U17 and U18 4 Nations Cup

This is the first in a three-part series taking a look at the 4 Nations Cup, the importance of this tournament and other international competitions to the development of USA Hockey, and how the program’s success has paved the way for the United States to become a true hockey powerhouse.

This past weekend was a busy one for international hockey.  The Women’s 4 Nation Cup, the World Junior A Challenge, the 4 Nations Cup Under 18, and the 4 Nations Cup Under 17 were held in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Penticton, British Columbia, Sundsvall,  Sweden, and Chicago, Illinois respectively. Despite the importance of each of tournaments for the growth and development of hockey, they received meager press coverage. Chris Peters, former USA National Team Development Program (NTDP) PR and Marketing Manager, sat down with Chicks Who Give a Puck to discuss the 4 Nations Under 18 and Under 17 tournaments.

“Many years ago, the countries that are a part of the tournament agreed that every November they will get together and compete,” Peters explained. “It’s basically a development agreement. It’s just as important for these other countries to have their kids wear the jersey and play in a foreign country as it is for ours.”

Team USA U18 celebrates after defeating Sweden in a shootout 5-4 the for the Gold. Photo Credit: Andreas Jonsson Planck, andreasplanck.

The United States, Russia, Sweden and Switzerland participate in the U-18 tournament, while the U-17 has the United States, Russia, Switzerland and Slovakia sending teams. For the second year in a row, the United States won the U17 and the U18 4 Nations tournaments. With the U17 Cup being held in Chicago this year (instead of Ann Arbor, Michigan, where it has traditionally been held), there was an opportunity for greater coverage of the event and increased exposure.

“This year’s Under 17 tournament was the best attended one I’ve ever been a part of. While there were no full buildings there were more spectators than [in] years past. Part of that is due to the fact that five kids from the area are with the NTDP.  So the vast majority of the crowd was family and friends,” Peters said. “European games were during the work days, so basically no one was there for those. [But] the night games were all team USA games. The two games against Russia were really well attended, with approximately 800-900 people in attendance.”

In addition to the friends and family who form the bulk of the audience for the 4 Nations Cup U17 and U18 tournaments, many scouts attend both. With a Midget Major hockey tournament finishing just before the 4 Nations Cup began in Chicago, scouts had the opportunity to see not just the best the US has to offer, but also the best from the other countries.

“This is where people got their first look at Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin. There could be kids on the Russian team that we hear about for years,” Peters said. “This year at the Under 17 tournament there were at least five scouts. The Under 18 tournaments typically see more NHL and college scouts.”

Team USA U17 celebrates after defeating Russia 6-1 for the Gold. Photo Credit: USA Hockey

USA Hockey used social media to keep the fans up-to-date on the 4 Nations event by tweeting from the games and updating their Facebook page, but they were unable to generate much excitement about the event. The lack of promotion and fan excitement was surprising, given the fact that the tournament was held in hockey-mad Chicago – and that Blackhawks superstar and USA NTDP alum Patrick Kane played in this tournament in November 2006. Unlike the WJAC and Women’s 4 Nations Cup, Canada does not participate and thus a large portion of mainstream hockey media does not cover the event.

“The reason Canada is not involved is one part CHL and the other part is they weren’t a part of this agreement,” Peters explained, referring to the Canadian Hockey League, Canada’s major junior hockey league, which is mid-season and in the midst of the annual Super Series against the Russian Select Team. “In general, Canada doesn’t have many opportunities for their kids to represent their country, but obviously for them that doesn’t matter because they have so much depth.  It’s important for us because USA Hockey has developed into an international hockey power, in part because of our participation in tournaments such as the 4 Nations.”

The program is working, as recent results at major competitions, including gold at the 2010 World Junior Hockey Championships and 2010 U18 World Championships and silver for both the men’s and women’s teams at the 2010 Winter Olympics, show.  Tomorrow’s piece will focus on the importance of international competition in player development.

You can find USA Hockey’s home page here, USA Hockey’s Facebook page, USA Hockey on Twitter, USA Hockey Scores on Twitter.

You can follow Chris Peters on Twitter here.

