Showing posts with label Corey Howe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Corey Howe. Show all posts

Sunday, 27 September 2020

Random fun items that make you smile, maybe chuckle

The G.I. Joe season 1.1 DVD set.
Sometimes when life seems to be giving you lemons, you have to find the fun in random things.

In the half glass full department, life does seem present things that are entertaining and can perk up a smile on a daily basis. You just have to let yourself enjoy those random discoveries.

During the current days with the world engulfed in the grips of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, it is always wise to find things that are fun and will perk you up on a daily basis.

For myself, one of random items that is fun for me is checking out the DVD set for the 1980s animated television series G.I. Joe season 1.1. It contains the first three five-part miniseries in The M.A.S.S. Device, The Revenge of Cobra and The Pyramid of Darkness.

It also includes seven additional episodes from the TV series.

In viewing that DVD set, you shake your head and chuckle at the fact Duke gets himself captured in The M.A.S.S. Device, The Revenge of Cobra and The Pyramid of Darkness miniseries.

Duke said in the first episode that his green sheet said he was, “A man of action.”

That was an inside joke giving a nod to the 12-inch tall G.I. Joe figure line from the 1960s and 1970s. You know, that was the era when G.I. Joe dated Barbie and Ken got kicked to the curb.

Anyways, that was a sidetrack and back to the G.I. Joe DVD set.

You think it is cool that an arrow from Scarlett’s crossbow can destroy a H.I.S.S. tank.

Actually, the three female characters on the G.I. Joe team at the time in Scarlett, Lady Jaye and Cover Girl kicked the most ass. The G.I. Joe team would likely be useless without them.

You also learn the wing of a G.I. Joe Skystriker can cut a H.I.S.S. tank in half. Crazy to think the H.I.S.S. tank is viewed as Cobra’s most durable vehicle.

Wild Bill is a better pilot than Ace.

G.I. Joe and Cobra also battle it out in exotic locals like “The Sea of Ice,” “The Palace of Doom” and the “Island of No Return.”

The two foes had to join forces once to defeat “The Worms of Death.”

In another episode, Roadblock rides a rocket along with the Crimson Twins, Tomax and Xamot.

The suspension of reality really gets so stretched in G.I. Joe that it would make James Bond blush. But, that is what makes G.I. Joe fun.

Anyways, here are seven other random fun things I’ve rediscovered or come across over the past 10 days. They are listed in no particular order.

Hope you find these things fun too.

Prince Albert Northern Bears Instagram is upbeat

The Prince Albert Northern Bears female AAA under-18 hockey team is filled with a lot of light-hearted posts.

They will let the players take over the account leading to lots unpredictability. Recent story video of four team members heading out to the golf course was particularly entertaining.

The Bears Instagram and other social media accounts are all worth following.

Lemieux with the Stanley Cup

A Mario Lemieux card from 1991.
I found this little gem the other week featuring all-time hockey great Mario Lemieux.

It is a Pro Set card from 1991, and it pictures Lemieux raising the Stanley Cup for the first time after his Pittsburgh Penguins downed the Minnesota North Stars in six games in the 1991 Stanley Cup final.

The back of the card notes Lemieux was the Conn Smythe Trophy winner after piling up 44 points in the playoffs. That is still the second most points ever compiled in one NHL post-season.

While the card talks about Lemieux’s Conn Smythe Trophy win, the picture of him raising the Stanley Cup for the first time is cool. This Pro Set card set was very over produced, so it should be easy to track this card down.

The cute Howe couple

Davis Howe, left, and Corey Howe in 2016.
I took this picture of Davis (Parkinson) Howe and Corey Howe in 2016.

At the time this photo was taken, the two weren’t married yet, but life was leading them in that direction. Corey is the grandson of “Mr. Hockey” Gordie Howe, who is one of hockey’s most revered icons.

Davis and Corey are pictured in from of a Hockey Hall of Fame display containing items from Gordie’s historic hockey career. The picture opportunity was part of the lead up to the Saskatoon Blades home opener that season to honour Gordie Howe titled, “Thank You, Mr. Hockey Day.”

Davis got a kick out of press release then Blades president Steve Hogle wrote up about her romance with Corey. Corey was raised in Ohio and moved to Saskatoon after meeting Davis.

Davis chuckled, “Yep, I lured him here.”

Belichick’s “I don’t give a *&#!” look

We all know how much New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick “enjoys” dealing with the media, and this picture shows it.

This picture was taken from a press conference last Wednesday with Belichick, who has won six Super Bowl titles with the Patriots and is one of the NFL’s all-time leaders in career head coaching victories.

Belichick doesn’t care what anyone things of him, and he will wear what he wants to pressers. The likelihood his high he slept in his office the previous night.

