Boy of the Day - 1/28/11

Okay... I realize that it's now Saturday in most parts of the world and this country, but I happen to be in the Pacific time zone and Mickey says that I have a bit longer to slip this in. I would have had it up sooner, but I was roped into coding for about 4 hours today at work; then I was at the arena watching my baby boys destroy Calvin Pickard and the Seattle Thunderbirds 7-0. Comcast Arena is always filled to the rafters when Seattle is in town since it's just down the I-5 from Hooterville, and tonight's game was especially sweet. There were a bunch of fights, St. Calvin got pulled 4 and a half minutes into the third and there were cowbells up the yin yang. In fact my ears are still ringing and I've been home about 90 minutes.

Anyway, I digress... actually though, fighting is something that today's boy does and usually does well. Kevin Bieksa of the Vancouver Canucks is not only a really good defenseman, but he can also take care of himself. Our boy comes to us from Grimsby Ontario, which is on Lake Ontario near Niagra; and his father, Big Al who looks like a biker, works in the Ontario Federation of Labour. He is married to a lovely girl named Katie; and they have two adorable babies named Cole who is 3, and little Reese who is 1.

After playing in the Ontario Junior Hockey League, he went to Bowling Green University where he not only played all four years, but he graduated with his BA in Business and was an Academic All American twice. He was drafted by the Canucks with the 151st pick in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft; but he went back to school then signed an amateur tryout contract with the Moose in '04. After playing with the Moose for 107 games, he was finally called up by the big club and he's been there ever since. Right now, he serves as an alternate captain for away games, and there was a rumor or two that he was going to be named captain before Luongo was given the C. I am sure that with his leadership and drive, he would be a good captain someday in Vancouver.

So, without further adieu, some numminess from KevB...

Chillin' with Kes while he was rehabbing an injury...


With a Fin puppet for the Canucks Reading program...


I have never wanted to be a roll of tape more...


On the road with Keith Ballard...


I just... yeah....

my version of the baby boys

While Amy has her junior boys to watch, around these parts, there are more college hockey teams than you can shake a stick at - so the CCHA is where I get my kid hockey fix.

Went to a game last night - watched the MSU Spartans face off against the Falcons of Bowling Green. After watching that game, I can understand why both teams are fighting to get out of last place in the CCHA. Bless them, they try so very hard, but just don't seem to have the talent of say a Michigan or a Notre Dame.

Do you need specifics? At one point in the third State had an almost full two minute 5-3 and didn't score. Just a few minutes after that, they had another lengthy (like a minute 45) 5-3 and yeah, didn't score and gave up a couple really solid short handed chances. But from our vantage point (right behind BG's bench) I got to watch my new favorite college hockey player. His name is Brandon Svendsen. Now from the name on the back, I was slightly disappointed to learn his name is Brandon and not something like Bjorg, but I digress. He played the first 5-3 and didn't leave the ice after it. He was off for a shift while BG racked up two more penalties and then went back out to kill off the second 5-3. Basically, State was facing a guy who was gassed and couldn't get it by him (he was the one with the two shorty chances to boot). I thought they were gonna have to give him oxygen on the bench after that but he only missed a shift. Color me impressed...he was, to me, one of the best players on the ice last night and clearly BGs best player.

Also searching around this morning to see to what team Jeff Lerg had been drafted (Kevin, my buddy who I went with last night, and I were thinking Toronto but didn't have a basis for that fact other than they need goaltending and it sounded right). We were wrong. He's undrafted. Granted, he's short (5.6 Daren Panger size), has asthma, and is a 4.0 student....oh he also has broken all sorts of records and stuff like that. But he remains undrafted. That's gotta be discouraging.

I have honestly no idea what happened in the NHL last night so I won't even bother checking. I did hear something about Chris Osgood being sent home, a la Kovelev, but don't know the details for now (I should go check that out because odds are, Mom will ask about it when I go over there today).

That's all for now. But gotta remember to set the dvr for an early game and a later one too (and now that I just checked the time schedule, I see that both Detroit and Colorado won last night. Hurrah!)