chenmo31
57 posts
Mar 22, 2012
12:44 AM
|
Tweet Permission granted 06. Ravens Jersey.24.2010 / 10:35 PM PT Austin Watson is the oldest of nine kids -- soon to be 10. Mom is eight months pregnant, but that didnt stop her from flying from Michigan to Los Angeles with the rest of the family. "Moms here, doing a bunch," Watson told NHL.com. "Shes a real trooper. Shes hanging in there." Airlines generally dont let women that far into their pregnancy fly, but after nine kids, she sort of has this thing down pat – and her doctor signed off on it. "She knows whats happening with her body," Watson said. "She said it was all good, and they signed the papers and everything and shes here now." -- Adam Kimelman From the prospects 06.24.2010 / 10:28 PM PT Erik Gudbranson, when asked if he and Panthers GM Dale Tallon talked at all on the podium after he was picked: "He says, I thought tough guys dont wear pink shirts (the 6-4 Gudbranson had a black suit with a pink shirt), and I said Tough guys wear pink shirts for a reason." -- Adam Kimelman Watching the prospects 06.24.2010 / 10:15 PM PT One of the more interested observers of the first round was TV star Alyssa Milano, who I caught up to early in the night. "Im a huge fan of hockey," she told NHL.com. "Huge hockey family. We had Kings tickets before (Wayne) Gretzky was even here." She said what amazes her the most is how quickly a young mans life can change just by hearing his name called. "To see these guys, who work their entire life to get to this moment ... I take the sentimental approach of how awesome it is to see their dreams come to fruition in one moment when they hear their name called," she said. Milano, who was sporting an NHL Draft T-shirt from her own clothing line, said she knew a few of the prospects, like Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin, as well as local favorite Emerson Etem. "I follow enough of the draft to not be completely lost in the first round," she said. -- Adam Kimelman The edge on dad 06.24.2010 / 10:05 PM PT Mark Tinordi never was drafted, but managed to play 12 NHL seasons as a tough-as-nails defenseman . His son, Jarred, was picked 22nd by the Montreal Canadiens, with Montreal moving up to grab him. Jarred said he wasnt going to hold it over his dad -- a good thing, as Mark tallied 1,514 penalty minutes in his career. "I know he turned out to be a pretty good player," Jarred told NHL.com. "Im just starting out and I have a long way to go." Thats what Mark wanted to hear. "Hes a step ahead of where I got," the proud father told NHL.com. "But as great as this day is, to get on the team, theres still a lot more work." -- Adam Kimelman Time to get excited 06.24.2010 / 1:08 PM PT The site in Nokia Plaza here at L.A. Live has been transformed into an outdoor hockey mecca. Theres a mini-rink for kids to play hockey, fans can play NHL 2K11, bounce in inflatable NHL jumping houses, see how fast their slap shot is and buy the same Reebok and Easton equipment the pros where. Theres music and a few local radio stations will be broadcasting live. And across the plaza at the Staples Center, statues of Magic Johnson and Oscar de la Hoya are wearing black Kings jerseys. The entire scene is incredible. Full credit goes to Nick Gennarelli and his staff for doing a beautiful job. Were about three hours away from the start of the show. Dont miss the first round, tonight at 7 p.m. ET on Versus in the U.S., TSN in Canada and on NHL Radio everywhere. -- Adam Kimelman Campbell is a first-round hopeful 06.24.2010 / 10:25 PM PT Goalie prospect Jack Campbell admits he would be a tad disappointed if he didnt hear his name called in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft on Friday at Staples Center. "It would be a tremendous honor to be drafted by any NHL club but my goal has been, for as long as I can remember, to be a first-round draft pick," Campbell said. "To be up there and be the first goalie taken would be a tremendous honor as well." Campbell was also asked to compare his style with that of Calvin Pickard. "I havent really been able to see Calvin play that much, but I know hes a fantastic goalie and a great prospect for the NHL," Campbell said. "To be right up there with him is an honor and Im more of an athletic goalie and hes a guy who plays his angles well and its just great to battle it out with him." Campbell won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2010 World Junior Championships while helping the U.S. to consecutive gold medals at the 2009 and 10 Under-18 World Championships. Originally slated to attend the University of Michigan, hell play for the Ontario Hockey Leagues Windsor Spitfires in 2010-11. "Hes a very athletic goaltender," NHL Central Scoutings Al Jensen said. "Hes