Sports Then and Now

Last November I was working at a poorly managed tractor dealership that was running out of work. Instead of laying me off, they put me “On Call,” with no intention to call me back. So, after a game at the local rink, I was hanging out with the rink manager and asked “you guys hiring?” fully expecting him to say no. Instead, he replied, “Sure, you wanna drive the Zamboni?”

DO I WANT TO DRIVE THE ZAMBONI???? I could barely stutter out a “yes,” hardly believing my good luck. It was like being handed the keys to my dad’s classic Mustang. Every kid wants to ride/drive the Zamboni when they grow up. There’s something inherently cool about that machine. It is completely unique to hockey, and has an aura of hockey legacy that surrounds it. The mythical Zam driver (those of us in the business call it a “Zam…”) is like the wise old sage of the rink, like Hans in the Mighty Ducks (I know he sharpened skates, but no ones dreams of doing that.). Excited kids press their noses to the glass to watch as the Zamboni lays that smooth sheet of glass like a calm shimmering pond. Fans fill out little lottery cards for their chance to ride the Zam at a pro hockey game. And recently, I’ve found that lots of people have driving or riding one on their “bucket list.”

But in reality, its a thankless job. You’re always the killjoy who has to kick people off the ice earlier than they want. You’re also the jerk who takes too long to cut the ice, taking away precious minutes of ice time. Basically, I end up being a glorified lifeguard/janitor making just above minimum wage. Read the rest of this entry →

Goaltending through the years has been an ever-evolving science and trade, combining modern anatomical science with old fashioned grit. Goaltending we see today looks nothing like its bare-faced predecessor. The first goalies weren’t even allowed to go down on both knees to make a save, much less try the groin-busting splits of the Hybrid Butterfly. Pads have changed dramatically in the last several decades, almost too dramatically, as so the NHL has once again implemented new rules in the 2013-14 season to limit the size/shape of netminders’ equipment. Before we go on a walk down memory lane to the yesteryears of Jaques Plante and Gump Worsley, let’s have a look at the anatomy of goalie pads.

Goalie Pad 101:

It’s hard to think of something that hasn’t been improved by technology. Heck, these days you can even repel rats electronically thanks to modern science. The modern goalie leg pad has been modified from the old strap-on pillows to a technological masterpiece of puck-stopping engineering. Mainly, the Knee Stacks, or “Landing Gear,” that allow a goalie to go down on their knees without injuring them, and also allow the rectangular block of the pad to lie flush to the ice, preventing anything from sliding under it (unless you’re Marc-Andre Fleury…) are the biggest improvement.

As the “Butterfly” style improved, the desire to close off the area between the legs (the Five Hole) was remedied by what pad manufacturers call the “Thigh Rise.” Thigh Rise describes how many extra inches above the top of the knee that are added for extra closure when a goalie goes down in the butterfly. Pads are measured from floor to knee, so let’s say you wear a 34” pad, and then want an extra 3 inches of thigh rise, your pads would be labeled 34+3. Thigh Rise offers no extra protection, and removing it does not add any extra risk of injury, but we’ll touch on that later. Adding the thigh rise isn’t enough for most goalies, so to get it to curve inward and create a seal with the other pad a “Break” is added. Some pads have a Break under the knee as well, for added flexibility.

In the olden days of flat wooden sticks, most shots rarely rose above the waist level, and goalies could generally get away with not wearing a mask and having limited chest protection. The modern player is a genetically amped athlete, armed with carbon-fiber curved-blade sticks capable of placing a 100mph shot anywhere they want. Naturally, as shooters got stronger and more accurate, the goalie had to compensate. In 1928, Bruins Goalie Tiny Thompson (below) doesn’t even have a blocker, wears a modified baseball mitt, and looks to only have the most minimal of padding on his chest. Read the rest of this entry →

There is nothing in sports like the NHL playoffs.  And there is NO trophy in sports like the Stanley Cup.

Lord Stanley’s Cup has been around since 1892, so it’s steeped in history and mystery. Like how are the names engraved on the holy chalice of hockey.

Find out how your favorite player has his name emblazoned on the world’s most famous sports trophy.

Pretty awesome eh?

Which team’s goal song will carry them to victory in the 2013 GSC?

The NHL playoffs kick off in a few hours and I really don’t think that there is a better playoff series in sports. There is nothing like playoff hockey. The tempo of the game, the physicality and the effort shown by all of the guys on the ice blows every other sport out of the water.

If you have ever been to a hockey game you know all about the goal horns that go off when a team scores. Personally, I think the horns are awesome but what I like even more are the songs that follow. Every team has their own goal song and every song, if played enough, can start to drive a visiting goalie insane.

Goal songs come in all forms. There are chants, there are up tempo songs, classic songs and songs that straight up make you want to dance. But it’s playoff time, so for 16 other teams their goal scoring days are over (at least for this season). It’s time for me to reveal my playoff bracket based on which songs are the best. I also welcome any of you to leave your comments and let me know who your Goal Song Cup winner would be.

Read the rest of this entry →

On an incredibly EMOTIONAL night at TD Garden, Bostonians, Americans & Bruins fans sang their hearts out during the national anthem. Whether you were in the building or at home watching on television, you could not help but feel overwhelmed with sorrow, happiness and patriotism.

Blue & Yellow…

Red White & Blue….

Black & Gold….

#BostonStrong

The NHLPA and NHL have reached a tentative agreement to end the 2012-13 NHL Lockout

Most people are pretty unhappy when they have to be awake at six in the morning, and usually I am right there with them. Today is different though, not because I woke up on the “right” side of the bed this morning, but because the NHLPA and NHL have reached a tentative agreement to end the NHL Lockout.

The news broke early this morning by the media in attendance including TSN analyst and former Bruin Aaron Ward, TSN’s Darren Dreger, and ESPN’s Pierre Lebrun. The story from TSN can be read here.

“We have reached an agreement on the framework of a new collective bargaining agreement,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed to reporters early Sunday morning. “I want to thank Don Fehr. We still have more work to do, but it’s good to be at this point.”

While details are few at this time and are the typical “more to follow” variety; it is known that the new deal is 10 years in length. The tentative deal was finally reached after a marathon session of negotiations which eclipsed nearly 16 hours and led into the early morning of today.

It also appears as if the deal features a salary cap of $64.3 million in the second year which is a common ground for both parties as the owners wanted for the cap to be $60 million. It is this concession that is believed to hold major significance in reaching a deal between both parties.

According to ESPN and TSN analyst Pierre Lebrun, the NHL has both 50 game and 48 games schedules drawn up depending on how long it takes to ratify the new CBA. It is unknown at this time as to how long that process will take. What I can tell you is that the NHL Lockout is all but over. There are still some minor things to be done, but for all intents and purposes, we will be seeing hockey pretty soon.

More information will come out over time and we here at Boston Sports Then & Now will keep you all abreast of it as it is released. For now you can all sit back, relax, and think about your beloved black & gold taking the ice at the TD Garden sometime in the next couple of weeks.

You can follow me on twitter for any and all NHL, Bruins, and hockey related news here: Mattjacob64