Western Conference Hottie: Antoine Vermette (Columbus Blue Jackets)

For your viewing pleasure and just because I was struck by a strange fancy (thanks for sharing, Stephanie) and actually got a little bit of the hots for a dude with dark hair (YES, I'm laughing at me too) [IDK -- I think I may be swaying Kena over to "the dark side" - pun intended! [laughs]], this weeks Hottie is one Antoine Vermette who is now increasing the WC's hotness quotient by 1 as the result of a trade from OTT Senators to the CBJ Columbus Blue Jackets. [well said, Kena even though the EC gave him to you -- we have enough hotness to spare!!]

IMPORTANT HOCKEY STUFF: He played Jrs. in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) for four seasons, beginning in 1998–99 with the Quebec Remparts. The next season, he joined the Victoriaville Tigres and posted 71 points in 71 games. Awarded the Mike Bossy Trophy at the season's end as the league's top prospect, he was selected 55th overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. Played 2 more years in the QMJHL. Earning an MJ Career high 112 points his next to last year then battling an injury which kept him sidelined most of his final year. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, he returned to Binghamton and scored 28 goals and 45 assists, second in team scoring only to Jason Spezza. After his stint in Binghamton during the lockout, He continued to improve, increasing his points total to 39 points, spending the majority of the season on a checking line with fellow penalty-killer Chris Kelly. The duo were rarely apart. On December 2, 2006, he famously scored from behind the net through his legs (plenty can be said for flexibility, right ladies) on the short side against the Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Johan Holmqvist. The goal became well-known around the league and was named TSN's Goal of the Season. During the playoffs, he recorded 5 points in 20 games and helped the Senators to the Prince of Wales Trophy as Eastern Conference champions before losing the Stanley Cup to the Anaheim Ducks in five games. He recorded his first career hat trick on April 3, 2008, against Vesa Toskala in a 8-2 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

REALLY IMPORTANT STUFF: 6'1" 197lbs. Pretty dark haired French Canadian [LOVE those accents, right ladies!] [OF COURSE!!] So you'll all have to excuse me while I go drool. I'm sorry, but the pictures with this post just simply made me lose my train of thought. Look at that awesome little "I'm a sneaky little boy" grin - SEXY!!! [Kena is just SO AWESOME with descriptive words, don't you think?!!] And that little lock of hair that falls over his eyes at the most opportune of times (like when it'll make him look about 1,000 times hotter). The long lean "swarthy" type. Um, lets see, what else ... of course he's a defensemen what I feel to be the very hottest of "positions" (you naughty girls, but, you are thinking along the same lines as I am so what can I say?) [why doesn't that surprise me?!!] in the game of Hockey.