The-Hogs.net - Washington Football Discussion, Redskins to Commanders Era

I'm (probably) going to the hockey game on 2/3.

This is my first time at MCI and my first hockey game.

What should I expect? I'll be in great seats (section 215), so the view won't be an issue.

I hear the attendance isn't great at Caps games. Will people look at me weird if I scream and yell a lot? Will they notice if I don't know what I'm screaming about? What's the atmosphere like?

I'm really looking forward to it. I love catching hockey on my parents' HDTV, and I bet it's even better in person.

I'm not much of a hockey fan but have attended some games at MCI (including once sitting in Leonsis' rink side seats) and I have always had a blast, great atmosphere and a surprisingly high number of attractive women

Wear a coat.


Burrrrrrr!


Go Canes!

Keep your hands up at all times to protect your face. Look for weaknesses in your opponent's strategy. Try jabbing until you see an opening, then hit them with the right hand. Keep moving and bobbing your head. Watch out for the old 'thrown beer' tactic to distract you into letting your guard down.

I went to my first hockey games this year to the Tamba Bay Lightning. Everone told me before hand how great hocky is and exciting full of action etc........ I was very disappointed maybe because I'm not 100% sure of all the rules but it is not a sport for me.

The best advice I can give you is, say eh after every sentence, make sure your drinking molsons, and wear a hat you don't like, because if Ovetchkin gets a hat trick, you have to throw your hat on the ice.

Other than that, have a good time, and if you're close to the ice, watch for clearing shots that go high off the boards.

JansenFan wrote:The best advice I can give you is, say eh after every sentence, make sure your drinking molsons, and wear a hat you don't like, because if Ovetchkin gets a hat trick, you have to throw your hat on the ice.

Other than that, have a good time, and if you're close to the ice, watch for clearing shots that go high off the boards.

I don't think i'll be anywhere near the ice, I'll be in a suite, oolala! uh... eh?

I went to hundreds of Caps games when they played at the Caps center...moved from the MD/DC area 13 years ago and haven't gone to a pro game since -- I go watch Ohio Univ play Club Hockey...it's great fun!

I had two sets of friends back in MD who had free tickets and when I was going no one wanted to go. I went a lot their first few years...and rarely saw a win!

Don't know the MCI center but at the Cap Center we always said -- write down the name of the entrance -- they all looked the same when you walked out of the arena and it might take awhile to find your car. Plus, at the Cap center, I'd say -- leave early, the traffic really stunk.

My recomendation for the Caps at the MCI -- watch the NEW guy, he's possibly the best player the Caps have ever had. He is a star - I just hope that Ted opens up his wallet this next year to get him a playmaker. Plus, we need a bunch of defenders...poor Olie!

If you don't know the rules, find someone who does and ask questions. Hockey has very few rules actually. You need to understand offsides probably more than anything. There are a bunch of different penalties but who cares if you can't differentiate between boarding and roughing...they're both 2 mins.

Have fun, it's a great sport in person. One of my favorites.

fredp45 wrote:I went to hundreds of Caps games when they played at the Caps center...moved from the MD/DC area 13 years ago and haven't gone to a pro game since -- I go watch Ohio Univ play Club Hockey...it's great fun!

I had two sets of friends back in MD who had free tickets and when I was going no one wanted to go. I went a lot their first few years...and rarely saw a win!

Don't know the MCI center but at the Cap Center we always said -- write down the name of the entrance -- they all looked the same when you walked out of the arena and it might take awhile to find your car. Plus, at the Cap center, I'd say -- leave early, the traffic really stunk.

My recomendation for the Caps at the MCI -- watch the NEW guy, he's possibly the best player the Caps have ever had. He is a star - I just hope that Ted opens up his wallet this next year to get him a playmaker. Plus, we need a bunch of defenders...poor Olie!

If you don't know the rules, find someone who does and ask questions. Hockey has very few rules actually. You need to understand offsides probably more than anything. There are a bunch of different penalties but who cares if you can't differentiate between boarding and roughing...they're both 2 mins.

Have fun, it's a great sport in person. One of my favorites.

I do know a little bit about hockey, from watching NHL and Olympics on HDTV.

Yep....watch for flying PUCKS !
And...remember it's a face off...NOT kick off....

