tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63662903337063081712024-03-05T22:37:33.887-05:00Read the Casebook. Then what?Reflections and Observations from a Beer-League Hockey Official. Topics include: scorekeeping, refereeing, spectating (NHL, AHL, Amateur), and the occasional beer-league anecdote. Also, a record of my attempt at cooking through the 2011-2 Hershey Bears Cookbook, because everyone needs a hobby.M. Richterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17530114975817115934noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366290333706308171.post-45505711947948647792013-06-15T00:00:00.000-04:002012-07-05T22:31:52.256-04:00Blog Status: Sketchy-at-Best<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This blog is going to be primarily defunct for the near future. It will see occasional updates, primarily personal & rink-shenanigans related, but the majority of my writing goes up over on <a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/author/mrichter/">Capitals Outsider</a>. My photography can be found via my <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/m_ann">Flickr page</a>.</div>
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I'd love to keep this more active, but the posts are (and will be) few and far between for the foreseeable future due to the constraints of both my day-job at the rink & my position as co-editor over at CO.</div>
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The only exception is the <a href="http://readthecasebook.blogspot.com/search/label/HB%20Cookbook%20Project">HBC Project</a>, which should see regular updates over the rest of the summer.</div>
</div>M. Richterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17530114975817115934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366290333706308171.post-23205620931576221932012-07-05T22:31:00.001-04:002012-07-05T22:34:24.478-04:00Happy Hockey New Year<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
July first is Canada Day, the NHL & AHL's UFA Day, and the unofficial Hockey New Year in the North American pro leagues. July fourth is the equivalent national holiday south of the 49th. Therefore today (the fifth) seems like an appropriate day to really kick off the new year of hockey.*<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM0PGGUAPFUJ4XgP6Q1iC_lDgOYA2oA_PZlYkZIgwkqtbngXoleWzJ8nOmcSEpSWLDRMyEQWNmQqA6RG8gFm3OSjqkMasOydEFEQs9T-otEBSHAYXiMwWhpXaYylv6ZYnHp5npjkDb5xic/s1600/IMG_2239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM0PGGUAPFUJ4XgP6Q1iC_lDgOYA2oA_PZlYkZIgwkqtbngXoleWzJ8nOmcSEpSWLDRMyEQWNmQqA6RG8gFm3OSjqkMasOydEFEQs9T-otEBSHAYXiMwWhpXaYylv6ZYnHp5npjkDb5xic/s400/IMG_2239.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Hockey New Year, Everyone! (All Photos Credit: M. Richter)</td></tr>
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I'm also going to apologize now - this post is going to be a bit of an info-dump, designed to catch things up to the present. There's a bit of personal, a bit of rec league antics, and a bit of Caps-related news.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><i>*I should note that <a href="http://www.usahockey.com/">USA Hockey</a> defines the new year as beginning September 1, though if you tried to renew your status as a registered player after May 15 you paid an extra $10 and got the summer tacked onto your next season's (in this case, 2012-13) registration.</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrCm35XGsHIgamqH63Sy9EO4IKwjUktZpqCIX9lIdLi-yb0GLaNm91Un0BQr6N4PsCoizPevsUP53WrJA-jLXPXvW6ns44oz18ALrZWKynYRqyrv7i-Qia4mRrSxEBxStUV2CH_PCPHm1/s1600/IMG_9958.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrCm35XGsHIgamqH63Sy9EO4IKwjUktZpqCIX9lIdLi-yb0GLaNm91Un0BQr6N4PsCoizPevsUP53WrJA-jLXPXvW6ns44oz18ALrZWKynYRqyrv7i-Qia4mRrSxEBxStUV2CH_PCPHm1/s400/IMG_9958.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">June made me want to do this. A lot. I never expected to have so much in common with Martin Brodeur.</td></tr>
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<b>Personal & Rink-Related:</b><br />
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To put it bluntly, June was a disaster for me. The lone bright spots were an unfortunately timed trip up to the SCF Game 5 in Newark (the day after a death at work), and <a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/2012/06/25/down-dirty-caps-draft-details/">the Draft</a> (my first time attending! Angie Lewis (<a href="http://www.twitter.com/LadyHatTrick">@LadyHatTrick</a>) came along to serve as copilot).<br />
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Both were primarily social endeavors, though I ended up with some great <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/m_ann/sets/72157630097573140/">pictures from Game 5</a>. I kept hoping things would ease up, but apparently it was just one of those months where you pay off years of bad karma in a few short weeks.<br />
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In rink news, during June I spent more time on the phone with 911 than I had in the entire course of my life prior to that (and I've worked in several physician's offices). Here are some of the things that can happen in recreational hockey, for those curious:<br />
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<li>Bilateral Jaw Fracture + 5 Lost Teeth. Result: The player has his jaw wired shut for at least 6 weeks. I don't care how macho you think you are, gentlemen. WHEN YOU PLAY REC HOCKEY, WEAR A CAGE.</li>
<li>Cardiac/Respiratory Event. These can happen anywhere, but if they do, make sure you know where your AED is. It would also have been nice if EMS hadn't taken 23 minutes to respond to the call.</li>
<li>Dislocated knee, associated ligament damage. Result: Player had to be hauled out on a gurney with full joint immobilization.</li>
<li>High Ankle Sprain (initially suspected to be a broken bone in the lower leg). Luckily, in this case we got to cancel the ambulance request when we were able to get the player mobile.</li>
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All of the above happened in the course of roughly two weeks. Apparently my workplace was paying off the LA Kings Stanley Cup Victory in advance. To make things even better, to close out the month we lost power for roughly 3 days due to the recent storm. All of our ice melted, though we're back up and running now. As a result, our summer rec season gets to be a week longer, in order to accommodate the 30 games that needed rescheduling.<br />
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<b>Those Washington Capitals</b></div>
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D-Camp kicks off next Monday, and next Wednesday will mark the one year anniversary of my getting press credentials. I'm looking forward to camp itself, not the least of which because I actually know what I'm doing this year.<br />
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The prospect roster has been published, although the complete list of invitees won't be confirmed until the start of camp. In my experience, one of the most useful pieces of D-Camp is getting a look at those invitees - several will likely sign with Hershey next year after completing their NCAA careers.</div>
</div>M. Richterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17530114975817115934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366290333706308171.post-66000575630752625432012-05-11T03:16:00.001-04:002012-05-11T03:16:48.431-04:00For Posterity: Where I Stand<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Allegiances This Spring (Obligatory & Remnants):</b></div>
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<b>NHL</b></div>
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<b>Capitals </b>(I write for <a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/">Capitals Outsider</a>. Enough said)</div>
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<b>Kings </b>(I'm a bandwagoner of the Richards Era - as a group, they were nice to me when they came & practiced at my rink for most of a week last October. I've been casually following them ever since)</div>
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<b>AHL</b></div>
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<b>Hershey Bears </b>(no longer in the running, but they didn't get swept - that counts for something)</div>
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<b>Toronto Marlies</b> (I blame a friend for this - she's spent much of the year campaigning on their behalf)</div>
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<b>ECHL</b></div>
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<b>South Carolina Stingrays</b> (Made it through to the second round, which was pretty impressive all things considered)</div>
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<b>Eliminated From Playoffs:</b></div>
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<b>Blackhawks</b></div>
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<b>Bruins</b></div>
</div>M. Richterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17530114975817115934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366290333706308171.post-24533831497760811912012-05-11T03:14:00.003-04:002012-05-11T03:18:06.282-04:00I Love the Playoffs, I Hate the Playoffs. Rinse & Repeat.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As the title suggests, I'm of mixed mind when it comes to the playoffs. I've also been run absolutely ragged, tracking the whole kit & kaboodle, which is why things have dropped off here temporarily. Once the situation with the Capitals resolves (the Bears & Stingrays are both out already, though the Caps have shown they're not to be taken lightly this year), my life will slip into a blissful off-season lull. Or something to that effect, at any rate. I'm sure I'll be going nuts by the time the draft comes around.<br />
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This is the first time I've been quite so caught up in the bigger playoff picture, following teams at all 3 of the affiliation structure, and it's definitely had its pros & cons.<br />
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On the good side of things, it's always great to cheer on your team, presuming they made the cut. And if you're entirely out of the running, there's generally a team with a former member of "your" team that you can get behind.<br />
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This was especially true for me in Hershey, where I caught upwards of 30 home games. That's a lot of time getting to know a team, even at a distance, and there's the underlying knowledge that when the playoffs end the team scatters. Some will be back, but many won't. At the end of the run, that's what I found myself mourning more than anything.<br />
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On the less-positive side of things, people get downright nasty. While twitter and the internet has exacerbated the problem - it's easy to forget the humanity on the other side of a playoff rivalry when you don't have to see the people you're insulting - it's an extension of the mob mentality that's one of the most appealing things in sports fandom, subconsciously or otherwise. Put on a jersey, and you disappear into a crowd - it brings a sudden freedom from accountability, even before you add alcohol. Some people take this to damaging extremes.<br />
