The Notorious N.H.L. tonight...now we sip champagne when we thirst-ay!

The 95th NHL Season begins! Hockey season is going into full effect tonight and it is jaw dropping how many band wagoner’s have jumped aboard – and we welcome them all! The talk around the water cooler has me more excited than when Puff Daddy created Bad Boy records. If you are interested in getting deeper into the hockey scene, stay away from Sports Center. The NHL Network has everything you need (free in DC w/ FIOS) so get it - watch it - love it. Every morning is jam packed with brutal hits, mind blowing goals, amazing saves and plenty of mullet action. With HD bringing the hockey experience to a whole new level (where you can actually follow the puck and the game without spontaneous seizure) viewers are starting to realize how much fun hockey can be! Remember when Fox Sports tried to put a glowing highlight over the puck? We have come a long way. The 2011-2012 season is going to hold some interesting games this year with the Winter Classic (catch the HBO series), tributes to Lokomotiv (Russian team plane crash) when the Caps play the Pens this month, NHL games in Europe, Hall of Fame game, All-Star game in Ottawa and on April 7th there will be 15 televised games. For those policy driven politico types you can follow the ongoing concussion debate and the bleeding hearts can follow Sid the Kid. One of the best players in history that might not ever get to play again at the young age of 24. Other season highlights will include the ever so strong Eastern Conference which is so sick it’s taken on Notorious B.I.G. status.

You have depth in Pittsburg, the shakeup in Philly, Caps with an amazing offseason, new Jet’s - sorry Thrashers X them out to my left, the Florida overhaul and the Rangers who’s roster scares the hell out of me. Throw in the mighty Sabres, the Lightning and Cup winners in Boston and damn boy-e. Oh and if you have not seen these teams play before don’t worry. With the new NBC contract you get 50+ more games on TV this year and every single playoff game! But hold on tight people, the collective bargaining agreement is up at the end of the season and can take down hockey quicker than a drive by took out Tupac. Remember when hockey took a season off to figure out how much everyone gets paid in 2004-2005? It crippled the sport. Hockey is on the upswing and the popularity is rising fast. Who knows what will happen this time around, especially with no basketball and a "yaaawn" post season for baseball. Expect this to be an amazing season with more drama than your mamma.

If you like drama or just want to research a few interesting players, check out some of my favorites below.

For the patriotic fan - Ryan Miller
Russian Machine - Ovechkin
Concussion controversy - Crosby
The forgotten Pen back in action - Malkin
Czechmate a winning move in Philly? -Jaromir Jagr
Biggest off season contract winner - Brad Richards in NY
Family guys - Sedin Twins really? Brothers both make it in the NHL and on the same team?
The fall of Sean Avery (NY loves drama)
Bible thumper making too much noise - Rocco Grimaldi tells women to put their boobs away.

See you on the ice.

Heartland Hockey Camp

I have been home for about 2 weeks after one of the best "me" vacations of my life. I planned on coming home and telling it all. Drill by drill day by day. Well after coming home to reality I was hit with 2 playful kids that missed their dad, intense work backlog, an earthquake and a hurricane (all very equal in their destructive level). That and after a day at camp the note taking ceased and the beer intake increased…I blame Talbot and Mehnert. I have had a chance to take a breath and reflect and the recent memories, while fading in detail, are still putting a smile on my face. There is so much I could talk about when trying to describe the week. I was like a kid in a candy store. I had never previously been to Minnesota before and now I can't wait to go back. We got to meet and skate with former pros like Steve Jenson and Hall of Famer 2 time cup champ Gordie Roberts. We had unlimited ice (a minimum of 4 hours a day), power shooting range, rink bar, lake access, our own boats, fishing gear, waterslide, water toys (seal island) and so much more. They video tape games and individual power range shooting for daily classroom critiquing. They set up a split screen, with a pro on top half and a camper below, and put it in slow motion so they can break down each individual player. This was awesome as my slapshot went from 56 to 71 by only making 2 small changes. Puck closer to my body and hand placement. Trying to break a lifetime worth of bad habits in a week is tough but the coaches we had were good enough to make it happen. Let me take a moment to talk about the amazing staff. There were 3 groups of adults split up by Group A-C equaling about 70-80 people. Group A and B were about the same level where as group C was the higher level. In hindsight I am extremely glad I decided to stick with group B. We had 6 coaches from all walks of life. From D1 players, international pros, ECHL prospects and a guy that was drafted by the Oilers. They were approachable, knowledgeable, and pretty damn cool. Even better than that they were the best core group of coaches at the camp. They worked well together and could manage 6 stations with about 30 players. They focused on edge work, skating, transitioning, stopping, stick handling, passing, shooting, breakouts, cycling, etc. Refining strong side by pushing the drills with speed and focusing on the weak side until we were comfortable utilizing both sides at speed. I think as a stat chaser my favorite part of it all was tracking personal growth with the radar gun. From shooting to skating, I was impressed with what I could do by the end of the week. I think other campers would feel the same way. I got to meet some very interesting people.

I even meet 2 Canadians I actually liked!! One was a nurse that worked with burn victims and amputees. She scared Mehnert into thinking tubing is the most dangerous sport on the planet. After her stories I agree. She plays in a 76 team all womans league. Damn Canada…damn. I play in a 7 team beer league. The other Canadian was a search and rescue guy. Dude was nuts but in an awesome way. He was the first guy I met at Heartland. Need I say more. The other nutcase we got along with quite well was an IT guy from Colorado. Go figure the Sales guy and the engineer get along. Not to mention he lived about 2 miles from my old house. Small world. I would love to talk more about the camp and break it all down as much as possible. As usual time is an issue but we'll start here and see where it goes. I also have a PDF of the weekly schedule should you be interested. An example of a day in the life of a HH camper looks like this:

Monday
7:30-8:00 Breakfast
8:00-9:00 Classroom
9:30-10:45 On Ice
11:30-12:00 Lunch
12:30-1:30 Power Shooting
2:00-3:15 On Ice
3:15-4:45 Recreation
4:45-5:15 Dinner
6:15-7:15 Scrimmage
8:45-12:00 Optional Ice - Bar!

The schedule is pretty intense when you add 30 minutes before and after every ice session for changing. I’ll end the day with some shameless self promotion - personal stats:

Slapshot 71 MPH
Wristshot 63 MPH*
Backhand 45 MPH
Forward skating 23 MPH*
Backward skating 13.8 MPH
Blue line to blue line sprint 2.4 seconds*

*2011 Adult Camp records
Top slapshot was 78 backhand 55 mph and backward skating was around 18.5 mph. I’ll go for those next year ;)

Free lunch kids: What are they eating during the summer?

