It's A Girl!!

THANKS to HftL follower, Holyroller17, for "the tip" on this news!



Oskar with his son, Martin

From the Flyers official Twitter account (@NHLFlyers):

Congrats to #Flyers (D) Oskars Bartulis & his wife Elina who became proud parents to a new baby girl yesterday, they've named her Laura.

Oskar and Elina were married back on July 3, 2009, three months after Elina gave birth to the couple's first child, Martin (who is now a "big brother" to Laura).

CONGRATULATIONS TO OSKARS, ELINA, MARTIN, AND THE ENTIRE BARTULIS FAMILY!!

Are You Trying to Kill Us, Mike Kadar?

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (Part 5)

Yet ANOTHER video of Malkin training ... this time he's using weights ("strong like bull!").  And here's a little something I quickly researched after taking notice of a few things (after I stopped looking at his butt - LOL!):

If you notice (see pic below), the orange weight is 25 kg (USA) and 25 kilograms = 55.1155655 pounds.  I cannot make out what the black weight is, but I think I can make out a "0" ("zero") and I do think I see "USA" and since it appears smaller than the orange one let's just say for argument's sake it's 10 kg.  And 10 kilograms = 22.0462262 pounds.

So that would mean that Malkin is working with A WHOPPING TOTAL OF ABOUT 154.34 POUNDS OF WEIGHT!!!!

But wait ... I think I may have forgot to include the weight of the bar (I do know a little something about lifting weights from my husband, but don't let that fool you - neither one of us are dedicated to working out!)!  I checked on this before adding it to the post and it said that you DO include the weight of the bar and that the weight of the average bar is 45 pounds, so ...

THAT WOULD BE NEARLY 200 POUNDS RIGHT THERE!!! So now I'm even more impressed!!!

I guess I could, in fact, be displaying my ignorance right now, but to me, that's alot of weight!!!  And here's another thing to think about, right now he's listed as 195 pounds on the Penguins webpage so that would mean he's working with almost 80% nearly 100% of his body weight ... still sounds like a lot to me, but then again walking is the only form of exercise / activity this lady does right here!!!  PLUS, he is an athlete so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised (or impressed?)!!!!  But I am (it's SEXY!)!!  Yet another sexy thing about hockey players!!! ; )

IDK, ladies, what are your thoughts???  Feel free to post them!! : )  OH, and I included the second pic (OF HIS BUTT) simply for "shits and giggles!"  ENJOY!!!

July is Letang's Month!!

WHAT A COINCIDENCE!!

I realize July is practically over, but I just noticed (after all those delicious vacation pictures of him) ...

LOOK WHO'S MR. JULY IN MY PENS CALENDAR!!!

REASON #84

He Looks Like He Hasn't Missed a Beat
(and can pass himself / catch pucks through chair legs!)

I mentioned this video on here yesterday, but I posted it on my Penguins blog shortly after it began causing a stir on the internet (Tuesday).  A TON OF THANKS goes out to CullensVids1 for posting the video on YouTube and allowing all of us fans to have great hope for Crosby's return!

This video is nothing less than INSPIRING (and I wouldn't expect any less from Sid!)!!  The guy is amazing.  He's skating like he never suffered from a horrible concussion that took him off the ice for half the season ... just like he never left the ice at all!!

This gives me great hope for next season and seeing him back on the ice (I HAVE CHILLS!)!!

He's all heart, he loves hockey, he IS hockey, and that's why he's the greatest player of this generation!  YEAH ... I SAID IT (and why I created these posts on this blog - there's SO MANY reasons to love him!)!!!

PART 4? YESSSSSSS!!! From Russia With Love (Part 4)

HE'S BACK ON THE ICE AGAIN!!

How ADORABLE is Geno?!!!!!  And HOW LUCKY is Mike Kadar getting to travel to Russia and help Malkin train?!!!!  YOU ROCK, Kadar (THANKS for the great video!)!!

