When pain starts interfering with your game, it’s time to take action!

From http://www.farparker.com/ - Beer League Hockey's Web Resource!

I would have scored, but...
Written By Dr. Jamie J. Gallant, ND

www.doctorgallant.com

More often than most of us would like, pain interferes with our highest ambitions regarding goal-scoring (or saving) glory. Old injuries from past glorious (and not so glorious) victories can come back to haunt us leaving you open to the “washed up has been” teammate back talking. I know you’re as good as you think you are, in fact, you’re better! If only that sore knee, back, or shoulder would get better, you would be scoring goals in no time!

As a Naturopathic Physician specializing in Prolotherapy, I see aspiring athletes everyday denied of their latest glory due to injury. As we get older we often obtain more and more battle scars opening us up for, yes you guessed it, more injury.

The good news is that there are solutions. Being healthy is the first and most obvious one. A healthy diet full of vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds and lean protein such as chicken and fish is a great place to start. Remember that your body is built with what you eat so you don’t build a championship physique with burgers and pizza. Supplements also can be helpful. For starters, I recommend everyone regularly takes a good quality fish oil, multivitamin, and for those of you in pain, MSM and glucosamine.

Useful treatments to reduce your pain are manipulation (no not your spouse, but your spine), acupuncture; massage therapy and a variety of injection techniques. I often advise active athletes to see a good massage therapist at least twice a month if you want to stay on top of your game. A tight muscle is a soon to be injured muscle - not only that, it is also weaker and will hamper your performance. Spinal manipulation is also an important part of your overall wellness. Spinal segments need to have optimal mobility to allow for your body to function at its full potential. Manipulation will help maintain a healthy spine and go a long way for back and neck injury prevention. Finally, for those of you who are falling apart (or so it seems), you will usually need some prolotherapy to repair some of the old injuries to your ligaments and tendons. Prolotherapy involves an injection of dextrose (glucose sugar) and local anaesthetic into various ligament attachments to speed up repair. Unfortunately, ligaments and tendons tend to hold grudges and have a hard time letting go of past abuse. After 6-10 treatments the tissues improve in strength and usually dramatically improve pain.

If you are sick of hearing your teammates snicker when you are busy taping yourself together in the dressing room, it may be time for some rejuvenation to see if you still got the stuff!

For additional information on Naturopathic Medicine, or to find a Doctor of Naturopathic in your area, please visit www.cand.ca. To contact Dr. Gallant directly, please visit www.doctorgallant.com.

Trying to Fit Into Last Year's Gear? Check These Tips to Increase Your Veggie Intake!

Tips to Increase Your Fruit & Vegetable Intake – Choose 8-10 servings a day for optimal health and recovery from exercise - Nanci S. Guest MSc, Registered Dietitian

1) Add fresh produce to foods you already eat - like berries or bananas to yogurt & cereal; your favorite veggies to pasta, pizza, soups & casseroles; and spinach leaves, tomato, cucumber & onion to sandwiches; fresh strawberries or raspberries with peanut butter on toast (my favorite!)

2) Keep fruits/veggies easily accessible by pre-cutting (99% of nutrients remain for days) and keeping them ready to go in the fridge:

* pre-made fruit salad: grab a scoop to toss over cereal, blend in a smoothie or mix with low fat yogurt in plastic container – breakfast to go!

* keep pre-portioned veggies in baggies to grab on the run – keep in car, office fridge, school/gym bag

3) Make homemade vegetarian pizza with tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, onions, sweet bell peppers or any other veggies (pizza can be topped with anything – get creative!), or if ordering pizza ask for triple veggies and skip the pepperoni!

4) Pack ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables for a convenient snack on the go, such as an apple, pear, banana, grapes or baby carrots (if you pack it, you’ll eat it!)

5) Eat dried fruit instead of candy (be aware: dried fruit calories can add up if weight loss is goal)

6) Make a smoothie by combining fruit (frozen berries, banana,) yogurt, juice and ice

7) Make homemade salsas/dips with tomatoes, mangoes, avocados, red onions, cilantro, & limejuice – enjoy with baked tortilla chips

8) Add bell pepper strips, broccoli florets, carrot slices, or cucumber to pasta salad or potato salad

9) Purchase pre-cut vegetable, fruits and salad mixes (convenience helps improve intake and research shows that very little nutritional value is lost)

10) Add apple chunks, pineapple or raisins to chicken or tuna salad.

