Hello Good Lookin Hockey Fans……. Date: June 9th 2016; Time: 5:00pm PST; Place: Consol Energy Centre; Involved: The Pittsburgh Penguins and the San Jose Sharks. What are they looking for? That rare opportunity to raise the Stanley Cup above their heads in V.I.C.T.O.R.Y.

It's true, tonight the Cup will be in the building, providing the Pittsburgh Penguins a chance to win the Cup on home ice for the first time in franchise history. Don't let that confuse you. The Pens have won the cup 3 times already but everytime they were playing on away ice. I felt like there is no better time than the present to discuss a few little fun facts about the hardest trophy to win in professional sports.

Facts about the Stanley Cup

1) Claimed to be the hardest trophy to win in professional sports. First you have to get into the playoffs which means collecting enough points to get you a spot during the 82 game season. Then you have to make it through 4 rounds of playoffs. Each round is best of 7 meaning the first team with 4 wins advances. Do the math and that means a team would play a minimum of 16 games enroute to the cup but as many as 28!

​2) You may think the Stanley Cup was first awarded back in 1942 when the Original 6 were playing and other teams were dissolved. That is not the case. The cup was first handed out in 1893 to the Montreal Hockey Club.

3) The Stanley Cup had a name change! It was originally called the 'Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup' 

4) There are a few teams in the current NHL that have never won a cup. The San Jose Sharks being one of them but there are some cities that have won cups in the past while hockey leagues evolved.
 
The Winnipeg Jets have never won a cup but the city of Winnipeg has celebrated lots of wins at the turn of the century in 1900.
 
The Vancouver Canucks have also never won a Cup but the Vancouver Canadians did back in 1915. At the time they played in a rink which would now be located in the West End.
 
The Cup has even traveled to BC's capital! The Victoria Cougars won in 1925. The Cougars beat the Montreal Canadiens to win the Cup, the last non-NHL team to hoist Lord Stanley. Fun fact about the Cougars, following the dissolve of the Western Hockey League in 1926, the Cougars franchise moved to Detroit to become the Detroit Cougars. After short lived name change to the Falcons, the Detroit franchise ultimately settled on their classic moniker, the Red Wings which they still use till this day.

And finally the Cup has even been celebrated in Seattle! The Seattle Metropolitans won in 1917.

5) The city to spend the most time with the Cup would be Montreal. The city won the cup the first time it was awarded and over the evolution of contemporary hockey it has spent a lot of time in Habs land. They have won 24 Stanley Cups since the 1915/16 season.
 
The most modern day dynasties would be the New York Islanders in the 80s with four wins, the Edmonton Oilers and Wayne Gretzky with 5 wins, 4 in the 80s and one in the 90s and most recently the Chicago Blackhawks who are the current 2015 champs but who also won in 2010 and 2013. 

6) The Stanley Cup stands almost 3 feet tall! That is including the bowl on the top, the original piece. It also weights nearly 35 pounds.

7) After each win the Cup in engraved with the names of the players, coaches, club staff and management. In order to get your name on the Stanley Cup the player must have played at least 41 games in the regular season or at least 1 game during the Stanley Cup Final.
 
There are a ton more fun facts about this beautiful piece of hockey but we can discuss those later!
 
Enjoy the game tonight Hockey Fans!

Below are a few commercials for the Stanley Cup Playoffs that I think sum up the Stanley Cup pretty well.
 
Courtney X

Hello Good Lookin Hockey Fans! It all started Monday night..... Yes the final round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs! The puck dropped between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the San Jose Sharks. It was every bit great hockey and very entertaining, especially the Game Winning Goal by Nick Bonino at the end of the 3rd period which sealed the deal for 1-0 series lead Pittsburgh Style.

Below let's go over how NHL playoff hockey is different then the regular season.

1) There are still 3 periods and each period is 20 minutes. In the regular season however if a game is tied at the end of the 3rd the game goes in a quick 5 minute, 3 on 3 OT, with a shootout if need be. Not in the playoffs though, if overtime is required, a full 17 minute intermission happens and then a 20 minute period of 5 on 5 until there is a goal. It is still sudden death meaning 1st goal wins and ends the game.

2) Travel. Teams travel in the finals. Home ice advantage is based on which ever team had a better regular season record. Pittsburgh finished 48-26-8 while San Jose finished 46-30-6 (wins-loses-OT losses). Games 1 and 2 will be in Pittsburgh, 3 and 4 in San Jose, 5* in Pittsburgh, 6* in San Jose, and 7* back to Pittsburgh (*If required).