IF ONLY I KNEW THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW, I would do it so differently and gone to college to do something in sports medicine and work with my beloved Pens ... hmmmm, I DO have a BS degree in Biology, so maybe I should consider returning to focus on that ... HUH!

And is it just me or does it look as though Geno wants to give Sid a "run for his money" on the skating thing (maybe he saw the video of Sid practicing last week on YouTube too - CLICK HERE AND YOU CAN SEE IT TOO, if you haven't already!)!!

ENJOY, ladies!!!

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (Part 4)

More SEXY Tanger Vacation Pics (with the Blonde - SORRY!)

[UPDATE - 08/11/2011]
Letang (and company) were in Malibu, California according to my buddy who originally posted these pics (for those of you who were asking)!!

THANKS again to my buddy at 25stanley.com (the guy is magic, I tell you!) for more great Letang vacation pictures (with sexhair and muscles abound).  Now I know one includes that cute, little blonde of his (ALTHOUGH my husband actually told me she looks like a little girl), but is there ever really a good enough reason to miss a chance to look at Tangers? Just concentrate on him - "what blonde girl?!" SEE FOR YOURSELF!! ; D

OH ... and just so I don't sound like a bitter female (because, although I find Letang sexier than hell, I have NOTHING against any girl he's with -- lucky her!), the "cute, little blonde" DOES have a name and it's Catherine Laflamme according to 25stanley.com - appropriate, no?!  I REFUSE TO SAY ANYTHING MORE (because I'm certain alot of you are thinking the same thing ... but I WILL NOT SAY A WORD!)!!

[*HAND-OVER-MOUTH*] - concentrate on Letang, Stephanie!!! ENJOY, LADIES (feel free to post coments!)!!! ; D




Crosby and Neal Pictures of the Week

I'm sure it comes as no surprise to you that it's been a difficult task trying to find "new" and current pictures of my boys with it being the off-season.

There have been pictures floating around of Sid that are a week or so old, so they'll have to do for now especially since I wasn't posting then (they're still "new!").  And for Nealy ... well, I just decided that I've searched and each time, I see the same old pictures and anything that's "new" to me is good enough to post for a 'picture of the week.'

Sound good?  I hope so!!

These Sid pics are from this year's MLF Celebrity Invitational held at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort from June 29th - July 1st.  Pictures are courtesy of Jim Loomis Photography (visit the site for tons more!).  And I really have no words ... my eyes have ventured every inch of these pictures (that SMILE, those legs, those thighs, that chest and arms ... and GOD HELP ME, that ASS!) and I still have NO WORDS (how can one man be so perfect / sexy?!) ... I mean he's simply standing there with a golf club (it's NOT FAIR that one man can make that look so appealing!)!!  And he EARNED every bit of that "best legs" in Canada business!!

Well, don't take my [no] word[s] for it, look for yourself, but don't blame me when the images are burnt into your brain for the remainder of the day!!

 

And my poor Nealy ... after all these Sid pics, I can only find one "new" one of him!  However, it's a good one (it's closer and NOT one of the ones that you see over and over again!)!!

I MISS MY BOYS!!!

Off the Market?

courtesy of @25stanley

According to a few of the sports / hockey tabloid sites (one being my buddy and "supplier of all juicy Pens info" over at 25stanley.com), two of hockey's most eligible bachelors are no longer eligible (or so they believe that's what the pictures prove). 

Presenting the new ladies in Jonathan Toews and Kris Letang's lives.  Take it for what it's worth, ladies!

@25stanley - Sorry ladies but another hot hockey player is off the market. #Pens Kris Letang on vacation with this blonde girl

Quite honestly, the picture of Tanger and his woman looks like it could easily be some kind of advertisement (what's with the "black screen?") ... remember, he DOES dabble in modeling.  Although I did more 'research' on 25stanley.com and it looks he has other pictures of Letang pool-side with someone who resembles the girl in the picture with him (to the right) - Catherine Occupation Double?  Who knows ... decide for yourself.

