Love the Game, Don’t Like Puck Bunnies Completes Rookie Year

Back on February 27, 2008, Love the Game, Don’t Like Puck Bunnies debuted.

Love the Game started as a personal online diary but has evolved into a more reflective sports journalistic site with interviews, commentary, and articles about the Washington Capitals and the sport of ice hockey.

The readership is diverse including Capitals majority owner Ted Leonsis and visitors from Canada, Finland, Russia, Slovakia, and the United States. Love the Game has nearly 200 posts, 9,000 visitors and 14,000 page views, modest for a rookie blog.

The blog has afforded me—a young black woman and hockey fan—the tremendous opportunities to receive credentials to cover the Washington Capitals from the press box and locker room, and to meet or to interview individuals such as Peter Bondra, Brooks Laich, Leonsis, Carrie Milbank, Angela Ruggiero, and Alexander Semin.

The Capitals have unveiled Club Scarlet, which will be another exciting opportunity for me to put finger to keyboard about the sport of hockey from a woman’s perspective but with a more focused target audience—women that truly respect and appreciate the sport.

Whether you’ve just discovered Love the Game, Don’t Like Puck Bunnies or whether you’ve been reading from the start, thanks for reading.

Oftentimes Eye Candy Is the Attraction But Club Scarlet Is For the Love of the Game

The Washington Capitals have launched Club Scarlet, which has generated criticism. Club Scarlet, not to be confused with Club Harlot or eHarmony, is part of a women’s initiative to attract more women to the Capitals and the sport of ice hockey.

The NHL has marginalized the female fan base and the Capitals are trying to connect to this market.

The Capitals received criticism for the spirit squad, the Red Rockers. Teams with spirit squads or Ice Girls completely miss the mark. Club Scarlet is a chance to hit the target.

WashingtonCaps.com targets fans of both the male and female persuasion. ScarletCaps.com concentrates on engaging more women—over 67 percent of NHL fans are men—educating the rookies, and acting as a forum for the veterans.

If women looking at the physical attractiveness of Mike Green’s tattooed arms or Brooks Laich in a hoodie is objectifying then for decades men have lied about looking at Playboy for the articles.

Club Scarlet isn’t about segregating male and female fans, catering to or talking down to women, or refocusing women’s attention from the sport to cocktail parties to cater to their sexual fantasies. If so, I’ll withdraw as a ScarletCaps.com writer. I write Love the Game, Don’t Like Puck Bunnies for a reason.

Capitals Launch Ladies Club Because Women Are Hockey Fans, Too

The Washington Capitals have launched Club Scarlet, the NHL’s first women’s fan club.

While the NHL has seen significant increases in female fans, over 67 percent still tend to be male.

“We have a large and passionate female fanbase, and like the rest of our audience, it is growing,” said Capitals’ senior manager of fan development Kim Frank in a press release announcing the launch. “Women have been underserved in traditional sports experiences and coverage, and Club Scarlet will provide a customized outlet where our female fans can express their passion for the Caps year round.”

Women are becoming more interested and more involved in hockey than in previous years. Women and men alike are gripped in the moment of the puck hitting the back of the net. Women are learning the rules of the game and following the sport with passion.

ScarletCaps.com will complement WashingtonCaps.com with content specifically created for female hockey fans. The site will include hockey instruction, behind-the-scenes videos of Capitals players, and an outlet for women to discuss the team and hockey on an exclusive message board, as well as offer other benefits such as free membreship and invitations to member-only events.

ScarletCaps.com will also feature posts from Musings of a Hockey Mom and Love the Game, Don’t Like Puck Bunnies, and contributions from other prominent female figures throughout the year.

Capitals Host Hockey for the Ladies

The Washington Capitals teamed with MIX 107.3 to host the third annual Hockey ’n Heels on Saturday, February 21 at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. The event featured on-ice demonstrations, a chalk talk, and an equipment demonstration, and a film session.

Hockey ’n Heels sold out in less than 48 hours to 300 women.

