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2014 Jeju Cup Winter Classic
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Unwilling to be restricted to being just an annual summer event, the Jeju Cup will be contested for a second time this calendar year — this time at the 2014 Jeju Cup Winter Classic.
On December 7th, 2014 players of all skill levels and from all locales are invited to be part of a full day of street hockey action — to declare the second Jeju Cup champion, and to push towards our goal of raising 1,000,000 KRW (approxmiately $1000 CAD) for the Jeju Islanders Hockey Club.
As of now, all Jeju Islanders weekly games and events rely solely on donations and out of pocket payments to operate. As our team has grown to regular weekly games of over 20 participants each week, and tournaments with attendance many times that, so have our required expenditures increased. Currently, we need funding for:
- The rental or construction of an equipment storage facility.
- Current and future tournament/event costs.
- Equipment:
- new sticks as old ones break, and to accommodate our rising amount of players.
- stick tape.
- street hockey balls.
- goalie equipment.
- jerseys.
- scoreboard.
- equipment maintenance.
- proper goal netting (currently our nets are lined with fishing netting).
To reach that goal, we'll have mini-game prizes, silent auction items, t-shirts for sale, concessions, and our registration fee that gets you a full day of tournament games, and lunch.
If you'd like to be a part of the competition and the effort, fill out this registration form:
Once you've filled out the registration form COMPLETE YOUR REGISTRATION and secure your spot in the tournament by transferring 25,000 KRW via ATM bank transfer to:
Jeju Bank 18-02-312272
You can also pay your registration fee online by clicking on this PayPal Pay Now button:
OR if you are a local you can pay me cash directly when I see you.
To get to the rink, get yourself to the Jeju City bus terminal on the 1132 highway. Head south a few blocks and fade a little east. It's right beside the swimming pool in the Sports Complex. Here's a map:
We are also actively seeking event sponsors who would like to have their company and/or product benefit from the exposure the Jeju Islanders and the Jeju Cup can offer them in our local community, and throughout the world, online. For sponsorship inquiries, please email firstname.lastname@example.com
Visit the Jeju Islanders Facebook page by clicking here.
Read about the inaugural Jeju Cup street hockey tournament:
1) In the Jeju Weekly: http://www.jejuweekly.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=4231
2) On this blog: http://davecunning.wordpress.com/2014/07/25/jeju-cup-scores-big-puts-hockey-on-the-map-in-jeju-south-korea/
3) in KelownaNow.com: http://www.kelownanow.com/columns/sports/news/Sports/14/07/19/Okanagan_Hockey_Player_Brings_Canada_s_Sport_to_South_Korea
See you at the rink!
-Dave Cunning
President & GM, Jeju Islanders Hockey Club
Follow @davecunningFollow @CunningAthletixFollow @xppsp
[Archive] 2014 interview with Matt Irwin
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My interview with San Jose Sharks' defenceman Matt Irwin posted on The Score's Backhand Shelf blog on March 26, 2014. The NHL sophomore went on to play his first season entirely in the NHL, with no AHL appearances. He boosted his game appearances from 38 to 62, added 11 assists to his 2012-13 total for a career high 17, finished with a career high 19 points and +5 rating. He also made his first ever NHL Stanley Cup playoff appearance and scored his first ever NHL Stanley Cup playoff goal in the first round against the LA Kings.
The audio of this interview can be heard on XP PSP: the eXPat Pro Sports Podcast, or on iTunes.
Interview: Getting to know San Jose Sharks' defenseman Matt Irwin
Posted by Dave Cunning under Interviews on Mar 26, 2014
He may not be a household name just yet, but San Jose Sharks defenseman Matt Irwin may work his way into your mental NHL player directory yet. Now in his second NHL season, the 26 year old British Columbian is continuing a trend from his amateur career that has seen his point totals, ice-time, and contributions to his team's success dynamically increase every year.
Irwin spoke with me at length about his long road to the NHL and what he'll have to do to stay there, the tough decisions he was required to make and small window of opportunity he had to live out his dream, past teammates that helped get him where he is now, current ones that help make him better, what the San Jose Sharks will have to do to win their first Stanley Cup, what it takes to be consistently inserted into a lineup full of Olympians, All-Stars, and Stanley Cup champions, and more.
Let's start at the beginning. In 04-05, you got to play three games of Junior A hockey just up the road from your hometown of Brentwood Bay, BC, with the Nanaimo Clippers of the BCHL. You didn't record any points, but did skate alongside future NHLer Jason Garisson. In 05-06, you played alongside future NHLer Colin Greening in Nanaimo for 56 games and had 9 points. In 06-07 you exploded for 49 points, was the team's top scoring d-man, the Clippers won the BCHL, and you were named the BCHL's best defenceman. 07-08 was more of the same, as you're again the team's top scoring d man, and win league's best defenceman. So explain your rather dynamic development in junior hockey — what did you take away from the guys you played with that went on to play at higher levels of the game, and how did it help influence your junior career to produce what it did?
Irwin: "Those three games were as an affiliate player. I played Junior B with Saanich in Victoria, and got an opportunity to play in three games [with Nanaimo] and see what it was all about. It was a big step for me. From there, I got the opportunity to sign and play [the following season] with them for the whole year where I got to play on a consistent basis. Not a lot of power play time, more five-on-five minutes. The following year when everything picked up, Bill [Bestwick] gave me a great opportunity to play on the power play. The first five games of that year I had five or six goals. It was all happening really fast, I wasn't expecting it. I was working on my shot, Bill had me working on it all the time. That's where the offensive side of it started to come together."
After you completed your junior career, you moved on to play NCAA hockey with UMass Amherst from 2008 to 2010. Instead of playing four seasons you only played two, joining the AHL's Worchester Sharks at the end of the 09-10 season, and did not return to the NCAA. Why did you choose not to stay for all four years after taking the BCHL scholarship route rather than major junior? Talk about making the choice to abandon a fully funded education.
Irwin: "It's interesting how it worked out. When you mention the WHL, I never had any interest in it at all until my 19 year old year of junior. At that point, it made no sense to leave Junior A and forgo a scholarship that I was about to get at that time to play only another year and a half of hockey, when I could play five and a half more years with the four year scholarship instead.
"I had full intentions going in when I stepped on campus at UMass of playing my four years and getting an education. After my first year, San Jose and some other teams were interested in bringing me out to their development camps. I ended up going to San Jose's, and they showed a lot of interest afterwards, regardless of whether or not I wanted to stay at school or leave then. I chose to go back for another year at UMass, and then after my second year, they offered a contract. It was the hardest decision I've had to make in terms of hockey. You're leaving an education on the table that's paid for, to pursue a dream that you've had since you were a kid with no guarantee that you'll make it to the NHL, or even be able to stick in the AHL. It was a risk. I got a lot of support from my family. What they told me, and what made me make my mind up, was that school would always be there, but my window of opportunity to chase my dream to play in the NHL or play professional hockey at my age – I was 22 when I left school, so I was older — to establish myself at that level in the AHL and get a crack at the NHL wasn't a large one. I figured that school would always be there. Jumping at the opportunity was something I had always wanted to do, and dreamt about as a kid. Afterwards, I could go back to school and go from there. I've been going back to school, and I'll be getting a degree pretty soon, so everything's falling into place."
What are you going to graduate with? What'd you see yourself doing with that education if pro hockey hadn't worked out? How are you taking classes while playing in the NHL?
Irwin: "I hadn't declared before, but it'll be a Bachelor's in Management Degree. I hadn't looked too far into what I could do. It was more or less that I just wanted to get myself a degree. Something in the business world. I was deciding on what degree would interest me the most and which I'd be able to do the majority of online, so that's where it went. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do if hockey doesn't pan out. We'll let those chips fall where they may and cross that bridge when we come to it."
While with playing in the AHL with Worchester, you skated alongside Logan Couture and Tommy Wingels who were on their way up to the NHL, and Jonathan Cheechoo who was rounding out his North American playing career. Was it reminiscent of your experience in Nanaimo, playing with future NHL guys? What did you learn from them at that level, now only one step away from the top?
Irwin: "It was huge going there. It was definitely an eye opener going to pro. It's a totally different lifestyle. When you're in school, you're either in the books or involved in your social life and hockey, whereas when you move on to pro it's pretty much hockey in the morning and then you've got the rest of the day to do what you want.
"You learn a lot from those guys that I've been around. Cheech was a great mentor for me to have my first year — a guy that had established himself as a goal scorer in the NHL, and won the Rocket Richard trophy for most goals in the league while he was in San Jose. Just to see how those guys prepare for practices and games, seeing them get called up, sent down, and how they react to being sent down. It doesn't change their game. They get a little pace, they get hungry, and keep pushing forward because the ultimate goal is to stick in the NHL. You learn from different experiences, and I think that helped my game a lot."
You played two more seasons with Worchester afterwards — At 25 years old, did you still think you had a good shot at the NHL, or were you starting to think about other options? Some guys at that age who are playing in the minors start thinking about other career paths, and ultimately some decide to move on, thinking their window is closed.