As for Tazer, he was at the Cubs game on Sunday with a blonde bombshell by the name of Gabrielle Velasquez.  Apparently Twitter was A-BUZZ about it that day.  If you'd like to know / see more, visit "Busted Coverage."


courtesy @AndrewCieslak via "Busted Coverage"

Eastern Conference Eye Candy [and Newly Wedded]: Max Pacioretty (Montreal Canadiens)

HOCKEY FACTOR:

Max Pacioretty began skating at the age of five and, unlike alot of players, was the first in his family to play hockey.  It was a genuine love of the game he acquired on his own (and not a deep-rooted family love of hockey) that led him to where he is today.

At age six, Pacioretty joined a mite B team after they needed someone to play on the team.  He enjoyed it so much that he decided to continue to play.

His next step was high school hockey at New Canaan High School where he only played during his freshman year (2004-05) and moved on to a private, prep school (The Taft School) located in Watertown, Connecticut (2005-06).

The next season (2006-07), Max joined the USHL playing for the Sioux City Muskateers and earned a few honors (USHL Rookie of the Year; named to the USHL All-Rookie Team) before deciding to play collegiate hockey for the Wolverines of the University of Michigan for a single season in the CCHA (2007-08).  He had a productive freshman season helping to lead the team to the 2007 CCHA championship (but was ultimately defeated by Notre Dame); ranking fourth in scoring (15 goals, 24 assists in 37 games), and fifth in US college hockey among rookies in points (39) and PPG (1.05); being named CCHA Rookie of the Year, and making the College Hockey News All-Star and CCHA Rookie teams.

While playing his freshman year in college, he was drafted in the first round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens (22nd overall) and gave up the remaining three years of his college eligibility in order to play professionally.

He also played in the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships for Team US in 2008 (the team didn't win a medal, but they came in fourth place).

On July 17, 2008, the Canadiens signed Pacioretty to a three-year, entry-level contract.  And after a season of spending equal amounts of time with both the Canadiens and their AHL affiliate the Hamilton Bulldogs (2008-09) playing his debut NHL game on January 2, 2009; then another season spending the majority of his time on the NHL roster (2009-10), Max proved himself worthy of wearing the Canadiens jersey full-time last season (2010-11).  He scored his first "career winningpgoal, in overtime" on January 8, 2011 against the Boston Bruins and played in his 100th NHL career game on January 12, 2011 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.  He recently extended his contract with Montreal by signing a two-year deal last month (June 20, 2011).

He's probably most known to those who aren't avid Canadiens fans for two unfortunate incidences last season (which, coincidentally or not, involved the Boston Bruins):

1. the hit he took from Boston's Zdeno Chara that had him carried off the ice in a stretcher after laying motionless during a game on March 8th; he suffered from a concussion and neck injury (CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO); and
2. his "ill-timed tweet" that caused quite a stir comparing the length of a game that took place on April 23rd (which went into two overtime periods) to Brad Marchand's nose (I'll leave it for you to make your own assumption or to read the article that includes the actual tweet!)

HOTNESS FACTOR:

Pacioretty is an American player who was born in New Canaan, Connecticut.  The majority of his family is actually from California, but his mom and dad moved to Connecticut before he was born (thus the reason why he was the first one in his family with an interest in playing hockey).  He also has some family residing in Quebec, Canada who he visited all the time and enabled him and his father to attend a couple of games when he was younger.

He's called "Patch" or "Patches" because of [the pronunciation of] his last name.  And, interestingly, he is the first player in Montreal's franchise history to wear the number 67.

And some of you may recall reading it here this past weekend, "Patches" is a newly married man.  He tied the knot this past Saturday, July 23, 2011, in NYC.  His newly blushing bride is the sister of former NHLer Maxim Afinogenov (Buffalo Sabres), Katia Afinogenov.

courtesy of @DesyStorm (Phil DeSimone)

Some FAVORITES:
NHL Team - NY Rangers
TV Show - The Chapelle Show
Comedian - Dave Chapelle
Movie - Tommy Boy
Video Game - Halo
Band - O.A.R. (Of A Revolution)

Information found in this post obtained from the following sites:
Max Pacioretty's Montreal Canadiens Player Profile page
MGoBlue.com "Checking In With Max Pacioretty"
Max Pacioretty Wikipedia
Hockey'sfuture Player Profile: Max Pacioretty

MORE On This Summer's [Hockey] Weddings (WITH PICS!)

