What We’re Thankful For In Hockey, 2015

(Ed. Note: It’s Thanksgiving time in the U.S., a.k.a. “Real Thanksgiving”, which means it’s once again time to reflect on what we’re thankful for in the world of hockey. Here are some of our favorite writers and hockey people, offering their picks for this year. As always, we give thanks to you, the reader, for supporting this blog. Consider these the tastiest leftovers you’ll have today!) 

Seth Rorabaugh, Empty Netters

1. Hockeyville

When you cover hockey for a living, you get incredibly jaded. It's very easy to lose sight of the fact that your "work" involves going to practices, talking to players and coaches, eating free food and basically doing what just a lot of other people would kill to do for "work." Somehow, someway, you just lose a lot of joy you have for the sport.

The Hockeyville game in Johnstown, Pa. restored a lot of lost perspective for myself about how much hockey means to many people. Johnstown was so grateful to have a real-life NHL game - albeit a preseason game - in it's tiny little rink, the venerable Cambria County War Memorial. It clearly meant a lot to the players involved as well. There were 13 rows of seats from the ice to the back wall and every one of them was filled with a captivated soul.

Covering that event was easily the most fun I've had a hockey game in at least a half decade.

2. Old hockey arenas

I was able to cover the Penguins' game in Edmonton this season, which was presumably their final game in Northlands Coliseum turned Edmonton Coliseum turned Skyreach Centre turned Rexall Place (assuming the Penguins and Oilers don't meet in a Stanley Cup Final). It's a dark, dank and cramp structure. It's barebones and utilitarian.

But it's marvelous.

So many of the "newer" buildings in the NHL are cookie cutters. Go from "Big Bank" Garden to "Big Airliner Center" to "Big Telecommunications Provider" Arena and you feel like you're in the same building. Buildings like Rexall Place, the Saddle Dome, Joe Louis Arena and to a lesser extent, Madison Square Garden, are so unique. You don't suffocate on the stale corporate environment newer buildings have.

Rexall Place has a sign reminding you to use ashtrays in the press box.

If your team still plays in an older building, cherish it why you still have it.

3. The Predators yellow helmets

Traditions are a big part of hockey. Octopuses in Detroit. Cheering during the national anthem in Chicago. Rats in Florida. Yelling "Potvin sucks!" in Manhattan. The Predators yellow helmets have the makings of being the NHL's new great tradition.

While teams in just about every sport try to incorporate a black jersey in order to make a quick buck, the Predators have doubled down on making yellow their identity, even if they claim it as being "gold." Part of that is with their yellow lids. And when you consider they only wear these helmets on Saturdays, it adds a quaint wrinkle to this new tradition.

While they vaguely resemble the pre-Gretzky Kings, the Predators' new look makes Saturday nights in Nashville unique.

Chris Johnston, Sportsnet

1. Family

At the risk of being overly sentimental I'm thankful for the many people in the hockey industry that have become an extended family of sorts. During long hours, nights away from home and life's ups and downs I've found constant reminders of love and support.

2. Friends.

Well not friends, friends, but friends of the media. In the NHL we're blessed to have some of the most accommodating athletes in pro sports. Sidney Crosby, despite being the most in-demand hockey player of the last decade. Nazem Kadri and James Reimer, no matter what crazy controversy is going on in Toronto. Victor Hedman, Steven Stamkos, Duncan Keith, P.K. Subban, Gabriel Landeskog, Erik Karlsson and Shane Doan are some of the others I've truly enjoyed dealing with. The list could be much longer than that, too.

3. A roof overhead.

Preferably the Bell Centre in downtown Montreal, which for my money remains the best building in hockey. Attending games there is a feeling, an experience. It's like going to the Vatican if you're Catholic. The other NHL buildings on my personal top-five list? MTS Center, Winnipeg; United Center, Chicago; Madison Square Garden, New York; and Staples Center, Los Angeles.

Jenny Scrivens, goalie, New York Riveters NWHL

Of course we have lots to be thankful for at the NWHL! Here are just a few:

1. Paychecks in women's hockey, for the first time in North America

2. Future draft picks

3. Cat GIFs

4. Nana Fujimoto bowing to fans at Aviator

Japers Rink, Washington Capitals blog

1. Mainstream media's new-found appreciation of Alex Ovechkin

(But seriously - where have you guys been for the last ten years?)

2. Barry Trotz.

It's great to once again be able to root for a good guy who's doing good things for the franchise and the community.

[Play Yahoo Daily Fantasy and get a 100% deposit bonus with your first deposit]

3. Hockey families.

To be there for you when real life is crappy.