Irwin: "Well I kept up the school thing, but I was still chasing that dream of playing in the NHL. Like I said, when I left school, my window of opportunity was very small because of my age, and it's not too often you see guys that are 25 and older that are getting a fair crack in the NHL. There are a handful of guys, but your chances get smaller and smaller because there's so much young talent coming up. I knew where I stood in the organization. They always believed in me, and told me that I was on the right track — right where they wanted me to be as far as development. I thank them and give them a lot of credit for staying with me, believing in me, and giving me that opportunity. The first year that I got called up I never played, my second year I got called up, didn't play, but got to practice with the team for a week. That was a cool experience. Then when the lockout ended last year I got invited to training camp, and was able to play with the team for the majority of that season. I never gave up on the dream of playing in the NHL. When I was 25 it was only my third year of pro, so I knew if I kept going in the direction I was going, playing well and being dependable in Worchester, they were going to give me a chance up here in San Jose."
Last season you got called up to San Jose for 38 games. Talk about getting to play your first NHL games after chasing your dream for so long, and what the season was like trying to prove you belonged up there.
Irwin: "It's pretty cool once you step on the ice, you hear the anthem for your first NHL game, your family's in the building… it was a cool experience, something I'll never forget. But then you realize you want to stay there, and prove to yourself, the coaches, and your teammates that you do belong in this league. It's very cliché to say, but you just come to the rink everyday, work hard, prepare like you're playing the game, practice to get better, improve and challenge yourself, and translate that over to the game and play consistently. Do what makes you successful, don't try to do too much. All those things were running through my head. I didn't want to over think and do anything I wouldn't normally do. I just wanted to stay consistent and do the things that had gotten me to where I was at that point. I knew what those things were, tried to stick with them, and help the team win."
How noticeable was the jump in level of play? You took a very incremental route of levels to get to the NHL, and must have seen tangible spikes in talent and speed at every league you ascended to. Did it take some getting used to?
Irwin: "I was comfortable. From the BCHL to college, it's a different game. Every level you go up, it's faster. You're playing with better players. Every level above is going to be a little bit better, little faster, more structured. From the AHL to NHL, there are similarities. The North American style pro game is the same, but the skill level of players is a bit better. The AHL is a great league. It allows you to develop your skill set to translate it into the NHL. The league does such a great job of developing players, and teams do a great job of getting players and not bringing them up too soon, making sure that they're ready. Once you're in the NHL, it's not so much about developing as it is about being able to step in the lineup, play, and contribute, while getting better at the same time. There's not a lot of time to wait on development because they'll just find someone else. It's a business at the highest level. Once you're there, you've got to do what makes you successful and keep getting better. As you go up, the leagues are obviously a little bit better than the one before, but those leagues before were very helpful and were great stepping stones to getting me where I am now."
So far this season, you've played entirely with San Jose. You've appeared in ten more games than you played last year and have six more points, but have also missed 17 games as a healthy scratch. Still, you're playing between 15-22 minutes a night, and are getting up to 28 shifts a night. Do you get a sense that you've hollowed out some permanent real estate in the San Jose dressing room? What do you attribute your boost in production and ice-time to?
Irwin: "Coming into this year, I wanted to establish myself as a legitimate top six defenseman in this league. This year there have been ups and downs. We've got a great group of d-men between the seven of us. Any of us could play on any given night. We've got some young d-men, and some veterans in Dan Boyle, Scott Hannan, and Brad Stuart. Obviously Marc-Edouard Vlasic too, who made the Olympic team and won a gold medal – he's my age, but he's played almost 600 games in the NHL. He's another veteran presence for guys like myself, Justin Braun and Jason Demers, who are the younger guys that don't have as many games of experience as they do. We have a really solid group of d-men that any one of which can play on any given night. When you do play, you want to take advantage of that opportunity, and help the team win. I've sat out my share of games this year, but it's part of the learning process. You get to see the game from a different angle, and you realize that you actually have more time with the puck than you think you might. It's good to step back from the game a little bit. Obviously you want to play, but when you do sit out for a couple of games, you've got to take it as a way to learn and improve yourself, instead of dwelling on the fact that you're not playing and being a bad teammate. You've got to stay positive until you get that next opportunity to step back in and play."
You've got a pretty elite group this year – 4 Olympians in total between gold medalists Patrick Marleau and Marc-Edouard Vlasic, bronze medalist Antti Niemi (also 2nd in NHL wins), and Joe Pavelski, in addition to some of the NHL's elite in Joe Thornton (2nd in NHL assists), Logan Couture, Dan Boyle, and others. The team is currently 4th overall. Is this the roster of San Jose Sharks that finally get past the seemingly cursed third round? What will it take to do so? How is it playing with guys who have accumulated the accolades they have?
Irwin: "Those are so pretty impressive names to have all in one locker room. When you first get to the team you get caught watching, seeing how they go about their business. It's pretty impressive what they do, because they've been doing it consistently for so long. That's one thing I've tried to learn from those guys — consistency. That's one of the greatest attributes someone can have playing in the NHL — bring it every night, be consistent, and help your team win. We've got guys who have been around for a long time and have won Olympic medals, Stanley Cups, NHL awards, and have been NHL All-Stars. There's a lot of that in the room, and they're great for young guys like myself and the others to look up to, and learn from.
"As far as whether this is 'the year' for us to win it all, of course we think every year is the year for us, but the league is just so tight, and it's tough. It's not easy to win the Cup. If it was, we'd have a handful of them already. The guys in the locker room are determined, we have a great group of core veterans and young guys, and we feel strongly about this year. Our goal is to get home ice advantage throughout the playoffs in the Western Conference, and if we're fortunate enough to make the Stanley Cup Final, get it there too. We're chasing Anaheim for it right now. We're comfortable at home. We play well there. You'd always prefer that seventh game to be on your home soil if it comes down to that. Last year we lost in game seven in LA. We felt like we played well enough to win, but we ran into a really good goalie. This year's going to be a lot of the same. With the way the new playoff format is, we're going to have to play out of our division first, so we're looking at playing Anaheim, LA, or one of those teams in the first round. That's a tough first round matchup, but you've got to get past those teams at some point to get where you want to go. I think our team is built to make a deep playoff run. We're a big solid team that skates well and can score. I like our team, and time will tell when we get to the playoffs."
How's hockey in California these days? With Anaheim and LA now both having won Stanley Cups, and San Jose being in the hunt every year as well, there's been a real evolution of interest in the game there, and competitiveness of the teams located in the state – especially when compared to how teams in that area traditionally fared in the 90's and earlier.
Irwin: "It's great. Growing up as a kid, it wasn't a hockey hotbed here. I didn't know much about them. You watch the Mighty Ducks movies, and that's pretty much all you know about hockey in California. But nowadays, it's three teams at the top of the league almost every year. LA and Anaheim won Cups, and we're looking for our first. It's good for the state of California. More and more kids are getting involved in hockey. The youth programs around here are picking up steam. We've got a junior Sharks program that we just had our first graduate player of just suit up for us last year in Matt Tennyson. The grassroots of hockey in California are picking up, and the sport's becoming more and more popular. I would like to think that's in large part because of the success of the NHL teams in the area. Kids look up to us and they think hockey's a pretty cool sport to get involved in. You see more and more players from California in the NCAA, major junior, and the pros. The number of guys from California that are making it to the NHL is going up. It's good to see."
Back to your Olympic teammates – did you notice any extra fatigue in them after the tournament, especially considering the travel? Did they come back totally gassed, or energized from the experience and ready to go?
Irwin: "When those guys came back – we had Patty [Marleau], Eddie [Vlasic], Pavs [Pavelski] and Nemo [Niemi] who were all at the Olympics and all played deep in the tournament — they were confident. They all had good tournaments. I think the hardest thing on them was the travel and the time change. Tthat's probably where the fatigue came in, but you wouldn't know it when we played the games. They stepped right back into the lineup, played their 20 minutes a night, and contributed to helping the team win. I think Pavs had a hat trick in his first game back. I don't think fatigue was much of an issue. They got a lot of confidence from playing in the Olympics, and for us, that's great. They represented their countries and our organization really well. We're happy to have them back. They're four of the best players on our team. They came back and didn't miss a beat."
Has there been any light back and forth between any of those guys regarding the different places the countries they represented finished at the Olympics? Is it a sensitive issue, or just water under the bridge?
Irwin: "There hasn't been too much chatter, really. There might be the odd poke here and there, but other than that, there's not much that has been said. Coming back, the Olympics are behind them now, and the focus is on the stretch run for us. We've got 13 games left, and our goal is that home ice. I think they embraced the opportunity they were given at the Olympics, and here and there there might be a quick jab, but other than that, everyone's focused on the Sharks and making a deep run."
How did you spend the two weeks off you got during the Olympic break? It seemed like lots of guys did different things; some just trained harder, while others took time off to spend with their families and other things.
Irwin: "I went home to Victoria and spent time with friends and family. I helped out with my old Junior B team the Saanich Braves, and the hockey academy that runs out of my old high school. Other than that, I just relaxed, got engaged, and that was pretty much it."
Regarding another current teammate of yours, what's Raffi Torres like in the dressing room now that he's returned, considering the drama he's been through? Is it distracting at all to you or the other guys?
Irwin: "We're all happy to have Raffi back. It's been a long recovery for him. Any time you get a player back after they've worked so hard to get back into the lineup, the boys are excited. He's a really good teammate. He was great while he was injured, which is tough because you might not feel part of the team when you're out, especially for that long, and don't travel or participate in practices. He was always around the room, chilling with the boys. When we got him back we were thrilled. He brings a presence to the lineup, adds depth and scoring, and he's relentless on the fore check. He's one of the better guys in the locker room. He's funny. It was almost like he didn't miss a beat – he had a couple of goals his first game, a couple more the next night, and he was playing physical, the way he has to to be successful. He helps our team out so much when he plays like that. It backs up our d-men, and backs other players off of them when they know Raffi's on the ice. He's the kind of player you need this time of year, and especially in the playoffs. We love having him in the lineup, and he adds a lot more depth to our group."
