Is NHL Hockey Finally Coming To Houston?

Another one of the things people don't know about me besides Renee Martin is that I am a serious hockey fan.   I learned how to ice skate before I attempted to learn how to roller skate. 

My teen self not only witnessed the first game of the Houston Aeros in the Sam Houston Coliseum as they beat the Chicago Cougars, I was a passionate fan of the team   The two time World Hockey Association Avco Cup champions had Gordie Howe and his sons Mark and Marty Howe on the squad. 

Unfortunately, financial instability helped kill this team.  They went through three ownership groups despite being a successful team on the ice.  The Aeros were not admitted into the NHL, and were disbanded when the two leagues merged in 1978 and the Winnipeg Jets, Quebec Nordiques, the New England Whalers and the Edmonton Oilers were absorbed.

The Aeros 2.0 started playing as an International Hockey League expansion team at Compaq Center in 1994 and when the IHL folded in 2001, joined the American Hockey League.  That same year they also became affiliated of the NHL's Minnesota Wild and moved to Toyota Center to play their games in 2003. . 

Despite being ranked in the top 5 in AHL attendance and winning titles in both the IHL and AHL, the Minnesota Wild, who owned the team, decided to move them to Des Moines, Iowa in 2013..

Because Houston is the third largest city in the country and the largest TV market without an NHL franchise, we have repeatedly been teased and tortured with the NHL either considering expanding here or NHL teams having problems in other markets considering relocation to H-town, only to go somewhere else.

The Dallas Stars would also like that to happen so that we can start an instate NHL rivalry .

While the WHA Aeros were collapsing due to fiscal issues, the original NHL Colorado Rockies were considering moving to Houston.  They eventually became the New Jersey Devils in 1982.

The other NHL team that considered relocating to Houston but eventually set up somewhere else includes the Edmonton Oilers.  Back in the mid 1990's, then Oilers owner Peter Pocklington was battling with the city of Edmonton to get a better deal, and threatened to sell the team to then Rockets owner Les Alexander and move the Oilers to Houston.  That drama was happening about the same time that Bud Adams was threatening to move the NFL Oilers to Nashville.

That sale of the NHL Oilers didn't happen, and it probably led to why Les messed with Houston's chances to get an NHL team in the 1997 round of NHL expansion that eventually went to Nashville.   
And now, Seattle is getting the NHL's 32nd franchise to start play in 2020 once the renovations to bring Key Arena to NHL standards are completed.

With getting a team through NHL expansion being dashed once again, it appears that if Houston is going to get an NHL team. it's going to be through relocation.   We have an NHL ready arena in the Toyota Center and a diverse hockey loving fanbase ready to embrace our own NHL team instead of flying or driving to Dallas to see NHL hockey.

We have rumors that the Arizona Coyotes and possibly the Calgary Flames may be eyeballing a possible move to Houston. 

Both teams have arena issues, and more fuel was added to the rumors when the NHL Board of Governors voted to move the Arizona Coyotes into the NHL's Central Division, the same one that the Dallas Stars (and Calgary Flames) happen to play in. 

As to whether it will happen, not getting excited about until the announcement is made an NHL team is moving here and will playing its games in downtown Houston..

But I do have a suggestion if it happens for the team's nickname if it does. .   

Down Goes Canada! USA Women (Finally!)Win Hockey Gold!

The last time the USA women won a gold medal in women's hockey was during the Nagano Games in 1998.   Team USA beat Canada 7-4 in the preliminary round, then beat them when it counted 3-1 for the first every medal awarded in women's hockey.

Since then, as my green tea drinking north of the border homegirl has been reminding me, it has been a frustrating series of Olympic defeats for the USA women's hockey team despite successfully (and repeatedly) beating those Canadian behinds in the IIHF World Championships.

There was the 3-2 gold medal game loss to Canada on home soil in Salt Lake City in 2002.  Four years later in the 2006 Turin Games Team USA didn't even make it to the gold medal game.  They shockingly lost in an 3-2 OT shootout to Sweden in the semis and had to settle for the bronze medal.
 
