Sponsor me for the RMHC Hockey Challenge

I'm proud to be participating in the Hockey Challenge again this year. Now in its 12th year, the Hockey Challenge benefits Ronald McDonald House, which provides a “home-away-from-home” for children and their families during medical treatment. Proceeds from the 2010 event helped the Seattle house provide accommodations for over 800 families last year. I hope you can help me help this great charity.

Me and fellow Amazonians have fielded a rag-tag group of hockey players for a charity game. It takes place Sunday, February 27th at 2:30pm, followed by the Seattle Thunderbirds game at 5:05pm. The lucky arena is the ShoWare Center in Kent (625 W James St). The more sponsors I have, the faster I skate. And at this age, I need a lot of sponsors. Here's how you can help:

Be my skating coach. Please sponsor me by making a tax-deductible donation directly to Ronald McDonald House Charities. Donations for the Seattle house can be made online here. Choose "Hockey Challenge" from the drop down menu under Program Area and write "Amazon.com/Danae" in the Comments box. Very important. Here's why:

Double down. I will match any direct donations. Again, be sure to include my name in the Comments box so RMHC can add up my bill. My goal is to have to cap this next year lest you all put my in the poor house, albeit for a good cause.

Score a hat trick. Does your employer match funds? (I'm talking to you, Microsofties!) Be sure your boss knows you're a philanthropist so your donation can go three times as far.

See ya at the game. Your ticket to the T-Birds game that night also gets you into the charity games beforehand. (My team is on the ice at 2:30pm.) Better than that, $4 from each ticket you buy will be donated to RMHC. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online here. Enter “RMHC” in the promo code box when buying your tickets.

What? You say you're not a hockey fan. Or you are but 2000 miles is just too far to travel for a game. Gotcha. May I modestly suggest buying a virtual ticket to the game? Throw those 25 bones directly at RMHC. Score a hat trick and magically turn that into $75.

So that's my spiel. I sincerely hope you can join me in raising money for Ronald McDonald House. And a huge thank you to those who have donated in the past, present and future.

Bettman cooks Detroit's octupus

Commissioner Gary Bettman is determined to take all the fun out of the NHL. On the heals the Sean Avery Rule (no more waving your stick in front of the goalie's face), Zamboni drivers are no longer allowed to remove debris thrown on the ice or they'll be dinged for a $10K fine...or at least they're not allowed to twirl it. Depends on your interpretation.

While the new rule doesn't name the Detroit Red Wings specifically, the league isn't veiling the fact that this is in relation to Wings fans throwing octupi at the Joe Louis Arena. I guess it just took them 56 years to figure out it may be a problem.

NHL spokesman Frank Brown gave this explanation: "Because matter flies off the octopus and gets on the ice when he does it."

- Detroit Free Press

Hmm, that's a complete 180 from the league's recent stance on the sin.

As recently as last year's playoffs, the NHL tacitly endorsed [Zamboni driver Al] Sobotka's antics.

"Every so often, an octopus slips out of someone's hands, and Al is right there to take care of the matter," Brown told the New York Times last May. "And he cannot be blamed if, as it tries to break free from Al's grasp, the octopus lifts Al's arm and twirls itself in the air."

- The Detroit News

This is all a little bit deja vu for my fellow Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) fans. If you're not familiar, that loud hippie in section 101 is Zamboni John. Before he took on the role of unofficial team cheerleader, he was the Zamboni driver at the old Mercer Arena. The city (who ran the arena) didn't take kindly to his high-fiving the audience while cutting the ice and his waving the large fish that T-Birds fans threw at every game versus longtime rival Portland Winter Hawks. "Zamboni John" Scannell is now a labor and employment attorney. Maybe Zamboni John can represent Sobotka should he defy Bettman's ruling.

Sens sign first round pick Jim O'Brien

Yet another first round pick from the 2007 draft signed today. The Senators have put University of Minnesota center Jim O'Brien under contract. O'Brien will play major junior next year for the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds.

"I never wanted to take a kid out of school. I never encouraged that. I think Jim feels that this is the best road for him at this point in his career."

- Senators GM Bryan Murray

Of course not. In college, O'Brien develops for free and you continue to hold his rights until he leaves school.

But don't take Murray at face value. Prospects generally leave school for junior either because there's a signing bonus waiting for them or they want force the team's hand by causing their rights to expire sooner. The Sens want O'Brien under contract. But again, why?

In O'Brien's case, they may think he's not developing properly at Minnesota. It's common practice for drafted Europeans to play a season or two as a CHL import at the request of their NHL team in order to get introduced to the North American game. The Thunderirds have another such first rounder in Riku Helenius. (That makes three first round prospects for Seattle next season when you include Thomas Hickey.)

Murray's not getting O'Brien out of school without the security of a contract. Hopefully, it's worth the risk. As a fan of my hometown T-Birds, I really hope so.