of the opening of HNIC, but I caught After Hours. Looks like there was a story on Andrew Cogliano, Sam Gagner, and Tom Gilbert living together. Those are always the best, because it just shows young guys, being young guys. Good stuff.
World Juniors:
-Quite an ending to the Canadian/Russian tilt last night. Edmonton fan and draft pick, Jordan Eberle, ties the game at 5 with 5.4 seconds to go, to force overtime, and a shootout. Eberle and golden child Jon Tavares would score in the shootout, lifting Canada to the Gold Medal Game against Sweden this week.
The All-Star-Controversy:
What controversy? The NHL gives the fans the right to vote in whomever they want to start the game. That's a fact. Credit the fans of Pittsburgh for wanting so badly to right the ship, that they began voting - and rightfully so - for Malkin and Crosby to be starters for the big game.
You can say that all fans should be more responsible and vote for the best and not the popularity vote. But, come on, now. Most of us who went to high school can attest that just doesn't happen.
Montreal for their 100th anniversary and All-Star game wanted to have all Habs on the roster. Fine. No different than the Yankees fans stuffing their ballot boxes to get way more Yankees than were actually deserving to play in the last All-Star game at the Stadium this past summer.
Is it right? Probably not. But it's not surprising.
The only thing that is perhaps a little off, is anyone trying to justify these players getting selected on merit. NHL.com's writeup where the fans must have looked past Mike Komisarek's numbers to realize what more he has to offer, is just silly. He's a great D-man. But an All-Star this year. . . sorry, no.
The right people will still go. I think people just have to pay less attention to "starters," knowing what they do about how they are selected.
Obviously if I were voting - and no, I did not - Ovechkin and Tim Thomas would have been in there for the East. But I'm confident they'll get to go. Although Boston should have a lot more than one representative, and if Marc Savard does not get a tip, it's yet another year he's overlooked for how great he his.
Guys like Jeff Carter and Zach Parise should also be rewarded for their great years.
For the Rangers, if anyone goes, it should be Hank. If he doesn't want to, Marc Staal should be considered, even if there is no "real" hitting in the game. If anyone else goes from New York, it will be a joke.
Out West, Kane and Toews are fine by me. Obviously. J.S. Giguere is always a favorite, and he'll be going back home. I think there should have definitely been a push for some Sharks or Wings on the starting ballot, but I'm also sure they will be there come game time.
Overall, just keep in mind that it is, merely, what it is. I happen to enjoy All-Star games, for pretty much everything but the actual game. . .the interviews, the mic'd up goalies, the skills competition - even if that has lost some luster. The game itself, after all, means very little. If Montreal wants to live it up, let them. How many other franchises have been around that long and accomplished so many remarkable things. It'll be quite a show, I'm sure.
Rangers:
-If you want Rangers news, pick up the NY Post today. Not only is their the usual 2 articles - Slapshots and a write-up of whatever Rangers game happened Saturday night, but there is an interview with Tom Renney (gasp), and Hank Lundqvist featured on Page Six Magazine.
-I recommend you do not eat anything while reading the Renney interview. It reads much like his post-game interviews. I find it interesting he talks so extensively of 9-11 and how much it meant to him, and continues to mean to him. Perhaps that makes me less surprised he picked a Canadian-molded American for his team captain. Of course his international career in ice hockey make me wonder how happy he is to have 3 Swedes on the team. You'd think the team colors alone would be enough to set him off.
**Random side note, on Renny, btw. I missed this quote from him after Monday's game against the Isles about one Petr Prucha. Courtesy of Ranger Rants and Andrew Gross: http://njmg.typepad.com/rangersblog/2008/12/watch-out.html
"Renney said he expects Petr Prucha to remain in the lineup, at least for the next few games. Renney said he is looking for some "sustainability" out of Prucha's game, meaning he needs to see exactly what he got last night. Prucha has gone in and (mostly) out of the line because he hasn't shown sustainability in his game.
Prucha said he does not and has not wanted to be traded despite his lack of playing time and, for the most part, does not think or worry about the fact that he does not have a contract with the Rangers past this season.
"Not unless you remind me," Prucha said, when I asked him about it.