very determined, has great drive and I like his intensity. When youre watching him, its like hes ready to pounce. He is very good laterally and it showed on a big stage. I like his competitiveness. He gives himself a chance and hes capable of making the big save at the proper time which is a big asset for him." Campbell credits the National Team Developmental Program with his rapid rise to the top of the goaltending charts entering the draft. "It was huge playing for my country and representing USA on a day-to-day basis, working with the best coaches not only in our country, but the world, and playing with some great, great players in the U.S.," Campbell said. "You know what, it made me a better player and also a better person." --Mike G. Morreale What an event 06.24.2010 / 7:15 PM PT The top prospects brush with Hollywood has come to an end, but their heads still might be spinning. "Its definitely something Ive never experienced before," Emerson Etem told NHL.com. "Never had so much craziness going on at one time." "It was something different, for sure," added Brett Connolly. There were a few celebrity sightings. "Jennifer Love Hewitt," Tyler Seguin told NHL.com. "I saw Kim Kardashian from far away." Connolly saw a few familiar faces from TV and movies, but couldnt put names with faces. Seguin said he enjoyed his time as a Hollywood star, however fleeting it might be. "It was awesome. Great experience. Got to see some movie stars, got to be a pretend celebrity, even though most of the paparazzi didnt know who we were. It was pretty fun." "Its something that you never forget," added Connolly. "Im happy that we all did it." Now they can go relax, get away from the interviews for a night and get ready for their big day, when theres no wondering who the stars of the NHL Draft show will be. -- Adam Kimelman Dream to play the game 06.24.2010 / 7:10 PM PT You kind of get the feeling both Tyler Seguin and Taylor Hall are tired of answering all the questions about who will be the No. 1 pick on Friday night at Staples Center. But that didnt stop them from rehashing the usually responses on Thursday afternoon atop the Target Terrace at L.A. Live here in Los Angeles. Seguin was asked if being drafted No. 1 overall is his dream. "My dream is to play in the NHL and win the Stanley Cup someday," Seguin said. "Obviously Im a hockey guy, Im a competitive guy and I want to be the best. I want (to be selected) first and I want to be the best of my age group and some of the 91s, I guess." Seguin was referring to the fact he was born in 1992 and Hall, in 91. And does Seguin have a preference of either Edmonton or Boston? "I look at it as a win-win, its a great opportunity and if no trades are happening and thats how it happens, thats a win-win for me with either team," he said. "Im excited, Im ready to get this over with." Hall, named the Memorial Cup MVP for the second straight season, feels that while he and Seguin are attracting much of the media attention, the other top prospects are just as worthy. "I feel a bit for Cam (Fowler) because maybe he doesnt get as much credit as he deserves but this whole draft class is tremendous," Hall said. "Theres going to be some really good players here. Me and Ty are getting all the media now, but Im sure there are going to be players further along the line that will get even more media than me or him. "We (Hall and Seguin) got to know each other on the ice, but the situation weve been put in, its been kind of hard to just laugh about it and be friends for sure. Im sure when I get up on Friday morning Ill be alright but once I sit in the stands and wait for my name to be called, itll be tough." --Mike G. Morreale One lap 06.24.2010 / 6:19 PM PT Brett Connolly said hes way out of his comfort zone, but this is certainly the most surreal thing any of them have done -- Ill even include myself in that group. They walked right in front of Jennifer Love Hewitt, who wants a photo with them, but its fairly crazy so who knows if itll happen. And Lance Bass from NSync just walked by in a shimmering gray suit. Theyve posed for the paparazzi and done a ton of interviews. Were off to the theater for the movie. -- Adam Kimelman Ready for the red 06.24.2010 / 5:45 PM PT The next step of the top draft prospects is under way as they make their way to the red carpet for the re carpet premiere of the latest Twilight movie. Joining the players is new tampa GM stevwe Yzerman. You can hear the fans screaming 2 blocks away. And with a full all-star list of celebs walking the red carpet, our prospects are in good company. Ill have as much as I can as we go. -- Adam Kimelman Team Tyler vs. Team Taylor 06.24.2010 / 3:34 PM PT Top prospects Tyler Seguin, Taylor Hall, Erik Gudbranson, Cam