In a few years from now my kids will be entering the exciting world of public school. There has been a lot of talk amongst neighbors about the environment our kids will face in the coming years. At first we talk about things like number of students, parent to teacher ratio, the common boring conversation. After a few beers set in, people start to open up and discuss real concerns like ethnic ratios and percent of English vs Spanish speaking students, the juicy stuff. Since we live on the South side, the story takes a lot of unexpected turns. Do I want my kids going to a school where Spanish is the native tongue to 80% of the students? Will they be left out on the playground because they are the minority? When the dust settles, the conversation changes and I go home to ponder these thoughts. I realize that my kids will be fine. They will adapt and make friends, they will be able to speak another language, what do I really need to be worried about? It’s when you take the time to look at the school as whole you realize our happy hour concerns are trivial to some of the other families in the community. I found out that 60% of the kids at Barrett, where my kids will go, qualify for reduced/free lunches (Carlin Springs down the road is at 80%). So now to the real point to the endless rant…drum roll for a fella named Dan Redmond, my new local hero. It’s time to put things into perspective and to start worrying about (and solving) bigger problems. This is what Dan thinks about:

The reduced-price lunch helps families with nutrition during the school year, but they may go through summer without support. We all have seen the increase in food prices recently, but it probably doesn't affect us as much as others in our community. Children at Barrett may experience food insecurity during the summer months.

To address this concern, my family began a program called Tomatoes on Tuesday four years ago. This initiative matches the produce from our vegetable gardens with families at Barrett who can use our help during the summer. Every week through the summer, my kids and I harvest vegetables from four gardens, and share with our fellow students and families at Barrett on Tuesday afternoons. Our harvest of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and beans has yielded between 800-1000 lbs each summer. One of our gardens is a teaching garden at a preschool, so there is a dual-purpose of education with food sharing at that site.

AFAC has a similar vegetable sharing program called Plot Against Hunger, of which I am also an active member. Over a dozen schools in Arlington contribute food directly to AFAC from their schoolyard gardens to this program. While I encourage others to become involved in the AFAC Plot Against Hunger program, I like the personal contact that comes in sharing with people in our own neighborhood.

I would like to increase the amount of fresh vegetables from backyard gardens shared during this program for our friends at Barrett. To do so, I need active gardeners to share produce from their home gardens. Oftentimes, the families that could use fresh vegetables don't have the private yard space to plant their own gardens. We currently share with between 5-13 families per week- I would like to double this number this summer.

It is not too late to put in some vegetable plants in your backyard to help with this project. You would simply bring what garden produce you would like to share at our weekly get-togethers. The sharing experience has been as meaningful to me and my boys as to the recipients of the food. We have made some wonderful friends in these get-togethers; the act of sharing food with neighbors overcomes any language barrier we may have.

I will be glad to help you get a food garden started if you don't already have a green thumb. It doesn't have to be an expensive endeavor. Even if you are not able to share each week, we would love to see you when you can stop by at our scheduled sharing times at Lubber Run Park. I would also welcome visits from those interested to our gardens in production now. You can also join my yahoo group at:

vegetablegarden-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Please let me know if you would like to participate.
Thanks for your support.

Best,

Dan Redmond

Spread the word. Join the club or start one of your own. If you need help finding a similar organization within your community, give me a shout. I can help you. -Coach Dutton


Background:

Barrett Elementary Reduced Lunch statistics
http://www.apsva.us/cms/lib2/VA01000586/Centricity/Domain/11/FREE_REDUCED_OCTOBER_31_2010.pdf

AFAC Plot Against Hunger
http://plotagainsthunger.afac.org/Home

Ashlawn's Lettuce 4 Lunch program
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/16/AR2010061602024.html

Barcroft's support of Virginia No Kid Hungry Campaign
http://www.apsva.us//site/Default.aspx?PageID=12808

Free lunch kids - what do they eat in the summer?

In a few years from now my kids will be entering the exciting world of public school. There has been a lot of talk amongst neighbors about the environment our kids will face in the coming years. At first we talk about things like number of students, parent to teacher ratio, the common boring conversation. After a few beers set in, people start to open up and discuss real concerns like ethnic ratios and percent of English vs Spanish speaking students, the juicy stuff. Since we live on the South side, the story takes a lot of unexpected turns. Do I want my kids going to a school where Spanish is the native tongue to 80% of the students? Will they be left out on the playground because they are the minority? When the dust settles, the conversation changes and I go home to ponder these thoughts. I realize that my kids will be fine. They will adapt and make friends, they will be able to speak another language, what do I really need to be worried about? It’s when you take the time to look at the school as whole you realize our happy hour concerns are trivial to some of the other families in the community. I found out that 60% of the kids at Barrett, where my kids will go, qualify for reduced/free lunches (Carlin Springs down the road is at 80%). So now to the real point to the endless rant…drum roll for a fella named Dan Redmond, my new local hero. It’s time to put things into perspective and to start worrying about (and solving) bigger problems. This is what Dan thinks about:

The reduced-price lunch helps families with nutrition during the school year, but they may go through summer without support. We all have seen the increase in food prices recently, but it probably doesn't affect us as much as others in our community. Children at Barrett may experience food insecurity during the summer months.

To address this concern, my family began a program called Tomatoes on Tuesday four years ago. This initiative matches the produce from our vegetable gardens with families at Barrett who can use our help during the summer. Every week through the summer, my kids and I harvest vegetables from four gardens, and share with our fellow students and families at Barrett on Tuesday afternoons. Our harvest of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and beans has yielded between 800-1000 lbs each summer. One of our gardens is a teaching garden at a preschool, so there is a dual-purpose of education with food sharing at that site.

AFAC has a similar vegetable sharing program called Plot Against Hunger, of which I am also an active member. Over a dozen schools in Arlington contribute food directly to AFAC from their schoolyard gardens to this program. While I encourage others to become involved in the AFAC Plot Against Hunger program, I like the personal contact that comes in sharing with people in our own neighborhood.

I would like to increase the amount of fresh vegetables from backyard gardens shared during this program for our friends at Barrett. To do so, I need active gardeners to share produce from their home gardens. Oftentimes, the families that could use fresh vegetables don't have the private yard space to plant their own gardens. We currently share with between 5-13 families per week- I would like to double this number this summer.

It is not too late to put in some vegetable plants in your backyard to help with this project. You would simply bring what garden produce you would like to share at our weekly get-togethers. The sharing experience has been as meaningful to me and my boys as to the recipients of the food. We have made some wonderful friends in these get-togethers; the act of sharing food with neighbors overcomes any language barrier we may have.

I will be glad to help you get a food garden started if you don't already have a green thumb. It doesn't have to be an expensive endeavor. Even if you are not able to share each week, we would love to see you when you can stop by at our scheduled sharing times at Lubber Run Park. I would also welcome visits from those interested to our gardens in production now. You can also join my yahoo group at:

vegetablegarden-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Please let me know if you would like to participate.
Thanks for your support.

