Initiative Raises Green Awareness in Hockey

The NHL launched green initiatives, and more than half the NHL players have taken major steps in becoming environmental leaders—Matt Bradley, the “Captain Planet” of the Washington Capitals, has instituted recycling programs—but increasingly more needs to be done as hockey causing considerable damage to the environment.

Hockey Science & Technology launched the Green Hockey Initiative to help youth hockey and adult recreation hockey league players become more environmentally responsible. The initiative aims “to share ideas with the hockey community and promote hockey companies that have green products and services,” said Dean Sprung, director of sales and marketing. Supporters can join the initiative and list their product or services on the site for an annual fee and everybody can follow the initiative on Twitter and Facebook.

Each mile traveled to and from practices, games, and tournaments leaves behind a large carbon footprint. “The routine of heading out to a hockey game or practice has many opportunities to hurt or help the environment. Depending on a family’s hockey schedule, a change in behaviour can have a significant contribution to helping the environment,” explained Sprung in the email interview.

The NHLPA challenged players to go carbon neutral—each player produces about 10 tons of carbon emissions per season—and Sprung believes that the hockey community should follow their example. “Their high profile in sports certainly brings awareness to hockey and the environment. Getting the youth, minor and adult rec participants on board in some capacity would have a greater impact.” Indeed, players can walk, bike, or carpool using HockeyGPS to reduce carbon emissions that cause global warming.

In addition to the environmental impact of the chauffeured trips between games, the environmental impact of hockey equipment is also incalculable. Very little, if any, of the equipment is made from recyclable materials. “We are hoping that equipment manufacturers come forward with more information about their environmental responsibility. So far, we have uncovered a hockey tape company that has a product that lasts longer than traditional tape. This means less landfill.”

Without compromising safety and proper fitting, hockey players should consider buying used equipment and equipment made from recycled materials, and to donate or recycling used and old equipment. “Many hockey organizations or teams will host a sports swap as a fundraiser. This gives families a chance to hand down equipment to other members of the hockey community.” Any equipment unsuitable for wear could be recycled into an eco-friendly design. “Aged or broken hockey sticks can be donated to workshops that build furniture, coat racks and picture frames from the sticks.”

The demand to make sports facilities environmentally friendly has grown as more people become ecologically aware of the amount of environmental damage caused by unsustainable architecture. Venues are looking to minimize their environmental impact— Philips Arena in Atlanta is the first NBA or NHL arena to achieve LEED certification for an existing facility.

But in addition to the structural development of an eco-friendly ice rink, Sprung suggests that “at the rink, players or spectators can wear warm clothing to reduce the need for heated viewing areas, eliminate idling of the vehicle while waiting, turn off the hot showers when not in use, keep the gates to the ice surface closed when not in use and keep the entrance doors closed as much as possible.”

Under the NHL Rule, Fairness in Suspensions is Arbitrary

Debates about the NHL’s disciplinary sanctions have polarized opinions between those who see the NHL as biased and those who may or may not oppose a particular ruling, but see the NHL as increasingly inconsistent when handing down sanctions.

A recent sticking point is the disparity between the punishment for Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin, and the lack thereof for Pittsburgh Penguins’ Matt Cooke. The NHL atoned for its transgression a bit with suspending Anaheim Ducks’ James Wisniewski, but the glaring inconsistencies inevitably produce confusion and mistrust in the system.

The latest incidences of disciplinary sanctions have been compared to the NHL spinning the wheel of justice to settle on the best punishment; and despite the NHL’s efforts to defend its decisions, the sanctions seem suspiciously arbitrary—the decision to suspend Ovechkin and not Cooke is difficult to swallow when both are repeat offenders and both hits resulted in injuries—and ineffective considering the NHL has handed down about 27 suspensions to date, many of which are repeat offenders. Still, to allow Cooke to go scot-free for his assault is baffling and gives the impression that his malicious assault and style of play are acceptable.

Irrefutably, hits are par for the course in hockey. As such, it is important for NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell to ensure that there is fairness across the board for those involved in breaking the rules.