3) This next little fun fact isn't an official rule but you notice it. There is almost no fighting in the final round. No player wants to take a bad penalty and have his team on the penalty kill while he sits in the sin bin. What you will see is a lot and I mean a lot more hitting. Keep in mind hitting is allowed in hockey, there is such a thing as a clean shoulder or hip check. Personally what I don't like to see is a cheap shots that knocks a player out of game or to the dressing room with an injury.

Below are a few facts about the San Jose Sharks and the Pittsburgh Penguins for reference during games!

Joined the NHL in 1991 
Current Captain American Hot Shot Joe Pavelski 
Number of previous Cups won by the Sharks: 0
Trips to the Final Round; This is the team's first time!
Lifers with the Team: Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton

Patrick Marleau was drafted by the team in 1997. He has played his entire NHL career in San Jose. He has played 1411 regular season games and 166 playoff games.
Big Joe Thornton was also drafted in 1997 but by the Boston Bruins. He played with the Bruins until the 2005-06 season before being traded to the San Jose Sharks. He has played 1367 regular season games and 151 playoff games.

Joined the NHL during the 1967 expansion
Current Captain Canadian Hot Shot Sidney Crosby 
Number of previous Cups won by the Penguins: 3, most recently in 2009 
​Trips to the Final Round: 5
Lifers with the Team: Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin

Sidney Crosby was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2005, 1st overall in what was nicknamed 'The Sidney Crosby Sweepstakes'. He has played 707 regular season games and 119 playoff games. In 2009 when the team won the Cup, Crosby became the youngest NHL Captain ever to win!
Evgeni Malkin was drafted by the PENS as well in 2004, 2nd overall. His name is also on the 2009 cup playing 644 regular season games and 119 playoff games. 

Enjoy Game 2 tonight Hockey Fans! Puck drops at 5:00pm PST. And please enjoy the video below. I found it yesterday while doing research…. who knew Tom Cruise once lived in Canada and played hockey on outside rinks! Jimmy Fallon however seems to need some more training!

Good Morning, Good Lookin Hockey Fans! Happy Tuesday! As promised below is my dear friend Gina Holden's recipe for Tom Kha Gai but before that I wanted to talk about Hungary winning their first hockey game at the IIFH World Championships in 77 years.

That is right hockey fans, the last time Hungary was able to sing along to their national anthem and not drop their heads as the opposing team's flag was raised was in 1939 in Zurich when they beat Belgium 8-1. For a country that has a very loyal hockey fan base it was a big deal, with fans going crazy in the stands while the clock ticked down the final seconds in the 3rd period. It was a 5-2 finish. 

A few facts about Hungary and their hockey team:

1) They may not be on top of the podium but they show up to every World Tournament ready to play. They have had a team in the line up every year since 1986. The first time they had a team in the tournament was in 1930.

2) There was only one player for Hungary that had played in the NHL, Frank Banham. He played a total of 27 games with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim between 1996-99 and five games with Phoenix Coyotes. To help you understand better, Team Canada was 100% NHL players who's teams either didn't make the playoffs or were ousted in the first or second rounds. 

3) Frank Banham can tell his team stories of his time in the Big League but he was also the oldest player in the tournament, at 41 years old! Frank was actually born in Alberta, Canada, drafted in 1993 by the Washington Capitals and is now retired.

There you have it Hockey Fans, a few fun facts on Hungary and their latest IIFH World Championship Team!

And now as promised Gina Holden's recipe for Tom Kha Gai

Gina's Ingredients:

6 cups Chicken Stock
1/2 can Coconut Milk
2 Table Spoons Thai Chili Paste
Fish Sauce (to taste)
10 Mushrooms (any variety is fine)
1 Small Piece Ginger
2 Handfuls of Cilantro
1 Red Bell Pepper
2 Chicken Breasts (skin on and bone in)

Courtney's Added Ingredients:

1 Yellow and Orange Bell Pepper
1 HandfulShrimp
4 Green Onion
1 Pork Chop
2 Gloves Garlic
1Handful of Nettles
1 Medium Onion
1 Lime

Directions:

1) Heat a large soup pot to medium heat and add a splash of oil/ Heat oven to 350 degrees

2) Salt & Pepper Chicken and Pork Chops. Place in pot and let skin crisp up. Flip onto other side to crisp as well.

3) Once the chicken and pork chop are crisp place on baking sheet and into the oven. Let it cook until juice runs clear. Once cooked leave to cool and pull the meat from the bone. Chop up and add to soup at the end.

4) Dice onion, garlic and ginger. Place in pot that chicken and pork chop was cooking in. Sauté for a few minutes

5) Add Thai Chili Sauce and a couple dashes of Chicken Stock. Fish sauce to taste. I usually add 4 table spoons or so. Let simmer together.

