Comments on: “Phaneuf” Sounds Onomatopoeic

By: Shawn

Shawn — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:17:31 +0000

Great converation on a seldom heard topic: *icks.

The hold. I just pick mine up and go, but not with the butt-end directly in my palm.

The *ick: I too usually get the ones on sale, as long as they’re not too stiff. I need some flex for some reason or another.

The tape: I put tape along the bottom of the blade as well as the toe, and then tape toe to heel. I find the tape along the bottom helps keep the tape on the blade from peeling to easily, once the bottom tape wears away. And I tape the toe because (when I was a kid at least) I had a habit of taping the ice with the toe which, after many many taps, start to chip the toe of the *ick.

Also, I’m an Aries, cheer for the Leafs, am fond of the ocean, and like pizza.

By: Char

Char — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:12:48 +0000

Of course Phaenuf is a Leaf. He sucks.

Did you know that in field hockey, all the sticks are right-handed? if you want to take a lefty shot, you have to flip your stick over and take it with the toe pointing down.

By: Neil

Neil — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 05:21:18 +0000

That’s an interesting point about Phaneuf, KForbes. And White as well.

By: Deirdre

Deirdre — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 03:40:46 +0000

When I took my first hockey class the teacher (amazing guy named Chris Kamalani who works with the PHA) dealt with how to hold your stick in the first few classes. His recommendation was the butt-in-palm with a little bit of finger (yeah, no way you can’t make that not be dirty) so I’ve got little to no knob. When I play D I am not a great stick handler…but I also find my hand creeping further down the stick during a game. So possibly if I could fix that I’d become a better puck handler.

In goal stick handling is not the problem – there I have a big knob cuz it’s hard enough to pick up your stick if you lose it. If it’s lying flat on the ice it’s practically impossible to pick up since the blocker is longer than your fingers! That inch or so of space provided by the knob makes *all* the difference.

@ Frank – I don’t know about Texas but in CA they adopted hockey with a passion. In the Bay Area alone there are 7 sheets available (not counting the 2 professional arenas since rec leagues don’t play there). Which is pretty impressive considering the weather

I gotta go with the East though – as a player the difference between travel miles ads up to 20-30,000 or so. That means a lot over a full season.

By: KForbes

KForbes — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 02:32:28 +0000

I’m not sure where I read it (might have even been here), but the one thing that’s stuck with me about this Phaneuf trade is how much the Sutters know Phaneuf.
Brent was his coach in Red Deer, with the World Juniors and then with the Flames. Darryl obviously drafted him, watched him develop and coached him in his rookie season. I think the article stated something along the lines that one would be hard-pressed to find anybody in the hockey world who knows Dion Phaneuf better.
And now they’ve decided to move on without him (I can’t imagine in any way possible that this trade started with Calgary thinking ‘You know what this team needs? Some Stajan/White/Hagman/Mayers!’
I might be reading too much into it, but for the Sutters to decide that Phaneuf isn’t their guy after nine years where he was their guy…I dunna…what does that say?

On the opposite side of the coin of Phaneuf prospering in the East, anyone else think that White might struggle in the West?

By: Tricia

Tricia — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:44:31 +0000

Phaneuf does seem to fit right in as a Maple Leaf (after all of 4 days). Of course, he also seemed like the perfect Sutter-type Flame as well. Darryl Sutter hugged him at the draft – I didn’t think Darryl Sutter knew how to hug.

The Sutters can love you, the Sutters can hate you – there seems to be no middle ground.

By: jtbourne

jtbourne — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:47:31 +0000

Yep. That’s living. Guys in the Pacific must be SO surprised when they get a paycheck. Like “really, you were serious about paying me for this? Damn, that’s amazing. I’ll quit my other job. This is too good to be true.”

By: GBCK

GBCK — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:43:51 +0000

Western Conference = Pacific Division. Sandals to practice and golf immediately after. Living- the – dream

By: Frank

Frank — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 21:55:26 +0000

On the conference thing, I would think the eastern conference would be better…..you have 4 of the original 6 teams there (great rivalries) and other teams that have a lot of great history. Also, it seems like more eastern conference teams are in areas where people actually grow up playing hockey (better fan support and more fans who understand the game they are watching). How many teams in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference are in areas where hockey is a big recreational sport?

I grew up in Texas, and when you go to a Dallas Stars game, the only people who seem to understand what is going on on the ice are transplants from Canada, the northeastern US, or the midwest.

By: Neil

Neil — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:57:17 +0000

Re: Phaneuf and the visor, Colin White was rocking the visor too and he instigated the fight after a clean hit, White’s hat just fell off and Dion’s didn’t.
It’s a tough call, obviously it’s a bit silly to start fights or play like Dion does if you’re not willing to lose the shield for a fight, but at the same time, he’s in his early 20′s and I don’t blame the guy for wanting to keep his eyes for as long as possible. In the heat of the moment when a guy jumps you, what can ya do?

I’d rather play in the East. Less travel, less hitting, a good handful of garbage teams, top-6 centers can fall into 7 million bucks a year and a defensemen with a good year or two under his belt can find some sucker to give him 4-6 million. Ok, those are all directed at the Rangers, but still…. I’d rather play out East and take the money and the fame.