To which I say, sustainability my @ss!**
-As for the Hank article in Page Six, it's a good read. He is a unique player. A unique person. And as unassuming a superstar as this team may ever see. It's both intriguing and refreshing.
I just hope they don't ruin him!!
-Lastly, Larry Brooks' article on the game speaks about how the Rangers "specialty teams" are anything but "special." They might just cost this team a playoff berth in the end.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/01042009/sports/rangers/special_team_woes_plague_blueshirts_147161.htm
My personal favorite though:
"The shame of it is that the Rangers and the coaching staff seem unable to reverse the season-long follies on the PP. PP? Hey, maybe that's a signal head coach Tom Renney should recognize - PP, as in Petr PruchaPetr Prucha , who scored for the second straight game and is the team's most potent, if unused and thus dormant, weapon with the man advantage.
Of course, it only took half a season for Renney to recognize what Prucha has to offer at even-strength, so it's probably unwise to expect too much. "
So true, Larry. So true.
And what a shame that, of course, Prucha and Valiquette's really solid all around efforts will be lost in yet one more game where their flailing PP lost them a game. And not like they had anything really to do about it. Ideally, a goalie should not be so tested on his team's own PP. And ideally the only guy on this team that has recently scored 16 PP goals in a year, should really be on it.
Sense? Nah, we don't play with sense in Rangerland.
Sad News:
-It's been commented upon, and granted I was a little late to pick up on it, but the news is no less sad today. A tragedy really.
http://tsn.ca/canadian_hockey/story/?id=261626&lid=headline&lpos=topStory_canadian_hockey
If all players, everywhere, have to tighten helmets so this does not happen, so be it. A small price to pay.
Rest in Peace, Don Sanderson. You never like to hear of things like this happening, and hopefully we never will again.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Why The Blackhawks Pat Kane Has It All. . .
He won last year's rookie of the year, even over the more highly touted Jonathan Toews, his teammate on the Blackhawks (although yes, Toews leg injury might have had something to do with it).
He is currently among the league leaders in points at this stage in the NHL season.
He's a great ambassador of the game, and at a young age, has proven to be both a great athlete and a great person.
Not long ago, there was yet another example of this fact.
This story, while no longer new, and thankfully still being shared, I think deserves one more roll.
The NHL, to me, and I may be biased, certainly has the best athletes. The guys who grew up living in small Canadian, U.S., or European towns. Guys that took buses for hours in the cold, unforgiving landscape. Guys whose parents made sacrifices few of us will ever understand.
These guys - most I would say, perhaps not all, but most - remember where they came from. Remember how they go to where they are, and most importantly, who helped to get them there.
Many go back home in the summers and some go back to the life style they previously knew. Humble, charitable. They are special people.
I'm not denying hockey players don't want to play for the money. I'm sure they do. It's a tough game, and I've watched many a player not be able to continue with it, and struggle to get that regular life back after their playing careers are over. So to have the money to not worry about the little things, is important.
I hear the salaries players still make in the NBA and MLB and I shake my head. Then and only then does the $7 million for certain players in our league not seem so outrageous.
But it's the stories like these that put everything into perspective. The "Blackhawks Go To McDonalds" story, if you haven't heard it. This is a slightly different writeup than the one I first read. Even if you know the story, it's worth another look:
http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081211.maki12-web/GSStory/GlobeSportsHockey/home
And the original, in case you are curious:
http://nhlhomeice.com/wp/?p=1073
Just take a minute at this time of year and think about it.
Was it a huge sacrifice for them, probably not. But was it meaningful for Dale Tallon? Absolutely.
All sorts of people make sacrifices along the way - parents, coaches, friends, loved ones - to see these players play the game they love. This is just one more example of giving back.
The McDonalds part. That's the cheese on the Big Mac, if you will.
Guys who can afford to eat at the best restaurants in every city they visit, but it's McDonalds they choose go to.
When I was growing up, I ate more McDonalds cheeseburgers than any one person should have. Those Golden Arches were a beacon on long stretches of highway, both in faraway places and close to home.
Perhaps it felt that way for those guys, especially young Toews and Kane, not far removed from their own youths. Or still very much in them, depending on how you look at it.
