Heaven On Earth!

And then God said, "Upon this frozen pond you shall build your rinks; And in those rinks you shall fill with those who love to play hockey; And around those rinks you shall place those who love to watch hockey as well as those who love the hockey players; And when all of this is done I will bestow upon them the most glorious of days and the people shall rejoice."

WOW! We can now die in peace because we know what heaven is like. Saint Brownie led us all to the Promise Land. How did WE get to be this lucky? The first annual 1883 Black Ice Pond Hockey Championships was  even better than we could have hoped for. There were NO LOSERS this weekend (except those you don't like to see people happy).  I can't wait to see the movie. It's too bad Charlton Heston is dead; he could've played the role of Brownie. What a crew that made this all possible! The behind-the-scenes people should all get a free pass into heaven. And those Thursday Night guys; those guys are GOOD! How about Smitty! That guy has a career waiting for him after hockey. I'd like to team him up with Bob Norton to broadcast all the Thursday Night games once the league comes to terms with national television networks.  Hats off to the Capitol City Diner team and to The White's Park Hockey Club for taking home a "Hobey".  Also a big salute to The Budmen and Cheers Chiefs for making it to the finals. We should also salute the junior team of Jack Edward's Teeth for taking home a Hobey. Some day they too may make it to the big time on Thursday Night. There were so many great stories from this past weekend that the team of writers here at The Pucking Files will be busy all the way through the off season. This past weekend is proof that God Loves Us.

Preview of Key Match Ups with Jimmy the Geek

I am pleased to have Jimmy the Geek in the office today to talk about some key match ups that will be tough to call in Vegas. Here is my Q & A with Jimmy the Geek.
Q: Jimmy you fat bastard, What do you see as some of the more intriquing match ups in this weekends 1883 Black Ice Tournament?
A: Well Rudzbro, first of all; when are you going to cut that goddamn mullet? Who do you think you are; Barry freakin Melrose? Seriously though, when I look at the card, first thing that jumps out to me is; Who's carrying Thursday Nighters in their line up? I've gotta give an edge to any team with these guys on their roster. I don't believe any of the European teams can play the rugged Thursday Night style that it takes to win Black Ice. I don't see anything on friday that stands out as significant to the odds makers. It is Saturday that things start to get interesting. There are two big tilts slated for 10:35 that could possibly be a preview of Sunday's finals.
Q: What are those Jimmy?
A: I'm getting to that Rudzbro you sonovabitch! The first is in the 50+ Division and it features the host White Park Hockey Club vs. The Turkey Pond Flyers. These two teams aren't known for fair play and good sportsmanship. Frankly, they don't like each other very much and some of the bad Blood goes way back to the old Industrial League. Some of these guys would slash their own mothers if they thought they'd get a "W" out of it. When it comes to speed, the name at the top of the list is Chris McLaughlin. This guy is like the energizer bunny on skates. He could be a difference maker even in the Open division. White's Park had to dish out a lot of dough to get him here ,now we'll have to see if he pays dividends. There is a reason there is budget problem in Concord and McCloughlin's contract is the main reason. If he doesn't produce, he'll be shipped back to Keene on a dogsled. One of the guys who has offered his dogsled for the trip back to Keene is the wiley veteren Steve Arndt who captians the Turkey Pond Flyers. He was seperated at birth from Bobby Clarke also a former Flyer. He'll break down the will of any team with his tenacity and grit. He'll spit in your eye if it means getting the puck from an opponent. The other ageless wonder on the Flyers is solid veteren defenseman Ryan Brandt. This guy grew up in Roso, Minnesota where they used to scrimmage shirts vs. skins in twenty below zero weather. It's so cold in Roso that some residents move to the Artic Circle to get away from the cold of Roso. On the White Park side of center ice you'll find the nasty boys: Gary Mailhot and Bobby Bloody. They don't call him "Bloody" for nothing. Whatch out Governor Lynch! There are no sacred cows in these guy's world. Of course both teams are deep. Just look at these line ups; they're full of Thursday Nighters. White's Park: McLaughlin, Tommy "Painch" (first four letters spell PAIN) Painchaud, George "Dumpin" Chase, The Mailhot Brothers (puttin on the foil)and former Thursday Night star Jimmy "Hay Zee" Hayes who grew up at White's Park and knows his way around that pond. Turkey Pond Flyers: Steve "Arndt going to lose" Arndt, Ryan "don't try playing goalie in a pond hockey game!" Brandt, Gregg "Moose" Moffet, Tommy "Shemp" Champagne, Dan "Lucky" Luker, my brother and Bob Arndt.
Q: Who's Bob Arndt?
A: He's the X factor. This is another Minnesota guy who plays pond hockey all year round. He follows the cold weather around the world just to play pond hockey. The colder it is; the better he likes it. Former Minnesota North Star Lou Nanne called Bob Arndt, "The most tenacious hockey player in the State of Hockey". He is my X factor and why I'm picking Turkey Pond by a goal.

