Suggestions for Shopping for Hockey Presents

By Dave Vower

Finding a sports gift isn't as difficult as you think and hockey presents are also simple come by though they're not the pedestrian typical presents that one is employed to buying however here are some tips about what one can buy for a dedicated hockey player.

Hockey players continuously want team jackets and shorts especially if they're regular players like those that play ice hockey their shirts get ripped and soiled easily. You can go a step more and personalize the team jacket by adding the name and number.

Team caps which come in all different shapes and sizes can be worn by both males and females and these are great to give as hockey presents and are inexpensive. If the present is for a guy you could also buy him a set of drinking glasses or a coffee jug and have his team name and logo inscribed on the item.

One will conjointly get them a hockey stick and have their name and range engraved on the stick which would build it rather special. Bean luggage go down well for guys and you'll have the team brand and his name and range printed on or you could acquire a photograph of him and flip it into a caricature and then have it printed on.

Different hockey presents like pucks, socks, helmets will additionally be obtained and these will all be personalised that makes them special as most players perpetually have their lucky something or other with them once they play.

If the current is for a younger person then one may obtain autographed cards or photographs of their icons or a season ticket is also a great gift. One can conjointly acquire pucks that are autographed by famous players. Thus as you can see there is positively no shortage of ideas when it comes to buying a hockey gift. - 32396

About the Author:

The author has been writing articles online for over 4 years now. Not only does this author specialize in health, fitness and relationships you can also check out his latest websites on Electrolux Oxygen 3 and Hockey Gifts

What You Wish to Know About the NHL

By River Thomason

The Founding Age spans from the NHL corporation in 1917 till an enormous drafting for World War 2 in 1942. The 6 groups that stayed adopted a new moniker and the second time of the NHL started.

The Founding age spans from the NHL firm in 1917 till a big drafting for World War Two in 1942. The NHL was founded when its precedent, the nation's Hockey association was disbanded. It continued to flourish until 1942 when the numerous teams from the NHL were sold, damaged apart and disbanded due to World War two and the lingering result of the Great Depression. The 6 teams that stayed adopted a new moniker and the second time of the NHL started.

In the peak Series in 1972, the top Canadian players of the NHL were matched against the quality players in then-Soviet Union. The league has since grown to thirty today as the NHL continues to spread across the States. This, in actual fact was the 1st time in north US history where a complete sports season got cancelled due a work dispute.

And not only are they popular, they're big business too. I will not say that hockey was better back then, but it sure was something those old days of the nation's Hockey League.

The growth age of the NHL lasted from the start of season 1967 until the end of the season in 1992. During this time period, the NHL grew from the first 6 teams up to twenty two. This year proved to be a thriving time for the NHL and still ranks as it's highest scoring time. Also in the time, the concern over player safety grew and helmets became compulsory starting the 1980-81 season. During this time, the NHL also became involved in global hockey playing the 1st time being the 1972 peak Series.

The system was developed by a sir Clarence Campbell and it went as the following, the last place team at the end of the season will be allowed to make the 1st pick from the pool, and the chain will work its way up to the top seeded team in the league. The 4th time of the NHL is the Modern Time. This age started in 1993 and is still continuing today. - 32396

About the Author:

Want to find out more about things used in hockey? Check out information on how to install carpet on stairs, then visit River Thomason's site on how to install carpet padding for your needs.

Proline Hockey Picks

By Dan Jackson

Proline betting is one of the world's most concentrated sports book set-ups, offering players across Canada the opportunity to bet against various given sporting outcomes. Run by not-for-profit entities on behalf of the respective provincial governments, it offers cumulative odds on the results of NHL hockey, baseball and other sporting events, raising billions of dollars for public services, charities, research and the arts. But what's Proline all about, and how does it actually work?

Proline is effectively a state-run sports book, offering individuals the chance to bet on multiple sporting events. Picking the results of between 3 and 6 events, odds are accumulated to determine a payout at fixed decimal odds (with returns obviously greater for 6 correct predictions than 3). It is this multiplier effect that makes playing Proline an attractive proposition for sports fans and gamblers alike and as a result of the cumulative odds the highest payout ever recorded on a Proline bet was $304,000.