The women, in four groups, were split into four groups—orange, blue, purple, and pink—and participated in the activities designed to introduce fans to hockey fundamentals, rules and equipment, and basic skills of the game.

Tomas Fleischmann and Jeff Schultz demonstrated slapshots and wristshots.

Michal Neuvirth taught how to catch shots from Boyd Gordon in a goalie’s catching glove.

Comcast SportNet’s Lisa Hillary and former Capital and Hall of Famer Rod Langway conducted a chalk talk to field questions from the audience and to lead a discussion about the Capitals’ uninspiring performance against the Colorado Avalanche.

Web producer and emergency backup goalie Brett Leonhardt and Proshop manager Dave Fitzpatrick discussed goalie and player equipment.

Coach Bruce Boudreau hosted a film session to help the women understand how to dissect and analyze different aspects of a game and what the coaches and players do to get ready for their next opponent by breaking down film.

The Capitals players will host a mix-and-mingle cocktail party on Wednesday, February 25 from 6-8 pm at Front Page Arlington.

Image courtesty of ScarletCaps.com; Photo (Brett Leonhardt) credit: “Aneesa”

Q&A with Jewelry Designer and AHL Wife Cristina Mink

Stacy Dallman is not a typical hockey wife, and neither is Cristina Mink. Not only is Mink the wife of Hershey Bears’ Graham Mink, she is a talented jewelry designer. What started out as a hobby has grown into a passion and into BellaMink designs—“fashionable handmade jewelry for fashion-conscious women.”

Mink is carving out a niche with her versatile handmade jewelry designs, and here she talks about her designs, her inspirations, and her husband.

BellaMink is “fashionable handmade jewelry for fashion-conscious women.” How do you characterize your design style?
I like to think of my designs as practical yet functional. Most of my designs will go with just about any color you have on, however sometimes I like to narrow in on one color and go from there.

How did you come up with name BellaMink?
I wanted to incorporate my name somehow into my business name, and CRISTINA is often misspelled (people love to stick an H in there), so I thought I better stick with Mink. Bella means “beautiful” in Italian, so I thought that was a good fit, being that I'm 100% Italian and very proud of it!

How closely do you follow what’s going on in fashion when you come up with your concepts and ideas?
I read InStyle magazine religiously, however nowadays, I feel that ANYthing is in....so whether you’re into funky, simple, dangly or metal, you’re in LUCK!

Do you have special affection for certain items in your collection? If so, which ones and why?
No, not in particular. If I make something I’m not crazy about, I don’t put it on my website. BUT – I will say....some of my pieces that I’ve been unsure of in the beginning have turned out to be my best sellers!

What’s the most challenging part of being a jewelry designer, and the most rewarding?
The most challenging is trying to come up with new designs. I may take apart a necklace 20 times before I feel I’ve got it right. The most rewarding is definitely seeing people wear my designs!

In June 2008, you married Hershey Bears’ forward Graham Mink. What is it life like being a hockey wife?
It’s amazing to be able to spend my life with Graham. Hockey is simply his job (and one of his passions!) so we just make it as normal as can be. I always say this life has it’s ups and downs - being away from family & friends can be a bummer, yet we get to meet so many new friends that we would never meet if we didn’t move as much as we did. While living this life, I love the fact that we get to plan so many charity fundraisers to be able to help others out. The wives and girlfriends that I’ve met every year have been so willing to help others. And certainly the fans are our biggest supporters.

How has Mink supported you and BellaMink?
By being patient and letting me use our personal money to get this whole thing started! ha ha. I have to start paying “us” back sometime soon. =) He also occasionally helps me with my website and puts up with me being in our spare room 10 hours a day.

When can we expect Bella Mink designs that include a hockey stick?
Ummmmmm.....not in the near future.

What is your thought about the series “The Secret Lives of Hockey Wives”?
I haven’t heard much about it, but I’d be interested in seeing what they “think” the Secret Lives of Hockey Wives is. Again, we keep ours as normal as can be!