11) When grilling, include vegetable in aluminum foil, or grill skewers of pineapple, eggplant, zucchini, or cherry tomatoes

12) Add fruit to your cold or hot cereal (sliced apples & cinnamon in oatmeal - yum!)

13) Try a new fruit or vegetable every week (get creative with new foods)

14) Choose juices whose labels claim: 100% fruit juice, or invest in a juicer and juice your own

15) Use bell peppers sliced in half as a pocket for tuna, salmon or egg salads – a nice change to bread and a good dose of nutrients to go with it.

For more health, nutrition and tip articles to improve your hockey game, health and lifestyle, check out the http://www.farparker.com/ "DID YOU KNOW" section!

Keeping It Simple - Healthy Eating Habits for Athletes

Nanci S. Guest MSc ,RD, CSCS  Sport Dietitian/Strength & Conditioning Coach

1) Drink plenty of water! Water regulates body temperature and carries nutrients and waste products throughout the body. Low fat milk, 100% juice, tea (black or green) and moderate amounts of coffee sum up the healthy beverage list. As a “functional beverage” however, and training more than 1 hour, try a commercial sports drink (or a homemade sports drink: “diluted orange or cranberry juice”: ½ cup juice per 1 cup water, & a tiny pinch of salt) to provide fluid and fuel to muscles - salt helps retain hydration, and the carbs will: fuel to allow maximal efforts right to the end of a game/training session, prevent the use of protein as a fuel source and inhibit stress hormone release linked to suppressed immune function. 

2) Eat breakfast! What you eat today, fuels tomorrow’s workout. Glycogen (muscle fuel) storage today will be critical as an energy source tomorrow. Carbohydrates fuel exercise. Eat fruit, healthy muffins, bagel or toast & peanut butter, cereal, pancakes, waffles, or French toast. Add eggs, yogurt or glass of milk for protein, & add a banana or orange juice for potassium. 

3) Calcium, found in milk, soy milk, yogurt, cheeses, cottage cheese, tofu, and green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli, collard greens, and kale is needed for strong bones and may protect against muscle cramps. Calcium strengthens bone density. Select 3 to 4 servings per day of calcium rich low-fat dairy products & 1-2 servings of green leafy vegetables. 

4) Carbohydrates are the fuel source for muscles and the brain, and they spare muscle protein. These are the primary energy sources for all types of exercise. 55-65% (6-10+ g/kg bodyweight) of calories should come from carbohydrates: whole grain breads, cereals, and pasta; potatoes, rice, beans, fruit & vegetables. Select 9-15+ servings of carbohydrate foods (fruits, veggies & grain products) per day. At least one third of the plate should be covered with carbohydrate foods.  

5) Eat fruits and vegetables for fiber, potassium, and vitamins C & A, and lots of phytochemical antioxidants. Green & black teas also have lots of antioxidant power.  Select 3-5 servings of vegetables (at least 1 green leafy veg), and 3-5 servings of fruits (at least 1 citrus fruit) DAILY. Optimal health/immunity means your best sport performance & recovery from training!

6) Meat, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, tofu, dairy products and nuts are protein sources needed for muscle development & repair, sources of B vitamins, and iron. 2-3 servings are needed per day. 12-15% (1.2-1.6 g/kg bodyweight) of the day's total calories should come from protein sources. Try eating small amounts of protein often throughout the day, as it is not stored in the body, and amino acid concentration in blood dictates the rate of muscle growth/recovery. 

7) Fats and oils should be used sparingly. 20-25% of the day's total calories should come from fat (mostly good fats!). Good fats include nuts, seeds, olive oil & other plant-based sources. Fatty fish (eg salmon) are an important source of omega-3 fats – this can be taken as a fish oil supplement to ensure consistency/reduction of heavy metals common in ocean fish. Limit the unhealthy fats found in whole fat dairy products (choose low fat varieties), fried foods, meat, poultry, hot dogs, fast food burgers & watch trans or saturated fats in snack foods (chips, cookies, pastries, muffins, fries, doughnuts, ice-cream, milkshakes).

8) Snacks can be healthy - select bagels, low fat muffins, cereal, fruit leather, energy bars, fig Newton’s, yogurt, bananas, apples, oranges, peanut butter and crackers, popcorn, raisins, carrots, & some unsalted nuts (almonds, pistachios, cashews, walnuts, peanuts). Snacks supply additional protein for muscle development, and carbohydrates for muscle fuel & maintenance of blood sugar levels. Plan ahead so you always have snacks available before & after training (keep “healthy” trail mix, energy bars, protein bars, cheese strings, raisins, apples & bananas, sport drink (Gatorade) in your school/gym bag or car).