Katie Brown, Writer, NHL.com

1. Jaromir Jagr

Can Jagr play hockey forever? Have they invented cloning yet? These are all very serious and important questions. Jagr is fun and the best and we all secretly admire his shameless reincarnation of the mullet and want to have one too. Before we know it, he’ll make acid-washed jeans cool again. OK, maybe not. Anyway, gotta go find my scrunchie.

2. Three-on-Three overtime.

I love overtime and 3-on-3 makes it that much better. I don’t care what Erik Karlsson says. (Shootouts remain the worst.) It’s a messy, fast, crazy addition to a messy, fast, crazy game. If only NHL Gamecenter had an overtime red zone feature. I’d watch the hell out of that. Overtime in playoffs is still the best, though.

3. Nate Schmidt.

Nate is probably the happiest person I’ve ever met. He could be scratched for every game for the rest of the season and he’d still be grinning. I like to imagine he has Pharrell’s “Happy” playing on loop in his head 24/7. Nate is always smiling and it’s contagious. It makes coming to the rink every day that much more enjoyable, especially when I’m grumpy. You can make cool puns with his name like the #Schmidtuation. He’s pretty good at hockey, too. Also, this picture of him exists.

I dare you to not like him. (Photo by Chris Gordon/Russian Machine Never Breaks.)

William Douglas, Color of Hockey 

1. We’re grateful for the skill, style, eloquence and generosity of Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban.

2. Grateful for the 2015 NHL Draft and for giving us hockey’s most badass name – Tampa Bay Lightning sixth-round pick Bokondji Imama.

3. Grateful for the Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club, Ice Hockey in Harlem, the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation and other programs across the U.S. and Canada that are exposing kids to life’s possibilities through the game of hockey.

Stephen Whyno, Associated Press

1. The Ray Ferraro / Landon Ferraro interview

Watching TSN's Ray Ferraro interview his son on the bench during the first intermission of Landon's first game with the Bruins was one of those moments you can't script. Ferraro was only there because Boston claimed him off waivers, and when his dad opened with, "Well this is strange," how could you help but smile?

2. Short people

As a 5-foot-6 guy, seeing Johnny Gaudreau and Tyler Johnson and other short players excelling is heart-warming. Martin St. Louis was a bit of a pioneer, but now it's reasonable to think sub-6-foot players can thrive in the NHL.

3. Jaromir Jagr

Maybe it's the mullet or maybe it's the fact that we can all get nostalgic about 25 years ago for a player still in the NHL. But Jaromir Jagr just seems to make everyone happy by just playing hockey.

Laura Astorian, Site Manager, St. Louis Game Time

1. Vladimir Tarasenko

I know he is such a cliche thing for a Blues fan to be thankful for, but the team hasn’t had a legit superstar scorer since Brett Hull. You try to tell me that I shouldn’t be happy about a guy who can do this:

Check out that celebration. Such exuberance, such a love for the game, such constant reflection to make his game better via long-distance chats with his grandfather in Russia. And, to top it off, he has obvious fun while playing for Ken Hitchcock. What’s not to be thankful for?

2. #reckless

When Hitch said this offseason that the Blues were going to play a more reckless style of hockey, no one had the slightest idea what in the world he was talking about. This hashtag will accompany any interesting decision that he or the Blues make this year. Steve Ott on the power play? #reckless. Robby Fabbri starting a game on the fourth line? #reckless. Signing Scottie Upshall and Scott Gomez off of PTOs? #reckless. Having most of your top nine injured to start the year? Probably not part of the game plan, but still, #reckless.

3. The fine Blues medical staff at Barnes Jewish Hospital and Washington University.

They deserve every damn dime that they get from the team this season.

4. Hockey Twitter

I’m especially thankful for the smart, sarcastic, funny, fatalistic group of people that I follow and who follow me on Twitter. From fellow St. Louis Game Timers to other SB Nation bloggers to a great group of fans from other teams, thank you for always entertaining, always thought provoking conversation. Thanks to Twitter, I consider among my friends “respected” (and respected) Blackhawks and Red Wings fans. If a Blues fan can get along with folks who are fans of those teams, any sort of civil discourse is possible on the internet. Thanks for the fun, guys.

Barry Petchesky, Deadspin

1. Three-on-Three overtime

It's a blast to watch. It let's the game's best skaters show what they're really capable of. It prevents shootouts. But more than anything else, I've heard non-hockey fans talk about it in the glowingest of terms. I know there's more to rule changes than broad appeal, but it's neat seeing people who don't care about hockey praising and sharing videos of an exciting new wrinkle.

