Grayne Wetzky's Danglebangle Blog

Watching hockey today, it is sometimes hard to imagine the humble beginnings of the sport. Originally hockey evolved as a 'more refined pass-time for the more sophisticated gentleman' as early NHL legend Clogg Bradunkle described it in his 1912 memoirs "The Adventures of an Irish Mugwump Taking the Egg, Or,  The Tale of  Batty-fanged Tallywags". A more refined pass-time than what? Curling, which hockey was adapted from. At the turn of the twentieth century, curling was a widespread activity on the many frozen lakes and rivers of the Canadian prairies. The game had been brought over by Scottish immigrants and was quickly adopted. By the early 1900's rising nationalist sentiments coupled with a growing disdain for the broad appeal of curling led some of the newly rich men in Alberta to invent a new game to partake in during the 10 months of winter. A more refined pass-time, a game they would refer to as Hobbadehoy. Hobbadehoy legend Clogg Bradunkle. Fort McMurray ca...

Ever since its creation, the NHL has been full of players who lucked their way into the league simply because there was no one better to replace them. Players such as Marty McSorley, Tie Domi, and even Brett Hull all managed to maintain a constant professional presence in hockey despite being no better than the average Joe. The NHL has now decided to put an end to this mediocrity. Several years ago, the NHL established the Learn to Play program in order to allow anyone to play the game of hockey, no matter their skill level. Now they have expanded access into this program to players who are deemed “embarrassingly unskilled” or have proven that they do not fully understand the rules. The first batch of players to be set to this program consists of Brad Marchand, Tom Wilson, Ryan Reaves, Nikita Kucherov, and Milan Lucic. “We understand our role in the hockey community and know that it is of utmost importance that the NHL showcases the world’s top hockey talent,” commented Dave Ogrean, th...

As interest in the NHL’s annual all star showdown has dwindled, owners and executives have scrambled to find new ways to bring viewership numbers back up. It was only five years ago that the NHL decided to stray away from the traditional All-Star Game format by instituting a new, fast-paced 3-on-3 version of the game. That apparently is not for Gary Bettman and his posse of 31 team owners, as they have decided to shake it up again. This time, they have agreed upon the Corona Games ®️ initiative. This exciting new format will revert to the original 5-on-5 version of the All-Star Game. However, all players involved in this game will require something they have never required before: a positive COVID-19 test. Unlike any other time during this shortened season, players will be encouraged to be in contact with as many people as possible and follow none of the safety precautions. Players will then be pit against each other in an exciting matchup of the game's brightest stars at BB&T...