By all rights, there’s no shortage of serious hockey stories to consider at CSTB late this evening. There’s Anaheim’s OT ouster of Vancouver last night, Friday’s pending Game 5 between the Rangers and Sabres, a Canadian government hearing over Shane Doan’s captaincy at the World Hockey Championships, or a huge upset victory for Germany over the Czech Republic at said tournament.
However, I’ll take the low road in typical fashion. There’s been a Bob Probert sighting. In Afghanistan. From NHL.com :
A team of Canadian NHL veterans has triumphed handily over a task force of battle-hardened soldiers in a chippy game of Afghanistan ball hockey.Under a blistering sun, a group of Canadian hockey heroes faced off against Team Task Force, with hundreds of fans cheering them on. With the Stanley Cup on display, players like Bob Probert, Mark Napier and Yvon Lambert put on a show for the crowd, handling the squad of soldiers 7 to 1.
It was so hot that midway through the third period, goaltender Ron Tugnutt had an iced cappuccino delivered to him in the crease.
Legendary enforcer Tiger Williams was also up to his old tricks, taunting the referees and getting into a playful scrap with Cpl. Mike Loder of the 2nd Newfoundland Regiment.
Those are some good stories to choose from, but this seems to be a more CSTB-centric hockey story. So long David Wright, hello Henrik Lundqvist?
http://www.buffalonews.com/154/story/63907.html
Die-hard hockey fan
Even dead, Vito Spatafore likes a little action. So when Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown went looking for a bet on the Sabres- Rangers series, the “Sopranos†character came to town, eager to take his wager and his wings.
“I’m going to book his action,†said Vito, aka actor Joe Gannascoli. “In fact, I’ll give him really good odds, 5 to 1. He puts up one order of chicken wings. I’ll put up five Coney Island hot dogs.â€
Fans of the New Jersey-based show will know him as the closeted gay family member who drifts in and out of the mob before finally getting whacked by fellow mobster and cousin Phil Leotardo.
A resurrected Gannascoli was in Buffalo Friday to promote his line of Rocky Patel cigars, as well as Batavia Downs’ role in Sunday’s “Sopranos†episode.
The show includes a brief race scene at the 67-year-old racetrack with the voice of track announcer Joe Zambito.
The actor, a huge New York fan, predicted a Rangers win and said he planned to watch Game Two as the guest of Sabres owner Tom Golisano.
“I hope the mayor doesn’t run from this bet,†he said, sounding like Vito. “I know everything about the guy. I got him.â€