Best,

Dan Redmond

Spread the word. Join the club or start one of your own. If you need help finding a similar organization within your community, give me a shout. I can help you. -Coach Dutton


Background:

Barrett Elementary Reduced Lunch statistics
http://www.apsva.us/cms/lib2/VA01000586/Centricity/Domain/11/FREE_REDUCED_OCTOBER_31_2010.pdf

AFAC Plot Against Hunger
http://plotagainsthunger.afac.org/Home

Ashlawn's Lettuce 4 Lunch program
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/16/AR2010061602024.html

Barcroft's support of Virginia No Kid Hungry Campaign
http://www.apsva.us//site/Default.aspx?PageID=12808

Life is a party and you're all invited

I enjoy blogging. Putting my thoughts and ideas out into the world for others to enjoy or hate, whatever incites a reaction. I also enjoy helping people. I have done it in most of my jobs from social work to sales (yes selling people solutions that protect them or make them more efficient is helping) to volunteering on my own time. I’ve had ideas in the past and created very specific blogs including hockey advocacy to weight loss/work out programs because I thought sharing would be beneficial. I have come to the conclusion that I need to generalize and create a platform where I can express all my ideas in one place. So for those few avid followers and hopefully some newbies, welcome to my new and improved blog! I will not hold myself accountable for weekly submissions but I will be here from time to time talking about multiple topics. My epiphany this time comes from a blog written by my good friend Corey Farrell. http://thefoaguy.com/2011/04/15/connectors-and-their-role-in-collaboration/ Now I know he wasn’t writing about me but his words really moved me. I am that guy! I don’t know how or when it happened but if you know me outside of social media, you would know I love to solve problems and I have this unbelievable network of people from across the globe. I have an uncanny ability to make friends (off the ice anyways) and keep them for a lifetime. It’s not because I am great at remembering birthdays or because I call them once a month. It’s because I generally care about people. I make eye contact, wave, shake hands, tell stories, catch up with people I have not seen in years and converse with total strangers at the airport. Here’s a scenario for you. I ran into a childhood friend a few months ago. He has no idea I am driving traffic to his blog. I support him because he is passionate about something and I would love to help! Check him out… http://www.fishingpoet.com I want to see people succeed in life and I enjoy helping them down that path. I am not telling you this to brag or boost my ego, I really do just want to help others live better, more fulfilling lives. So if I ask you to join me in a triathlon, come with me to hockey camp, express concern about your weight, tell you to send me your resume, or just say hello in a vague facebook post…it’s because I am compelled to interact. Life is a party and you’re all invited.

Blah Blah Blog - Help me pick a name

It has been over a week since my last post due to a serious role change at work but Coach Dutton will keep on kicking! Due to an overload of responsibilities I will have to cut the blog posts to once a week. That being said we have also decided to drop the proposed name of Black Biscuit Hockey due to legal issues. So, a new name must be picked asap! So far, my favorites are Hockey Ninja, Hockey Hooligans, BDuts Hockey Shack, One Stop Hockey Shop, The Dangler, Backhanders, Pipe Ringers, Fisticuffs, Dump and Chase, Goons Hockey Shop, and last but not least...Dutton Lumber (my grandfather owned a lumber company called Dutton Lumber). Thoughts?

Local Player Bio - Kelly Herberger: Rocking the Juicy Fruit

Kelly Herberger - in the back, second from left. She might be little, but her tenacity on the ice makes her a giant. I had the honor of coaching Kelly once upon a time. It was refreshing to be able to work with someone who’s love for hockey started later in life – her love for hockey is fresh and her enthusiasm is contagious. She would listen and respond to constructive criticism which is rare when working with adults. She has come a long way since lacing up her skates for the first time and this is her story:

I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio where hockey was fairly popular. I didn’t have much interest in hockey, but I skated for fun in high school. I started out on figure skates, but my friends convinced me to buy hockey skates because they were “cooler.” I still have these circa 1980 skates. I went to Miami University of Ohio – now a name in college ice hockey – but back then, not so much. I went to a few games, mostly because I had a crush on one of the players. And I played about six seasons of broomball. I wanted to take a hockey class, but some guys told me it would be too tough for a girl, so I didn’t sign up. This is the biggest hockey-related regret of my life.

I moved to the DC area in 1986 and skated off and on for years – many times with a friend who had been an Olympic figure skater (and tried not very successfully to help improve my skating). About six years ago, I started skating regularly. After about a year, I got bored of going in circles and decided to take a chance on hockey. Keep in mind that I was 42 years old, an average skater, and fairly uncoordinated. I had never played a team sport or even competed in any sport at all! I took some clinics and started playing in the “mostly men’s” league at Fairfax Ice Arena. A few years ago, I also started playing in a women’s league. I’ve had terrific teammates, captains, and coaches – both men and women - who tirelessly advise me, pump me up, and forgive me for making the same mistakes over and over. I am so happy to see more young women start playing hockey, and I am in awe of their skill. Don’t be afraid to try ice hockey – it’s difficult, but incredibly fun and exhilarating! The name of my team at Ballston (Kettler) is Juicy Fruit – I know – totally embarrassing, but I didn’t vote for it. There are only 4 teams in the women’s league there, but that was the first time in my hockey career that I’d been on a championship team, so it was really fun for me. Both of our games were pretty exciting –the first game we won 2-1 in a shootout. I scored a goal in the second period and then they scored one. In the shootout we went through every person on our team except me (I begged to be last) – one of our defense women scored the winning goal right before me! In the “gold medal” game, we won 3-1 with a final empty net goal. In the women’s league, we switch up goalies every week, but we ended up with the same goalie for both of the final games – she did an unbelievable job! Of course, since we’re women, both teams who played in the final went out together for beers and burgers after the game.

Below is some information on how to get started playing women’s hockey, whether young in age or young at heart, there are plenty of opportunities in the DC metro area for women to compete against each other.


Kettler’s Adult Hockey Skating classes in our Learn to Skate Program will give beginners a solid foundation to build upon. Once you are confident as a hockey skater, you will be ready to join our Adult hockey classes to learn the fundamentals and you will be joining the Adult League in no time.

Rise & Shoot—Women’s Learn To Play
This class was created in response to a group of hockey moms looking to increase their understanding of the game. The class was so successful we added more classes and the “hockey moms” are rapidly becoming hockey players.
Prerequisite: Must have previous skating experience,
Adult Hockey Skating classes recommended.
Monday Mornings, 6:30am—7:45am
Each session includes 6 weeks of classes plus a 6 pass practice card for public skate.
Price $150
3/8/10—4/12/10 Registration now open

WOMEN’S ADULT LEAGUE
Women’s League registration will open on March 1st.
Games will be played on Monday nights
Season will include 16 games plus playoffs
$400

ADULT SKILLS & DRILLS
Skills & Drills emphasizes learning and improving hockey skills at your own pace through the use of interactive drills, small area games, situational play and scrimmaging. Each session is designed for adult players, men and women, of all skill levels.
Prerequisite: Adults with previous skating experience,
Adult Hockey Skating classes recommended.
Wednesday Evenings, 9:15pm—10:30pm
Each session includes 6 weeks of classes plus a 6 pass practice card for public skate.
Price $180
Sessions:
4/7/10—5/12/10 Registration opens 3/7
5/19/10—6/23/10 Registration opens 4/19

To learn more about hockey for young women in the area check out the Junior Women's Hockey League. It is an ice hockey league established in 2007 to provide opportunities for young females to develop into collegiate student-athletes. The JWHL has teams in both the US and in Canada and will be entering its third season of play in 2009.

Their mission:

Our goal is to be a major player and assist in the development of women's hockey.
We are excited to help it move in a new direction.
We believe the time is now to offer young women an opportunity to develop to peak athletic potential based on a sound philosophy for development of the elite and committed athlete.

Also check out a local woman's team, the Washington Pride.

Caps Goal Song Contest winner inspires Coach Dutton to offer YOU a chance to win!

