If I Were a Hockey Player . . .

I saw this fun survey on another blog and I just can't resist reposting it with my own answers.

If I Were a Hockey Player:
Team: Minnesota Wild (gotta play in the state of hockey)
Uniform Number: 17 (the number of letters in my name)
Position: Right Wing or Center
Nickname: My current beer league teammates would call me “Whiskers”
Dream Linemates: Wayne Gretzky at Center, Mario Lemieux and Bobby Orr
Rounding out the team: Bobby Hull, Phil Esposito and Dino Cicerelli for good times sake
Job: Scoring short handed while trying to kill a penalty because Phil punched out the other team
Signature Move: the wrap around – I am so fast no goalie can keep up
Strengths: Speed, Passing and Puck Handling
Weakness: Checking Ability - being under 6' and all
Injury Problems: my tricky knee – definitely not a groin (Gaborik, you baby!)
Equipment: matching Bauer gear, all the way
Nemesis: Getting checked into the boards by the big boys
Scandal Involvement: Selling my tickets to an escort service, I swear I thought they were for charity
Who I'd face in the Stanley Cup Finals: Dallas Stars – I gotta show everyone I can beat Mike Modano
What I'd do with the Stanley Cup after our victory: Use it to dump beer over the heads of all my friends AND foes
Would the media love me or hate me? They'd love me!

BRIAN ROLSTON IS A SUPERSTAR

We as Minnesota Wild fans knew it while everyone else in the world was clueless until yesterday. The NHL All Star game was the official superstar coming out party for Minnesota Wild forward Brian Rolston. Give me a break, two goal and two assists. It was exactly the diversion that I needed as a fan of the Wild. It allowed me for a day to forget about the Wild's mildly disappointing season. For those of you who didn't catch the NHL All Star game and aren't fans of the Minnesota Wild, I want to introduce you to a true hockey superstar... Brian Rolston.

Minnesota Wild is playing soft

I am very disappointed with the lack of physical play by the Minnesota Wild. It really feels like my favorite NHL team is getting pushed around. I am sick of watching the opposition man handle Gaborik and the rest of the skill players on the team. I feel like it is about time for someone to establish himself as a bonafide physical player. Every once in a while, Boogard comes in and throws his body around but the problem is he isn't on the ice enough to make a real difference. It is cool to have the best fighter in the league but I would also enjoy watching a few of the Wild players take the body more often and more importantly take out any player that goes after Gaborik.

Awestruck by Marian Gaborik

I am completely awestruck by Marian Gaborik and his speed. The first period just ended in the Minnesota Wild game versus the Chicago Blackhawks and the Wild is up 1 - 0 thanks to superstar Gaborik. It is so fun to watch Gaborik kick it int second gear and blow by an opponent on way to scoring a goal. The Blackhawks defenseman looked completely defenseless while he watch Gaborik skate away from him en route to scoring. Thanks to the NHL god for making Gaborik a member of the Wild!

Injury bug hits the Wild again

I am starting to wonder what is in the water in St. Paul, Minnesota. Just when the Minnesota Wild got back to full strength, the injury bug struck again. The prognosis doesn't sound good for Todd White and Kurtis Foster. I would be surprised if they are back this month by the looks of things. I hope that the team isn't jinxed. Carney & Parrish, who were also hurt in the loss to Edmonton will be back this weekend. It is really hard to get a true feel for the team when there are constantly injuries to key contributors. Wouldn't it be fun to have the Wild play at full-strength for 10 games in a row. Be careful drinking the Xcel Energy Center water, it may put you on the shelf!

I found an excellent site to buy Minnesota Wild Tickets on. Ticket King definitely has the best prices and the biggest selection on Wild Tickets at the Xcel Energy Center. Check them out if the main box office is sold out!