6) Julienne Peppers and Mushrooms and toss in pot. Let everything simmer for a few minutes.

7) Add reminding Chicken Stock and 1/2 Can of Coconut Milk. Turn heat up and bring to a boil. Once the soup boils turn down to a simmer.

8) Now toss in the chicken, pork chop, shrimp, nettles, green onion and cilantro.

9) Done and ready to eat! I do add cilantro and a few drops of lime juice once I have served. 

​And there you have it hockey fans. A traditional Tom Kha Gai Soup with a Courtney twist. Enjoy Hockey Fans!

Yo yo yo Hockey Fans! My where have I been? I have been around. Trust me I know about the cat walking onto the ice in San Jose, I watched the puck hit not one but both posts in Game 7, St.Louis vs Chicago that may have been the non goal that advanced St. Louis to the Western Conference Finals, I know Hungary won their first game at the Worlds in 77 years, I know that Canada won the Worlds yesterday in a 2-0 shutout vs Finland and finally I know that the Pittsburgh Penguins are playing the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals and the St. Louis Blues are playing the San Jose Sharks in the West. 

Anyone who has been following me since the beginning of my quest to learn more about hockey knows it was my two year old son, who is now 8, asking me questions as he was winning countless Stanley Cups in our living room. My son Hunter is still in love with hockey and now I am driving him to evening and weekend practices plus tournaments during Spring hockey. My knowledge of hockey has grown. Not only can I tell you about the NHL but I can also fill you in on how Minor Hockey works in British Columbia. Hockey Canada creates Team Canada for the Olympics but they also have a say in how Minor Hockey Organizations are run country wide.

I am going to fill you in Hockey Fans with some of my favourites moments in the past few weeks. Until then enjoy the Game Winning OT goal by Tyler johnson assisted by Jason Garrison, last night in Pittsburgh. And please check back tomorrow, I'll have a recipe for my Tom Ka Soup!

There was a TV show in the 70s called "Welcome Back Kotter"  which was about a group of remedial students called "The Sweathogs". Last night I thought of the show for two reasons; 1, I was like 'Welcome Back Hockey' and 2, my son loves a series of books called "Brady Brady" where the main team is called the "Icehogs" and with that all I have to say is,

HELLO GOOD LOOKIN HOCKEY FANS AND WELCOME BACK!

Like some hockey fans (and a few of the players) I had a couple cobwebs to shake off last night. Anyone who has been following me since I started this hockey venture 4 years ago will know I follow all 30 teams in the NHL. That being said I live here in Vancouver so I am surrounded by Canuck Nation as well as transplants from all over the place including but not limited to the Edmonton Oilers, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Calgary Flames, the Montreal Canadiens, the New York Rangers and the Boston Bruins. Yes I said it the Boston Bruins (insert the Bruins raising the Stanley Cup in Rogers Arena after a Game 7 win circa 2011 and any loyal Canuck fans will still shutter). That being said I felt a quick recap on the basics of the NHL was in order.

Players: Any team in the NHL can carry up to 23 players at any point in time. The only must is they need two goalies. One to start the game and another as the backup. The minimum a team has to carry is 20 players which also happens to be the number of players a team dresses for a game. Again, the one must is two goalies. Other than that teams can play around but it usually boils down to 12 forwards and 6 defenseman dressed each game plus 2 scratches.

Games: Teams play 82 games in a season, 41 at home and 41 on the road. 

Points: A team gets two points for a win, zero points for a loss in regulation and one point for a loss in either overtime or a shootout. At the end of the year a teams total points decides their place in the standings and whether they make the playoffs or nor. The team with the most points in the entire league wins the President's Trophy. 

Conferences and Divisions: There are two conferences in the NHL, the Western and the Eastern. Each conference has two divisions. In the west you have the Pacific Division and the Central Division. In the east you have the Metropolitan Division and the Atlantic Division. 

Teams: There are 30 teams currently in the NHL with a rumour two teams are going to be added. The original 6 teams in the contemporary NHL are the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens. A little fun fact: the last two teams to join the NHL were the Columbus Bluejackets and the Minnesota Wild, who both joined in 2000. 

And because I always love a good goal I have uploaded a few from yesterday's Opening Night in the NHL. First is Max Pacrioretty, who skated out onto the ice last night as Captain of the Montreal Canadiens. It was the first shot on net and a goal is a goal is a goal.

Later in the night we saw some thread the needle Sedinary magic in Calgary. The Sedin Twins skated with Brandon Sutter which was a great way to start the season. Every player on the line scored a goal and the line also collected 3 assists collectively. 

And with that Hockey Fans I will sign off until next time! Enjoy