But getting back to Pat Kane for a moment. I've said before, he might never be a better player than his captain and teammate Toews, but I like him better. I like the way he speaks, the way he plays, the way he thinks. He is going to be great for Chicago and great for the United States.
Earlier this week, I watched a Blackhawks game. The announcing team mentioned that Kane's mantra, if you will, comprises three things:
-Be a good person.
-Take care of your family.
-Have fun.
If those are not the words and thoughts of a great role model, I am not sure what are.
The league is truly blessed with so many great people, and even more young, great players on the rise.
In reading that, you are perhaps less surprised that the Blackhawks chose to do what they did for Tallon. Perhaps you realize it's being a good person above being the best player that many NHL players want to be remembered for.
In Kane's case, again last year's Rookie of the Year, and currently tied for 5th in league scoring with Boston's Marc Savard and Calgary's Jarome Iginla (15G-23A-38pts), I think there will be much more he is remembered for than just being a good person.
Just another reason I like hockey, folks. Just one of the, oh, 47-million.
He is currently among the league leaders in points at this stage in the NHL season.
He's a great ambassador of the game, and at a young age, has proven to be both a great athlete and a great person.
Not long ago, there was yet another example of this fact.
This story, while no longer new, and thankfully still being shared, I think deserves one more roll.
The NHL, to me, and I may be biased, certainly has the best athletes. The guys who grew up living in small Canadian, U.S., or European towns. Guys that took buses for hours in the cold, unforgiving landscape. Guys whose parents made sacrifices few of us will ever understand.
These guys - most I would say, perhaps not all, but most - remember where they came from. Remember how they go to where they are, and most importantly, who helped to get them there.
Many go back home in the summers and some go back to the life style they previously knew. Humble, charitable. They are special people.
I'm not denying hockey players don't want to play for the money. I'm sure they do. It's a tough game, and I've watched many a player not be able to continue with it, and struggle to get that regular life back after their playing careers are over. So to have the money to not worry about the little things, is important.
I hear the salaries players still make in the NBA and MLB and I shake my head. Then and only then does the $7 million for certain players in our league not seem so outrageous.
But it's the stories like these that put everything into perspective. The "Blackhawks Go To McDonalds" story, if you haven't heard it. This is a slightly different writeup than the one I first read. Even if you know the story, it's worth another look:
http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081211.maki12-web/GSStory/GlobeSportsHockey/home
And the original, in case you are curious:
http://nhlhomeice.com/wp/?p=1073
Just take a minute at this time of year and think about it.
Was it a huge sacrifice for them, probably not. But was it meaningful for Dale Tallon? Absolutely.
All sorts of people make sacrifices along the way - parents, coaches, friends, loved ones - to see these players play the game they love. This is just one more example of giving back.
The McDonalds part. That's the cheese on the Big Mac, if you will.
Guys who can afford to eat at the best restaurants in every city they visit, but it's McDonalds they choose go to.
When I was growing up, I ate more McDonalds cheeseburgers than any one person should have. Those Golden Arches were a beacon on long stretches of highway, both in faraway places and close to home.
Perhaps it felt that way for those guys, especially young Toews and Kane, not far removed from their own youths. Or still very much in them, depending on how you look at it.
But getting back to Pat Kane for a moment. I've said before, he might never be a better player than his captain and teammate Toews, but I like him better. I like the way he speaks, the way he plays, the way he thinks. He is going to be great for Chicago and great for the United States.
Earlier this week, I watched a Blackhawks game. The announcing team mentioned that Kane's mantra, if you will, comprises three things:
-Be a good person.
-Take care of your family.
-Have fun.
If those are not the words and thoughts of a great role model, I am not sure what are.
The league is truly blessed with so many great people, and even more young, great players on the rise.
In reading that, you are perhaps less surprised that the Blackhawks chose to do what they did for Tallon. Perhaps you realize it's being a good person above being the best player that many NHL players want to be remembered for.
In Kane's case, again last year's Rookie of the Year, and currently tied for 5th in league scoring with Boston's Marc Savard and Calgary's Jarome Iginla (15G-23A-38pts), I think there will be much more he is remembered for than just being a good person.
Just another reason I like hockey, folks. Just one of the, oh, 47-million.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