Have you ever heard of the Sandbox Kings? Well if you are a Caps fan, you will hear a lot more of them! Sandbox Kings won the DC 101 Create a Caps Goal Song Contest. Their song will be played after every goal the Washington Capitals score at the Verizon Center, for the rest of the season. Very cool since they are a local band. The Song is called "Rock The Red". It will debut tonight when the caps play the Tampa Bay Lighting at 7pm. Its on tv on CSN-DC and will be played on DC 101 Friday during Elliot in the Morning. My goal in the future is to post interesting competitions like this one, hockey related of course, on my future web site. Coming soon will be a much more professional Coach Dutton blog site (hopefully as cool as On Frozen Blog where I got this hot intel). After reading the letter between Branko Hodzic of the SBK and the OFB team...you've got to be a fan of SBK! Check them out and support local musicians!!!

So here is the scoop on my competition. I need some more ideas for a store front/website name. In honor of the Sandbox Kings winning DC 101's competition, I am going to have my own. The person that comes up with a name for us will win the grand prize. The grand prize consists of 1 free t-shirt, stickers, one free admission to a skills competition and...free beer after the event. Just post the name idea below, on facebook or email me! The winner will be announced if and when we find the name that is the perfect fit! As you know, Coach Dutton plans to provide you with all things hockey. If you have great intel on local competitions, tournaments, or just some cool hockey based events, please let us know!!

Indoor Rink - Blog #2 - instructions and cost

My poor daughter will soon be able to get rid of her cardboard rink box once I finish up the basement rink! The rink should be finished in a week or two (once my contractors finish insulating the walls and sledge hammer the concrete overhang that is about 2 inches longer than the wall framing). Right now I am finishing up my cutting and screwing. All that's left is bolting and laying the tiles!! Below are the basic plans I used to start this project...

materials/Item Cost/Item Total Cost
(for 15'X15' basement rink)
1/2" X 4' X 8' spruce plywood X 8 $18.00 $144.00
2" X 4" X 8' boards X 35 $2.00 $70.00
3" deck screws box 200 (2x4 to 2x4) $25.00 $25.00
2" deck screws box 200 (plywood to 2x4) $20.00 $20.00
3/8" X 5" bolts, nuts and washers X 16 (corners) $1.00 $16.00
Roller Hockey Tiles got a deal online $300.00
Goal $100 $100

TOTAL $675.00

TOOLS USED:

- bottle opener
- drill
- electric mitre saw
- circular saw
- wrenches
- Robertson drill bit
- 3/8" long drill bit
- safety goggles are a good idea but not always used
- basement


The Corners
Three pieces creates a corner that is a good trade off between good curvature and build-time. Two pieces would help save considerable build-time and will be used on my “door side” where the entry is to the rest of my house. The magic angle is 15 degrees (see pics attached). This creates a full 90 degree total angle on a 4 foot radius. The side and end boards that attach to the corner will NOT need angle cuts!
1. Cut plywood on angle the panels are based on 18" X 4' where the plywood meets the 2" X 4" framing (minus 3 inches for beer rail around entire rink). Thus, the plywood face attached to the framing needs to be 18" and so does the "inside" framing itself. Rip the plywood to 18" (no angle) and then cut the 15 degree angle afterwards with circular saw. This means the inside edge of the plywood will be slightly less than 18" as a result. I did the cutting on the basement floor on top of a few 2X4s to keep the blade clear of the floor.
2. Cut corner framing (2X4) 18" wide (short side) at 15 degrees on BOTH ends (see pics).
3. Screw top and bottom framing to plywood use the 2" screws.
4. Cut and attach vertical pieces (2X4) measure the distance between the top and bottom pieces you attached in the previous step. IMPORTANT - attach these vertical members flush to the plywood with NO angle cuts - this helps the bolts pull the corners nice and tight (see pics)
5. Cut and attach middle cross brace (2X4) measure and cut (I did not put in a middle brace for corners since this is a kid rink and indoors).
6. Repeat the above steps to create three identical panels.
7. Bolt panels together with long flat 3/8" drill bit make 4 holes then counter sink the nut side with a 1" flat bit.


How to make the end and side panels
The sides and ends are full 4' X 8' sheets of plywood framed on the backside. Bolt and mount to concrete basement wall.

total cost approx. $550 (with beer)
build time approx. 40 hrs (just a guess based on my stolen plans since I have not finished it yet)




*These plans are stolen from the web and adjusted to suit my needs.

Miller Time - Friday night

If you have not been watching Olympic hockey, you are not paying attention. There is nothing more intense than watching the worlds best battle it out on the ice. This is not curling people. Once the games are over, you can watch your favorite Olympian back in action, on TV, or live at your closest NHL rink. I promise you, if you take the time to really watch the game, you will be a fan for life. Since we are getting close to NHL hockey playoffs as well, it only gets better from here. Although the hitting is hard and the play is tough in the Olympics, no one wants to fight bearing their countries emblems across their chests. It would look really bad, for instance, if a player from USA one hand tomahawked a Canadian or Russian. There is too much pride in the stars and stripes to come off like a two bit thug. Put the same player in a NHL jersey, watch out. I wont matter where you are from or who's got your back. Holding that cup is all that matters. Playoff hockey is as good as it gets. The only thing that could possibly top a Stanley Cup playoff game is a USA vs Canada Gold metal game. If you really are paying attention, you know how close we are to witnessing a historical battle. It all depends on the outcome of Fridays semi's with USA taking on Finland and Canada taking on the raging Slovaks. We are so close I can taste it. It all sits on the back of Ryan Miller.

Coach Dutton -- Hockey Ninja?

My journey through the hockey הארץ המובטחת‎ has taken many twists and turns. It has come to a point where I need some feedback from my readers. Here's the jig. Coach Dutton is and always will be a resource for advocation, communication and education. No matter what happens, it is my goal to provide my readers with the information they desire. (FYI...I have a list of all poker tournaments in AC the weekend we play in April). In the future, it is my hope, to have a business that offers new/used equipment available online or in store front with multiple locations, skills challenges/tournaments and possibly a dry land training center. At first we planned (we meaning my business partner and myself) to open up Coach Dutton as the business name. After a long discussion with my new marketing and advertising consultant, it was decided that the business needs a new name so Coach Dutton can hold true to it's core value and mission. That's where you come into play. We have tossed around Black Biscuit Hockey (kinda stolen from Black Biscuit - a roller hockey apparel provider). I need a list of names that are appealing to you. If you have a moment, please comment below, email, text or facebook your ideas! If Hockey Ninja wins (my new favorite), I have a great idea for a new tattoo.

Local Bio - Jerry Gibbons - GMU Coach, Ref, Player and Dad

'Hockey for my Life', by Jerry Gibbons, GMU Hockey; Goons Hockey; USAHockey

I came to hockey late. Sure, I remember watching the Rangers playing the Canadiens on TV in the early '60s, and my Dad told us that the team we root for is the Rangers because they were closest to our home, in Philadelphia. Then came expansion, and the Broad Street Bullies captured the sports fans of Philadelphia. I was in awe of the hustle of Bobby Clarke, the quickness of Bernie Parent, the toughness of Ed Van Impe. But my favorite player by far was Rick MacLeish. He was the smoothest strongest skating player I ever saw, with a powerful wrist shot. He scored the Stanley Cup winning goal tipping in a Moose Dupont wrist shot to give Philadelphia a championship. Throughout my college days I dreamed of joining the LaSalle College hockey team, a club team where you paid to play, but I could not afford the team and uniform fees, since I was already paying the tuition and book bills myself, working 3 jobs—cue the violins. But I did get some hockey fixes just by playing pick-up and informal skate and shoot sessions. In my junior year at College, I had my 2 front teeth broken by an ill-placed stick. Too old to be on my parents' dental plan, I spent the rest of my College days looking like a hockey player, resigned to the fact that I would not have money for dental repair until I got out of College and started making my own money. At that point, I felt that I had too much invested in the sport to quit.