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This year, two teams that I care about - and have strong geographical ties to - met in the first round of the NHL playoffs. The ugliness that the 7-game series brought out of both sets of fans was appalling, and I'm not just talking about the <a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/2012/04/25/social-media-around-game-7-is-tainted-by-racism/">racist tweets</a> regarding the Capitals' Joel Ward.<br />
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I can understand, hypothetically, growing up in a region with a bitter and long-standing rivalry (PIT v. PHI comes to mind). But it's not something I expect to be a part of, nor would I ever want to be. Even in the last few years, players whose careers I have enjoyed following have been shuffling around the continent and leagues - should they suddenly become something to be loathed for being part of a business transaction which they may or may not have had any say in? It boggles my mind.<br />
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I've said it before, but it bears repeating - I'm a fan of hockey first, and teams second. There will only be on winner in any given year, and I wish those for whom 2012 is "the one" all the joy they can find in their success.</div>M. Richterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17530114975817115934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366290333706308171.post-15830242706864060912012-04-11T08:29:00.000-04:002012-04-11T08:29:00.300-04:00HBC Attempt #3 - Oatmeal Cookies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Every standard cookbook has an Oatmeal Cookie recipe, and the <i>Hershey Bears Cookbook</i> is no exception. Each variant is a bit different - every author or editor likes to include their own little unique bit of flair. My mother's been looking for a good oatmeal cookie recipe for a while, so it seemed like a solid idea to test this one out. It looks like I'll be able to put her out of her misery.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAhYubdq7C1YqV_NNsmDeRCTxcGWH7DR6LTXIPRoiVO0Bsj7URQavEZj1YQhzv_ZNtv0mTjQ-kxbH-6KJWNCfxulBrfPlSa_wss_0sBVGrc1Ov9hBLrwyYEVRdbr5CpeJVIbDQfigrDvwa/s1600/IMG_6596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAhYubdq7C1YqV_NNsmDeRCTxcGWH7DR6LTXIPRoiVO0Bsj7URQavEZj1YQhzv_ZNtv0mTjQ-kxbH-6KJWNCfxulBrfPlSa_wss_0sBVGrc1Ov9hBLrwyYEVRdbr5CpeJVIbDQfigrDvwa/s400/IMG_6596.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oatmeal Cookies (HBC-Style)</td></tr>
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The recipe is credited to <a href="http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=76852">Patrick McNeill</a>, one of the current stars of the Hershey defense department.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>Notes:</b> In general, it's a very straight-forward recipe. The only noticeable thing that was left out was the size of cookies/dough to place in the oven. I went with 2 inch / 5cm diameter flattened discs (before baking).<br />
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They bake up beautifully in exactly the specified time (10 minutes), but you're going to want to let them cool on the pan for about 5 minutes after you take them out of the oven before attempting to move them to a cooling rack. It takes that long for them to harden up - otherwise, you'll end up with mangled cookies. They still taste good, but don't present (or pack) nearly as well.<br />
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<b>Substitutions:</b> The basic dough is well enough balanced/mild enough that you can work in just about any small piece dried fruit if you're not a raisin fan. I ended up using dried cranberries (I swear, I have raisins <i>somewhere</i>), and they tasted great.<br />
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<b>Yield: </b>I ended up with 39 cookies, and I suspect with a bit of judicious standardization I could have ended up with 40. Minimum ballpark is 3 dozen 3"/8cm cookies.</div>M. Richterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17530114975817115934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366290333706308171.post-8974100342542673552012-04-10T00:30:00.002-04:002012-04-10T00:40:58.451-04:00HBC Attempt #2 - Skillet BBQ Chicken Pasta<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After a weekend in Hershey with a friend, I took today as a recovery day. In the interests of getting <i>something</i> done, I pulled out the HBC and tried to figure out what I had the ingredients to make. I ended up with this:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3fQlQ5RF1RhygfOEOOGsTlu0AsGZXGLSBO5b_yArXVxSss8FuQ4ILA7amGsBp3xQIQarKVPnk2HA0XZZvsQFRnPpab_cfMyA5jFVgafQ14_N2tkHK-nsU19idfKfZcSsUnaTPSvYBRKyP/s1600/IMG_6595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3fQlQ5RF1RhygfOEOOGsTlu0AsGZXGLSBO5b_yArXVxSss8FuQ4ILA7amGsBp3xQIQarKVPnk2HA0XZZvsQFRnPpab_cfMyA5jFVgafQ14_N2tkHK-nsU19idfKfZcSsUnaTPSvYBRKyP/s400/IMG_6595.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skillet BBQ Chicken Pasta (side of lemon broccoli)</td></tr>
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Submitted to the cookbook by <a href="http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=98024">Tomas Kundratek</a>, most recently the winner of the <a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/2012/04/09/want-to-win-an-award-on-the-bears-join-twitter/">Milton Barland Award</a> for Best Defensemen on the 2011-2 Hershey Bears.<br />
<a name='more'></a>One of the best parts of this recipe is that it's complete & well laid out. Steps, ingredients, etc are all clearly indicated, and it's very simple to get from A to Done.<br />
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The only substitution I made was cream cheese for sour cream, and that was a result of necessity due to the current state of my fridge. It worked out fine, though required a bit more time to melt & mix properly into the sauce.<br />
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On the issue of batch size, I made a half the recommended quantity, and it was enough for three meals. The recipe is conveniently scaled so that halving it doesn't require complicated math - everything is either half or whole measures. A full batch should feed six normal people (or three athletes/teenaged boys).<br />
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Serving Note: This is a dish which <i>screams</i> for a healthy side dish. I went with lemon broccoli, but anything green and easy on the sauce (preferably something acidic, or at least low in fat) should go well with it.</div>M. Richterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17530114975817115934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366290333706308171.post-27929056041665954062012-04-06T17:58:00.000-04:002012-04-10T00:40:45.373-04:00HBC Attempt #1 - White Cake & Berries<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A few nights ago, I started my cookbook project with <i>White Cake & Berries </i>(source: <a href="http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=89528">Kevin Marshall</a>, defenseman acquired in February via trade with the <a href="http://www.phantomshockey.com/">Adirondack Phantoms</a>). <br />
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General Verdict - Success.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh61Y5shKhua_UWMvlc2Qb417huo5JYSAV-8aWoOe0F4CtX7Hcd2LHYxI9EA9MXxf_74JTvXYcdKqssvlPYKw7wHlZZmAcQ5jX3n9oUrkQ9q-rVXrrzeGcp6olmAKq8PEthM13SLPa4ACmU/s1600/IMG_4513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh61Y5shKhua_UWMvlc2Qb417huo5JYSAV-8aWoOe0F4CtX7Hcd2LHYxI9EA9MXxf_74JTvXYcdKqssvlPYKw7wHlZZmAcQ5jX3n9oUrkQ9q-rVXrrzeGcp6olmAKq8PEthM13SLPa4ACmU/s400/IMG_4513.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2 slices of cake, from opposing orientations.</td></tr>
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<a name='more'></a>Despite a typo in the recipe (it's missing a measurement indicator when it comes to milk, so it just reads "1/2"), it turned out to be a good quality small-batch white cake recipe. It's not too sweet, which balances well with the blueberries the batter was poured over before baking.<br />
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While it came right out of the pan after about 10 minutes of cooling, I recommend serving it from the pan rather than inverting it onto a plate - especially if serving it warm. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was actually better the next morning, once the cooked blueberries had a chance to set up a little in the fridge.<br />
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Might try it with raspberries next time - I suspect it will work well with just about any kind of fruit - but definitely tagging it good regardless.</div>
</div>M. Richterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17530114975817115934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366290333706308171.post-89243266885785596212012-04-05T01:40:00.000-04:002012-04-05T02:01:38.704-04:00Culinary Adventures, AHL-Style (A Summer Project)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last weekend, the Hershey Bears Wives & Girlfriends <a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/2012/04/03/bears-wives-girlfriends-cooking-up-success/">put the first batch of a 2011-2 Bears Cookbook on sale</a>. They're selling another (larger) batch this coming weekend, for a total of 800. If you're handy in the kitchen, there are some interesting recipes included (and it's fun to flip through and try to infer things from who submitted what (or got their wife/mother to submit for them)). However, many of them are a bit light on the instructions, so an idea of what you're doing is essential.<br />
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I've been needing to get more active in the kitchen - it's relaxing, and you always feel like you've accomplished something at the end of the day. Enough of the recipes in the cookbook looked like fun that I'm embarking on a summer project that's only peripherally related to hockey- I'm going to cook my way through the book. I'll have to give away large portions of the dessert batches at work, but it'll be worth it if I come away with a few good "keeper" recipes. Not a <u>Julie & Julia</u> situation, just someone intrigued by the idea of Czech Crepes and Death By Garlic.<br />
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I'll be recording the results here (including photos), though not the recipes themselves - if you want those, you need to pick up the cookbook yourself. I figure it'll give me something to do with this blog that's reasonably light content and still forces me to update regularly. I was recently promoted to Co-Editor over on <a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/">Capitals Outsider</a>, and that was the final straw when it comes to throwing up my hands over here. I had a couple of "serious" posts that I'd been planning to post, most notably relating to You Can Play, but it looks like that's also going to end up on Caps Outsider for practical reasons.<br />
<br />
There will still be odds & ends relating to women's league/officiating/off-ice officiating & rink administration, because I need a place to air opinions and beer league anecdotes that's not my primary press gig. There may be the occasional well-researched odds & ends, but (like Other_M_Ann) this is shifting over toward more personal and less professional. I've got 2 weeks off from the rink due to the break in seasons, and I'm going to use it to update/clean up the aesthetics, tags, format, etc here on RTC.<br />
