Writes Tom Benjamin, It was a caricature, a farce, a parody, a sham, a pretense, a laughingstock, a spoof, a travesty, an abortion, a bomb, a debacle, a fiasco, a disaster, an embarrassment, a flop, a mess, and a washout. It was a not very funny joke. It was a game of mockery hockery at its very worst.
The Canucks won.
Mike Ricci (shown above, during his San Jose tenure) returned to the Shark Tank last night for the time since signing a free agent deal with Phoenix. The SF Chronicle’s Ross McKeon asked the question that’s on the lips of every Bay Area hockey fan —- all 12 of them — what’s up with Ricci’s new haircut?
When told the hosts plan to show their appreciation of the ex-Shark with a pregame video presentation tonight, Ricci reacted with humility.
“I’m not sure I’m a good enough player to deserve that.”
Sharks fans will see a different Ricci, and not only because of the unfamiliar No. 40 he wears in honor of deceased NFL Arizona Cardinal star Pat Tillman, killed during military service in Afghanistan in 2004. Gone is the mop-like hair that was Ricci’s trademark for most of his last 14 NHL seasons.
Ricci got it cut after he agreed to play a role in a movie about the life and career of Maurice Richard. Ricci played the part of Elmer Lach, a longtime linemate of Richard’s in Montreal.
He also underwent surgery to repair a broken nose sustained early in the season. Ricci guesses he’s broken his nose four or five times in his career, but this one required a procedure because as he put it, “Let’s just say it was blocking the vision of my left eye.”
Midway through the 3rd period, the Rangers are leading the Bruins, 2-1 via goals from Jaromir Jagr and Peter Prucha. Don Koharski (abvoe) is one of the four referees in this one, and I’m sure the alleged doughnut devouring official can appreciate that nearly 18 years after Jim Shoenfeld’s infamous epithet, the former is still officiating in the big leagues while his nemesis is beating the bushes.
Of course, Shoenfeld did play alongside Tim Horton, so he was very qualified to speak of doughnuts.
Closer to Chez CSTB, the CHL’s Austin Ice Bats won consecutive games for the first time this season with Friday’s 6-2 win over Rio Valley and last night’s 4-1 defeat of Corpus Christi. Despite improving to 5-8-0, the Ice Bats willingly defiled the sanctity of the Travis County Exposition Center by allowing a rock band so lousy to perform after the game, I’ll not reveal their name for fear the Hold Steady will take credit.