I came to Washington in 1980 while a new hockey league, the National Novice Hockey League was being formed. I wanted to join a team but the administrators told me I was too good for their league, which at that time only had novice teams. One of my friends played on a novice teams, the Comets and he said that they needed a coach. Everything I know about coaching hockey I learned by watching Fred Shero run the Flyers. A super talented first line like Clarke, Barber and Leach; a second line with a superstar and 2 lunch pail guys, like MacLeish, Dornhoefer and Lonsberry, and a third line of checkers, like Schultz, Saleski and Kindrachuk. Once I got to know the players, I saw who should be playing where. I explained what each of the players' expectations and roles would be, and we went on from there. We won the championship, but the next year I was a player again. The administrators said I could play on a second year team that was moving up, and I couldn't play for the team I just coached; having just won the championship, they were too good. Though I led the team in points and goals and assists, I could see early that we could not compete with the veteran teams. I decided to lead by example, passing whenever I could, and we finished the season 0-20-0. Five years later, we, The Maryland Crabs, won the championship.

To support my hockey playing and Capitals' season tickets, I started officiating, all levels, from 6 year old mites to high schools, college games and even Washington Capitals preseason camp scrimmages. To date, I have worked more than 6,500 games since 1986. Many of the patterns I analyzed while officiating, I thought I could integrate into coaching.

I came back to coaching when my kids started played house league hockey. Then came High School hockey. I gave birth to the Fairfax High School Rebel Pride Hockey Club, and ran that program for 4 years until my youngest child graduated. Our first year we went 2-7-1 getting mercy-ruled in our first 3 games. But the kids had fun and I pledged to them all that every player would play a regular shift. They may not play power play or penalty kill, but they would play to get tired, make a difference, and come away with memories of each game from the ice, not the bench. The secret is that the pledge is easy to keep—because it is the best way to run a hockey bench. For every shift that my top 2 lines are resting, it allows them later to jump on the ice fresh, which is what a sprinting sport like hockey requires for each game, and more importantly, for a long season.

“Dad, George Mason University is firing their coach and they want to speak to you about the job, there's no salary or anything”, said my son, Erik. “Would you do it?” This is what a hockey lifer like me does for his kids. Of course I took the job, reluctantly, and GMU went from 0-19-0 last year under a coach who alienated most of his players to 8-6-1 this year, with a team of players who want to play and who know what their roles and expectations are. And I'm still officiating and still playing, and drawing a federal pension too. I guess you could say that this lifer has made it.

Before Alex came Peter - Olympic Underdog pick

As many people know, the sun rises and sets around the great number 8 here in DC. Alex Ovechkin has taken the NHL by storm. Watching the rivalry of Crosby vs Ovechkin is what makes hockey so exciting for many of us these days. Washington Capitals hockey has inspired a nation that was dying for hockey to make a comeback. But before #8 came Peter the Great. The NHL was once ruled by a man named Peter Forsberg, much like Ovie, Peter is most known for his passing, physical play, and incredible hands. His 19-year professional career includes 13 years in the NHL, where he won two Stanley Cups and the Hart Memorial Trophy in 2003. He is an international icon now on the Swedish national team, winning two World Championships and two Olympic hockey gold medals. As of the end of the 2008–09 NHL season, he is the fourth-highest all-time Swedish point scorer in the NHL regular season.In each of his 12 NHL seasons, Forsberg has never had a negative plus-minus rating, totaling an overall career rating of plus 242. The only problem with a player this great is that he took too many licks to get there...and he can't stay healthy. Between injury (he has had many foot problems as well) and salary caps, Peter has left the states and went back to where his god status was recognized and will be appreciated until he leaves the game old, gray and with a permanent limp. I think Sweden even has Peter Forsberg money printed they love him so much. With all that being said, Sweden not only has Forsberg, but a supporting cast that could help drive home the gold. Peter now has Alexander Ovechkins right hand man, Nicklas Backstrom, the Sedin twins - wow. Put Henrik Lundqvist behind them and wrap it all up with one of the biggest hitters in the league...Niklas Kronwall (have you ever seen a man get Kronwalled? If not, check out youtube and watch this guy hit)and you have a serious metal contender. If they can keep everyone healthy, it is possible for this underdog to snuff out the home team hopeful's, the long shot Americans, and the Russian powerhouse.

2010 Olympic Hockey Overview

Coach Dutton's Picks:

1. Russia
The Russkies are seriously stacked with Olympic Gods. Ovechkin, Semin, Federov, Kovalchuk, Malkin, Kozlov, Afinogenov, Datsyuk...are you kidding me? If these guys don't win then I think Vegas had a hand in it. They have top NHL goal scorers, outstanding defense and even a couple goaltenders that can stand on their heads. I just hope Varley gets some play. Also, if you haven't noticed, Russia has the most Washington Capitals.

2. USA

Yeah I said it. The youngest team in the Olympics this year has nothing to lose. With only a couple of veterans in their 30's, USA has the the tenacity to beat out America Jr this Olympic season. Ryan Miller is one of the sickest goalies I have ever seen when on top of his game. He is by far the best goalie in this tournament. We all know the Caps can light him up but hopefully, with the power of the stars and stripes, pride will take him places he has never been before...go USA!

3. Canada

Third place for Canada hockey is like a losing season for the Yankees, it doesn't happen. It just wont be enough to get a bronze medal. They have the deepest bench this year and will accept nothing less than the gold in the Olympic games. They will play hard and fight to the finish but I just do not believe in my heart they can get past Miller enough times to win. Holding off Crosby, Staal and Iginla will be close to impossible so team USA's young guns will need to find a way past Brodeur...more than a few times to take the win.


MEN'S 2010 OLYMPIC HOCKEY SCHEDULE

All games are played at Canada Hockey Place (aka General Motors Place) unless otherwise specified
Eastern Standard Time

PRELIMINARY ROUND:

Tuesday, February 16

* 3:00 pm USA vs. SWITZERLAND
* 7:30 pm CANADA vs. NORWAY
* 12:00 am RUSSIA vs. LATVIA

Wednesday, February 17

* 3:00 pm FINLAND vs. BELARUS
* 7:30 pm SWEDEN vs. GERMANY
* 12:00 am CZECH REPUBLIC vs. SLOVAKIA

Thursday, February 18

* 3:00 pm USA vs. NORWAY
* 7:30 pm SWITZERLAND vs. CANADA
* 12:00 am SLOVAKIA vs. RUSSIA

Friday, February 19
# 3:00 pm BELARUS vs. SWEDEN
# 7:30 pm CZECH REPUBLIC vs. LATVIA
# 12:00 am FINLAND vs. GERMANY

Saturday, February 20
# 3:00 pm NORWAY vs. SWITZERLAND
# 7:30 pm LATVIA vs. SLOVAKIA
# 12:00 am GERMANY vs. BELARUS

Sunday, February 21
# 3:00 pm RUSSIA vs. CZECH REPUBLIC
# 7:45 pm CANADA vs. USA
# 12:00 am SWEDEN vs. FINLAND

QUALIFICATION PLAYOFF FORMAT:

At the conclusion of the Preliminary Round, all 12 teams are ranked 1-to-12 in Group "D".

