Here I'll try to keep you updated on what is going on in my life. 2011-12 Season
A LITTLE HELP FROM ABOVE!
January 10th, 2012... Tebowing? You're On! So I'm a huge fan of Tim Tebow and while watching the Broncos playoff game against the Steelers with some buddies that flew in from Michigan, they dared me to Tebow the next time I scored. I took the dare and who knew the next night I'd get my chance. I figured I'd better pay up or I would never hear the end of it, but I never expected all the talk from doing it! Ha, it's great, but even better is the fact that we finally got some offense for our goalies. They have been spectacular for us, so it was nice to give them a little cushion. Check out the video below of the goal, which ended up being the game-winner. Hallelujah!
Speaking of praying to a higher power, I want to give a shout out to Jack Jablonski, the 16-year-old Minnesota High School hockey player who was paralyzed after a check last week. We all BEL13VE you can pull through this tough time and are praying for you buddy!
You can follow Jack's progress on his facebook page. You can also read about his story here. Keep him in your thoughts please.
POUR SOME SUGAR ON ME!
January 4th, 2012... How Sweet It Is! Congratulations to Brady Hoke and the Michigan football team for an exciting 23-20 overtime victory against the Virginia Tech Hokies. It was a crazy game with a lot of strong defensive efforts from Mike Martin and the boys to hold them to field goals. Wow, I don't even know how to describe it, I'm speechless, but so happy. It's great to be a Michigan Wolverine.
Congratulations also to my Michigan Wolverines for bringing home another GLI title after beating Michigan State 3-2 in overtime. It has been a little bit of a rough season, but hopefully this can turn things around and they'll continue to climb the charts in the second half. Happy New Year Everyone! Here is to a great 2012!
Defenseman Kevin Clare scored in overtime to secure the 15th GLI title in program history!
LIKE FATHER LIKE SON!
December 30th, 2011... We had a pretty successful fathers' trip in Chicago and Winnipeg. Just spending time with my dad was great, but it brought back so many memories of when I was young traveling for tournaments and how far I have come because of him. My dad and mom sacrificed a lot to get me where I am today, so I am so thankful that I could share the experience with him. I wish we could've got a goal last night in Winnipeg especially with Bernier's performance, but we dropped a 1-0 decision in overtime. In Chicago my dad had the chance to catch up with Patrick Kane's dad, so it was just like the Vancouver Olympics for him. For that game we were on the winning end of shutout as we beat the Blackhawks 2-0. So far my dad is 4-0-1 on these trips, so maybe I'll keep him around more often on the road! Check out the videos below from the Kings to see a glimpse of what it was like.
I want to wish my Michigan Wolverines the best of luck tonight as they take on the Michigan State Spartans for the GLI Championship. I know you guys can do it! Also, good luck to the football team in the Sugar Bowl in a few days. I'm sure they're enjoying what New Orleans has to offer, but will focus and get down to business when it's go time. With Denard Robinson running the offense and Mike Martin leading the defense, the team is in good hands on the field. Speaking of football, it's an amazing feeling to be able to say that the Detroit Lions are in the playoffs! To put that in perspective, my brother was a year old the last time that happened (1999). That's a long time, but things have slowly turned around after they hit rock bottom and Matt Stafford is a true leader and is doing the city proud. He's a pro bowl quarterback in my book and I know he will lead the Lions to great things in the coming years.
I also want to wish the US World Junior and Under-17 teams the best of luck in their tournaments right now. I remember competing in those tournaments and there's nothing like it. Enjoy the experience, especially the atmosphere when facing Canada on their nation's soil. You'll make American proud and bring home the gold! And congratulations to USA women's hockey legend and 4-time Olympian Angela Ruggiero on her retirement. Classy, talented, and such a great ambassador for our sport.
TIME FOR A CHANGE!
December 20th, 2011... Well, it's nice to be home after a long road trip. It was fun to be back in Detroit and see my family and friends. Today the Kings announced that we have a coaching change with Darryl Sutter taking over behind the bench. We will see if things change around here and get better. I'm excited to be with my family for Christmas and hopefully Santa thinks I've been good this year! I especially want to thank and say happy holidays to our troops.
AMERICA'S GAME!
December 9th, 2011... Tomorrow is the 112th football game between Army and Navy, one of the greatest rivalries in sports. Everyone should tune in and watch the parade into the stadium by the Cadets and Midshipmen. It's spectacular and makes me proud to be an American. This game is all about pride, honor, and a sense of achievement. God bless you all and Go Navy, Go Army, and of course, Go USA! I will be watching with pride.
I NEED YOUR VOTES!
