Days off between games are great. Big believer in days off.

…for the team. For the fans, not so much – it actually kind of sucks, to put it bluntly. And it’s especially hard after a good team win, when as a fan you want nothing more but for the ball to keep rolling, the momentum to keep flowing, and Mike Green to keep scoring.

But alas we must wait at least a few more days before NHL action resumes for the Caps. So what better time to pull out everyone’s (least) favorite space-filler? We’ll continue our dangerous trek through the dark recesses of CapsChick’s mind with this mishmash of completely random and only slightly timely reasons to love hockey…

Reason #35 – Road Trips
This season in particular it seems that lengthy ventures away from the friendly confines of Verizon Center have spelled nothing but trouble for the Caps, although the trend has been reversing in recent weeks.

Still, whenever the boys hit the road it offers up a prime opportunity for the fans to do the same. And while some barns can be overly menacing (see: Center, Wachovia), sometimes it’s nice to be an invading fan in someone else’s building for once. I’ve only done it a handful of times and each time it’s made me a believer that it should be a part of every fan’s repertoire. On the short list were a couple of outings in Montreal, always an incomparable experience, and the one terrifying adventure into the Steel City…when I wondered with great sadness how anyone could boo Jaromir Jagr.

Those were the days, eh?

But it truly is an experience. You get to soak up the local color and culture surrounding a particular city’s hockey fanbase, compare beer prices and food selection, and bond with your fellow DC expatriates – once complete strangers, now your bestest friends in the whole wide world because of the sweater they’re wearing. Such is the life of the hockey gypsy.

Reason #36 – Camaraderie
We can complain and bitch and moan about how hockey is kind of the red-headed stepchild of the sporting world, but it does play a huge role in creating the community of hockey fans that exists today.

And it’s not just among the fans of one team; it’s league-wide bonding, baby, and it’s awesome. It’s part of why the hockey blogosphere is as alive as it is – we like to talk to other hockey fans about hockey, to help them grow, to provide a larger and more diverse voice.

Spot another Caps fan riding the metro, particularly on a non-game day, and the likelihood is that you’ll exchange a polite nod, a knowing smile, or spontaneous Caps chatter. Catch a glimpse of someone walking around in Penguins or Rangers regalia and sure, you’ll glare, but there’s a grudging respect beneath that glare, a mutual understanding.

It’s not so for the other sports, fans of which are always traipsing around in their lesser-league gear. Yankees hats are a dime a dozen; Redskins jerseys are the norm. You’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. It’s not unique. But because we’re the minority and always have been, there’s something special about spotting another hockey fan wandering around. There’s a bond that can’t be broken – the sacred bond of the hockey fan.

Reason #37- Converting Fans
Over the years I’ve had many opportunities to bring friends and/or co-workers to games, many of whom are attending for the first time. For some the experience is just a novelty, something fun to be enjoyed in the moment and forgotten the next.

But there are those who find themselves irrevocably hooked to the game from the second the puck drops.

It’s amazing how seeing a game live, particularly from the lower bowl, can truly make new fans. As so many have said, take every hockey detractor to one live game and they’ll be fans for life. The speed, the size, the excitement – particularly these days, it’s hard not to fall head over heels for this team and the game itself.

Now I’m not proud; I admit I may have used pictures of this particular group of Caps to lure some female friends to games, tempting them with glimpses of some of the “eye candy” this team happens to boast. But while the good-looking men may get them there, it’s not what keeps them coming back.

Trust me. Brooks Laich’s blue eyes or Jose’s…Joseness…are just the gateway drug.

Taking a little time out of my holiday fast to knock off a few more of the 64…the things I do for you people, honestly.

Reason #31 – Original Six matchup
You don’t have to be a fan of any of these teams to truly appreciate the magic of an Original Six matchup. Every game immediately becomes infused with a little more magic than usual, with a sense of history. These rivalries don’t just go back a few decades – they span almost a century, dating back to a time when you played five teams over and over until one of them emerged with the Cup.

Legendary lines, legendary brawls, legendary goals…that is what hides behind every seemingly normal game between any two original teams. The past lineups of these monster franchises read like an index of the Hockey Hall of Fame; their luminaries decorate the league’s highest honors. Any time these teams play it’s a reminder of where we’ve been – for better or for worse – and where we’re going.

Reason #32 – History
But the tradition doesn’t stop with someone wearing a blueshirt or a blue CH.

This league, it’s fans and the sport in general have a history that has shaped the game we see today. There have been good times – the emergence of the next young superstar, the arrival of hockey in DC, anytime the Cup is handed out – and bad – the Bertuzzi incident, the lockout, and that whole Jagr being a Cap thing.

