Saturday, August 27, 2005
tough guys R us...
Sixteen former hockey "enforcers" (some might still be back in the NHL I understand... who knows...) competed tonight in a most unusual (as barbaric) competition - the first ever "Battle of the Hockey Enforcers" - live and only on pay-per-view it was too! With the withdrawal from competition of one Lyndon Byers, former Boston Bruin assigned protector of the likes of Cam "The Man" Neely (himself not too shabby a pugilist - but better known for his scoring touch, of course - he just knew how to defend himself, that's all) - the main man of the competition appeared to be one Link Gaetz who, you guessed it, bore the dubious monicker of... "The Missing Link"! Not sure if Link won it all in the end though - but I sure am glad that Lyndon Byers regained his senses and bowed out of this insane contest of pure(?) brawn. Hockey enforcers are often called nothing less than "goons" - but their job is to cut the crap on ice and not allow the competition to steamroll all over the finesse players that they are paid to protect! The rough stuff is thus supposed to be kept down to the strict necessary. Here, it is the ONLY THING - and a cash prize of 70,000$ to the one with the most endurance. Four grueling but surely swift rounds of fisticuffs to get the prize though... Is it worth it? I think not! Kudos for parodying the NHL's playoff format - 16 "teams", 4 rounds... But really now - what will they think of next?!? A former football tackles TACKLE-A-THON...?!?
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The "promotional article" - as released by the Associated Press...
Sixteen of Hockey's Tough Guys Gather in Prince George
Aug 26, 10:24 PM (ET) Email this Story
PRINCE GEORGE, British Columbia (AP) - Former NHL tough guy Link Gaetz felt cocky and confident Friday as entrants in the Battle of the Hockey Enforcers prepared to duke it out for cash.
Gaetz, whose brief stay in the NHL earned him the dubious moniker "The Missing Link" has a straightforward strategy - much like the message his fists sent when he played in the league.
"Hit and knock out," he said. "That's it."
With the last minute decision by Lyndon Byers, another former NHLer to drop out, the 36-year-old Gaetz became the best-known former player to sign up for the inaugural Battle of the Hockey Enforcers on Saturday at the CN Centre.
He didn't sound overly impressed with the threat posed by the other 15 entrants.
"The caliber of the fighting here is not anywhere near NHL caliber," said Gaetz at a news conference where the players gathered for interviews before an afternoon skate to test the ice.
"I have a good chance of winning and that's why I'm here."
The Battle of the Hockey Enforcers is a 16-man slugfest involving hockey players fighting one-on-one until a winner is declared.
The players have been divided into four groups of four, with each man fighting the other person in his group. The winners of each group advance to the semifinal and final, and the winner will pocket $70,000.
All the participants are - or have been - hockey players; a collection of mostly junior and semipro players whose main skill is dropping the gloves when the team needs a boost.
Many of the players say the lack of passion or motivation in a game situation will have to be replaced with personal pride.
And of course there is the money.
"You have to think of it from of a business perspective," said Gaetz, who played with the former Minnesota North Stars and San Jose Sharks and has been training for the event "pretty hard" for the past six or seven weeks.
"There's a little bit of notoriety and a little bit of cash on the line."
Derek Parker played several years in the Tier 1 junior hockey in Western Canada and last year amassed 504 penalty minutes in 54 games with the Witchita Thunder of the Central Hockey League.
He was smiling and amiable Friday.
"I don't know if I'll have an exact strategy," said the 22-year-old Parker. "I'll just read and react and let my abilities take care of themselves rather than think too much."
Jame Leinhos, 29, and a veteran of Quebec senior hockey, seemed to have some thought to the pay-per-view event.
"This is not about the team or the two points," Leinhos said while taping a promo. "When I drop the gloves, it's about pride."
Sixteen of Hockey's Tough Guys Gather in Prince George
Aug 26, 10:24 PM (ET) Email this Story
PRINCE GEORGE, British Columbia (AP) - Former NHL tough guy Link Gaetz felt cocky and confident Friday as entrants in the Battle of the Hockey Enforcers prepared to duke it out for cash.
Gaetz, whose brief stay in the NHL earned him the dubious moniker "The Missing Link" has a straightforward strategy - much like the message his fists sent when he played in the league.
"Hit and knock out," he said. "That's it."
With the last minute decision by Lyndon Byers, another former NHLer to drop out, the 36-year-old Gaetz became the best-known former player to sign up for the inaugural Battle of the Hockey Enforcers on Saturday at the CN Centre.
He didn't sound overly impressed with the threat posed by the other 15 entrants.
"The caliber of the fighting here is not anywhere near NHL caliber," said Gaetz at a news conference where the players gathered for interviews before an afternoon skate to test the ice.
"I have a good chance of winning and that's why I'm here."
The Battle of the Hockey Enforcers is a 16-man slugfest involving hockey players fighting one-on-one until a winner is declared.
The players have been divided into four groups of four, with each man fighting the other person in his group. The winners of each group advance to the semifinal and final, and the winner will pocket $70,000.
All the participants are - or have been - hockey players; a collection of mostly junior and semipro players whose main skill is dropping the gloves when the team needs a boost.
Many of the players say the lack of passion or motivation in a game situation will have to be replaced with personal pride.
And of course there is the money.
"You have to think of it from of a business perspective," said Gaetz, who played with the former Minnesota North Stars and San Jose Sharks and has been training for the event "pretty hard" for the past six or seven weeks.
"There's a little bit of notoriety and a little bit of cash on the line."
Derek Parker played several years in the Tier 1 junior hockey in Western Canada and last year amassed 504 penalty minutes in 54 games with the Witchita Thunder of the Central Hockey League.
He was smiling and amiable Friday.
"I don't know if I'll have an exact strategy," said the 22-year-old Parker. "I'll just read and react and let my abilities take care of themselves rather than think too much."
Jame Leinhos, 29, and a veteran of Quebec senior hockey, seemed to have some thought to the pay-per-view event.
"This is not about the team or the two points," Leinhos said while taping a promo. "When I drop the gloves, it's about pride."
I am no fan of sports, so to me this is just a stupid and dangerous way to try and make some money.
Men acting like this does not impress me. Infact it makes me wonder about how many brain cells are left in their heads!
Surly not many if they continue to bash each others heads for money. After this was over they probably had even less live brain cells than they started with at the beginning of the game! LOL
That's just my opinion.
Have A Great Day (\ô/)
((HUGS))
Countess
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Men acting like this does not impress me. Infact it makes me wonder about how many brain cells are left in their heads!
Surly not many if they continue to bash each others heads for money. After this was over they probably had even less live brain cells than they started with at the beginning of the game! LOL
That's just my opinion.
Have A Great Day (\ô/)
((HUGS))
Countess
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