<br />
Thanks (as always) to any who've wandered through!</div>M. Richterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17530114975817115934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366290333706308171.post-54249449835280768882012-03-25T12:18:00.001-04:002012-03-25T12:18:19.757-04:00We All Need the Occasional Break<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I spend a lot of my life around hockey.<br />
<br />
My day job is in hockey, my portfolio-building media work is primarily in hockey, I volunteer with special hockey (although not nearly as often as I'd like), and I periodically bemoan the fact that I need to start working games as an on-ice official more regularly. You could say I don't get out much.<br />
<br />
As a result, I try to make a point of doing *something* non-hockey every once in a while to give my mind a break. Well, I intend to. It doesn't always happen as often as I'd like. But after Friday night's game, I stopped at the theater next to Verizon Center and saw <u>The Hunger Games</u>. I don't expect the film will win an Oscar, but it was definitely worth my $12 for the mental vacation.<br />
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Granted, between work & other-work, I'm particularly buried at the moment. On the journalism side of things, I'm in the midst of a five games in seven nights stretch (3 Hershey, 2 Capitals). <a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/2012/03/25/in-hershey-the-biggest-news-is-off-the-ice-still-beat-charlotte-though/">Hershey's won</a> <a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/2012/03/22/hershey-takes-down-st-johns-but-everyones-here-for-the-freebies/">both so far</a>; <a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/2012/03/23/winnipeg-walks-with-two-capitals-need-a-breather/">Washington lost to the Jets</a> just to keep things interesting. My gut feeling is that the Caps will make the playoffs, but half the fanbase will have ulcers by the time they get eliminated (that being said, I'm a firm believer that second season is a fresh start, so... Anything can happen, if you make it in the door).<br />
<br />
On the rec hockey side of things, playoffs kicked off last Sunday. That means higher tensions amongst the teams, and OT/Shootouts in the games. Cue running behind schedule for two weeks straight, and a boatload of roster-related headaches. It's always fun explaining to an angry man in full hockey gear how the rules clearly state something, and are available online for ALL TO SEE, so yes, it applies to him, too.<br />
<br />
*Sigh* People.<br />
<br />
So the movie was totally good for me, even if it meant being out until 3AM on Friday night. I've picked up a copy of the trilogy, since I'm curious to see how well the source material handled the medium-crossing. If I can actually sit down and get a chance to read, I should be done with it in a few days. We'll see.<br />
<br />
In defense of my late night out, Saturday was my first chance at sleeping in for over a week. My roommate's been sick-and-living-on-the-couch ever since she got back into town last Sunday, and thus she's been trashing my normal schedule by existing (it sounds petty. It might be. But she kept trying to be nice and adjust the household schedule in ways that weren't actually as helpful as they seemed, and as a result I'm behind on both sleep and <i>everything else</i>).<br />
<br />
Cue the perpetual sprint to catch up with life. Take 37. Hope things are treating the rest of you well!</div>M. Richterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17530114975817115934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366290333706308171.post-66801662840352603252012-03-05T20:24:00.001-05:002012-03-05T20:41:32.747-05:00Attempting to Catch Up On Life (AHL, ECHL, Personal)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Every so often, I start losing time in my life. It drives me nuts.<br />
<br />
Drop a week here, skip a day there - it always adds up faster than it should. It's something I've struggled with since my second & third concussions, and it gets worse when I work a 7-day schedule. Then, the days <i>really</i> blur together. 14 days without a breather of any kind didn't do great things to my sanity, I'll admit that. A lot has gone on in the 6 weeks since I've poked my head out of the sand here on RTC, and most of it has been good.<br />
<br />
I'm well aware that I've missed my shot at going into detail regarding many of the events in the recent period, so instead I'll sum things up below the jump. Contemporary thoughts will be forthcoming separately.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6803010221_a91b46536d_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6803010221_a91b46536d_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris Bourque, Keith Aucoin, & Boyd Kane of Team East.<br />
All Photos Credit: M. Richter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b>AHL All Star Classic: Check</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">.</span></b></div>
- Attended on behalf of <a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/">Capitals Outsider</a>, and published several follow-up articles for them on the event (<a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/2012/01/29/the-ahl-all-star-skills-competition-in-a-nutshell/">Skills Comp</a>, <a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/2012/01/30/ahl-all-star-game-full-of-surprises/">Game</a>, <a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/2012/02/01/warning-may-contain-mascots-ahl-asg-edition/">Mascots!</a>). Great to see 3 <a href="http://www.hersheybears.com/">Hershey Bears</a> in the lineup (see photo @ left).<br />
- Got some great shots at both the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/m_ann/sets/72157629208006377/">Skills Competition</a> and the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/m_ann/sets/72157629118664565/">ASG itself</a>.<br />
- <a href="http://msconduct10.blogspot.com/">Ms. Conduct</a> used one of my <a href="http://www.aeros.com/">Aeros</a> shots for <a href="http://www.hockeywilderness.com/2012/2/1/2763727/houston-hotdish-its-grind-time-boys">an article over on Hockey Wilderness</a>!<br />
- Recorded a guest appearance on the <a href="http://www.pppshow.net/">Power Play Post-Show</a> (thanks, guys!)<br />
- Met some fantastic people, both professionals and fans.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7185/6868220195_2bc832e204_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7185/6868220195_2bc832e204_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garrett Mitchell & Christian Hanson compare jersey notes.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Chocolate Covered February: Check.</b></div>
February is always fun times in Hershey, PA - even when the Bears have an off-month and drop five games in a row. Giant Center participates in a town/corporation-wide event that runs throughout the month, distributing chocolate at the end of every Bears home game. <a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/2012/02/04/blood-chocolate-or-something-like-that/">Some games needed it more than others</a>.<br />
<br />
In addition, Hershey does the Specialty Jersey thing with an occasionally disturbing regularity, so there were <a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/2012/02/12/its-valentines-in-hershey-which-means-specialty-jerseys-and-baby-pens/">Hershey Kisses jerseys for Valentine's Day</a>.<br />
<br />
The best news of the month, however, has to be that the <a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/2012/02/05/the-streak-is-broken-the-streak-is-broken/">Bears managed to defeat the WBS Penguins</a> for the first time in 10 games at Giant Center. That win brought an enormous sense of relief, and bought the team a bit of breathing room - something that can never be undervalued in a market that's so accustomed to winning.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7207/6809022900_65f47ca8d9_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7207/6809022900_65f47ca8d9_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Philipp Grubauer, Goaltender Extraordinaire, visited from SC this Sunday.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>ECHL Ridiculousness: Check.</b></div>
The <a href="http://www.stingrayshockey.com/">South Carolina Stingrays</a> made the mainstream media (well, <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/watch-weirdest-goal-courtesy-echl-ref-rulebook-gaffe-222154783.html">Puck Daddy</a>, which is as mainstream as it gets South of the 49th), and over an officiating issue, no less! Also, Philipp Grubauer got called up for this past weekend's segment of the Great Goalie Shuffle (Capitals Edition). He looked very spiffy in his SC Stingrays Mask/Pads & Hershey Jersey!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Personal Hockey: Check.</b></div>
Still a blueliner. My women's team has a mixed record at this point, and since I'm splitting my season I've been hit-or-miss with my own attendance. But we have fun, and that's the main point. Having a bit of an awkward stretch of luck right now, in that that every time I have a game on this one particular rink I end up injured. First, I busted my tailbone (bone bruises? Not so awesome). Then last week I caught a hip check wrong and nailed my head on the boards going down. Ended up with a low-grade concussion, which was just what I needed this month.<br />
<br />
At least I've had enough to know the signs, and how to handle it in the aftermath. It's never a good thing when you realize you can't function with the TV on quietly in the background, or that the headaches you've been chewing Advil over aren't <i>just</i> a result of exhaustion & muscle strain. That's mostly better, at least, but it was definitely a factor in me falling off the grid so atrociously.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Overall Status: Swamped, But Surviving.</b></div>
AHL Clear Day today, NHL Trade Deadline last Monday, Playoffs starting in just over a month. I'd say I'm hoping things will calm down a bit, but I like to at least pretend to be a realist. So let's be honest, I'll settle for no major personal life crises.<br />
<br />
Oh, and for Tuukka Rask's groin/abdominal issue to be resolved ASAP - that would be fantastic. [/Momentary Lapse Into Fandom]</div>M. Richterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17530114975817115934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366290333706308171.post-50970668614661207172012-01-18T17:22:00.002-05:002012-01-18T17:24:35.520-05:00A Few Much Less Serious Thoughts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
To balance out my somewhat wandering ramble about rule standardization, discretionary enforcement, and the drawbacks of a volunteer organization, I present a brief roundup of my last few weeks. Relevant publication links included.<br />
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<b>ECHL:</b><br />
The <a href="http://www.stingrayshockey.com/">South Carolina Stingrays</a> have had a fantastic road trip, sweeping the last six of seven games over a ten day period. I had the chance to <a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/2012/01/16/south-carolina-stingrays-v-the-world-the-winner-sc-stingrays-boom/">catch them up in Reading</a>, and it was well worth the drive. It was great to see the guys play in person, and it's amazing what <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/m_ann/sets/72157628921304561/">spending 4 hours editing photos</a> can do for facial recognition (sadly, this was after-the-fact, so I still ended up asking Joe Pereira if he'd seen any of the Caps prospects wandering around while having no idea who he was).<br />
