Welcome and Intro

Welcome to Puck Potpourri!  As the tagline mentions this is a new blog about hockey, and some other stuff.  We are Curt Romey and Aaron Asselstine, and we thought it might be prudent to introduce ourselves.  Hopefully you'll find our musings and rantings entertaining and informative.  At the very least we should inspire all of you in the belief that if we can do it, you can do it just as well, and likely better!  React as you see it!  We welcome all comers so your opinion is sought...and appreciated.  Read on to learn a little bit about us. 

Aaron Asselstine

Hey people.  I enjoy bringing my interest in the arts, particularly politics (considered the master science by Plato!) and philosophy to my writings.  Don't be surprised if I manage to draw some wild comparison between hockey culture and our current economic or political order.

As for sports, well my team has always been the Vancouver Canucks.  Growing up in Vancouver I've watched every playoff failure dating back to my earliest Hockey memories in the early 90s.  I've shed tears, gone for long lonely walks, jumped up and down on the couch and coffee table (Think Bure, Overtime, Calgary, 1994), and had more disappointment than I care to remember.  That being said, its a good time to be a Canuck fan, and my hopes are cautiously high.  If I had to pick a second team, it would be the Montreal Canadians.  The first piece of clothing I ever loved was a red Montreal Canadians sweatshirt.  I wore it until my mom disappeared it.  I believe I cried. 

Here's a few of my favourite things, if your interested. 

Movie:  No Country For Old Men.  Its so difficult to pick a favourite movie.  Actually its not difficult, its impossible.  Maybe we'll do a top 10 favourite films down the road, but for now I'll go with this gem because of the incredible dialogue, beautiful tones, and interesting characters.  Honourable mention to Fight Club...I think that’s cheating.

Band:  Ga...how to pick.  I'll go with David Bazan and his former band Pedro the Lion.  Despite his small profile, this Seattle based artist was ranked by Paste Magazine as one of the hundred greatest living songwriters.  He is astounding for his lyrical honesty and haunting voice.  The only artist who even comes close to Mr. Bazan's honesty and self awareness is Trent Reznor of the NIN.

Top 5 Hockey Players:

Pavel Bure: The most exciting player of all time.  Played the game with a reckless abandon and showed a enthusiasm for scoring we haven't seen until this next pick.
   

Alex Ovechkin:  Without a doubt Ovi is the greatest combination of skill, strength, speed, and enthusiasm of all time.  He simply overpowers opponents.  

Peter Forsberg:  Growing up I despised Colorado because they routinely shellacked the Canucks, but my fandom could not look past the combination of skill and grit brought to bear by Foppa.  The best player of his generation along with Jagr.  Damn his wonky feet!

Jaromir Jagr:  Stick Skills, amazing vision, incredible leg strength, and a sick mullet.

Mike Green:  The fact that I traded for him in my fantasy keeper league for Brian Rolston cements his spot!  I love puck moving, scoring defensemen, who bring personality and flair to the position.  

2nd Best:  Mario Lemieux, Igor Larionov, PK Subban, Pavel Datsyuk, Teemu Selanne, Nick Lidstrom

Curt Romey

Let me begin by telling you what I am not. I am not one who is entertained by reading blog posts centred around the imaginary. From me you will never read "wouldn't it be sweet if The Maple Leafs traded Mike Komisarek for Drew Doughty." No fans, unlike some, I will never belittle your hockey IQ.

Now, let me be forthright and let you all in on the worst kept secret of my life: I am a huge Toronto Maple Leaf fan! I am also a history major so I realize the length since they last hoisted Lord Stanley (going on 44 years) and the pains that the team has endured during those years. Similar to my other colleague I do have a healthy appetite for debate. I primarily choose to write a hockey blog, not to further my writing skills, but to hear what you all have to say about my opinions... and to hear your as well.

Movie: Really its the whole Bourne Identity series, but if I had to pick one it would be the first (as is true with nearly all sequels). Extremely well written, good chase scenes and targets an intelligent audience. If from watching this movie you didn't want to immediately quit your day job and start training for a life of espionage, better check your pulse.

Band: I do not really have a favorite. I do have a favorite album though. You, Yourself or Someone like you by Matchbox Twenty.

Top 5 Hockey Players:

Doug Gilmour: I lament the days when NHLers could actually receive and dish on their backhand as good as on their forehand. "Killer" made the template for the Mike Richards' of the world today.

Pavel Bure: The "Russian Rocket" had no equal. I grew up in the Lower Mainland and made the one hour trip to the garage as often as I could. Watching what Bure could do during the pre-game skate alone was worth the price of admission.

Mike Richards: You will soon learn that most of my favorite players have three things in common: character, edge, and defensive awareness. In today's NHL Richard's is among the few who exude those attributes in all three zones.

Peter Forsberg: It's hard to put into words how good this player was. He was a horse. It's impossible to extrapolate the numbers to see what a point per game performer during the "clutch and grab" era would get now, but in my mind Forsberg would give Sid and Ovi a run for the scoring titles if these players played in the same era. He epitomized willpower, strength and creativity: the rarest of combinations in a hockey player.

Jonathan Toews: Simply put he is the next Steve Yzerman. Classy, leads by example, and most importantly, he is a winner.

Aaron and Curt
Skate