The Columbus Blue Jackets learned a valuable lesson about NHL hockey on Friday night-it’s dangerous to ‘sit on a lead’ and particularly against the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Down 3-1, Pittsburgh tied the game late in the third period as Ruslan Fedotenko and Alex Goligoski each lit the lamp with less than three minutes remaining. After a scoreless overtime period, Sidney Crosby scored the only goal of the shootout to give the Penguins an improbable 4-3 victory. It was the 9th win in ten games for Pittsburgh, who are a perfect 6-0-0 on the road. Columbus lost for the fifth time in six games after a 5-1 start to the NHL season.

After losing the services of starting goalie Roberto Luongo for the indefinite future with a broken rib, the Canucks may have breathed a sigh of relief too soon after backup goalie Andrew Raycroft’s performance in his first game in relief. After an excellent effort in an overtime victory over Los Angeles, Raycroft was torched for four goals in two periods before being pulled from the game. Corey Schneider, recently recalled from Manitoba of the AHL, played the third period in net giving up three more goals as Anaheim cruised to a 7-2 victory.

The All-Star Weekend has come and gone, meaning NHL teams have ramped up their play for the important stretch drive. The final 30 or so games that so-often determine not only who will battle in the first round, but also who will make the post-season “show” at all. And as much I’ve enjoyed watching Chris Chelios’ 45th season (it’s actually his 25th. It just seems like his 45th) and his efforts to hack opponents black and blue, or Sean Avery’s self-destruction, or the usual coaching carousel, or Crosby and Ovechkin’s highlight reel plays, it’s my “recreational” (insert ‘drop-in’, or ‘shinny’, or ‘old-timers’ as applicable) hockey season that has my toes a-tingling right now. Really, is there a sweeter smell in the world than cracking open that hockey bag each week? Sure, Chanel No. 5 is nice, but we’re talking well-seasoned hockey gloves here people – no contest!

The Montreal Canadiens have gotten off to a slow start this season, and entered Thursday night’s game against the New York Islanders having gone thirteen games without a win in regulation dating back to last season. Apparently, all they needed to cure their ails was a team that was struggling more than they are. The Habs jumped on them early scoring three goals in the first two periods en route to a 5-1 victory at the Bell Centre. Montreal improved to 4-5-0 with the victory while the Islanders dropped to 1-4-3.

While there are other sports, say, basketball which only requires a hoop and basketball for the participants to be able to play, there are also some sports like hockey wherein there are various equipments needed. Not only do the players need these equipments to play, they also need it to keep them safe from any possible injuries that could occur during the game.

Hockey, typically associated with colder regions – such as Canada, the United States, Russia, Norway, Sweden, and Scandinavia – is a sport which is quite physically demanding on many players. Rotating 6 players at a time, the game has a total of 22 players. Overtime is similarly split into twenty minute periods, ending when there is a goal made. This applies if it’s a tied game at the last period and this is one way to break a tie to end a game as late ties are no longer allowed in the NHL.

Hockey, typically associated with colder regions – such as Canada, the United States, Russia, Norway, Sweden, and Scandinavia – is a sport which is quite physically demanding on many players. Rotating 6 players at a time, the game has a total of 22 players. Overtime is similarly split into twenty minute periods, ending when there is a goal made. This applies if it’s a tied game at the last period and this is one way to break a tie to end a game as late ties are no longer allowed in the NHL.

Hockey is very popular in the United States and Europe today, but it got its start in Canada. Because of the timing of the Stanley cup playoffs and the fact that it coincides with the Stanley cup playoffs, Americans are not as enthusiastic about the international men’s ice hockey world championships as their European counterparts. Truthfully, many countries have a severe lack of top players, because those who are the best go off to join the NHL and try to win the Stanley cup.

Ringette is a fast-paced ice sport introduced in 1963 in North Bay, Ontario by Sam Jacks. Originally developed for girls, Ringette is played with a straight, tapered stick used to pass, carry, and shoot a rubber ring with the object being to score goals. Ringette is played throughout Canada at many different levels, from house league to all-stars and in national and international competition. In Canada, 50,000 athletes, coaches, and officials call Ringette their sport. BC has approximately 2,200 registered players most of which participate in the Lower Mainland Ringette League. Ringette is also played internationally in Finland, Sweden, United States, and has been introduced in many other countries.

Well, it’s the start of a new year on the slopes – be it locally or up at Whistler, you get all of your gear ready, and up you go. First things first, do yourself a favour and try and hydrate a couple of days in advance. Yes that’s right, drink good old H2O and your first day on the slopes will be that much better. You’ll still probably have your morning coffee, and you might have had a few wobbly pops the night before, but if you hydrate for a few days in advance, you’ll thank me for it later and you will ski better.