In 2010 the USA lost to Olympic hosts Canada in Vancouver 2-0 in the gold medal match to collect another silver medal.   

The 2014 Sochi Games was the most frustrating USA women's Olympic hockey loss.  Team USA was up 2-0 in the third period and 3:26 from avenging those defeats until Canada scored twice to force overtime, then won it with a golden goal in overtime to win their fourth straight gold medal.

That loss has fueled the Team USA fire for the last four years.  As usual, they've beaten Canada in four straight IIHF world championships, with three of them happening post-Sochi, but would it finally translate to Olympic gold for Team USA?

Yep it did in PyeongChang. 

This was the third consecutive Olympiad that the USA and Canada had met in the gold medal match and as I warned my green tea drinking homegirl, Olympic win streaks can come to an end.

.Even with a 2-1 loss in the preliminary round to Canada back on February 15 Team USA was a confident bunch going into this game with their bitter rivals.

Team USA struck first late in the 1st period with a Hilary Knight goal to give them a 1- 0 lead.   But Canada struck back after the first intermission with two goals in the 2nd period to take a 2-1 lead into the locker room at the second intermission.

It wasn't looking good for Team USA until a failed 2-1 break and botched Canadian line change resulted in a breakaway goal from Monique Lamoureux with 6:21 remaining that tied the game at 2-2 and sent it to overtime.

After 20 minutes of overtime and constant pressure by Team USA on the Canadian goal resulted in no game winning golden goals for either side.  it was shootout time.

The USA won the coin flip and elected to go second and Amanda Kessel, Gigi Marvin and Jocelyn Lamoreux delivered in the shootout to gain revenge for Sochi and earn Team USA's first women's Olympic hockey medal in 20 years,



The World Champs are finally the Olympic Champs!

See y'all in Beijing,  Renee.

Meet The 1st Black Player Ever On The US Olympic Hockey Team

FOX Noise's John Moody may hate the diverse US Winter Olympic team, but I don't. 

One of the cool benefits of that team diversity is we have Black History being made by our 2018 winter Olympians in several events.   One of those events is hockey.

Because of a dispute with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) concerning several issues, the NHL refused to allow its players to participate in the Olympics this year.   That meant for the first time in three decades, the US team was going to be composed primarily of collegiate players.   One of the collegiate players who was selected to play on this men's Olympic hockey squad was Jordan Greenway of Canton, NY.

And with that selection, Greenway makes history.  When he steps on the ice at PyeongChang on February 14 the first African American ever to play on a USA Olympic hockey team.

“I dreamed of [it] as a kid, and I didn’t think it was going to happen before I graduated college, but I’m fortunate that it did, and I just couldn’t be more excited!” Greenway said in a CNN interview.

The 20 year old Greenway is also the tallest player on the team at 6 feet 5 inches and 238 pounds.  He was drafted by the NHL's Minnesota Wild in 2015, but decided to complete his college education at Boston University . Greenway also has a younger brother, JD who plays the sport.

“I’m the first African American to play hockey for the United States at the Olympics but hopefully I’m the first of many,” Greenway said. “Hopefully these kids go out, try something different, play hockey, and hopefully I see a lot more playing in the near future.”

I'll have even more incentive to not only watch the USA men's Olympic hockey team, but root for its success.   The last time a USA men's team won gold was when I was a high school senior at Lake Placid in 1980

Sochi Olympic Watch-USA vs Canada Round One

It's the Clash of the Women's Hockey Titans in the USA vs Canada to determine who gets out of Group A with the number one seed.

Both teams and their fanbases in this intense rivalry badly want to win every time they face each other.

And a certain Canadian is still talking trash about her fave hockey team.   Maple Leaf Forever my anus!