In such a tight and dominant Western Conference, what's it going to take to be the team that tops this year's powerhouses like Chicago, St. Louis and Anaheim? Who's been the toughest for you guys to play this year, and who will it be toughest for you guys to beat in a deep playoff series?
Irwin: "We always have tough games against LA. It won't be a walk in the park for any team that makes the playoffs. There may be upsets based on your seeds and where you're ranked going into them, but the parity in the league is so tight. There are teams on the wildcard bubble like Dallas who would be tough to play in the first round of the playoffs. Whoever you draw in the first round isn't going to be easy, and as you go on it won't get any easier. LA, Chicago, Anaheim all have great teams, big bodies, great players, depth throughout the lineup, rolling four lines – I think that's what makes those teams so good, having four lines and six d-men that can play, and it's not just a burden placed on two lines and four d-men to play heavy minutes. In a playoff series, that'll take its toll eventually. To be able to spread the minutes out among the lineup is important. All those teams have that ability with the depth they have at all positions."
As a defenseman, who's one guy you don't want to see bearing down on you on a 1-on-1 or an odd-man break?
Irwin: "There are a lot of guys in this league that have the ability to make you look really funny if they get that chance. Datsyuk, Jagr – he's just so good and so strong even at his age and with how long he's been playing. He's just a dominant force. He doesn't look like he's that fast, but he can move. His first couple of strides are so quick, and he's a big body. He's hard to get the puck from and he's got great vision. Those types of players are the ones that on any given play can make you look silly."
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[Archive] 2014 interview with Bernie Nicholls
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This interview with NHL legend Bernie Nicholls posted on The Score's Backhand Shelf blog on February 10th, 2014. The LA Kings were in search of their second Stanley Cup in three seasons, and though Nicholls had moved on from their coaching staff, the lessons he left them with clearly had taken root. LA captured that Cup, and the players that Nicholls mentioned working with specifically appeared even more dominant than they did in 2012.
The audio of this interview can be heard on the XP PSP: the eXPat Pro Sports Podcast by clicking here, or by listening/downloading on iTunes.
An Interview with Los Angeles Kings' great Bernie Nicholls
Posted by Dave Cunning under Interviews on Feb 10, 2014
When you think about the LA Kings and what players have meant the most to the team since their inception in 1967, most long term fans would not omit Bernie Nicholls from their list of all-time greats. Though he spent time with six different NHL clubs over 19 seasons, the nine seasons Nicholls played with the LA Kings were most his impactful, and what he is best remembered for. His 150 point season in 1988-89, team records of most points in a game and most goals in a season, and fifth place position in all-time team points left an impression on the franchise and its supporters that holds up to this day.
Nicholls was also an instrumental part of the coaching regime that replaced Terry Murray in LA in 2011, and set the Kings on course to win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
I caught up with Bernie via telephone just prior to the Superbowl to talk about all things Kings, coaching, his career, what's wrong with the slumping LA team and how he'd fix them, where he keeps his Stanley Cup ring, and why he declines his New Jersey Devils' alumni game invitation every year.
First of all, how'd your Superbowl predictions turn out?
I got killed. I had Denver. Every one of my bets was with Denver. It was not a good day for me.
It's tough to find a properly defined role to say what your job description with the LA Kings is right now. "Consultant" or "unofficial assistant coach" is what I've read in various reports. Whatever it is, it was enough to get you a day with the Stanley Cup when LA won two years ago. Can you clarify what you do with the team?
It was an assistant coaching job. They said I was a consultant to the coach, Darryl Sutter. But I did everything that the assistant coaches did, pretty much. I did more with the players than the coaches. I think I was a lot closer to the players. It was still like an assistant coaching role. I worked the power play, worked with the kids. When they were slumping or getting down, I think it's always easier for players to talk to a former player than the head coach. I had a really good rapport with the players. It was along the lines of an assistant coaching role.
You're talking about this stuff in past tense, are you not with the team anymore?
Yeah I'm not with them now, I didn't go back this year.
How did the opportunity come up, initially? Word is you worked for free in the beginning because you wanted to work with the team so badly.
I was always asking to try and work with the Kings. They were the team I wanted to [work with] but it didn't really work out. Then once Terry Murray got fired and they hired Darryl, I called Darryl right away and gave him the idea. Once he took over, I came down with him. It worked out great.
You scored 475 goals, and 1209 points in your career, including 88/89 when you scored a ridiculous 70 goals and 150 points. But that was a different era – people often criticize the goaltending of that time, and goaltending styles and equipment have evolved a lot since then. When you work with today's players on scoring, do the same principles from when you scored 70 in a season apply, or did you have to take new approaches when helping in that department? How did your experience in your era overlap into players of today having success in this era?
Well I think scoring goals is scoring goals. In my opinion, obviously goalies are better now, and players are much bigger and stronger, but for the most part when you're playing hockey you still have to score goals, and do the things to give yourself opportunities to score goals. That's the sort of thing you can teach guys. To me, it's just working hard. When things aren't going well, you've got to work hard, work your way through it, be yourself in those hard places, and things will work out for you.
Obviously the Kings are having trouble in the goal scoring department these days. What is their problem in your opinion, and how do they fix it? Is it at the point where trading for new players is necessary, or is it just a matter of refining what they have? The team is by no means in short supply of goal scorers with the likes of Jeff Carter and Anze Kopitar, but the Kings are second last in goals per game average with 2.25, only better than Buffalo's 1.83 (top team is 3.42), and second last on the power play with only 13.9% (top team has 24.7%).
They do have some offensive talent, for sure. They play a great defensive system, but for some reason they find it very difficult to score, and I'm not really too sure why. They do have some very talented players. They could create more on the power play. They're second last, that's not good. That'd be a start – create, and give themselves more opportunities that way, and just try to find chemistry. I know when Darryl put Kopitar and Carter together they worked very well together, but I think they've just cooled off. But it's tough to score in this league. That's the biggest problem, and those guys are finding that out real bad right now.
Is that a product of coaching, or of other teams adjusting to their style of play?
The other teams, for sure. Darryl allows the guys to create opportunities. That's one thing that he does do. He gives guys opportunities to be creative. But one thing about Darryl, if you're not working hard and you're not competing, you won't have an opportunity to be on the power play or be in an offensive role. He demands that you work at it, but sometimes that just doesn't work.
On the flip side of those negative stats, LA is league best in goals against average with 2.07, gives up the third fewest shots per game with 26.8, has the most wins when winning after two periods with 100%, and win the most face-offs in the league with 53.3%. How has the team been able to accomplish those positive instances alongside the slump? Is there more to it all than having an elite goaltender in Jonathan Quick and great backups in Scrivens and Jones to him, as well as guys like Carter, Kopitar, Stoll, and Richards being dynamite in the faceoff circle? Or is it simply Sutter's coaching systems, perhaps?
In my opinion, they have the best goalie in probably the world in Quick. They play great defense. That's Darryl there – he demands his systems are great, a good work ethic, whistle-to-whistle hard nose play, and the players do that, man per man. That may be why you don't see as many goals from that team, because they do play such a defensive game. No one cheats. To create offense, they play their defensive role, and that gives them an opportunity, but maybe doesn't give them quite the opportunity to score as many goals. They take care of one end, and that's key for them. They play so well defensively. They've got a good defensive system and a great goalie. That's why they're in every game. If they could score goals, they would win every game.
You mentioned you worked with the "kids". Who were those guys you worked with the closest, and what did you focus on with them?
One thing I preached more than anything — and we worked on it everyday — I'd take Drew Doughty or Voynov out and just work on their trade. You watch good athletes in general, they work hard, and they work hard on their trade. Whether it's a football player throwing passes all day, or a hockey player shooting hundreds and hundreds of pucks every day. That was key. We would do that. You work with those guys, work on one-timers, quick release, shots from the slot, coming out of the corner…you just work on things to help you create goals. Guys working on their trade is one thing I tried to work on more than anything.
You played with six teams during your NHL career, including nine with the LA Kings. Is there any particular reason you decided to work with LA when your playing days were over, instead of one of your other five former teams? Do you feel you identify with LA the best of them all? Did you have opportunity to work with the Rangers, Oilers, Devils, Blackhawks or Sharks?
LA was the team I approached first. They were the team I wanted to coach. I knew most of the guys there, I spent more time in LA, they were the team I played with the most. I still say it was my team as far as the team I felt most comfortable with. I just liked the guys too. When Darryl went there I felt it was a great opportunity for me to go there. It was more or less because they were my first team, I played the longest there, and I'm there more than any place.
What was it that made you feel LA was your team more than any of those other five you played with?
I played in the organization for ten years, and the others were for two or less. It was the first team I played for, and for the longest, my kids are there… I feel more comfortable with the LA team than any other team I guess.
Do you do any sort of alumni stuff with those other teams, or are you primarily just an LA guy?
I still do some alumni stuff for Chicago a little bit, San Jose I have. I haven't for the other ones, but I would. I've been asked every year to go to New Jersey, but it's moose hunting season for me at that time and I can't make it. But I've done charity games for the other teams as well, and I enjoy doing it, for sure.
When the Kings won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history, did you feel any personal connection with the championship as a former Kings player, and further as a player who was so instrumental in the smaller successes the team had while you played? You're fifth in all-time team points (758), and even have a couple of team records that Wayne Gretzky doesn't have: most points in a game by a King (8), and most goals in a season (70) – those sort of things tend to stitch you to a team pretty tight, especially to fans in retrospect. Obviously you weren't on the ice when they won, but did you feel like that was your Cup too?