On Rink 3 fans are going to get their money's worth with this match up. It features two premier teams from the 35+ Division. Capitol City Diner vs. Cheers/Oral (not to be confused with Cheers/Annal: Adventures on the High Seas {the B movie}). Capitol City Diner is built on speed and speed kills. They too are stacked with Thursday Night talent; Tommy "Berg" Bourgault, The Cummy Brothers, Andy "BTO" Bauchman, also Scott Jocelyn, Gene Patnode, and Jason Aziz. On the other side of the ice Cheers/Oral may knock a few teeth out of their opponent's heads. Dr. Rich will fix you up on monday. This line up features Thursday Nighters Dave "Tilly" Tillitson, Dunc "Coach" Walsh, his brother Mike Walsh, Clint "Eastwood" Casavaugh, "the Good Doctor" Rich Rosato and two of Concord's favorite sons, Bruce "the Rooster" Gilles and Lee "Leebo" Blossom.
Q: Who do you see in this one Jimmy?
A: Again, not an easy choice but I'm going to have to go with Cheers/Oral. You gotta like the name; it's got smiles written all over it. Toothless freaking hockey smiles! You look at this line up and it's full of sore losers. These guys don't like to lose and they will do whatever it takes to win (except Dunc won't backcheck). I don't know Dunc's brother Mike but if he's a Walsh and he's from Concord then he's pretty good. It's going to be tough to slow down Capitol City Diner and I don't know if that'll happen. What I see is a run n gun game and if that happens, I see Cheers winning this gun slingers match. For me, the X factor is Leebo. Did you know he was the captian at BC? And, he's in the NH Legends of Hockey along with buddy Bruce. You have two legends on one team; Wow! I think Leebo is going to have one of those Legendary performances. And if he doesn't, there is plenty of firepower in that line up. If Capitol City Diner can get a couple of breaks and get a lead at half time, they could pull off an upset.
Q: Hey Geek; Do you see these two in the finals?
A: No Mullet Boy; I only see one of them in the finals. You can't forget about The Budmen who have a relatively easy schedule until Sunday. That is a dangerous line up!
Q: Who's on that team Geek?
A: Where have you been Bozo? The Budmen is like a Thursday Night Special. It features The Philby Brothers, Chris "Brownie" Brown, Jim "Heathy" Heath, Scott Summerville (not Thursday), The old pro Joe "Joe" Farrelly, and the softest hands in hockey Tom "TC" Carroll. You've got everything on this team; hustle,size, veteren leadership and skills up the ol' Whazzoo!
Q: So, you see The Budmen and Cheers in the final of 35+?
A: No, I didn't say that Rudzbro. There are too many teams that I don't know a thing about (mostly europeans). I'm just saying this; if these two play the way they are capable of playing, they SHOULD be the last two standing on Sunday.
Wow Jimmy!, you sure are a Geek! Thanks for coming here today! Well hockey fans this is going to be some kind of fun. So pour yourselves a Black Ice Ale or better yet let em pour you one in the beer tent or even at one of Concord's many watering holes and enjoy the show! Look for more insight into the 1883 Black Ice Pond Hockey Championships all week long at The Pucking Files.

Black Ice Features Stars of Thursday Night!

The 1883 Black Ice Pond Hockey Championships got a shot in the arm when it was announced that The Thursday Night Hockey League (the premier league in the Capitol City) was going to shut down for a week in order to let it's players compete in next weekend's tournament at White's Park. League officials came to terms with Black Ice organizers around mid night last night to secure a deal which will include at least two nationally televised games. "Fans want to see the best, so we're going to give them the best", said tournament organizer Chris "Brownie" Brown. Many of the league's top players from Green and Blue will be competing as well as a few from Red and Yellow. "It's a wonderful thing to see such highly skilled players on the biggest stage in the world", said Phil "Commish" Stuart who will be coaching Cheers Chiefs 50+. "There certainly will be some intriquing match ups slated for next weekend ,espcially between those teams that carry Thursday Nighters on their rosters", said Jack Edwards of NESN. "I am honored to have my teeth featured in the event", he added. Hopefully, Jack's teeth will be rattling off the half wall! Stay tuned to The Pucking Files all week long. Some of the featured games and line ups will be announced as well as the picks by Jimmy the Geek.