After all of yesterday's hockey weddings, I started doing some research on others (trying to keep track of the couples that I listed on my "Engagements" page) and here's the low-down with some additional information (and maybe even pics) for the ones I could find it on including a few I didn't mention yesterday.

As a side note, my plan for now is possibly featuring a few of these players in the upcoming weeks as ECEC and WCH, so be on the lookout for that as well!  So until then ...

ENJOY, ladies, and ...

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE NEWLY MARRIED [HOCKEY] COUPLES!!!

NICK FOLIGNO (Janelle Forest)
Friday, July 15, 2011 - Niagara on the Lake

Photo courtesy of Bullet News Niagara

MAXIM AFINOGENOV (Elena Dementieva)
Saturday, July 16, 2011
pictured below
 

courtesy of photographer, Tatiana Garanina





courtesy of fuller edge photography

ANDREW LADD (Brandy Johnson)

Saturday, July 16, 2011 - Tryst Nightclub at Wynn in Las Vegas
CLICK HERE TO VIEW AN ENTIRE "SNEAK PEEK" OF WEDDING PHOTOS FROM PHOTOGRAPHER'S SITE, "fuller edge" taken at the Neon Museum in Las Vegas (pictured left and below)

courtesy of fuller edge photography

courtesy of @BizNasty2point0

CAL CLUTTERBUCK (Cassie DePalo)
Friday, July 22, 2011 - Welland, Ontario, CAN
pictured left

courtesy of @RayK71

RAY KAUNISTO (Gillian Stewart)

Saturday, July 23, 2011

pictured right

MAX PACIORETTY (Katia Afinogenov)

Saturday, July 23, 2011 - NYC

Groomsmen pic (below)

courtesy of Phil DeSimone via @DesyStorm

Summer Is BIG for NHL Weddings!

OF COURSE it is ... it's the off-season!!

SATURDAY, JULY 23, 2011
Today, the NHL world is "a-buzz" with wedded bliss (according to Twitter)!!

The following NHLers are tying the knot today:
TANNER GLASS (Winnipeg Jets, formerly Vancouver Canucks) and Emily Tracy
RAY KAUNISTO (LA Kings) and Gillian Stewart
MAX PACIORETTY (Montreal Canadiens) and Katia Afinogenov, Maxim's sister - see below

AND ... SATURDAY, JULY 17, 2011

They tied the knot last weekend:
MAXIM AFINOGENOV (formerly of the Buffalo Sabres) and Elena Dementieva, tennis player (pictured below)

FINALLY ... Wedding Bells for Fleury and Veronique!

THANKS to a tip from HftL reader, Katie, I found this HUGE tidbit HIDDEN DEEP within a list of "blurbs" in yesterday's Cape Breton Post ...

Marc-Andre and long-time girlfriend, Veronique LaRosee, are engaged and plan to tie the knot sometime next summer.

Next summer, Fleury and his long-time girlfriend and now fiancée Veronique will get married. The two have been dating since Fleury was 15-years-old.

SO stay tuned to HftL for all the information on the nuptuals right up until the wedding day and CONGRATULATIONS TO MAF AND VERO!!

[Some Malkin] To Hold You Over ...

Do any of you remember me?

Yes, I am still around, but I just haven't had the motivation (if you can believe that) to work much on the blogs even though there has been TONS of hottie news to report!!