<br />
Reading hosted a small crowd, as I'm lead to believe is the norm. It's the smallest arena I've been in for a professional event to date, but I had a good time everything was very well run given what they had to work with.<br />
<br />
I also had a chance to speak with their coach, Spencer Carbery, and was very impressed with what he had to say about the domino effect in minor league hockey (article on the subject will be going up on <a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/">Capitals Outsider</a> eventually, but it could be a while).<br />
<br />
In short, my affection for the ECHL has grown, and I'm just incredibly glad I could swing the Monday trip. For articles over at CO regarding the 'Rays, <a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/category/stingrays/">click here</a><br />
<br />
<b>AHL:</b><br />
The <a href="http://www.hersheybears.com/">Hershey Bears</a> are also continuing to have a good stretch, leading up to the AHL's All Star Game. They've been winning since they lost the Outdoor Classic in OT, and this Friday night's game will be their first back in action since a win last Saturday in Binghamton. My plans just got thrown into flux due to a death in the family, but I'm slated to be in Hershey for both Saturday and Sunday's games against Manchester at the moment.<br />
<br />
For recent articles over at CO regarding the Bears, <a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/category/hershey-bears/">click here</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>Life:</b><br />
Has been busy, between the day job at the rink and the occasional bouts of press work. I'm finding that the older I get, the less well I tolerate cold, although it could just be a side-effect of ending up on the rink with wet hair regularly.<br />
<br />
Women's league has been solid, albeit my natural talent for injuries seems to be shining through again. Have a likely bruised bone, and some soft-tissue damage that amounts to "I didn't break my butt, I just busted it." Suffice it to say, it's been a fun week.</div>M. Richterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17530114975817115934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366290333706308171.post-84765353416462538592012-01-18T14:45:00.000-05:002012-01-18T16:58:00.637-05:00A Thought on the Minnesota Rule Changes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In fallout to the injuries suffered by Jack Jablonski, the <a href="http://www.mshsl.org/">MSHSL</a> (the league governing the game where the incident occurred) made several rule changes - <a href="http://www.kare11.com/news/article/956648/396/MSHSL-announces-stiffer-penalties-for-hockey-hits">minors have become mandatory majors for boarding, checking from behind, and head contact.</a> Along with the changes, several parties involved with the change have called out USA Hockey and suggested the changes should be implemented on a national level.<br />
<br />
<b>Note: </b>After more research than I'd honestly intended to put into an off-the-cuff thoughts post, I still am unable to determine whether MSHSL hockey games are run via the USA Hockey rulebook or have a completely separate set of legislation (or USA Hockey + Supplement, which is how many leagues handle these things). Given the enforcement standards cited in news articles relating to the rule change, the implication is that they operate independently of USA Hockey while many of their players maintain dual-affiliation. Under USA Hockey's current rulebook, Checking from Behind is EITHER a 2 & 10 (minor plus misconduct) or a 5 & Game (major + game misconduct). A Match Penalty can also be assessed. It is not "only" a 2 & 10.<br />
<br />
The intention behind the changes is good, and it's exactly the kind of reactionary legislation one might expect in the current situation. "Someone got hurt because we left this on the table as an optional minor, or we had a gap in our rules, so let's make it clear to coaches and players that the act isn't worth the risk. If we change the cost/benefit ratio, players will stop doing it."<br />
<br />
The problem is that it's not going to work, at least not the way it's intended to, and those making noises in USA Hockey's direction seem to be missing the point that the USA Hockey system is designed to allow referees discretionary authority while still building in the stronger punishments.<br />
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<b>The Why's:</b><br />
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For one thing, turning something into a major penalty (even with a mandatory game misconduct) doesn't remove it from the game, it just changes the frustration or desperation level required before a player executes the act. If pumping up the penalties was all it took to eliminate an offensive action, both fighting and spearing would be non-existent in most leagues.<br />
<br />
I'm not saying that the consequences for certain actions shouldn't be steep - "Intent to Injure" and "Resulting in Injury" are two phrases that referees would love to eliminate from their repertoire, and most are perfectly comfortable handing out majors and (when warranted) match penalties if they feel necessary.<br />
<br />
The problem is that if you take away the referee's discretionary authority by making an item a mandatory major, you're going to see calls for those infractions drop off while behavior remains unchanged. There has always been a fair amount of subjectivity in calls made on the ice; it's a result of on-ice officials being human and also the practical realities of keeping a game moving. I've seen a game in which every single minor penalty was called: it ran 30 minutes over its alloted ice time, and at the conclusion of the last round of penalties <i>both</i> <i>teams</i> should have forfeited due to the 15-Penalty rule.<br />
<br />
Something that exacerbates the issue in the MSHSL situation is that when one reaches the high school level there's a portion of on-ice infractions that simply don't get called. I worked a series of U16 and U18 tournament games earlier this fall as an off-ice official, and got the same comments from pretty much every officiating pair who came through my box - it's U16/U18, the game moves fast and things are going to get missed.<br />
<br />
Add to that the fact that a major can often be a game-changing penalty, and the result is going to be more minors for "interference" and less majors for "boarding." This is going to be more strikingly evident when one factors in the involuntary/non-intent component of a call for head-contact. I see a lot of referees in my "day" job, and most are willing to give players the benefit of the doubt when no injury occurs as a result of an incident. Case in point, I've seen a half dozen incidents where players have removed their helmets and cages in an altercation, but only once has a match penalty been assessed.<br />
<br />
It's a little different at the HS level, especially somewhere like Minnesota which has such a strong development program, but even with higher skill-sets accidents happen more often than any of us would like.<br />
<br />
By the time officials are working high school games, they're expected to have a minimum level of experience under their belt, and to its credit, Minnesota is one of the regions in the USAH system that is most adherent to the guidelines and regulations put forth by the organization. That being said, at a certain point a league needs to trust its officials to make the right call in a situation. The more severe penalties for Checking from Behind (608), Boarding (603), and Head Contact (620) have been on the books for years at this point. Referees can and do apply them as they see fit.<br />
<br />
If the problem is a lack of faith in the discretionary abilities of the on-ice officials in a given situation, then there's a far more serious issue going on here. USA Hockey <i>is</i> at times lax about the regulation of its officials, but the practical reason behind that boils down to a lack of resources. The majority of those involved in training, organizing, and overseeing the USA Hockey officials pool are volunteers - at best, they're reimbursed for expenses incurred during the performance of their duties, and most don't even receive that. They do the best with what they have, and they give up their nights and weekends to make it work.<br />
<br />
Are there holes in the system? Most definitely. Any bureaucracy has problems, and one made up of volunteers tends to be worse because there's the looming concern that if you drive someone away there may not be a warm body to take their place. But my concern with the MSHSL rule changes is that they mask the bigger problems, giving the impression that stiffening penalties will "fix" the basic situation which resulted in Jack Jablonski's injuries. Hockey is a complex sport, and the solutions to making it safer are going to require more than a few extra minutes in the penalty box.</div>M. Richterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17530114975817115934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366290333706308171.post-21258688823884798832011-12-31T12:46:00.002-05:002011-12-31T13:22:17.141-05:00I Feel Like We've Had This Discussion Before...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
One of the biggest problems I run into with self-motivated online publication is juggling a few too many balls, because the minute that something I owe <i>someone else</i> comes due, my own for-fun projects go out the window. While RTC isn't exactly for fun, it's also not published on a deadline for the people who provide my credentials (or related to my paycheck), so it drops down the list like a stone.<br />
<br />
I apologize for that - not for the priority allocation, but for having been naive enough to try to set timetables when I was still unsure how many things I was juggling in my life. That's calmed down, and I know what the next year and change is likely to bring, so I'm in a much better place to address it now.<br />
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<b>Resolutions!</b><br />
I'm trying to be good about only making resolutions that I'm likely to keep (some years, I just forgo the whole process because I'm so busy around the Gregorian calendar shift). Therefore, one of my few resolutions for the coming year involves getting myself onto a regular posting schedule over here. The others involve opening my mouth in the locker room more than I do now (read: not at all) and putting together a brag sheet to accompany RTC. In honor of what dragged me into sports media in the first place, the "organized and presentable" date for the blog overhaul is ASG weekend.<br />
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<b>Written Words!</b><br />
I'd do a link dump and cross-promotion, but I think there's some ridiculously high number of new entries up over on <a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/">Capitals Outsider</a> since the last time I did one of those. Therefore, if you'd like to catch up on what I've been doing in minors coverage, <a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/author/mrichter">you can find it here</a>.<br />
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<b>Pictures!</b><br />