Fowler, Emerson Etem and Beau Bennett will walk down the red carpet for the premiere of "Twilight Saga: Eclipse," along with Buffalo Sabres goalie and newly minted Vezina Trophy winner Ryan Miller and Los Angeles Kings captain Dustin Brown. The event should be one of the biggest of the year in Hollywood, and there should be a ton of celebrities. The prospects are OK with being the little fish in the gigantic pond. "Im just trying to see some celebrities," said Seguin. "Lauren Conrad and Jessica Alba." The hook for the previous movie in the series was Team Edward vs. Team Jacob. So what about seeing fans engaging in a Team Tyler vs. Team Taylor debate tonight among the prospects? "Theyre not going to know who we are," said Hall. "Were going to be five Canadian kids walking down the carpet. Theyre going to be saying, Who are these kids that dont belong here?" -- Adam Kimelman Whats that on your arm? 06.24.2010 / 2:15 PM PT One media member asked Tyler Seguin about the tattoo he has on the back of his left arm. Its a scroll with his last name spelled out, which he got when he was 16. "I was 16, and I wanted a tattoo," Seguin said. "Something meaningful. I always wear my heart on my sleeve -- my family, heart, passion, all that. So I decided to get it down my sleeve." Two days ago, Tyler said his father got a matching tattoo. "I tried to get my (grandfather) to get one, but he said heck no, hes not into it," said Tyler. What about mom? "I told mom to get one herself," he said with a laugh. -- Adam Kimelman Done on the ice 06.24.2010 / 1:05 PM PT The top prospects have finished their fun on the ice with the kids from the junior Kings program, and a good time was had by all. "It was fun to see the glow on their faces," Erik Gudbranson told NHL.com. "I remember when I was a kid and got to skate with the (OHLs Ottawa) 67s." The other prospects felt the same way. The kids obviously had a blast, and were expectedly overwhelmed by the experience. "They were anxious little kids," said Taylor Hall. "One kid was so anxious, he wanted real bad to tell me how he scored his goal. And I had just seen him score it." Emerson Etem, who grew up in nearby Long Beach, had the closest connection with the little ones. "Felt like I was one of them five, six years ago," he told NHL.com. "When I was their age we never would have gotten this kind of attention." Etem said the skill level in the kids today was far higher than what it was like when he was their age. He said the stepped up level of coaching is a major factor. "Just the coaching," he said. "Coaches have come here from all over the world and made it so much better." Today, a few of the top prospects made it better for some very lucky little kids. Next its on to the Target Terrace for a top prospect media availability. -- Adam Kimelman Top Prospect Clinic 06.24.2010 / 10:53 AM PT The six of the top prospects for the 2010 Entry Draft have arrived at the Toyota Sports Center, the Kings practice site, for an on-ice clinic with about 30 kids. Tyler Seguin, Taylor Hall, Brett Connolly, Cam Fowler, Erik Gudbranson and Emerson Etem were swarmed by media and autograph-seeking fans when they arrived. Willie ORee, the NHLs Director of Cause Marketing, also is on hand, along with Kings broadcasters Jim Fox and Daryl Evans, and Bailey, the Kings mascot. Should be fun for both kids and players. Ill have some of the words of wisdom and a few photos right here, so check back here often. -- Adam Kimelman Game over 06.23.2010 / 7:15 PM PT It was fun talking about something other than hockey with the prospects today. As Brett Connolly said, its amazing what theyre getting to experience. Their day started with a tour of some of L.A.s landmarks -- the Hollywood sign, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, even a bite to eat at an In and Out Burger. Then batting practice at Angels Stadium. And then getting to watch some major leaguers in action. Things get a little busier tomorrow, as a few players will be taking part in a clinic at the Toyota Sports Center, the Kings practice site, and then theyll be walking the carpet for the "Twilight Saga: Eclipse" premiere. NHL.com will be on hand for both events, so keep checking this blog for stories and photos. -- Adam Kimelman Back on the field 06.23.2010 / 5:15 PM PT The Angels are taking batting practice so its time to head onto the field. We watch as Torii Hunter and Bobby Abreu take turns spraying balls all over the park, and into the stands. Manager Mike Sciosia comes by to say a quick hello. He asks about how the players did taking batting practice, and wishes them luck for Friday. As we watch the Angels hit, the Dodgers make their way onto the field, getting loose while waiting for their turns in the cage. Cam Fowler and Tyler Seguin take note of Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp, but not for his playing ability -- theyre more impressed by the fact that hes dating pop singer Rhianna. When Manny Ramirez makes an appearance, he draws all the attention like dreadlocked magnet. From his hair to his head size to his hockey-esque No. 99, the prospects love everything about Manny. Especially when its his turn to hit and the balls start flying. -- Adam Kimelman Its Tommy Lasorda! 