Posts under ‘Fun Stuff’

It’s not NEPHL-related, but I figured I’d share this with you guys, since you are hockey fans. Why else would you be on this site then?

Enjoy!

http://reviewfix.com/2009/08/relive-the-isles-glory-days-in-standard-definition/

Despite the fact that the Brooklyn Aces faltered in the EPHL finals two weeks ago to the Jersey Rockhoppers, the team had several remarkable performances and a multitude amazing players step on the ice for them. In this post, Aces Over Brooklyn will reward those players with our first ever, year-end awards.

By the way, I may have had too much fun doing this as most of the awards are named after great characters from the hockey movies I grew up on, so just be prepared.

Enjoy.

The Dean Youngblood Award- Given to the player that shows excellence in goal scoring, while trying his best to maintain a gentlemanly standard for the rest of the league to follow.

Nominees-

James Brannigan: 22 goals in 17 games with eight fighting majors.

Mike Christensen: 37 goals in 37 games with one fighting major, against the Danbury’s diminutive D-man Mykul Haun.

Brooklyn Aces defenseman Doug Hoffman, who led all full-time defensemen in the EPHL with 36 points this season, came by the basic journalism class I’m teaching this semester at Kingsborough Community College today in order to let the class interview him.

Talking for about a half hour about his goals in hockey and the rest of his life, Hoffman was on his game, answering questions from all comers.

He even spoke at length about his love of music and aspirations for a career in media one day.

You can listen to the interview here @

http://media.switchpod.com//users/patrickhickeyjr1/DougHoffmanInterview.mp3

Or if you’re one of those trendy I-pod owners, you can download it here:

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=294739484

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Brooklyn Aces third-string goaltender Anthony Felice may have only played 50 minutes this season, giving up two goals in three appearances, but don’t let his numbers fool you.

He is a one of a kind netminder.

While several of the goaltenders in the EPHL have great goalie masks, such as Eddie Neville’s, which features “The Thing” from Marvel Comics, or Derek MacIntyre’s “Mad Dog” or even Nick Niedert’s “Skull” mask, Felice’s is by far the coolest.

Sporting a Star Wars-themed goalie mask, Felice is able to pay homage to his favorite movie, while playing the game he loves.

To him, it’s a match made in heaven.

“Everyone loves the mask,” Felice, who is a big fan of Yoda, the elder Jedi master, said. “It’s just like my own little creation. I’m a big Star Wars fan.”

I still remember the day in June when I found out that a professional hockey team was coming to Brooklyn. I was at Keyspan Park, covering the Cyclones, three hours early as usual, working on a story and watching batting practice, when I got an e-mail from a buddy of mine telling me the news.

Aside from being completely overjoyed as a lifelong hockey fan, I knew I had a chance to do something very special.

I soon after spoke to my editor and publisher for the two websites and newspapers I do most of my writing for and was assured I had the beat. However, by early October, for reasons that I’d like to not get into, both of the publications I wrote for felt it would be best if they didn’t cover the team at all or at a pace that to me, wasn’t going to be worth my time.

Growing up watching hockey movies like “Slapshot” and “Youngblood,” I thought I knew what to expect when I embarked on a journey with the Brooklyn Aces on their team bus last Friday.

Boy, was I in for a shock.

On my way to my seat, I saw the very same players I’ve been writing about over the past few months in ways that I never thought I’d see them before.

Aces defenseman Dan Carney had his feet up on the seat in front of him, reading an article on hand gestures in what appeared to be Time Magazine, looking like a college professor and not a guy with over 700 pro games under his belt.

Goaltender Miro Recicar was invisibly playing solitaire on his I-Pod, not making a sound.

Armed with a blanket and slippers, Mike Christensen, known for his energy on the ice, was comfortable and ready for the long haul.

At 9:45 this morning, Aces assistant coach/assistant captain Rob Miller came to Kingsborough Community College as a guest speaker for the basic journalism class I teach. Fielding questions from nearly 30 young and rambunctious journalism students for almost an hour, Miller discussed everything from his childhood to his future prospects in hockey.

At times the questions got personal, as some students asked Miller if he was married and what he’d do if he wasn’t a hockey player, but the Aces D-man never flinched and did his best to answer every students questions. At other times, Miller let loose and discussed everything from the sensation of laying an open-ice hit, the dynamics of fighting and his love of New York City.