CWGAP Roundtable: Part Five

1. What one player would you add to your roster to make your team ‘more complete’ and why?

Kris (Red Wings)

Zach Parise. (I’m assuming that this question is in an idyllic non-capped world, of course.)  I think he’s a fantastic player and really fell in love with him at the Olympics.  I think he’d fit into the Wings’ system really well and I like the way he plays the game.

Liz (Red Wings)

I think Detroit is pretty well rounded coming into the season, though I really hope that we can bring back Aaron Downey after his training camp tryout. He’d bring some grit and nastiness that we haven’t really seen since, well, the last time Aaron Downey wore the winged wheel.

Angelique (Avalanche)

A prospect such as Cameron Gaunce may prove to be the answer, but the Avs need a young Adam Foote type of player.  A physical defensive defenseman that they can insert into their lineup to go with the plethora of offensive minded defenders currently on the team and within the farm system.  This is the major void they have on their club and on the farm.

Erin (Bruins)

Since the Bruins struggled so much with scoring last year, I’d love to have a player like Patrick Kane to give us the offensive punch we need and give us the strength we need on the wing. 

Cheryl (Leafs)

To be perfectly honest, no one player will make my Leafies complete, but a bona fide scorer, all round player – I’d pick Alex Ovechkin – just so I could see him play more often and because he’s so full of life.

Nadia (Sabres)

I’m assuming money and availability aren’t an issue, so Jarome Iginla (although if Calgary continues to…well…he might be available due to his age.) So I know he’s getting up there, but I really like him as a player and I think he’s got a couple more years in him at least. He’s a tough vet, which is something that can definitely benefit the Sabres. Also he’s a right winger, with impressive point totals. “But Nadia, he dropped by 20 points last season, he’s getting old!” Or, he had virtually no help on offense, and I’m still perfectly happy with 69 points out of my RWs.

Candice (Flyers)

One player I would like to add to the Philadelphia Flyers roster would be a sure-fire, No. 1 goaltender. Shocker, right? And if I could have my choice of any goaltender in the league at the moment, I would choose Ryan Miller. He’s a battle tested goalie who has played on a team that does not give much support in front of him, proving that he can make the saves he needs to. And put on a team like the Flyers who’s defense is arguable one of the best in the league, it would be a deadly combination to opponents.

2. What one team in each conference do you believe has the all-around package and why?

Kris

I’m predicting another season of laughable Western Conference dominance, but if I had to pick one team from the Least, I’d very cautiously choose New Jersey.  The Capitals should run away with the regular season again, but I don’t think they’re built for the playoffs.  The reason for my hesitance to choose the Devils is the Kovalchuk saga.  Regardless of what happens, though, I think they’ve got the best chance coming out of the East.

In the West, I think it’s going to be a 3-horse race between the Wings, the Hawks, and the Sharks.  I’ll rule the Sharks out for “going all the way” because of the fact that they’re the Sharks and we all know how that usually works out in the playoffs.  I’ve always refused to make predictions about the Wings, so I won’t really say much more about how I think the playoffs will turn out.

Liz  Is it horrible to say my own team? Honestly, Detroit has depth in spades, with three legitimate scoring lines, and at least two solid defensive pairings. The only question marks for me are whether Jonathan Ericsson will step up and be the defensive presence we know he can be (he will), and if Jimmy Howard can build on his phenomenal rookie season and establish himself as a bonafide starter (he can).

Angelique

In the west, I go with defending champion Chicago.  Yes, they had to move some solid role players, but the heart of the team remains.  I would consider San Jose, but that club seems to have a mental road block.

In the east, my choice is Pittsburgh.  The team is super talented up front, but addressed some holes on defense during the offseason.

Erin

In the East, I really think Boston has a great team this season.  I think the trade for Nathan Horton and drafting Tyler Seguin will really make the team competitive this season. 

In the West, I think the Sharks will give Chicago a run for their money this year.  I think they made some key moves in the off-season, mostly picking up Antti Niemi from Chicago.

Cheryl

Gotta say I still like the Hawks in the West and Pittsburgh in the East. Young cores with great stars(if healthy), supporting cast, points from the D and solid goal-tending (if Fleury is consistent).

Nadia

Do I think anyone has the complete package? Absolutely not. If they did it would be a boring season. In the East, I’d like to fuse the Caps with my Sabres to make a superteam. But I’d have to go with the Caps having the strongest team going into the regular season, although they’ll still struggle with goaltending. In the West, I like the Canucks if both Sedins stay healthy this season and Luongo‘s consistency improves without the burden of captaincy. Otherwise, the Sharks should be tough with their new netminders, if they can ever overcome their postseason woes.