06.23.2010 / 4:45 PM PT The generation gap can be a funny thing sometimes. When I asked the prospects if they knew who Tommy Lasorda was, I got a bunch of blank stares. But when the baseball legend and Dodger royalty came by to say hello today they certainly got a handle on just who they were talking to. Lasorda, dressed in a sweater vest, long-sleeve shirt and khakis, entertained the prospects for about 10 minutes. He talked about his nine years as a minor leaguer in Montreal during the 1950s and how he remembered meeting some of the legendary Canadiens, like Rocket Richard and Jean Beliveau. He also said how he told his players there are three types of people, but it didnt matter what sport or job, for that matter -- it applied. Youre either making things happen, watching things happen, wondering what the heck just happened. You have to be the kind of person that makes things happen, he said. The prospects might not have known who Tommy Lasorda was before he came by, but they certainly wont forget his visit any time soon. -- Adam Kimelman In the tunnel 06.23.2010 / 3:11 PM PT After BP, the prospects sat in the dugout, then went down into the hitting cage and video room with Mickey Hatcher. The players also compared hand injuries. But theyre still hanging onto their bats -- pretty nice souvenirs. Angels will be coming out for BP soon, so we can all see how the real pros do it. --Adam Kimelman Hatcher said it was out 06.23.2010 / 2:43 PM PT Angels hitting coach Mickey Hatcher said theres no disputing Brett Connollys drive through the open fence in left field. It hit the back part of the fence and would have been gone if it was closed. He also said the players were getting better and better as they went along. Another bucket of balls, he said, somebody would have gone yard. --Adam Kimelman Dont quit your day job 06.23.2010 / 2:42 PM PT For baseball players, well, they make pretty good hockey players. Cam Fowler, who was a pretty good high school player, hit some pretty good shots, but the winner had to be Brett Connolly, who put one over the fence in left and killed it in general. "I havent worked this hard since the season ended," said Taylor Hall. Mr. Easton did better as each of the three rounds wore on, however. On his last swing, he won the long-ball contest by bouncing one on the warning track in right-center. Emerson Etem had what Fowler called the "Ryan Howard leg kick," but the similarities stopped there. "It was fun," said Hall. "I wanted a home run. Those rocks (the famed rock pile in left-center) is really far." --Adam Kimelman Play Ball! 06.23.2010 / 2:15 PM PT Five of the top prospects for the 2010 Entry Draft have arrived at Angels Stadium to take batting practice prior to tonights Angels-Dodgers game -- Tyler Seguin, Taylor Hall, Brett Connolly, Cam Fowler and Emerson Etem. Taylor Hall is decked out head-to-toe in Easton gear, courtesy of his new sponsor: shirt, bat, hat, batting gloves and wrist bands. Angels hitting coach Mickey Hatcher is throwing BP. "I just hope I make contact," Seguin said. --Adam Kimelman DeMarcus Ware Jersey. The Pittsburgh Penguins never blinked. "We did a great job of keeping our composure," Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said after Friday nights thrilling 5-3 playoff win. Authentic Henrik Zetterberg Jersey. Less than three weeks later, it sounds as though the goaltender will be suiting up for the Stanley Cup Final. Boucher, who was in agonizing pain after teammate Ryan Parent fell on his legs during Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, practiced Friday at United Center on the eve of Game 1 against the Chicago Blackhawks. Authentic Tom Brady Jersey. [Stardaily] China Central Television (CCTV) has invited well known sports broadcaster Song Shixiong, who retired in 2000, to return to report during the Beijing 2008 Olympics, the Star Daily reported. Tom Brady Jersey. Knoblauch, 39, spoke to a New York Times reporter on Thursday for an article that appeared in Fridays paper. His thoughts on being named in the Mitchell Report as former drug customer, along with former Yankees teammates Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte, of Clemens personal trainer Brian McNamee were puzzling, to say the