Check out this and other helpful tips and articles at FarParker

European Expansion of NHL Not Likely

By FarParker's Scott Simpson 

Following the NHL’s exhibition season that saw the Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins play games in Prague and Stockholm, talk again ramped up about the possibility of the NHL expanding into Europe.  Let me state something clearly right now – this is pure folly and completely irrational, and will not happen in the next 20 years, or perhaps ever.  Here’s why.

Let’s first look at why the NHL may wish to consider European expansion.  First, to grow the game internationally.  Sure, makes sense.  Second, to increase the size of their fan base.  Elementary, my dear.  But the number one reason the NHL would wish to expand across seas is more self-serving; and yes our beloved NHL is not above making self-serving decisions.  Expansion to Europe would mean a substantial boost in league revenue.  There I’ve said it, more greenbacks!  New teams = hundreds of millions in expansion fees, ticket sales, and merchandising.  From the players’ union perspective, things don’t look too bad either.  More teams means longer careers from some union members, and sizeable membership growth which means more dues revenue and more financial stability for the union.

Now this all sounds so positive and “win-win” so let’s just get the wheels rolling to get it done, right?  Well not so fast.  We need to remember that currently there is not one single major sports league (including mega-dollar sports such as soccer – “football” for our European friends, or the NFL) that has regular cross-Atlantic travel for its teams as part of its regular season.   Let’s look at some of the road blocks. 

Geographical logistics  

There’s been talk establishing a European division with North American teams making one or two European trips a year to take on their foreign counterparts.  Conversely, the European teams would play 18 games in North America each year, or three trips cross-ocean trips.  First, this means that the European teams would be making more trips across the pond, and playing more inter-divisional games than the American and Canadian teams.  Today’s fans will, and should, not accept this kind of regular season inequity. 

Alternatively, some have spoke of the North American champion meeting the European champion for a 7-game showdown for the Stanley Cup.  Is this really what we want?  Isn’t it logical to assume that two to five of the 30 North American teams would be stronger squads than one of the six or seven European teams?  Again, too much inequity.  Even if some kind of logical, equitable schedule could be worked out and agreed upon by all, the logistics and cost of transporting professional sports teams across the ocean for games is too much to overcome.   It’s not just flying 24 athletes and three coaches per team, but their training staffs, medical and video personnel, medical equipment, and hockey equipment.  With flights of that length, teams could not just fly over and play the next day, an extra day would be needed to allow the players’ bodies to adjust to the jet lag, and large time difference.  The same would apply upon their return to North America.  The regular season would need to be shortened, or league schedulers would need to become magicians to avoid dragging the season weeks longer.

European Rinks

Besides adjusting the size of the European ice surfaces to the smaller North American dimensions, very few European rinks sport the seating capacity and luxury boxes necessary to deliver the gate-revenue needed by NHL franchises.  Major infrastructure investment would be needed.

Finding Potential European Owners

Relative to football, baseball and basketball teams, the cost of an NHL expansion franchise is a bargain, but to “average Joe’s” like you and me, the approximately $150 million in expansion fees needed and all the start up costs is a large bill.  Finding six or seven new owners at one time with that kind of money is a daunting task.

Established European Hockey Leagues

Does the NHL expect long-established elite European hockey leagues and their teams to just roll-over and allow the big bad NHL to encroach on their markets without a huge fight?  I’m willing to bet for example, the Swedish Elite League and their teams and their lawyers would have more than a few things to say if the NHL decided to locate a European team in Stockholm. Not to mention Russia’s new KHL and their well-funded owners.  

To the NHL’s credit, it has been partly the talk of some players and owners, and largely the work of the media that has fuelled this on-going story, not the league. While some like Senator’s owner Eugene Melnyk and players Daniel Alfredsson and Jarkko Ruutu have expressed great optimism and desire for European expansion, Gary Bettman, NHL Commissioner, has been far more tempered in his comments.

 

He was recently quoted as saying, “We want to develop a more permanent, more regular presence in Europe, (but) permanent doesn’t necessarily mean franchises on the ground or ever.  That might happen at some point of the future.  It might not.  It’s not on the drawing board.”

Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but one that does show that the NHL is acutely aware of the many challenges facing such an undertaking.   I think players, fans and owners have to realize that the NHL plans to grow its season-launching games in Europe in the coming years.  Two years ago, two teams played two games in London, this year four teams played four games in two different European cities. Next year, the plan is to grow it again.  Is this not the perfect solution?  Without all the logistical and financial nightmares, the NHL accomplishes its two main objectives – growing the game internationally and exposing its product to a wider audience.  It seems like problem solved to me. 

Read more postings by Scott at FarParker's "Did You Know?" Section!

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Beer League Hockey - It's GOOD To Be Back!

Time for some Custom Mask Painting? PuckGobbler Interviews Tony Jarrett of Masked Expressions

Being a beer league goalie, I had always thought about the day when I would bite the bullet and have my mask painted, and then my opportunity presented itself after last spring season ended. I went all-out and replaced EVERY single item of my gear, right down to my new vapour-thin socks. Part of this splurge also included a new Itech 960 mask, which through my bro-in-law’s referral, I had sent down to a mask designer in North Carolina. The finished product came back beyond my expectations; with my childhood heroes (Wolverine…Daredevil…The Punisher) blazing greatness on the shell that has so many times now saved my life! In fact, I was so impressed with the quality, speed and price I wanted to share this story with all of you, since it really no longer has to break the bank to make you look just that much cooler in the game…

(Check this and many more interviews out at  FarParker Interviews)

How are things in North Carolina Tony - sunny and busy I hope?

Things are great here in NC, sunny and 73. I am very busy these days, as people are finally figuring out that Masked Expressions is offering the highest of quality paint jobs at half the price of many other mask-painting companies. As you know, I believe in quality and making people happy!

I believe it! How long have you been doing the Masked Expressions business now, and when did you figure out you have a knack for this line of work?

Masked Expressions has been in business now going on 16 years. I figured out that I should be doing this when I was working for my father, who has pretty much done everything that can be done in the custom painting world. Bill Horn, a goalie for the Greensboro Monarchs ECHL team here was one of the guys who helped me with the idea. He and I became good friends - he would hang out at our shop and one day he said, “Why don't you do this?” He saw me trying to get other goalies masks for my dad to paint and said, “This is your gig man, how about doing my mask!” From there he introduced me to a couple other guys and then I just went crazy with the idea. 

I was also lucky - the Florida Panthers moved their American Hockey League team here and that is where I met Kevin Weekes (whom I did maybe 10-12 masks for) and several others. Then the Carolina Hurricanes moved here, and that is where I met Wally Tatomir, the Team’s equipment Manager. He and I made good friends and I created many goalie masks for them, including Trevor Kidd, Tom Barrasso, Arturs Irbe, Kirk McLean, Cam Ward and many minor league guys.

Wow – that’s quite a list already! I assume working with players like that made it a little easier (as opposed to scarier) to get into this business?

It was never scary to me doing this; I loved Hockey since I was a kid! During that time in the late sixties / early seventies my dad was friends with the Eastern Hockey League team the Greensboro Generals. They gave me my first pair of skates at 5 years old. They were always hanging out at my dad’s shop working on their cars too. My dad says he wished he knew the goalie mask craze would be the way it is today so he could have been first to start that - he admits the idea did happen but nothing was ever done.

Funny…a very wise man once told me to buy Yahoo! Stocks when they first went public…and I said, “Who the hell would buy into a company called Yahoo???” Since you started, do you have any idea of how many masks you’ve completed?

I could never give a number as to how many masks I have painted because it's just too many and I have no way of counting!

Are there any that easily stand out or come to mind?

I am proud of all the masks I have done, but one I am very proud of was a mask for Jerry Bruckheimer - he does a lot of the big movies like Pirates of the Caribbean and hit TV shows like CSI and others. I am a big fan of his work and he is a Hockey fan, and I was lucky enough to paint a mask for him that sits on his desk in a glass case of the Pirates of the Caribbean (see the attached photo).

Jerry Bruckheimer Pirate Mask, by Masked Expressions

And, if you HAD to pick an all-time favourite…?

One of my favorite masks was for Kevin Weekes while with the Florida Panthers - it had big Palm Trees and the Cat on top peeking out between the trees while the hot sun was behind him. Simple, but looked great even from a distance.

What would be the ‘weirdest’ or strangest mask you have ever done?

I have done some weird paintjobs, but my theory on that is what is weird to me might not be weird to you? Whatever the customer wants or likes is fine with me. I do see a lot of interesting ideas come my way, some challenging. I remember in the beginning a good customer came to me and wanted a mean Snowman. I thought, OK… I started the work and realized how do you make a Snowman mean - I always see them happy! I was unable to create that artwork and lost that customer, now I can do that and I just laugh it off.

