I like Jim Gintonio because he knows how to get readers. The headline asks "Two Hossas in Phoenix?" The column answers, 'Probably not.'
I've always felt Marcel Hossa's entire career is based on teams trying to lure Marian, his more talented brother. He's like some kind of form of skating catnip.
Although, to be fair, I heard a lot of that Hossa talk from Sean Pronger.

A few weeks ago one of the producers of ICE KINGS, a documentary about Rhode Island's Mount Saint Charles Academy, which had won the state ice hockey championship 26 years in a row (not been to the finals. Won it. Twenty-six times.), sent me a DVD of the film to review.
Neither Mrs. PuckUpdate nor myself were particularly pumped to watch this, but once we started it, it was very engaging. The producers have a lot of interesting voices in the mix, from former Mount players like Anaheim's Mathieu Schneider, to Rhode Island hockey personalities, like San Jose coach Ron Wilson, whose dad coached for the AHL Rhode Island Reds, and New Jersey Devils GM Lou Lamoriello, who coached the Providence College men's hockey team for almost 20 years, and who probably scouted every high school hockey player in the state.
Along the way, the film plays with some interesting ideas, like if a team can win too much. While the Mount coaches and players are all likeable, you can't help but think that 26 championships in a row is really more than enough. Even the Mount coaches come around to that idea.
If ICE KINGS was just about a high school hockey team, even an amazingly successful one, you might find it interesting, but you probably wouldn't want to spend an extended amount of time hearing about it. What makes the documentary work is that the story of Mount is tempered with lots of local flavor and characters, so you really understand the context of the 26 championships and what it's meant to so many people connected to Rhode Island.
While the movie is ostensibly about Mount's ability to win over 26 years, by the end, you can see the equally transformative power of losses, too.
But not in a cheesy, New Age-y, way. That's key. The film does not end in grown men crying. Should I have prefaced that with a spoiler alert?
It's a cool film, definitely worth checking out.
For more on ICE KINGS, visit www.icekingsthemovie.com.

Mike Chen and I have our year-end fantasy hockey awards up at RotoRob.
It's got some fun stuff, like the Anti-Bobby Orr Award.
Next year we might rent tuxes for the ceremony. We'll have to see how that goes.

Yesterday's outdoor game was actually pretty good.
The hockey wasn't horribly impressive, what with the wind and the snow. While the final score was a 2-1 Pittsburgh win in a shootout, it could have just as easily been a 10-9 game. Anything on net looked like it would go in. But no one seemed able to get much on net — probably because of the snow accumulating on the ice, slowing everyone and making the puck impossible to control.
I was mostly impressed with NBC's production. It was a top-notch, big-event, A-team game. Even Bob Costas had some hockey stories to contribute.
Still, you could almost hear the suits in New York freaking out over the constant Zamboni-ing, which left huge patches of shots of snow falling in Buffalo instead of people playing hockey.
It was a cool game, though. I'd love to see another outdoor game next season in downstate New York.

Happy New Year, everyone!
Almost...
Larry Brooks had a long rant about the complaints against New York Ranger Colton Orr's open ice hit on Carolina's Matt Cullen last week. Brooks wants everyone to relax, saying checking is a part of the game. I mention this all only because I was in South Carolina last week, watching the game on Fox Sports South, and I was really, really shocked at how the announcers were freaking out over the hit. I missed it live and based upon how they were reacting, I thought Orr had morphed into Chris Simon or something. I'm guessing over on New York City's MSG Network, everyone was yawning over the hit.
Apparently, it's all a bit subjective.
Today Tomorrow is the NHL's outdoor game. Bob Costas is a part of the team calling the game (login info.). No doubt, he'll have some great baseball stories to share.
I'm psyched for the game, though. Although, while I understand the need to spotlight Sidney Crosby, I wish they would have chosen to showcase him against a team more exciting than Buffalo. While the Caps are pretty brutal to watch, you have to love Alexander Ovechkin. And even though the Flames are struggling a bit, how can you not want to show off Jarome Iginla?
And how about that that Darren McCarty comeback? He's with the UHL Flint Generals. I wonder if he's hoping to eventually wind up in the NHL. I suspect this is more of a publicity thing. I wonder if his band, Grinder, will also stage a comeback.
Finally, Greg Wyshynski has a funny look back on 2007. Look for the Michael Stipe joke. You won't regret it.