And whether it’s good or bad, there seems to be a shared interest among all fans of hockey to preserve that past, to pass it down to future generations of hockey fans so they can truly appreciate the evolution of the greatest game around. The Hockey Hall of Fame has become a mecca for hockey fans old and young; old games and great performances are preserved and shown daily on the NHL Network, a resource that will only get better upon finding its identity under the league’s guidance.

Of course, not all history has been preserved. The divisions and conferences, once special and unique like each trophy and award handed out to this day, have since been renamed using the descriptive but bland geographic terminology. As if we’re going to forget where exactly Florida is…

But for the most part the league has done a great job in preserving the rich history of hockey while still remaining relevant and evolving to match the rapid technological boom of the last decade – some might say even better than its bigger, flashier counterparts in the MLB, NBA and NFL.

Reason #33 – The Montreal Canadiens
No discussion about the Original Six or the history of the NHL can realy be complete without a little extra coverage of the Montreal Canadiens, right?

…not here, at least.

The Canadiens. Les Habitants. The Habs. Otherwise known as CapsChick’s “other” team, the one that maintains that last shred of sanity (or just does away with it completely) over the course of the frantic hockey season. The team has been an institution in Montreal for 100 years – and it doesn’t take much time before just rooting for them makes you feel like you’re part of history.

This season should prove to be an interesting one for the Habs. They surprised so many people last year by being better than expected and now go into the season as a heavy favorite to at least make the Finals, if not to win it all. And they do this all in their centennial season, when the whole city will already be celebrating from now until (hopefully) June. You can’t script that kind of thing better.

But aside from the history and the tradition and the centennial, yada yada yada, there’s also the plain fact that this team has some darn fine hockey players. Sophomore Carey Price is 28 pounds lighter and already has one of the best highlight saves of the season – before the season has even begun. Captain Saku Koivu remains the face and the rock of this team, leading in his softspoken way off the ice while unleashing a Chris Clark-like ball of energy on it. Patrolling the blue line are guys like Andrei Markov and Mike Komisarek, human wrecking ball. And the future is in good hands, too, with the Kostitsyn Brothers and preseason standout Max Pacioretty waiting in the wings.

Happy Birthday, Habs – here’s to another 100 years!

Reason #34 – The Hockey Arena
While living in Montreal I was lucky enough to rent a little place right across the street from the old Forum. Now converted into a somewhat tacky shopping and enetertainment venue, it still held much of its old grandeur just by being there, a nondescript box of a building that once held some of the greatest players in history.

Sadly it’s like that across North America. Old, traditional buildings being converted or torn down to make room for shiny, flashy, showy new buildings that seat 45,000 people with individual TV monitors and a personal waitstaff and….

…okay, that doesn’t sound so bad.

But whether it’s an old barn of a building or a multi-million dollar palatial structure, the magic of the hockey arena remains. It pervades even the most commercial, glossiest aspects of these new buildings and reminds us why watching a hockey game live still can’t be beat.

Last fall a guy by the name of Steve Williamson set out on a quest to see thirty teams in thirty nights, hitting all thirty arenas along the way.

It’s nice in theory, but from where I sit, a trip like that just doesn’t do anything justice. If I had the time and the resources, I’d love to do a 30-city tour – but I’d want to give myself time to really experience the atmosphere surrounding these famous hockey homes.

Stay a couple of days, take in at least two games against completely different opponents; eat dinner where the locals eat, wander around the arena’s surroundings, take in the pregame atmosphere. Celebrate a win or bemoan a loss right alongisde each teams most dedicated fans at the local watering holes. Only then could you really appreciate the fact that these buildings aren’t just sports venues – they’re the center of a hockey community, and really only the beginning.

A girl can dream, right?

Reason #27 – Mic’d Up
Watching a game, be it live or on TV, you generally get the feeling of the sights and sounds associated with hockey. The slap of a stick against the puck, the metallic clank of a shot hitting the goalpost, the scraping sounds of blades carving through ice and of course, the roar of the crowd. But if you really want to get up close and personal to the game of hockey and the people who play it, there’s no better way than to slap a microphone on them and send them on their way.

More often than not you get just the mundane chatter of strategy and an occasional discussion with a coach or ref…but if you’re lucky and you get the mic on the right guy, the results can be legendary. Take Matt Cooke (as a Canuck) singing AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” on the bench and then, yes, having a little run in with our own Alex Ovechkin. Look at our own Alex Ovechkin singing the Foo Fighter’s “Breakout” during warmups before unceremoniously bouncing off an unfazed Alexander Semin.