Correction/Apology

The Staff at The Pucking Files stands corrected for a story written yesterday titled Black History Month. Apparently the upcoming hockey tournament in Concord is called, The Black ICE pond hockey tournament and it is not associated with Black History Month. We apologize for this error and with all due respect to anyone or groups that we may have offended with this error. We would like to acknowledge the Reverend D.H. King of the Long Needles Baptist Church in Waxhaw, N.C. for his efforts to alert us on our error and we have made a generous contribution to his church for any discomfort we may have caused any of his followers. Reverend King has been kind enough to call off a protest he had scheduled at White Park for the opening ceremony of the Black Ice Pond Hockey Championships. He did suggest that perhaps we may consider renaming the Park however. I told him that we will pass along that request to the Mayor of the Capitol City. We are considering moving the tournament to North Carolina next year provided the weather cooperates. All proceeds would be given to The Long Needles Baptist Church. God Bless.
Sincerely, Rudzbro Editor of The Pucking Files

Black History Month honored in Concord

The upcoming Black Guys Pond Hockey Tournament will be hosted next weekend in Concord. The event will pay tribute to Concord's rich history of hockey.

No Quit in Blue!

What looked to be a route by Green turned into one of the greatest comebacks in the long storied history of the Blue Green rivalry that dates back to 1883 when the two teams first met on the lower pond at St.Pauls School. Midway through last night's contest fans of the hometown Green began celebrating a seemingly easy win for their hockey club. The celebration was premature as the visiting Blue squad mounted a comeback that would soon quiet the Green faithful that packed the fabled Everett Arena. The Blue comeback was led by Blue's second line of Walsh, Luker and Painchaud who manufactured two goals in one shift that set the Blue comeback in motion. The line of Tilly, Casavaugh and Barkman followed suit and added a couple of their own and soon Green found themselves desperately trying to hang on, but Blue goaltender Kenny Bradley put up a force field around the Blue goal that left Green's talented squad scratching their heads. Meanwhile, at the other end of the ice Blue found ways to exploit a flat footed Green defense and capitalize on their opportunities. The Everett arena crowd watched in shock at the meltdown. With two minutes to go Green pulled beleaugered goaltender Sean "Fordy" Ford who had been called up from the minors earlier in the day to replace Kenny "Dino" Dean who was undergoing a psychiatric evaluation after his outburst in the court room at the White's Pond Duo trial(see photo)

. The move proved to be the final nail in the coffin of Green as Blue netted two empties which sent the crowd headed to the exits. Dunc "Coach" Walsh spoke with reporters just before boarding the team bus and said, "I called a time out and I told my teammates, "Blue doesn't quit! Let's stop doing rink turns for the sake of doing rink turns and focus on getting the puck deep and outworking Green." "Coach doesn't just talk the talk, he walks the walk", said teammate Tom "Shemp" Champagne. "When he picked up his game, we all began to tell ourselves that we can do this", said Gregg "Moose" Moffet. "You have to play the full sixty minutes", added veteran defenseman Ryan Brandt. Apparently Green thought they only had to play thirty. The Thursday Nighters will shut down for a week to prepare for the upcoming Pond Hockey Championships.

Green outnumbers Blue on the Bench and on the Scoreboard

Green used it's extra sub to full advantage last night as they downed an under manned Blue squad in a nail biter that featured outstanding goaltending on both ends of the ice. Young "Stonewall" Tillitson of the famed hockey Tillitson family used timely saves to stave off the Blue attack including some last minute heroics as Blue pulled goaltender Kenny Bradley in favor of an extra attacker. Defenseman Gregg "Moose" Moffet said, "Kyle Tilly was outstanding". Moose knows something about goaltending. He was responsible for teaching Patrick Roy everything he knows about goaltending. Jim "Heathy" Heath supplied plenty of firepower for Green including a highlight reel goal where he sliced through the Blue defense and fired the puck into the twine. Many players were absent on both sides due to flight delays at the airport due to wednesday's blizzard. Those who had flown into the Captiol City a day early for the Premier of "Slap Shot" at the Red River Theatre were fortunate enough to get on a flight. Also present at the premier was none other than Mr. Hockey and Super Mario who posed along with the Hanson Brothers (Played by the Mailhot brothers) for photographers. Green had a distinct advantage with an extra player which proved to be the difference at the end of the night. Joe "Joe" Farrelly was a plus 4 making him tied for the league lead in that department and Norris Trophy candidate again. He won it in 1973 while skating with the Brady GREEN Giants. The Black Ice Rosters will be published as soon as Brownie can get them to The Pucking File office. Meanwhile, the cold weather has been making the ice at White's Park solid Black Gold. It is almost thick enough to be opened to the public.