Well, it's not the same as playing, obviously, but it's a close second. Being around the guys, you get the joy from watching them compete everyday. You know, as a former player, what they go through and what it takes to be successful. You're out there helping them any way you can, and if you've added a little bit to their success, then great. You hope that you did, and looking at it like that, yeah you do feel like you're part of it.
Did you get your name on the Cup, or a ring?
I got a ring, yeah. It's on my dresser in my bedroom.
An interview with you I read said you had never touched the Stanley Cup, presumably before you got your hands all over it when the Kings won. How good did it feel to finally be able to break that vow?
It was really exciting. More so for the players than myself. It's much different as a player than as a coach, assistant, or whatever it may be. But it was still really, really exciting to be there. My daughter was with me, and we spent a lot of time with it that night. It was really exciting, no question.
Was there any one player on that team that you felt you identified with most, had the best rapport with, and was particularly happy to watch win the Cup?
Other than one or two players, no one else had won the Cup, so they were all really, really excited. I played similar to a Mike Richards I guess, but I think I could identify with the skilled players – Kopitar, Doughty, Carter – that's kind of the role I would have taken. Those guys played so well, and so well as a group. They were not going to be denied. They had as good of a run in the playoffs as probably any team has ever had. It was pretty cool.
Why in particular is that tradition of not touching the Cup unless you've won it so revered? Lots of people with or without hockey backgrounds seem to uphold that approach — even former players who will never win it.
I think it's just respect. As a hockey player, you realize how tremendously difficult it is to win, that it's such an honor to win, and until you do win I just don't feel, and I'm sure there's a lot of people who don't feel like you should be touching it as far as players and former players who've never won it. It may be a little weird, but it is what it is. I just think the players have so much respect for the Cup that if you don't win it, you don't deserve to touch it.
What are your thoughts on the NFL's tradition of the winning team's owner touching the trophy first, rather than how the captain gets first touch in hockey?
I have no problem with that. Everything's different. Every league's different. That's great too. The owner is the one who pays all the players all the money, so he's responsible for the team, and it's his team, so I have no problem with him touching it first either. I'm not sure every player gets their trophy for a day like hockey does though, which is just amazing.
So if Dean Lombardi, or Kings owner Philip Anschutz had touched the Cup before Dustin Brown did, you'd be ok with that? Or is it just ok for the NFL because it's a totally different sport with its own unique customs?
I love the way we do it. They way it's presented on the ice, the way they do it I think is great. Football's different. They have the big stage, the owner, GM, and coach are up there, and then they'll call up one or a couple of the players to talk, but that's fine too.
Another interview I read with you regarding the 2012 playoffs quoted you as saying,
"We had a big meeting the night before Game 1, and I went for a walk after, and it was like I went right back to (being) a player. I was really excited, I had the butterflies, I was just so amped up, I was so excited – that was the first time for me in 12 years. It was unbelievable. To have that feeling is great – athletes get it a lot before big games and I had it. I could have played that night, I could have played, I was ready to go!"
How hard is it to be in a position like that and not be able to play? How often do you get to play these days? You seem like a player that genuinely loves to play the game.
Well I don't think it's like you want to jump on the ice and go, that kind of wears off after you've been out for a couple of years. But just that thought – I hadn't been around the game in a long time, or in a competitive setting like I was there, back in the game again. As athletes, you're kind of wired different than most. Regular season games are regular season games, but once you make the playoffs, your body and your mind knows it's a different animal. You feel different the day of the game — your body does, your mind does. For me at that time, we had the meeting, and I just went for a walk, and I felt like I did in one of my playoff games when I played again. It's a great feeling to have. It's tough to explain unless you've been there. Most athletes who have been there understand. It was really a cool feeling to get that again – to get those butterflies, to get all excited about the game. It's difficult when you can't do anything though. If I'm working the power play and I'm watching them and they go 0 for 5 or something and you go, 'wow, I maybe could have helped,' not that I could, but your mind still thinks you can, and you're body says, 'noooo, you can't.'
Did you get the chance to skate on the Dodger Stadium ice during the Stadium Series event?
I didn't. They dropped the ball so bad. Out of all the outdoor games, the only one they did [alumni games at] was the Winter Classic. They had Toronto and Detroit and they had two games. That's how many alumni they had. They had 40,000 people there for an alumni game. I can't believe why at Yankee Stadium they wouldn't let the Rangers and Devils play an alumni game, or at Dodger Stadium. I heard Luc [Robitalle] tried, but the league wouldn't let them. I just can't believe they wouldn't let them do that. It would have been so cool.
I still do fantasy camps, though. I'm going to do Wayne Gretzky's fantasy camp in Vegas in March, I'll try to do the Kings, I think I'll do the Sharks at the end of March. I still love to skate. Even to this day, I put my skates on, and I still feel like a kid when I go out on the ice. It's something that will probably never leave me, and I hope it never does. It's always fun to put those skates on.
Are you one of those players who is superstitious and still uses all his old gear, or have you upgraded your equipment over the years?
My pants I had in Chicago in '94, I don't wear a helmet anymore but I still have my CCM helmet from LA, my skates I've had for a little while but new skates are always better than the old ones anyway. I've got my old gloves too. I still like the old setup.
So you didn't get on the Dodger Stadium ice, but did you get down to the event? Did you get any beach volleyball in on the court in left field?
No, I was at home. I was back in Canada for it. I wasn't out there. I would have liked to have went, but I was back in Canada, in the snow.
Well that was a poor decision.
It was a terrible one.
To your knowledge, is there any reason the Kings decided to go with gray jerseys for the game, rather than a throwback to the purple and gold version, like most teams tend to do for outdoor games?
I think they did the same as New York. They went white and black I think. I just think they did all that for advertising and for merchandise to sell. The uniforms looked beautiful. The Ducks' were different, so were the Islanders' and Rangers'. I just think it was a big money grab to sell merchandise. Just another jersey. The Kings always wear the old jersey on legends night. There are about three times a year that they'll bring the old purple and gold out.
When you look back on your career as both a player and a coach, what's that one moment that stands above the rest of them?
I think having an opportunity to play with Wayne Gretzky was great. Just playing in the NHL. I feel like I'm just a kid when I'm playing. To think you get to play a game every day in front of thousands of people, I can't think of anything better to do. Just everything about it to me is amazing. Playing in the NHL for that long, playing with the great players that you play with, travelling around… it was a dream that most kids dream about and only a select few get an opportunity to do, and I was fortunate to be one of them.
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[Archive] 2012 interview with Mike Danton
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This interview with Mike Danton posted on The Score's Backhand Shelf blog on October 4th, 2012. Danton had just been denied a visa to enter the UK to play, but fortunately was able to catch on in Sweden a short time later, before moving on to Slovakia in the same season. While a return to North American pro hockey doesn't seem likely, European leagues are glad to retain the former NHLer — Danton has also suited up for teams in Kazakhstan, Hungary, and Poland since this interview.
The audio of this interview can be heard here:
Interview with Mike Danton: "Vick, Tyson, and Heatley all got breaks, where's my break?"
Posted by Dave Cunning under Interviews on Oct 04, 2012
(UPDATE: Mike Danton signed with Kramfors-Alliansen of the Swedish elite league earlier in the week. For more, here's Danton's personal website.)
It wouldn't be a stretch to say that no one in the game of hockey has a stigma around them the way that Mike Danton does. Now trying to resume his professional hockey career in Europe, the ex-NHLer and ex-con deals with all sorts of prejudice and ignorance directed towards him on a daily basis – not to mention all the life roadblocks that a convicted felon could expect on the outside, because of his nearly decade-old crime – despite serving his sentence.
In our interview, Mike talked very candidly and at length about everything from hockey, his time in jail, how he's turned his life around for the better, his thoughts on other ex-con pro athletes, his feelings on being denied entry to the UK to play, his family, and what the future holds for him. Without a doubt, the responses that he gives will at least make you reconsider the opinion you've come to form about him. Enjoy.
So you've now been denied a visa to play hockey in the UK twice, and consequently, you won't be playing for the Coventry Blaze in the EIHL this year. What's going through your mind right now?
"I was pretty bummed out about being turned down a second time. When they denied me the first time, the reason for they gave was that I wasn't rehabilitated from my crime. They have an immigration law that states if you've done over twelve months in prison, you're excluded from rehabilitation, and in order for you to enter their country, your sentence has to be spent or expired as an ex-convict. Because I spent longer than twelve months in jail, I'm excluded from rehabilitation, and because of that, my sentence can't be spent or expired. So that's why they denied me.
The second time we applied, I got fifteen reference letters from RCMP officers, local Halifax police officers, detectives, an assistant coach in the NHL, the president of the university I attended that coincidentally was born in London, England who has double-majors and doctorate degrees. My parole officer even wrote a reference letter on my behalf, and also submitted her criminal findings regarding my case – which said I was in the lowest percentile likely to re-offend, that I was in the lowest percentile to be a danger to society; spoke about my community involvement, and how greatly I've turned my life around.
Because they rejected me on the basis of believing I wasn't rehabilitated, the second time around we attempted to illustrate to them that I am rehabilitated from my crimes, and that I wasn't just coming over there to play hockey. There were a lot more plans than just hockey for me coming toCoventry.Coventry is renowned for their community based programs, and I was going to be a big part of that while there. I work closely with Joe Drexler of "Be The Game" and his "Ignite Change" program, and I was going to be an ambassador in theUK for that – that was a huge thing we had worked out.