Candice

Very tough to pick my choices. In the East, I was torn between the Pittsburgh Penguins (even from a Flyers fan) and the Boston Bruins. But after breaking down the two teams, I didn’t like Pittsburgh’s defense so I’m choosing the Bruins. Though their offense faltered to 30th in goals scored last season, the return of Marc Savard for a whole season and the addition of Tyler Seguin will help boost that number. As for defense, one would imagine Zdeno Chara comes back into his Norris Trophy-winning form from 2008-09. And as long as Tuukka Rask does not fall into the dreaded sophomore slump, he should have no problem continuing his amazing play from his rookie season.

As far as the West is concerned, the decision became even harder. Detroit? Chicago? Vancouver? San Jose? I sat and pondered a few days, especially torn between Detroit and Vancouver. Finally, in the end, I’m going with Vancouver. To me, Detroit and Vancouver was basically equal on offense and defense, but the breaking point was goaltending. As incredible as Jimmy Howard was last season, can he repeat or is he doomed for a sophomore slump? And what about Chris Osgood? Can he ever return to his former self? As much as Roberto Luongo is criticized for his performances in the playoffs, he is still a solid goaltender, very capable of stealing games.

If I had to choose between building a team in front of Luongo or Howard, I would always pick Luongo.

3. Who do you think will be the biggest surprise in the Western Conference, the Eastern Conference, and the league?

Kris

 I think the most surprising team in the West might be St. Louis.  Adding Halak was a good move for them.  I don’t think they’ll do any real damage, but they’ll help make the Central the most competitive division in the league this season.  I’m going to look at Antti Niemi to be the most surprising player in the West this season.  He’s either going to surprise everyone by proving that he deserves to be a Stanley Cup champion goalie or tank and show everyone why the Niemi-Huet tandem was such a joke last season.

In the East, I think Tampa Bay is going to surprise a lot of people.  Steve Yzerman hasn’t made one misstep since he took over as GM, and I think the Lightning will have a whole new attitude approaching the season.  The effects of the presence and expectations of a proven champion can’t really be overestimated in situations like that.  I’m thinking Simon Gagne might surprise a lot of people in the East.  He’s coming off of some injuries that have limited his effectiveness, but with his new surroundings in Tampa and the ability to mentor some of the younger players, he might find his niche.

Liz

I’m predicting big things from St. Louis this season. Halak in the crease is going to be a shot in the arm for the confidence of a youngish team, and I think they’ll come in hungry and build from there.

Angelique

I’ll go with Edmonton.  I don’t think they’ll pull a 2009-10 Colorado Avalanche, but with health and an insertion of young talent, they’ll put the league on notice.

For surprise player, I’ll go with St Louis blues forward TJ Oshie.  I expect a breakout season for the former North Dakota product after running through a sophomore slump last season.

I like the look of the Atlanta Thrashers and I think they’ll sneak into the playoffs this year with additions such as Dustin Byfuglien and the continued development of Evander Kane.

Erin

I think Atlanta (aka Blackhawks East) might be a big surprise to much of the league this year.  I don’t know that they’ll go deep in the playoffs, but I think they might actually make the cut this year. 

Cheryl

I’m thinking “watch out for those Los Angeles Kings.” Their young guns are starting to look pretty good, as well as their defense and with two potential starting goalies – what’s not to like? If Mr. Kopitar can get some of the other youngsters around him to light the lamp, they’re going to be pretty tough to beat most nights. Kinda have a soft spot for Captain Canada, too.

Nadia

My surprising team in the East would probably be the Lightning. Looking at the numbers, they are the only team other than the Presidents’ Trophy winners to have had two guys in the top 10 point earners. And Lecavalier is promising a bigger season for 2010-2011 not to mention the addition of Simone Gagne. I think they’re looking to move up in the rankings and make a run at the playoffs. Players to watch (not on the Sabres, who I’ve mentioned in past round table discussions) might be Evander Kane for the Thrashers and Tyler Bozak who might really benefit the Leafs with a breakout season. In the West, I think the Wild will surprise people this season. Looking at their top 3 Centers, Koivu should continue to produce, Cullen was a solid pickup, and I think Brodziak might be one to surprise in the West, and I’ll be keeping an eye on him.