Photos courtesy of BellaMink (Julie) and GrahamMink.com (Graham Mink)

From the Press Box: Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Washington Capitals

Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals (37-17-5) hosted Evgeni Malkin and the Pittsburgh Penguins (29-25-6) at Verizon for the Capitals’ third matinee game of the season and the NBC Game of the Week.

The game features a star-studded cast: the top three players with the most points this season (Evgeni Malkin (87), Sidney Crosby (79) and Alex Ovechkin (77)); the last two NHL MVPs (Crosby (2006-07) and Ovechkin (2007-08)); and two of the last three Calder Trophy winners (Ovechkin (2005-06) and Malkin (2006-07)).

This game is the Capitals’ eighth consecutive sellout with more fans rocking the red than bleeding the black and gold.

The Capitals entering the game leading the Southeast Division with 79 points in 59 games played considering the 4-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Friday. The Penguins had 66 points and stand third in the Atlantic Division. In the Eastern Conference, the teams are second and tenth respectively.

Mike Green’s 22 goals lead all NHL defensemen, are a career high and the most by a Capitals defensemen since now Penguin Sergei Gonchar (26) in 2001-02. Capitals fan welcomed Gonchar with the Larry Murphy-whooping calls.

Game Notes

Jose Theodore tended net opposite Marc-Andre Fleury. Theodore entered the game 14-4-1-1 in this career against the Penguins including three shutouts.

In the first period, Ovechkin scored a power play goal at 6:53 for this 43rd goal of the season, and the time-honored “MVP” chat rang loud in the stand. Nicklas Backstrom and Sergei Fedorov assisted. Maxime Talbot beat Theodore at 12:08 with assists from Mark Eaton and Brooks Orpik for an even-handed goal. The Capitals quickly responded with a goal scored by penalty box-prone Alexander Semin with help from Backstrom and Green. The period ended 2-1 in favor of the Capitals.

Fedorov opened the second period with his sixth goal of the season at 0:56 with an assist by Semin. Playing in only fifth game of the season, Gonchar scored a power play goal at 4:46 with assists from Crosby and Malkin. Shaone Morrisonn scored his third goal, an even-handed, with assists from Ovechkin and Eric Fehr at 12:56. Brooks Laich scored the Capitals’ fifth goal at 13:21 with a wrist shot with assists from Poti and Morrisonn. Penguins’ new coach Dan Bylsma pulled Fleury (21-15-4) after 33:11 and replaced him with Mathieu Garon (6-9-0). The period ended 5-2 in favor of the Capitals.

The Capitals continued to dominate in the third period. Theodore and Garon staved off 8 and 12 shots on goal respectively and kept the game at 5-2. “We had a lot of chances in the third but we just didn’t finish,” said Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau.

The three stars were Fedorov, Ovechkin, and Semin. Semin wore the red hat.

Boudreau’s grueling practice Saturday afternoon paid off although he argues, “I think it was overrated. It wasn’t that hard a skate.” The Capitals were relentless in defeating the Penguins 5-2. “You saw our true colors a lot more today then you did on Friday [against the Avalanche].”

The Penguins played pond hockey throughout the entire game, and Crosby had a few hot-tempered moments including jawing off at the Capitals’ bench. “I just think he was frustrated,” said Boudreau.

The Capitals play the next three games at home. The next game is against the Philadelphia Flyers (31-17-9) on Tuesday.

Photos (Alex Ovechkin) credit: “Aneesa”

From the Press Box: Washington Capitals Practice

The crowd gathered at Kettler Capitals Iceplex to watch the team practice after a devastating lost to the Colorado Avalanche 4-1 at Verizon Center last night. The Capitals snapped a three game winning streak to a team now ranked 14th in the Western Conference.