The USA beat Finland 3-1 in their opening match and pasted Switzerland in a 9-0 scoring explosion two days ago.   The Canadians beat Finland 3-0 in a game that was closer than the score indicated and knocked out Switzerland 5-0.

Both have clinched semifinal berths and are expected to have their usual golden showdown on February 20 barring an upset. 

USA! USA! USA! 

Hey Renee, USA 2014 Women's Olympic Hockey Team Is Set

The NHL's Winter Classic between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings happened yesterday at Michigan Stadium.

It was played in front of a record New Year's Day crowd of 105,591 fans who endured 13 degree temps and blowing snow that fell through the entire game at The Big House. 

It was the largest crowd to ever witness a hockey game be it collegiate or professional, and the Maple Leaf fans making the five hour drive to Ann Arbor, MI went back across the border to Toronto happy after the 3-2 shootout win over Detroit.   

But of more importance to moi was what occurred during the Winter Classic second intermission, the  introduction of the 2014 USA Women's Olympic hockey team.   These are the 21 women who will attempt to earn our first gold medal in women's hockey since the 1998 squad did so at Nagano. 

Ahem, here's the Team USA women's hockey roster. for Sochi. 

Forwards: Alex Carpenter, Kendall Coyne, Julie Chu, Brianna Decker, Meghan Duggan, Lyndsey Fry, Amanda Kessel, Hilary Knight, Jocelyne Lamoureux, Monique Lamoureux, Kelli Stack

Defensemen: Kacey Bellamy, Megan Bozek, Gigi Marvin, Michelle Picard, Josephine Pucci, Anne Schleper, Lee Stecklein

Goaltenders: Brianne McLaughlin-Bittle, Molly Schaus, Jessie Vetter

Julie Chu made it to her fourth USA Olympic squad and is one of the 11 Olympic vets on the 2014 team.  Chu is also their oldest player at age 31.  The other ten vets who join her are goaltenders: Jesse Vetter, Molly Schaus and Brianne McLaughlin-Bittle, Kacey Bellamy, Meghan Duggan, Hilary Knight, Jocelyne Lamoureux, Monique Lamoureux, Gigi Marvin and Kelli Stack. 

Amanda Kessel is the sister of Toronto Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel (who made the men's squad) and is also on this Sochi Olympic team.  While this is her first USA Olympic team, she already knows the thrill of beating Canada in international hockey competition. 

The College Player of the Year, Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winner (the equivalent of the Heisman Trophy in women's collegiate hockey) for unbeaten NCAA national champs Minnesota scored the winning goal in the IIHF championship game against Canada last April.  

Amanda Kessel, as y'all found out on your home soil last year is all that and four bags of chips. 

Speaking of world championship winning gold medalists, 18 of the 21 members of this Sochi squad were members of the IIHL World Championship team  in Ottawa, and all 21 have played in the IIHL championships for Team USA. 

And this time a woman will be large and in charge of coaching our Olympic squad in Katey Stone.  She is the most successful coach in our NCAA women's hockey ranks as the head coach at Harvard.  She was also the head coach of the 2013 IIHF World Championship squad.

So now that our team is set, can't wait for the Olympic women's ice hockey tournament to start on February 8.  And yes Renee, February 12 is already circled on my new 2014 calendar.  

That's the day we play y'all in the final Group A match in Sochi before it heads to the medal round..   

Renee, Sochi Olympic Hockey Is Coming!

I know you and other Canadian women's hockey fans are still crying in your Timmy's after you lost the IIHF women's ice hockey championship to us for the fifth time in seven years.

What was even sweeter about this IIHF title win was it happened in Canada and in your nation's capital. 

It may be your game, but y'all got your butts kicked on your home soil in your nation's capital in the IIHF final.  And we didn't even need overtime this time to beat you.3-2.

USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!

Just sounds so good rolling off my tongue along with the words '2013 IIHF Women's Hockey World Champions.'
  
