Join the LA Chill (LA Women's Hockey Team) and play 10+ team games!

Went to the Hockey Monkey/Hockey Hawk store in Santa Ana on Sunday and got my first skates. I was so excited that I kept looking at my feet and smiling at the skates while trying them on at the store. At first I had my eye on the CCM Vector 130 because of the good online reviews and the T-Blade(you don’t have to have them sharpened every min and instead can replace yourself.

Instead I got the CCM Tacks 492 which I think suits me as a beginner. The great thing? shoes that fit my beautiful planks properly and no worries about whose feet were in the rentals! The only thing I’m worried about is how often to sharpen these.

Had my first skating lesson yesterday!! :-) I had so much fun and only fell three times…everytime I bounced right back up.
Right now my arms are a bit sore from holding on to the sides of the rink but i’m so excited to get back to practice so that i can get better and eventually start playing hockey so that I can get really good at it. Sorry if I sound like a hyper five year old – just so happy to be doing this.

Books:

A History of Ice Hockey – Greg Proops
^{Cool!!! The book was great..plus the audiobook ia narrated by Greg Proops. Original interviews are included….kindna cool the way some guys reminisce about growing up with hockey.}

Hockey for Dummies – John Davidson and John Steinbreder
^{I love this book!!! Actually stood in line during the Wii launch and my sister’s black friday shopping lines reading it.}

Puck Podcast (hosts – Doug Stolhand and Eddie Garcia)
http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/story/5872976
^{I can’t believe how addicted I am to this podcast. I think that it’s close to the best hockey podcast for the newbie and fanboy/girl(close because I’ve only listened to a few). Up to date, clear, informative without talking down to you plus they make me laugh.}

Let’s Talk Hockey (hosts – David Aldrich and Scott Coffman)
http://www.lthpodcast.com/
^{Students and hockey fans in California who have an easy going manner about them. They keep you interested in the game(a big deal since I usually got bored when guys talk about sports in the past).}

NHL Radio
http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?service=page&page=Radio
^{Sam Rosen is the shit! Wish this was a stream/podcast on for itunes. Very cool but on the Mac – the interface is kindna ghetto.}

Bob McKenzie Podcasts/The NHL Insider Podcast
http://www.tsn.ca/podcasts/

http://www.lakings.com
http://www.detroitredwings.com
http://www.canadiens.com/eng/index.cfm
http://www.nhl.com/
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/
http://www.sportsline.com/nhl
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/

My sister (the only person I’ve told my goal to).
^{She’s not my personal cheerleader but she’s always up for a challenge instead of trying to discourage me. If I told her that I was going to learn how to walk a tight rope butt naked she’ll say “Oh! How cool!!!” “How are you going to do that?” and then every blue moon ask how I’m progressing for a few mins or so.
For the hockey thing, she just said “Sweet!..Xi(niece)and I will come to a game”. Why? cause she’s cool like that.}

Sam Rosen – Play-by-play personality/announcer/sport caster
^{The guy’s really great at what he does. Like comfort food with hockey. Not pretty to look at but my favorite announcer by far.}

Players?^{Haven’t followed anyone’s career so far but will add to my next favorite hockey list next november.}

Sportsline Fantasy Hockey

^{Why no gold? cause I don’t know what the hell I’m doing…still learning. Will list my team when I’m feeling brave.}

Yahoo Sports Fantasy Hockey

NHL 7

^{Please EA..make the game for the Wii. I don’t give a crap about the Madden Football(...even though it’s hella fun).}

Time Warner Sports Digital Packages
NHL® CENTER ICE® (it’s the bomb!)

Note: Wished there was a solid hockey TV for itunes (the 2006 stanley highlights kindna sucked a bit)

While I’m getting my self in lose some weight mode, exercising to prep myself before taking skating lessons within the next two months, I’m encouraging myself by immersing myself in hockey info. One of my daily things are browsing the nhl.com site and while reading a John Kreiser article about Gretzky’s Greatest Night:http://www.nhl.com/hockeyu/history/gretzky/50in50.html , I came upon a familiar name…Maurice “The Rocket” Richard(50 goals in 50 games)!! :)
As a kid when I’d recently came to the states around 12/13, I saw this animated short “The Sweater” which became a favorite of mine. The film is based on the book “Le chandail de hockey”(Hockey Sweater) by Roch Carrier which I haven’t read. The film is about Carrier growing up in rural Quebec in the 40s/50s where he and his buddies were hard core into hockey. Their team was the Montreal Canadiens and the hero was Maurice Richard..The Rocket. Carrier wore out his M C “9” sweater so his mom wrote to Eatons(one of canada largest retailers who produced mail order catalogs) and asked for a similar sweater. Instead Carrier recieved the wrong sweater, one from the canadiens sport enemies..the Maple Leaf. Carrier goes into a melt down when his mom insists that he wears the new sweater while he plays with his friends who are all wearing the “right” sweater No. 9 of the Montreal Canadiens. The story was told so well that as a kid I could feel carrier’s love for the game..that stuck with me.

Anyway…if you don’t know what I’m talking about, Here’s a chance to view it. :)

http://www.nfb.ca/animation/objanim/en/films/film.php?sort=director&director=Cohen%2C+Sheldon&id=13316

Side note:I actually wrote about the film in a diary I kept at that age and for a long time I spelt the hockey icon’s name as Maurice Reechad :)

Have been thinking about this for three years now. Why this goal? It’s something out of my comfort level, I have some interest in hockey, it’s the only sport I can watch a whole game and be excited about due to childhood field hockey playing. I want to wake up my athletic side and play a team sport that will good for me and something I like? :) Okay the downside but not a problem since I believe that I will be a brilliant hockey amateur player in the future(lol >.<) so in the mean time I’m just playing catch up for now?

Two year span goals: (Dec 2006 – )
1. Lose weight…not an end all but I’m going to be honest with myself that I need to be healthy to play my best.

2. Learn to Ice Skate(yep have played around on the ice but not confident…ice skating lessons baby
..seasons off roller blading and training)

3. Learn everything I don’t know about the game.

4. Train.

5. Go to real games, talk to other fans and hockey player to keep up morale.

6. Practice with others and solo. In season the chill’s have practice for beginners, non-team members and members on Saturdays.

7. Get on the team.