I also picked up a new camera at a Black Friday sale, so I'm slowly branching into some better quality photography to go with the Bears & Stingrays coverage. I'll be getting things better organized with that, as well, over the next few weeks. But for the moment, general Caps & Bears photos can be found in a pseudo-organized clump over on my flickr: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/m_ann">M_Ann</a>.<br />
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Hope everything has been going well around the blogosphere, and a Happy Gregorian New Year to anyone who happens to stumble across this blog before the next post goes up!</div>M. Richterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17530114975817115934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366290333706308171.post-7684668871700551462011-11-03T20:25:00.000-04:002011-12-31T12:55:32.278-05:00Monthly Link Dump: Up & At 'Em in Hershey<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
For the record, home renovation kills way more of your life than you ever think it will. I cannot put into words how happy I am to have a working washroom again.<br />
<br />
In more interesting news, I just concluded my first month of minors coverage with <a href="http://www.capitalsoutsider.com/">Capitals Outsider</a>. For geographical reasons, that means I'm spending quite a bit of time up in Hershey (and following the Stingrays at a distance).<br />
<br />
<b>Obligatory Monthly Link-dump:</b><br />
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Thusfar in Hershey they've managed to:<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/2011/10/16/the-problem-with-streaking/">Break their 3 game start of season winning streak</a> (it had to happen, and all three Caps organization teams managed to do it on the same night)</li>
<li><a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/2011/10/23/remember-the-rivals-hershey-edition/">Even out their rivalry with the baby!Pens for the season</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://theahl.com/stats/official-game-report.php?game_id=1008731">Win for the first time at home at the one game I couldn't attend</a> (not actually an article, but I had to mention this on basic principle)</li>
<li><a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/2011/10/30/hershey-goes-pink-with-surprisingly-good-taste/">And then they went pink</a>.</li>
</ul>
<div>
In addition, the Caps have proven Hockey 'N Heels <a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/2011/10/27/hockey-n-heels-hottest-ticket-in-town/">even more popular than it was last year</a>, and the <a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/2011/10/11/la-kings-hit-the-ice-in-laurel-maryland-wait-what/">LA Kings came to town</a>.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Got a couple of Community Hockey posts in the pipeline with <a href="http://www.pucknhockey.com/">Puck 'N Hockey</a>, so expect legitimate action on that front again in the near future as well.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
In officiating news, the good men and women at <a href="http://www.usahockey.com/">USA Hockey</a> have apparently lost their minds, and I received notice that I passed my closed book test and have been moved up to Level 2 this year. I foresee death and destruction.</div>
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</div>M. Richterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17530114975817115934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366290333706308171.post-13422910844568834052011-10-06T18:35:00.002-04:002011-12-31T12:56:19.736-05:00Getting Into the Spirit<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Happy Hockey Season, Folks! It's been (almost exactly) a month since my last post over here.<br />
<br />
It's a really good thing that a solid portion of the content over here to date is just me thinking aloud and/or posting data for my own edification, or I might worry about my pageviews. That will be changing a bit with this fall, regular posts and less abstract rambling, but I'll save the off-the-wall flash for Caps Outsider.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
In preparation for the oncoming storm known as the NHL season (KHL, Elitserien, and SM-Liiga are all well underway), I've been trying to clear out the "real life" elements of my life as much as possible. Things like renewing/upgrading my USA Hockey status, joining a women's team for the fall/winter season, and restructuring my work hours so that I can make it to half the games in Hershey this season.<br />
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There was also a brief driving trip up to Halifax in the mix which ate up a significant portion of September. While there, I managed to not only adopt a Q team (the Mooseheads, much to my Moncton(region)-dwelling-father's dismay), but also catch their season home opener against Acadie-Bathurst. <br />
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The gig with <a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/">Capitals Outsider</a> is going well, even if I have been contributing slightly less-often than I would have liked over the last month. I'll be handling their minor league coverage, with an emphasis on the quirky view. Primarily the <a href="http://www.hersheybears.com/">Hershey Bears</a>, but expect the occasional nod to the <a href="http://www.stingrayshockey.com/">South Carolina Stingrays</a> as well.<br />
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The gig with <a href="http://pucknhockey.com/">Puck 'N Hockey</a> will be starting up again now that I'm not functionally dead on the internet. I miss doing the Community Hockey Beat, and with work settling down I should be able to track and post a bit more of the "community" side of things, rather than simply "the Caps did X, Y, Z this month."<br />
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In addition, I'm going to be pulling together those nebulous posts on specific officiating issues that I mentioned in passing over the summer. Proposed topics include:<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>When is a penalty not a penalty? - Rule variances in USA Hockey, Hockey Canada, NCAA & the IIHF</li>
<li>Rule Changes - Proposed & Executed</li>
<li>3 vs. 4 man officiating crews (Pros, Cons, and of course - MONEY)</li>
<li>Top 10 questions I've been asked while working as a beer league scorekeeper.</li>
</ul>
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<br />
If you have a question about officiating, feel free to drop a line in the comments of any of my posts and I'll be happy to pull together an explanation.<br />
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The only thing that I'm not likely to be launching into in the near future is Brendan Shanahan's suspensions - those are receiving plenty of attention on their own, and so far he's done a great job of explaining the reasoning involved behind his decisions (even if he's already inching from "pained" to "tormented" on the awkwardly-serious-expressions scale). Or, well, I'm just going to make my comment here and then leave it to the bigger and flashier names.<br />
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Having heard Shanny speak on the subject of officiating and enforcement at CapsCon, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. He's more than earned himself enough rope to hang himself, though I sincerely hope he uses the leeway for better purposes. As someone who has spent significant portions of my life in a government town, I am 100% behind any legitimate effort toward transparency.<br />
<br />
Like the 12 year old Pee-Wees who spent last season embracing the body-check down here South of the 49th, it's going to take time for those in the elite levels to reorient themselves to changing standards. With (a lot of) luck, by the time we reach the All Star Game the flood of Shanahan videos will have slowed to a trickle. Time will tell.</div>M. Richterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17530114975817115934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366290333706308171.post-68757740679125953052011-09-07T15:57:00.000-04:002012-04-05T01:43:25.347-04:00The Bear with the Ax (Tragedy in the Golden Ring)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
One year and two weeks ago, I was in Yaroslavl.<br />
<br />
It's a beautiful place, one of the golden ring cities outside of Mockba, and almost exactly a year ago they celebrated their 1000th anniversary as a city.<br />
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Today their KHL team, <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14822582">локомотив, was involved in a horrifying plane crash</a>. 43 confirmed dead, 2 in critical-not-likely-to-survive condition. The team included notable players from a half-dozen countries, many well-known from their days with the NHL. Their coach was a former Assistant Coach to the Red Wings. I'm not being deliberately coy of the identities of those involved, but there are already plenty of <a href="http://ru-hockey.livejournal.com/1337944.html">lists of the dead </a>circulating. There's no point in my echoing them.<br />
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For those on the outside, it's hard to describe the way that hockey really *is* a small and tightly knit community. There are roughly 500,000 players registered above the 49th parallel & another 500K below. Players often start at the age of 3-4, traveling more as skill levels increase and making friends along the way. Some players cross oceans to attend summer training programs or join Junior teams that will give them the best chances at furthering a career. Again, friends are made.<br />
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Professional players are consistently involved in local communities, to the point where the NHL uses philanthropy as a marketing slogan ("The Biggest Assist is Off the Ice"). Captains and coaches are well known faces and influences, and children involved in the hockey community draw their heroes from the sport have a wide variety of options. An encounter with a player - especially a favored player - is a brush with greatness, and those are memories that don't fade. It's hard to forget someone you idolized at five or ten or even fifteen. If you live in an NHL or AHL or ECHL town, coaches and general managers and front office staff play at your local rinks and their children play at your local rinks.<br />
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The point I'm getting at here, rather roundabout as the journey may be, is that all of us in the community are touched by today's events. We cheer for players who lost friends and former teammates. We ourselves lost role models and national symbols. If you're in the hockey community, there was a friend-of-a-friend on that plane.<br />
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This is why the tragedy strikes so hard, I think. Because when everybody knows everybody, there are no strangers.</div>M. Richterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17530114975817115934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366290333706308171.post-38329632436396721162011-09-01T21:05:00.000-04:002011-12-31T12:57:21.510-05:00The Burden of Protection - Head Trauma from the Far Side<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