Candice

In the East, I believe the Tampa Bay Lightning will be the dark horse team. The addition of Simon Gagne gives the team six top forwards to go along with Steven Stamkos, Martin St. Louis, Vincent Lecavalier, Steve Downie and Ryan Malone. They also brought in Dan Ellis to give him his chance at becoming a solid, No. 1 goaltender over Mike Smith. They have a good chance of making into the playoffs this year and have the ability to become hot at the right time and surprise a lot of people (*coughCanadienscough*).

In the West, I think the St. Louis Blues will be the surprise team. Even though they lost Keith Tkachuk to retirement and Paul Kariya to injury, they have a lot of young guns who can step up and send the team back into the playoffs. The won the big prize of Jaroslav Halak during the free agency and there are high hopes that he can continue his spectacular play from the first two rounds of the playoffs.

Boston CWHL: Values and Love of the Game

This is the third and final segment in our in-depth look at the Boston CWHL team.

It’s about one week into the NHL season but the drama and questionable judgment of both players and the league are already being critiqued, discussed, and analyzed. In a few more weeks the puck will drop for a different league with a completely different philosophy. A league where ticket prices are cheaper than the worst seat in the house for an NHL game, the players have no ego, and there are no salary debates or lockouts: the CWHL. This is just another separation between men’s and women’s hockey; one is as much about entertainment as it is sport, while the other is about the game. The Boston CWHL is comprised of college graduates, working or going to graduate school and still making time for the game they love. These women make no money from playing professional hockey, are seeking out opportunities to volunteer around the community, and are dedicating themselves to the game of hockey simply because they love it. The love of the game: it is refreshing to see some athletes still remember why they play.

The women in the CWHL are extraordinary, there is no question about it. But what about those chosen to guide, coach and promote them? Paul Hendrickson was selected as the General Manager after the league announced in May they would have a team in Boston. The deadline to submit an application for the position was in the middle of June, the decision was made in early July.

“For a pure volunteer position like this you have to love the sport, be a little crazy, and be willing to take a chance. Part of the reason I applied was because I was very familiar with the CWHL, as my daughter was one of three players from the States in the league last year. So my knowledge of the league, their philosophy plus the fact that I live in Boston, it just worked out,” Hendrickson said.

In addition to his full time job, Paul takes on the task of making everything work for the Boston team. His duties include coordinating press releases, devising schedules, generating publicity, making sure the website, Facebook, and Twitter are being updated regularly. It means late night GM conference calls, traveling, organizing community volunteer opportunities, reaching out to girls’ and women’s hockey programs for his team to visit. It’s a time consuming job, especially for a volunteer. 

In September, the Boston team revealed their first head coach, Erin Hamlen. Hamlen, known to many women’s hockey enthusiasts as Erin Whitten, is one of the pioneers in women’s hockey. As goaltender for the Wildcats at the University of New Hampshire, Hamlen led her team to ECAC titles in 1990 and 1991, as well as being a four-time ECAC goalie of the year. After UNH, Hamlen went on to an impressive professional career. Hamlen was the first female to record a win in a men’s professional game, in 1993. Although Hamlen did not play the entire game, she would later capture that first as well, with another win in the 1995-1996 season. Both those games were in the ECHL, and Hamlen was also the first woman to play in the AHL.  Hamlen was a member of the women’s National team from 1992-1997, 1999 and 2001. In 1994 she was not only the USA Women’s Player of the Year, but was named the most outstanding goaltender at the World Championships.

After her professional career, Hamlen returned to the University of New Hampshire as the assistant coach, where she could make the transition from accomplished player to effective coach. In 2006 and 2008 the UNH Wildcats made it to the Frozen Four; in 2006, Hamlen was also an assistant coach for Team USA at the Four Nations Cup.

The decision to leave the University of New Hampshire and join the Boston CWHL was a personal one; it was not about professional gain, but rather about family.  “I have very strong family values; you put family first no matter. As a mother of a 2 year old child I didn’t want to miss him growing up. 60% of the year we travel when coaching for college teams. This decision was very much about my family and my commitment to son and husband.”