The top four teams (1D, 2D, 3D, 4D) advance directly to the Quarter-finals.

The remaining eight teams play the Qualification Playoff with the following match-ups:
5D - 12D (Winner becomes E1)
6D - 11D (Winner becomes E2)
7D - 10D (Winner becomes E3)
8D - 9D (Winner becomes E4)

QUALIFICATION PLAYOFF SCHEDULE:
Tuesday, February 23
# 3:00 pm QUALIFICATION 1
# 7:30 pm QUALIFICATION 2
# 10:00 pm QUALIFICATION 3 (at UBC Thunderbird Arena)
# 12:00 am QUALIFICATION 4

(if qualified, USA game will be scheduled for 3:00)
(if qualified, Canada game will be scheduled for 7:30)

QUARTER-FINALS FORMAT:

At the conclusion of the Qualification Playoff, teams play the Quarter-finals with the following match-ups:
1D - E4 (Winner becomes F1)
2D - E3 (Winner becomes F2)
3D - E2 (Winner becomes F3)
4D - E1 (Winner becomes F4)

QUARTER-FINALS SCHEDULE:
Wednesday, February 24
# 3:00 pm QUARTERFINAL 1
# 7:30 pm QUARTERFINAL 2
# 10:00 pm QUARTERFINAL 3 (at UBC Thunderbird Arena)
# 12:00 am QUARTERFINAL 4

(if qualified, USA game will be scheduled for 3:00)
(if qualified, Canada game will be scheduled for 7:30)

SEMI-FINALS SCHEDULE:
Friday, February 26
# 3:00 pm Semifinal 1 (F1 vs. F4)
# 9:30 pm Semifinal 2 (F2 vs. F3)

(if qualified, USA game will be scheduled for 3:00)
(if qualified, Canada game will be scheduled for 9:30)

BRONZE MEDAL GAME:
Saturday, February 27
# 10:00 pm (Semifinal losers)

GOLD MEDAL GAME:
Sunday, February 28
# 3:15 pm (Semifinal losers)

My medal pick rosters:

Russia:
G Ilya Bryzgalov , Phoenix Coyotes, NHL
G Evgeni Nabokov , San Jose Sharks, NHL
G Semyon Varlamov , Washington Capitals, NHL

D Sergei Gonchar , Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL
D Denis Grebeshkov , Edmonton Oilers, NHL
D Dmitri Kalinin , Salavat Yulayev Ufa
D Konstantin Korneyev , CSKA Moscow
D Andrei Markov , Montreal Canadiens, NHL
D Ilya Nikulin , Ak Bars Kazan
D Fedor Tyutin , Columbus Blue Jackets, NHL
D Anton Volchenkov , Ottawa Senators, NHL

F Maxim Afinogenov , Atlanta Thrashers, NHL
F Pavel Datsyuk , Detroit Red Wings, NHL
F Sergei Fedorov , Metallurg Magnitogorsk
F Ilya Kovalchuk , Atlanta Thrashers, NHL
F Viktor Kozlov , Salavat Yulayev Ufa
F Evgeni Malkin , Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL
F Alexei Morozov , Ak Bars Kazan
F Alexander Ovechkin , Washington Capitals, NHL
F Alexander Radulov , Salavat Yulayev Ufa
F Alexander Semin , Washington Capitals, NHL
F Danis Zaripov , Ak Bars Kazan
F Sergei Zinoviev , Salavat Yulayev Ufa

The USA Olympic hockey team looks a lot younger in 2010, as the old guard of Chelios, Weight, Modano, et al give way to the next generation.

Here's the team as it was named on January 1 by general manager Brian Burke.

Keep in mind that rosters are not final until 24 hours before the Games begin. Players injured before then can be replaced.

USA:

Goaltenders

* Tim Thomas, 35 (Boston Bruins)
* Ryan Miller, 29 (Buffalo Sabres)
* Jonathan Quick, 24 (Los Angeles Kings)

Alternate Candidate:
- Craig Anderson (Colorado)

Defense

* Brian Rafalski, 36 (Detroit Red Wings)
* Ryan Suter, 25 (Nashville Predators)
* Paul Martin 28 (New Jersey Devils) - withdrawn due to injury
* Mike Komisarek, 28 (Toronto Maple Leafs) - withdrawn due to injury
* Erik Johnson, 21 (St. Louis Blues)
* Brooks Orpik, 29 (Pittsburgh Pittsburgh)
* Jack Johnson, 23 (Los Angeles Kings)
* Ryan Whitney, 26 (Anaheim Ducks) - injury call-up
* Tim Gleason, 27 (Carolina Hurricanes) - injury call-up

Alternate Candidates:
- Matt Niskanen (Dallas)
- Ron Hainsey (Atlanta)
- Alex Goligoski (Pittsburgh)
- Matt Carle (Philadelphia)
- Rob Scuderi (Los Angeles)

Forwards

* Zach Parise, 25 (New Jersey Devils)
* Chris Drury, 32 (New York Rangers)
* Dustin Brown, 25 (Los Angeles Kings)
* Jamie Langenbrunner, 34 (New Jersey Devils)
* Paul Stastny, 24 (Colorado Avalanche)
* David Backes, 25 (St. Louis Blues)
* Patrick Kane, 21 (Chicago Blackhawks)
* Phil Kessel, 22 (Toronto Maple Leafs)
* Ryan Kesler, 25 (Vancouver Canucks)
* Bobby Ryan, 22 (Anaheim Ducks)
* Joe Pavelski, 25 (San Jose Sharks)
* Ryan Malone, 31 (Tampa Bay Lightning)
* Ryan Callahan, 24 (New York Rangers)

Alternate Candidates:
- Jason Pominville (Sabres)
- David Booth (Panthers)
- Scott Gomez (Canadiens)
- T.J. Oshie (Blues)
- Brian Gionta (Canadiens)

Canada:

Goaltenders

* Martin Brodeur, 37 (New Jersey Devils)
* Roberto Luongo, 30 (Vancouver Canucks)
* Marc-Andre Fleury, 25 (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Defense

* Scott Niedermayer, 36 (Anaheim Ducks)
* Chris Pronger, 35 (Philadelphia Flyers)
* Shea Weber, 24 (Nashville Predators)
* Drew Doughty, 20 (Los Angeles Kings)
* Duncan Keith 26 (Chicago Blackhawks)
* Dan Boyle, 33 (San Jose Sharks)
* Brent Seabrook, 24 (Chicago Blackhawks)

Forwards

* Sidney Crosby, 21 (Pittsburgh Penguins)
* Rick Nash, 25 (Columbus Blue Jackets)
* Jarome Iginla, 32 (Calgary Flames)
* Mike Richards, 25 (Philadelphia Flyers)
* Joe Thornton, 30 (San Jose Sharks)
* Patrick Marleau, 30 (San Jose Sharks)
* Ryan Getzlaf, 24 (Anaheim Ducks)
* Brenden Morrow, 31 (Dallas Stars)
* Corey Perry, 24 (Anaheim Ducks)
* Dany Heatley, 29 (San Jose Sharks)
* Eric Staal, 25 (Carolina Hurricanes)
* Patrice Bergeron, 25 (Boston Bruins)
* Jonathan Toews, 21 (Chicago Blackhawks)

Caps to watch:

Sweden:
F Nicklas Bäckström , Washington Capitals, NHL

Czech Republic:
F Tomas Fleischmann , Washington Capitals, NHL

*Information stolen from about.com

USA Hockey and Labatt Blue

I guess I am not the only adult who craves hockey 24/7. Labatt Blue hit the ice with three-year exclusive sponsorship of USA Hockey and USA Hockey InLine!

