kimel Posted September 30, 2005 Share Posted September 30, 2005 I really like that come tomorrow night I will be sitting in my seats at center ice with a cold beer watching our local WHL franchise (okay, local = 70+ miles away) in their home opener. Go Chiefs Go! While I like NHL hockey (Go Blues! Go Canucks!), there is something refreshing about watching junior hockey. A bunch of kids (16 to 20 year olds) playing for the love of the game and a college education (WHL players are eligible for scholarships once they are finished playing). Oh sure, some go on to the NHL but most do not. They are playing because they love the game. And for the most part they are some of the most wonderful gentlemen you could hope to meet....outside of shooters of course. I stopped by the ticket office to get my season tickets yesterday and ran into a couple players in the parking lot. They came over and thanked me for being a ticket package holder, asked how long I had been coming to games, etc. They were genuinely interested. I never meet these guys but that I am impressed by how courteous they are, well, off the ice. In a lot of ways the best thing to happen to junior hockey and minor league hockey in North America was the stupid NHL Strike/Lockout. Attendance went up and now that the NHL is back in action a lot more of the kids will get called up to fill holes that have been left by players that retired en masse at the start of camps because they realized that a year off had not been kind to their bodies. I just wish there had been hockey where I grew up. I played some football but hockey would have been sooooo much more fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkS_A18138 Posted September 30, 2005 Share Posted September 30, 2005 Our CHL team starts playing on the 17th. I am counting the days!!!! Our first year as season ticket holders. RGV Killer Bee's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AustinMike Posted September 30, 2005 Share Posted September 30, 2005 Go Ice Bats! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJPoLo Posted September 30, 2005 Share Posted September 30, 2005 Go Ice Bats! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> You said it, Buddy! I've had season tickets for five years now. -Chet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEDELLCUSTOM Posted September 30, 2005 Share Posted September 30, 2005 (edited) my wife and i are huge hockey fans. we're good friends with a bunch of the guys with the Buffalo Sabres. here's a piture of an open gun i built for Buffalo Sabres defenseman Jay McKee #74. he was going to take up shooting in the off season but then the strike occurred last year and his wife had a baby and he hasn't had much time to shoot. home opener is next week in Buffalo, i'll be there. . Edited September 30, 2005 by BEDELLCUSTOM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j2fast Posted September 30, 2005 Share Posted September 30, 2005 I'm right in between the Pgh Pens and Wheeling Nailers (ECHL); love going to games for either. Although I especially can't wait for Super Mario again; hopefully he'll have a relatively injury free year even at age 40. I think the "old man" has a thing or two left to showcase and to show the new kid (Crosby). A BIG "what I like" topic for me will be if they enforce all of the rule changes and open up the game to the scorers again. Even though it was preseason the old man I mentioned had a goal and 3 assists the other night. Hopefully a sign of things to come across the whole league. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimel Posted September 30, 2005 Author Share Posted September 30, 2005 The WHL adopted a lot of those rules and I can't wait to see them in action tomorrow night. Probably going to take a period or two to get used to them but if it opens up scoring then so much the better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEDELLCUSTOM Posted September 30, 2005 Share Posted September 30, 2005 what are all the new rules in the NHL this year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j2fast Posted September 30, 2005 Share Posted September 30, 2005 (edited) what are all the new rules in the NHL this year? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Here ya go: http://www.nhl.com/nhlhq/cba/rules_changes072205.html Basically they are trying to open up the game to get more scoring. Less clutching and grabbing, two-line passes allowed, goal pads smaller (like they used to be). Edited September 30, 2005 by j2fast Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
folsoml Posted September 30, 2005 Share Posted September 30, 2005 Go Devils!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEDELLCUSTOM Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 i wish they would eliminate the "touch up" icing. even though they modified the rule slightly, it can still at times can turn into a drag race to the puck which can and will cause unneccessary injuries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkS_A18138 Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 Ice bats suck! LOL Go bee's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimel Posted October 1, 2005 Author Share Posted October 1, 2005 Yeah, no touch icing needs to be put in the rules at all levels. Not only cuts down on injuries but also saves a ton of time. Although with the "no icing for line changes" rule we will probably see a lot less icing this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AustinMike Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 I've had season tickets for five years now. -Chet <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Yeah, we've had season tickets in the past, but since moving to Hutto we just try to get to the Saturday games, maybe Friday occassionally. It's tough for us to get home from work and make it back down to the Expo Center by game time. My wife usually plays hockey on Sundays. She's into hockey like I'm into shooting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimel Posted October 2, 2005 Author Share Posted October 2, 2005 Well, the game last night was great. We won 4 - 1. The only goal they scored was on a 5 - 3 power play. Got to see most of the new rules enforced although there still seems to be this unwritten "only one hooking call per team per game" rule in the WHL. Haven't figured that one out yet. Looks like the players are having a lot of fun adapting as well. Looks like some coaches are spending practice time working on the new rules and some aren't. Our opponents last night fit into the latter category. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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