Defiance or Reverence: Debate on National Anthem Arises in Hockey

A lively national debate has ensued over the proper way to respect the national anthem.
Rob Otto, the writer of the Ottoman Empire, has taken the issue—the fans’s purported failure to follow the proper national anthem etiquette during the singing of the Star-Spangled Banner at Chicago Blackhawks games—to his blog and Fox News. “In my opinion, it is all disrespectful to the song and what it represents—the men and women who fought valiantly to make this country what it is today,” writes Otto in his post.

Jeffrey Bartl, the lead blogger for Blackhawk Up, disagrees with the accusation that fans engaging in the time-honored ritual of yelling and screaming are bad-mannered. “No disrespect is meant, and there’s no malicious intent by partaking in this tradition,” counters Bartl.
Washington Capitals majority owner Ted Leonsis agrees with Otto that fans should be more respectful. “Taking off your hat is the right gesture. NOT screaming “RED” or “O” is also the right thing to do,” writes Leonsis on his blog.

Yet the announcement at Verizon Center for fans to sing “loudly, proudly, and respectfully” has not deterred the deafening yells of “RED” [for the team color] and “OH” [in the tradition of the Baltimore Orioles] or “OH-VI” [for Alex Ovechkin] during the solemn occasion.

While Otto and Bartl clash on whether these fans are defiant, both agree that not all traditions are always right.

Although the added sound effects can be annoying, as Bartl rightly points out, “People celebrate and support traditions in different manners than others.”

 It seems that the “RED” and “OH-VI” are intended to cheer on the Capitals in a high-spirited manner before the puck drop, but nevertheless, odds-on the tradition still rubs fans like Otto the wrong way.

For Renée J. Jones, a Viet Nam veteran who served in the U.S. Army for nine years and is an avid football fan, the national anthem evokes and eulogizes the military men and women.

“The national anthem is very moving to me,” said Jones. “It makes me think of those servicemen and servicewomen who didn’t make it like my Uncle [Robert A. Davis]. Also those who survived but were maimed physically or emotionally and of course I think of those who serve now.”

Comedian Roseanne Barr’s misfired parody of the national anthem at the San Diego Padres games in 1990 offended Jones more than does non-silent reverences. For the veteran, a song well sung is most key. “I find most fans take [the national anthem] very seriously and they have asked more appropriate singers and not jokes like [Barr] to sing. When the song is sang with soul it sends shivers down my spine, tears to my eyes and makes me proud to be a veteran!”

Q&A with Airxess Goalie Mask Designer Alec Voggel

You might not be familiar with Airxess or airbush artist Alessandro “Alec” Voggel, but you have seen his artwork if you watched Team Switzerland in the Olympics—his artwork adorned Swiss goaltender Jonas Hiller.

With almost two decades as a goalie mask designer, Voggel’s cutting-edge artwork speaks volumes of his talent.

In this e-mail interview (in German, with English translation in italics), the Bern, Switzerland-based artist and father provides some insight into his work.

Seit wann bemalen Sie schon Goaliemasken und warum sind Sie ein Goalie-Mask Designer geworden?
How long have you been painting goalie masks, and why did you become a designer?

Seit nun schon 16 Jahren bemale ich Goalie Masken. Mich hatten schon immer die bemalten Motorräder und Autos interessiert. Ich wollte wissen wie das geht und habe mir Airbrush Material gekauft. Nach schon ein paar Airbrush-Kursen kam ein guter Freund Leo Giglio (ein Goalie) zu mir, und fragte mich ob ich seine Maske bemalen könnte. Klar machte ich es und das war der Startschuss.

Now it’s been 16 years since I started painting goalie masks. I had always been interested in the painted motorcycles and cars. I wanted to know how to do it and I had bought airbrush material. After even a few airbrush courses, a good friend Leo Giglio (a goalie) came to me and asked me if I could paint his mask. Clearly, I did and that was the start.

Haben Sie formale Ausbildung als Künstler, oder sind Sie autodidakt?