And because it is government operated, getting involved is as easy as heading down to your local convenience store and making your selection from the available sports on offer, including, baseball, football and of course, hockey.

One of the main difficulties with Proline betting for the gambler is the tight odds it offers. Unlike independent bookmakers based in foreign jurisdictions, the odds offered with Proline don't leave much room for profit when factoring in the occasional loss. That means it's even more important to make sure you're capitalizing on your bet by identifying the most likely outcomes and leveraging the odds in your favor.

Conceptually, the true odds of a gambling outcome and the odds paid by the bookmaker diverge, giving the bookmaker his margin. With Proline, this is even more emphasized in two key ways - the odds offered being naturally lower than offshore market odds, and the exclusion of the bet in paid-out winnings. As such, the gambler needs to make sure that all factors have been taken into account in order to ensure a long-term profit, and it can seem deceptively simple to pick three correct outcomes when actuarially-speaking, the odds on offer are lesser than the odds of the predicted outcome.

Perhaps the most effective way of improving your chances of making a profit from Proline betting is through the use of algorithmically driven betting software. Based on applied mathematics, software applications can improve the consistency of betting outcomes by computing and interpreting data in a non-biased, wholly objective way, helping you pick the best selections to make up your Proline bet. In other words, through the use of Proline specific betting software, it is possible to more frequently hit a winning ticket - whether that's across 3 or 6 events.

Proline is fun to play, and it can be profitable too if you know what you're doing. Provided you make sensible, rational choices when making your bets (and that means not always backing your favorite team), it is possible to generate a consistent return on your bets whatever your sport of choice. - 32396

About the Author:

Prolinehockeypicks.com are developers of a revolutionary hockey betting software which accurately predicts the outcome of NHL hockey games. The complex algorithm recommends hockey picks for both the side and total of NHL hockey games.

The 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics Are Coming!

By John A Moore

The 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games are just around the corner. Worldwide excitement is starting to build. The Winter and Summer Olympics are some of the most watched sporting events in the world. The countdown has started and the opening ceremonies will commence in a little over two months from now. Vancouver was given the honor of these games over 5 years ago and has been busy getting ready ever since. Calgary 1988 was a huge success and everyone expects the same for Vancouver 2010.

The Winter Olympics are an international multi-sport event held every four years. They feature sports held on ice or snow. Events including alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping, and speed skating have been at every Winter Olympic Games since their inception. Other events such as luge, short track speed skating, bobsled, and freestyle skiing have been added over the years.

The Vancouver Olympic Games will take place at a number of different venues around the lower main land of British Columbia. The City of Vancouver will host figure skating, hockey, and short track skating. Beautiful Whistler, BC will host cross country skiing, bobsled alpine skiing and luge events. Richmond, British Columbia will be the home of the long track speed skating competition. West Vancouver will play host the freestyle skiing competitions which include some snowboarding events..

The first ever Winter Olympics were held in Chamonix, France in 1924. These were the first Games dedicated solely to athletic pursuits on snow and ice. Prior to these games, hockey and figure skating had included as events in the Summer Olympics. Since that time, the Games have been held every four years with the exception of 1940-48 due to World War II. From 1924 until 1992, the Winter Games and Summer Olympics were always held in the same year. In 1992, in an attempt for a larger audience, the Winter Games split from the Summer Games.

Fewer countries participate in the Winter Games than participate in the Summer Olympic Games. As a result the Winter Games tend to be hosted by repeat countries. Seven countries in total have already hosted a combined 17 Winter Olympic Games with France and the United States hosting 7 Games between them. After Vancouver, the next Winter Olympics will be hosted by Russia. This will be Russia's first time to host the Winter Olympic Games.

In a matter of months, the world will turn its attention to the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The Olympic Games are one of the most watch athletic events in the world. The world will hold its collective breath as we watch bobsledders and skiers defy bone crushing speeds and while figure skaters bring beauty to the ice. The world will be watching the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games. - 32396

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To find out more information about 2010 vancouver olympics , visit http://vancouver--olympics.blogspot.com.