2. Daily fantasy hockey

Yeah, I know it's a scam. Yeah, I know I'm going to lose money. Yeah, it'll probably be illegal within a few months. But it's fun as hell to put down a couple of bucks each night and have a reason to follow some of the night's lower-profile games. Season-long fantasy hockey is a grind, and really not that much fun; daily fantasy hockey is just the right level of commitment.

3. The staying power of the best teams

Look at the conference standings, and it's a lot of the usual suspects at the top. Yes, it's fun to see a few party-crashers, but teams able to maintain years of success is great for developing lasting rivalries and storylines, and is a testament to the abilities of certain front offices (and the haplessness of some others).

4. The Oilers in last place

A heartwarming fable with a valuable moral: being bad won't automatically make you good.

5. The Canadiens in first.

They've thrived even with Carey Price on the shelf. They may very well be the best team in hockey this year. I cannot wait for the cognitive dissonance and self-loathing of Canadian fans if Montreal is the team to threaten to break the country's 23-year Cup drought.

Sasky Stewart, Director, Communications & Marketing, ‪@TheCWHL and Social Media Punmaster ‪@NHL

So Australia doesn't do thanksgiving (and if you need me to explain why you clearly failed basic American History) but I've got a lot to be thankful for.

1. Matt Stajan

Matt Stajan will never be a superstar (despite what 14 year old me dreamed of) but he was the first player that was ever my favourite and that I ever printed a photo of and stuck to my wall. Through being a fan of his (and some old school Yahoo and Livejournal groups filled with teenage fan girls) I met some amazing hockey people, some of my best friends and fell in love with this game. Life would look a lot different without him, which is a weird thing to say about someone I've never met.

2. Canada

Can I list a whole country? Yes? No? Well - I'm doing it anyway. I'm thankful for Canada, for its stupid crazy love of a stupid crazy game and for its willingness to allow a stupid crazy Australian like myself in. You inhabitants may often eye me suspiciously (and I can't blame them) but you've been pretty great so far - especially when you remember birth place doesn't diminish ones love for this game.

3. Hockey Twitter

Hockey Twitter is a great, awesome, scary, terrifying, bizarre, insane place but on its good days it's full of great, passionate smart people who give a lot of damns about this game and what it has to give. I'm lucky to call so many of them friends or supporters and I'm thankful for everyone of them. Also - it pays my bills, so that's nice.

The Royal Half, Los Angeles Kings Hockey Blogger

Ahh, Thanksgiving in Southern California! The time of year where we gather with our families and friends, allow ourselves a small portion of carbs, and put on a light jacket when we walk outside at night. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year!

1. THE ANAHEIM DUCKS SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM.

Whether it’s assigning awful nicknames to their players that make absolutely zero sense (Hey there… um.. #Vatman, #ScoreyPerry, #GibbyTime ?!?) or creating awful fake tweets for their players to read … I’m thankful for the Anaheim Ducks Social Media Team because they make hockey fans across the world feel so much better about their own team’s social media brand.

Today, I'd be thankful if the Anaheim Ducks Social Media team would unblock me on Twitter so I can see them try to make "Rick Rak Attack" a thing.

2. TYLER TOFFOLI

He's 23 years old, is Top 5 in NHL goal scoring this season, and pretty much skates every shift with a big smile on his face. Tyler Toffoli is a breath of fresh air when it comes to young NHL players, not because of his overall demeanor, but rather because the LA Kings allowed Toffoli to earn his way into Darryl Sutter's system. It's great to see a young, talented player actually be allowed to grow on their own rather than be forced into a NHL lineup (I'm looking at you, Edmonton Oilers!).

Toffoli has quickly become a fan favorite in Los Angeles, and not just because he's easily the most meme-able player in LA Kings history.

3. HOCKEY PARENTS

My hockey-loving father passed away last year just a week after I found out I was going to become a father myself. There are so many great ways to become a hockey fan, but passing it down from generation to generation is one of the most fulfilling. This season, I decided to have my daughter, the TRH Baby™, pick the outcome of each LA Kings game and go up against a prominent Hockey Blogger. As of Wednesday morning, she is 16-5 and the Bloggers are 7-14.

For me, it just proves how incredibly silly the concept of a "hockey expert" is. So many people on Twitter battle daily to prove that they are the most knowledgeable person in hockey... but at the end of the day, all that matters is that you and the loved ones in your life enjoy the game and the emotional experience you share while watching it.

Thanks to all that participated!

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Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

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