And if the guy with the wire happens to be someone named Marty, the result is usually comic gold. Who can forget Marty Biron reminding Sidney Crosby that he doesn’t lie and doesn’t whine, or Marty Turco reminding the viewing audience that he’ll earn the All Star win if he lets in one more goal, or Marty Reasoner…being Marty Reasoner?

Always funny.

Just as long as there’s no cackling.

Reason #28 – Accessibility
It may not be true across the league, but generally it seems that hockey players tend are among the more accessible professional athletes. And here in DC, we’re practically spoiled with how much up close and personal face time we get with our team.

It’s not just the meet and greet sessions they’ve been holding all summer, although those are nice too. It’s the open practices, the locker room interviews and off-ice features on the website, the access granted to bloggers, the mere fact that waiting around after a morning skate at Kettler could get you an autograph or a picture.

And then there’s just the general sense that a lot of these guys are just like you and me, regular people who just happen to get paid a lot of money to play a game. The spotlight isn’t as big in the NHL, the paychecks not as exorbitant, the egos not as rampant. A player is more likely to thank you for asking for an autograph than the other way around – and that can sometimes make all the difference.

Reason #29 – NHL Commercials
What is it about Joe Thornton being incapable to butter toast that makes me giggle? Why does Brad Richards’ video game temper tantrum crack me up? How come Ovie ordering chicken fingers and lobster is enough to bring tears of laughter to my eyes?

…I might be insane, sure. But there’s also no question that the league has begun to market itself as the “funny” league and I find the attempt rather charming. Heck, even the creepy Sid in the shower commercial from Versus is kind of funny. Kind of.

Reason #30 – Caps Cribs
Yup, it’s those crazy videos again. What can I say? They crack me up.

It’s not just the Brooks Laich/Mike Green duo that kills me, although everyone knows those are my favorite – they’re all great in their own way. We have everything from Brent Johnson’s stylin’ new pool to Matt Bradley sending sticks flying at Kettler to announcer Wes Johnson’s odd houseguest, Slapshot, chucking burritos around his living room. It’s an inside look at our favorite players’ and personalities’ lives, on the ice and off, with great moments both serious and funny.

And of course, Gary the Bear.

The more summers I’ve experienced as a hockey fan, the more I’ve realized that hockey is really everywhere…even when it’s nowhere.

The other day started out right when I woke up to the Foo Fighters song “The Pretender” – aka the song from last year’s opening video. Breakfast consisted of cereal eaten out of my Capitals bowl, which instantly made the day more fun…I’m not a morning person, I take what I can get. I passed Verizon Center en route to the metro, and rocked the red (line) to work.

And as I made my way home that evening I saw a #66 bus followed by a #68 bus. Naturally I shot each one a withering glare. Oddly enough the #66 kept kicking people off unceremoniously only to allow them back on after they begged and pleaded; meanwhile the #68 couldn’t muster the enthusiasm to get up the hill and gave up halfway…

And this epic post, this novella of hockey, this foursome of Stanley Cup-esque reasons to love hockey? Post #888. (more…)

Happy Labor Day, everyone!

Let’s celebrate the plight of the working man and woman by engaging in my favorite pasttime – a little schadenfreude. Because let’s face it, each of these things is only a reason to love hockey when it’s happening to someone else.

Reason #21 – Underachieving Superstars

One of the things that makes the outrageous deals of trade deadline day and the even more outrageous contracts of the free agent frenzy so much fun to watch is that car crash mentality – you know it’s going to be a disaster but you just can’t turn away.

And so when these deals lives up to their promise, it’s hard not to take some sort of pleasure in being an outside observer watching it every step of the way. It’s hard not to giggle with glee as that high-paid superstar (or middling talent earning as much as a high-paid superstar) simply fails to deliver on his contract.

It’s completely counter-productive to being a hockey fan, I’m aware. Ideally you want the best players playing at the highest level and reaching the pinnacle of their ability to insure the best product will be on the ice every night. Sure. And then we all hold hands and sing Kumbaya.

Tell me you didn’t take some sick, twisted enjoyment out of seeing Jaromir Jagr literally crash and burn this year, eventually hightailing it out of the NHL for good. This is the guy who was named Captain of his team – and then refused to take the shootout. Refused. A great talent? Undeniable. An asset to his team? Debatable. A good person, strong leader and character-driven player?

…next question.

And how about when little Danny Briere, armed with his ludicrously big contract from the Flyers, stepped out onto Wachovia Center ice and proceeded to stumble his way through the first half of the season? There’s usually no sweeter sound than the Philly faithful booing their own, but this one had a little more sugar on it because of the target. Sure, he woke his butt up just in time to help down the Caps in the first round, but those first few months…ah, bliss.