Barbie takes up hockey, is Canadian?

Barbie is taking up playing hockey.
This was an interesting find.

A new collectors’ version of Barbie has come out with her taking on the career of being a hockey player. Of course, this is a promotion done with Tim Hortons.

You also can’t help but notice there is a maple leaf on Barbie’s jersey. Does that mean Barbie has her Canadian citizenship?

I haven’t seen Barbie depicted as a hockey player before, so this was fun to see.

Blaster’s band back together

Blaster, centre, back together with his crew.
Walmart has the reissued Blaster Transformers toy from 1985 on its store shelves.

I actually own one of the originals that came out way back in 1985. Blaster had four original tapes that came out of his chest. I was missing one of the four tapes named Eject, which I was able to purchase online.

After Eject arrived, I was able to get Blaster’s original band back together. Pictured, from left, is Ramhorn, Eject, Blaster, Rewind and Steeljaw.

The nostalgia in this picture is just too sweet.

Huskies football video is kick ass

This promotional video for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team is kick ass.

Huskie Athletics at the University of Saskatchewan did an incredible job of putting this together. On top of being fun, it gets you fired up for Huskies football.

It makes you wish there was a season this year. The pump up feeling of this video makes you excited for the time when the Huskies return.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Thursday, 21 September 2017

Battle hardened Broncos provide big challenge for Blades

Division rivals open WHL regular season at SaskTel Centre

Blades head coach Dean Brockman oversees a team practice.
    Dean Brockman knows his Saskatoon Blades are going to have their hands full opening the regular season against a battle hardened division rival.
    The Blades face the Swift Current Broncos in the regular season opener for both teams on Friday at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre. Last season, Saskatoon posted a 28-35-7-2 record to finish fifth in the East Division, ninth overall in the WHL’s Eastern Conference and five points back of the Calgary Hitmen (30-32-8-2) for the conference’s second and final wildcard berth.
    The Broncos posted a 39-23-4-6 mark to finish third in the East Division and fifth in the Eastern Conference. After eliminating the Moose Jaw Warriors in a tough seven-game series in the first round of the WHL playoffs, they went to a series deciding Game 7 in the second round against the Regina Pats before bowing out of the post-season with a 5-1 loss in that contest.
    Swift Current returns a number of players from their team last season, and Brockman, who is the Blades head coach, knows it is tough to face any club that gains experience from a strong playoff run.
    “It is always a challenge,” said Brockman. “We know that their top two lines and their back end will be as good as any of the contenders in our division.
    “Certainly when they have the Hepos (Aleksi Heponiemi) and the Gawdins (Glenn Gawdin) and those types of guys, you have to be aware of them. I think certainly they are a great challenge, and they will be a challenge throughout the year.
    “The experience that they got last year with their playoff run just makes them more hungrier for this year. For us, it is going to be definitely be a battle right from the start.”
    Gawdin is the Broncos captain, and the 20-year-old centre potted 26 goals and 33 assists in 52 games last season. Heponiemi is a high-flying 18-year-old Finnish winger who piled up 28 goals and 58 assists appearing in all of the Broncos 72 regular season games.
    Swift Current’s most dangerous offensive player is likely 19-year-old winger Tyler Steenbergen, who topped the Broncos in scoring with 51 goals and 39 assists.
    On defence, the Broncos are anchored by 19-year-olds Colby Sissons and Russian Artyom Minulin. Minulin became an effective power-play quarterback piling up eight goals and 42 assists in 70 regular season games.
Goalie Joel Grzybowski takes part in a drill at Blades practice.
    Of course, the Broncos acquired overage netminder Logan Flodell from the Blades in a trade on Wednesday. Flodell was a second team WHL Eastern Conference all-star last season posting a 22-20-4 record, a 2.81 goals against average, a .912 save percentage and three shutouts.
    While the Broncos have a number of dangerous players, Brockman said his Blades have to focus on their own performance.
    “I think every game is a measuring stick whether you show up or you don’t show up, (and) how good were you and how bad were you,” said Brockman. “We don’t want to use Swift as the measuring stick.
    “We want to be playing hard, you know a hard working hockey team. We just want to have those trademarks right from the start. We want to be a team that makes it difficult for them to play here and make it hard and try and match their work ethic and do better.”
    Like last year, the Blades will start the season without the services of star centre Cameron Hebig, but under different circumstances. Hebig missed all of last season due to injury.
    The local product starts his overage season sitting out Saskatoon’s first two games due to a league imposed suspension for receiving a checking from behind major penalty and a game misconduct in the Blades final pre-season game last Saturday, which was a 2-1 victory over the Oil Kings in Edmonton. Hebig had five goals and an assist in four pre-season games.
    Overage winger Braylon Shmyr topped the Blades in scoring with 35 goals and 31 assists in 66 regular season games. Saskatoon is loaded with a number of strong young forwards in 17-year-olds Michael Farren and Chase Wouters and 16-year-old Kirby Dach, who the Blades selected in the first round and second overall in the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft.
    On defence, the Blades are anchored by overage captain Evan Fiala and Czech import Libor Hajek. Fiala was returned to the Blades on Tuesday after attending training camp with the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings. Hajek was at the Tampa Bay Lightning’s NHL training camp, and he was assigned back to the Blades on Thursday.
    Saskatoon starts the season with a new goaltending tandem in 19-year-old Ryan Kubic, who was acquired in a trade with the Vancouver Giants on Wednesday, and 18-year-old rookie Joel Grzybowski. Kubic was the Giants starting goaltender for the past two seasons, and Grzybowski had a stellar campaign last season in the junior A ranks with the Battlefords North Stars.
    “We definitely have some young guys that are going to be really good players in our league,” said Brockman. “Hopefully, we’ve insulated them enough with some of the older guys.
Blades assistant coach Bryce Thoma keeps things loose with humour.
    “As your guys take progressions and steps, some guys have to take bigger steps than others. It is a good mix. We’ll find out whether the chemistry is there to get that mix over the top or not.
    “Time will tell. Our group is always learning and always working.”
    The Blades will be trying to make the post-season for the first time since 2013. Brockman said he is aware of the importance of the overall view of the campaign, but in order to get to the playoffs, he said his team’s focus has to be on the present.
    “You have to look big picture, but again, I want to look right what is in front of us,” said Brockman. “If you get looking too far ahead, you’ll be looking behind.
    “You have to make every day count and every game count. If you look at it in away last year, I think we missed it by five. If you get a point per month (extra), you are in the playoffs.
    “We have to really, really focus on what we have in front of us and not look too far ahead.”