First team in Black Ice Tournament

The first team to be listed officially for the 1883 Black Ice Pond Hockey Championship is the
Fitchburg Hockey Club out of Concord, N.H.  Coached by John "Stuffy" Stevenson (wearing hat) and featuring Dunc Walsh (2nd from left,back row).
Hey, isn't that the good Dr. Rich Rozatto on the far left? No, that's Garbo!

The Return of Harry

Tonight marked the return of Tom "Harry" Harrison between the pipes. Harry had planned his return for earlier in the season, but the date was postponed after a hamstring injury that he suffered at the Harvest. Harry split time with Kenny Dean and Harry's presence may have rattled "Dino" who was off his game. Harry played early but choose to take off the pads and enjoy a nice cold Bud Light. " He looks composed", said speedy forward Andy Barkman as he watched Harry sip the Bud Light. "We should have given him a little more defensive help", said George "Dumpin" Chase who was converted into a defenseman after the retirement of Vic Stanfield. Blue was back on their heels from the opening faceoff, giving up two goals in the first shift to the TTC line of Todd, Tilly and Clint. The only time Blue got out of their zone was to face off following the two goals. MOST of the Blue players didn't give up and kept chipping away at the lead but the TTC proved too much in the third period and Green ran away with it. When asked about how many goals he scored, Tilly said, " I wasn't really keeping track but it was probably somewhere around two or nine." For his effort he was given the game chair.
In case you missed it last night, Brownie put together another great event with the unveiling of Black Ice Ale. Brownie finally met someone bigger than him; the Black Ice Polar Bear.
Following up on the Philby dog fighting scandal;It turns out that only one of the dogs was a pit bull. It is rumored that rappper Tim Walsh a.k.a "Ice T",a.k.a "Little Coach" was bringing under age girls to the dog fights and he too may face charges and a possible suspension from the Black Ice Tournament.
The date is set for the trial of The White's Pond Duo. It is January 18th at the court house on Clinton St. It is estimated that reporters from as many as twelve different nations will be on hand to cover the trial. We hope Thursday Nighters will be there to lend support to their fallen brothers. Look for the upper coming Black Ice Rosters and all the picks by Jimmy "The Geek".

Black Ice Ale Tapped in Concord

The first kegs of Black Ice Ale were tapped at the Barley House and Cheers and many of the Thursday Night "Stars"  were there to  give it the Ol Thursday Night Try. "We never back down from a challenge", said Joe "Duke" Farrelly "and by the time the evening was over, we were challenged"(impaired). Speaking of a challenge; Thursday night just so happens to feature the leagues top two teams; Blue and Green. Expect a barn burner.

Philby Investigated for his role in Dog Fighting Ring

Working on a tip, U.S. Marshalls entered the home of Thursday Night hockey star Philby (picured above in his Concord High uniform) and confiscated his two pit bulls (pictured above). Deputy Barney Fife said, "When we entered the Philby compound we found a number of Thursday Nighters there and large sums of cash, which we believe are evidence of a betting ring." Several of those in attendence are already on probation stemming from earlier arrests. Philby said little to U.S. Marshalls other than, "Those aren't my dogs" and "I want to call my lawyer". He retained the services of Luker, Moffet & McGloughlin the controversial law firm that is working on the White's Pond Duo case. A spokesperson for the firm said, "We are confident that we will get these false charges dropped".  If these charges stick however, Philby may be banned from competing in the upcoming 1883 Black Ice Pond Championships.

White's Park hires new maintenance crew for Black Ice Tournament

Tom "Kite" Wright will have a new crew working with him preparing the ice for the 1883 Black Ice Pond Hockey Championships. They have all had prior experience preparing ice.