December 7th, 2011... The 2012 All-Star Game will be here soon! Hey Everyone! Hope you enjoyed Thanksgiving with your family and didn't eat too much turkey. I have a lot to be thankful for and thank all of you for supporting me. I need your help though. The voting for the 2012 NHL All-Star Game is going on right now and I'm short a lot of votes. I'm not even in the Top 20 for defensemen. It would be an honor to represent not only the Kings, but the United States and the University of Michigan at the game. Voting is simple, just go to vote.nhl.com and select my name under the "Defensemen" category. You can vote up to 30 times with 3 different methods. Help spread the word so I can make it to Ottawa and represent all of you!
How sweet it is! The Michigan football team is headed to the Sugar Bowl to take on the Virginia Tech Hokies on Tuesday, January 3 at 8:30pm ET. Thankfully we don't have a game that night, so you know I'll be glued to my TV cheering on Shoelace and the Maize and Blue! Speaking of football, the Lions are still in the playoff hunt, so these next few games are crucial. It would be great to "Restore the Roar" for a different Detroit team and make the playoffs. The Tigers were great this season and I know the Lions can be too!
With all this Michigan talk, it will be nice to return home with a game in Detroit on December 17th. I hope to see a lot of Michigan, Kings, and USA jerseys in the crowd. I know Detroit loves their Wings, but I have a lot of support in my hometown too!
Finally, in rememberance of the 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor today, I once again want to thank our Armed Forces for their sacrifice, especially during this holiday season when everyone wants to be around their loved ones. I know I have a lot of fans that look up to me and support me through everything, but our military personnel are the real heroes and I'm your #1 fan. Thank you for defending our country and God bless.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
November 23rd, 2011... A lot to be thankful for! It's Thanksgiving week and it's definitely an exciting time to be a King, but also a Michigan fan! It's Ohio State week and there's no bigger rivalry in sports than Michigan and Ohio State football. I'm excited for our boys in Maize and Blue to beat the Buckeyes on Saturday. Coach Hoke has got the boys playing well and it's time for another win in this legendary match-up!
Also, as a huge Tigers fan, I can't forget to congratulate Justin Verlander on not only being named the unanimous Cy Young winner in the American League (he won the triple crown too), but he was just named the American League's Most Valuable Player - the first starting pitcher to win the award in 25 years! He definitely deserved it and represents the Tigers and the city of Detroit with so much class and integrity. Speaking of my Detroit pride, the Lions have their annual Thanksgiving Day game tomorrow against the undefeated Green Bay Packers. It's always a great game to watch as the Lions play at another level on Thanksgiving, but it should be even better with the chance to hand the Packers their first loss of the season.
I can't forget to mention my good friend Sidney Crosby's return to the ice Monday. Not only did he help his team win, we was a star out there with two goals and two assists. Nothing like coming back with a purpose! Great for the game to have him back on the ice.
And as always, a Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, but especially our troops who sacrifice every day for our freedom and many of them will not be with their family and loved ones this Thanksgiving. Please thank a soldier for their sacrifice and your freedom every chance you can. Enjoy your time with family and friends!
Thanks to Those Who Served!
November 11th, 2011... They paid the price so we can have our freedom. Thank you veterans and military members and families for your sacrifice. Proud to be an American! Happy Veteran's Day!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
October 28th, 2011... Well, with Halloween just around the corner, I wanted to share a video from LAKings.com that talks about our worst costumes! Be safe, have fun, and Happy Halloween everyone! Enjoy!
Better To Be Lucky Than Good!
October 24th, 2011... Three's a charm! With our 1-0 win against Dallas on Saturday, goaltender Jonathan Quick became the first Kings goalie to ever record three straight shutouts. That's such an amazing accomplishment and I was proud to be a part of it. It's great to have him back there and know that he's going to get the job done. He might not be a big name like some of the other goalies in the league, but we know he's among the elite and hopefully this will get him the respect that he deserves. He just gets the job done each game and gives us a chance to win every night.
Better to be lucky than good! Speaking of three (such a great number), I scored the lone goal in the game and picked up my third game-winning goal of the young year. Nothing like going 282 career regular-season games without ever recording a game-winning goal and then scoring 3 in the first 7 games of this season. I'm most concerned with us getting two points in the standings, but it's always nice to know your goal made the difference.
With less than 5 minutes in the game, I broke a scoreless tie to get the win and Quicker's third straight shutout!
HOME SWEET HOME!
October 18th, 2011... After being on the road for awhile (we started the season with two games in Europe and then two more out east), it's great to be back in LA and I'm ready to play in front of the home crowd tonight at the Staples Center.
After having so much success the past few weeks, my home state of Michigan hit a bumpy road this weekend. The Tigers got knocked out of the American League playoffs, the Lions lost their first game of the year, and Michigan football lost for the first time - and to Michigan State! Thankfully as I come back to my new home in LA, we're coming off an overtime win (against Philadelphia), and we are ready to show Kings' fans what we can do this season. I appreciate all the support and will give my all every game.