So now let's get to talking about the next major international women's ice hockey tournament, and it's going down in Sochi during the Olympic Games.   Yeah the Russian women claim they'll be motivated to prevent a USA-Canada Olympic final, and to be honest they have some recent positive results to back up those woof tickets they're trying to sell to the peeps back home.   They did take a bronze medal back home to Mother Russia from Ottawa, but we know who the real women's hockey powers are according to the 2013 IIHF Women's World Rankings that the (ahem) USA sits on top of..

The Olympics are a mere two months away from starting, and the hockey competition will start at the Shayba Arena on February 8. 

Unfortunately we'll be in the same preliminary Group A with Finland and Switzerland while the host Russians will be in Group B with Germany, Japan and Sweden.

But circle February 12 on your calendar because that's the night the USA and Canada meet in the final game Group A play.  If both teams play the way they normally do, that game will probably decide who wins Group A and who gets the runner up spot.

Yeah yeah, big deal that Canada has won the last three women's Olympic gold medals, but you didn't win the first ever one in the 1998 Nagano Games.  

And yes, all winning streaks must come to an end.

 

Hey Renee! 2013 Women's World Ice Hockey Championship Back On US Soil!

Told you Renee that the IIHF Women's World ice hockey title y'all won last year in Burlington, VT was only on loan.

Y'all spoiled our chance to fourpeat last year after winning three straight IIHF titles but it took y'all overtime to do it.   We only needed regulation time to bring it back to our side of the border.

Team USA stormed into the SBP Arena in Ottawa and took it back with a 3-2 win in the title game in front of 13,776 witnesses to claim their fourth championship in five years.

It was the usual hard fought game with Team USA outshooting Canada in this one 30-16.  It came down to the reigning NCAA women's player of the year Amanda Kessel firing the championship clinching goal, a wrist shot from the right wing just 3:09 into the final period.   

Team USA will get to hold the IIHF world title until the next tournament is conducted in Sweden in 2015.   The Olympics are happening in Sochi in February 2014 and the International Ice Hockey federation doesn't conduct the world championship tournament in Olympic years.

Speaking of the Olympics, the nations that have qualified for the women's Olympic hockey tournament are the 2010 defending Olympic gold medalists Canada, Japan, 2010 bronze medalists Finland, Switzerland, Sweden, the host nation Russia, Germany and the 2010 silver medalists United States.

It was so much fun winning that title in your nation's capital and on your soil.   It may be your game, but the women's world championship trophy is back on US soil again.   The Olympic gold medal is next.

USA! USA! USA!

Big Night Coming In Winnipeg

The 2011-2012 NHL season opens this coming weekend, and nowhere is it being more eagerly anticipated than in Winnipeg.   After 15 years without their beloved Jets, Winnipeggers got the news last May the Atlanta Thrashers were being purchased and relocated to the city.   They snapped up 13,000 season tickets, bought the new gear and jerseys when the redesigned Jets logo was released and have eagerly awaited the October 9 clash with the Montreal Canadiens that opens their 2011-2012 season.

The NHL put off realignment until the conclusion of this season, so for the time being the Jets are in the NHL's Southeast Division 1500 miles away from their nearest division rival.  

But Jets fans don't care.   They have NHL hockey back and they'll be rocking the MTS Centre on Sunday and proving how much they missed it.

It's Official-The Winnipeg Jets Are Back

The folks in Winnipeg can't wait for the 2011-12 NHL season to start because for the first time since 1996, there will be an NHL team in the city. 

The deal to purchase the Atlanta Thrashers and move them to Winnipeg became official when it was approved at the June 24 NHL Board of Governors meeting.   It was subsequently followed by a crowd pleasing announcement that the team would officially be renamed the Winnipeg Jets.

The new owners of the team are coming up with a brand new logo and uniforms for the team.  As for what division the Jets will play in, they will stay in the Southeast Division for now   The NHL decided to table the realignment issues caused by the move until the end of the 2011-12 season.  

The peeps in Winnipeg don't care.   They are just counting the days until the NHL season starts.