For the second application, we brought all these reference letters, and the plans that were other than hockey – sure, I was going there to play hockey and make a living for my family – but I was also going to spread my knowledge, the words that I have to share about the mistakes I've made and what it takes to get past them and be productive in life, and about making the best of second chances. We put all that on paper, the lawyers and members from the team looked at the package, as well as people in Canada, and they all said it'd be a disgrace if I got denied again, because there was no way someone could look at that package and think I wasn't rehabilitated. I put together a three-page letter myself, detailing my life, admitting to my crimes and accepting responsibility for them, but saying those things happened nine years ago, and I was 23 years old at the time. I've got a family of my own now, I'm an honor student, working towards a double major degree and at the top of the grade in all my classes, and I've changed my life around. I missed six years of hockey, but I still want to play professionally.
When I got my second denial, it was for the same reasons. They said they looked over all my information and reference letters, noted that I have a family of my own now, but however, I did spend more than twelve months in jail, and they don't think I'm rehabilitated from my crime. To read something like that is not only heartbreaking and gut-wrenching, at the same time it says that not only am I excluded from rehabilitation, but that all these police officers, my parole officer, the National Parole Board of Canada, my school's president, an assistant coach in the NHL, and everyone else that wrote reference letters have no idea what they're talking about. They basically said that the Parole Board let you out, and agreed that you're in the lowest percentile to reoffend or to be a menace to society, but they have no idea what they're talking about, and we think we know better because we looked at your file. It's really tough to swallow.
This is a team I've been talking about for the last four months, and I've been getting updates through the summer on signings, practices, team emails, and it's been gut-wrenching. I've been talking to the guys on the team since the beginning of the season, and they've been texting me when they go out, and it gave me a really good feeling about how close knit that team is. It was hard to tell them I won't be coming. They all ask what they can do to help. We're trying to figure out if there's anything we can do legally, or if we can appeal, but if not, I've got to figure out something else to do."
You've already played abroad in Sweden and Austria without any of these immigration hassles – why not just go play in a country that doesn't put up these roadblocks in front of you?
"I was in nine countries last year – Slovenia, Norway, Switzerland, Hungary, Croatia, Austria, Czech Republic, Sweden, and Austria – the reason why I chose the UK, and Coventry in particular, was when our baby came into our lives, a lot of things changed. We really liked Sweden when we were over there last year and a lot of people speak English there – the Czech Republic was the complete opposite though. We'd go grocery shopping and it'd take two or three hours because we had to translate everything. It was really difficult to get a normal life going in that environment. The fans and the organization were great, but it was difficult for us to live there. Having a newborn and going to a country like that – if something were to happen to the baby and we had to go to the doctor, you have to hope they spoke English. We made a decision in the summer that wherever we end up going, we'd like it to be an English speaking country that has similar customs, culture, and food that we're used to, just because it's the first year that either of us have had a kid. We just wanted it to go as smoothly as possible. I chose Coventry because of the relationship and rapport I'd built with the members of the team. They sold me on what they wanted from their team. They play a hard-nosed style, don't give up, work hard, and that description has me written all over it. They said I am the exact type of player they wanted on their team. I said ok. I gave up on a lot of other opportunities to make significantly more money than in the UK. The UK really isn't known for paying outrageous salaries, but rather offering university packages and well as their familiar customs and culture. A lot of North American guys head over there because of the familiarity to their own food, customs and culture. The other factor involved was the community programs that I'd be able to be a part of, and to help out the youth, minor hockey, and that sort of stuff, like I did in Sweden. That's always been a big part of my career after I came out of prison and wanted to play pro hockey again."
So what's the next step for you? Is there time to find a different European team to sign with? Can you play another year of University hockey?
"I'm not eligible for University hockey anymore. For every year of pro you play, you lose a year of eligibility, and you only get five total. By me playing pro last year, I lost my last year of eligibility. I could play senior hockey in Canada in either Newfoundland or Quebec. My agent and I have been contacted by some countries that are willing to bring me in to play though. I've been in talks with teams in three different countries.Coventry's had to sign another guy to fill my spot since I got denied again. I'm going to be playing somewhere, it's just a question of where. The countries I'm considering right now are Sweden,Germany, and Poland."
Who's your agent these days?
"Mike Bernier. He used to be part of "The Hockey Group", and now he's branched off on his own. He's a hard worker. He's never lied to me. He's always been straight-up and honest. He told me last year that if I came with him, he'd find me a team, and he did. At that time, I hadn't played pro in a while, so the things I was looking for were difficult to get. Statistically speaking, I played really well last year – it's late in teams' recruiting process now, but he's still come up with a handful of teams that are looking for players like me."
Coventry named you an assistant captain without you even being there. With your NHL background, OHL championship, CIS championship, and everything else to your name, you've built up a rather high billing for yourself. Is the pressure from teams and yourself to perform up to expectations difficult to live up to, or is it something that you thrive on?
"I've been asked that question a lot. How I answer it is – and I'm going to try an answer as humbly as possible, I'm the furthest thing from being cocky; I could use a boost in confidence once in a while actually – I think players like me are extremely hard to come by. Obviously I'm not the most skilled player in the world. In my last year of junior hockey, I had over 80 points and more than 200 penalty minutes. I led the playoffs in scoring, and still had over 100 PIM's. I'm a guy that brings everything to the table. I'm not a guy that's going to come down on a 2 on 1, or 1 on 1 and toe-drag, flip it through someone's stick and skates and then roof it top shelf, but I'm going to find a way to get around that guy and put the puck in the net. I may have to flick it up in the air and run the goalie through the net, but it's going to count regardless. It's happened before, where the puck's gone in, the goalie got run, it counts, and I got a penalty. Coaches have always told to me to put the puck in my [expletive] teeth, run through the net; and i'll find a way to score. That's just the way I've always been.
I have an extremely large amount of heart and determination. I don't agree with what Dany Heatley and Michael Vick did, but you have to look at what they did afterwards. The fact that those guys come back, and get back into professional sports again says something about their character. For me to miss six years of hockey and still manage to come back and win a national championship, and then return to professional hockey a year later – that's something I'm proud of. With a lot of inexperienced, local guys as well as guys who have played pro hockey at some level but don't have the NHL experience that I have, Coventry knew I that I was a guy that all the guys on their team were going to look up to. I'm not afraid to break sticks in the room, call guys out, tell them they're [expletive] [expletive], and to get their head out of their [expletive]. You need guys like that on a team. Those are the types of guys that other players look up to and say, 'hey, this guy can lead our team.'"
You got denied entry into the UK again seemingly based only on objective reasoning. You're constantly dealing with people with prejudice against you – whether it be in legal situations, on Twitter, or elsewhere – yet, you're extremely active in defending yourself on all those platforms against those who only see you as a criminal and don't know anything else about you or about anything you've done since your release three years ago. It seems to be never-ending and it's got to be exhausting – how do you handle it, and why do you bother?
"It's humorous. It's entertaining to me. Some people go to hockey games to be entertained; I go on Twitter and read the ignorant things people say. I sit there and I laugh. I'll retweet things that are funny, but when they say things like, 'He went to prison, bend over…' and other stuff like that, I block those people. There's a difference between humor and being disgusting. I don't need my kid to be reading that in a few years. People like that are useless. They're scum. A lot of the negative comments are from people in Cardiff, Coventry's biggest rival. If I had signed with Cardiff, the majority of the chirping would probably come from people in Coventry. People are entitled to their opinion, but you hit the nail on the head, they don't know the situation. It's just like my first day at university; I had people triple-looking me – forget double-looking, triple-looking me – whispering, 'that's the guy that tried to kill somebody…', and three weeks later, that same person would be sitting with me in the library sharing laughs, pulling pranks, and then saying, 'Aw man, you're great! I thought you were going to be this big mean monster guy…' People have no idea what I'm like. They look at my mugshot that looks like I've got a big chew in the side of my mouth, and they see the word murderer, and they say 'this guy can't come in. He's a criminal…' and that's their opinion and they're free to voice it. I really don't care. The difference in me now is that nine years ago, I would have had to listen to all these chirps and tweets, and I would have wanted to punch them all in the face, cause problems, and be completely irrational and immature about the situation. Now I laugh at it. Usually when someone says something, I'll get in there and chirp them back about their grammar and say, 'well if you're going to say that, at least spell it properly', or tell them to at least make it seem like their comment could be pronounced properly. All in all, it's just fun. It's entertaining to have a guys think that they get under my skin by chirping me about prison, even though I've heard that stuff for ten years now. There's not one prison joke out there that I haven't heard. The easiest way to shut them up is to talk about the NHL, and they can't say anything. They've never done that, I have. One guy that chirps me is an EIHL player who has played five or six games and has the same amount of goals as me [that's 0, Mike hasn't played a game for Coventry]. I'm not going to waste my time with guys that I have absolutely no respect for, because of the way they conduct themselves on Twitter. You don't go back and forth with fans and tell them they're fat and ugly – those are the people that pay your salary. You have to have some respect for the game. When I went to jail, there was no Facebook or Twitter. When I got out of jail and was in university, it took me a few months before I got into social media. Now I find Twitter so entertaining. I love going on my page and watching everything people say to me. I don't know what else to say about it, it's just entertaining."
What internet related amenities were available to you in prison? Can people tweet from prison?