Every weekend, it's the same thing ... on Friday I think of how much I'm going to get done on the blogs and then Sunday evening rolls around and I'm like, "ugh - where did that time go?" And posts get pushed until the "end" [of the weekend] so, by that time, it's a last-minute thing and I get overwhelmed.  It becomes somewhat of a struggle more than it's been an enjoyment (which is typically what writing on these blogs is for me!).  When things start getting more like "work" rather than FUN, I tend to avoid them (and find other things to distract me - perfect definition of P-R-O-C-R-A-S-T-I-N-A-T-O-R -- that's ME!)!! ; P

ALSO -- I think a part of it has to do with this recent Jagr fiasco (it was more than my poor little hockey heart could take!).  I didn't mention it much here ... I did somewhat on my other blog (READ MORE HERE), but that took a HUGE chunk of the "hockey enthusiasm" out of me and I think I was (still am, a little) in a type of "hockey depression" (even moreso than I usually am during the off-season which, I'm sure, most of you can understand!)!! 

I believe I've mentioned here more than once that Jaromir Jagr was my VERY FIRST HOCKEY BOYFRIEND and was one of the reasons I started watching / enjoying the sport in the first place (read the story of how I become a hockey fan HERE).  When the Penguins finally traded him back in 2001, it was a great disappointment for me and I had went into a little bit of a depression at that time as well (even stopped watching hockey altogether for a time - but as a REAL FAN, I couldn't stay away forever and returned when the Penguins "hit the lottery" and picked up someone by the name of Sidney Crosby - and, as all of you are well-aware -- I've been transfixed ever since!), so to go through all the HOOPLA with Jagr this last time - on an even greater scale this time around - was a really big blow to me as a fan ... this was the final straw for me with Jagr [especially his signing with Philly], but I think I can safely say that I'm starting to come around again and feel like "myself" again ... ready to take on the hockey [hottie] world once again ... I'M SO OVER IT (December 29th - Pittsburgh VS Philly ... HERE I COME!)!!

This is actually how big of a HOCKEY FAN I am ... some of that stuff affected me so intensely that all the enjoyment I get out of watching, reading, listening to, talking / blogging about hockey was just squashed and I literally haven't had any desire to have anything to do with it for awhile (THUS no posts since then).  I think I'm on the upswing for right now, but I'm not promising anything because I also feel badly when I don't come through for you with my promises ... I want to enjoy this again and I want this to be for FUN and not become work like it has been for me, soooo ...

I actually came on here to post something to "hold you guys over," but once I started this I ended up writing a pretty therapeutic post (and ended up explaining myself in the process!) ... things DO happen for a reason and I'm hoping all of you understand (perhaps can even relate a little!)!

ONE MORE THING before I move on to the real reason I began this post ... THANKS TO ALL OF YOU for sticking through this with me yet again!!  I appreciate your loyalty more than you will ever know especially since these hiatuses can be frequent at times!!  Blogging is enjoyable, but I consider it such a BONUS / BENEFIT to have great readers, followers, friends because of it!!  THANKS, also, for those of you who continued to email me and post things on my Facebook wall ... for those of you who haven't received an answer, please continue to be patient as I will get back to you (it's always a goal of mine to get back to as many of you as I can!)!!

OK ... now I'll move on to the real business at hand (it can serve as a little gift of appreciation to all of you, as well, if you haven't already seen it!)!!

For the past few days, the Penguins webpage has been posting "From Russia with Love."  Penguins strength and conditioning coach, Mike Kadar, has travelled to Russia so that he's able to help Malkin start training.

Below are links to all of the pages on the Penguins webpage that have videos and pictures of the training ... and what can I say ... I LOVE Malkin (he's so fun and seems like he'd be great to hang around ... my type of person ... LOVES to have fun and joke!)!!  And with this heat ... what a great time to see him enjoying the swimming pool - NICE!!  So ENJOY, ladies (and, as always, feel free to leave comments - they're always welcomed and appreciated!)!!  Just a small "warning" ... this will DEFINITELY make you miss hockey more than you already do (and anxious to see Malkin, Crosby, and the rest of the boys back in action on the ice!)!!!

From Russia With Love: Part 3

From Russia With Love: Part 2

From Russia With Love: Part 1

Page of Training Photos