Engele puts meaning behind the Pac-Man

Blades assistant coach Jerome Engele speaks are a presser on Monday.
    The Saskatoon Blades have created a real buzz, when they officially announced in late August they were returning to their famed Pac-Man logo and look on a regular basis.
    The Blades used the Pac-Man look throughout the 1980s and in the early 1990s. Even when it was not in use, it was still the signature look that was associated with the Blades. The team also had the majority of its most successful and memorable seasons wearing that look.
    Besides drawing approval from fans, the return of the Pac-Man look has been warmly received by the team’s alumni. During a press conference on Monday to announce the Blades would be honouring former captain and long-time Saskatoon Police Services officer Bruce Gordon before Friday’s home opener, veteran assistant coach and retired Saskatoon Police Services officer Jerome Engele spoke about what the Pac-Man logo meant.
    Engele’s words carried pretty good weight and meaning, when you consider he played five seasons for the Blades as a defenceman from 1966 to 1971, was the team’s head coach in 1979-80 and has been an assistant coach for a number of stints starting in the 1989-90 season.
    “We strive very hard to teach our young people coming here about integrity, honesty, hard work and with that responsibility that comes along with it outside of this arena,” said Engele. “Like our police world, you’re wearing a badge.
    “That badge we’re held at another level through the Police Act that we are responsible to, so we are held at a level higher that what the public is. Our Blades are also held at that level away from the rink. We expect them to treat everybody with respect.”

Future wedding bells to ring for Howe and Parkinson

Davis Parkinson, left, and Corey Howe at the SaskTel Centre in Sept. of 2016.
    While the Saskatoon Blades will honour their former captain Bruce Gordon before Friday’s home opener, a year ago the team honoured the Saskatoon area’s greatest sporting hero ever in the late hockey icon Gordie Howe, which produced an interesting tidbit.
    A year ago, Howe’s ashes and those of his late wife, Colleen, were interred at the base of the Gordie Howe statue that sits in front of the SaskTel Centre. During the festivities to honour Howe, the Blades helped play up the love story between grandson Corey Howe, who was raised in Ohio, and a young woman named Davis Parkinson, who was raised in Saskatoon.
    In April of 2016, Corey moved to Saskatoon, because he wanted Parkinson in his everyday life. The connection made for a cute story in the local media, and off camera, the two chuckled when they talked about how Blades president Steve Hogle played things up.
    Out of the obscure pieces of information that seem to come my way, I discovered that the young couple had gotten engaged. They are slated to be married on Aug. 25, 2018.
    If you have ever seen Corey Howe and Davis Parkinson together, they make a really sweet and cute couple, and both have a great sense of humour. Here is hoping they have a spectacular wedding day, and they make a lifetime of wonderful memories together.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.
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