Coach Bruce Boudreau conducted a no-holds barred practice. The practice started at 11:30 AM and went almost non-stop—whistles were kept at a minimum and sweat poured almost at a maximum. But Boudreau is a talented enough coach as not to overwork the team before a big afternoon game tomorrow against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Without a goal since February 5 vs the Los Angeles Kings, Brooks Laich has switched his stick from a Warrior to an Easton. “There [are] just so many products available to us that sometimes you want to try something out to see if maybe there is something better than what I’m using. I’ve been sticking with the same stick for about the last year-and-a-half. I just want to try something else. It’s like trying a new set of jeans, or new shoes, or a new vehicle or something like that. Sometimes you just want a change for a change. Going into the game tomorrow I think I’m going to use the Easton so maybe look for a new spark.”

Michal Neuvirth may have been the only player enjoying the grueling practice. “It’s nice practicing with those guys, best in the world. I think this practice gave me more than like 10 in the AHL so it’s a pretty big difference. I’m just happy to be here.”

From the Press Box: Montreal Canadiens vs. Washington Capitals

Following a successful road trip, the Washington Capitals (36-16-5) faced the Montreal Canadiens (30-12-6) at Verizon Center in their 28th home game and 58th game overall.

The Capitals won back-to-back games over Valentine's weekend in Tampa and Sunrise, Florida. Defenseman Mike Green broke the NHL record and became the first defenseman in NHL history to score in eight consecutive games. Boston Bruin Mike O’Connell set the record with seven games in 1983-84. The franchise record is nine consecutive games set by Mike Gartner (1986-87) and Alan Haworth (1985-86).

Alex Ovechkin had a productive night against the Florida Panthers on Sunday. The league MVP recorded his third hat trick of the season and eighth of his career, and played his 300th NHL game.

The Capitals entered tonight’s game leading the Southeast Division with 79 points in 57 games played. The Canadiens had 66 points and stand second in the Northeast Division. In the Eastern Conference, the teams are second and fifth respectively.

The Capitals are the only team with four 50-point scorers: Ovechkin (74), Nicklas Backstrom (60), Green (50) and Alexander Semin (50). The Philadelphia Flyers is the only other team with more than two players at or above 50 points.

Tonight marks the fourth and final meeting between the Capitals and Canadiens in 2008-09. The Capitals have a notable record against their Canadian rival in 2008: Jose Theodore posted his first shutout against his former team on November 28; and on December 13, Backstrom earned his 100th NHL points and Semyon Varlamov’s NHL debut ended in a 2-1 win.

Green’s father Dave sat in the stands and received a round of applause. Peter Bondra arrived before the start of the second period to watch from the press box. Rob Yunich of Storming the Crease introduced me to the infamous Capitals web producer and emergency backup goalie Brett “Stretch” Leonhardt.

Game Notes

Theodore tended net opposite Carey Price.

In the first period, Canadien’s Christopher Higgens scored a power play goal at 2:33 with assists by Andrei Markov and Matt D’Agostini. Ovechkin outclassed Price for his 42nd goal of the season with an unassisted goal at 10:07. Boudreau remarked, “I’ve seen that about a thousand times on TV but I don’t know but I thought that was as an amazing goal as I’ve ever seen.” Backstrom scored his 14th goal at 13:42 with assists by Sergei Fedorov and Green. Canadiens’ Andrei Kostitsyn tied the game at 17:03 with a power play goal, his 21st of the season, with assists from Markov and Mathieu Schneider.

No team scored in the second period.

The game started the third period tied at 2 apiece. At 8:57, Tomas Plekanec scored a power play goal with assists from Markov and Kostitsyn. Markov tallied three assists, and Kostitsyn one goal and one assist. David Steckel kept the Capitals alive, tying the game at 3 each at 17:21 with assists from Tom Poti and Brooks Laich. Theodore and Price snatched the remaining attempts.

Regulation ended 3-3 and ended in a shootout. Semin and Backstrom scored while Theodore stopped shots from Plekanec and Markov.

The Capitals defeated the Canadiens 4-3. The Canadiens have lost to the Capitals three times in one season for the first time since 2000-01.