No, there's child molesters and sex criminals in there, and they don't want them getting on the internet for obvious reasons. From what I understand, in theUSfederal system you can email people now, but that's the only thing you can do, and the emails are monitored. They get an email account through the prison that costs them money to send emails. In the US system, I had access to cable TV and movies, but nothing that was R rated, contained nudity, or had anything in it that would get our, um, "adrenaline" up, I guess you could say. They try to maintain proper protocol for prison fights and things like that. InCanada, it was a little more lax – we could have video game systems in there, but without online access. The States' system was a lot worse thanCanada's."
And you managed to study towards your university degree while you were in there too, right? And how close are you towards your degree now? What are you going to do when you finish it?
Yeah, it was kind of difficult though – I only got through two courses. They moved me around quite often, and they really screw with your mail in jail, so it's tough to get things sent to you. But I did manage to transfer those credits towards my degree. Last year I took a full course load online, and I'm doing the same this year. At the end of this year, I should only have four or five courses left. If I went really hard, I could get done by the end of the summer, but I'll probably do it over a year. I'll have a double major in psychology and criminology. I do really well in school. The only reason I added criminology in was that psychology was coming to me fairly easily and I wanted a challenge, so I added another major.
I don't know what I'm going to be – I'd like to play hockey as long as I can, and I don't want to call it quits yet, but I've been thinking about becoming a university professor. I like the social aspect and I like teaching people. Something like sports psychology, maybe. Coaching has crossed my mind. You see a lot of athletes go to university and they end up teaching English, or become PE teachers or something like that. A lot of athletes are very vocal and very social. They're used to being in the spotlight, being around 20 or 30 guys every day that chirp each other and still get along, having a frat-like relationship with them. Whether you teach youngsters, teenagers, or university kids, there's that element of social activity that can remain with you through all your years and levels of sports. I'm pretty sure I'm going to go down that road in the future."
When you look at Mike Tyson – who went to jail before you did, and resumed his career after being released – and you think about your perception of him at that point in time not having gone to jail yet yourself; and then you look at Michael Vick – who went to jail and was released right around the same time you also did and were – what is your perception of those guys as they resumed their athletic careers, has it changed since going through the same experience they did yourself, and do you have a level of empathy for them?
"Gosh, you're crossing up my morals and pulling my heartstrings here. Because of my personal experiences, and my personal life and childhood, I have a very big problem with people that commit sexual crimes against children and women. It's really hard for me to look past those things and say they deserve a second chance. However, because of my situation, I have to say that I'm a believer in second chances. I think the way Tyson handled his situation illustrated that he wasn't capable of being rehabilitated. I don't know him personally, but the role he portrays and the way he handles himself is a characterization of a nut-job. He didn't seem like he had a lot of remorse, even when he stated that he did. You could read the bull[expletive] all over his face.
In regards to Michael Vick, I don't think anyone will ever know for sure what degree his involvement was in the dog fighting ring, but still, he was involved and he went to jail. Both crimes are different – I'm sure I'll have PETA calling me after this – but at the same time, I've got nothing but respect for how Vick has handled himself. He's come out and accepted responsibility, made donations and done charity work to try and right his wrongs. The way he's conducted himself – I follow him on Twitter, and if you follow his tweets, well… he's no Jose Canseco, let's say. Everything's about his religion, family, football, and he's very respectful about it. I think that he's somebody that made a wrong decision in his life, has turned around for the better, and is prospering. He's playing the game that he loves, making a boatload of money, and I have no problems with that.
The problem that I have though, it that he's been able to continue playing the game he loves at its highest level and I haven't been. I can't go to Asia, theUK, theUS… I couldn't even go watch my favorite baseball team play in the World Series last year because I committed a crime nine years ago. If my son plays in a hockey tournament inDetroitsomeday, I can't go there and watch him because I made a mistake, and at that time my crime will have been 14 or 15 years prior. Don't get me wrong – I broke the law, and what I did was illegal; however, I've paid my dues. I've been punished. I've lost a lot of money. I've lost the opportunity to make a lot of money. I lost six years of my life, away from my family and friends, and a lot of things I enjoyed on a daily basis. Those are things I'm never going to be able to get back. I think my punishment is enough. I'm not going around to bars and getting in fights, or putting bounties on people's heads, or getting drunk and raping girls, or selling and doing drugs. I have a family, I've gone to university, I'm working towards a double major degree and trying to play professional hockey.
What I say is, where's my break? Vick, Tyson, and Heatley all got breaks, where's my break? Is it that I'm still allowed to play hockey in Sweden's third league or an elite league in Austria? It's not in the AHL, or the NHL. I'm going to have to make a decision in a couple of years as to whether I want my son growing up in Europe following me around from country to country, and if I don't want that, I'm going to have to quit hockey, and do something else. I don't want to quit hockey. I've got lots of playing time left.
I've got a lot of respect for those guys that have made mistakes in their life and have come back to their sport, like Vick. I'm not so respectful of Tyson because of the way he handled himself. But if people can look past Mike Tyson and his issues, how can they not look past mine? Legitimately, I didn't kill anybody. If that had been carried out, yes, I understand the ramifications; however, that's a hypothetical situation. You can't imprison or punish somebody for situations that didn't happen. Vick did what he did, Tyson did what he did, Heatley did what he did, I did what I did. I didn't kill anybody, and I didn't rape anybody. I'm sure you can catch my point."
You've mentioned your family a few times. It's tough to find any information on them – tell me a little bit about them; how old is your son?
"He's six weeks old. My family's kept private for a reason. I've had some issues in my past with my own family, so I like to keep my personal life somewhat personal so certain information doesn't get out."
Details of your criminal situation have always been hazy. What is your current status as far as being an ex-convict? Are you still on parole, or are you totally free and clear now?
"I was arrested on April 16, 2004. I received my full parole from the National Parole Board of Canada on September 11, 2009. They took a couple weeks, and then I was released from prison inCanadaon September 28, 2009, after 65 months in prison. 22 of those months were in solitary confinement. After that, I was on parole until January 21, 2011. While on parole for a little more than a year, and had to abstain from alcohol and drugs, and do urine tests – I don't do drugs anyway, but that was just a standard stipulation. When we won the CIS championship at St. Mary's, all the boys were drinking champagne out of the Cup, and I had to drink a sparkling water. It was kind of a bummer. I wasn't allowed to travel anywhere without a travel permit. If I wanted to go to my girlfriend's cottage for the weekend, I'd have to have a representative from the Canadian Parole Board visit the cottage first, interview her parents, and then supervise me while there. January 21 came along, and I've been a free man ever since. I have nobody to report to, just like before I ever went to prison. I'm absolutely not on parole one bit."
While you were on parole, you weren't allowed any contact with your father or David Frost, two guys at the center of speculation within your crime – now that you're not bound by parole terms, have you had any contact with them?
"Legally I can't even talk about that because there are a few things that are still out there. But they will be addressed in the future, for sure."
Follow @davecunning on Twitter
Jeju Cup scores big, puts hockey on the map in Jeju, South Korea
Follow @davecunningFollow @JejuWeeklyFollow @dmac5dmark2Follow @WendyMcLeod33Follow @KelownaNow
I think we might have made hockey a thing on Jeju Island.
The Inaugural Jeju Cup was a stunning success. We amazingly met our fundraising goal of 1,000,000 KRW to benefit the Jeju Inline Academy with purchase assistance of their first set of goalie equipment, which we hope to acquired soon. Besides that, Jeju went from having zero hockey to six teams and 40 players in the span of nine months, featuring a tournament filled with players from Canada, the USA, England, South Africa, and Korea — some reconnecting with the game, and many trying it for the very first time. Backgrounds aside, everyone had a great time, and there were many requests for another event to be hosted in the near future.
But don't take my word for it, here's the coverage our tournament got from all over:
event rundown by the Jeju Weekly: http://www.jejuweekly.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=4231
the event made news in my hometown of Kelowna, BC Canada too, as Wendy McLeod of KelownaNow.com wrote us up: http://www.kelownanow.com/columns/sports/news/Sports/14/07/19/Okanagan_Hockey_Player_Brings_Canada_s_Sport_to_South_Korea
Locally renowned photographer Douglas Macdonald — who's had his shots in National Geographic and Getty Images — captured our event through his lens too: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.247836218748279&type=1
If you'd like to support the ongoing growth of hockey in Jeju, South Korea, consider picking up one of our t-shirts, which we sold out of at the event and had to re-order due to their popularity: https://www.etsy.com/shop/davecunning
And you can always join the Jeju Islanders' Facebook group if you want to keep up with our team: https://www.facebook.com/groups/jeju.island.hockey/
Follow @davecunningFollow @JejuWeeklyFollow @dmac5dmark2Follow @WendyMcLeod33Follow @KelownaNow
Help CCM recover 2000 new pairs of stolen Tacks
A whole bunch of new skates have gone "missing", and their manufacturer needs help getting their goods back so they canget them on your feet where they belong.
CCM Hockey needs your help in finding 2,000 pairs of its new CCM Tacks hockey skates, which were stolen in transit from Vancouver, BC to Saint-Laurent, QC during the week of June 16, 2014.
On June 13, 2014, 2 of the 3 containers in transit made it to destination at CCM's warehouse in Saint-Laurent, QC, whereas the missing 3rd container was later declared stolen and recovered by Montreal police without its contents.