For the second time in 4 games, I scored the overtime winner. I could get used to this, but prefer to only play 60 minutes!
PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!
October 12th, 2011... I said it before that hockey has taken me places and allowed me to experience things I never would have thought possible and yesterday I was honored to visit the United States Naval Academy. It gave me a chance to thank everyone there for what they have done for our country. I'm so proud to put on the red, white, and blue whenever I have a chance and will always represent my country because of the sacrifices our military makes every day. I'm so proud to be an American and I was humbled to meet some members of the U.S. Navy. It is an experience I will never forget and I really don't have words to describe how amazing it was to be there. I'm still in awe and feel so privileged to have been there.
October 9th, 2011... Just Win, Baby! Well, the 2011-12 season has officially begun. We started the season over in Europe first by playing an exhibition game against the Hamburg Freezers and then kicking off the the NHL season with a 3-2 overtime win against the New York Rangers in Stockholm, Sweden. We followed that up with a tough 4-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres in Berlin, Germany. It's amazing the places that hockey has taken me. I've been able to travel the world with both Team USA and the Kings and I'm thankful every day for all the opportunities I have been given. We are back in the United States and ready to battle every night for wins. I'm excited for this season. Every year we keep improving and I know the off-season acquisitions have made us an even better team this year.
Celebrating my overtime goal against the NY Rangers. It marked my first career regular season game-winning goal.
The Michigan football team continues to remain undefeated after scoring 28 unanswered points in the second half at Northwestern to win 42-24. Denard Robinson continues to be a human highlight reel with 117 yards rushing (and 2 touchdowns) and 337 yards passing with another 2 touchdowns. The Wolverines are ranked 12th in the nation and it looks like Brady Hoke is turning things around in his first year. It's great to be a Michigan Wolverine.
In other football news, legendary coach and owner Al Davis passed away yesterday. He was a true pioneer in the game of football and I send my condolences to his family and friends. He was the Oakland Raiders and his motto "Just win, baby!" reflects who he is. He didn't worry about anything except his team winning and the game lost a great person.
September 11th, 2011... Oh, what a night! Last night Michigan and Notre Dame played in an instant classic "Under the Lights" at the Big House. The game marked the first night game at Michigan Stadium in its history and it came down to the wire as Michigan overcame a 24-7 fourth quarter deficit to win 35-31 by scoring a touchdown with just 2 seconds left. It tied the third biggest comeback in Michigan history and it was played in front of an all-time record football crowd (college or NFL) of 114,804 people. Just another reason it is great to be a Michigan Wolverine and what a great event for the university.
I also want to take a moment to pay respect to all the men and women who lost their lives 10 years ago when our nation was attacked. It seems like only yesterday and my thoughts and prayers go out to all the family and friends of those who were killed. I'm so proud to be an American and thank of the police, firefighters, and citizens on Flight 93 that became heroes that day, risking their lives to save others. We will never forget.
September 7th, 2011... Unfortunately, the hockey world has been hit by tragedy again. It has been a very, very sad summer with three NHL players passing away in isolated incidents, but today the plane carrying the KHL team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl crashed on the way to their season opener, killing everyone on board except one player and one crew member. My thoughts and prayers go to the families and friends of all the players, staff, and crew members affected by this tragedy. I'm in shock and can't imagine losing all of my teammates at once. I'm at a loss for words and can only pray for them and hope they rest in peace.
September 3rd, 2011... College football is back! I love this time of year and I'm happy to report that Michigan started off the season with a win (even if they didn't finish the game due to the weather). The team looked great and I'm excited for the direction Brady Hoke has the team going. Now I can't wait for next week - not only is it a game between the two most-winningest teams in history, but it will be the first game under the lights at the Big House. Nothing better than Michigan vs. Notre Dame football, but adding a moment in history makes it even more special. Go Blue!
Also, follow me on wayin.com - you can find my profile here! I hope to get a lot of followers with a new way to look at photos as well as fun games to play.
July 11th, 2011... Hi Everyone! Just checking in during the summer. I can't wait for the season to start, but I'm busy training to prepare for it. As always, we are after the Cup and anything less is a failure. It's my dream, my goal, and my expectation. That's what I'm preparing for and what I play for every night. I play to win and absolutely hate losing.
The summer means Tigers baseball and so far they are in first place after the break. Hopefully they can keep it up and restore the roar in Detroit! And as always, I'm counting down the days until Michigan football starts. I'm a huge college football fan and I'm excited to see what new coach Brady Hoke can do with the Wolverines.
Speaking of praying to a higher power, I want to give a shout out to Jack Jablonski, the 16-year-old Minnesota High School hockey player who was paralyzed after a check last week. We all BEL13VE you can pull through this tough time and are praying for you buddy!
