February 28th, 2009

Drive Time: Stockton to Astoria

Eureka was a bust. Nothing like the TV Show. Astoria, OR is my transitory town before Seattle. This is what I saw along the way. And this is all in the full knowledge that this is a hockey blog. But this is the path between hockey games, so I figure [...]

February 26th, 2009

Thunder vs. Wranglers: Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

The only issue to be had with Stockton, CA, is that I showed up a little later than I should have to really enjoy the city. I know, for some people that sounds crazy, but it’s true. I had pretty low expectations of Stockton, but I believe that to be wrong. Stockton [...]

February 25th, 2009

Swag Report: Bakersfield Condors

On to the good stuff.

SWAG!

A basic puck. But I went to two games, which means two pucks. And since it was Links-for-Love weekend:

OK, you already saw this jersey:

But you only caught a glimpse of this one:

This is a Brian McCarthy Charity Game Worn jersey. And as far as [...]

February 25th, 2009

Two Days of the Condors: Game 2

Game one of the Condors back to back series against the Victoria Salmon Kings (goofiest logo ever?) was a bit of a mixed bag. Lots of intensity, plenty of physical play, a dumb penalty which led to a shootout loss. What would game two bring? First, the old farts.

Well, not [...]

February 24th, 2009

Details Surfacing About Arrested Condors Player

More information about why Bakersfield Condors player Daniel LaPointe was arrested are coming to light. This report is from KGET-TV (a sponsor of the Condors):

A Bakersfield Condors player was arrested early Sunday after a fellow player accused him of throwing a rock through his window, striking a woman and her daughter inside.

Condors center Daniel [...]

February 24th, 2009

Bakersfield Hockey-thon: or How I Learned to Skate Through Pain

One of the happy coincidences of my west coast hockey tour was that the Bakersfield Condors games that I had selected to attend lined up perfectly with the Bakersfield Hockey-thon, a charity event to benefit Links for Love, a breast cancer organization. And even though I am a simply awful hockey player, how could [...]

February 24th, 2009

Bakersfield Gone Wrong: Player Arrested, Coaches Suspended.

And right after I leave town, look what happens.

In what appears to be two separate incidents, the Bakersfield Condors have suspended their coach and assistant coach for an “internal matter,” and one of their players was arrested.

First, the coaches. From the Bakersfield Californian:

Condors coach Marty Raymond has been suspended for seven days and assistant [...]

February 24th, 2009

Two Days of the Condors: Game 1

If I were to do this in chronological order, I would be posting a Bakersfield Hockey-thon post first, But that is not how I roll. Well, occasionally, I have been known to roll that way, but not this time. Anyway…

The first game of a back to back two game series between the [...]

February 22nd, 2009

Still Going: The Tour Continues

I haven’t updated here in a few days. If you have been following the west coast tour microblog (think twitter with the features of a blog), then you know what I have been up to for the past few days, namely two Bakersfield Condors games, one Condors Alumni game, and participating in a marathon [...]

February 19th, 2009

Driving Post: San Jose to San Luis Obispo

You come to a hockey blog for hockey, I understand that. I don’t really want to bore you or anything, so I will tell you right now, this is not about hockey. There, you can move on.

I’m on a road trip through the hockey teams of the west coast of America, [...]