Welcome Back Minnesota Wild

I just wanted to welcome back the Minnesota Wild. Not only have they gotten the "on the road monkey" off of their backs, they have also started to get favorable calls. I am not sure what the review officials were looking at on the shoot out goal, but it sure looked like it should have been a Blackhawks goal to me. Why is it when you get on a roll, you get the calls and when you are in a rut you get hosed by the refs? I guess that I don't care what the answer is, I am just happy to have my favorite team back. GO WILD!!!

No Wild on TV tonight?

Help, I am bored. Who had the bright idea to not televise the Minnesota Wild vs. Edmonton Oilers game on 1/12? I was so fired up to watch this game...but had to read about it on the internet! It felt like the Minnesota Wild that we all expected to see at the beginning of the year was finally back! The Wild totally dominated the Canucks last night and it felt like the Manny of old was back. The 2 circus stops that he made in the first period last night (thank you sportscenter) were reminiscent of saves that he made last year. Enough of the praise...Who decides whether a Wild game is on TV and more importantly why the *$#! isn't it on TV? I am pissed!!!

Do you feel like you are on Candid Camera?

The first period just ended in the game between the Minnesota Wild and arch rival Vancouver Canucks. I have totally enjoyed watching the game but I can't help but ask a few questions. Who are the players in the Wild jerseys and where were they a few days ago in their game against the Calgary Flames? Why can't Manny Fernandez and the Minnesota Wild always play like they did in the first period of this game? the bottom line is that according to Wildpuckbanter, "If the Wild continue their losing ways, Vancouver will extend its lead and the Wild will slip into the abyss that is the bottom tier of the Western Conference." None of us want to see that. I just hope that I am not on Candid Camera and the Minnesota Wild will end up choking this 2 to 0 lead away. GO WILD!!!

2007 Wild season might be a failed experiment

It is becoming more and more evident to me that the 2007 Minnesota Wild season is becoming a failed experiment in free agency. We are more than 1/2 of the way through the season and the Minnesota Wild is floundering around 8th spot in their conference. This is barely better than where they stood last year at this time. Gone are the days of blaming their mediocrity on the lack of payroll. I am curious as to what the explanation will be for this version of the Minnesota Wild not making the playoffs. I would say that we are at the point where the Minnesota Wild had better get rolling or it is time to start dumping their overpaid player salaries on some other NHL team. This is beginning to remind me of the days of Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell on the Minnesota Timberwolves. At some point the Timberwolves front office realized that it wasn't working and purged themselves of high priced and over the hill talent in order to build for the future. Maybe, the Minnesota Wild should do the same. I long for the days of the Minnesota Wild being mediocre with a low payroll. At least we didn't expect them to win. GO WILD!!!

Gaborik - Where are you?

Is anyone else sick and tired of Gaborik being hurt? I am to the point where I can’t remember him as a player...he has been hurt for so long (I will post his mugshot just in case anyone else has forgotten, too!)

Has it reached a point where we as fans need to accept the fact that Gaborik is “soft?” I am starting to think that we do. I have never seen a guy turn a relatively minor injury into a cause for season ending concern. I concede that I am not a world class hockey player (but I did play in high school and college) but I surely wouldn’t allow a minor groin injury to prevent me from playing and earning the millions of dollars on my contract. All I have to say is...it is time for Mr. Gaborik to put on his “big girl panties,” lace up his skates, and do what he is paid big buck$ to do; PLAY HOCKEY...Gaborik, we look forward to your return.

Minnesota Wild has their moxie back

Just when I was about to give up on the Minnesota Wild, they got their act together. The Minnesota Wild beat the Might Ducks who are one of the best teams in the NHL on 12/31. The team then totally dominated the Atlanta Thrashers on 1/2, another excellent NHL team. I am not sure whether this little roll is just due to the fact that they are playing at the Xcel Energy Center or that they actually have simply returned to their early season form. Whatever it is, I am glad that they are back and playing like we all had hoped that they would play this year. It can't hurt the morale of the team that Gaborik is rumored to be returning to the ice later this week. It feels like the Minnesota Wild has gotten their slump out of the way. I have a warning for the rest of the NHL: Look out for the Minnesota WIld!!!