Just another reason why Hamlen is the perfect fit for this team: she brings experience as a player, expertise as a coach, and values as a mother and wife. This Boston CWHL team is more than just great hockey. The entire organization balances family, work or school, and the greatest sport on ice.

The Women of Boston: Marketing Women's Hockey

This is the second installment of our three-part series taking a closer look at the Boston CWHL.

Traditional sports marketing is the process of analyzing the market, identifying the target audience, and developing a method to reach that audience through various media. For the Boston CWHL one additional challenge facing their new franchise is converting fans of men’s hockey into hockey fans. A portion of their target audience is already invested in the sport to some degree, others are invested into women’s hockey as well as men’s hockey, and yet a third group has yet to discover hockey played by either gender. Before the team can change minds or entice new fans, they need to attract media coverage.

“Building awareness in a city that already has many talented sports teams, from the Boston Bruins to Boston Celtics to the Division One sports teams —  that are all great – is difficult. So to generate awareness and interest in an already crowded [market], that will be a challenge,” General Manager Paul Hendrickson told us.

The awareness and appreciation of women’s hockey from the multitude of girls’ and women’s hockey programs in the Northeast will help the Boston CWHL with one key part of their target audience, but how do they convince NHL fans and non-hockey-loving New Englanders to give them their time and money?

One way to increase awareness of the team is through their upcoming schedule and noticeable lack of a real ‘home arena,’ and thus the loss of a home ice advantage. While many view this as a challenge, the Boston CWHL team is viewing the lack of ‘home ice’ as an opportunity for growth.

“I think that for our players, regardless of where they’re playing, they’re going to play hockey. They’re going to have a home base for practice. Most of our games are within a couple of hours of each. It’s going to be good for the fans to see them,” Coach Erin Hamlen said.

The players will be practicing out of the Brooks School in North Andover, MA and games will move around, allowing fans from different areas to see the team without trekking hours to do so. With all that New England, especially Boston and New York have to offer, Boston’s CWHL team has to take advantage of their lack of ‘home arena.’ Playing in different arenas will allow the team to bring the sport to more fans in a more convenient and budget-friendly manner, which should help to promote the team.

“Different arenas will expose our game to more fans. We have one to two games in Cape Cod, and we’re currently in the process of trying to set some games up in Providence Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maine, and New Hampshire.” Hendrickson explained that the official schedule will be released in the next few weeks, as details are still being finalized.

In addition to traveling the New England area to expose the game to new fans, the Boston CWHL team knows that on-ice performance and off-ice involvement will be crucial to their success.  “On the ice, what will help keep people coming back is playing first rate hockey, in a cohesive manner. When you pull together a brand new team it takes some time. It’s difficult because they need to balance so many aspects of their life to play at a competitive level,” Hendrickson stated.

The women of the Boston CWHL team do not earn their living playing hockey. These women are attending graduate school or holding down a full time job. In addition to training, playing and working, many of these players have asked for the opportunity to volunteer as a team in the community. “We believe it’s really important for us to visible in the community. We will play our games and bring high level playing for those who watch, but we have to take the first step. That means visiting girls’ hockey practices or volunteering in the community,” Hendrickson said.

The goal is to familiarize the community with the women through volunteer opportunities and the encouragement of girls’ hockey throughout the Northeast. While part of their marketing strategy is to be involved in women’s hockey development at the younger level, it comes from protecting their sport, growing their sport, and wanting to provide young girls with female hockey role models to further their training and love for the game.

“Every team has plans to continue to be involved in the community. To give back, to help young girls, charities, be role models; it’s very important for the players to experience and the young fans to experience. [It’s a] great time for this to happen, in a non-Olympics year and build off that.” Coach Hamlen added, “Hopefully we can build off the hype and hopefully our team can generate our own hype as well and build a fan base south of the border.”

The Women of Boston: Hockey History in the Making

This is a first in a three part series to take a further look at the Boston CWHL team, the challenges they face and the people behind it all.

