In cae you wonder how players and hockey play-by-play announcers pass their time during a work stoppage, the following from the Associated Press is for you:

"The 103-day NHL lockout of 1994-95 was instructional on a couple of levels. It was possible, novel really, to spend a holiday in the same city as family and friends and not have to go to a game that same day for the first time in years.

And speaking of holidays, how could you top eating a hot dog in Quebec City on Thanksgiving Day? Saying, 'Pass the mustard' doesn't sound quite right when people are passing the stuffing and gravy south of the border.

The other byproduct was discovering that there were actually decent television shows out there...with no sports connection. It seems to be happening again during this lockout. Jim Jackson, the Philadelphia Flyer play-by-play announcer on TV, is changing his viewing habits after having not watched any series the last nine seasons. 'I wouldn't know 'Friends' from 'Seinfeld' from 'NYPD Blues,' he told Bill Fleischman of the Philadelphia Daily News. 'I might have seen a couple in syndication. I happened to see the first episode of 'Lost' and I was hooked.'

Martin St. Louis of the Tampa Bay Lightning is a fan of 'Lost' as well. He linked the show and hockey players. 'It's about people stranded on an island. Kind of like us. Nobody in sight.'"

~Adam

I may have mentioned it here before: the Flyers' radio play-by-play man, Tim Saunders, is working as a car salesman during the lockout...although now he's also getting some TV work, doing play-by-play for the AHL Phantoms for 10 games on Comcast Sportsnet.

Not really "broadening" his horizon since it's still hockey - maybe more a what they do during lockout category. Ken Hitchcock is volunteering being assisting coach for Princeton.

In the "broadening" category we have Chris Chelios trying bobsleigh. He would like to represent Greece at the Torino Games.

José Théodore was on stage, played guitar during Simple Plan's show.

-- And they will still suck! But if people go to the games as a result, then it's worth it.

Can I swoon now?

[ October 19, 2004, 06:43 AM: Message edited by: BPT336 ]

Colorado Avalanche Rob Blake and Joe Sakic (swoon) will take part in a performance of "Peter and the Wolf" with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra as part of that organiztion's Concerts for Young People program. So they're keeping busy.

~Adam

Jarome Iginla will be keeping busy too. This week his wife Kara gave birth to their first child, a six-pound baby girl named Jade Grace. The local media are calling Jarome "Iggy Pop", and I have no doubt he will be an excellent father.

Meanwhile on the coast, Brad May has organized a hockey game to raise funds for Canuck Place, a children's hospice. The game will take place on December 12, featuring Canucks' players against the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League. Besides May, other Canucks who have committed to playing are Matt Cooke and my favourite Swede Markus Naslund. Apparently bad boy Todd Bertuzzi has been invited, but has not yet indicated whether he will play.

[ October 22, 2004, 04:13 PM: Message edited by: Marc ]

Good to see they're going ahead with the charity game; it'll be interesting to see if players from other teams will become involved in similar charity games in their own areas. They could use all the goodwill they can get!

~Adam

From the Los Angeles Times:

"Ah, future visions of ex-NHL players, sitting arounf the Christmas tree, and answering this question from curious children, perhaps even grandchildren: What did you do during the NHL lockout?

The answers will be all over the map. Literally.

New Jersey Devil center Scott Gomez is returning home, signing a $500-a-week deal with the Alaska Aces. He told a local TV station: 'It's a no-brainer. Money's not everything.'

Other hockey-starved individuals are finding a way to fill the void. A University of Victoria (Canada) professor will be offering a course called 'Hockey Literature and the Canadian Psyche.' The professor, Doug Beardsley, told the Associated Press: 'There is a national emptiness in the country.'"

~Adam

As it turned out, Todd Bertuzzi did indeed join fellow Canucks and other locked-out NHL players (including my Jarome) in the charity game in Vancouver on Sunday (rather than quoting myself, just see Oct 22 post for background). When interviewed, Bertuzzi said it was a 'no brainer' for him when he had been invited to play, and spoke very highly of teammate Brad May who organized this worthy event to help sick children.

Bertuzzi's trial begins Jan 17.

Players taking part in La Caravane McDonald have raised half a million dollars so far.

"McDonald’s Caravan is organized by the Caravan of Hope, a non-profit organization whose goal is to raise more than $1 million for charitable organizations dedicated to children’s causes and for minor hockey in the regions on the Caravan’s itinerary. The three teams (Danone, Home Depot and Molson Export), made up of about 30 professional hockey players from Quebec, will tour the province between October 23, 2004, and February 27, 2005, visiting a total of 32 cities. The project is the brainchild of player Joël Bouchard. All proceeds from ticket sales will be divided among the Ronald McDonald Houses in Montreal and Quebec City (50%), local and regional hockey programs (20%), construction of community skating rinks by Home Depot (5%), Leucan (12.5%) and Fondation Charles-Bruneau (12.5%). The Saturday night games will be televised on RDS."