Dave Bedini looks at where Al Purdy wrote some classic Ice Hockey Poetry

A collection of short poems spoken by Roberto Luongo

Many great reasons to hold The World Cup of Hockey in August & September of 2012
Look at the history of dates with the first two World Cup of Hockey tournaments, the first one in 1996, starting on on August 26th, and the championship game being played on September 14, 1996. The second one in 2004, starting on August 30th, and the championship game being played on September 14, 2004.
These first two World Cup of Hockey tournaments were held 8 years apart – 2012 is again 8 years later
Let’s look at where The World Cup of Hockey games were played, and some important stats.
1996
*Corel Centre – Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
*Corestates Centre – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
*Garmish Olympia Stadium – Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
*General Motors Place – Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
*Globen – Stockholm, Sweden
*Helsinki Ice Hall – Helsinki, Finland
*Madison Square Garden – New York City, New York, USA
*Molson Centre – Montreal, Quebec, Canada
*Sportovni hala – Prague, Czech Republic

Total attendance for 19 games played – N/A
Champion – USA
MVP – Mike Richter – USA
Scoring Leader – Brett Hull – USA
All Star Team – (G) Mike Richter, USA – (D) Calle Johansson, Sweden – Chris Chelios, USA – (F) Brett Hull, USA – Mats Sundin, Sweden – John Leclair, USA

2004
*Air Canada Centre – Toronto, Ontario, Canada
*Bell Centre – Montreal, Quebec, Canada
*Globe Arena – Stockholm, Sweden
*Hartwall Areena – Helsinki, Finland
*Kölnarena – Cologne, Germany
*Sazka Arena – Prague, Czech Republic
*Xcel Energy Center – St. Paul, Minnesota,

Total attendance for 19 games played – 303,630
Champion – Canada
MVP – Vincent Lecavalier – Canada
Scoring Leader – Fredrik Modin – Sweden
All Star Team – (G) Martin Brodeur, Canada – (D) Adam Foote, Canada – Kimmo Timonen, Finland – (F) -Vincent Lecavalier, Canada – Saku Koivu, Finland – Fredrik Modin, Sweden

As you can see, The World Cup of Hockey is truly a World Class Event, played in large Ice Hockey cities
This tournament needs to expand to other cities, and not play multiple games at any one arena. The Championship Game should always be played in the largest arena available, or because this is a NHL sanctioned competition, have the Championship Game played in the city of the current Stanley Cup Champions.

The National Hockey League (NHL) controls this event, just as the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) controls the Winter Olympic Ice Hockey games & World Ice Hockey Championships. These two organizations have been learning to work together for years, and the game of Ice Hockey keeps improving as a result. Both of these organizations run FIRST CLASS EVENTS, and the end result every year is proof !

As fans of the sport of Ice Hockey, we have to let these organizations know that we too would like a say in the location of games being played. Right now the decisions are being made by politics, team owners and high ranking officials with-in the 2 organizations. We can help influence these decisions – REMEMBER we the fans are also the ones that pay the admission to the games and buy the merchandise from the events – without us, there is no success of these World Class Ice Hockey Games being played. We should write/email our support and suggestions to both the NHL and IIHF. We can make a difference, and we can make changes to the game we love, but instead of talking about this through forums & blogs – We ask you to DO IT. Take some time from your schedule, send a letter, write a email to these organizations and let them know what you think, give them some suggestions. Don’t be rude, or your effort will be wasted & discarded.

We have idea’s where games should be played too. Both Russia and Slovakia enter teams into The World Cup of Hockey, but have not seen any games played in their own country. In North America, the eastern cities/arenas get all the games (except Vancouver in 1994). What about the cities/arenas in California, or Edmonton, Calgary and now Winnipeg also deserve a chance to host a World Cup of Hockey game.

The World Cup of Hockey is truly a unique sporting event, the only sport in the world where games are played in different countries, leading to The Championship Game (or games) being played in North America – the birth place of the game we all love – ICE HOCKEY

Here are links for all stats to both the 1996 & 2004 World Cup of Hockey events.
1996 World Cup of Hockey
2004 World Cup of Hockey

Write those letters – Send those emails to both Mr. Gary Bettman, NHL & René Fasel, IIHF. Let them both know you want World Cup of Hockey back, and bigger and better then ever. You have choices in your life – NOW MAKE SOME

I think I found a great one here.
http://hockeygods.com/system/assets/blog_images/129/129-Jagr_ducks.jpg-featured.jpg?1313378270

I think I found a great one here.
!img src! http://hockeygods.com/system/assets/blog_images/129/129-Jagr_ducks.jpg-featured.jpg?1313378270

International Ice Hockey Federation IIHF puts on a high performance camp for women’s Ice Hockey

International Ice Hockey Federation IIHF puts on a high performance camp for women’s Ice Hockey

International Ice Hockey Federation IIHF puts on a high performance camp for women’s Ice Hockey

A compilation of Clarkson Women’s Ice Hockey Training 2011

Total Female Hockey video on how to shoot harder for Girls Hockey

Summer workout video from Total Female Hockey

2010 -11 Harvard Women’s Ice Hockey Training video

Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister of Russia practices with a junior team called the White Bears in April/2011 at a Moscow ice rink

Punjabi Vancouver Canucks song – Music, Lyrics & Singing by Raju Bhandal

Punjabi Canucks Song by Nick Chowlia, Kulvir Sahota and Sony Ghugga

Vancouver Canucks Anthem Song

The last regular season game for the Winnipeg Jets at Winnipeg Arena. Jennifer Hanson sings O Canada and sheds some tears walking away from centre ice

A Parody of Adam Sandler’s song Hanukkah done to a Winnipeg Jets theme

Cool Song written by G-Funky & E. Holla – Produced by Science Project

A nice quick little video with the right theme for The Winnipeg Jets – I’m Coming Home

Parody of Justin Bieber’s hit song Baby, done to a Winnipeg Jets theme

Great video footage of the nicest goal in years at the IIHF 2011 World Championships in Slovakia. Mikael Granlund of Finland scores this beauty against Russia

ServusTV.com brings us their Top Ten Ice Hockey Goals

A nice collection of Jamie Dwyer highlights. One of Field Hockey’s all time greats

A neat stop motion video of a Field Hockey girl who is eaten by a T-Rex, and then escapes by beating the dinosaur with her Field Hockey stick – Comedy