Miss hockey?
Then check out BeerLeagueHockey.com.
It's not about the NHL so much as it is about hockey and the people who actually play it. It's pretty cool.
Oh. And this is a little weird. You might have heard that the NHL owners have locked the players out. So there's this NHL team the New York Rangers. They also own a TV network called MSG. MSG is going to show Ranger minor league games. And the Ranger's minor league team happens to feature a lot of guys who usually play on the Rangers. So the Rangers are basically working around the lockout by changing the name of their team. Instead of packaging the telecast, which will be called by usual Ranger announcers John Davidson and Sam Rosen, as a Ranger game, they're saying it's a Hartford Wolfpack game.
So the owners seem to be hanging tough. Look for a team called the Detroit Reddish Wings to start playing teams like the Colorado Large Pieces of Snow and Ice Falling.

Wow. There's a Steve Yzerman biography coming out.
People are worried it's going to be dull because Yzerman is such a button-down guy. In fact, I saw an early draft of the book and it was pretty bad. Here were some of the explosive revelations in the early version:

1. Puts his socks on right before his skates
2. Likes to drink water when he's thirsty
3. Friends call him Steve.

I guess the editors figured out how to punch it up, though. The final version has some pretty shocking revelations. We now learn:

1. Laura Bush was his drug dealer in college
2. He injured John Kerry in Vietnam so Kerry could get medals
3. He was briefly married to Jennifer Lopez while serving a hooking penalty in 2002.

Pretty crazy stuff.

Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News has a cool peek at what the players are doing with their new-found free time.
Obviously some are playing in Europe or rehabbing injuries. But a lot of them seem to be just enjoying the chance to be stay-at-home dads.
Even guys like Maple Thug Tie Domi. I kind of figured he would eat his children. But apparently he's been helping pick them up from school.
Fellow Leaf Owen Nolan is rehabbing all by himself in Toronto. His family is out in California, though. That's just sad.
So yeah. If the lockout ever ends, I have no idea who's going to pick these kids up from school. It seems like it could destroy the Canadian school system. All these kids just moving into schoolhouses.

Lockouts do strange things to people. The whole not working thing plays with your mind. You start thinking about things you never thought about.
And that's how elderly defenseman Chris Chelios wound up trying to make Greece's bobsled team.
Right now he's working out with the US team. If he's successful, he'll compete in the Winter Games in 2006.
Say what you will about Chelios, the man loves him some ice. If he can't get it on a rink, he'll get it on a bobsled course.
I kind of wish John Candy were still alive to train Chelios. He really whipped that Jamaican team into shape.
Chelios, who apparently has a lot of energy, is also trying to work out a deal where he can play for the AHL's Chicago Wolves. He's having trouble getting insurance.
This is me not making a Medicare joke here.
And geez. Some company has figured out a way for people to bet on hockey, even when hockey isn't being played. It's this weird system of lottery balls. I don't even get it. Read about it here if you want, though. I wonder if NHL players can bet on games if they're locked out of the league.
And finally, so we don't end on a sour note, check out the story of Mark Janko (login info.), the Dallas Stars director of media relations who was fired due to the lockout but who found a new job (making more money) working for soccer's Dallas Burn. It's not too exciting, but check out the part where former Star Jamie Langenbrunner calls Janko after he finds out Janko was canned by the cruel, cruel Stars. It'll almost bring a tear to your eye.
And since we're all enjoying a silent NHL season, I thought I'd mention I'm listening to the Linkin Park remix of Depeche Mode's ENJOY THE SILENCE and it's really freaking good. LP's Mike Shinoda put on some crunchy guitars and loud drums, but in a really respectful way. If only the owners and players got along as well as DM's Dave Gahan and keyboards.