Penguins Late Game Heroics Lead To Win Over Blue Jackets

By Ross Everett

The Columbus Blue Jackets learned a valuable lesson about NHL hockey on Friday night-it's dangerous to 'sit on a lead' and particularly against the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Down 3-1, Pittsburgh tied the game late in the third period as Ruslan Fedotenko and Alex Goligoski each lit the lamp with less than three minutes remaining. After a scoreless overtime period, Sidney Crosby scored the only goal of the shootout to give the Penguins an improbable 4-3 victory. It was the 9th win in ten games for Pittsburgh, who are a perfect 6-0-0 on the road.

NHL hockey betting enthusiasts cashed wagers on the road underdog Penguins, but on the moneyline at +117 and the puckline. Pittsburgh has gotten off to a great start this year, going 11-2-0 in the first month of the season. Columbus is struggling to stay above .500 at 6-5-1. The 7 combined goals scored went OVER the posted total of 5'. The Blue Jackets have gone OVER in 7 of 12 games this season, while the Penguins have a NHL totals mark of 5-7-1.

Crosby's game winning score in overtime wasn't exactly the stuff of highlight reels, with the puck barely trickling over the line:

"It was kind of a fluky. The puck kept going. I don't know if he lost it or he didn't know where it was or whatever. I just tried a quick shot. I thought he had the save there. It just trickled in."

Jackets' goalie Steve Mason gave this version of Crosby's shot:

"It hit my stick and I didn't get it settled until it was over the line. It just trickled over and I was too late on it."

Penguins' left winger Chris Kunitz scored a shorthanded goal and praised the leadership abilities of team captain Crosby:

"It shows a lot of character from our captain. He goes out and he's never quitting on anything. Sometimes a team goes packing, down by two with 3 minutes left. But he goes out, he's on the bench, he's saying, 'Let's get the next one.' So we go out there and he finds himself the puck and he gets it to Goligoski, he gets a great shot and puts it in the net to get us to overtime."

Columbus' Rick Nash suggested that his team is having trouble 'closing out' games:

"We're not closing games. We got the lead in a lot of the games already and just can't seem to close it out. They are the defending Stanley Cup champions. You can tell why they're such a good team. We are a team that needs to learn how to play with the lead."

Pittsburgh will host Minnesota on Saturday night before heading to southern California next week for games against the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks. Columbus will play at Washington on Sunday before hosting the San Jose Sharks next Wednesday. That'll be followed by a game in Atlanta against the Thrashers the next night. - 32396

About the Author:

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer specializing in mixed martial arts, classical and Baroque music and sports betting. He serves as staff handicapper for Sports-1 Sportsbook, and has appeared on numerous TV and radio shows giving advice for how to successfully bet on NBA basketball. He lives in Pahrump, Nevada with three dogs and several beehives.

Anaheim Shreds Vancouver Goaltending In Blowout Win

By Ross Everett

After losing the services of starting goalie Roberto Luongo for the indefinite future with a broken rib, the Canucks may have breathed a sigh of relief too soon after backup goalie Andrew Raycroft's performance in his first game in relief. After an excellent effort in an overtime victory over Los Angeles, Raycroft was torched for four goals in two periods before being pulled from the game. Corey Schneider, recently recalled from Manitoba of the AHL, played the third period in net giving up three more goals as Anaheim cruised to a 7-2 victory.

Anaheim has struggled to a 4-6-1 record this season, but rewarded their backers who chose to lay the -164 price as home favorites with the Ducks. The Canucks evened their record on the season at 7-7 with the loss. The 9 combined goals put on the board sailed OVER the posted total of 6.

The Ducks snapped a four game losing streak with the offensive outburst. After spotting Vancouver a 2-0 lead early in the game, Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan each tallied two goals and an assist in the lopsided victory. Mike Brown had the eventual game winning goal in the second period with his first career shorthanded marker, and even enforcer George Parros got in on the act with his first goal of the year.