First, the prerequisite link: New post over at <a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/">Capitals Outsider</a> today - <a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/2011/08/31/the-lesser-known-caps-in-the-system-two-of-two/">The Lesser-Known Caps in the System [2/2]</a>.<br />
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Today's post was originally going to be on the topic of the NHL's summer R&D camp, but that's been pushed back a few days. Instead, since a large portion of the hockey community is debating how soon is too soon to use Wade Belak's death as the launching point for a Fighting Discussion, I'll be touching on the last great source of public outcry: Head Trauma. And because this blog looks at hockey with an emphasis on the officials involved, I'll be focusing on the role of on-ice officials in the rule changes that have been rolled out over the last year.<br />
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<br />
<a name='more'></a>To be clear, there's nothing laudable about Wade Belak's death (or the two well-publicized deaths earlier this summer). And I'm certainly not against discussion about fighting/drawbacks-thereof in the professional sphere (or <a href="http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/41637-Proteau-The-reality-behind-hockey-players.html">the impact of the professional hockey lifestyle upon players</a>) - information and idea exchange is always a good thing, so long as the parties involved are actually willing to both talk and listen. I'm just concerned that there will be a great deal of idealistic shouting and very little actual exchange.<br />
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So instead, I'm going to touch upon the last NHL-level flashpoint topic. One that continues to be relevant in light of yesterday's announcement that <a href="http://www.boston.com/sports/hockey/bruins/articles/2011/09/01/savard_not_expected_to_play_this_year_career_in_doubt/">Marc Savard will not be playing this fall</a> with the Bruins (and majority opinion favours his eventual retirement without a return to the lineup). Sidney Crosby's brain is a topic of continual debate, both in the Pittsburgh press and the wider media. And the discussion has spilled over into the amateur arena.<br />
<br />
I'll admit - the topic of head trauma is near and dear to my heart. As a varsity athlete in high school back in the years before the <a href="http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/290/19/2549.full">major studies</a> in <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101105153213.htm">youth concussions</a> were released, I took more than a few knocks to the noggin. Almost a decade later, I still suffer secondary symptoms from the incidents - I lose track of time, I have days where I don't process multiple input streams at full capacity, and there are portions of my childhood that I can't reliably recall. Thus, I tend to keep an eye on studies and policy changes relating to the athlete's brain, youth and adult.<br />
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This year, rule changes have been approved for both the major North American amateur hockey organization. As the fall season gets underway, <a href="http://www.usahockey.com/">USAHockey</a> is implementing <a href="http://www.usahockey.com//Template_Usahockey.aspx?NAV=ET_03&ID=299508">new body-checking policies</a> and <a href="http://www.hockeycanada.ca/">Hockey Canada</a> has recently adopted a <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2011/05/29/sp-hockey-canada-headshots.html">zero-tolerance policy</a> regarding head shots. For better or worse, officiating will play a major role in determining their effectiveness, and the job isn't getting any easier.<br />
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As most athletes (and spectators) are aware, officiating intentionally varies in strictness from level to level. When refereeing mites, for example (Canadian or American), refs are advised to call all penalties because at that age it's about players learning what they're doing. C or D-Leagues are the same way - there are certainly intentional infractions, but most hooking, tripping, and interference incidents are complete accidents relating to lack of skill and experience on the part of the skaters. What gets called (or doesn't) guides players in their development, and they learn boundaries in the practical sense instead of simply the theoretical.<br />
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When you get into the advanced levels - travel AA and AAA, juniors, NCAA and professional teams - officiating becomes more about controlling the game and judging intent. Some penalties are automatic (too many men, for example), but the subjectivity in calls increases and there's more of a leaning towards letting teams "play hockey." It's a nebulous concept, and opinion varies widely on both sides of the stripes just where particular lines should be drawn - How late is too late after a play? How much does intent matter when a blow to the head occurs? What constitutes Intent to Injure? How much do you let slide because otherwise you'll have to throw both players in the box?<br />
<br />
Development Camp for the Caps this summer proved an interesting (and unexpected) illustration of these differences in accepted levels of enforcement. Three different crews of officials worked the scrimmages held over the course of the week. Of those, one crew was singled out by Coach Boudreau for not calling enough penalties. Ironically, the crew taken to task was also the only one to be made up of officials with AHL/ECHL-level experience. Coincidence? Possibly, but it still serves to highlight the differences in the approach to enforcement in the professional and amateur leagues.<br />
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The NHL has <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=5027092">upgraded their own policies on head shots</a>, adding clarification and opening the door for more consistent supplemental discipline. These rule changes are likely to trickle down to the lower-level professional leagues as well, though with varying degrees of autonomy for the officials overseeing the games.<br />
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It's hard to say what impact the new rules will have in the coming season. Stiffer penalties on paper are certainly a step in the right direction when it comes to curbing injuries, but only when there's consistency of enforcement behind them - something that the NHL was notoriously bad about under the Campbell regime, and something which is difficult to police amongst an officiating body which is primarily volunteer-based such as the USA Hockey officiating districts.<br />
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In and amongst all the talk of punishments and controlling situations, it is also important to remember that some injuries are inevitable. It's a truth that everyone accepts when they sign on for hockey, whether it's with a house C-league or the NHL. Something will be bruised, will be broken, will be sprained. The point of regulation is that we as a group want to see major injuries be the exception rather than the norm.<br />
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That we're having conversations about these issues and that changes are happening on paper is fantastic, it's a step in exactly the right direction. What will be even better is when the changes are absorbed into the culture of hockey - when "Let the boys play" no longer includes an expectation of harm and physical damage. After all, this <i>is</i> hockey - there are plenty of bruises to go around without looking for more.</div>M. Richterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17530114975817115934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366290333706308171.post-17559896335099418402011-08-23T14:40:00.000-04:002011-08-23T14:40:34.199-04:00A Link Dump (in Slightly Snazzier Form)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Getting caught up and back into the swing now that we're coming up on Training Camp, so thought I'd make sure my cross-linking was up to date.<br />
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Since I'm doing my officiating comments and content over here this season, I'll be going live with the first of my weekly posts on the topic September first, looking at this summer's NHL R&D Camp.<br />
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Recent Posts:<br />
<div style="text-align: left;"></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Capitals Outsider: </b></li>
<ul><li><a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/2011/08/20/dcps-beautification-day-is-mascot-disaster-free/">Careful Planning Ensures DCPS Beautification Day is Mascot-Disaster Free!</a></li>
<li><a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/2011/08/14/capitals-development-camp/">The Lesser-Known Caps in the System (1/2)</a><b> </b></li>
</ul><li><b>Puck 'N Hockey:</b></li>
<ul><li><a href="http://pucknhockey.com/2011/08/22/matt-hendricks-star-power-confirmed/">Matt Hendricks: Star Power - Confirmed!</a></li>
</ul></ul>In "real life" changes, I'm now working full time at a single rink (as opposed to splitting my hours between two), which has been part of the lag in getting things settled here at RtC. We're going into playoffs this week for the summer adult leagues, hence why I'm using September 1 as a nice round starting point for the officiating posts.</div>M. Richterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17530114975817115934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366290333706308171.post-58952625590916309222011-07-31T12:52:00.001-04:002012-04-05T01:42:45.079-04:00Fun Facts About USA Hockey - Paperwork Edition<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Fun Fact: If you ever misplace your <a href="http://www.usahockey.com/">USA Hockey</a> number, you can always go to the main website and request a duplicate confirmation. All you need is your last name, DOB, and the zip code where you registered.<br />
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Less-Fun Fact: College team managers apparently tend to register their entire teams at once, and when a player then tries to pull up a duplicate confirmation they have no idea what zip code he or she is registered under.<br />
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Even Less-Fun Fact: USA Hockey is closed on Sundays. This means, among other things, that they do not answer their phones.<br />
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Spent 20 minutes with a young woman today trying to track down her USA Hockey number so that she could sub for a short-benched women's team going into their last playoff game of the season. No dice, of course. Eventually, she opted to just re-register so that she could play today (most USA Hockey affiliated programs won't let you play without proof of membership, because members are covered under USAH's blanket catastrophe insurance, and it avoids all kinds of potential legal headaches).<br />
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Silver Lining of the Day: We were pleasantly surprised to learn that if you register with USAH today, it classifies you as registering in the 2011-2 season. So instead of buying her 31 days of player eligibility, she's now covered through the end of August 2012.<br />