A police investigation is currently taking place, but CCM is kindly asking for your assistance in spreading the news. You can help by sharing this story and photo on your own website(s) and/or social media pages, by keeping an eye out for online sales of these skates, or by not fully trusting the next guy you see peddling new CCM Tacks out of the back of his van.
Questions, comments or leads can be directed to Bernard Côté by phone (514.273.3793 ext 236; Mobile. 514.502.7159) or email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Warrior is the best hockey company out there. Here's why.
Follow @davecunningFollow @Warrior
Playing hockey all your life then moving to an island in Korea that is void of the sport certainly has it's challenges. But where there's a will there's a way, and I need to take this blog post to recognize Warrior Hockey as someone who has become the way for me and others in my community.
When I moved to Jeju, South Korea in 2012, there was literally zero hockey here. No one playing any version of it, and no one that I knew yet that even watched it or kept up with a team. I essentially resigned to the notion that I may not see or play hockey again until I returned home to Canada, eventually.
Slowly, hockey people began to emerge. As we learned of each other's presence, we began to gather. Sometimes to watch, sometimes to discuss, and eventually to start playing. A Facebook group was started. An inline hockey rink, shop, and kids inline program was discovered. A half built ice rink at Branksome Hall Asia was uncovered as well. Cheap sticks were bought from China, and a ball was sent from Canada. Interest incubated, and before long, we had street hockey games going. Low numbers, but high level enjoyment. I began to play and coach again. Hockey began to hatch around these parts. It became apparent to me that hockey could really happen here, if we gave it a good push in the right direction.
But a major hurdle was the equipment. For a casual hockey tire-kicker, buying a hockey stick for $40-50 in order to try out the sport for the first time was just not feasible. A small handful of us had bit the bullet and bought some, but we did not have the resources to clear the equipment hurdle and provide everyone with sticks in hopes of spurring the interest of island inhabitants to give our sport a chance.
That is, until Warrior came along.
Though I was constantly sending out S.O.S. messages to hockey companies like Bauer, CCM/Reebok, Easton, and others for months prior, it was Warrior — and only Warrior — that not only sent me a response, but appeared willing to assist our cause. After explaining my intentions to Warrior brand manager Keith Perera on Twitter in 140 characters or less, I was put in contact with Daniel Park, the CEO of Warrior Korea. Mr. Park contacted me via email and expressed interest in visiting our community to assess the state of hockey and whether Warrior could be of assistance to its growth in Jeju.
After flying down and visiting for a day of touring our blossoming hockey grounds, it was not long after that my living room was transformed into this:
Unable to form complete sentences for most of the day, I think I mentioned something about it being like Christmas morning a whole bunch of times.
Without giving you an entire list of inventory, in short, Warrior straight up donated us sticks, helmets, gloves, pads, and bags to help hockey grow and flourish in Jeju, South Korea. It was nothing short of amazing. Warrior has helped us put hockey sticks in the hands of new players that otherwise would not have even tried the game.
So where do we go from here? Well, for starters, if you live in Jeju, come play hockey with us. Join our Facebook group, it's regularly updated with game times and locations. If you have, or can acquire inline skates, join our inline hockey team. If you have kids in Jeju that want to learn how to play hockey, join the Jeju Inline Academy (email: firstname.lastname@example.com), where I coach. And for goodness sakes, the next time you're in the market for hockey equipment, please consider Warrior first. Visit warrior.com and/or your local hockey shop and pick up whatever you need (if you're in Kelowna, Canada, I recommend Chevy's Source For Sports). They make everything you need, short of skates, and it's all solid gear. If it works for the likes of Zdeno Chara, Henrik Zetterberg, Jonathan Quick, and other bonafide NHL stars, it'll work for you too. Your support of them will go a long way in helping me say thanks to a company that cared enough to support us.
If you're anywhere in Korea and want to buy Warrior gear, shoot Daniel Park and email at firstname.lastname@example.com
Thank you Warrior!
UPDATE: This post was mentioned by Sports Illustrated in a post of theirs on May 22nd, 2014.


text: The Village Parks Dept will host a Boater's Safety Course on Thursday & Friday, March 27th & 28th from 5:30-9:30pm at the Community Center. This is an 8hr course taught by a certified instructor of the National Safe Boating Council. Note that as of May1, 2014 there is a new law for all individuals born on or after 5/1/96 that requries them to successfully complete an approved course in boater education in order to operate a motorboat. Cost for the class is $5 per person & pre-registration is required by March 7th. Class size is limited so sign up today. Contact the Parks Office for more info and to register.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
CEO Mary Barra writes open letter as GM damage control continues
Updated On: Mar 20 2014 05:55:58 PM EDT
General Motors damage control continued Thursday in the most widely read newspaper in the nation.
It's not a highly visible full-page ad like we see sometimes in crisis management. It's an open letter on the opinion page of USA Today.
View letter: Mary Barra: GM will learn from Cobalt mistakes
To find out the latest recall information and your car's safety status, go to SaferCar.gov.
The views expressed below are not those of Click On Detroit, WDIV, or its affiliated companies. By clicking on "Post," you acknowledge that you have read the Terms of Service and your comment is in compliance with such terms. Readers, please help keep this discussion respectful and on topic by flagging comments that are offensive or inappropriate (hover over the commenter's name and you'll see the flag option appear on right side of that line). And remember, respect goes both ways: Tolerance of others' opinions is important in a free discourse. If you're easily offended by strong opinions, you might skip reading comments entirely.


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Looks like Broncos receiver Wes Welker will have more time to recover from his latest concussion; he's been suspended for four games after reportedly testing positive for amphetamines. Welker's not alone. He's the second Bronco so far this year to violate the NFL's substance abuse policy (kicker Ma ... More >>
Although Tim Tebow hasn't been a Denver Bronco since March 2012, when he was traded to the New York Jets, he remains a favorite of many in these parts, since he achieved his greatest professional glory wearing orange and blue. And even though he's out of football at the moment, he continues to make ... More >>
Watching Ray Lewis acting like the king of the world after playing a thoroughly ordinary game, and seeing Joe Fluke-o named MVP after the Baltimore Ravens' Super Bowl victory yesterday was enough to make me nearly throw up my seven-layer dip. Fortunately, Las Vegas sports books give our Denver Bronc ... More >>
During the last three Broncos victories (over San Diego, New Orleans and Cincinnati), the focus was on Peyton Manning, and rightfully so. But while Manning put up impressive stats in yesterday's 36-14 dismantling of the Carolina Panthers, the stars of the game were Von Miller and the Broncos defense ... More >>
Let the hyperbole fly: Depending on whom you ask, the presidential debate coming to town this Wednesday is either the biggest event of the election season, the biggest-ever boon to the University of Denver's place in the national spotlight, or the biggest political anything to happen in Denver since ... More >>
After gut-wrenching comebacks-that-weren't to the Falcons and the Texans, the Broncos needed a laugher -- and they got one. Denver's 37-6 demolition of the hated Oakland Raiders was perfectly timed going into the most brutal stretch of an already killer schedule. More important, the game showed the ... More >>
Videos below.During the blessedly completed Josh McDaniels era, top picks like Knowshon Moreno and Tim Tebow defied conventional wisdom -- and we still don't know if they'll pay off in the long run. In contrast, the choice of Texas A&M linebacker Von Miller makes perfect sense from the start ... More >>
John Fox.John Elway's announcement yesterday that John Fox has been named the Broncos' new head coach wasn't a guaranteed hit. After all, Fox most recently coached the Carolina Panthers, the one NFL team with fewer wins than Denver this past season. But in advance of his introductory news con ... More >>
John Fox.We've got the news straight from the Horse's tweet: Moments ago, newly minted football operations veep and Twitter fan John Elway revealed that the Denver Broncos have hired John Fox to succeed the disastrous Josh McDaniels as the team's head coach. Which is good in some ways, not a ... More >>
Perry Fewell.Update below: Carolina Panthers coach John Fox is expected to arrive in Denver today -- weather permitting -- to interview for the job of Denver Broncos head coach. But before he faces Pat Bowlen, John Elway, Joe Ellis and other team executives, he will likely show his face to B ... More >>
Verily did Tim Tebow lift the forlorn Broncos on his broad shoulders and dump-off screen pass them over the worst pass defense in football. This win is hardly cause for a re-evaluation of the Broncos' historically awful season, but hey: they got the win after being down by 17 at the half. Sto ... More >>
Boss Bailey. At this writing, linebacker Boss Bailey's page remains on the Denver Broncos' website -- but that won't be true for long. Yesterday, the team cut him loose. And while that makes sense (he's still rehabbing from the sort of microfracture surgery that makes comebacks slow and difficult), ... More >>
Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan didn't just throw Travis Henry under the bus on June 2 when talking about his decision to cut the running back. He tossed him beneath the entire Greyhound fleet. "The release speaks volumes," he told the assembled press. "You've got the little things, and if you do ... More >>
If you could predict the future, would you be a sportswriter? As cool as it would be to state unequivocally during the preseason, "Eli Manning will lead his team to the Super Bowl " or, "the Vikings and Browns will both finish just one game out of a playoff spot," if these writers really kne ... More >>
Once the laughingstock of high school football, the Nederland Panthers have climbed the mountain. If only they could stay there.
Somewhere in the not too distant future, the Department of Homeland Security will be able to ferret out terrorists based only on a series of questions about the NFL. Consider this: Last month's Patriots-Cowboys game drew 30 million viewers, making it not only the most watched sporting event of the ... More >>
Brawny juicers keep pumping steroids, so why aren't more serving time.
Colorado fumbles the ball.
