Battle of California Playlist #2

My list is a little bit different from PJ's because I didn't necessarily try to pick songs that I think would sound good in an arena. I mostly picked songs that I really like and seem to symbolize what hockey is to me. I have a CD I listen to on my way to the rink every time that's pretty much all loud, fast and angry music. I've always believed that hockey is an angry sport and when I drive to the rink I think about how much I hate everyone on the other team. I think about their temerity in even getting on the same field of play as me and how they actually think they're good enough to get a puck past me. By the time I get to the rink I'm ready to fight. Then I get to the rink and put on my pads and by the time I'm all warmed up I'm pretty calm and ready to go. But the music helps me get ready to play.

A few explanations:

Trogdor, by Strong Bad- Like my brother mentioned yesterday, the Kings should play "Trogdor" every time Ivanans gets into a fight. He's a dragon-man (or really just a dragon) and he needs his own song.

Bleeding Love, by Leona Lewis- I mean, that's just a good song.

Girls in Black, by Airbourne- This should be the Kings' song.

I am the Night, Coloured Black, by Priestess- That song should be on a highlight video. Just sayin'.

When You Fucked Grandpa, by blink-182- I think this song should be played in the arena, just to see the expressions on people's faces.

Mine Now, by Bullets & Octane- This song gets me really fucking pumped. It's always the last song I listen to before I get out of my car for hockey.

Hockey Players are Good Athletes

This isn't relevant, I just love this picture.

Over at Kings Vision (the multimedia arm of LAKings.com) there are interviews with Dustin Brown and Alex Frolov, discussing what they have been doing to improve their fitness during the off-season. Brownie has been doing a lot of sled runs over at the roller rink at Toyota Sports Complex along with a little muscle building*, while Frolov has been doing a lot of plyometric exercises and joke cracking. It's kind of cool if you are interested in that sort of thing.

*The dude looks pretty built. He was listed at 200 lbs. last year but there's no way he weighs that little this season.

Rod Brind'amour's totally on steroids, right?

It's kind of funny when you watch that sort of thing because you kind of forget that hockey players are such good athletes. I tend to think that there's 2 kinds of strength: there's the ability to lift shit and then there's endurance. Hockey players are probably the best fusion between the two, but we never really notice it. We don't notice it because hockey players wear long sleeves (so you don't notice that they're actually ripped) and because skating doesn't look hard. (Also, I think a lot of people assume hockey players aren't good athletes because they're not black, but that's another argument for another day.) I have friends that wonder why hockey players are only out on the ice for 50 seconds at a time and they just refuse to believe that the guys are basically sprinting out there for the half their shift. It's good for us to remember that these guys are great athletes.

I Swear I'm Not Gay

I am outraged. This list of the hottest guys in the NHL is completely ridiculous. First off, I'm not on it. I know, I'm not technically in the NHL and I'm not technically hot or technically a guy, but still. Also: no offense to the ladies that put together this list, but you have terrible taste. Most of the guys on that list have pointy features (you could cut diamonds on Vinny Lecavelier's chin) and some of the guys are just plain ugly. (Also, why do all Canadians look like they just got out of the pool?) Ovechkin? C'mon. Rick Nash looks like a Garbage Pail Kid and Jordan Staal looks like the monk from The Da Vinci Code. And Rick DiPietro... well he's a good-looking cat, so that's cool. Overall, the ladies were blinded by success on the ice and did not pay enough attention to the men themselves.

Now, as an attractive male myself, I feel I have a pretty good handle on what good-looking is. With that in mind, here are a few NHL'ers that I'd totally go gay for think women would find attractive. Not that I do, or anything. Dude, don't be a fag.


Henrik Zetterberg

Obviously.


Mike Fisher

Fisher's got a Casper Van Dien/high school quarterback thing going for him. I could see him on the cover of a romance novel, hair flowing majestically as he takes the sheltered hockey blogger in his arms and... oops, sorry, I got a little carried away there.


Andreas Lilja

He's kind of scary-looking, and there's that whole "suspected of rape" thing, but I have it on the authority of my sister that he's good looking so there's that. Although she thinks Sean Avery* is cute too, so I don't know about her. I think she might have self-esteem issues.

*I don't know if you guys have seen this, but apparently Avery likes to wear shorts with his business attire. When I think of this, I think Ned Nederlander.


Henrik Lundqvist

I know, another Swede. What can I say, they're all gorgeous over there.


Steve Yzerman

I know he's not playing any more, but I still had to include him. I think he's the only old hockey player that doesn't look like a dinosaur now. Is it possible to get a boner from respect? I sure hope so. I call it a "respecto-boner."


Alright, I need to go do something hetero to cleanse myself of this. I know, I'll watch 300. Have you seen Gerard Butler's gluts in that movie? They're amazing.