Together USA Hockey and Labatt Blue promote the growth of adult hockey in America and provide the best possible experience for all participants by advancing the sport and serving as the title sponsor of the Labatt Blue USAdult National Championships, the country's premier adult ice hockey championships. Labatt Blue is already a major force in league support and organized adult hockey tournaments, and the combination of resources with USA Hockey will benefit adult players at the local, regional and national levels. What does that mean for my fellow beltway players? Although we will not participate in the Pond Hockey National Championships, we will still have the ability to compete in a in a Classic Tournament.

USA HOCKEY ADULT CLASSIC
May 14 - 16, 2010
@ The Gardens Ice House
Laurel, MD

There are also adult clinics if interested- located at usahockey.com.

Since I am on a roll with tournaments this year I will also plan one travel tournament with some local players. I imagine this will take place near a casino where we can involve ourselves in some debauchery. I am looking into Atlantic City, Las Vegas, Niagara Falls, and Toronto. I imagine it will be an Intermediate 30+. If you are interested please let me know. Hopefully I can find one that doesn't land on an aniversary, birthday or other prior engagement like 2 I have wanted to attend thus far! Wish me luck.

The Spring 2010 Atlantic City Tournament

Of course the 2 hockey tournaments I want to attend this year are both on the same weekend! So I have a choice:

Angel on the right shoulder says stay local and support a charity but need to set up my own team

or

Lil' devil on the left says join a team already set up and head to Atlantic City for the weekend

Hmmm...

...sin wins. AC!

Tournament Benefits:

* Three Games Guaranteed
* Awards for Champions and Runners-up
* Tournament and Action Photos Available
* No Spectator Fee!

Tournament Rules and Regulations:

It is the intent of Flyers Skate Zone (FYI...FLYERS SUCK) to provide a fun, competitive tournament for all participants and spectators. Good Sportsmanship is expected of all participants and spectators. Improper and abusive behavior will not be tolerated. It is the responsibility of each coach to control his team and exemplify good sportsmanship. All games are USA sanctioned and therefore governed by USA Hockey rules.

Game Times:

* Three Game Minimum
* No ice resurfacing between periods
* All games will be played to completion
* Running time in the 3rd period if the goal differential is seven goals or more
* Three 12 minute periods for Mite and Squirt. All others will play two 12 minute periods and one 15 minute period.

Penalties:

* This is a USA Hockey sanctioned tournament. All USA Hockey rules for penalties shall apply
* Any player receiving four penalties in one game will be ejected from the game with no further suspension.
* Fighting will not be tolerated, and will result in ejection from the tournament.

Rules:

* USA Hockey rules will govern all tournament play.
* All participants must be USA Hockey registered.
* All teams must provide proof of USA Hockey Registration. (Individual member cards and T-1 forms)

Points and Tie Breakers:

Win(2 Points) Loss(0 Points) Tie(1 Point)

Tie Breaker will be as follows:

1. Winner of head to head game played between the two tied teams. This tie breaker does not apply if three teams are tied.
2. Best total goal differential quotient. Total goals scored divided by total goals against.
3. Least goals against.
4. Fewest penalty minutes.



Registration is now open for this tournament weekend. The price to play has not changed from last season. The team fee is $1,475.00.


Generally speaking, if a player splits a room for the weekend with another player, the fee will be around $200 each for the weekend (playing fees & 2 nights hotel with a roommate). That's a good deal!

Hotels. You are free to stay at the hotel or casino / hotel of your choosing. HNA has also arranged for special rates at two AC properties that are near the arena.

Ramada - Atlantic City West
Tel: 609-646-5220 (Contact Name: Sam Patel)
Rates: Fri $69 / Sat $69 + tax.

Comfort Inn & Suites (Formerly Baymont/Hampton)
Tel: 609-484-1900
Rates: Dbl/Dbl Beds: Fri $69 / Sat $89 + Tax
Ask for "Hockey North America Rate"


***For more information, contact Lance Rosenberg at 609-441-1780 x226***

Flyers Skate Zone at Atlantic City
501 North Albany Avenue
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
Phone: 609-441-1780
Fax: 609-441-1794

*I stole all of this from multiple web sites including HNA.com and the rink site. Sue me...oh yeah and in case you missed it, I despise the Flyers. Go Caps!!

Indoor rink - Blog #1 - The plan

In between having a new born, adding an addition to my house and having the company I work for acquired, I am doing my best to take hockey to another level. As part of my new addition we had them dig down a new basement that will be unfinished and the "man room". There will be storage shelve and a work bench, all the things you need in a basement...even a poker table. The good news is I plan to build a roller hockey rink for the kids (or a shooting range for dad). So here's the rub. I will have approximately 15 feet wide by 16-18 feet long (depending where they stick the new HVAC). I will put in a few corners to get the feel of the rink but need to adjust to doorways, glass doors, shelves, low lighting etc as seen in my pics. My plan is to basically have a half rink functional enough to play a kids sized game. The boards will be 4 feet high with beer holders strategically placed. I already ordered the roller hockey tiles from a Michigan Craigslist ad. The goal is solid steel and I picked up the wood and started cutting just last night! Keep an eye out for my indoor rink blogs in the future. I will have step by step instructions, pics and commentary throughout the project.

Coach Dutton's 1st Bi-Annual Skillz Competition

In order to make our hockey community more exciting and cutting edge, I have leaned on a few friends for ideas. Coach Dutton's 1st Bi-Annual Skillz Competition is one of the best thus far. The first one will be a closed competition to work out the bugs. We will have 20-25 close hockey friends compete in 5 events. Below you will see my break down of how it all works:

Events will be staged as follows:

1. Fastest Skater
2. Shootout
3. Accuracy Shooting
4. Hardest Shot
5. Stick Handling

Competition Rules and Regulations

Decision Process
• The referee shall make all necessary rulings regarding the skills competition events.

Participants
• Players must compete in all events.

Tie Situation
• Outlined under each event

Scoring
• Each event win is worth two (2) goals towards the final score. Each bracket win is worth one (1) goal.

EVENT 1 – FASTEST SKATER


Procedure / Rules
• The contest consists of head-to-head heats based on a random bracket system. You lose the bracket, you’re out.
• Starting from a standing position at the goal line, on the referee’s whistle, the two (2) skaters race to the far blue line.
• The first skater across the line wins the race.
• Winners are determined by blue line refs on each side. In case of a clock malfunction, the official time will be recorded by the referee’s stopwatch.

Scoring
• One (1) goal is awarded for every win in the bracket. Winner gets Two (2)

Tie Situation
• In the event of a tie, the heat will run again.


EVENT 2 –SHOOTOUT


Procedure / Rules
• In the qualifying round all players participate in a head to head bracket alternating goalies.
• Each scoring attempt is officiated in accordance with NHL shootout rules.