Nothing beats a naked pigskin party for some raw excitement.
The true spirit of sport returns when pigskins fly.
Rae Carruth
The good, the bad and the very ugly of athletics in 2000.
A Denver Bronco's domestic-violence case gets complicated.
What if things were just a little different for quarterback Mike Perez?
Although Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were an impossibly horrific act to follow, others gave it a shot.


text:
What'll I Do Lyrics - Irving Berlin
Review The Song (29)
Gone is the romance that was so divine.
'Tis broken and cannot be mended.
You must go your way,
And I must go mine.
But now that our love dreams have ended...
What'll I do
When you are far away
And I am blue
What'll I do?
What'll I do?
When I am wond'ring who
Is kissing you
What'll I do?
What'll I do with just a photograph
To tell my troubles to?
When I'm alone
With only dreams of you
That won't come true
What'll I do?
<instrumental-one verse>
What'll I do with just a photograph
To tell my troubles to?
When I'm alone
With only dreams of you
That won't come true
What'll I do?
Click here to submit the Corrections of What'll I Do Lyrics
Please Click Here to Print What'll I Do Lyrics
Thanks to email@example.com for submitting What'll I Do Lyrics.
Wow this has it all. | Reviewer: Philip Lunardi | 7/20/14
Always searching for great scores, wow, isn't this just wonderful. Thank you I.B. Now in the throes of including this beautiful masterpiece in my repatiore for the darlings I entertain in seniors functions. Many thanks for such beautiful work, sheer perfection and poetry.
Last song with my mom | Reviewer: Barbara | 11/27/13
One month before our mom passed away we gave her a pre-Christmas tea party. We had a tape of old songs play and this song came on. Mom started singing and we video taped her. Now that she is gone, I find the song so beautiful and especially meaningful.
a true heart tugger | Reviewer: kristi hinely | 5/10/13
i first heard this song on 'the golden girls". loved it so much. sang the few lyrics to my youngest daughter for years. looked up the rest of the verses today on the computer.a really beautiful, haunting song with my wonderful memorys of her being young attached to it.
What" ll I Do | Reviewer: Anonymous | 5/22/12
I am just listening to the song What'll I do from an album The McGarrigle Hour.It features Loudon Wainwright,Martha Wainwtight and Rufus Wainwright.It is available on ITunes.You got to get it--its a great version.
What'll I Do | Reviewer: B. Kight | 4/26/12
My husband passed away in March. He took care of me and everything else. I didn't realize how much he did do. I'm so terribly lost without him. I do talk to his photograps I have throughout the house all the while wishing I could carress his face.
First heard this on Golden Girls also | Reviewer: Audrey | 12/20/11
This is a beautiful, haunting song that tugs at the heart for anyone suffering a loss. My mother died earlier this year and my dear kitty cat died a few weeks ago and I'm missing them both so much this Christmas. Hearing this song makes them feel a little closer to my heart.
GREAT SONG | Reviewer: Anonymous | 8/15/11
What'll I Do / Anne-Marie | Reviewer: Anne-Marie | 7/23/10
I'm 55 year young the first time I heard the song it was my aunt who played it on her piano the love se much the song that went we went to florida I ask the gentleman that played piano at the bar the other side of the wall that seperated the diner room and he did play it for me everyday for two week that I was there, never will get over the song it bring me menory of my aunt and it touch me deeply Thank You Irving.
This song gets me every time.... | Reviewer: Frank Giann | 4/7/10
I'm a 40 year old tough guy biker and this song makes me cry every single time. Guess I'm not as tough as I thought...lol. I first heard this song on the Golden Girls way back in the late 80's and I could never get it out of my memory...
WHAT'LL I DO | Reviewer: margie NYS | 8/21/09
I used to sing this song to my Mom after my Dad died in 1998. It was me telling her to hang on, hold up for me. She passed away 5/21/09. Now I sing the words to her picture. She so loved the Robert Redford movie, THE GREAT GATSBY, and watching him and Mia Farrow dance to this rendition.
She always wanted to dance in a ruffled gown, with a man in a tux. I believe she and my Dad are dancing among the stars now. AMEN!
Discovered | Reviewer: Marilyn | 2/10/09
I discovered this song by watching the last episode of Cheers featuring Shelly Long. She and Ted Danson dance to this as an old couple as the scene fades out. I never get through watching it without tearing up.
Brava to Bravogirl05 | Reviewer: Mary | 10/24/08
This is the perfect song. I have listened to it sung by many famous artists--Judy Garland forgot the second line of the chorus and made up her own (a little lame), Johnny Mathis wrang every drop of pathos he could get out of the song, and Frank was backed by a full orchestra. The most perfect singer of this song, I think, is one I found on the internet: She has the appellation Bravogirl05, her name is Kristi, and she has the pure, sweet, clear voice that fits this wonderful song so perfectly. It was backed by only a simple keyboard rendition. I would give anything for her recording of "What'll I Do".
What'll I Do | Reviewer: Linda | 8/24/08
I can't believe I've found the words to this beautiful, haunting old song that my grandmother use to sing to me in the l940s. I've loved it forever and have always wished I knew all the lyrics. I recently got a computer and thought to look for it. I had a good cry, but I thank you for restoring a lovely memory from my childhood.
My favorite | Reviewer: Anna | 8/2/08
Out of all the old, wonderful songs that I perform, this has to be my favorite. I end my last set with 'What'll I Do' and it chokes me up every time. With the simple, yet meaningful lyrics and the beautiful, haunting melody . . .
And I have to give Linda Ronstadt credit for introducing me to so many classics with her collaborations with Nelson Riddle when I was in my late teens. 'What'll I Do' was one of them.
Bea Arthur sings what'll i do at the rusty anchor bar | Reviewer: teresa | 6/21/08
on the golden girls show journey to the center of attention, blanche and dorothy go to the local bar called the rusty anchor. blanche is the center of attention with all the men in the bar and dorothy is alone at a table near the piano player and he is tickling the ivories and she starts humming and then she starts singing what'll i do. i had never ever heard that song and i cried. it is on right now. my husband left me and my children after i suffered a stroke and coma and when i heard that song it really hit home. thank you dorothy. sincerely,
Reviews By Pages: 1 2
The following area is only for review, if you want to submit the lyrics or the corrections of the lyrics, please click the link at the end of What'll I Do Lyrics.


text:
Films By Alain Tanner
Alain Tanner, whose earlier films from Salamander to The Middle of the World, were shown in previous Festivals in Melbourne, has created the most ambitious and complex of his socio-political comedies to date in Jonas. As in his earlier works Tanner's main preoccupation is with ideas, in this film ... Read more
Alain Tanner's second feature is co-written by the English Marxist art critic, John Berger, and has earned much critical attention overseas for its treatment of the alienation of a young girl trapped within the mores of middle-class Switzerland. The salamander of the title equates the heroine with ... Read more
Return from Africa is the latest film from Swiss director Alain Tanner, whose film The Salamander was shown at the Melbourne Festival last year. In Return from Africa, a young couple plan to leave Geneva and visit Africa. They write to a friend there, who advises them to come. So they sell their ... Read more
The story is set in the valley of Moruz, which contains the town of Moruz and St. Claret, about 25 kilometres apart. Paul,34, is the director of a factory in St. Claret. His father is a small farmer from the village of Eligoz (popularity called the middle of the world). Paul marries an upper middle ... Read more


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Cool Reader 3 Issue
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Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 12,248
Karma: 8106934
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Raleigh, NC
Device: PW/K4B/K4S/K3+3G KF1/KFHD2/N7.2/SGP 4.2 SGP 5.0/LG Vortex
Cool Reader 3 Issue
I have this one epub that Cool Reader 3 doesn't want to remember the last place I read from.
It's a rather large novel so this is important that it remembers where I left off.
It's the largest book I ever open in CR3 It's 1MB and has over 3,000 pages.
I have checked the file name, the structure and no special characters or spaces that I can see.
I've even tried converting to FB2 but the FB2 wouldn't open at all.
The FB2 opens fine on the desktop version but not on my Pocket pro
I'm finally reading the book in MOBI format but I miss Cool Reader terribly.
Is the file just too big or any ideas what might be wrong?
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The problem? This government-designed estate plan might not protect your loved ones. The good news? You may exercise your freedom to make choices about you, your family, and your assets. Alternatively, you may accept the choices the state legislature and appointed judges have or will make for you, without consideration of your uniqueness, hopes, dreams, and aspirations.
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text:
Editing and Writing Services
I have 14 years of experience as a writer, editor, and English teacher. I have worked as a freelance editor on memoirs, novels, and non-fiction books and articles at all stages, from developmental to copy editing. I have experience writing articles, interviews, blog posts and newsletters for businesses and non-profits.
My goal as a writer and editor is to take your ideas and content and bring them to life with clear, precise language. I love figuring out the best way to put information into words.
I serve as Fiction Editor at Rivet: the Journal of Writing that Risks, and I'm a founding editor at Red Bridge Press. From 2008-2013, I published monthly online newsletters for the non-profit WomenArts. My fiction and prose poetry have been published in print and online journals, and I received honors for both my undergraduate and graduate theses. I have worked with many writers for whom English is a second or third language.
Take a look at my Resume and my Publications for more details about my experience, and please contact me for work samples, rates, and references.
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"I thought that was a fine job of editing. That's really something I rarely say." — Contributing author, Writing That Risks: New Work from Beyond the Mainstream, Red Bridge Press, July, 2013.


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