Updates

Hey, boys - a couple of important updates - mark 'em in your calendars:

1. Ringers Summer Season: Final regular season game next week at 7:30pm against O'Dwyers. Family night. Pilkington will be bringing the beer. Sean, you'll have to pretend you're someone else next week.
2. Summer Season Playoffs: No, we can't win it all, but we can still save our dignity. Playoff schedule is out, but final positions won't be set until the dust has settled. Since we'll likely be in the 7th or 8th place, we'll be playing after 9pm on Aug 22 and Aug 29.
3. Next Season - B/C League will be alternating on Tuesdays AND Thursdays, and first game starts September 5 - we'll need to have final confirmations for our roster no later than Monday, August 22!!!
   
4. Labatt's Tourney - September 22-24. Cost per player will likely be in the $65 range for at least 3 good games, beer, and a hat. As soon as you check in with your head offices, SEND ME AN EMAIL to confirm - please include your date of birth and level of play you've been to in the past (high school, rec only, NHL, whatever...)
5. USA Hockey Registration - To play next season and/or the tourney, you'll need to register for 2006-07 to play. (Everyone's current USA Hockey registration ends August 31.) You can sign up any time before you play, but you'll need to print out the confirmation page and bring it before the first game. I just signed up - took about 2 minutes, $38. Go here to register.
6. Shooting Clinic at the Sportsplex - Mark "Hammer" Hamlett is now running the Triangle Sportsplex in Hillsborough (just beyond Chapel Hill). Bit of a drive, but a great facility. Of note, they'll be hosting a shooting clinic by Players Edge on August 28 and the 29th from 7:15pm – 8:45pm. Check out more about this "On Net" Shooting Clinic by clicking here. All ages welcome, $95 for players, $60 for goalies.
   
   

That's all for now, kids!!

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

The seven Canadians on our team can relate to the fact that we all feel a calling to return to the old country each summer. Maybe it's to visit with relatives or maybe it's to reacquaint ourselves to Tim Hortons, butter tarts, and real beer. Or maybe it's a mandatory debriefing with the RCMP on what we've learned about Americans in preparation for our eventual invasion. Er, ... liberation.

On our way to the beautiful Bruce Peninsula, The Fam and I decided to visit the Hockey Hall of Fame (HHOF) in downtown Toronto. It was gratifying to see all the Hurricanes gear and an actual Stanley Cup display case featuring lots of details about our beloved 2005-6 team.
It felt so overwhelming that when my youngest spilled his Dr. Pepper on the floor, I insisted that my wife clean it up at once, so as not to sully this hallowed hall.

All was not glory and grace, however. It was my sad duty to debunk what I suppose now was a family myth - that my great Uncle Les' name was on the cup. I was told that he played on the Red Wings team one of the 2 times they won it in the late 30's. Searching HockeyDB, I only found Les Tooke playing for the '38-9 Hershey Cubs. Convinced that the hardware would prove otherwise, I eagerly scanned all of the retired rings...but found nada. Nothing. Nyet. Bupkiss.

My whole Canadian hockey heritage gone up in smoke - like my skills would magically reconnect with the dormant hockey genes deep within... But all is not lost - my grandfather (Bert Tooke) played a couple of seasons with professional teams until a skate sliced his knee and prevented him from continuing.

Our trip to Canada was beset by waiting, delays, and obstacles, and even resulted in a missed-plane layover in Buffalo (me having nothing to wear but a Brind' Amour T-shirt). Got up at 4:30a this morning, but determined to play tonight. And as if the Hockey Gods wanted to punctuate my disappointment a little further, I managed to ruin our chances to beat the league-leading Eye Care Center by centering a pass right to an opponent's tape, which he promptly delivered to the back of our goal. Final score: Ringers 3; Eye Care Center 5.

Maybe a trip to Tim Horton's would make me feel better...