What actually goes into the design process - can you describe this a bit for any goalies thinking of having this done? And maybe touch specifically on how the design is arrived at?

I spend good quality time with each customer to decide all of the details for the final artwork. I make a lot of notes and we match colours, and I always like to use as much existing art reference as possible. I believe that goalies want to show their personality on their mask…It shows if you are aggressive, or like happy things, or you just want the mask to match your gear.

Do you see this evolving into another branding opportunity for advertisers? Hell, logos are now everywhere in arenas (and hockey video games), so what's to stop it from the mask?

I had the idea of painting goalie masks using brand names and logos during the late nineties; I thought teams and goalies could get paid to have Coca Cola, Pizza Hut or anything on the mask to help sell products, but goalies did not like that since it had nothing to do with them!

For us "Beer-League Guys," what can we expect in terms of turnaround time, cost ranges and warranty stuff (if it chips and I can't paint, then what?!?)

Turnaround times for custom paint jobs now range around 2-4 weeks on average, and maybe a extra week or two for very detailed jobs. Prices vary, but an average is $300-450 U.S. Of course more is spent at times, but I try to keep the prices down as much as possible. I guarantee quality on every paint job, even single colors, and offer free touch-ups on normal wear and tear.

Any final comments about where you see the business going, or maybe the next evolution of goalie mask design?

Not sure where the mask is headed, but I hope to continue going forward with this; I really enjoy working with the people and making new friends as I have done for a long time now. I am now also working with Kevin Marlowe, the owner of a brand new mask company called 21 Degrees LLC. They are making the all-new Phantom mask formally known as the NXI Phantom. These masks are going to be awesome - they have been some of the most popular masks on the market for years, and I am glad to see them coming back. I will be helping by housing all of the products as they are made, as well painting all colours, custom paintjobs and doing assembly and shipping all over the world. Most companies that sold these masks before are looking forward to selling them again; they were easy to sell because of the price, quality and safety!

The business also has another facet as well, where I paint motorcycle helmets (for example players such as Henrik Zetterburg and A. Fronzen from the Detroit Red Wings), and have also now painted the hood of a racecar, taking things into some new directions. However, the goalie mask will always be the mainstay of the business…

Masked Expressions

The Phantom was actually on my top-choice list of masks, but I was unable to find one locally at the time…I think that may be the mask Loungo wears? At any rate, Tony, I would like to thank you on behalf of the FarParker Team for taking the time out of your busy schedule to do this interview with us – it was really fun and interesting, and I look forward to many more years of watching your work and success – best of luck! (And, here are a couple of images from my own mask you helped create - two years in, and still glistens like the day it arrived...thanks so much again!!)

Thanks PuckGobbler for being a great friend and a long time customer. I am glad I could answer these questions for you and will be glad to do so anytime! Thanks again!

Tony Jarrett

MASKED EXPRESSIONS

www.MaskedExpressions.com

PuckGobbler Visits Vancoouver's Gay Pride Parade (Not That There's Anything Wrong With That!!)

Another year of Vancouver Fireworks has come and gone, but I did manage to take in this Saturday's 'China' Show from my parents rooftop patio in English Bay...along with about eight martinis. As such, the decision to crash at their place was easy. The decision to get up Sunday morning and go watch the Gay Pride Parade (for the 1st time), was a little more challenging, but I'm actually very glad we went....simply put - this was a blast.

I've been to many parades before, and hands down, this takes the cake for fun, energy, crowd enthusiasm, things to see, variety of floats and participants...and sheer colour. There were tens of thousands of people lined along Denman, and not ONE hint of biggotry, racism, anger or angst. This was an event based on understanding, compassion, education and true spirit that brought people (gay and straight) together in a way I'd never seen before.

Speaking with an Iranian women in the crowd beside me, she nearly had tears in her eyes from the joy of now living in such a tolerant city. People are still executed in her homeland for coming out, and her decision to stay in Canada has been firmly rooted.

Now, I'm not gonna be all soapy and stuff here, but I did want to throw this out there that I am so dearly happy to live here in Vancouver where we can all get along, regardless of who we are and what we do. And, yes...the organisers of the parade were also quite kind to include several floats to make my enjoyment of the event that much better, kind of like watching 'The Bachelor' with your girlfriend or wife. Show sucks, but damn there's something for everyone to see to keep you entertained! If you haven't been before, do check this out next year; it was as big a bang as the fireworks the night before...