If an introduction is really necessary, then I suppose I should explain a few things about myself right from the start. I have been writing about my hockey-related exploits since 2005 and have been a member of the NYI Blog Box since its inception in 2007.
Much to the chagrin of some high-profile media moguls in this industry, my blog is entitled the “Unique Perspective of 7th Woman.” While my opinions may not be unique, my vantage point may be. I am old enough to have given birth to most of the players on the roster. I am female and I am a mother. My view is through more sympathetic than critical eyes at people and situations. I am far from controversial, I don’t lie and I am a keeper of secrets. I write what I have seen with my own eyes or been personally told.
While I have never played hockey, I do skate. I have felt the sting of lacing my skates too tight and finding a blood-soaked sock at the end of a session. I have heard the crack of my head hitting the ice when my feet were taken out from under me. It’s a sound I will never forget. I have skated on a vacant outdoor rink surrounded by the White Mountains of New Hampshire in sub-zero weather and loved every second of it.
I love this game and all it entails. I have read the original CBA and Articles of Arbitration during the 2004 work stoppage and been called an idiot for doing it.. (Yes, I call it the “work stoppage” because that is what the League defined it as.)
I have come a long way since winning the NHL’s 7th Man Award for the NY Islanders in April of 2004. In all the nights of standing at the glass with my camera at the Coliseum, I never thought I would be standing in the locker room with a tape recorder or giving motherly advice to a 19-year-old NHLer in the hallway.
When Eklund approached me about rejoining HockeyBuzz, I was surprised, honored and scared to death. I realize that both B.D. Gallof and Ken Rosenblatt are hard acts to follow. So think of me as the 1 am “Comic In Training” that comes on while the headliners are drinking at the bar. To add even more pressure on me, I’m joining HockeyBuzz just as the Islanders stand on the door step of making history with their 2009 first overall NHL draft pick. What timing!
If you’re not familiar with my work through the years, I’ll give you a crash course: I’m highly protective of my team, my GM and the little bug of a player who is really responsible for where I am today named Jason Blake. (Did I just give you another reason to dislike him? I know he’s not the most popular human in this league but that’s just where it started.) I try to find the best in everyone, with the exception of Sean Avery. (I’m not going to live long enough to find the good in that guy.) I like Gary Bettman. (Close your mouth; he’s really a nice guy.) And lastly, I’m an Islander fan who actually liked Mike Milbury. (Again, if you just threw up in your mouth a little, I understand. But he was always nice to me.)
I have the loudest laugh you will ever hear and a love of funky shoes. I cook, I bake, and I feed people. I owned a restaurant. If I don’t have much going on in the hockey world, I’ll write down my recipes. But I promise to keep those on my Blogspot and just let you know they’re there if you have an interest.
I’ll try to keep the “girlie” stuff to a minimum, but don’t rip on me if I take a moment or two to fawn over someone who impresses me on a chemical level. (I’m human. I’m old but I ain’t DEAD. There are also a lot of female hockey fans who may appreciate the details.)
Don’t freak if I take a nano-second of your life to get lost in “the bluest of eyes” or “hair the color of sunlight.” I promise it really will be part of the bigger picture of the story. And the picture I see is not just what happens on the ice, but what happens around it. Whether it’s what’s happening on the bench or in the stands, press room, executive office or parking lot, it’s all the details that make the painting of the big picture that much clearer.
That’s what I’ll strive to do. Some days I’ll hit the mark; some days may be a merlot-induced-haze misfire. But, hopefully you’ll enjoy the ride as much as I do.
Up next, “Where Have All The Bloggers Gone?”
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