least. Shea Weber Jersey. Boudreau claimed that the hit by Staal was dirty and was also an example of the exact type of hit the league is trying to get out of the game. On Tuesday, Rangers head coach John Tortorella would not get into a war of words with the Capitals coach, instead saying his team is more concerned with the task at hand rather than their opponents attempts at gamesmanship.ABBOTSFORD, B.C. -- An NHL-calibre shot and an NHL veteran proved too much for the Abbotsford Heat. Mark Mancaris second-period goal turned out to be the winner as the Chicago Wolves defeated the Abbotsford Heat 3-2 in American Hockey League action. Mancari scored on a hard wrist shot that whistled past the glove of goaltender Danny Taylor to give his team a 3-0 lead. Mancari also assisted on two first-period goals by Steve Reinprecht, a veteran of 663 NHL games. "You put certain guys like Mancari in a position like that, the league stats tell you and history tells you that hes going to bury more than hes going to miss," Abbotsford head coach Troy Ward said of Chicagos leading goal scorer. "That was an NHL shot. I dont blame (Taylor) on that one." Ward felt that Chicagos experience and skill was better than his clubs on this night. "Our moments of truth were not as moments of truth as theirs were," Ward said. "Theyve just got some more polished players than we do at this particular juncture." Anton Rodin also had two assists for Chicago (22-16-4). Matt Climie made 33 saves in the win and also recorded his eighth career AHL assist. Ben Walter and Carter Bancks replied for Abbotsford. Danny Taylor stopped 29 pucks in the losing effort for the Heat (25-15-3). "It was tough to take a 3-0 deficit, but a fourth goal would have killed us," said Abbotsford forward Guillaume Desbiens. "He kept us in and thats what good goalies do." Chicago, which snapped a four-game losing streak, was making its first trip to Abbotsford since becoming the Vancouver Canucks top affiliate. Since Abbotsford is a mere hours drive from Vancouver it has supplanted the rivalry the Heat had last season with the Manitoba Moose. Desbiens was both a former Chicago Wolf, as well as a member of the Moose last season. "Its disappointing losing to them," said Desbiens. "But they played better than us." The game definitely had the feeling of an intense rivalry. "There were more people in the building," said Desbiens of the above-average crowd of 5,000. "Its the Canucks farm team. Theres more emotion involved. It was the same when I was playing for Manitoba coming to play here. There were always a couple fights, big hits and nice plays. Sean Lee Jersey" The Wolves improved to 2-1-1 in the season series, with the two teams squaring off again Wednesday night. The Wolves drew first blood at 8:53. Mancari fed the puck to Rodin in the slot, but instead of trying to split the defence the Swede dropped the puck to Reinprecht who slid it under Taylor for his fifth of the year. Though Chicago carried the play through the first period it was Abbotsford that had the best scoring chance when Robby Dee one-timed a centring feed but was stymied by Climie. Just after killing a penalty the Wolves doubled their lead. Mancari took a pass from Rodin and slid the puck towards the crease where Reinprecht redirected it for his second of the period at 18:13. "I was just happy to contribute, really," Reinprecht said. "Weve been on a bit of a skid lately so we wanted to get a good start and we did." At 4:06 of the second period Chicago carried on where they left off. Tim Miller crossed the blue-line and dropped to Mancari, who fired a laser to corner on Taylor, giving him a team-high 17 goals on the year. "Some nights your line clicks and some nights other lines click," said Mancari. "Tonight it was our turn and Im glad we could contribute like we did." Walter broke Climies shutout bid at 13:23 of the third at the tail end of a power play. Krys Kolanos point shot missed wide but it ricocheted out to Walter who had an open cage to pot his seventh of the season. The Heat had not had a power play goal in six games so the goal carried more weight than just sparking a comeback. "Weve been struggling on the power play a bit and maybe that goal that Walter scored got us going," Desbiens said. "We had a lot of good chances on there. Their goalie played really well." Bancks made it a one-goal game when he intercepted a clearing attempt in the slot and wristed the puck over the shoulder of Climie at 15:23. Bancks now has goals in consecutive games after a 21-games drought. Despite numerous scoring chances, including a power play in the final two minutes, the Heat could not get the tying goal past Climie. "My mindset was, dont let them get the third one," Climie said. ' ' '
|