Well, I've only been to one hockey game - went to see Calgary play after a ski trip to Fernie. Can honestly say that I had no idea what was going on. I didn't realise just how much I had relied on commentators telling me what was happening and why.

Highlight of the game was a bench clearing brawl.

The noisiest spectator there was a ten year old sitting behid me, who had clearly learned all of his lines from his dad.

wear a hoodie and the game goes by quck unlike a football game b/c theres rarely stops in a hockey game. Food time is intermission time.



Go Flyers- Chase for the cup

- Don't just watch the puck. Think of it as soccer on skates, and watch all the other players getting into position to receive a pass

- Listen to the sound of a puck as it hits the boards. Feel the impact.

- Watch the speed of the skating, the maneuvering at speed, while someone carries the puck. Try to imagine the coordination it takes to go that fast while looking over the ice for an open man, or taking a shot.

also, when they fight, think about hard that would be -- throwing a punch while standing on skates!

Can you throw a hat from the club level? Is there glass like at FedEx? Also, would it even reach the ice?

Hockey is a great live sport, very fast. The new rules have opened things up, some say good, others like myself say bad.

With the exception of Welch, the one-eyed are leading the blind in this thread. But let me take somebody to a friendly task here, eh?

JansenFan wrote:The best advice I can give you is, say eh after every sentence, make sure your drinking molsons, and wear a hat you don't like, because if Ovetchkin gets a hat trick, you have to throw your hat on the ice.

Here goes the 3-part question big fella:

If a "hat trick" is what happens when a player gets three goals in a game, interestingly now not only in hockey:

1) where does this tradition come from?

2) when did it first happen? and

3) who was the player involved in it?

Google all you want. I do not believe that you are going to get it right.

And to all Canadians in this board. Please do not laugh too hard at these guys. They are trying their best...

... really!

welch wrote:- Don't just watch the puck. Think of it as soccer on skates, and watch all the other players getting into position to receive a pass.

Interesting and true if only in slow motion. But I would have thought that positioning could have related to basketball (thinking of sports they would understand) as well in terms of passing creativity!

welch wrote:- Listen to the sound of a puck as it hits the boards. Feel the impact.

Or better yet, feel the impact of a check on the boards if you get close enought.

welch wrote:- Watch the speed of the skating, the maneuvering at speed, while someone carries the puck. Try to imagine the coordination it takes to go that fast while looking over the ice for an open man, or taking a shot.

There is no faster sport without a machine. Except for the Zamboni of course.

Redskin in Canada wrote:With the exception of Welch, the one-eyed are leading the blind in this thread. But let me take somebody to a friendly task here, eh?

JansenFan wrote:The best advice I can give you is, say eh after every sentence, make sure your drinking molsons, and wear a hat you don't like, because if Ovetchkin gets a hat trick, you have to throw your hat on the ice.

Here goes the 3-part question big fella:

If a "hat trick" is what happens when a player gets three goals in a game, interestingly now not only in hockey:

1) where does this tradition come from?

2) when did it first happen? and

3) who was the player involved in it?

Google all you want. I do not believe that you are going to get it right.

And to all Canadians in this board. Please do not laugh too hard at these guys. They are trying their best...

... really!

Are you asking about the tradition of throwing hats on the ice, or of the hat trick in general?

If you mean in general, it comes from the sport of cricket, when a bowler takes three wickets in three balls. It was first recorded in by HH stephenson of All-England in the mid-1800's, and as was customary in those times, a collection was taken from the audience, which was then used to purchase a hat for Mr. Stephenson.

If you mean the tradition of throwing hats on the ice, I don't know, but if I had to guess, I would say it had to do with the Canadian junior teams in Ontario, many of whom were sponsored by hat companies. When a player would score a goal, he would get a free hat. When this tradition stopped, fans would throw their hats out onto the ice, as a way of saying, those cheap hat companies won't give you one, so take mine instead.

JansenFan wrote:Are you asking about the tradition of throwing hats on the ice, or of the hat trick in general?

If you mean in general, it comes from the sport of cricket, when a bowler takes three wickets in three balls. It was first recorded in by HH stephenson of All-England in the mid-1800's, and as was customary in those times, a collection was taken from the audience, which was then used to purchase a hat for Mr. Stephenson.