Reason #22 – Underachieving Teams

The enjoyment we get from individuals bombing can often be intensified when applied to an entire team – especially when that team happens to be a rival of any kind. There’s something wonderful about seeing teams who are clearly trying to buy a championship become unable to even crack the first round of the playoffs. You know the type – it’s the Rangers mentality, the belief that more superstar power equals greater success. We all know that the opposite is usually true but that doesn’t mean it’s not fun watching teams give it a try.

And even more fun watching them fail.

At least the Rangers have an excuse, being on one of the biggest stages in the States and residing under one of the largest microscopes as a result. What’s really fun is when a team whose fans don’t demand such a spectacle still tries to put on that New York show.

Of course, there’s no better example this offseason than the brand spanking new residents of Hockey Bay, the Tampa Bay Lightning. They’re actually out-Rangering the Rangers, who were back to their old ways again this summer, and managed to make such a big splash that they’re suddenly the biggest story of the offseason.

Since the season hasn’t actually started yet, we’ll have to hold off the enjoyment at their expense for a little bit longer. And don’t get me wrong, I’m well aware that I could be mistaken here. Tampa Bay could turn out to be the one team who tried to buy a Cup and actually succeeded – even though they’re doing it all wrong. Things could work out just fine for our little sun-loving friends.

For my money, though, I’m hoping we’ll be able to change their name to the Tampa Bay Light: now less filling, with all the taste at half the defensemen.

Best before April 2009.

Time to be a little shallow – today we’re all about the appearance with a trio of aesthetic reasons to love hockey:

Reason #18 – Hockey Smiles

As much as hockey is a fringe sport in the United States, there is still one aspect that has made its way into the collective consciousness and cemented itself as a part of pop culture despite even its greatest detractors.

It is the indelible image of the gap-toothed warrior.

To hockey fans and non-fans alike, this image has gone hand in hand with the sport itself for as long as any of us can remember. It’s at once a myriad of things – a symbol of the roughness that exists within hockey, a reminder of the speed and danger inherent in the game, and a glimpse of the overgrown child within each hockey player.

This past year we were treated to an especially lush banquet of the gappy Cappies. Between Chris Clark’s lopsided grin, Quintin Laing’s perfect Jack-o-lantern, and Alex Ovechkin’s hole in one, there were times when the Caps’ locker room had fewer teeth than a nursery full of newborns. It was a sight for sore eyes for sure, as all of us were able to revel in the tale of the tooth – or lack thereof.

Sure, new technology and better protection have stemmed the tide of toothy turbulence a bit in recent years. The number of teeth soaring through the air has diminished since the days of Bobby Clarke’s grin. But at the end of the day, hockey is still a game played at breakneck speeds with errant sticks swinging through the air and pucks flying around at 100+ miles per hour. With those conditions, the odd dental sacrifice will always be required – and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Reason #19 – Hockey Hair

Ah, hockey hair. There’s nothing like it, really. It’s a mullet and yet so much more – it is the king of mullets, the emperor for life, supreme leader and still champion of all hairdos. Other mullets bow down to hockey hair. I hear they’ve even built a shrine to it in Pittsburgh.

In polite society its often frowned upon, as most fun things are; seen as trashy or unkempt, you won’t find many Hollywood hunks sporting this daring ‘do (at least not anymore). But in the hockey arena, home of so many fashion-forward trends, it is the only way to go. Sweaty, slicked back on the sides, sticking out of every hole in the helmet – it just spells hockey player.

And lucky for us, now we get to see the Grand Poobah of mullets six times a year! Life is good.

Reason #20 – Playoff Beards

Like all good fashion trends, this one is seasonal and often a little bit risky. But it is also the most celebrated, time-honored, and rewarding sartorial choice: the playoff beard.

The reasoning behind them will change depending on who you ask. Some believe it’s a superstition that developed over time, where players believed it was bad luck to shave during the playoffs. Others regard it only as a badge of sorts – not shaving through the playoffs will show just how long you’ve survived in the postseason.

Then there’s the intimidation factor, the belief that the beard makes the players appear more wild animal than human…although this obviously doesn’t work for every player (unless the wild animal they’re going for is a ferret).

Throughout the playoffs fans track their favorite beards and mock the unfortunate. Some players embrace it wholeheartedly, others eschew it in favor of a fresh shave every day and some are simply unable to produce anything more than peach fuzz.

…poor Backstrom.

And in the end, when the Cup is handed out and the season comes to a conclusion for another year, there’s just really nothing like seeing that championship picture of bearded, beaming grins staring back at you.