Long Time No Blog (Chock Full of Pics, Vids & Links)

New Digs
I've made the move to Mpls and am adjusting to life in the big city. I have deluxe accommodations, thanks to a very good friend and her love for Buster and me. Okay, mostly it's her love of snuggling with Buster but I know she loves me too. Hell, I'm fine with just being along for the ride with Buster, especially when it comes with a view of the Mississippi River, right on one of the locks and dams. I spend a lot of time just watching all kinds of boats and barges go through the lock, coming and going at all hours of the day and night. It's very therapeutic, the river. 
 Be sure to check out Through The Lens for the complete view from the balcony. 

I walk across the Stone Arch Bridge almost every day with Buster. We wander along the paths of the park by St. Anthony Main with Buster drawing in admirers who love to pet him and scratch his ears. The building I'm staying in is dog friendly which means Buster has already made a dozen new friends, both large and small. This includes a beautiful 17 year old female English Springer who has identical markings to Buster.  They are adorable together. 

Stalking - Professional and Personal
One of the best things about being in the city is the fact that Niklas Backstrom lives in the building next door and just across the river I can see the building in which Mikko Koivu lives. I'm pretty sure that Devin Setoguchi and Dany Heatly are across the river as well. This means I'll be honing my stalking skills with the hockey season approaching.
The other nice thing about being here in the city is that one of Vicki's longtime wishes has finally come true. She's always wanted me to move closer to her so that we can watch away games together instead of texting back and forth during them.
Well, Vicki - careful what you wish for cuz here I am, just 6.2 miles away!   

Macabre Off Season
Wild and Ranger fans are still feeling the loss of Derek Boogaard in May of this year from an overdose of drugs and alcohol.  Unfortunately the death toll didn't end with him.  Making headline news were the suicides of Rick Rypien and Wade Belak in the month of August.  Not that I feed off of this type of news but I thought I remembered a story from earlier in the year and sure enough, looking back through the archived news stories, I found the report of former NHL player Tom Cavanagh's suicide back in January.  Addiction and depression are quickly being identified as the Silent Killer of the NHL.  Michael Russo was on KFAN with P.A. this morning discussing this - fast forward to the 18:25 mark of the podcast. 
This week our hearts have been freshly wounded with the tragic news out of Russia.  A private jet carrying the KHL professional hockey team, Lokomotiv, crashed shortly after takeoff Wednesday.  Of the 45 people on board, 43 of them perished - including European and former NHL players - among them former Wild player Pavol Demitra.  Only two people survived the accident; one player and one member of the plane crew.  Russo's coverage in the Strib is professional and personal - worth reading each article for the impact across the league.  Brandon Prust of the New York Rangers said it best: "The hockey world mourns yet again. Please God, we can't take much more." 

Wild Prospect/Development Camp 2011
Here's a video that Russo and Company did regarding the new coach and the motto for the Wild's future - Youth and Fitness For All:
   
 
Hey Michael - get some clothes that actually fit!  You look like you're 12 years old wearing your dad's suit coat ;) 
All joking aside, and kudos to Michael for dropping some serious weight, I was once again in hockey heaven in the off season and managed to shoot well over 1000 pictures during the 2 days of open scrimmages. 
Day one was memorable on a number of levels but the thing I'll remember forever is prospect goalie Johan Gustafsson skating over to the teenage girl sitting next to me at the end of the scrimmage and giving her a puck.  It probably had something to do with the fact that she was wearing an official Sweden World Junior Team jersey - with his name on it.  Chicks who love hockey - and hockey players who appreciate the chicks who love hockey - that's what makes the world go round, folks.  The young lady wearing Johan's jersey has been following his 'career' since before the Wild drafted him in round six (#159 overall) in the 2010 NHL draft.
Day two was memorable and entirely enjoyable just because Vicki and I were watching hockey in the middle of the heat and humidity of one of the hottest Minnesota summers on record.            

Please visit the Through The Lens page for some fun pictures and a view into the Wild's future. 

And in keeping with the Wild's summer timeline here's Becoming Wild - Episode 4:


To catch up on episodes one through three - simply visit YouTube and type in BECOMING WILD.  All four episodes should list out in numerical order with no annoying buffering (hint, hint NHL.COM). 
**Bonus from episode 3 - you may just recognize a couple of Wild fans you know when the Burns trade is announced. 

BEST NEWS OF THE WILD OFF SEASON
Mister "I've been playing since I was 3 years old so I don't have to listen to Jacques Lemaire" has been traded to the Sharks.  James Sheppard was traded for a bag of used hockey pucks and the Wild got the better deal ;)  Seriously though, the Wild got a 2013 third round pick for the "disappointing former first-round pick".  Those are Russo's words although they come close to expressing how I've felt about this snot-nosed brat for some time. 

Sheppard, 24, was suspended all of last season after breaking his kneecap in an all-terrain vehicle accident just days before reporting to training camp. 

Message Received

Latendresse appears to have received the message from Chuck Fletcher and Mike Yeo - come to camp healthy and in the best physical shape of your life or expect to be making popcorn for Press Row.  Maybe Dustin Byfuglien should take a page from the Wild's Management Expectations...just sayin'.

Hockey On A Stick
Video of Wild Coach Mike Yeo being interviewed by Michael Russo at the Great Minnesota Get Together:


Hockey's Right Around The Corner!!
Players report to training camp for physicals, photos and fitness testing September 16.
The Wild hit the ice at the X on Sept. 17 & 18 with scrimmages, 10:00 am to 11:00 am, open to the public.  Guess who will one of the first people in line? 

And just before I let you all go back to work let us pause for one of my favorite causes:

Happy Birthday, Vicki!!
In addition to being the greatest hockey partner in the world, you're one of the best influences in my life. It's your day, girlfriend - ENJOY!