The three stars of the game are Markov, Ovechkin, and Steckel.

The Capitals play the next four games at home. The next game is against the Colorado Avalanche (28-25-5) on Friday at Verizon Center. I will be in the press box on Sunday to cover the Penguins @ Capitals matinee matchup to be aired on NBC.

Photos (Mike Green, Bruce Boudreau) credit: “Aneesa”

Road Trip Diary: Florida for Valentine’s Weekend

A Capital made history on Valentine’s Day, and #8 is indeed a magic number.

I traveled to Tampa and Sunrise to see both games, and it was the best Valentine's weekend ever.

Day One: Washington Capitals @ Tampa Bay Lightning

I arrived in Tampa Saturday afternoon, and Robyn and I headed over to the Washington Capitals’ hotel.

Shaone Morrisonn, Brooks Laich, Joe Beninati, and Craig Laughlin autographed pucks for Robyn outside the hotel before boarding the bus to St. Pete Times Forum.

A burly man sat on the bench having a smoke. After a brief exchange, he came clean that he was Mike Green’s father. Capitals fathers and mentors were in town for the weekend. Papa Green chitchatted with us for a bit before leaving to get ready for the game. Surprisingly Papa Green hasn’t seen the white Lamborgreeni yet.

Robyn and I never had any doubt that Green would break the record. Papa Green said “hopefully he will” and we told him he will, and, boy, were we right.

Mike Green, 23, became the first defenseman in NHL history to score in eight consecutive games. He scored a power play goal in the second period against the Tampa Bay Lightning in front of 17,249 at St. Pete Times Forum. With his father in the stands, the bench cleared to congratulate the Calgary native. He will keep the stick as a souvenir rather than surrender to the Hockey Hall of Fame (Update: Green has decided to donate the prize stick to HHOF) . Green leads NHL defensemen with 49 points.

Another proud Papa also sat in the stands. Sporting a #30 jersey, Papa Neuvirth sat with his hands held in prayer watching his son, Michal, 20, in his NHL debut in goal. We exchanged thumbs-up with Papa Neuvirth after the first period with the score 3-0. Young Neuvirth robbed Lightning’s Vincent Lecavalier when he made an impressive glove save on Lecavalier’s breakaway in the first period. He made 31 of 32 saves and won his first NHL game 5-1. Neuvirth has reportedly played for eight teams in less than two years.

The Great 8, Alex Ovechkin, scored two goals.

With the win, the Capitals have beat the Lightning eight consecutive times.

Day Two: Washington Capitals @ Florida Panthers

Robyn and I drove to Sunrise Sunday morning.

We sat three rows behind the Capitals’ bench next to the tunnel.

Ovechkin scored a hat trick in eight shots, including an empty-netter, for his 8th career hat trick and 41 goals for the season.

Green’s NHL record ended at eight games. The Florida Panthers shut out Green from tying the overall franchise record for consecutive games with a goal. The Norris Trophy candidate has 22 goals.



Neuvirth had the night off. Jose Theodore started in goal. Theodore apparently is the best goaltender statistically in shootouts. Mercifully the game ended in regulation, 4-2.



Robyn and I spent Monday heading back to St. Pete with short tour to Ruslan Fedotenko’s old house and Lecavalier’s future hospital while the players and mentors spent Monday morning hanging out before the players return to D.C. and the mentors home.

I returned to chilly Arlington this afternoon after an exciting weekend and looking forward to the press box on Wednesday and Sunday for the games against the Canadiens and Penguins respectively.

Proper Sports Nutrition Fuels Engines of High Performance Athletes

Serious ice hockey players practice and work out hard multiple times a week to endure 82 games per season.

“Nutrition is the single most important element outside of athletic practice. It makes athletic performance possible,” said Aaron Snyder, a personal trainer and nutritional consultant.