If you mean the tradition of throwing hats on the ice, I don't know, but if I had to guess, I would say it had to do with the Canadian junior teams in Ontario, many of whom were sponsored by hat companies. When a player would score a goal, he would get a free hat. When this tradition stopped, fans would throw their hats out onto the ice, as a way of saying, those cheap hat companies won't give you one, so take mine instead.

Not bad... for an American.

True the tradition started in Cricket. True the hockey tradition started in Southern Ontario.

Fastest hat trick? Mosienko, 3 goals in less than a minutes in 1952!

Most hat tricks? Wayne Gretzky 50!

Who made the tradition popular in the NHL? The HATED Toronto Maple Leafs.

I once heard the story about the "hat trick" from Dick Irvin, Harry Neil and Bob Cole in the English broadcast version of a game. These three are some of the best broadcasters the game has had in the English language.

I am not a fan of the clown and puppet show by Don Cherry and Ron MacLean. The French CBC network treats their audiences with far more respect and much greater strategic and tactical insight than this clown/puppet duo shown on CBC in English.

redskingush wrote:The new rules have opened things up, some say good, others like myself say bad.

The new rules are doing finally away with the neutral zone trap, which had taken away all the excitment from the game. I am in favour of the new rules.

JansenFan wrote:..Are you asking about the tradition of throwing hats on the ice, or of the hat trick in general?

If you mean in general, it comes from the sport of cricket, when a bowler takes three wickets in three balls. It was first recorded in by HH stephenson of All-England in the mid-1800's, and as was customary in those times, a collection was taken from the audience, which was then used to purchase a hat for Mr. Stephenson.

If you mean the tradition of throwing hats on the ice, I don't know, but if I had to guess, I would say it had to do with the Canadian junior teams in Ontario, many of whom were sponsored by hat companies. When a player would score a goal, he would get a free hat. When this tradition stopped, fans would throw their hats out onto the ice, as a way of saying, those cheap hat companies won't give you one, so take mine instead.

Sorry RiC - that is a great comeback! As an Aussie that is worth a little more than "not bad...for an American"! That is an exceptional bit of trivia!

Well done Scott - I think UK will agree there are not many that would know where to dig that quickly!

Well, the MCI Center was nice. I enjoyed the game, especially since the Caps won in convincing fashion. Toronto came across as very thugish, taking any cheap shot they could and trying to put Ovechkin out of the game.

But (there's always a but), what the heck is with the announcer and the late announcements? Everything is announced one to fiveaps and turned around and scored a goal minutes after it happened. It took so long to announce the first Toronto score that there was time for the Caps to score and then a time out before he even started announcing it. Then, in the middle of game play, he came on in an excited voice to announce the Caps' goal. That almost seemed to set off the first fight. It was very strange.

SkinsJock wrote:

JansenFan wrote:..Are you asking about the tradition of throwing hats on the ice, or of the hat trick in general?

If you mean in general, it comes from the sport of cricket, when a bowler takes three wickets in three balls. It was first recorded in by HH stephenson of All-England in the mid-1800's, and as was customary in those times, a collection was taken from the audience, which was then used to purchase a hat for Mr. Stephenson.

If you mean the tradition of throwing hats on the ice, I don't know, but if I had to guess, I would say it had to do with the Canadian junior teams in Ontario, many of whom were sponsored by hat companies. When a player would score a goal, he would get a free hat. When this tradition stopped, fans would throw their hats out onto the ice, as a way of saying, those cheap hat companies won't give you one, so take mine instead.

Sorry RiC - that is a great comeback! As an Aussie that is worth a little more than "not bad...for an American"! That is an exceptional bit of trivia!

Well done Scott - I think UK will agree there are not many that would know where to dig that quickly!

Google, my man. Google!

RiC, You lost me the moment you said good things about Harry Neale... are you kidding me? How often do you have to listen to him? The guy's usually so drunk by the third period that the mute button is your best and only friend.

Bob Cole... legend.

... 10 years ago before the Alzheimer's set in.


Dick Irvin? Never has a man had a more appropriate first name. You KNOW you're a true blue habs fan when you can even stomach this guy... because NOBODY else can.

Like in most sports, the broadcasting booth has become a team of geriatric has-beens, resting on the laurels of how knowledgeable they used to be. Maybe if they grabbed some guys that could actually still SEE as far as the ice surface, they'd be better off...