History runs deep in Beantown. On April 18, 1775, the Revolutionary War started in Concord, MA when Paul Revere announced the British were coming. In 1831, William Lloyd Garrison started The Liberator, the first anti-slavery weekly newspaper in Boston. In September of 1951 Martin Luther King Jr. started his Theology studies at Boston University, he graduated with his doctorate degree on June 5, 1955. On October 20, 2004 the Boston Red Sox completed a come-from-behind victory to win the series 4-3 to win and to go on to capture the World Series and are the only baseball team to do so. In May Boston became the site of yet another historical event: the Canadian Women’s Hockey League announced they would be expanding to the United States, coming to Boston.

“The league was working on trying to become the most elite league in North America and the world. The only way to achieve that is to involve US players. Boston was the perfect location because of its great programs from girls to D1 hockey and its reasonable travel distance from Montreal and Toronto.” Boston’s General Manager Paul Hendrickson explained.

The CWHL is the second league to have an American based team, the first being out of Minnesota. The Minnesota Whitecaps of the Western Women’s Hockey League have been around since 2004. While many of Boston’s players have trained and played with the Whitecaps, most were thrilled to have another option.

“It’s an incredible opportunity for the players in this area to stay close to where they’re from or where they call home and still be able to train at a high level.” Boston’s first head coach Erin Hamlen, née Whitten, stated. “The players are very appreciative of the opportunity given to them.”

While the players and management of the Boston team are excited about the opportunity they are also realistic about the challenges that lay ahead of them.

“Logistically it will be a little bit of a challenge, we have players who aren’t used to playing in this league. We’ve got a lot of collegiate players who will be unfamiliar with it, and [our opponents] the Canadians have played in this league together. We’re still playing hockey. They’ve played with or against their teammates at the National or collegiate level. Whatever this brings them, they are up for it,” Hamlen said.

To say the pressure is on would be an understatement. The new beginning for Boston’s newest professional team is a step in the direction of moving the game to a larger scale. While the discussion to bring a paid women’s professional hockey league is still in its beginning stages, there’s no doubt in the minds of those in Boston what they need to do in order to move talks forward.

“Success of the game will depend on the fan base. Produce a wonderful game on ice and people will hopefully come back. The more people that take a high level of interest, the more the NHL will take interest.” Hendrickson commented.

Even without the NHL looking over their shoulder the women of Boston know they must succeed as women’s hockey is in grave danger. At the conclusion of the 2010 Winter Olympics the President of the IOC questioned whether or not women’s hockey had a place at the competition due to the dominence of the Canadian and American teams. The opportunity the team has to expand the reach of women’s hockey is not far from their minds.

“I think there are a lot of people who have never seen women’s hockey who might dismiss it, they may think it’s a world of difference from men’s hockey. When you watch high caliber athletes, Olympic, Elite, or collegiate, they’re not that far off. It’s high level hockey. These girls train for their sport year round. They have taken on a whole new direction with strength and conditioning. It’s definitely got finesse as there’s no flat out checking. [It's still physical], a lot of body contact and physical play. If you never take a look you’re not going to know if you’re going to like it or not. Take a chance on it.”

The women in Boston are ready to make history happen. Will you be there to witness it?

Social Media and Charity in MMDM

It’s a sign of the times when campaigns are being launched and thriving through social media. The latest trend to take over Mondays is a grassroots charity effort by Scott Norton, President of Norton Sports Management, his clients and followers. The campaign is “Make My Day Mondays” and the goal is to get as many people as possible doing wonderful things for the betterment of their communities.

One of the reasons that MMDM is so broad is because Scott understands that  different causes move different people. He knows that one person might want to donate to cancer research while another holds feeding the homeless near to her heart.

Leaving the campaign open to interpretation has allowed the creative nature of hockey fans to fully take flight. The variety of things that people think to do for others when simply reminded is astounding, and seeing others get involved encourages more people to take part. Scott took a moment to tell us more about what Make My Day Mondays is, how it started, and where it’s going.

CWGAP: Your clients are very active in giving back to their communities, it is something they value – how did the idea come about? What attracts your clients to the charities they are associated with in addition to MMDM?

NSM: Basically I have the best clients in the world. We’ve done great things for their teams, communities, and fans. My client Dustin Brown is a two-time Foundation award runner-up. Talked to them last month or so, really wanted it to be grass roots. So I may bring ideas to the table but [they run with] what they feel most affected by and it has blossomed from there.