Hockey players are like high-performance automobiles, food as the fuel that drives performance. Nutrition affects athletic performance the same way fuel affects the performance of an engine. “How well does a car run with sugar in its tank or dirty gas,” raised Nancy L. Jerominski, C.H.E.K. Holistic Lifestyle and Exercise Coach, NLJ Fitness & Wellness Consulting. “Feed it premium fuel, you will get premium performance. Feed it lower grade fuel and you [get] more frequent parts failure (injuries) and poorer performance,” added licensed chiropractor Lauren McCabe, Cedar Mill Chiropractic Clinic.

Eating the right foods helps athletes stay physically fit and reach optimum game-winning performance. “Without appropriate nutrition before, during, and after events, the athletes will likely putter out too early in competition and they will have a more difficult recovery period. Chances are they'll experience muscle soreness with greater intensity and duration than they would if they fueled properly,” said Rebecca Scritchfield, Washington, D.C.-based sports nutritionist, Elite Nutrition.

Athletes should consume about 3,500 calories a day while in training compared to the 2,500-3,000 calories daily the FDA recommends for the average man depending on age and activity level.

“Eating that many calories can be easy when you’re eating junk food, but in order for the athlete to perform, they need to fuel their body with quality nutrients in order for their muscles and organs to function properly and for the body to perform at its peak,” explained health counselor Monica Silvestro.

“Athletes need to eat enough calories to support their sport [and] their daily lives. This includes everyday activity, practice, and competition. Athletes need more calories than the average person because they are more active,” said Scritchfield.

Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin burns about 13.4 calories per minute in an intensive game (compared to a sportswriter of Ovechkin’s size that burns barely 2.0 calories per minute). If Ovechkin doesn’t consume the right balanced diet on- and off-season, the Russian Machine will stall. “The body is a chemistry experiment, and without proper nutrition it will malfunction,” said wellness expert Tom Fox.

Peak performance starts with a solid nutrition foundation, which includes proper hydration; energy substrates (carbohydrates, protein and fat); and pre-game and recovery meals. “Carbohydrates are the body's ‘gasoline’. If athletes don’t consume enough quality carbohydrates, they may not have the energy needed to perform at an optimal level. For events lasting longer than 60 minutes, fueling with a sports drink during the event provides ‘quick carbs’ for lasting endurance and electrolytes to help maintain fluid balance,” advised Scritchfield.

Healthy caloric-dense/nutrient-dense foods Silvestro suggests include nuts and nut butters; oils such as olive oil, coconut oil, and flax seed oil; avocados; and fatty fish such as salmon.

Fox, who wrote The System for Health and Weight Loss, has helped the Ted Leonsis, Jeff Halpern, and the Washington Capitals with nutrition and training programs. According to Fox, “The pre-game or pre-practice meal is important, but so is re-loading muscles for overall performance. Carbohydrates are the main fuel for muscles used in endurance training, which many hockey players do.”

An athlete’s body is a machine that requires the best fuel possible to achieve the best performance viable.

Brashear, O'Ree, Simmonds Visit Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club for Hockey Is For Everyone Month

Willie O'Ree and Other Black NHL Players

Black Ice - CHL Colored Hockey League, Nova Scotia

February is Hockey Is For Everyone Month

February is Black History Month, a time to honor Blacks who have changed the world.

Moreover, February is Hockey is for Everyone Month, a time the NHL recognizes the diversity in hockey among its players and fans. The diversity initiative exposes black youth, as well as female, Asians, Hispanic, or disabled, to the sport of ice hockey.



The NHL commemorates Hockey is for Everyone Month with various events involving NHL clubs, players, alumni, and non-profit youth hockey programs.

Washington Capital forwards Nicklas Backstrom and Donald Brashear together with Los Angeles King Wayne Simmonds, and the NHL’s first black player Willie O’Ree skate with the Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club on Wednesday, February 4.

The Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club is the oldest minority youth hockey program in the U.S. To date, the initiative has exposed more than 45,000 youth to hockey.

Blacks have been breaking barriers in hockey but still comprise only 1.5% of the NHL’s players.