Do you have formal training as an artist, or are you self-taught?
Ich habe diverse Kurse in verschiedenen maltechniken, sowie Photgraphie-Kurse besucht. Der Rest ist üben üben üben. Heute erzielt man eine coole Masken Bemalung eben nicht nur mit der Airbrush, es werden verschiedene Techniken ausgeführt.

I have attended various courses in different painting techniques, as well as photography courses. The rest is practice, practice practice. Today we realized that we cannot just paint a cool mask with airbrush, a variety of techniques are carried out.

Wie sind Sie sich mit professionellen Athleten wie Jonas Hiller von den Anaheim Ducks in Kontakt gekommen? Was war deren Reaktion auf Ihre Masken?

How did you get involved in working with professional athletes such as Jonas Hiller of the Anaheim Ducks? What was the feedback about the masks?

Jonas Hiller kenne ich nun schon seit 2003. Nach der ersten Maske welche ich für Ihn gemalt habe war so begeistert das er seit dem nur noch mich „herausfordert“. Das er heute in der NHL spielt ist sicher auch für uns etwas spezielles. Werbetechnisch sogar ganz cool. Trotzdem, sollte er morgen schon wieder in einem kleinen Club in der Schweiz spielen, erhält er nach wie vor sein gewünschtes Design, und wir würden seine Erwartungen weiterhin überbieten. Ich lege also nicht so viel wert darauf wo jemand spielt, die Person ist mir wichtiger.

I’ve known Jonas Hiller now since 2003. After the first mask, which I had painted for him, he was so impressed since it was for me a "challenge". That he now plays in the NHL is certainly something special for us. The advertising is actually quite cool. Nevertheless, if he should play again tomorrow in a small club in Switzerland, he still receives his desired design, and we would continue to surpass his expectations. So I don’t put much value on where someone plays, the person is more important to me.

Wer war Ihr anspruchsvollster Kunde?
Who has been your most demanding client?
Jonas ist schon mit der anspruchsvollste da ich nun nicht mehr nur seine Masken bemale, sondern auch seine Custom Made Maske herstelle! Also sindwir auf mehreren Ebenen gefordert, und er kann sehr kritisch sein. Aber wir wollen ja herausgefordert werden! Ist Jonas zufrieden, sind wir es auch.

Jonas is already the most challenging because I no longer paint only his mask, but his mask is custom made! So, we are needed at several levels, and he can be very critical. But, of course, we want to be challenged! If Jonas is satisfied, we are, too.

Wie viel Zeit verbringen Sie mit Ihrer Arbeit? Wie denken Sie über Ihre Arbeit im Vergleich zu anderen Goalie-Mask Designern?

What sort of time goes into your artwork? How do you think your work stands out among the various goalie mask designers?

Ich verbringe jeden Tag mit dieser Arbeit... Goalie Masken bemalen und herstellen.. natürlich mit der Unterstützung von Daniel und Beat welches das Airxess Team bildet. Ich denke unsere Arbeit unterscheidet sich im wesentlichen dass sie nicht so bunt ist wie bei anderen Designer. Wir heben uns immer wieder durch spezielle Effekte oder Verfahren von den anderen ab. Unser Ziel ist es aber nicht besser als andere zu sein, oder als die besten zu gelten. Wir konzentrieren uns lieber auf unsere Kunden und gehen auf all die verschiedenen Wünsche ein.

I spend every day with this job ... painting goalie masks and manufacturing .. Of course, with the support of Daniel and Beat, the team that forms Airxess. I think our work differs substantially if only because it is not as colorful as other designers. We stand time and again starting with special effects or by other methods. Our goal is not to be better than others, or considered to be the best. We'd rather concentrate on our customers and respond to all the different opportunities.

Was ist Ihre Lieblings-Aspekt an Ihrem Job? Was finden Sie am schwierigsten?