Each player is different. Their upbringing or what adversity they came up through life is unique. For Cam Janssen’s charity of choice, it was the Fischer House in St. Louis. They house families of servicemen and women in the army for free. Cam has a lot of experience with friends and family who have gone overseas, so that was something that he wanted to do.

For Dustin Brown, he has two young kids and is a family man so the Kaboom playground build really appealed to him. He wanted to help give kids a place to play, to be kids.

CWGAP: You’ve said before that this is a grassroots movement and effort, so far it has been well received. Did you imagine for it to catch on this quickly? What do you attribute to its growth?

NSM: I did not imagine it would catch on as quick as it has. I’m very excited. We’ve had some major media sources involved because of how grassroots it is.  It attracts a lot of people, with the economy everyone is concerned with their budgets. Do something nice once a week. Dustin wanted it to be ‘Make My Day Everyday’ but we went with – Make My Day Monday for practicality reasons.

It can be anything, buying someone a sandwich, giving old toys to kids down the block, helping a homeless person. Not tied in with one charity, there’s no dollar value attached.

The other neat thing with social media — this is the first Twitter driven charity anywhere, in sports or any facet of life. A neat tie in and people are sort of intrigued by.

CWGAP: There are some people who are short on cash, but you’ve been retweeting good deeds for other as well. Is Make My Day Monday an all-encompassing let’s bring a note of positivity back no matter what you can do?

NSM: [There are] some limits, some people either mocking the effort or trying to get attention. We really want the heartfelt “I’m going to feel better about myself, I’m going to do something or give something.” Monetary or not, it’s the idea that you’re doing something that maybe you wouldn’t have done last week because of this slight reminder. Ultimately, you’re making the world a better place.

CWGAP: You’ve recently participated in strategic meetings to help expand MMDM.  Is this to expand its reach in location, how many people participate, or what you want it to achieve overall?

NSM: All of the above. Maybe setting our goals all around the world in many different countries, languages and facets of life. Looking at moving to FB because it’s more widespread than Twitter. I believe we’re doing a live event 10/11 in Chicago. Open to the idea of moving forward with this, celebrities, artists, lawyers, pharmaceuticals, etc. The goal is moving this out in the world. We want the world to be a better place, people [to]remember how lucky they are and to help people who may not be as lucky.

CWGAP: Where do you see MMDM in the next week, month, year given its initial success?

NSM: Week – Three weeks of tweets. We’ve doubled the number of tweets of those contributing to ‘Make My Day Monday’. In terms of the short term it helps to have more media coverage, hopefully outside the hockey world. I just finished a NYTimes interview the other day.

Months – Live tweetup or live event contributing back to the basis of MMDM. The NHLPA has been talked to. Love the league wide effort, commercials or during the game. Thinking of the NFL – the United Way commercials and this could be something like that for the NHL. Part of the attraction is that this isn’t tied into one person, one charity, or one effort. Do what you feel is right to help people out.

CWGAP: Are there any MMDM tweets that stick out in your mind? Most creative?

NSM: Cam Janssen in week one – where he left the Indian restaurant and stuck a twenty dollar bill in the box [before giving the leftovers away], in case the guy didn’t like Indian food. It’s great because it’s not just leftovers but there was thought and that’s just that. Spontaneity, the idea of walking down the street or walking out of the restaurant and helping someone. @Chi_Mist  and her mother buying subs and walking them down the street for a homeless person and child. The person was in tears when they gave them the meal. Make your day as the person who does the good deed and the person who received the gift as well.

CWGAP: How has having your clients actively being involved with this helped?

NSM: I think it puts a face and a name to the effort. It’s why charities get celebrities involved. Followers realize how lucky he is, but [also think] “I’m fortunate and I can do something as well. If they can do it, why can’t we do it?”

CWGAP: 30 second spotlight on television, what would you show?

NSM: NHLers showing they’re no different than anyone else for their great fans and the people around the world — let’s help out and make this place a better place. It could be a handshake, a pat on the back, or $100 — all we’re about is helping people out. Hockey players are best athletes, this is a great way for them to show it. Good guys doing good things for other people.

The players aren’t doing this for publicity. This isn’t about [that], this is about people to lead by example. It’s great having hockey players doing this and if they get recognition, wonderful but that’s not the point.

CWGAP: If you could only tell people one thing about MMDM what would it be?