Brackets
• Four (4) shot per player
• Each goalie faces two (2) attempts


Scoring
• One goal point is awarded to the player who wins the shootout for each round. Winner gets Two (2)

Tie Situation
• Ties go to sudden death using the same goalie



EVENT 3- ACCURACY SHOOTING


Procedure / Rules
• Four (4) targets fifteen inches (15”) in diameter are attached to the goal posts, one target in each corner.
• 8 pucks on the blue line

Qualifying Round
• The shooter has a maximum of eighteen (18) seconds to shoot up to eight (8) pucks in an attempt to hit each of the four (4) targets.
• Any contact of a target by a puck that is shot is scored as a hit.
• Multiple hits on the same target do not increase the shooter’s score.

Head-to-Head Round
• The Bracket system prevails once again

Scoring
• One goal is awarded to the player with most targets hit per round. Winner gets Two (2)

Tie Situation
• Ties are decided in an alternating target hit competition, just like a shootout.

EVENT 4– HARDEST SHOT


Procedure / Rules
• A single puck is positioned on the ice thirty feet (30’) from the center of the goal. A player, starting no further than the nearest blue line, may skate towards the puck and shoot it from its positioned spot into the goal. The highest recorded shot in miles per hour (mph) of two (2) attempts will be scored.
• Shots must be on goal to be calculated. All shots are recorded by radar in miles per hour.
• If a puck enters the goal uncalculated due to a malfunction of the radar equipment, the shooter will be allowed an additional attempt.

Scoring
• The player with the highest score in mph, determined by using each participant’s highest, will receive one (1) goal. Winner gets Two (2)


Tie Situation
Additional shot each, highest mph wins.


EVENT 5– STICK HANDLING


Procedure / Rules
• 12 Cones are set up 2 feet apart. 2 Players need to complete the course as fast as possible. If you hit a cone you are DQ’ed. The first player to make it through the course clean wins. If both players are DQ’ed the player that made it the farthest before hitting a cone wins

Scoring
• Bracket winners awarded 1 point, Winner gets Two (2)

Tie Situation
Sudden death – do it again.

You will be ranked by points at the end of the competition. Top 3 winners awarded prizes.

There will be a fee for this competition to cover ice time and expenses. A portion of the fee will also go to prizes until we can close a few sponsors. I am still working on it and will get a date once I get some competitive rink quotes.

Local Tournament ?

As I was researching Adult Tournaments in the area, I was shocked to find out there is absolutely nothing hosted in the DC Metro Area. I checked out everything within a 30 mile radius. I found a ton of local rinks I didn’t know existed, youth tourneys, adult pick up times near work (sweet)…but no freaking tournaments! Then on a last ditch effort I searched for “hockey tournaments Washington DC” - instead of Virginia - and hit the Jackpot!




Annual Charity Tournament

DC FIRE hockey is dedicated to giving back to the community, especially to those in need. Each year, in early April, DC FIRE holds a three day tournament that expressly benefits the DC Firefighters Burn Foundation.
This year's tournament is being held April 16-18, 2010
The Gardens Ice House, Laurel, Maryland
$900 per team. Three games guaranteed. Championship games on Sunday.

To Register:

http://www.dcfirehockey.com/tournament/2010_Tourney_Registration.pdf

Flyer:

http://www.dcfirehockey.com/tournament/2010_Tourney_Flyer.pdf

Basic Info:

The D.C. Firefighters Burn Foundation, founded by active and retired Washington, D.C. firefighters, is dedicated to assisting in the recovery and rehabilitation of injured firefighters and burn patients in the D.C. Metropolitan Area. They support burn research, treatment, and rehabilitation programs at Washington Hospital Center as well as the Children's Burn Camp Program. Firefighters and members of the Burn Center have a special empathy for burn victims. No other group witnesses more of the devastation that fire wreaks on the human body and spirit.
The past five years of tournaments have been very successful, with thousands of dollars raised for the Burn Foundation. Our success is due to the dedication of our members, their families, and volunteers who just want to help.

If you or your organization are interested in contributing or being a sponsor of this event please contact us.
No contribution is too small.

This look like something I will definitely participate in and will probably put together an A/B and C Goons team. If you are interested, please let me know! Also, since I have participated in a few Can/Am tournaments in the past I want to share a few fun ones you might be interested in checking out.

http://www.canamhockey.com/index.php?view=adult_tournaments

Atlantic City
March 26, 2010
June 11, 2010

Boston
April 30, 2010

Chicago
March 12, 2010

Lake Placid
April 15, 2010
April 29, 2010

Las Vegas
February 19, 2010
April 30, 2010

Montreal
April 15, 2010
April 22, 2010

Niagara Falls
April 09, 2010

San Jose
April 16, 2010

Toronto
April 23, 2010

If you are interested in putting together a team for any of these events but need a hand finding players, let me know and I will definitely help out!

Adult Hockey: Where's the Love? Travel Teams, Tournaments, and Trophies

There is nothing I look forward to more than my next hockey game. All week long, there is a place in the back of my mind that is counting down the seconds to my next game. Since I am only playing in one league now, it basically means I play 1 game a week. Not enough in my mind but that’s the way it works. In any case, the leagues around the DC area typically last about 4-5 months (20-25 games). From there we enter playoffs. Usually it’s a one game playoff where the winner moves on and the loser waits until the next season (about a month away). Personally, I think men’s leagues should replicate the NHL playoffs and should be best of seven games (or more realistic the best of 3). I know ice time is limited and expensive so I will not press the issue. What gets me steamed is that we battle and fight to become champions and we get nothing for it (accept bragging rights and our names on the rink cup). No team trophies, no t-shirts, nada. Where is the love? A hockey player needs his moment in the light. We are an egotistical, trash talking, glory seeking breed. We want our recognition. It is time to get back to the roots of the game and make a big deal out of winning it all. Lord Stanley would want it that way! Another thing that would make things more exciting would be to start playing some different teams in the area. There are about 5 rinks within a 30 mile radius. For years we play the same people. In my case, the over 30 Masters B league offers us nothing different; the teams are always the same. We know all the players, goalies and hacks within the league. Over time we start making enemies and it is not healthy. For example, the team we play this weekend took out a fellow Goon a few games ago and he has a price on his head. This wouldn’t happen so much if the rinks got together and built a travel system. Link together all the teams from each rink into a division. For example, Fairfax Ice would be the Eastern Division. We play division rivals, the current Over 30 B teams as well as out of conference teams (a.k.a. over 30 B teams from Kettler, Reston, etc. That would be so much fun! The teams we typically play all the time will become fierce rivals, but we would then have something in common. We would want our division to be the strongest in the metro DC area. It brings pride and glory to the division therefore…less hacking division players and more unity. When the playoffs come, why not have it sponsored by a local brewery. The top seed at every rink makes the playoffs or you have a division playoff and the winner moves on. It all makes sense to me and is now a project in the making. I will start with a sponsored travel tournament. I will ask local breweries first like Dogfishead or Dominion. Once we get teams and rinks involved, I will pass along my “travel team” idea. It will change the way this entire area looks at adult hockey. We would have something unique to the area that would put DC Metro Hockey on the map. We are a hockey town and I will help prove it to the world!