What would you say is your favorite part of the job? What do you find the most challenging part about being a goalie mask designer?
Jeder Tag birgt eine neue Herausforderung, kein Tag ist gleich. Darum gibt es auch bei uns immer nur ein Unikat zu bestellen. Es ist also nicht möglich 2 gleiche Masken, oder eine Kopie einer Maske zu bestellen. Wir hatten schon mehrere Anfragen ob wir die Hiller Olympia Maske zum Ausstellen(!) herstellen. Leider nein. Also nicht einmal Jonas kann das gleiche Maskendesign bestellen! Dies macht unsere Arbeit noch wertvoller und dies geniesse ich. Das schwierigste ist natürlich diese zum Teil sehr komplexen Designs auf eine Maske zu übertragen. Eine sehr schwierige Form, dazu noch die Elastikbänder, viele Löcher etc.
Each day brings a new challenge, no two days are the same. Therefore, you can only oder a unique mask with us. It is also not possible to order 2 identical masks or a copy of a mask. We already had several inquiries whether we can display a copy of the Olympic Hiller mask (!). Unfortunately, no. Not even Jonas can order the same mask design! This makes our work even more valuable and that I enjoy. The most difficult part of this is of course is to transfer very complex designs to a mask. One very difficult form, plus the elastic bands, lots of holes, etc.

Wie geht der Design-Prozess vor sich? Wie viel des Designs stammt von Athleten?
What is the design process? How much of the design is the athlete’s?
Ich erwarte/ wünsche zumindest eine kurze mündliche Beschreibung was auf die Maske soll. Kunden die mir das Design überlassen, wollen mir so noch mehr Vertrauen schenken. Dies habe ich aber nicht so gerne da es unendlich viele Möglichkeiten gibt eine Maske zu designen. Eine Richtung muss vorgegeben werden. Sobald ich ein paar Details weiss, gehe ich ohne Vorzeichnung(!) für den Kunden an die Arbeit. Weder der Kunde noch ich wissen was am Schluss dabei heraus kommt. Dies lässt dann genügend Freiraum um kreativ zu werden.
I expect / hope at least a brief oral description of what should be on the mask. Customers who entrust me with the design, want to give me even more confidence. This I don’t like to much because there are infinitely many ways to design a mask. You need a direction. Once I know a few details (I'll go without a preliminary drawing!), I’ll go to work for the customer. Neither the customer nor I know what comes out of it in the end. This then leaves ample room for getting creative.

Von allen Masken die Sie jemals bemalt haben, welche ist Ihre Lieblingsmaske?
What’s your favorite mask you’ve ever designed?
Da antworte ich schweizerisch diplomatisch: das kann ich nicht genau sagen, es gefallen mir sehr viele! Was aber sicher ist, die Maske von Jonas Hiller für die Olympischen Spiele ist ganz klar etwas besonderes da nicht nur das Design sehr gelungen ist, sondern auch die von uns hergestellte Custom Made Maske „Tornado Hiller Edition“ eine coole Maske ist. An dieser werden sicher lange Erinnerungen bleiben.
This I will answer Swiss diplomatically: I cannot exactly say that, I like many of them! What is certain, Jonas Hiller’s mask for the Olympic Games is clearly something special because it’s not only that the design is very well done, but also our custom made “Tornado Hiller Edition” mask is a cool mask. Of this will surely remain long memories.

Welchen Rat würden Sie jemandem geben, der darüber nachdenkt ein Goalie-Mask Designer zu werden?
What advice would you give someone who was thinking about becoming a goalie mask designer?
Lerne all die verschiedenen Kundenwünsche zu deuten um sie dann mit Deiner Kreativität zu beindrucken. Wenn Du es schaffst nicht für das Geld sondern für die Arbeit zu Arbeiten, dann wirst Du erfolgreich!
Learn to interpret all the different customers’ needs, then impress with your creativity. If you succeed in making it not only for the money but to work itself, then you will succeed!

Was tun Sie in Ihrer Freizeit?
How do you spend your free time?
Ich verbringe die Freizeit mit meiner Familie, im nächsten Monat kommt unser drittes Kind zur Welt! Die Masken müssen dann wieder etwas warten.
I spend time with my family, next month our third child will be born! The masks must then wait a bit.