NSM: One thing – it’s about making this world a better place. Get behind the effort, support and contribute yourselves.

We at CWGAP have signed on to try to actively partcipate every Monday. Whether you do something better for the community, the environment, your family or a stranger, it’s one thing better for humanity. Hopefully we can all do something, big or small, to help bring some light into someone else’s life.

For more insight on this grassroots charitable effort search #MMDM on Twitter. Or simply follow Scott at @NortonSports as he retweets the tweets throughout the day.

Kovalchuk Saga Ending Marks End of Interesting Off Season

It’s been a long and bizarre off-season. Players, fans, teams and the league are all itching to get back to the arena, to bring the focus back to the game and off of the off-season non-news. Here’s a brief wrap up of what’s been going down this off season, as well as the latest penalty New Jersey has taken to mark the ending of the Kovalchuk Saga.

September 13, 2010: The league fined the New Jersey Devils $3 million dollars, took away their third round draft pick for the 2011 draft being held in St. Paul, Minnesota and is forcing them to give up their first round draft pick in the next four years. The Devils are not appealing the fine for circumventing the cap, they need to turn their attention to getting themselves under the salary cap. Currently they are $2.968 million dollars over the cap. They have until October to get themselves under.

September 6, 2010: The Dan Ellis Saga/Scandel. Dan Ellis tweets about his worries financially, Twitter attacks him, he ends up leaving. Fans in hockey are split about his tweets, him leaving, and what place social media has with hockey in the future.

September 3, 2010: At 3 a.m. EST the league FINALLY announced they had approved the contract between the New Jersey Devils and Ilya Kovalchuk.

September 2, 2010: Marc Savard’s agent threatens a lawsuit if the NHL does in fact decide to investigate all ‘questionable’ contracts that would make his client’s contract void. Thankfully the NHL decided to close the loophole but grandfather in all current contracts to avoid further hystrionics.

September 1, 2010: The league gives asks the NHLPA an ultimatum to abide by their new rules set forth – the league and NHLPA are granted an extension from Kovalchuk’s agent’s five day ultimatum request.

August 31, 2010: Chris Chelios is FINALLY retiring from the AHL Chicago Wolves, an Atlanta Thrashers affiliate. Chelios will take on a new role with the Detroit Red Wings.

August 27, 2010: Nikolai Khabibulin is found guilty by an Arizona judge of extreme drunk driving. Khabibulin could face 30 days in jail, a suspension by the league, and a fine for his actions. He was charged and found guilty of excessive speeding and being twice the legal limit of the state at 0.15, legal limit is 0.08 as per Federal funding mandates. Khabibulin is appealing, no word yet on what will happen with the NHL.

August 26, 2010: The great debate about credentials and blogs. Where do blogs stand with the NHL as a league, and where do they stand with teams. There is always more than one thing to consider.

August 12 – , 2010: Female fans fight back about female merchandise. What a Reebok employee has to say about her brand. And the campaign continues on a conference call with the league’s Executive VP of Marketing.

August 11, 2010: The NHL wins as the contract between the New Jersey Devils and Kovalchuk is found to be in violation of the CBA. Get ready for round two of the saga.

August 6, 2010: Modano tells Dallas where they can stick it and signs with the Detroit Red Wings. Modano would have been one of the few players to play with a single franchise his entire career had he retired, but due to financial depravity and the Stars no longer wanting him, he moved on.

August 2, 2010: Niemi and the Hawks are parting ways. The Hawks made an offer, Niemi decided to go to arbitration. Niemi won the case but lost his place with the Hawks as they sign Turco and leave Niemi out in the dust.

July 28, 2010: Max Talbot is caught calling Alex Ovechkin a douchebag on radio. A fourth liner calling the guy who has had three 50+ goal seasons in a row a douchebag. Interesting.

July 23, 2010: Sami Salo can’t catch a break. During the playoffs he ruptured a testicle and it’s now being reported that he tore his achilles playing floor hockey during the off season.

July 20, 2010: The NHL is officially challenging the Ilya Kovalchuk 17 year deal to drag this topic out further to prevent the Devils from intentionally circumventing the salary cap as per the CBA.

July 19, 2010: After nineteen LONG days of the Free Agency period, Ilya Kovalchuk has decided to remain in New Jersey.