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In related news, ref registration goes live tomorrow for the 2011-2 season, as does seminar/camp enrollment. I'm looking forward to seminar this year, because I'll actually know what I'm doing. It's amazing how much stress that takes out of the training course!</div>M. Richterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17530114975817115934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366290333706308171.post-1919834979596789192011-07-16T20:47:00.006-04:002011-12-31T12:58:16.407-05:00Prospects (in Many Senses of the Word)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
For the past week, the Development Camp for the Washington Capitals has been going on down at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. This means 40 pseudo-teenaged boys descending on the Ballston Commons Mall (a nice counterpoint to the Harry Potter release, which also occurred this past week at the mall).<br />
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I managed to poke my head in for several of the sessions, and for a very brief recap of the camp as a whole:<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<ul>
<li>Garrett Haar comes across as the adorable younger brother we'd all love to have. Thrilled to have him in our system for that alone, but his hockey looks to be coming along as well.</li>
<li>The Russians are still Russian. Both Orlov and Galiev will benefit from more time on the NA ice surface to adjust their style of play, but in general they were fairly solid. Quirks and weaknesses, sure, but that's to be expected. I figure at least one will land in Hershey (although if it's Orlov, pray that he starts channeling his inner stay-at-home. Right now he needs one of those leashes they put on toddlers, just for training purposes). Kugryshev will likely be back in Chocolate Town again, as well.</li>
<li>The big!man!Swede is Swedish. Sjogren was head and shoulders above many of his counterparts at camp (literally, in some cases), but he's not quite the hot shit he's been hyped to be. Not sure where I see him fitting in at the moment, but I'd be surprised if it's in Washington come fall. He'll make good inroads at Training Camp, but he's got a bit to prove before he's going to be holding a FT slot here. Not saying it won't happen, but he'll need a spectacular TC.</li>
<li>Garrett Mitchell has the strongest prairie accent I've heard in a while (it may just be that I've been down here in DC for a few years, but he puts Northern Minnesotans to shame). Just a general observation.</li>
<li>It's always fun when you get BFFs at camp. Both Lockhart & Elliot were invitees this year (and young ones), but I suspect they might be on the list of "young & undrafted" that McPhee's keeping an eye on. For those confused by the BFF comment, the two are teammates on the Seattle Thunderbirds and enjoy long walks on the beach, candle lit dinners, and (oh, right, the real one) tweeting at each other. Although coming out of BC makes the beach comment a distinct possibility as well.</li>
<li><a href="http://ravingsofarinkrebel.blogspot.com/2011/07/tj-syner-makes-up-for-size-with.html">T.J. Syner</a> makes Daniel Briere look like a respectable hockey player in the size department. <a href="http://ravingsofarinkrebel.blogspot.com/2011/07/soberg-shows-off-at-development-camp.html">Steffen Soberg</a> does the same for <a href="http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-hockey/mtt/hunwick_shawn00.html">Shawn Hunwick</a> (okay, that's an exaggeration. But our brand new Norwegian goalie prospect is disconcertingly tiny out of his gear. I suspect his official stats - 5' 11" & 176 - were gathered while he was wearing full gear and skates).</li>
<li>It wasn't until I hit "publish" that I realized Cody Eakin wasn't on the above list. That probably says exactly how much he stood out from the crowd to me on the whole (flaming hair or not), though he did well when on a line with Kugryshev. I think he's got the potential for a fantastic year in Hershey, with a few bounces up to the big club for introductory seasoning.</li>
<li>I fully realize that those reading this are unlikely to know all of the names I referenced above. That's fine, and completely understandable. Half the point of D-Camp is that it's filled with players who have potential, not current name-recognition.</li>
</ul>
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If you're looking for a more detailed breakdown and analysis I recommend you visit either <a href="http://ravingsofarinkrebel.blogspot.com/search/label/2011%20development%20camp">Ravings of a Rink Rebel</a> or my most recent affiliate publication <a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/">Capitals Outsider</a>. My fellow writer <a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/author/alenaschwarz/">Alena Schwarz</a> did a wonderful job of recapping the camp in witticisms. I took just shy of a million pictures over 3 days of camera abuse. Most aren't very good, but anything worth seeing will go up on my Flickr account (along with a link) in the next 7-day as well.<br />
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On that note, I've started working with <a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/">Capitals Outsider</a>! My first post went live on Monday: <a href="http://capitalsoutsider.com/2011/07/11/with-teammates-like-these-2/">With Teammates Like These...</a><br />
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They're a bit more eclectic in content than publications I've worked with before, but hopefully I'll be able to settle into their style soon enough. Expect a follow-up piece or two on D-Camp somewhere within the next few days. I've also posted a couple of pieces for <a href="http://pucknhockey.com/">Puck 'N Hockey</a> in the last month, and will have another upcoming for them as well.<br />
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Things have been busy on this end, and promise to continue to be so, but at least they're getting more stable. Over the next few months, RtC will start carrying a bit more regular officiating-related content, likely bi-weekly articles to start with. It's spillover from my gig with <a href="http://somethingsbruin.net/">Something's Bruin</a>, which is potentially getting restructured this summer. More details as I have them.</div>M. Richterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17530114975817115934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366290333706308171.post-10548193765710513392011-06-28T17:59:00.000-04:002011-07-13T12:40:44.127-04:00Off-Season. Hey, When Did That Happen?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Between picking up a new hockey director at Rink #1 and a general promotion at Rink #2, coupled with running up to Boston for a few playoff games, I fell almost completely off the grid in the last couple of months. I've been working my way back, and unfortunately, RtC was at the bottom of the priority list when it came to catching up and getting the groove back on.<br />
<br />
<b>Life As I Know It:</b><br />
I'm still writing the Community Hockey Beat for <a href="http://pucknhockey.com/">Puck 'N Hockey</a>, and the occasional Officiating Commentary for <a href="http://somethingsbruin.net/">Something's Bruin</a>. I'm still working various levels of management at 2 regional rinks. I'm still logging hours as an off-ice official, and the occasional game as an on-ice official (hopefully to increase with the start of the next season).<br />
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I'm still actively following and cheering for several NHL and AHL teams, albeit at different levels of seriousness. I've even kept up on the draft & trade shenanigans. This year has been a hell of a learning curve for me, but I like to think I've come out the far side a better writer for it.<br />
<br />
<b>What it Means for RtC:</b><br />
I'm legitimately hoping to ease back into a regular posting schedule for RtC over the summer. Surprisingly, the DC Metro Area is rather active when it comes to hockey, so there's always something to talk about. Now that things have settled down in my own life, expect to hear more about them with regularity.<br />
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I'll also be cross-linking articles that go up at SB and PNH, since this is my personal blog for the moment. I may eventually shift things over to Red Line Roughing, but we'll see how that shakes out before I make any concrete decisions.</div>M. Richterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17530114975817115934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366290333706308171.post-5841447130391664132011-04-15T12:19:00.001-04:002011-07-16T21:16:16.951-04:00Two Days, Two Months, Same Difference, Right?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Right after my declaration of intent to get regular posts up and running, I proceeded to get promoted at one of the rinks I work for. They asked me to take over most of the administration for the adult rec leagues, with a new season starting in roughly two weeks.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div>My entire online life (and ability to watch hockey) vanished like the dinosaurs.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div><br />
<a name='more'></a>Right around the time that was settling down (and the sprain in my MCL was finally healing up), I got promoted at the other rink I work at as well. While they're both (mostly) good stress, it's still stress and lost time. I also broke from Formerly-G9 over creative differences (I wasn't the only one). I'm going to be doing team/game commentary again, because I enjoyed it (and it was informative for <i>me</i>), but that won't be starting until late June. At that point, Red Line Roughing should be going live under its own steam.</div></div><div><br />
</div><div>My editors at both <a href="http://pucknhockey.com/">Puck 'N Hockey</a> and <a href="http://somethingsbruin.net/">Something's Bruin</a> have both been incredibly understanding of the mess my life suddenly became. I'm in the process of getting back underway in my work with them, as well.</div><div><br />
</div><div>This blog will continue to function primarily as a hub-spot for my other posted work, as well as a site for interesting rec-league and scorekeeping anecdotes. I appreciate the patience of anyone who still occasionally stops in; aside from the playoffs, there shouldn't be undue drama from this corner in the near future. Just hockey.</div></div>M. Richterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17530114975817115934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366290333706308171.post-69793819685579057262011-02-10T18:23:00.001-05:002011-07-16T21:21:15.808-04:00Time flies, but it sure has fun along the way.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">In my last post (somewhere around the time that dinosaurs were debating the benefits of feathers - Spoiler Alert: Velociraptors taste like chicken!), I mentioned that I had another potential writing gig in the works. I've since confirmed that one, and picked up a third. In between, I strained my MCL, so I've been a benched (and cranky) zebra on top of it all. I believe the concise description would be "busy."<br />
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<b></b><br />
<b><a name='more'></a>The Good News:</b><br />