Catching up

OK. First off, the site has been fixed. Call it Murphy's Law or a bad real estate agent, but the two most obnoxious players that NEED to have their stats updated right away happen to be my next door neighbors. And adding insult to injury, they both happened to score last week. This pesky job thing is really hurting the RECREATIONAL-hockey documentation effort, so Karin has gone back to work part-time to give me enough time to keep things up-to-date.

So we've got a little catching up to do. Let's start with the Weevils. OK, we got handed a big, fat L from a team whose fanny is rosy red from all the spankings we used to give 'em. You want the play-by-play? Blah, blah, blah. Besides, they've documented it well enough on their site.

Hey, you win some, you lose some - but the more important thing is that this dynasty v. dynasty rivalry has fueled some amazing hockey, sparked region-wide interest in the sport, and turned the meek into men. Without Ringers v. Weevils, Raleigh was just another faceless top-50 market town with the requisite number of Quizno's, Best Buys, and minivans. Frankly, they went a bit overboard with the number of Moe's.

In 2002, when a cinderella team of professional hockey players took a run at the cup, people got excited, but more because it was a novelty - hicks with sticks. Toronto fans loved coming down (for less than a single ticket at home) and tee-heeing when puzzled North Carolinians asked about the two-line pass. What was missing was the culture to support it - the generation of enthusiasts that really understood the game, who lived, breathed, and ate hockey.

Well, in 2004 that culture was born as the Front Row Boll Weevils first faced off against the unsponsored Ringers. And from that moment, rolling you over like the smells from Shrek's gear, the fever grew. It lit up the community and set a fire under the Carolina Hurricanes - don't forget Jason Karmonous, playing for the Renegades during the lockout, bore witness to the knobby styles of both our squads.

And so, the latest iteration of the Ringers v. Weevils contest is small potatoes compared to the magnificent achievement that our Hurricanes accomplished last week to prove to the world what we already knew; that Raleigh, NC is a hockey town.


And while NBC cut away before he could say it, Marc Lavergne caught Brindy on CBC saying, "we couldn't have done it without all the great inspiration from local teams like the Ringers and Weevils. Particularly the Ringers..."

Weeeeeeeeeeeevils

Time for another epic battle between good and weeeeevil...

At 10:30pm on Tuesday night we'll see two of the "original 6" teams to play at the Factory square off for another contest to see who's sponsor should be more disappointed.

The Summer 2006 Ringers are sporting some new talent, but like the addition of Doug Weight to the Hurricanes roster, it's taking some time to blend the new talent into the standard Ringers playbook of pinching and no backchecking. That and a few front office snafus regarding goalies, and the Ringers have posted a shaky start with only 1 win.

The Weevils have rebuilt after what can only be described as a season of constant torture, humiliation, and shame. They now field a C team in addition to their B/C team, so they can send players down to the minors, if you will. The B/C team has about 3 new players, and so far, their formla is working, since the Weevils are 4 and 0.

So Las Vegas lists the Ringers as underdogs, although I think we know better...

Oh No! O'Dwyers Overcomes Ringers

Reports are in from GM Greg Weiss that despite having the Ringers top blue-line scorers on the bench last night, our boys were bested by Armand Denuzzio and his band of misfits.  Even with Nia "pink laces" Kelly between the pipes, Marty "X" Clarke, or Marc "Hatty-in-20-minutes" Lavergne, the O'Dwyers team outscored 3 to 2, and with an empty net in the final seconds of play, brought the final score to 4 to 2.

Greg didn't offer a lot of insight as to where things broke down other than the lines getting all messed up with some folks taking long shifts.  Funny we didn't have that problem last week...

Anyway, goal 1 was by Phil from Brian C.  Not sure who got goal 2.  [click on the comments link below to add details, if you know what happened...]

Next week:  Weevils at 10:30pm

'CANES WIN!! 'CANES WIN!!!