Vancouver's problem this season has been not getting enough shots on goal and giving up too many. In the shootout victory over Los Angeles on Thursday, they were outshot 29-12 in regulation. They'd been kept in a number of games they should have lost due to the goaltending virtuosity of Luongo, and this game didn't bode well for his absence. This was only the second time in eight games Vancouver has allowed more than two goals, a testimony to the ungodly skill of Luongo more than their defensive tenacity. They actually held a 38-34 shots on goal advantage despite the one sided tally on the big scoreboard.

Raycroft is expected to be back between the pipes for Vancouver's next game, a Sunday home date against the Colorado Avalanche. The Canucks will host the New York Rangers on Tuesday night before a road game against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday. Anaheim will play at Phoenix on Saturday night before returning to the Honda Center for the next two games. They'll host the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday. - 32396

About the Author:

Ross Everett is a freelance writer and noted expert on NHL hockey, fine wine and sports betting. He has written extensively on financial management and NBA basketball betting strategies. He is currently working on a history of the building of Hoover Dam. He lives in Southern Nevada with two Jack Russell Terriers and a flock of carrier pigeons.

The All Star Weekend Has Come and Gone

By Chris Parker

The All-Star Weekend has come and gone, meaning NHL teams have ramped up their play for the important stretch drive. The final 30 or so games that so-often determine not only who will battle in the first round, but also who will make the post-season "show" at all. And as much I've enjoyed watching Chris Chelios' 45th season (it's actually his 25th. It just seems like his 45th) and his efforts to hack opponents black and blue, or Sean Avery's self-destruction, or the usual coaching carousel, or Crosby and Ovechkin's highlight reel plays, it's my "recreational" (insert 'drop-in', or 'shinny', or 'old-timers' as applicable) hockey season that has my toes a-tingling right now. Really, is there a sweeter smell in the world than cracking open that hockey bag each week? Sure, Chanel No. 5 is nice, but we're talking well-seasoned hockey gloves here people - no contest!

While millions of people of people nation-wide just don't get what we're talking about, or don't get it yet, hundreds of thousands of hockey fanatics like me (like you?) spend the tail end of each summer counting the weeks and days until their hockey leagues or weekly groups again hit the ice. We are a brotherhood, a fraternity, proud to have paid our dues in the heavy slot, the corners, the "trolley tracks" and the penalty box.

After summers of fattening up on golf and beer, we winter athletes head the yearly call of the ice and head to rinks from coast to coast to begin stretching out those lungs, and ridding ourselves of the dreaded "jell-o" legs . I still vividly remember my first game this year; I wheezed and gasped for air so loudly, the players in the adjoining arena came over to look thinking Sergei Makarov was back in Canada. But really, isn't that horrible deep-in-your-chest feeling what the start of the season is all about? Knowing that that's as bad as it is going to get. That you are only going to skate faster, deke better, and pass more crisply as each game goes by. Of course, by the end of the season, you're playing at the level you should have been at all year, only to find that it's all done and you're zipping up the gear all safe and sound until Fall arrives again. Ahhh, the life of a serious athlete... Nothing better.

We are so glad you have chosen to visit us here at FarParker, your complete hockey source and resource. And, thank-you also for donating a few minutes of your life to give my column a whirl. In fact, you may at this very moment be thinking "what can I, the reader, expect to see in this column in the weeks and months ahead?" Well, let me tell you. I will be tackling all-things hockey, providing my own unique insight and tons of skewed opinions on such topics as the NHL's possible expansion to Europe, fighting in hockey, the David Frost trial, unfair travel schedules for the NHL's western teams, Don Cherry - asset or ass___le?, hockey's golden days of the early 80's, as well as equipment reviews and comparisons, prospects to watch, and much more...

Wanna put your two cents in? Hit me up via email at nutzforhockey@hotmail.com to share your thoughts on what you've read, dispute my irrefutable opinions, or just to let me know what you'd like to see in future columns. Who knows, if you've got moxie, you may just see your comments or questions addressed in future columns.

Strap yourselves in hockey fans; it's going to be a great year! - 32396

About the Author:

Chris & Steve Parker are the founding members of http://www.farparker.com your complete online recreational hockey resource destination. Find out more about your favorite hockey team in our forum section, we also have the best articles, blogs and games room on the net.