Bobblehead Buff

Every sports-minded kid has at least one, and Steve Buffery is no exception.
The Toronto Sun sportswriter and my Berkshire travel buddy celebrates sports dolls in this clip from the Sun.
Amusing how few of his bobbleheads actually look like the athlete. My favourite is the black Doug Gilmour.
Many thanks to Twitter connection Rob Granatstein for tweeting about Steve's dolls.

Max Domi: Knights or nothing?

Interesting that the Toronto Sun's Steve Simmons suggested weeks ago that future pro Max Domi would only play major junior in the OHL if it could be with the London Knights. Interesting that famous dad Tie Domi is rumoured to be interested in becoming an OHL assistant coach and the Knights have an opening. Interesting that London Knights coach Dale Hunter and general manager Mark Hunter each played a style of NHL hockey Tie (and likely Max) admired. Interesting that London has a history of developing NHL-bound talent.
This story of a deal with Kingston is also interesting, as reported on London's AM 980 website.

Windsor would've done better

Do you think the Memorial Cup should have been held in Windsor instead of Mississauga? I do. This sort of confirms it, courtesy of the Toronto Sun.

Max Domi taken in OHL draft

Future pro Max Domi, the 15-year-old son of former Toronto Maple Leaf Tie Domi, was drafted in the first round by Kingston in the Ontario Hockey League draft, despite his dad insisting Max had decided to go the U.S. college route and that there was no "deal" that Max would change his mind if he could play in Kingston with Doug Gilmour's team.
Good to know trash talk is not limited to on the ice. Nevertheless, all the best to Max and his hockey endeavours.

The Last Supper

Tonight's the wrap party for this season's hockey team. It was my son's major midget year and, unless he decides to taper down with juvenile or decides to coach, marks the end of his minor hockey team involvement.
It's a pot-luck house party, a tip of the hat to frugality after mounting an epic road trip to a tournament near Nashville last January.
Over the years, the team parties we've attended have taken many forms, from cramming into restaurant booths, to renting a bowling alley, using a community hall and trucking barbecues from whomever lived closest to backyard parties and the aforementioned pot luck. Loved them all, but the best was likely reserving a private room at the Mandarin and letting the teens go wild at the buffet.
For the third year season in a row, I've taken the best of our hockey photos from the winter and compiled them as a slide show on a DVD, complete with family-friendly music. I've already put snippets on YouTube and Photobucket (55,000 image views since November!), so much of it won't be a surprise.
But I did sneak something in that'll surprised our 20-something coach, thanks to his mom.

Ontario ends body checking in house, select minor hockey leagues

With safety and participation in mind, the Ontario Hockey Federation has opted to ban body checking for all age groups in house and select minor hockey leagues.
This is a good thing.
It allows parents to rest easy and for a more broad spectrum of kids to get involved with hockey, focusing on the fun of skating and puck handling without worrying about getting smoked by someone with a body size advantage. It brings house league into line with adult beer leagues, where exercise and fun are the order of the day, not fantasies about playing in the NHL.
Appropriately, body checking remains part of the complete game in competitive leagues where the level of skating skill, anticipation and coordination is higher and where kids can do a better job of protecting themselves.
The move also creates two distinct products for kids and parents to choose, without giving up on hockey totally.
The OHF news release can be read here.

Former Flyers captain adds to concussion discussion

Wondering what former Philadelphia Flyers captain Keith Primeau is up to, years after being knocked out of pro hockey with a series of concussions?
He's helped launch a website, with information of interest to minor hockey players and officials called Stop Concussions. The site had a launch ceremony today at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

Support the greatest playoff beards

Playoff beards are an NHL tradition - sometimes even for junior hockey for those who can.
The Heart and Stroke Foundation has partnered with the NHLPA in a beard fundraiser in which fans can sponsor their favourite NHL players' beards or grow one of their own during the playoffs.
To encourage a fuzzy face, click NHL beards.

Long-time volunteers bow out

Nice piece in the Dunnville Chronicle about a pair of hockey buddies - 

Mel Langkamer and Dave Dunham - retiring after volunteering together for 40 years. It's a minor hockey not without the expected political overtones. Among the pros they influenced: Nathan Horton of the Boston Bruins. Read it the Chronicle.

One to admire

Wasn't it only about five years ago when Steve Downie's future as a hockey player was in tatters? There were odd incidents involving a black teammate, nakedness on a team bus and cramming rookies into the bus's toilet. There was the bounce from the Windsor Spitfires, a blip with the Philadelphia Flyers. But look at him now. Downie is the most impressive member of the upstart Tampa Lightning in the NHL playoffs. Says so here.