Rod Brind'Amour scores the game winner in Game 7 of the Eastern Finals - next stop? Stanley Cup Finals against Edmonton on Sunday!!!

St. Martin Calling...

The beautiful, sun-kissed beaches; the clear-blue waters lapping at your toes as you gaze at an amber sunset; the rich aromas of French cuisine and fresh seafood... It's easy to put all the stresses of the daily grind behind you and just let yourself go...

Just imagine the soothing sounds of the Carribean surf, and it's easy to understand how difficult it would be to take care of the little details before you head out on the vacation of a lifetime.

Little details like arranging for a replacement goalie for a game against the top-rated team in the B/C league while you're gone.

Nah - no biggie! Don't worry, Greg! Your co-captain can handle that around 6:55 when he shows up for the 7:30 game. You can count on a fistful of goalies, just sitting around, itching for a chance to play for the world-renowned Ringers. Particularly on the same night as Game 6 of the NHL Eastern Finals. Why, you couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting an eager and qualified goalie at the Factory under such conditions.

Well, it is my sad duty to report that this co-captain was unable to get either of the two goalies in the building to help us tonight. (One had finals to prepare for, and the other had to take his girlfriend home before his 9pm game). Richard made calls to around 5 or 6 names on the goalie list before it all began to feel like a desperate plea for company on a 2am bender whilst in college in 1987... 10 minutes had elapsed in the first period, and we had to face the fact that we were going to do this one with no goalie.

To the credit of the family, brother-in-law Rob Todd stepped up and played the 6th man covering the goal, and he did a fine job as long as the Eye Care Center team avoided slapshots. First period ended at a 2-2 tie, reflecting some fine work on D and some great teamwork moving the puck through the neutral zone.

But the Eye Care Center couldn't allow this to be an even game and began playing like we had a netminder, and the second period marked 6 more goals for them, and none for us. (But we did get 2 penalties!)

Third period was more evenly matched, with a hatrick-in-a-period by Marc Lavergne to give him a total of 5 points, counting two assists in period 1.

Final score 10 for Eye Care, 5 for us. Not bad, considering, and MVP went to #25 (Rob).

Thanks to Brian Wilson for the beer, and he thanks the bastard that fragged him with a slapper to his ass. Phil, keep those brats in the fridge for next week when we play O'Dwyers at 7:30pm.

IR Report: Center Craig Williamson took a poke and is dealing with 2 fractured ribs... doctors say he's day-to-day - we'll provide an update later in the week.

On another note, take a look at your calendards for Saturday, June 10 - Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals, Rob Todd's 40th birthday, and a potential team golf-inebriation extravaganza. Clear your calendars of any unimportant conflicts, including kids birthdays, anniversaries, or back-waxing appointments, and be prepared for some Scottish hockeys.

Next game: June 6 at 7:30 against O'Dwyers
Beer: Patrick
Brats: Phil (carryover)

Ringers Roll Over Rolling Rocks

In the first official game of the FAHL Summer Shootout Series, a fresh, new Ringers team took the ice in what will undoubtedly be another historic season. With two practices under our belt and some excellent new players on board, the Summer 2006 Ringers look to be a far cry from the rumbling, stumbling crew that received weekly rodgerings from the Sherminators during Fall 2004.

Let's start with the first game: [Editor's note: the schedule refers to this game as Game 2, since we had an exhibition game last week.] The Rolling Rocks, wearing white, had a solid bench with only a handful of weaker spots and a guest appearance by Marty McSorely's kid. First period looked fairly ugly after Eric Peterson (#3-Goal) let 2 slip by in the first 7 minutes. Apparently, warming up during an XHL game prior to ours wasn't helpful. But Coach Universal (#2), who didn't look so great on his first shift either, stepped up and sunk our first off a pass from recent addition Brian Wilson (#93). There is a reason the Ringers' Front Office has won all those awards for recruiting, since within a minute, another newbie, Patrick Magee (#16) tied it up 2-2.