I've recently been picked up as a contributor for <a href="http://pucknhockey.com/">Puck 'N Hockey</a> and snagged the slot as the Capitals writer for the emerging all-women's <a href="http://www.g9sports.com/">G9 Sports</a> network. I'll be cross-posting links over here as articles go up, so to clear the backlog:<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://pucknhockey.com/2011/01/30/were-building-americas-hockey-capital-but-what-does-that-mean/">We're "Building America's Hockey Capital," but what does that mean?</a> @ <a href="http://pucknhockey.com/">Puck 'N Hockey</a> (last week)</li>
<li><a href="http://pucknhockey.com/2011/02/06/dont-i-know-you-from-somewhere/">Don't I Know You From Somewhere?</a> @ <a href="http://pucknhockey.com/">Puck 'N Hockey</a> (this week)</li>
<li><a href="http://somethingsbruin.net/boston-bruins/features/the-refs-perspective-those-all-stars-theyre-special.html">Those All Stars, They're Special...</a> @ <a href="http://somethingsbruin.net/">Something's Bruin</a></li>
<li><a href="http://g9sports.com/red-line-roughing/2011/02/10/first-impressions-dangers-thereof-and-soapboxes/">First Impressions, Dangers Thereof, and Soapboxes</a> @ <a href="http://g9sports.com/">G9 Sports</a></li>
</ul><div><b>The Less-Good News</b></div><div>Jumping onboard and getting sorted out with all of the above has been hectic, and as a result this blog crashed and burned a bit. However, now that I'm getting settled into a routine and sorting out my posting deadlines, I should have a bit more flexibility when it comes to getting my posts here up. If nothing else, the regular posts to the other blogs will force me to write updates over here just to cross-post the links.</div><div><br />
</div><div><b>Rec League News</b></div><div>Last night we called the paramedics for the first time since I've been working in the scorekeeper's box (certainly not the first injury, but the first one where we've had the not-quite disgruntled firemen come wandering in from the elevators to assess someone's potentially dislocated knee). That was exciting, and to add dark humor to irony, I was in the process of taking an online test for the Emergency Medical Responder class I'm taking precisely on the chance that something like this should happen.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Off to said class now, actually, and then back to the beer leagues. Stay warm!<br />
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<b>Edit: </b>I'm going to be covering the <a href="http://extremerecesscaps.eventbrite.com/">Extreme Recess Hockey</a> Clinic being put on tomorrow by the Washington Capitals and <a href="http://www.dreamsforkids.org/">Dreams for Kids DC</a> for <a href="http://pucknhockey.com/">Puck 'N Hockey</a>. Given my Special Hockey volunteer work, this should be an awesome experience. Looking forward to it!</div></div>M. Richterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17530114975817115934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366290333706308171.post-61294269678816645852011-01-20T13:12:00.000-05:002011-01-21T16:10:26.287-05:00Things I've Done/Things in the Works - 20 January Edition<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">This will probably be a semi-regular feature, as this blog evolves. A combination of link-spam for the articles I've published in the last week on other blogs, known upcoming posts on <i>this</i> blog, and general bits and pieces from my life.<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Things I've Done:</b><br />
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My articles with <a href="http://somethingsbruin.net/">Something's Bruin</a> have started to go up. They're titled "The Ref's POV," and should be publishing on a biweekly basis. The second goes live sometime today: <a href="http://somethingsbruin.net/boston-bruins/features/the-blame-game.html">The Blame Game</a><br />
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Other accomplishments of the week include surviving the Congressional something-or-other without freezing to death (I worked 18 games in 3 days, although only 12 were tournament games), and spending half an hour serving as FAQ for an entire section of the bleachers at Caps practice during my break on Monday.<br />
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I always find those experiences disconcerting, because I'm fairly certain that I don't know all that much (my default Caps game co-attendee always laughs when I say that, because I'm how she keeps up on the hockey world, but there are levels of knowledge).<br />
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To follow up on that experience, last night I had a woman stick her head into my scorebox at 10PM wanting details on Caps practices. Apparently I exude 411 vibes? It's a valid theory - I've been asked for directions by random people on the street in almost every city and country I've visited (the two exceptions being Japan and Egypt).<br />
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<b>Things in the Works:</b><br />
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A "Support/Disprove" post regarding hockey parents, which will serve as a follow up to my initial rambling assessment. As is often the case, more research has proved elements on both sides of the argument.<br />
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Something involving another hockey blog, which I'll say more about once the first entry publishes.</div>M. Richterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17530114975817115934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366290333706308171.post-77937369600673607762011-01-16T10:35:00.001-05:002011-07-16T21:17:07.328-04:00Tournament Time! Hockey Parents, Referees, No Sleep Tonight<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Congressional Something-or-Other Tournament is happening this weekend at one of the rinks I work at, so I'm logging a ridiculous number of extra hours at the scorekeeping gig. It's very different than my normal work, and not just because it's a tournament. I've only peripherally worked with kids games before (and, surprisingly, only ever as a ref). We've got several levels of play represented here, from B to AA-Travel (there's a team that came down from Toronto - 10 hours in a bus), as well as age ranges (Squirt/Atom to Bantam), so I've been getting a good look at different aspects/elements of hockey parents and kids teams.<br />
<br />
Based upon 24 hours of extensive observation, I've come to some broad and generalized conclusions. Brace yourselves.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>So, here's the thing: 90% of hockey parents on the whole are awesome people. They're into the hockey because their kids are into the hockey (or because the family as a whole is), they actively support their kids with encouragement and positive reinforcement, they have at least some understanding that it's a <i>game</i> (especially at the Squirt/Atom level).<br />
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The percentage drops a bit when you get into the higher-tier teams for a number of reasons, beginning with financial and time investments and ending with parents wanting to fulfill ambition through their kids, but it's still well into the majority.<br />
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To go down the same road that pretty much every major sports psych analyst has trod over the years, a brief look at the pressures that competitive sports exert upon kids. For one thing, the older kids get, the stronger the pressure to win becomes - it comes from the kids and their social/peer groups and from the parents and organizing bodies of the teams. Everyone wants to be able to list "State/League/etc Champion" on their college applications and their Facebook page, and you can't really blame them.<br />
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Then, there are the kids who are on that cusp of <i>maybe-possibly-almost-good-enough-to-think-about-College/Pros </i>(and the kids whose parents don't understand that they're <i>not</i> on that cusp). In the North American systems, kids get singled out as talented and special in hockey incredibly young, so those pressures start early and only get stronger. Those are the AA kids, and their parents are most likely to be the textbook definition of "Hockey Parents" that make referees and other spectators at games cringe. Sometimes they're in the crowd, and sometimes they're on the bench.<br />
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I've spent four games sitting next to aggravated hockey parents in the last 24 hours, because teams send a volunteer to sit in the penalty boxes and open/close the door as needed. I have heard grown men using language aimed at twelve year olds that would never be tolerated against <i>adults</i>, never mind being considered anything short of abusive in contemporary Western society. Not going to harp/dwell (and it's certainly not a phenomenon that's limited to hockey, by any means), but it's no wonder that by the time kids hit Juniors their vulgar language habits are firmly entrenched. Not to say it happens on every team (or that spouting some obscenity is the worst thing kids can do, though there *is* a case to be made for degradation and dehumanization issues), but the exposures are certainly there.<br />
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We had a couple of kids get 2 & 10 for unsportsmanlike, and I had to explain to them while they sat in the box that saying "Fuck" in front of a referee is an <i>automatic</i> 10 Minute Misconduct under USA Hockey rules. Refs will allow some flexibility in enforcement if a player isn't real blatant about it and they figure it'll get the frustration out of the way in (relatively) non-confrontational ways, but technically it's supposed to be a no-flexibility call.<br />
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This morning, in contrast to yesterday's drama, I had a B-level squirt game. It was <i>amazing</i>. Laid-back parents, no fuss when kids were penalized, and the kids all looked to be having a genuinely good time - even the losing team (and it was a blow-out).<br />
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Now, in all fairness, the refereeing can make a huge difference in managing the crowd and overly-dramatic parents. When situations start escalating, the appearance of professionalism and even the pretense of listening to bench-concerns can undercut the sense of righteous indignation before it reaches problematic levels. Nothing pisses off parents and coaches more than a ref who looks like they'd rather be anywhere but the rink, who clearly doesn't want to be there or is unwilling to commit the effort required to make good calls - even if it's just a matter of appearances and they really <i>are</i> calling a sound game.<br />
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Short Version: ASPIRING REFEREES - PROFESSIONALISM MATTERS<br />
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Now that I've beaten a dead horse (and while the topic *is* addressed at the USA Hockey training seminars, a fair portion of those who attend don't understand the importance of it, and the ref learning curve is hugely dependent on whom one gets paired up with early on in the running. Bad habits beget bad habits, and all that), I'm back to work another 8 game stretch (broken up by two 45 minute driving intervals, yay!!).<br />
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I haven't spent this kind of time at one sports event since I organized/worked/competed in Wrestling tournaments in high school. Man, was that a lifetime ago...</div>M. Richterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17530114975817115934noreply@blogger.com0