Late in the 1st, the Rocks managed a 2 on 1 breakaway, and despite Brian Chauder's (#71) efforts to block a pass, they tossed it back and forth and back, ... and in. Second period the Ringers found their resolve, and skated with newfound intensity, pressing the biscuit back in the zone. Some excellent work by wingers stopping passes out along the boards, and in one such skirmish, Richard Tooke (#11) found the puck and lobbed it into the stick-side low corner to tie it up at 3 a piece. The end of the period was marked with a great penalty kill after Craig Williamson (#66) got 2 minutes for "giving some guy a funny look."

But then early in the third period, two quick goals broke the Rolling Rocks back; Patrick from a great pass by Craig Pilkington (#15) and a quick one from Brian Wilson. Not to be left out of the stats sheet, some of the old guard stepped up to get the kind of recognition they're used to: Greg Weiss (#26) got two minutes for "indecent liberties with the goalie's shaft", and Brian Chauder (#71) got two for "something he did last period ." After some great penalty kills and some INCREDIBLE saves by The Wall from Faneuil Hall, the game concluded, Ringers 5, Rocks 3.

To make things a little more interesting over the summer, the Factory has set up a mandatory shootout after each game for an extra point. Three shooters are chosen right off the roster, for a best of 3. Leading off, the Rocks missed. Brian Chauder tries it through the 5 hole - miss. Rocks second shot is a miss as well. Bodie Dorrance (#99) takes the Ringers' second and slips it in! But the Rocks match it with a nice top-shelf backhand. Phil Snyder (#14) takes our 4th shot, which hits the goalie's stick, rolls over it and right into the net to earn a third point!

Thanks to Rob and Bodie for beer and brats and to Coach Universal for another parking lot cook-off extravaganza. Also let's give a big shout-out to Ken "Killer" Nuebler's (#24) parents who attended the game and made prodigious use of a pocket air horn. Well, maybe not prodigious, since I think they were trying to conserve the air for one or two long blasts to celebrate the goals their son promised them after nailing our first season goal in exhibition last week. Sorry guys! At least you won't be the only ones heading back to New Jersey disappointed...


Next Game: Eye Care Center, Tuesday, May 30 at 7:30pm
Beer: Brian Wilson
Brats & Buns: Phil

Ringers hold their own against Linguists

WAKE FOREST - Reports are coming in from various places about last Tuesday's game between the 6 and 6 Ringers and the 10 and 2 Casalinga Cunnilinguists. Unfortunately, this reporter (as well as Joey Bag O', Bodie, and Pilk) were absent from the proceedings, but in general it seems that our new strategerie helped to hold the game tight until a final minute score to hand us the "L." Final score 5 to 6, with 2 goals by Phil, 2 from Marc, and another closer from Killer. Since I can't speak to the play-by-play, here are the verbatim wire reports...

"You missed a real nail biter. Tied up at 5-5 until about 1:40. I thinkchowder got a penalty and they scored. Sorry you missed it. Make sure you put another goal in my stats. I'm 2 for 2 baby!" - Email from Ken "Killer" Nuebler (#24)

"Your boys played well last night. Y'all would have won if they could stay out of the box" - Phone conversation with Hammer

"Nah, man. It was a great game, but I can't believe we lost - we shoulda beat those guys. I was so close to closing the deal a couple of times. Tried to get a few power shots off, you know? [flexes his bicep and gives it a kiss] Had the guns firing, you know?" - Conversation with Greg Weiss (#26)

"Eric played out of his mind." - Conversation with Joe Saundercook (#13)

"Mon mari a seulement marqué deux buts. C'est terrible. Je suis embarrassé pour lui." Translation: My husband only scored two goals. That's awful. I'm embarrassed for him. - Conversation with Marc Lavergne's wife

"Please update the stats for my goal last week. Thanks." - Second email later in the week from Ken "Killer" Nuebler (#24)